14 DAY TRIAL // The Settler is an impressive series because it is very European, focusing on city creation and development but eschewing conflict for the most part and the fact that developer Blue Byte and publisher Ubisoft are making the most recent installment browser based and free-to-play should be good news for fans.
I played the beta, which has recently been launched for English speakers, and I am glad to report that the game is very close to the traditional Settlers formula, although it might just be too slow and majestic to succeed in the fast paced social space of 2012.
One of the changes that jumps out is that roads are now built for purely for aesthetic reasons. Other than that this is a serious game where placement of buildings matters, resources must be carefully managed and the various boosts need to be deployed at the best moment.
One interesting mechanics is the use of specialists to gate access to some resources but here the timers feel on the low side and I would like to see more limitations about their use.
The problem is that I have been playing since the beta was launched to the English speaking crowd and have not yet seen the more advanced buildings or the trading part of the game, mainly because it is incredibly slow when it comes to resource collection and quest progression.
The Settlers Online might not use Facebook (although one can use an account to log in) but it uses some of the tropes of the social game adaptation seen on the platform.
There are generous amounts of space on the User Interface that are devoted to potential friends that would join the player and a clear area which shows the player the advantages he can obtain by getting some helpful Gems.
Ubisoft and Blue Byte have not stated when The Settlers Online will be officially out of beta and what changes this will bring about.