Game Reviews

dsmart · 08-16-2009, 10:34 AM

All game reviews are linked here.

dsmart · 08-16-2009, 10:54 AM

My comments about the review (which I thought was well written and captured all the unique pros/cons of the game).

The sandbox mode does not require objectives because that’s the whole "sandbox" point. You create your own objectives. e.g, if you want to go take on any enemy base - just show up and see what happens. The AI is in full force and effect. So you can decide to take out their barracks, base or whatever.

Also, the bases are spread apart to prevent them from attacking each other automatically. Though I am considering doing something about that in a future DLC which would see all out war break out. But that would require bases to be placed within range (less than 75km from each other) of each other or all EAD assets be given long range (more than 75km) capabilities. Which means that as soon as you fire up the campaign, IA or sandbox, they'll all engage each other. Making the campaign and IA scenarios more complex. That’s why I didn't do that in the first place since they all take place on the same 400 sq. km map.
Voice acting. One word: budget. We actually had all the scripts ready for Somatone (the studio that did all the other audio sounds), but I cut that out at the last minute and asked them not to proceed once our potential publisher headed South and I had to tighten the purse strings.
As to the bases, as I've said before, we have all the assets that we need for that but that task was just cut due to time and performance. Now that the game is out, we're going to look to populate the bases with more ambient assets. My guess is that people are still going to complain because it is going to tank the performance on some systems. So that DLC may end up being a "use at your own risk" kinda thing.

ShooterSix · 08-16-2009, 11:25 AM

When we will we start seeing DLC? Two weeks, a month?

dsmart · 08-16-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShooterSix

When we will we start seeing DLC? Two weeks, a month?

That is TBD and I have no idea when that will be.

As I've stated before, the extent and type of DCL depends on how well the games do in the long term. DLC do take time, money and resources to create.

We're already moving along with KnightBlade - our next game - as our primary concern.

We will of course release patches and such, but DLC is a whole other ballgame that is just too early to talk about. e.g. those Arma2 guys already announced an expansion pack, despite the fact that main game is still buggy as hell. The same thing they did with the first ArmaA game. We don't do that - and never have. We're a very small group and we cannot afford to take those kind of risks, let alone allienate our install base. Thats why we're still going games.

AAW (AOA is just a spin-off) was a huge financial risk for my studio since it is not the kind of game that we would otherwise have done if we had a choice. But market conditions caused me to put space/planetary combat game (KnightBlade was to be our next big game before AAW) on hold and do AAW instead.

So for now, I'm not planning beyond SteamWorks implementation but thats more engine related than DLC.

freemansailor · 08-16-2009, 01:32 PM

Wait til we see reviews from IGN, GT, G4TV then we will decide.

dsmart · 08-16-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freemansailor

Wait til we see reviews from IGN, GT, G4TV then we will decide.

People who make their buying decisions based on someone else's personal opinions are patently foolish. This has been proven to be the case time and time again. How many games got glowing reviews, but were rubbish? How many games got less than stellar reviews but turned out to be gems?

Thats what demos were made for. Reviews (books, tv, movies, games, whatever) are based on someone's personal opinions and not meant to be any sort of endorsement whatsoever. Any gamer - who still has his gamer card - knows this. A well written review gives you more ammo to make up your own mind.

Nice try. Do try not to derail this thread again because quite frankly we can do without the hassles of deleting your caustic posts/threads and which have proven to serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever - dispite the posting rules being pointed out to you time and time again. I know its hard, but try, 'mkay? Please?

Rumtruffle · 08-16-2009, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsmart

People who make their buying decisions based on someone else's personal opinions are patently foolish. This has been proven to be the case time and time again. How many games got glowing reviews, but were rubbish? How many games got less than stellar reviews but turned out to be gems?

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

RT_ · 08-16-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumtruffle

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

This thread is similar in purpose to the Official opinion discussion one, it's meant for letting people know what other people think about the game. You may (foolishly) or may not base your decision to buy the game on it, but it's still there. If there weren't such threads, you know people would claim we'd be censoring your speech freedom or something like that.

dsmart · 08-16-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumtruffle

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

Where exactly did I even utter those words?

freemansailor · 08-16-2009, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumtruffle

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

ahaha +1 !!!

08-16-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumtruffle

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

awesome

Elsan · 08-16-2009, 09:27 PM

Please respect the fact that some of us do want to have good discussions, so stop these asinine comments.

As for the review, thanks for the link but it's very hard to read because of the white background...

ShooterSix · 08-16-2009, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsan

Please respect the fact that some of us do want to have good discussions, so stop these asinine comments.

As for the review, thanks for the link but it's very hard to read because of the white background...

What he said, except for the part about the review being hard to read. If the game doesn't come out today, which is Monday, I'm going to club a baby seal... to death.

Vaaish · 08-16-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

People are innately foolish and therefore this thread exists to aid such foolishness by means of collecting these opinions in a single location.

Silliness aside, whether or not such things are useful has no bearing on what this thread is for. As clearly stated in the title, the thread is for discussion of game reviews.

Aramike · 08-17-2009, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumtruffle

if reviews/professional opinions are foolish then what is this thread for?

I gathered he meant that using reviews/opinions as the sole basis for a buying decision was foolish ... seems pretty freakin' obvious to me, considering it was written in plain English.

That does not mean in any way that reviews/opinions don't merit discussion.

Seriously, those of you that have nothing better to do with your time but to try to play "gotcha" with dsmart, why not go play the games that you actually like rather than troll about a forum about a game you don't, merely because you're foolishly offended by the personality behind it?

08-16-2009, 10:34 AM	#1
dsmart 3000AD Join Date: Jul 2009 Reputation: 11 Posts: 590	Game Reviews All game reviews are linked here. Last edited by dsmart: 11-11-2009 at 02:24 PM.

08-16-2009, 10:54 AM	#2
dsmart 3000AD Join Date: Jul 2009 Reputation: 11 Posts: 590	My comments about the review (which I thought was well written and captured all the unique pros/cons of the game). The sandbox mode does not require objectives because that’s the whole "sandbox" point. You create your own objectives. e.g, if you want to go take on any enemy base - just show up and see what happens. The AI is in full force and effect. So you can decide to take out their barracks, base or whatever. Also, the bases are spread apart to prevent them from attacking each other automatically. Though I am considering doing something about that in a future DLC which would see all out war break out. But that would require bases to be placed within range (less than 75km from each other) of each other or all EAD assets be given long range (more than 75km) capabilities. Which means that as soon as you fire up the campaign, IA or sandbox, they'll all engage each other. Making the campaign and IA scenarios more complex. That’s why I didn't do that in the first place since they all take place on the same 400 sq. km map. Voice acting. One word: budget. We actually had all the scripts ready for Somatone (the studio that did all the other audio sounds), but I cut that out at the last minute and asked them not to proceed once our potential publisher headed South and I had to tighten the purse strings. As to the bases, as I've said before, we have all the assets that we need for that but that task was just cut due to time and performance. Now that the game is out, we're going to look to populate the bases with more ambient assets. My guess is that people are still going to complain because it is going to tank the performance on some systems. So that DLC may end up being a "use at your own risk" kinda thing.

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08-16-2009, 11:25 AM	#3
ShooterSix Join Date: Dec 2008 Reputation: 1 Posts: 44	When we will we start seeing DLC? Two weeks, a month?

08-16-2009, 01:32 PM	#5
freemansailor Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Reputation: 5 Posts: 69	Wait til we see reviews from IGN, GT, G4TV then we will decide.

08-16-2009, 09:27 PM	#12
Elsan Join Date: Jul 2009 Reputation: 1 Posts: 228	Please respect the fact that some of us do want to have good discussions, so stop these asinine comments. As for the review, thanks for the link but it's very hard to read because of the white background...