11 thoughts on “New Review”

  1. My comment on the Linux site seems to have gone into a black hole. But anyway, since its a game and since its free and since it works on OS-X, I downloaded it. Dead. Three times so far. In the tutorial.

    I suck.

    Thanks for helping me remember that.

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  2. Hmmm.

    The interfaces to most games are going to have the same basic features in common, and if your intended audience is gamers, you don’t really need to go over them in too much detail. (Minimaps, for example, are pretty basic for all strategy games.) I would’ve liked to see better resolution screen shots, however – clear enough that I could read the menu/see the add-ons/game details myself.

    Things I would’ve wanted more explanation on:
    a) What kinds of add-ons? what do they do? (downloading components/upgrades from within the game interface is also pretty basic.)

    b) Are there different difficulty levels (beyond the tutorial I mean)? How many total maps in single-player? presumably a set number as you play through a storyline? Are there expansions released by the same gamemakers? infinite downloadable new maps/modules/storylines made by other players?

    c) What’s the average length of an average game online? How’s the gaming community surrounding it – size, friendliness, etc. ?

    d) Is there no fog of war or was that just for the tutorial?

    Some thoughts on what to talk about for more hardcore gamers in your potential audience:
    a) What genre is the setting? (e.g. fantasy, medieval, sci fi, horror, etc.) Is it effectively conveyed? How’s the artwork?
    b) Related to the above, what types of units are available, what can they do?
    c) Was there any kind of storyline? Basic plot premise for why you’re doing what you’re doing? What’s at stake? Is it plausible?

    Just some thoughts from a gamer. 😉

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  3. Huh. Reading back over my commentary, I can see that I need to go back to Editting 101 class. o.O Pay no attention to how it appears my thought processes rebooted in the middle.

    I also noticed there wasn’t a link to the game from the Linux Journal page with the review. It would be helpful to put that there, instead of making me google for it. 😉

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  4. Yes, a link would be great. I plan to try it (and die many times over, like Nathan) but have to wait till I’m done my exams. I’ve experienced way too often what happens when I claim “oh, I’ll just play as a study break.”

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  5. Sorry for my absence of late…

    MWT: Wow, thank you for the in depth response. Since I didn’t even understand part of the things you were mentioning, I’ll either have to study up, or preface my reviews as “reviews by a non-gamer” 🙂

    Nathan: The game is friggen hard, at least for me. But, it was enough fun that I kept trying. 🙂

    Anne: It’s http://www.wesnoth.org. Sorry I didn’t put a link in earlier. I’ll go talk to the Linux Journal folks and make sure they link too.

    Fenicle: Welcome! I think game reviews might be a semi-regular event, assuming folks like the opinion of a horrible gamer. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

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