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05-10-2005, 04:19 PM
|  | Super Moderator | | Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: The sun, the moon, and the stars.
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| | Gamezone has a review up: rather poor, all things considered, since the reviewer's sense of gaming history is far off the mark, and lacks background in RPGs outside of Diablo, which arguably isn't an RPG.  It's superficial, recounts some features, and seems to basically like what's there without much explanation. Hopefully, more detailed, intelligently devised reviews will show up, soon.
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05-10-2005, 04:50 PM
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| | | ...and just got word that the 1.1 patch is about to appear. I have to reiterate what Xan and I both said, earlier, and ask: if you're going to issue a patch so close to the initial game release, why bother making it a patch, at all? Why not wait a few days, and release it as part of the game?
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05-10-2005, 05:50 PM
|  | Site Owner/Administrator | | Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Nine Hells
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| | Well, I typically don't have anything negative to say about other websites, but that review is subpar at best. Like you mentioned, they provide no valid comparisons to other RPGs and don't give any good examples of the game's positives and negatives. This is what really gets me though, in their conclusion:
"By letting players customize their avatars to a high degree the developers have given a world of possibilities to the players."
All character customization (aside from equipment) was removed from the game. You can no longer change your hair style, hair color, facial features, etc. Just pick your race, a base class, and that's it. Granted, you can ascend into specialized classes later in the game, but judging from their review I doubt they had a chance to try many (or any) of them out.
The good news is that the v1.1 update is out: http://www.dreamcatchergames.com/dci...patches/dl.php
I haven't tried the updated version, but I agree with your point that they should have held off to release the game with this patch already installed. From the notes, it sounds like it addresses a few of my bigger concerns, which would have went a long way for the barrage of reviews that will no doubt hit this week. I'm still hoping character customization and the automap feature get reinstated in a future patch. If these two features make it and a couple more bugs are addressed, this game would make my personal all-time favorite list.  |
05-10-2005, 06:04 PM
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| | | Buck, it sounds as though you really like it a lot. That's more than a simply a "yeah, it's a good game." What is it that really gets you enthusiastic about the title? Not just the things you enjoy; the things you enjoy, if you take my meaning.
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05-10-2005, 06:33 PM
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| | | Let's see...
- A huge world to explore, with plenty of "hidden" objects (altars, shrines, treasure chests, etc) to be found by searching every corner of the world. There is a lot of mystery shrouding many of the buildings and other objects you come across, too. I find myself jotting down where I saw things so I can return later. How many RPGs really give you the sense that you're "adventuring" anymore?
- Non-linear, for the most part. You're free to explore half of the game world immediately, with the other half becoming available later on after certain events take place. For the most part, you can choose which dungeons you want to explore next and are not forced through the storyline like many other modern RPGs.
- A vast assortment of specialty classes for your character to branch out to over the course of the game. Many powerful skills are not available to you without first ascending to certain classes, and the specifics on how to ascend to each are a total mystery.
- Multiplayer cooperative support. This is huge in my opinion, as very few RPGs have ever done this. There are a lot of puzzles and maze-like corridors in the game's dungeons, where the help of a friend is very nice to have. Additionally, you only have to be in the same zone, so even in the largest dungeon you can be split up exploring entirely different areas. And, to top it off, the multiplayer runs very well with all characters progressing through the storyline together.
- All of the above lead to a great sense of accomplishment while playing and allow for plenty of replayability. I will definitely be going through this game a few times to try out the different races and specialty classes. There are a *lot* of quests that are specific to certain races/classes, and I'll no doubt find areas of the world I've never seen each time through the game.
Does that sum it up? |
05-10-2005, 07:23 PM
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| | Yes, it does.  If you don't mind answering a few other questions: How's NPC interaction? Typical multiple choice? Are the NPCs interesting, as far as dialog is concerned? And can you add any to your party?
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05-10-2005, 08:22 PM
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| | | NPC interaction is your standard faire with dialogue being offered via multiple choice, although the response you get from prominent NPCs when choosing each option is usually quite lengthy (and typically fully voiced too). I haven't found the long text boring, though - it's well thought out and fairly captivating.
NPCs that have nothing to do with the progression of the game usually don't have much to say and can be bland at times. However, even such "no name" NPCs can have something important to say. For example, talking to a prisoner you let loose from a dungeon prison might reveal information about hidden treasure, etc. Overall, the interaction and storytelling is solid and is definitely better than Wizards & Warriors.
You cannot add anybody to your party, unless you bring real people in from a LAN, Direct IP, or Internet connection. |
05-11-2005, 02:32 AM
|  | Exalted Member | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Marlborough, MA USA
Posts: 225
| | | Everything you mention is true ... and is both the boon and bane of the game.
Personally, two of my 'top 5 ever' games are Gothic II and Jedi Knight II. So how could I *not* have been anticipating this title?
Add to it all the stuff Buck mentions, the nonlinear exploration and so on, and you have a winner. But the quest log is useless, the class system unclear at times (in terms of what you can or cannot do) and other little details. Finally, the towns (so far) are largely empty, and the obviously unfinished elements like a map and character customization are problems.
I'm glad they were quick to patch - in case it isn't obvious they (HP) were *forced* under legal threats to get the game out by the publisher (DreamCatcher). They were almost done with the patch when the game was released, and had actually hoped to have it done pre-retail.
It *is* a sad, sad thing. The DreamCatcher boards are a wreck of ranting and unconstructive raving...
Mike |
05-11-2005, 06:58 AM
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Originally Posted by txa1265 I'm glad they were quick to patch - in case it isn't obvious they (HP) were *forced* under legal threats to get the game out by the publisher (DreamCatcher). They were almost done with the patch when the game was released, and had actually hoped to have it done pre-retail. | Mike, you state this as a plain fact. Not that I'm doubting you, but do you know this to be the case? It is certainly a logical outcome, but necessarily *the* outcome, given the oddities of human motivation.
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05-11-2005, 10:56 AM
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| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by fable Mike, you state this as a plain fact. Not that I'm doubting you, but do you know this to be the case? It is certainly a logical outcome, but necessarily *the* outcome, given the oddities of human motivation. | Are you old enough to have enjoyed Hogan's Heroes as a kid? (I guess I'm dating myself here  )
... anyway, in the words of Sgt. Schulz - I know nothing, NOTHING ...
Mike |
05-11-2005, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by txa1265 Are you old enough to have enjoyed Hogan's Heroes as a kid? (I guess I'm dating myself here ) | I didn't enjoy it, but I knew the show. I remember when I Married Joan and the Abbott and Costello Show were still new. 53, here. ... anyway, in the words of Sgt. Schulz - I know nothing, NOTHING ...
Heh. Still, it seems like a very good guess, given the way game corporations operate, especially among those that are managed through the Accounting Department.
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05-11-2005, 11:32 AM
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| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by fable very good guess | Not my point - when Schulz said it, he was actually trying to say that he knew but could not tell. I was trying to be subtle
Mike |
05-11-2005, 11:49 AM
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Originally Posted by txa1265 Not my point - when Schulz said it, he was actually trying to say that he knew but could not tell. I was trying to be subtle | Schulz--subtle?  I'll keep that in mind, in the future. We don't get many subtle posts, up here.
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To the Righteous belong the fruits of violent victory. The rest of us will have to settle for warm friends, warm lovers, and a wink from a quietly supportive universe. |
05-12-2005, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by txa1265 Yep ... but in multiplayer there is no pause ...
In fact, due to an obvious oversight, your health regenerates in menu pause mode. So you can hit esc to survey thescene and heal up a bit. Of course, the enemies tend to gather when you do that. | Tend to gather...? How about dozens gathering if you have other tasks to attend to? Seems like another item for Heuristic Park to work on for their 1.2 patch.
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To the Righteous belong the fruits of violent victory. The rest of us will have to settle for warm friends, warm lovers, and a wink from a quietly supportive universe. |
05-12-2005, 06:40 PM
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| | Gamer's Hell has produced its review. Frankly, it doesn't sound to me like they played it very much, because it reads entirely like a list of complaints up on the DreamCatcher boards--without any real sense of what the game is like. Still, you can find it, here.
Personally, I find many of the complaints justified, but the rating, and the tone of the review, is way, way over the top.
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To the Righteous belong the fruits of violent victory. The rest of us will have to settle for warm friends, warm lovers, and a wink from a quietly supportive universe.
Last edited by fable; 05-12-2005 at 07:13 PM.
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