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crazylegsmurphy

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  1. I have a bad feeling about this! I don't know if I can take more Petro Hype.
  2. No offence, but this is like telling me I get a desert with my $15 meal at Tony Romas. You know, how after you spend the $15 for what you hoped was a good meal, then they bring you the desert and it's a bowl of ice cream. I don't know what that even means, but to me what is the point again of announcing an expansion if they aren't going to announce it? They haven't even fixed the problems with the current game and they are already talking about releasing an expansion? I'll tell you what, how about you send me the expansion for free, that way maybe my current version of the game won't just sit on my HD unplayed. I'm sorry, but this stuff gets me a little ticked off. What I want to hear is, "Delphi announced they are releasing a patch that will fix all the current problems, add in some features that people have been asking for, and it'll all be for free!"
  3. I am running: P4 Dual Core 3.00 Ghz 2 Gigs Ram 256 gForce 6800 And there are times when it skips along and times when it just slows down. I find the galactic map is always kind of choppy, as well as the ground battles. There have been times after playing for a while that the PC will just bog down and it's almost not even playable. I can play other 3D games with almost no lag, so I have no idea what the deal is with this game.
  4. In my opinion, having to pause the game to keep things organized is the sure sign of a faulty setup.
  5. I'm dumb, I forgot to add that I have server space if anyone wants to make a site. My server should allow ASP and PHP and all that....
  6. Current Game Version (game) 1. Persistant Damage: I really think there could be a simple yet effective way of implementing this option that would stop the “jumping” of powerful fleets from planet to planet. It would also give weaker players the option to make meaningful attacks on star bases without starting from scratch every time. 2. Improved Maps: I would like to see maps that are bigger, as well as less point A to B. As it seems now, units will basically follow the low ground and avoid all other parts of the map. This leads to predictable attacks and gives the impression of a very small map as most of it isn’t playable. 3. Improved Maps (Space): While I enjoy the look of many of the space maps, I would like to see slightly bigger maps, with less focus on eye candy (asteroids/nebulas) and more focus on unit numbers. I personally find the extra stuff distracting at times. 4. Population Cap: Ground caps really need to be addressed as it looks very bare at times. It might make more sense to break down the caps by units. For example the troops have a 200 pop cap, where as the AT-AT’s only have a 10 pop cap. This would allow for bigger looking battles, but not allow for only strong units. This could also go for space combat as well, where only a certain amount of Star Destroyers were allowed, but smaller ships would have I higher cap. 5. Galactic Pop Cap/Planet Cap: Something needs to be done about the overall population cap. As many have said, near the end, the armies can be stretched pretty thin. But more importantly, troops should not sit in space when the planet is full and be sitting ducks for any space combat. 6. Game Speed: As it stands the galactic time scale is virtually useless as everything can happen in less than a “day.” If the build times and travel times were drastically slowed down, players would gain the ability to see incoming fleets, and if time allows bring in re-enforcements from closer planets. As well, units need to have a much longer build time. This would allow for greater care for units as well as limiting huge fleet build-up in a short time. 7. Bases: Let’s face it, base building should be an option. Not only would it allow for less repetitive play (same base, same place), but it would give players the option of something to do while ships were being built and fleets were being moved. This needs to be designed as an option so if players feel they want to zoom into a planet and construct a base then they have that freedom, but allow the current state of computer placed bases. I feel this would greatly add to the “fun factor” as it would allow players to feel more connected to the game, more immersed in the game, while still allowing the AI build. As I have also said in other posts, the defender should always be able to see where is base is before they are forced into a battle. 8. Better AI: I think it’s time we see an RTS where the units don’t stand in groups and exchange fire like they are exchanging Christmas presents. EAW at times can “Look” boring because the unit’s are simply standing there. If so much effort is put into maps that have 3D terrain, then it would only make sense for the unit’s to use this feature instead of treating it like it doesn’t exist. I would also like to see Enemy AI form a more coherent attack strategy. Simply marching wave after wave of troops and civilians does nothing but slow down the game and at predictability. 9. Ship naming/Hard points/experience While we all know TIE fighters are nameless pilots destined to be slaughtered, it really makes sense to pull the player into the game by allowing them to feel connected to their army. Losing Star Destroyer number 220344 means nothing to a player who can simply build another one in a day. Making ships harder to get, and harder to kill would give the game a sense of scale. It would also allow for ship specific upgrades, unit experience, and the ability to keep track of ships and fleets. This doesn’t mean the current way couldn’t exist, or an “Auto upgrade” feature, but it really makes sense to allow the player to feel more immersed in the game. 10. Less focus on Mods: While it's nice to allow everyone to mod the game, In my opinion it leads to a mish mash of games that aren't compatible with each other. This game should have mod tools ASAP that allow players to tweak everything that can be tweaked, but still give the option of turning off mods. It would also be great if there were an ingame program that would allow users in Multiplayer to pick and choose mods they both agree on. This way the game would start the mods they wanted, but not allow compatibility issues with others. Current Game Version (features) 1. IP to IP: Please stop punishing the buyer due to the actions of the pirate! There are many of us who just want to connect to our friends and avoid third party game sites such as Gamespy. As we have seen this can lead to major issues and players are always at the mercy of the game site. I think that if you are going to allow LAN connections, then you should allow direct IP. 2. More player options: It is understood that this game was designed to be marketed to the masses, but it would be nice to see the game have more options for all levels of RTS player. It would add greatly to the replay value if new players could grow with the game and turn up the difficulty as they became more experienced players, but also allow for veteran gamers to avoid a simplified version. Extended Game Version 1. Encapsulate All Eras: Nothing would be better than a Star Wars game that spanned the entire timeline. Being able to start at the Phantom Menace and progress all the way to Return of the Jedi would not only give the player much more option on a era by era basis, but would allow for a game with extreme depth. It would also cut down on the seemingly boring play as the different unit stages would give the illusion of variety. 2. Diplomacy: This doesn’t need to be a huge add on, but it would be nice to have the option of gaining planetary control based on some form of Diplomacy instead of simply landing troops. As it stands, the game feels very confined because you get the feeling you are landing one unit, on an entire planet and they are responsible for holding that planet. If the major heros (Mon Mothma) were able to conduct diplomacy missions to gain control, it would add a greater depth. 3. Not so Standard maps: It would be nice to see an RTS delve into the idea of maps that aren’t just land. For example it would be amazing to have maps that were ship interiors, or death star surfaces. The option to fight inside buildings would also give a new look to the game. Imagine storming Jabbas Palace, or sending Stormtroopers into a palace on Naboo. People love first person shooters, and it would be a nice chance of pace to navigate your troops through these types of environments. 4. 2 vs 2 Galactic Conquest: I think this would be an amazing feature to allow 4 players the ability to join forces against friends. It would allow players to still continue playing even if the original player couldn’t make it to the game. For example, if the game started out with 4 players, but a week later only two could come back, they would be responsible for their section of the conquest until the other players could join. Think of it as more of a 4 man game of chess where each player could log in, and manage small sections (base build, upgrade fleets, scout planets) which would equate to a single player game, but when all players return, they are faced with the consequences. This would almost force a replay value as players would get the feeling they “HAD” to play or they would be behind. 5. More Units: As it stands…you pretty much look at the same basic units that do the same basic things. This leads to the problem of unit constancy, meaning that you always bring the same fleet to the same battle. Having more units and having some with generic abilities would allow for more surprise attacks. For example I was playing SWGB and my friend destroyed me by using 300 probe droids. While this may sound stupid, the joy of seeing that was enough to keep me enthused another day. In EAW, you pretty much know you are going to see the same units, every single time. As well, if all eras of the Star Wars universe were added it would be cool to see a unit from the past, upgraded and battle hardened to fight in the present timeline. Think of the Falcon, old ship, upgraded to new. 6. Custom heros: This seems to be a little add on that would again bring the player into the universe. Having the ability to create a hero (I would love to see the ability for once to skin the player’s actual face on the character) would allow the player to truly feel joy when an AT-AT blows them away on the battlefield. The ability to also have this unit gain experience and upgrades would serve to directly put the player in Star Wars. The defeat would be all the more painful if Anakin or Bobba hunted down your character. 7. Story based events in Multiplayer: I would absolutely wet my pantaloons if important events were hard coded into a multiplayer game. Imagine how awesome it would be if a player had built up a bunch of Jedi in the early years, and then when the order was given, your army would change and destroy all the Jedi you have built. You then would continue onto be the Empire, while the other player would continue on to be the rebels. Yes, I understand I might be reaching here, but I think if it could be done, would be really fun. Devs Roles 1. More up front: This final "feature" I would like to see is the Dev's starting to be more open and honest about what is happening with the game. I have read every single post from every mod on here and other forums and it always seems like thier idea of "keeping us in the loop" is by making beat around the bush jokes and simply not giving information. A perfect example is that of the replay option. When the players questioned why this wasn't working, the response was almost, "Oh ya, we turned that off...sorry!" these are the types of things I want to know as a consumer before I spend my money, and when I do spend my money and find out after the fact...it causes me to develop mistrust in the company. I would like to see the Dev's start coming here on a regular basis and keeping us in the loop as to what they are doing as far as future plans and patches. This allows us as players and consumers to know where the game is headed and what we need to accept, and where the modders can start to focus thier energy. Release Date Of course there are a bunch of little things I would like to see addressed currently, but I truly would like to see this game break out of the pigeon hole that it is forming and grow into one of the biggest, more immersive Star Wars games to date. I personally think the code, the idea, and the fun is already there, but this game needs to take the next step into making it as fun, and complete as it can be. When would I like to see these things happen? Now, I have the game on my PC and I have barley touched it in days because I’m simply bored of the same repetitive things, and the bugs. I think that Petro and LA should get a second wind and go after this game, balls out. I also want to add that I really like this post idea! As well, I think you should all check out my other post. Someone really should tackle this idea. http://pff.swrebellion.com/index.php?topic=2664.0
  7. Fair enough, we all have opinons about what should and shouldn't be added...that is my point. As far as how many resources the Devs will dedicate, thats not really my problem. If the Dev's want thier name, and thier game to have a good reputation then they won't just abandon it after a week.
  8. Well, yes...but that is why you target all the forums and game sites. The idea is to pull in as many as you can and use that as a sample of what the players might want. Sure stupid ideas would make it into the poll, but the nice thing is that these ideas would probably get a very small percentage of total votes thus not making it as high of a priority. An example would be persistant damage. There seems to be a lot of people who would like to see that in the game, but right now who really knows how many that actually is. If the Dev's could see that a majority of the people wanted that feature, it would make it easier for them to focus energy on what the players want. To add....This could also help modders as they would have knowledge of what mods people are looking for, instead of creating mods that do 4 great things, and 1 really dumb thing.
  9. Designing a website that would allow users to "vote" on things they would like changed or added to the game? I really think the problem is that there are about 400 forums all dealing with EAW, (and other games) and everyone seems to have an idea about what should change. I personally think the problem is that there is a gap between the players, and the developers. What I mean is that it's almost impossible for the Devs to keep track of all the ideas and judge in any way how many people feel the same. I really think that there needs to be a site that deals with gathering this information and then presenting it to the Dev's in a clear and consise way. I think if this was done, and the Dev's could physically see the issues broken down into percentages and such, they could see what was most important to the majority and then work on those issues. To me it seems more like a community based development instead of a few people guessing what will work with the masses. I challenge you people with the skills to make this happen...it might actually have more of a positive effect than just complaining on a random forum.
  10. I would personally hold off a bit. Wait and see what the Dev's have in store for updating this game. The single player does work, but it's gets kind of old, kinda quick. My suggestion is, go down to your local internet cafe and see if they have installed the game on thier computers. Try it out on there with a few buddies and see if you like it enough to buy it. I was actually given this game, and while I have kept loading it up, It's simply too repeatative to keep me coming back much longer.
  11. I agree. When you zoom out and see your rag-tag army it's really hard to get a sense that this is going to turn into some amazing battle. Not only that, but, wow...how many times did I just want the land battles to just end!!
  12. Hello Folks, Well, I’m back. Why you might ask? Well, the answer to that is that I have just spent the last two days playing EAW. Yes, someone I know had also been rubbing his hands together intently, which resulted in his girlfriend buying it for him. He tried it out, and decided to give me his copy after a day due to the gameplay and multiplayer problems. I am going to write probably one of the longest reviews known to man on this game. I am going to try to equally touch on all the good and all the bad aspects of the game based on the amount that I have played it. So sit back, grab a cup o’ cherry cola, and have fun! Impressions After two days of exploring the game I started to get a strange feeling that I couldn’t at first put my finger on. It was bothering me more and more and only when my friend dropped by to take a look did he put it in words. The feeling was that of being unattached. The more I played, the more I realized that I was not involved in this game as much as I would like to think I was. I started to feel more and more as though this game would basically play itself despite needing me to click a button or unit every now and then. To test this theory I entered into a few battles. Strangely enough I won 3 of the 4 battles by simply clicking my units, and moving them close to the enemy units. I would sit back in my chair with my carrot cake and watch as the battle played out. Sure, I probably lost a fair bit more units than I would have normally, but the end result was clear. I eventually clued into what was giving me this feeling, and I realized that the reason was that everything is laid out for me, and would basically hold my hand through the game. Because of the lack of base building and resource gathering, I was relieved of that burden. As well, because those bases and maps were laid out in an A, B to C. fashion, all I really had to do was follow the path to victory. I didn’t even have to waste time thinking of a route to take as it was all pre-thought for me. When building units, I was again amazed that all I needed to do was find the correct formula, and I was ready for any battle. My point is that the more I played, the more I got the feeling like this was nothing more than a game of battlefront without the freedom to run all Willy Nilly around the map. Every space and land battle became the same thing over and over again; build unit, move unit, unit arrives, select unit, move unit, unit attacks, capture drop point, bring in units, win battle. That’s basically the idea. Of course there are other things you could do such as fire an ion canon, or have Darth Vader crush a building, but these little “extras” just seemed more like filler in a battle that would basically play itself. Enemy units tend to just run at you in waves as you move around the pre-planned hallways of the maps. You never really get the sense that you are doing any sort of strategy let alone care if any of your units die. It’s really hard to sort out why this game feels so shallow. It almost seems like a contradiction that you could have a game with so much to do, but still have the feeling there is nothing of value to do. I found that I would simply just click on planets and build space stations for the sake of doing something because the enemy didn’t “feel” like attacking for a half hour. I found myself sitting there waiting and waiting for the enemy to attack, (they only seem to attack the weakest point). So I would let the credits roll in, and when I was ready to battle, all I had to do was move my fleet away from a planet, and sure enough 5 seconds later the enemy would be attacking. I could go on and on about this, but it simply comes down to simplicity. There is too much hand-holding in this game and as a result it feels very contrived and linear. The lack of consequence for lost units and heroes leaves you without a sense of urgency. The speed at which things are built never gives you a sense of time or scale, and the ease at which credits come rolling in leaves you with the feeling that there is very little you could do to actually lose. The term, “Dumbed down” has been floating around a bit, and I would have to agree. Multiplayer So that brings us to the multiplayer aspect. Now let’s be honest, most people buy these types of games because it’s much more fun to play against an unpredictable human, than the continuously predictable nature of computer AI. The problem is, I was never able to connect to the multiplayer. No, this wasn’t a result of firewalls, or routers as I have extensive knowledge of these aspects. The problem is, in my opinion that the developers of this game seem to be punishing their legit customers based on the actions of a few. What I mean is, the choice to go with a third party gaming site such as Gamespy and not include a direct IP is simply a very poor attempt at controlling piracy at the expense of legit users. I was honestly never able to connect to a single game in the half hour I tried, and so I eventually gave up. Now I am aware that the Dev’s are currently working on this problem, and I will voice my opinion on this later in the review. Bugs & Issues That brings me to the bugs. Wow, you should see the list of ones I found. Would you be surprised if the first time you landed on Nal Hutta you found a swampy planet, only to return later to find the galactic map now shows a sprawling city planet with tall buildings? Or what about watching your speeder build up to 99% and simply stay stuck there no matter how long you wait? I have a two page list of graphical, game, and textual problems with this game. Sure, most of them are minor inconveniences, but the point is that most of these should have been caught long before the game was released. I appreciate the fact that two patches have come out in a matter of days, but let’s be honest here, this is not because the Dev’s care if the game is perfect, it’s because they understand that the result of bad reviews, and word of mouth leads to lower sales. I really question the intention of the Dev’s when you hear a user say, “Where is the replay function?” and the response is, “We shut that off for the final release as we still had some issues to work out with it.” (Not a direct quote). This to me is a good indication that this game wasn’t ready for the shelves. With that said, does it cause an issue in gameplay? The answer is, if you are looking to play the single player games, you will find bugs and issues, but for the most part you’ll be able to muddle your way through. If on the other hand you are looking for this to cure your multiplayer itch, hold off, because it’s simply not working with any sort of consistency. So as we move along it really does seem like this is yet another bias rewiew, hell bent on destroying the game. Well, I honestly wish I could find more to like. In a game where auto resolve becomes a necessity rather than an option, it is really hard to keep an optimistic view. I am like most of you in that I wanted to love this game more than any other. I have waited and waited for this game since day one and I can tell you how many chances I have given this game. The problem is that even though I forced myself to keep giving this game a chance, it simply doesn’t have what it needs to keep me enthused. I think that some of you are right in saying that this game will be one of those bargain bin games within the next few months, and at that point it might be worth picking up. Eventually the “cyber geeks” of the world will get their hands on this game and change it to what it should be long after it’s been abandoned by the Dev’s. At that point it might be worth it to revisit. Suggestions At this point, I am going to jot down a point by point list of what I think this game needs to pull it out of it’s current funk. Dev’s, this has been said a few times before, but maybe you need to start thinking about these options as a patch, not another excuse to get money out of your customers. 1. Persistent Damage! - This needs to go in the game. After I played the full version, it was exactly how I imagined it, a huge fleet, with no consequence, leaves little in the way of fun, or strategy. 2. Base Building – You need to give your players something to care about, something to do! Simply fighting endless battles leaves little in the way of care if anything is gone. Nothing in the game takes enough time or money to build, and so when it’s lost, it doesn’t matter. 3. Non-linear maps – You need to give the player the options. Without options the game becomes very static. You basically know where the enemy is regardless of the “fog of war” and all that is needed is to walk through the pre-determined route to get to them. 4. Direct IP – Stop punishing everyone else. You’ll make your money don’t worry. If the game is good, people will buy it. To force users into having to use a third party is not only an insult, but obviously not a viable solution. I understand that the Dev’s wanted to try and change the idea of what these games could be like, and while I admire that, it also has to be realized that even if the change is needed, it needs to be done with kid gloves. You can’t suddenly change every aspect of what people have learned in one fell swoop. The trick is giving the player the options. “We think base building is a thing of the past, but we realize you might not think the same!” This is a lesson that not many people need go far to learn as this type of thing has been attempted before, with very poor results.
  13. So, it has been decided. I sat down with my friends tonight at the mall and we discussed if we were all going to walk to the EB games and get the game. As I have unofficially been designated information gatherer I sat down and let them know all of the info I have gotten in the last few months. We have decided to pass on this game for now. After reading the reviews and feedback from players it seems as though it comes down to a few key points. 1. Consistantsy - It appears that the issues with the game are happening across the board. Multiplayer problems, AI problems, Installation issues, and boring gameplay seems to be pretty consistant among a lot of users. 2. Replay Value - The game hasn't even been out for two days and game sites, and players are already saying that the games replay value is low. People are finishing the game in a matter of hours. The maps are bland. The ground combat is boring...these are all things that are being said by a lot of people. 3. Completeness - It appears to me that somewhere along the line EAW bit off a bit more than it could chew. It seems that in an attempt to simplify things, they actually resulted in creating a whole new set of problems. From what I have seen, the DEV's keep talking about patches. Now, well this seems good, the point is that patches are what you do when something isn't working. This was really a tough choice for us. We have been waiting so long to try this game, but in the end it just didn't seem like this game was ready. There are too many issues that still need to be ironed out, and we really don't like the mentality of, "It'll be fixed in mods." Modding is not a solution to a stable game. DEV's need to strive for a game that is so well done, that the idea of modding doesn't even cross the mind of the players. In my opinion modding should be used when you get tired of the game and you want to give it some new playability, not as a tool to fix the problems not caught by the DEV's. Anyway....We have decided to hold off on this game for 6 months. Allow it time to mature a bit and see what kind of support it gets. If the DEV's have at that point addressed most of the issues, or even released an add on, we will look at it again at that point. I feel almost as this is a tearfull goodbye in a way as I have been following this game since day one. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best, and it's hard to walk away. It's not really even about the money anymore as I'm sure if I really wanted to I could aquire the game through other means, but it just simply doesn't seem worth the time or effort to do so. So I will check back in time. For those who enjoy the game, then I admire you and I hope you have fun. For the rest of you who are shaking your heads in frustration, I encourage you to keep on the backs of the DEV's and LA. E-mail them, call them, write them....but let them know that you are tired of this type of treatment. Let them know that your $50 and time are very important to you and if they want your continued support they will end the "I can't say much right now" and start treating the gamers like the should be treated. To the DEV's...it's time to stop with the vagueness. It's time to step up and start to admit where things need work instead of trying to find a silver lining on everything. It's time to own up to the mistakes and start being completely honest with your customers as to when patches will be out, and what they are addressing. It's time for you guys to start supporting the project in more ways than just the odd comment here and there on a random message board. You need to start conducting yourselves like a real business and use the resources you have at your desposal, such as the LA website, the gaming sites, e-mail, etc. There are a lot of people out there that are not aware of your dealings on this forum and they need to be brought up to speed. I honestly think you guys have come very, very close to hitting the nail on the head with this game. I think that you need to really use this feedback to explain to the powers that be, that mass market games result in mass market frustration. Don't be afraid to develop a game for everyone, hardcore players, and the casual ones. And finally, just because your team sat around and decided that something worked doesn't mean your players do....listen to these people, take what they are saying and apply it to your game. Good luck, later!
  14. The more detail you can provide the better. I honestly wish I could just save you guys the effort, but LA website has nothing of value.
  15. I have successfully whined about it being my b-day long enough that my girlfriend has offered to buy me this game, or something else I want. I just have a few questions that would be awesome if you guys that have played the game could answer. 1. Build times - are they better or the same? (space travel times as well) 2. Are the bases constructed well? (meaning are they random, or well thought out?) 3. How fun is multiplayer? What are the limits/suprises? 4. What is the total planet number in multiplayer? 5. Is anyone noticing if the maps/battles are repeatative? 6. Does the lack of "auto repair" actually effect the gameplay? 7. Is anyone noticing the pop cap? 8. Who is bored/frustrated already? Why? 9. Are there any suprises that weren't in the demo, that are in the game? (Like the Devs led us to think) 10. Putting all Star Wars bias aside, is it actually a good game or not? Thanks for your time and answers!

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