Addicting, VERRRY ADDICTING

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zydonk
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Re: Addicting, VERRRY ADDICTING

Post by zydonk »

Oh dear.

Free play (existential): see a child engrossed totally in play with just a few bits and pieces of wood - completely engaged at the level of imagination.

Anyway, to continue:

Development of WZ2100. Best way to approach the subject is by looking at how similar games developed. C&C remained unchanged at core, concentrating instead on the campaigns. It didn't change because it did not have to. TA was later developed into SupComm, a sort of Shogun with tanks, and seems to have proved very popular. The game I regard as closest to WZ is Earth 2150. This was followed by two releases that added only a few heavier mechs - no doubt reflecting the greater CPU power available - and, again, new campaigns. Later the franchise was reworked into Earth 2160, an extraordinarily complex game that I still don't understand.

All these development lines seems to have ceased, I assume in part because consoles don't suit RTS.

On the basis of the above cursory glance, how would WZ have developed if Pumpkin had remained in business? Sabotage might have been a good option - the medieval RTS Battle Kings uses saboteurs to good effect. The problem here is that sabotage has little more than nuisance value - "unnecessary obstacles", RV's happy phrase - the kind of frustrations that aging programmers use in place of genuine innovation.

It seems to me that other than extensive redesign, not much would have changed in the basic gaming. Many find the map editor clunky, but the maps it produces suit WZ perfectly. The animations could be extended, drawing upon Earth 2150 as an example. All projectile weaponry should need to be rearmed, and these munitions should be paid for - as should all repairs. There could be a night/day cycle, with lighting added for night play. Include power stations, perhaps located near wells. Increase the number of units, but pretty soon what is a "gang" would become a crowd for the player to be lost in.

But the point I would make - for what it is worth as a player rather than part of the dev - is that WZ is - like C&C - good enough as it is: both focus on gameplay above all other considerations. After several years of active discussion the fact is that very little has changed in WZ. What we have seen are improvements in the delivery of the game on our screens, in sound and graphics. In other words, given the opportunity to change, people have realised almost every time that the game as it is is good enough for our purposes, which is as ever gameplay.
cybersphinx
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Re: Addicting, VERRRY ADDICTING

Post by cybersphinx »

zydonk wrote:After several years of active discussion the fact is that very little has changed in WZ.
I would attribute this more to a codebase resisting change (and little manpower) - there is often no quick way for experiments to see if some change would work out.
We want information... information... information.
zydonk
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Re: Addicting, VERRRY ADDICTING

Post by zydonk »

cybersphinx wrote:
zydonk wrote:After several years of active discussion the fact is that very little has changed in WZ.
I would attribute this more to a codebase resisting change (and little manpower) - there is often no quick way for experiments to see if some change would work out.
Fair enough. I didn't mean it as a criticism. There have been minor changes that people have resisted, such as the build progress bar recently. As it is, the gameplay of WZ is just so good.

Would building in increased costs - for ammo and repairs, for example - be feasible? In Earth 2150, even research has to be paid for. It could add a meaningful depth to the game.
NoDDiE
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Re: Addicting, VERRRY ADDICTING

Post by NoDDiE »

So far starcraft//starcraft2 is best rts around. (in terms of multiplayer) with huge e-sport support and opportunity to earn money by playing//teaching etc.
however there are few other good rts around aoe series, earth 2150. but they lack the "Battle.net" style feature to support.

thats why i found this site and i wanted to give wz2100 multiplayer a try.
Jonix
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Re: Addicting, VERRRY ADDICTING

Post by Jonix »

THIS FORUM IS MAD :stare: ! I'm not really sure what all of this has to do with project feedback? :lol2:
"All they who take thy sword, shall perish with thy sword"
"There is no good or evil, there is only power!"
Jonix
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