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"Who's gonna be the B&W guinea pig?"

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Llevram (5022 posts) Click to EMail Llevram Click to send private message to Llevram Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Mar-30-01, 10:27 AM (Pacific)
"Who's gonna be the B&W guinea pig?"
I saw that Black and White was released ... anyone planning on getting it soon? I have been kind of interested in it since first hearing about it, but want to hear some real reviews first.

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Jay (112 posts) Click to EMail Jay Click to send private message to Jay Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Mar-30-01, 11:10 AM (Pacific)
1. "RE: Who's gonna be the B&W guinea pig?"
I like the website. Very creative. If the game is as good as the website, I may have to try this one out.

Jay

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analander (145 posts) Click to EMail analander Click to send private message to analander Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Apr-20-01, 10:34 AM (Pacific)
2. "Oink! - Preliminary Review - A Greatest RPG Exclusive...."
Hi all,

Just so this isn't totally long-winded, if you haven't seen my oratory on gripes with representing a 3D world on a square foot flat screen, you may want to read for background:
http://www.softwarespecialties.com/dcforum/DCForumID13/28.html

Since writing the above rant I've finally picked up on 3D Shooters like Quake and Half-Life engines, but when it comes to controlling a camera - and not a person - in 3D space, I'm still more frustrated with navigation than pleased to see things at different angles instead of just an isometric slant (a la Diablo). Shogun, Force Commander, and now Black & White really exemplify this.

I'm still early on the learning curve for the game, but am already sure that I would be more than willing to have the game rendered in a 2D overhead that try and blunder along with rotating, panning, and zooming a view. Once I get some shortcut keys and complicated clicks down, this may help, but my basic criticism of the 3D view will likely remain.

As for the game itself: there's about a 10-minute introduction and tutorial, which I had the pleasure of being forced to go through twice because I looked at the game options screen during the tutorial. Bad first impression. The concepts of characters and save games is confusing, as is the interface - in addition to world navigation mentioned above, picking up and moving objects is not intuitive and seems at times to work intermittently.

I've only completed a few quests and just got my "creature", but the basic AI and tasks system appears to be as clunky as the world navigation. Well, that's about it for now, I really haven't played it that much to say more. I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying the game, but just be aware it's not perfect.

Some URLs:

http://www.bwgame.com/
http://www.gamespy.com/games2/919.shtml
http://pc.ign.com/games/3897.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004UE0O/

- John
Prepare Yourself for the Ultimate in Fantasy Games

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Lady_Adrexia (309 posts) Click to EMail Lady_Adrexia Click to send private message to Lady_Adrexia Click to view user profile Click to send message via ICQ Click to check IP address of the poster
Apr-20-01, 07:28 PM (Pacific)
3. "Come on...tell us what you really think"
Damn...and I really wanted to play this game next. Is it really that bad??

I am easily amused and not into all the bells and whistles. I mean...I still play Wiz 1 and Duke Nukem and I adore Wizards and Warriors.


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Llevram (5022 posts) Click to EMail Llevram Click to send private message to Llevram Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Apr-26-01, 07:17 AM (Pacific)
5. "A couple questions for ya"
I thought that some of the things that you pointed out as detracting from the game would be there and there would be a (possibly steep) learning curve.

It seemed from what I had read (months ago) that they were trying to do new and "intuitive" things witht the interface (spell casting was the major one - use the mouse to 'draw' your spell, etc.).

So, I think my expectations may have been a bit lower, knowing that anything new and radical may require some getting used too. Still, there has to be a threshold of pain. Speaking of which, how would you compare it to W&W, as far as bugs, 'the game at least feels tested', the manual, .... ?

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analander (145 posts) Click to EMail analander Click to send private message to analander Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Apr-30-01, 08:57 AM (Pacific)
6. "Part II - More Impressions"
I've played through the first land, up to the vortex, and have a few more opinions to share. The interface is still clumsy, but I've learned to navigate a little better - it takes an acquired combination of mouse tricks and keyboard commands, shortcuts, and bookmarks. Interacting with objects is still awkward, though, and I'm sticking with my stated preference for an isometric view.

Other than a slight lag occasionally with the 3D rendering, there are no bugs of a W&W level, unless you count the frustrating interface.

The city building and villager control is like Majesty - more general commands than Starcraft-style micromanagement. The accompanying quest system, where you, as a GOD, are at the beck and call to rescue, impress and follow the commands of villagers - sure, the encounter and triggers and infinitely flexible - to me really stands out as being artificial. I've also yet to see the whole good/bad thing play out - in most quests it's rather obvious what you're supposed to do, and you're rewarded for jumping through those various hoops accordingly.

Your main interface to the world is your creature - aka your virtual pet who you have to train by leashing, feeding, punishing, setting an example for, and rewarding as needed. The AI's not too bad here, but again the interface is sloppy - I found myself punishing and rewarding the wrong behaviors, and the leashing system is also tricky.

And then there's the poop meter. Speaking as someone who has pets, and has gone through housebreaking with a live animal, there's some interactions that I'd rather be dealing with a live creature with, and others that I'd just as soon were missing from the game.

Anyway, I see the game's appeal - the gameplay is pretty original, but I still find the interface a drawback, and I have a feeling the next levels will turn the combat aspects of the game into more of a real-time (i.e. arcade) plain old Dune2000/Warcraft/etc.-esque city building strategy than my ageing reflexes prefer. I'll probably shelve it when Myst 3 comes out next Monday.

- John
Prepare Yourself for the Ultimate in Fantasy Games

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Lady_Adrexia (309 posts) Click to EMail Lady_Adrexia Click to send private message to Lady_Adrexia Click to view user profile Click to send message via ICQ Click to check IP address of the poster
Apr-20-01, 07:29 PM (Pacific)
4. "Raises hand...if you will buy it for me"
I have been looking at it for a few weeks now. Saw it on "Extended Play" about 6 months ago or so. I must admit that I am very interested in it.


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