Squirrelinabox
09-06-2003, 10:17 PM
Ok, I got into the late beta of Savage. For those that don't know what it is... check out http://www.s2games.com.
Basically, the game consists of 2 teams, Humans and Beasts (though you can have Human vs Human or Beast vs Beast as well). The game is played as a RTS, similar to WarCraft 3. You have buildings that make up a tech tree that allow better units, betters weapons, etc... and you have gold, and minerals that need to be mined to build the buildings and to buy the weapons units.
The goal is to destroy the other teams Stronghold (main building). Once it goes bye bye, the game ends.
Now here comes the kicker, you can play with a lot of people at once... like 16 on a team. There are only 2 teams... So some of you are probably wondering how a RTS game is played with 16 on a team. Well... only 1 person on each team is playing it as a RTS. Everybody else is playing it as a 1st/3rd person shooter/action game.
Yup, you heard right, this game is a mix of RTS and 1st person shooter. Basically everybody not the "Commander" (the guy playing it as a RTS) gets control of 1 unit that they build up similar to a RPG. Basically you would be the equivalent of a hero in Warcraft 3.
The commander builds up the buildings required for you to use better units/weapons. If your commander doesn't have the right techs set up yet, then you can't use them.
Ok, enough overview. Now for my "review"...
The game can be summed up in one word... POTENTIAL. As is, the game sucks... and sucks pretty bad. However, the idea has LOADS of potential.
The main problem is the luck factor. Most of the time you are fighting melee style... hand to hand combat 3rd person style. This means luck... and lots of it. The game basically ends up with you finding an enemy, you both start jumping and circling while clicking the attakc button until one of you die. There is VERY little skill involved. Throw in the fact that your enemy may be much more or less equiped/advanced than your guy and you are left with very little skill based gaming.
There is some ranged fighting... the humans have some weapons like crossbows, some guns, etc.. and the beasts have some projectile spell things... but most of the fighting is melee.
Yes, maybe I just don't have the skills for such a game, or maybe i just don't understand it totally yet... but my first game playing it (when I had no clue what I was doing) I already topped the list of 32 players in the game with kills and experience points. A new person, not knowing what the hell they are doing, should not be able to have that many kills.
Now, I am only playing a beta, but they have already gone gold I believe and are shipping the final product soon (if they havne't already). The game gets VERY redundant, and the strategies are VERY limited. Basically you just go out to attack a base, if they have defensive structures you have to wait for a siege type unit to attack. You will die often, choose your unit type and weapons, then to attack again. It gets VERY old running after enemies just clicking the mouse button over and over again hoping the collision detection will be in your favor. In its defense, it is pretty unique and I love the idea. There is also a level/map editor included and mod support looks pretty decent.
So, basically... the game as is sucks, but the concept is very good and could open some awesome doors in the future.
Basically, the game consists of 2 teams, Humans and Beasts (though you can have Human vs Human or Beast vs Beast as well). The game is played as a RTS, similar to WarCraft 3. You have buildings that make up a tech tree that allow better units, betters weapons, etc... and you have gold, and minerals that need to be mined to build the buildings and to buy the weapons units.
The goal is to destroy the other teams Stronghold (main building). Once it goes bye bye, the game ends.
Now here comes the kicker, you can play with a lot of people at once... like 16 on a team. There are only 2 teams... So some of you are probably wondering how a RTS game is played with 16 on a team. Well... only 1 person on each team is playing it as a RTS. Everybody else is playing it as a 1st/3rd person shooter/action game.
Yup, you heard right, this game is a mix of RTS and 1st person shooter. Basically everybody not the "Commander" (the guy playing it as a RTS) gets control of 1 unit that they build up similar to a RPG. Basically you would be the equivalent of a hero in Warcraft 3.
The commander builds up the buildings required for you to use better units/weapons. If your commander doesn't have the right techs set up yet, then you can't use them.
Ok, enough overview. Now for my "review"...
The game can be summed up in one word... POTENTIAL. As is, the game sucks... and sucks pretty bad. However, the idea has LOADS of potential.
The main problem is the luck factor. Most of the time you are fighting melee style... hand to hand combat 3rd person style. This means luck... and lots of it. The game basically ends up with you finding an enemy, you both start jumping and circling while clicking the attakc button until one of you die. There is VERY little skill involved. Throw in the fact that your enemy may be much more or less equiped/advanced than your guy and you are left with very little skill based gaming.
There is some ranged fighting... the humans have some weapons like crossbows, some guns, etc.. and the beasts have some projectile spell things... but most of the fighting is melee.
Yes, maybe I just don't have the skills for such a game, or maybe i just don't understand it totally yet... but my first game playing it (when I had no clue what I was doing) I already topped the list of 32 players in the game with kills and experience points. A new person, not knowing what the hell they are doing, should not be able to have that many kills.
Now, I am only playing a beta, but they have already gone gold I believe and are shipping the final product soon (if they havne't already). The game gets VERY redundant, and the strategies are VERY limited. Basically you just go out to attack a base, if they have defensive structures you have to wait for a siege type unit to attack. You will die often, choose your unit type and weapons, then to attack again. It gets VERY old running after enemies just clicking the mouse button over and over again hoping the collision detection will be in your favor. In its defense, it is pretty unique and I love the idea. There is also a level/map editor included and mod support looks pretty decent.
So, basically... the game as is sucks, but the concept is very good and could open some awesome doors in the future.