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Topic: What is with the reviews? |  |
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dainbramaged13
Prince
Formerly known as sammyboy7
Mar 2000
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posted December 02, 2000 17:09
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All the reviews, in my opinion seem to rave about all the important stuff (Diplomacy, graphics, gameplay, interface..) and then nitpick the stuff i dont care about (trade... what else, anybody?), and then make all these sweeping generalizations about how the game didn't revolutionize the genre. Well, does it matter if it revolutionizes the genre. revolutionizers get 10s. very good knock-offs should get somewhere aroun 7+-9-, not 6s and 6.5s its ridiculous, and they dont even explain what they mean when they generalize how bad it is.
can somebody explain? |
Darkknight
Chieftain
Ireland
Nov 2000
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posted December 02, 2000 23:01
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Most of the bad reviews came from RTS reviewers or extreme sid fanatics who were biased against the game already. The good reviews come from people who have actually played the game for more then one day (like MarkG for example if he ever gets around to writing one, How's it going??)  anyway just my thoughts... ------------------
" mind over body " |
wheathin
Prince
Charming
Apr 99
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posted December 04, 2000 08:51
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Not to touch off another ctp-smac war, but I think that a lot of reviewers liked the extensive backstory and personalities in SMAC. After all, reviewers play dozens of games a year or more, and if one stands out as having good writing and plot, it will get high marks.However, the same thing that allows diplomacy in SMAC to seem more well developed - seven clearly-defined and well developed personalities - hinders replayability. If you don't like all the characters, tough. The same things that are appealing over five or ten games get annoying and predictable over 100 or 200. But reviewers never play so many games (at least not before the writing the reviews) . . . Consequently, reviewers remember the refreshing originality and well developed plot and diplomacy of SMAC, contrasted with the straight-forward historical empire building of CtP2, and in any quick evaluation, it is not surprising the CtP2 suffers. I would argue this is a function of the genre itself, not of a particular game. (CtP being historical, SMAC being fictional) The only valid diplomatic comparison is between Civ2 and CtP2. Not having the game yet (it's there under the tree... I can see it! ), can someone compare them for me? |
Christian B
Settler
Oslo, Norway
Aug 1999
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posted December 04, 2000 18:04
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Bad reviews.
Is it illigal to dislike ctp2? Even a lot of folks on this site has reportet several bugs.
Another question is who is most objective, game reviewers or fans defending the game? I am not saying that all the negative reviews neccesserely are fair, but then again maybe the game isn`t better then a 5. I haven`t played it yet, so i don`t know.
[This message has been edited by Christian B (edited December 04, 2000).] |
Barry Brenesal
Settler
Jun 2000
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posted December 04, 2000 18:45
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I don't see this as "either/or." I like CTP2, but I also like SMAC. If I had to choose between the two, I give the palm to SMAC, for the very reason already mentioned: it provides much greater diplomatic feedback, and it personalizes each AI-driven opponent. In CTP2, the Egyptians are the Germans are the Brazilians, as far as the game is concerned; all that changes are the naming conventions. By contrast, each faction in SMAC is tweaked to provide different playing advantages and disadvantages. And I like that.But CTP2 wins hands down on the graphical front. I greatly enjoy stacked units. And the pace, though slower than SMAC, builds to a very tense peak. So, assuming no one objects, I'll just keep on enjoying both games. |
Dissident Aggressor
King
of the Mojave Desert and an admitted socialist
Feb 2000
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posted December 05, 2000 05:11
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well having played the game, I'd give it a 7 or 7.5. anything below 7 is just too low. This game has a solid gameplay and graphics. the sound is adequate to good. Of course there are bugs. I think this caused ultima's bad review last year. So Activision was asking for it when they released a game with so many bugs. I know christmas is important, but still... But the gameplay stays true to the civ genre. And it is fun, so how can they give it less than a 7? |
MarkG
Apolyton CS Co-Administrator
Greece
b.02-15-99
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posted December 05, 2000 08:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Christian B on 12-04-2000 06:04 PM
Bad reviews.
Is it illigal to dislike ctp2?
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of course not. the only thing i personally ask form a review is that is has valid arguments
quote:
Even a lot of folks on this site has reportet several bugs.
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and bugs is the only issue that one should look for when writing a review?
quote:
Another question is who is most objective, game reviewers or fans defending the game?
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you cant characterize revierwrs or "simple" player just like that. some reviewers and some players are objective. some are not...
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Christian B
Settler
Oslo, Norway
Aug 1999
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posted December 07, 2000 14:17
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and bugs is the only issue that one should look for when writing a review?Definitly Not, but bugs do not make a game great. you cant characterize revierwrs or "simple" player just like that. some reviewers and some players are objective. some are not... I agree, but from all the negativ reviews you can`t say (and i am not saying you are) it is all nonsens. For the record: i have NOT played the game.
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MarkG
Apolyton CS Co-Administrator
Greece
b.02-15-99
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posted December 07, 2000 19:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Christian B on 12-07-2000 02:17 PM
I agree, but from all the negativ reviews you can`t say (and i am not saying you are) it is all nonsens.For the record: i have NOT played the game.
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well, if you ever get the game, come back to mine and others' posts in the threads about the specific reviews and tell me if all is "ok" in them....and yes, the possibility of a review being a total nonsense is existing! |
Sabre2th
Settler
Ballston Spa, NY, USA
Nov 2000
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posted December 08, 2000 17:13
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quote:
Is it illigal to dislike ctp2? Even a lot of folks on this site has reportet several bugs.
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pretty much every game has bugs when it first comes out. ctp had a few(?) more than it should have, but you have to expect some problems when a game comes out. that's what patches are for. as for the bad reviews..... yes, i believe some of the reviews have been unfair, but reviewers are entitled to their own opinions |
Big Dave
Prince
Texas, USA
Apr 99
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posted December 08, 2000 17:28
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Yes, reviewers are entitled to their own opinion, that's what they get paid for. However they also get paid for being objective. When they fail in either of these things they produce a bad (i.e. inacurate) review.------------------
Big Dave Do the Vatican police speak Pig Latin? |
Imran Siddiqui
Emperor
Patron Saint of Apolyton Story Threads
b.02-15-99
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posted December 08, 2000 19:25
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So... everyone that disagrees with you is non-Objective?  |
Barry Brenesal
Settler
Jun 2000
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posted December 08, 2000 20:28
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Reviewers are *not* paid to be objective. However, they should always know the genre they're reviewing, and understand the basic mindset of the target audience. This ensures that the same audience, reading that review, will at least understand where the reviewer is coming from in his/her criticisms. |
wheathin
Prince
Charming
Apr 99
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posted December 10, 2000 13:16
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I noticed from the reviews mentioned on the CtP2 front page, that again, reviewers want to compare this to AoE or AoK. Uh... RTS? I mean, sure, I guess it's flattering that a TBS can be compared to an RTS, but come on.I wonder if that's a result of there being so few TBS out there that people are forgetting it's a separate (and far older) genre than RTS. |
WesW
King
Huntsville, Al., USA
b.02-15-99
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posted December 10, 2000 20:43
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Well, I think we all have to admit that the TBS market is small compared to the overall game market, and reviewers at these magazines are asked to review all kinds of games every month. Thus the people who choose to work as reviewers are probably fans of the most popular genres.
I am sure that some reviewers, if not most, have never played TBS games for their own enjoyment, and thus are inclined to view them with distaste in general. Also, since TBS games so much deeper than other genres, the reviewers' knowledge base for comparison is very inadequate.For a fairly small niche market like TBS, I think people are better off getting their recommendations from niche sites, like Apolyton.  |
Locutus
Prince
Apolyton Borg Hengelo/Enschede, The Netherlands
Nov 1999
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posted December 11, 2000 15:33
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quote:
Originally posted by wheathin on 12-10-2000 01:16 PM
I mean, sure, I guess it's flattering that a TBS can be compared to an RTS, but come on.
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Pah! Personally I think it's an insult, it would be flattering for an RTS game to be compared with TBS. We all know TBS is the better genre |
Barry Brenesal
Settler
Jun 2000
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posted December 11, 2000 21:10
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There's no comparison between TBS and RTS games. The genres use totally different means to reach their goals. AoE is not a suitable product to compare to CTP II; Civ II or SMAC are more suitable. |
wheathin
Prince
Charming
Apr 99
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posted December 12, 2000 08:44
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You know that. I know that.Whe doesn't someone tell the reviewers? |
Imran Siddiqui
Emperor
Patron Saint of Apolyton Story Threads
b.02-15-99
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posted December 12, 2000 15:41
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Well both games are under strategy, so they use strategy writers to review those games. I mean come on. The good TBS games that have come out over the last 2 years can be counted on one hand. |
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