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Review First Metalheart opinion: meh

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,044
Tags: Akella; Metalheart: Replicants Rampage

<a href=http://www.metalheart.ru>Metalheart</a>, an isometric, turn-based, Fallout-wannabe game is out in Russia, and here is <a href=http://www.metalheart.ru/forumen/viewtopic.php?t=82&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0>the first, not overly positive impression</a>:
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<blockquote>Part 1. Negative:
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1. minor bugs with movement, dialogs, save-loading, (but still it’s Ok for the version 1.0
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2. missing descriptions of objects, actions, special abilities,
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3. cumbersome and boring (and SUICIDALY boring with slow-moving character) movement across local map,
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4. absence of interacting objects on map,
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5. Unbalanced experience-gaining system (all exp for quests goes for the single character - his level rockets while others stagnant),
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6. Luck of personal character story, luck of personality of characters and inter-character relations. ((I doubt that Baldurs Gate 2 characters relations will be surpassed in the near future. I’ve never forgot ranger Minsk with his immortal “Would you like to see my Boo?” (he was eager to show his hamster Boo to one of female character.)) In the Metal heart there are only scripted dialog scenes.
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7. The single interacting person - Lanthan Signi , the rest of the team will keep silence unless scripted. (they simply "mouthless" - you will see as the game comes to you) You will never know how they talk to others or to each other, how others reacts on them and so on (Don’t mention Fallout, BG2, even in JA2 all characters had ability to talk)
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8. As usial there are 2-3 guns wich render all of the rest useless
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9. Impossible (probably correct is: "very difficult") to understand how the game mechanic reacts on most attributes changes (exept strength and dexterity)
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10. Stange bug happens from time-to-time: NPS refuses to talk to you. (at first i've thought it is scripted) Remedy: Save-Load.
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Can’t decide linear/non linear story yet, but i have gloomy suspicions.
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Part 2. Positive:
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1. Lots of FEDEX quests, but they well-structured and separated from story-line ones.
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2. Ammo issue: At last! There is scarce ammo
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3. There is a long-long waited Fallout atmosphere: ghouls and scorpions - comes directly from times of Chosen One
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In a whole - not the least RPG.
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(And one little remark. I've 1.0 Russian DVD version. StarForce protection - be ready it still has bugs)
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Will cont. with description tomorrow.
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Part 3. Next 6 hours of gameplay.
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Fuck, Damn, ..... (and smth. entirely unspeakable) The game may lasts for eternity: 60, 120, 240, 480 ..... hours of gameplay. The trick is simple: to scroll the location from one end to other takes 2 seconds, to cross the location with slow moving asshole cyborg takes 5-6 minutes !!! Player have to cross 2-8 locations for every guest. 6x8 =48 min for one story-line guest. 2x6 = 12 min for simple fedex quest. And travelling takes all this time - Brilliant!
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Transportation between zones (maps) is via active zones, like Fallout. As human characters twice as fast as cyborg and there is NO POSSIBILITY to enter a building without ALL team at the SAME active zone it was absolutely necessary to kill poor cyborg. It is also absolutely necessary to kill the mega-brain who designed every building as separate zone.
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Poor cyborg But now it takes only 2-3 min to cross location
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I partialy take back my words about exp. gaining system. Now correct phrase is: "Unbalanced experience-gaining system (Sometimes all exp for quests goes for the single character - his level rockets while others stagnant)
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Linear or non-linear? Haven't happened to meet any "need-decision" situation yet.
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There are funny gags sometimes. Good. (especially when you press "+" on numpad)
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NEW IMPRESSIONS ( 4d day)
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1. "scarce ammo" thing gone bad. There is vurtialy unlimited money, and you can buy as much ammo as you want - there are no limits on stack in one slot.
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2. I've load old save and find cure for poor cyborg. "Fast movement" system has no effect on main characters but does have on cyborg. (but "it" still can't run) Travelling time has redused to 4 min. for large map! (still tooooo long)
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3. Linear. No choise ever is to be made by your characters.
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4. Good story-line (formed by chain of VERY simple quests). Nice postapocalyptic setting.
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5. Still can't manage to anderstand the meaning of 2/3 of attributes. Seems that they simply useless. </blockquote>As expected. Anyway, I posted the entire review in case it will be moved later on.
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In unrelated post-apoc news, <a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com/>NMA</a> has <a href=http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15021>3 more Fallout 3 design docs</a> for your amusement: a bunker, a raiders' place, and a tribal place.
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Thanks, <b>RGE</b> for scouting, and <b>bodhi-sa</b> for writing the review
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Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,044
You are very perceptive. Feel free to cut it if it offends your esthetic senses.
 

Saint_Proverbius

Administrator
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2002
Messages
14,042
Location
Behind you.
Shame the cyborg doesn't move faster. Apparently the Russians have never seen The Six Million Dollar Man.

Also, if that's the case, why isn't there a movement speed slider? That kind of thing should be standard in games like this.

metallix said:
Why is Russia so unlucky when it comes to making complex RPGs?

I somewhat suspected there might be problems with this title when the developers stated there was no character creation. Part of the fun, a BIG part, of a good tactical, party based dungeon crawler is creating characters and tailoring them to your play styles. If the game is linear, like Metalheart is, character creation is the only outlet for diversity in game play. Even though there may be lots of options as you level up, you're severely limiting the player at the very start by not allowing creation of characters.
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,547
Oh okay. I sort of saw the slab of text and just skipped past it... Didn't realise it was posted in the MetalHeart forums.
 

Santera

Novice
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
10
Location
Russia
I've bought the game yesterday and tried to play.
The first impression - it's awful.
Visually it looks like Fallout, but it's only a pale shadow.

I was said that soon there will be official patch from Akella. I think I'll wait for this patch and then continue playing.
 

Fez

Erudite
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
7,954
All Russians are now Balor's responsibility. If something goes wrong, we know where you live.
 

Spazmo

Erudite
Joined
Nov 9, 2002
Messages
5,752
Location
Monkey Island
I certainly agree that Balor is probably the least ridiculous Russian we've got here. I second the nomination.
 

Saint_Proverbius

Administrator
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2002
Messages
14,042
Location
Behind you.
We need to do a census on how many Russians we have so we can determine Balor's status as Lord of the Russians. Also, is he responsible for the Russian MISTLand forum guys we pissed off with the JA3D thing?
 

Shagnak

Shagadelic
Joined
Sep 6, 2003
Messages
4,638
Location
Arse of the world, New Zealand
Saint_Proverbius said:
We need to do a census on how many Russians we have so we can determine Balor's status as Lord of the Russians.
Lord of the Russians? Is that kinda like Lord of the Dance, but with Cossacks leaping around instead of fags?
 

Spazmo

Erudite
Joined
Nov 9, 2002
Messages
5,752
Location
Monkey Island
Here's the thing: if you are a) Russian and b) posting on RPG Codex, Balor owns your ass. That's just how it is.
 

Balor

Arcane
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
5,186
Location
Russia
Hmm, I'm getting some proper respect, finally!
Put 'em to work, Bal.
Sure I will!
*climbs on armored car*
Now, utilizing my recently acquired status, I command all my subjects to wage war on clone-making, lazy, stupid, greedy developers of casual games and second-rate RPGs, while promoting those who have innovation, excellent gameplay and storyline as their main objectives!
Hooray, comrades! Let the great RPG revolution begin! Only by being vigilant and active we will be able to achieve the Golden Age (don't mess with Golden Land, though - big difference) of RPGs!
More orders will follow later.
Dismissed!
*grins evilly*
 

Greatatlantic

Erudite
Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
1,683
Location
The Heart of It All
OT JOKE ALERT:

During the height of Stalin's power after the defeat of Germany, he would often give speeches to party members. At one such event somebody sneezed very loud right in the middle of Stalin's speech.

"Who sneezed?", demanded the dictator. No one came forward, so he choose a row from the audience, lined them up outside, and had them executed.

"Now, tell me who sneezed", he demanded again. Still no one took credite. So he had a second row of the audience executed.

"One last time, who sneezed."

"It was me sir", said one very pale member of the audience after a slight pause.

"Bless you comrade," said Stalin, who then continued his speech.
 

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