Open Call for Reviews

[Jaesun]

FRUA. I've played most of the older (pre 1997) modules and many of the newer ones, so I could help making a list of recommened modules. I've become more and more convinced that unlike in the Gold Box games enemies have a global +2 or so modifier to many of their dice rolls, and especially to the initiative rolls, so my enthusiasm for FRUA has cooled a bit.

Jaesun , would you do FRUA? If not, I'll let our blue friend here take it.

I'm not really that good of a writer. Let him do it. I could help fact check any article on it, because I know the engine so well.

 

[felipepepe]

I'm not sure how specific I can be without actually writing the thing, but I'll try to explain my thinking.

When I think about a game, the most important thing to me is what was cool about the game. What can you point to the game did better than or more uniquely than other games. Human Revolution was mediocre to average in every aspect expect 2. One is the cool dialog system they came up with (but then didn't take advantage of). The other is what I'm calling "set pieces", by which I mean semi-scripted connected sequences. The high point of the game, and possibly AAA gaming in this entire console generation was the crashed helicopter set piece. The way choices and consequences and role playing naturally derived from the situation using the base gameplay systems. To a lesser extent saving the hostages in the first mission, and escaping from the slums also qualify. There might be more, I need to play it again to verify.

So I want to write mainly about how good those situations are, and why they are so good. How all the elements came together to let the player actually play a role, and then having consequences for it.

I also want to contrast it with other "cinematic" games where the gameplay is actually more limited and thus worse, and with the original Deus Ex which generally avoided set pieces by just giving the player a sandboxish situation to create his own experience with (avoiding assigning a value to either one here, just noting the difference).

If you want a more comprehensive overall picture of the game, I can do that, it's your book. It's just the most interesting thing I can think to write about with the game.

Nice, I like it. The only thing I'll ask you is that the reader must understand how the game plays. You have two pages, so if you want to spend like 20% explaining the game, then 80% on your examination of why it's cool, I'm perfectly okay with that.

BTW, a guy at the Watch wrote a very nice 1-page review (actually 3, but I edited it down) of Of Orcs and Men, I've added it to the book. And with that we reach 30% of the reviews assigned, on the very first day. :D

 

[norolim]

OK, I think I should have enough time to review 2 before the required deadline. Here is what I could do:

felipepepe Do you think you should have pedit5 on the list? It may be good to start the book with the 1st (surviving) RPG ever created. It could also serve as a kind of introduction. I played it, finished it and could write about it, if need be.

I'm rather surprised Silver made the list. I mean I have very fond memories of it, as it got me back to playing games after a long break, but it's not generally considered a classic.
Since it is on the list, though, and I was meaning to re-play it for a long time (and i don't think people will be fighting over the chance to review it), I could write a piece on it.

Other games, I'd be interested in reviewing are, in no particular order:

• Icewind Dale 1/2
• Knights of Legend
• Deus Ex
• Space Rogue
• The Banner Saga
• Eschalon
• The Magic Candle
• Gorky 17
• Silent Storm
• Quest for Glory I
• Wizard's Crown
• Ultima I (only played the 1987 DOS version)
• Phantasie
• Questron
• Incubation
• Defender's Quest
• Temple of Apshai

Now, I'm not saying I'm willing to do all those games straight away or that I could do more than a couple within a month, as most of them would require playing/replaying. All I'm saying is that, if you don't find anyone to review them, and I'm done with Silver and pedit or whatever second game I end up doing, I could start tackling the above list one by one. Is that fair?

 

[80Maxwell08]

Hey I have a question about Dawn of War 2. Did you want someone who knew the multi-player as well as the single-player? If so then I'm not who to go to. Also I'm using my phone to type this if you were wondering.

 

[felipepepe]

felipepepe Do you think you should have pedit5 on the list? It may be good to start the book with the 1st (surviving) RPG ever created. It could also serve as a kind of introduction. I played it, finished it and could write about it, if need be.

Those will be covered in a introductory article, starting with prussian generals playing wargames in 1800, passing through Chainmail and AD&D, all the way to pedit5, all those PLATO games, and the son of an astronaut going to California Pacific to publish his little game... then you flip the page and start the timeline, reading about Akalabeth.

Hey I have a question about Dawn of War 2. Did you want someone who knew the multi-player as well as the single-player?

Not really required, as long as you know the campaign well, especially vanilla + Chaos Rising. The first game, the other sequels and mutiplayer can be just a quick mention, like "While the First Dawn of War was a pure RTS like Starcraft, it's sequel is...". I'm really interested in how they blended RTS with a small squad management, semi-Diablo-style loot and even C&C based on who you kill, what missions you do and how corrupted you are. BTW, I just noted that 1 page to talk about all this is madness, so have two.

 

[norolim]

felipepepe please go back to my prvious post. I edited it.

Those will be covered in a introductory article, starting with prussian generals playing wargames in 1800, passing through Chainmail and AD&D, all the way to pedit5, all those PLATO games, and the son of an astronaut going to California Pacific to publish his little game... then you flip the page and start the timeline, reading about Akalabeth.

In that case I could do the first from my list, which is Icewind Dale 1, instead of pedit.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I can review Fallout and Baldur's Gate.

 

[Jvegi]

I think I could menage writing one page on Dink Smallwood.

 

[Jagged Appliance]

Alright, I'll do Arcanum. That is, unless you want MCA to write it.

Spoiler

 

[felipepepe]

I can review Fallout and Baldur's Gate.

Sorry bro, both are taken already.

I think I could menage writing one page on Dink Smallwood.

Alright, I'll do Arcanum.

felipepepe please go back to my prvious post. I edited it.

Can you do Silver and Knights of Legend?

 

[norolim]

Can you do Silver and Knights of Legend?

Sure.

 

[J_C]

I'd like to give Alpha Protocol a spin, if it is available.
Is there any kind of deadline?

Less then a month, if possible...

Does this mean i can take AP? Because you didn't assigned it to me in the list yet. :D
Edit: Aha, I can see you signed me up. Thanks.

 

[VioletShadow]

Is Paper Sorcerer already taken? I'd love to write about that one, played it recently too.

 

[J_C]

I asked Matt Barton if he would like to contribute to our cause. He said if we want, we can use his review about a rare game, Tunnels of Doom (after editing down).
http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/1024

 

[felipepepe]

I asked Matt Barton if he would like to contribute to our cause. He said if we want, we can use his review about a rare game, Tunnels of Doom (after editing down).
http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/1024

Nah, let's leave Matt alone. I asked him a week ago to review Pools of Radiance, but he declined, saying that my book competes with his and that he has no time for charity work. I don't agree, but I'll respect him

Is Paper Sorcerer already taken? I'd love to write about that one, played it recently too.

Sure, take it.

 

[J_C]

I asked Matt Barton if he would like to contribute to our cause. He said if we want, we can use his review about a rare game, Tunnels of Doom (after editing down).
http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/1024

Nah, let's leave Matt alone. I asked him a week ago to review Pools of Radiance, but he declined, saying that my book competes with his and that he has no time for charity work. I don't agree, but I'll respect him.

Hah, he said that someone talked to him about this earlier, and the way that guy (appearantly you) discribed the project, it seemed this is a competition to his own book. I told him that this is different, after that he offered this review. But no harm done if we don't use it.

 

[Cholo]

No Hammer & Sickle on the list? It was much more of an RPG than Silent Storm.

 

[felipepepe]

No Hammer & Sickle on the list? It was much more of an RPG than Silent Storm.

Want to write one page on it telling us about it? :3

 

[Cholo]

Hell yiss

 

[HiddenX]

If you can't find someone else for Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul -I'll review it. I have a heart for the underdogs.

 

[VioletShadow]

Is Paper Sorcerer already taken? I'd love to write about that one, played it recently too.

Sure, take it.

 

[Broseph]

felipepepe, I'd like to do Morrowind and/or Might and Magic VI.

 

[muds_animal_friend]

All the Gold Box games are taken.


I can assist with proof reading. It'd take me back to those happy days I spent kicking sand in fanfic writer's faces over comma splices on The Black Library forum. And, if no one else wants it, I can review SpellForce, although the Shadow of the Phoenix expansion is closer to a conventional RPG than the original The Order of Dawn campaign.

 

[sser]

I'm interested in helping out, but what's the overall tone of the book? Like, you could have five different people do one game and end up with positives, negatives, and somebody who is lukewarm.

 

[HiddenX]

Arhu (Watcher) wants to write for Amberstar and Ambermoon