Some things

wr8th · #1 March 11th, 2002, 06:38 PM

I'll have to agree with Gryphin. I was drawn to purchase SE4G based on a couple of Online reviews that lauded the gameplay. Knowing that the graphics and sound left something to be desired, as long as the (re)playability and "just one more turn"-ability was there, I'd part with $40+s/h. For those reasons, I'd still play Master of Magic, even though the graphics are now dated. Eye candy is nice, but it's worthless without a sound game design behind it.

Gryphin... PanzerBlitz and Panzer Leader... EastfrontII and Westfront, as their respective inheritors. I still have the beat up boxes the former came in in a closet somewhere. I might even have some old SPI games like Terrible Swift Sword.

Gryphin · #2 March 11th, 2002, 07:01 PM

wr8th ,
I modded most of my Panzer Blitz / Panzer Leader Boards with photo copies of war ruined cities.

My favorite SPI game was "Invasion America" that I played against a few of my Dorm mates from Europe and South Ammerica. What a bLast!
BTW: I think we are showing our age, I'm 47. Then again our age may be part of the equation. As we grow we learn that "beauty is skin deep". Without a solid core of value/s the relationship is not going to Last. (to over extend a metaphore).

wr8th · #3 March 11th, 2002, 07:15 PM

Wow... I remember IA!... barely. I added additional rules for production since it was too simplistic. Third Reich was another goodie as was Squad Leader and it's precursor, Sniper.

Yes our age is showing... I just started my fourth decade.

My son (who is 7) will probably have to fight me for the computer (he's currently addicted to AoE2) when SE4G arrives. I put out the Micro Machines models of the ST ships to entice him.

Yes, I am sadistic.

Gurduloo · #4 March 11th, 2002, 07:21 PM

I think one thing that people are forgetting is that SEIV is not directed at the mainstream retail market. It's very much a niche product and MM very wisely kept production costs down by not hiring a small army of professional artists and animators. If they had tried to increase the game's appeal with snazzier graphics, it would not have resulted in enough extra sales to justify the added expense, since a turn based 4X game has only so many potential buyers. It would be interesting to compare the profitability of SEIV vs. a larger production game like MOO3.

oleg · #5 March 11th, 2002, 08:24 PM

I am still waiting for SeIV Gold to arrive and in the meantime I've wasted Last weekend playing Master of Magic. What a truly briliant game and who cares about the outdated graphics !
I regard Steve Barcia as a more inventive game designer than even Sid Mayer.

wr8th · #6 March 11th, 2002, 08:44 PM

Originally I had been waiting for Stars Supernova to come out, having read previews. That's been more than a year with no real updates. In fact, they still don't have a publisher, WTH! When I saw the review on SE4 in December, I came to this website only to find that it was out of print with SE4G due out in a couple months.

Since it's enroute and I have Friday off, I guess I'll be vegging that day.

mac5732 · #7 March 11th, 2002, 09:05 PM

wr8th, "Terrible Swift Sword" most excellent game, probably one the best if not the best of the Civil War Board games. I still have it, but haven't played it in several years, also have a lot of Old SPI games. but TSS was the most popular with myself and friends. ahhh what memories.

My opinion only, Graphics in a game should be rated according to the game type, shoot-um-ups like Quake, Doom, etc graphics would be big issue as well as play, in war games like Gettysburg, Shilo etc graphics are more terrain & unit type which are important but not as much as the game play, In space games, there is only so much you can do with graphics, other then ship-sets and race portraits, Planets, suns, astroids etc will always look the same or similiar there isn't a whole lot you can do, unless you have tactical ground combat whre graphics would become a bigger concern. to me, balanced game play and challegning AI mean more then beautiful graphic images. don't get me wrong, graphics are nice to look at, but the game play is the most important at least to me. You can have the best graphics ever designed, but if game play is lousy, then you wasted your money. Its not whats on the outside but whats on the inside that really counts. Yes Graphics catch your eye on the boxs and look sharp, but they don't tell you how the game plays.

just some ideas mac