Rise of Nations, day 5 (honeymoon's over)

edited May 2003 in Gaming

Comments

  • edited December 1969
    Yes, the honeymoon is over, but ...

    I still can't stop gushing about this game!

    Seriously though, I've come across a couple of weaknesses that prevent this game from taking it all the way up to 11. The sound design doesn't help. It's not bad, really, more like mediocre. It just doesn't measure up to the rest of the game. I can see why they added all these bleeps bloops gongs and chords for game events, so they wouldn't have to translate voice notifications, but some of them just don't sound right.

    Also, some of the combat sounds are really weak. The cannons, muskets and machine guns make satisfying booms, bangs and rat-tat-tats, but the swords sound like lilliputian silverware. The catapault sounds are pretty weak, too.

    The background music is also sub-par. The pieces are mostly passable classical style fare, but they fail to be pastoral enough, military enough or industrial enough to suit the action. I guess I've just been spoiled by Marty O'Donnell's awesome work with Bungie. Though I do really like the sound design and music in C&C Generals, too...

    Another weakness is the default speed. I've been practicing at Normal speed to try to get into multiplayer action without getting utterly slaughtered, and it's just too fast for me to enjoy the game. All the finer details are lost when the clock is ticking so fast. Eras seem to rush by with very little combat until after gunpowder. Perhaps the speed is needed to keep the game at a reasonable length, but I think that games could be just as long with longer research (which is an option, but I don't know how often it is used in multiplayer--I suspect most players use the default settings).

    Note that the speed is absolutely not an issue in solo play, where you can slow things down to nearly turn-based speed and soak everything in if you so desire. And I do.

    Now on to more goodness ...

    I've started up a Conquer the World campaign, and LOVE it. This is just how I imagined playing Risk as a kid. The turn-based part of play is VERY Risk-like. Until you break into combat. Then you zoom right into the action and play a little raid, or a little "defend the town" or a full-on "wipe them out, all of them" scenario. Winning grants you another territory on the map and gives you tribute points and "bonus cards" you can play at the outset of future rounds. LOTS of fun so far, I've played through five or six turns.

    I wish the Conquer the World campaign could be played multiplayer! I have a feeling that a lot of the Plaid Diplomacy junkies would really enjoy it!

    [url=http://www.clanplaid.net/~carch/fun/]_/ C's Site o' Fun![/url]
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