Re: Current other active game software
 

I played Archon when I was young, the original game. The chess thing? It was great, except the neighbor kid-who was a couple years younger than I was, and a snotty kid at that-would always beat me at it. Eventually, influenced by the Karate Kid, I kicked him in the stomach, and he ran crying to his momma. Apparently, he'd been taking karate, and insisted he could block me. But me and Mr Miagi won that round...heh heh

Re: What other games complement your Dominions 3?
 

There was a new game being built but it was abandoned many years ago. I think that this is the only Stars site left...

Stars Auto Host

Re: Current other active game software
 

Hey - a question for those who are using the Spore Creature Creator right now -

I just DLed the free version because I've been following Spore, and think it'll be incredibly enjoyable, but I'm a bit iffy on spending $10 now just to tinker with something I'm going to actually buy in September. I noticed that the website shows the price of Spore as $50, so I was curious if they're just trying to ameliorate their long development costs by making the packages separate, where if you buy Spore in Sept for $50, you still need the CC for $10 anyway, bringing the total cost to the "socially accepted" $60 for a new game? I couldn't find the info on that, so just wondered if anyone had heard.

Re: Current other active game software
 

If you get the full CC, you get 5 dollars off of the full version of Spore, so 55$

Thanks to the weak dollar, thats actually not that bad. I definitely will be getting it. Although I won't be getting the CC separately.

Re: Current other active game software
 

Europa Universalis 3, Sins of a Solar Empire, flash games on Kongregate (including DTD)

Both EU3 and Sins are kinda odd ducks. I play 'em both a bit, and i'm not sorry i spent $ on them, but i cannot really give either an unqualified endorsement.

Sins is "neat" and different from any other RTS i've seen, but it somehow lacks a soul. You know all those lovely little flourishes that raise Dominions from "Best Game Ever" to "BEST GAME EVER!" Sins needs some of those desperately. It's like a well drawn picture of an unremarkable subject, it just doesn't sparkle.

EU3 is more like "Sim History" than a competitive game. I love the predecessors and it's a solid game that adds some nifty new features, but the makers have stubbornly refused to fix certain very simple and obvious flaws despite having redone the game twice. They also decided to replace the perfectly adequate 2D graphics with perfectly awful 3D graphics. A bit frustrating in that way.

It's cool to see Stars mentioned so much. I went to that one after VGA Planets, but i could never find a good online community and both times i tried to play MP the games collapsed.

I'm going to have to check out Dwarf Fortress, I've heard good things from so many different sources that it's got to be worth a looksee.

Re: Current other active game software
 

Spore Creature:
wont run for me. I get the Direct X Unavailable error that others get. Still watching for a fix

Europa Universalis:
Abit too much history for me. I can understand why it forces the events it does but Id rather the druids could win.

VGA Planets: I really liked VGAP3. I pre-ordered VGAP4 back in 2001 and Im still waiting for it to get out of beta. For anyone who likes really REALLY deep games, its worth looking at but it seems to just keep getting deeper and deeper instead of ever releasing

Re: Current other active game software
 

Dwarf Fortress is one of the few games that I can recommend unequivically to anyone who's a big fan of Dom3. 99% chance you're going to like it.

No graphics worth mentioning, extremely high learning curve, narrow focus, tons of stuff yet to be implemented-including a magic system-a touchy UI, cranky forum members (atleast some of them were), and yet, a whole cartload of pure greatness.

Re: Current other active game software
 

its interesting you say this. in another video game thread, I was talking about how GalCiv just doesn't do it, and how all Stardock games are well made, but just lack a certain something. They hit all the nails, and look great, but just are lacking this something, this soul. You just can't quite describe it, but Stardock games just don't have it. Its those little things, the panache, the "sparkle" as you say.

Re: Current other active game software
 

Yes Ive bought many BEAUTIFUL games, which lasted about a month on my machine.

Such conversations happen in many forums. Games such as Stars!, Master of Magic, VGA Planets, Space Empires IV, King of Dragon Pass, etc etc appear on many dedicated gamers machines even though they are ancient in game terms. Trying to discover why has intrigued many a developer. The never-ending existence of some text-based games and MMOs also come up.

Ive watched half a dozen Master of Magic 2 projects fail. Instead of just recreating it (at least as a starting point) they cant help but try to "improve" on it which tends to kill it.

I have my own opinions on the matter, which I tend to post frequently to such forums.

Re: Current other active game software
 

Ah. It sounds like Sins is in need of a few "Lost a few eyes"/"Lost head" afflictions and ambidextrous Benjamite slingers and interlocking hero stories (Udum'kinaa and Etimmu come to mind). Little touches that make it awesome. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Oh, and a few hoburgs and blood slaves. And Bogus' band of merry raiders.

-Max