10 questions from the devs.

[Ripcord O'Reilly]

Hi all. RC here. Hope you're having fun with Weird Worlds!

Got time to answer a few quick questions? Cool if you do and ty from the Digital Eel gang!

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1) What are your favorite features/items/etc. in the game?

2) What are your least favorite features/items/etc. in the game?

3) Which map size do you prefer?

4) Which player ship do you prefer?

5) Do you think the bosses (Kawangi, Primordius, Vent Mother, Deep Hunter, Garthan carrier) are too easy, too hard or just right?

6) When you play Weird Worlds do you "play it safe" or do you play risky?

7) When you play Weird Worlds, do you "roleplay" it?

8) Do you keep a Weird Worlds shortcut on your desktop?

9) Who is your favorite Weird Worlds character?

10) Do you own/play Strange Adventures in Infinite Space?

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And remember: Happiness IS a warm particle vortex cannon.

Back after we see a few comments.

- Rippy

[TaoLibra]

1) My favorite Feature is the "Quest" for the big D (sparked by finding the HoP), and I wish there were more quests like that in the game. My favorite Item is the whole category of "Artifacts," because experimenting to find out what they do is fun. For similar reasons, I also enjoy items that have a hidden function that isn't immediately apparent -- like the Lookout Frogs, the Toy Robot, the Mantle, etc.. It would be really cool if there were even more of these, too.

2) I very much liked being able to set those little "waypoints" in SAIS; so NOT being able to do that is my least favorite Feature of WW. I also really preferred the larger ship displays set to the side of the combat screen in SAIS, and I find the hover-displays in WW more than a little annoying. My least favorite Items are all the useless junk at the bottom of the scale: Explosive Shell Chaingun, Structural Gluon Shield, Pulse Detonation Thrusters, etc.. They may be necessary as starting items, but it really annoys me to find something that useless on a planet somewhere. Quite a few of the weaker weapons are totally pointless, too -- the Gatling Laser, the Electron Accelerator, etc. -- and I never use them for anything but trade fodder to buy something more worthwhile. I'd rather not find them at all, and just find bags of gold instead, since that's all they're good for.

3) Definitely the largest map. I play that almost exclusively.

4) I like (and play) all three ships, but obviously the big military Frigate is the show-stopper.

5) All of the bosses feel just about right, I think. They're all powerful enough to splatter you like a fly on their windshields -- but if you're well-armed and know what you're doing, you can take them. I particularly like the Kawangi in WW, because it is now possible to defeat him in combat -- which was damned near IMpossible in SAIS.

6) I'm not sure what the question means... but if "risky" means trying to tackle enemies without being confident of beating them, then NO, not really. I will take small groups of enemies as I come across them, but I save the tough groups for later -- after I've found every possible weapon, system, and ally on the map. If I find the Mirror, I'll even use it to acquire items from those tough groups before I fight them.

7) Not really, no... but perhaps I might, if there were more opportunities to feel like I was interacting with the game's other characters. (See my answer to #9.)

8) Yup!

9) I don't really feel like the characters are very noticeable, at least not AS "characters" rather than as mere portraits that you glimpse briefly. There isn't a whole lot of personality to any of them, and there's no real opportunity to interact with them at all, so it's difficult to say which I "like" best.

10) Yup!

[thebigsilly]

1) What are your favorite features/items/etc. in the game?
I like how events are fairly random, yet after a few plays you can play wise and prepare for them in some ways (keeping Frogs/Robot toy to trap Esmerelda, for example.) The whole quality of randomized elements coming together at some point really appeals to me.


2) What are your least favorite features/items/etc. in the game?
I don't like how smaller wingman-type ships feel basically useless in combat.
The Mirror item makes the game too easy.
Lots of cool random items - but having more would be cool, as would be having more to DO with them.
Can't use the Stassis Cone for anything? What's it all about?


3) Which map size do you prefer?
Largest.


4) Which player ship do you prefer?
Military. The more weapons, the merrier.


5) Do you think the bosses (Kawangi, Primordius, Vent Mother, Deep Hunter, Garthan carrier) are too easy, too hard or just right?
Generally too easy. But please don't just boost their HP - just make it necessary to employ some kind of tactical plan to beat them.


6) When you play Weird Worlds do you "play it safe" or do you play risky?
Risky.


7) When you play Weird Worlds, do you "roleplay" it?
I do not filter my actions through a conceived character's personality, no. However, if the game offered roleplay options (dialogue choices, situations to solve through items and quests, choices-and-consequences, picking a race or species, etc.) then that would be pretty cool.


8) Do you keep a Weird Worlds shortcut on your desktop?
Yes.


9) Who is your favorite Weird Worlds character?
....Jumbo Shrimp?


10) Do you own/play Strange Adventures in Infinite Space?
I had the demo, but once I get WW, I figured that there was no reason to get the older version too.

[charmanta]

1) What are your favorite features/items/etc. in the game?
Hm. The Lookout frogs and the robot. To be sure that i keep items i found

2) What are your least favorite features/items/etc. in the game?
That the yellow kawangi may come after a short time ... in which i haven't found something to defend

3) Which map size do you prefer?
Size does matter. Make it BIIIIIIIIIIIG

4) Which player ship do you prefer?
Pirate

5) Do you think the bosses (Kawangi, Primordius, Vent Mother, Deep Hunter, Garthan carrier) are too easy, too hard or just right?
Just right.

6) When you play Weird Worlds do you "play it safe" or do you play risky?
No risk, no fun

7)When you play Weird Worlds, do you "roleplay" it?
As somebody told before, picking a race would be cool


8) Do you keep a Weird Worlds shortcut on your desktop?
Macs don't need this

Who is your favorite Weird Worlds character?
Esmeralda.


10) Do you own/play Strange Adventures in Infinite Space?
Not so far.

[sgqwonkian]

1) What are your favorite features/items/etc. in the game?
Items you may have ignored the first time, but that turn out to have a use, such as the crystal fish, vacuum collapser, timeless bauble, toy robot, etc. On a similar note, I enjoy some of the combos - foldy guy plus gong, for example - that other people complained about.
Also really love Mods since they allow an ongoing supply of surprises generated by other fans of the game.

2) What are your least favorite features/items/etc. in the game?
While I like the combos, I'm not as fond of some one-item wins.
The mirror can really reduce the fun, since spaceship combat goes away.
The Particle Vortex Cannon is just too good - even though I could wish for a Nova Cannon, I'll wish for a PVC instead 'cause it kills fighters too.
General bugginess irritates me too. While I love modding, it's brutal sometimes trying to figure out how to debug the mod you've been slaving over. Could really use some debugging tools (for mac).


3) Which map size do you prefer?
Small. I can fit a game in between other projects, or cram in a couple quick games while dinner is cooking.

4) Which player ship do you prefer?
I want to say science vessel, because I like the value scale it creates with coins/prices.
But the Frigate is the most fun. Just wish there was some value to lifeforms and non-systems in the Frigate scenario so you had to choose between trading for valuables and trading for better weapons.


5) Do you think the bosses (Kawangi, Primordius, Vent Mother, Deep Hunter, Garthan carrier) are too easy, too hard or just right?
Kawangi's a tad too hard, but that's okay from something you see every 15th game and are best nuking from a distance.
Garthan Carrier is super easy, doesn't feel like a boss.
The others are just about perfect.


6) When you play Weird Worlds do you "play it safe" or do you play risky?
If I'm on the small map, or just killing time, I play take lots of risks. The occasions where I'm in the mood for a large map and longer game I tend to play it safe so as not to blow my progress on one bad fight.


7)When you play Weird Worlds, do you "roleplay" it?
Sometimes, but rarely, and only when on the Science Mission.
I also often flee from Zorg and Muktians in hope of befriending them later, but that's less roleplaying and more metagaming.


8) Do you keep a Weird Worlds shortcut on your desktop?
The Mac equivalent, yes.

9) Who is your favorite Weird Worlds character?
The Zorg. I know, a race, not a character. But I dig their faux-zen quasi-hipster goobledygook.

10) Do you own/play Strange Adventures in Infinite Space?
Yes. Learned about Weird Worlds because of SAIS. I broke SAIS out again after nearly a year of not playing, and checked the web for new SAIS mods only to learn of WW:RTIS.

[Ripcord O'Reilly]

Still catching up. This time on two pages! Many helpful (and in some cases fascinating) responses here. Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to comment.

[PvK]

Having lots of fun!

1) What are your favorite features/items/etc. in the game?

Pausable tactical combat with interesting varied damage to ships, interesting different equipment, abilities etc.

Mod-ability.

Finding new stuff.

Getting into interesting tricky situations in the game, like when damage or not finding the best toys leads to choices and risk-taking.

All in all, very well done. Gripes below are signs of enthusiasm!

2) What are your least favorite features/items/etc. in the game?

Not infinite enough. From the title I was hoping for more infinite space, more infinite and varied play. More going on - more to find.

Not varied enough situations.

Part of that is the balance not being good enough. Retreating is too automatic. Some of the weapons and equipment are too good. The built-in goals and economy are too limited. Conflict without the good stuff is too risky, and it's too likely to be able to avoid conflict until just being given the good stuff. Best example is the Hyperdrive, which is perhaps too often lying around or available for trade for a few coins (not to mention the swap meet), and then the player can often hop around picking up free toys and fleeing anything dangerous until they can beat opponents.

There's no penalty (besides time spent and momentary disappointment) for failure, nor even a record of it (I'd like to see stats on how often I don't do well - see the averages and failures - not just the best pay-off from a long-shot spoiled-brat playstyle).

I think only ships designed for ramming should be able to ram, especially by accident - Gargans only. Space ships would probably get wiped out by a collision, and would never try.

I wish I could reverse in combat - not just move forward and run into problems when getting too close with no rear-firing weapons.

It'd be nice if aliens would run away more. I don't see them do it much even with the "run when all weapons are out" option turned on. My example of why there is an issue with weapon values, fleeing, no reverse, etc., is the situation that I've died in a few times, where my ship is healthy and defeats one enemy but doesn't finish it off completely - it has maybe one weapon half-left. I then turn away from that enemy either to engage another, or just because I'm too close and want to avoid a collision. The crippled enemy then proceeds to shoot me in the back with its one half-working weapon... and the damage piles up quickly. I can't easily maneuver to turn around to settle its hash before it's caused serious damage or even destroyed me. So I should have stopped sooner and blood-thirstily wiped him out, when I'd sorta rather not for role-playing reasons. If I had a rear-firing weapon, I expect it'd probably fire automatically with almost no way to prevent it, too.

The five-coins trading system doesn't leave much room for scale of value.

3) Which map size do you prefer?

Small for more interesting limits and challenges, but large just because there's more there.

4) Which player ship do you prefer?

I like them all.

5) Do you think the bosses (Kawangi, Primordius, Vent Mother, Deep Hunter, Garthan carrier) are too easy, too hard or just right?

About right, but maybe too predictable, without modding.

6) When you play Weird Worlds do you "play it safe" or do you play risky?

I try many different play styles to add to the interest. I wish there was more reason to play it safe, as in statistics. If it kept track of my survival rate, I would try seeing how well I could do without dying, and/or how high I could get my average score.

7) When you play Weird Worlds, do you "roleplay" it?

Sometimes a little.

8) Do you keep a Weird Worlds shortcut on your desktop?

No - way too dangerous!

9) Who is your favorite Weird Worlds character?

Esmerelda.

10) Do you own/play Strange Adventures in Infinite Space?

Edit: Oops - I thought you meant the current version, so I answered "Yep/Yep". After reading Will's answer, I realized you meant the previous game, so that'd be "Nope/Nope" - I'd just heard about it third-hand - a friend of a friend who was addicted.

[William_Minsinger]

1) Favorite Item is the Plasma Cloaker- I've used it to sneakily defeat enemies I usually can't tackle without some really good weapons. Favorite new feature is the Primordous quest, great idea.

2) Least favorite item is the Mantle of Babulon. I really like the idea, it just seems to make the game too easy and it turns up in the most random places. I'd either make it a quest goal or require the player to assemble Babulon's full regalia. Least favorite feature is your wingmen not being that smart- it can be very hard to manage a full fleet, sometimes the wingmen are a liability. I'd like to see the option for the wingmen to accept some more general orders and fight on thier own.

3) Medium Map- I use WW as a 'take a break from a project' type game, and Medium strikes the right balance between too fast and slow.

4) Pirate Corvette is my favorite. Good combination of starting items and cargo space, and I seem to have much better luck with finding artifacts then life forms!

5) Pretty much spot on, I think, though some are defintly harder then others.

6) I pretty much know how many enemies I can handle with what equipment, so combat wise I tend to play it safe. In the overall game I am a risk taker though- I almost always break the Bauble, I will try just one more star even if my time is running out, etc.

7) Not really enough character interaction to 'roleplay' much, but I do try to complete each mission as a I feel it should be. Like in the science mission I always try to make peace with as many people as possible, in the pirate mission I will ruthlessly exploit everyone and anything for points, for the Military mission I will do my best to wipe out every hostile fleet on the map, etc.

8) Yes, and the start menu, and the task launcher tray!

9) Hmmm, It would have to be Ripcord, cool little background story and a neat ship. Would really like to see more characterization all around though.

10) I only played the demo of SIAS, but I played it a lot.

-Will

[CharlesPavlov]

1) My favorite features/items/etc. in the game?

The various quests , upgrading my ships . Items wich have hidden functions and easter eggs . Combat is nice and simple , but a little bit more control wouldn't actually hurt , like being able to "drag-select" ships and "attack at long range" options .

2) What are your least favorite features/items/etc. in the game?

Well , I'd like more random events , more quests , more items , a more dynamic Sector Prime .

3) Which map size do you prefer?

Huge . The bigger the better !

4) Which player ship do you prefer?

The science ship . I like science missions . Second on my list is the warship .

5) Do you think the bosses (Kawangi, Primordius, Vent Mother, Deep Hunter, Garthan carrier) are too easy, too hard or just right?

They're spread out all over the spectrum , which is cool . Carriers and deep Hunters are quite easy , Vent Mothers are difficult , while Primordius and the Kawangi are allmost impossible without using quest items . In general , they're just right .

6) When you play Weird Worlds do you "play it safe" or do you play risky?

A bit of both . I believe in acceptable risk . I take some risks , but I don't push it .

7) When you play Weird Worlds, do you "roleplay" it?

As much as I can , I like to roleplay , but there's not much to roleplay WITH in WW . It'd be cool to gain some experience and level up your character or crew a bit , or to interact with aliens like in Star Control II .

8) Do you keep a Weird Worlds shortcut on your desktop?

Yes , and might I add , "Strange Adventure"'s icon looks better than WW's generic planet one !

9) Who is your favorite Weird Worlds character?

Ripcord , of course !

10) Do you own/play Strange Adventures in Infinite Space?

Just a demo . I've tried to compile the sourcecode though ...

[Ripcord O'Reilly]

My least favorite Items are all the useless junk at the bottom of the scale: Explosive Shell Chaingun, Structural Gluon Shield, Pulse Detonation Thrusters, etc.. They may be necessary as starting items, but it really annoys me to find something that useless on a planet somewhere.

So, you can certainly understand why aliens left the "junk items" behind.

Quite a few of the weaker weapons are totally pointless, too -- the Gatling Laser...

Remember, the combat computers can increase the fire rate of weapons. Helps.

Retreating is too automatic.

Interesting comment!

...sometimes the wingmen are a liability.

I can't disagree. In other words, I agree.

William, PvK & TaoLibra, thanks for your comments and opinions. I likely won't respond to each and every one but you better know that we are reading them!