Impressions

[Tarkh]

Hi to all.

I'd want to hear from those who already played this game a decent amount of time.
I tried the demo and I liked what I've seen but I guess the demo doesn't discover even 1/20 part of what this game has to offer...
I like graphics, I like tiles, I like sound, I like mechanics. But I ruminate about motivation that game gives to a player to continue palying or to replay.
Doesn't game universe feel static?
Is there enough level of interaction with alien races?
What are the dev's plans for continuing developing the game? Adding content? Revamping some mechanics (maybe, some AI-controlled competing space explorers)?

Can this one to be the game for months to play? The price is high, and high is temptation. So is the reward high enough?

[Narrew]

Originally Posted by Tarkh

Hi to all.
Can this one to be the game for months to play? The price is high, and high is temptation. So is the reward high enough?

Everyone has different desires when playing any game, but I bought it after a few turns of the demo, and haven't regretted it. As far as playability long term, I have had it a couple of months and growl at myself because there is not enough time in the day for me to play and WORK, sigh...life seems to get in the way of playing!

[ibol]

Hi Tarkh,
I'm Bob, the developer of Approaching Infinity.
I will address a few of your concerns, but I also hope that other forum members will speak up as well


Doesn't game universe feel static?
How do you mean? I'm sure in 7 sectors of the demo, it's fairly static, but there are *tons* of different kinds of planets, monsters, sectors, quests in the mid-to-late-game, and once you start interacting with the 12 different intelligent races, and doing their quests, things can really start to change.

Is there enough level of interaction with alien races? Again, this depends on how you mean it. You can try to work for or against any of the races. Sometimes working with one will anger another (they have their own agendas...) Also, there are a *lot* of things (your actions) that will make the different aliens either like you or hate you... they definitely have their own personalities.

What are the Dev's plans?
Well, now, this I can answer we've already released one update with lots of new fun things, and the next one I'm working on now brings several new mechanics to the game. I have a 20-page notebook full of ideas of things to add to Approaching Infinity. And a fair share of them came from people right here on this forum. I love this game, and will continue making it better for a long time.

As for replayability, that is one of the core design features of this game, even beyond the standard rogue-like demands. There are some things that don't even occur until you reach sector 100 or beyond... there are things that I've never encountered without cheating. But they're in there...

[OrionM42]

Paraphrasing Tarkh: Can this be a game that one can play for months?

Well, at this point, I think so. Not without taking a few breaks (you know: food, sleep, "Significant Other" ...), but I definitely think so. I should caveat my answer by saying that I am new to "rogue-like" games, so this class of game is as new to me, as this specific game. But I have been playing steadily for a couple months now. I did take one, genuine, one-week break, after playing my longest game; but after one week, I was eager to return to the game.

I will also say that I personally think it was well worth the purchase price, but (admittedly) that question (and answer) is different for everyone.

I've got to say: this is only my second new game, in the last 5 years or so, that I find steadily riveting (2am? okay, only one more turn ... ) and genuinely fun. But again, to be fair, (and as Narrew suggested above) every person has their own interests.

A few other observations: The graphics are (in my opinion) pretty "retro", but I like them. The availability of a 48 page written Manual was a big selling point for me: I use it as a reference source; you don't need to read it to start; it doesn't answer every question I have (and I wouldn't want it to!); but its an agreeable help, and a good place for me to take notes, etc. The races are different enough to keep me guessing, which is good enough for me. I have found the game to be surprisingly bug-free, straight out of the box -- not perfect, but better than most in this day and age. The developer has already released one update, and it added visible content. (Fewer bugs to deal with means more opportunity to add content.) As you have seen above, the developer also is active on this Discussion board, and he is clearly, personally, invested in improving the game.

I hate to sound like a "fan-boy" here; but this game has been an agreeable surprise to me. I expect to enjoy it steadily (if not constantly) for quite some time.

[Tarkh]

Hi, Narrew, hi, Bob!
Thanks for your answers. Please, don't take my concerns as grudges or something like this. Well, 40$ is quite a sum for us here now, in faraway cold Russia, and this is not the main concern though.
Games nowadays tend to be the short-lived creatures. Why should developer/publisher invest much time into one game when he may just roast them out like cookies and make profit?
Your game, Bob, looks like the different kind of game, with care and soul felt within. Potentially such kind of a game could evolve forever...
Dominions series (well-known here, at Shrapnel) is a good example. I'm a bif fan of Dom games and I especially like the neverending developing cycle You pay an imposing price once, and instead you get free patching and content adding for years to come.
Your game, Bob, looks potentially like a similar game, a game for years to play. But it doesn't discover all of its secrets right away, in demo. So I jusy want to make sure that my feelings don't fool me, and I'll have hundreds of small and big discoveries inside. You know, it's like I felt playing games when I was a child (not so child though but much much younger nevertheless), when games were making you wonder and whispering "wow" not because of 3D effects but just because they were giving you a whole world to discover.

[Tarkh]

Oh, you honey tongues... I have read everything I found about this game. And I couldn't resist. You bribed me. I'm in. So now I have fresh-purchased and downloaded AI on my flash-card and just waiting impatiently to leave my job and go home... Damn, my wife won't be very glad to see me salivating the keyboard... I just hope my 2-year daughter would like these funny little colorful men that her dad moves across the screen. Together we'll be able to survive the mom's attack!

[ibol]

Good for you, Tarkh! I have two little girls of my own (5 & 2), and the older one has playtested AI a bit... she is the reason you can "pet" the bunnies!