[IGDA_indies] The Games Thread :)

[Ronald Hobbs]

> The AI just isn't that bright or easy to train though.  My
> impressions square with those of Gamespy: Black & White is the #1
> overrated game of all time.

Interesting viewpoint, though I'd love for anyone to point out any game that
actually learned anything before this game was published, not just use
better AI routines at harder levels, but learn, mimic, and react the way the
creature did. That was the Awe-factor for me, sure it may have learnt the
wrong things and I sometimes wished I could beat it to a pulp, but it did
learn. In this particular genre (God Games) no one has beat it yet and it
seems like the only people who are going to beat it is them with the sequel.
I'd also like to point out that from the re-review it seems like they just
complained about the bugs, the interface, and their own inability to play
the game, not a word was said about "this was done before". I could go on
forever about this, but it wouldn't serve any point, people have different
tastes.

By the way as a point of interest one of the artists of B&W2 is also an
indie developer, he's got a really fun looking game at:
http://www.lionhead.com/personal/mhealey/

Whereas I played GTA3 and thought that it was simply an evolution of the
previous two, fun, entertaining but short lived.

Perhaps I just don't see innovation in the same way you do, and seeing as
you're the authority ;) I'll concede the point, though perhaps an
illumination would be appreciated.

> Black & White has taught me not to care one whit about what *looks*
> interesting

Fair point.

> I'm not familiar with these.

Well to be honest Republic is not everyone's taste, that said however, I
believe Elixir's upcoming release, Evil Genius, is going to be a lot more
fun though quite unoriginal. Imagine Dungeon keeper but with a Bond film
setting.

As for Total War, if you're a strategic or tactical war gamer you must get
this. No two ways about it. They've been using the combat engine of the new
version (called Rome: Total war) of this game to re-enact historical battles
on a television series called Time Commanders, don't know if it's showing in
the US (maybe on BBC US?).