Author Topic: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2  (Read 70376 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Thisisaverylongusername

  • 27
  • This is fine.
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Unlike in the first simulator mission, the second and third let you give orders to your wingmen, and give you a gas refinery to capture, which gives you a constant source of points. These make the latter two simulator missions much, much easier.
If the opposite of pro is con, then is the opposite of progress Congress?

 

Offline Spoon

  • Moderator
  • 212
  • ヾ(´︶`♡)ノ
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Thanks for the review so far! Sorry to hear Combat simulator I has give you that much grief :(
I personally find that the mission isn't all that hard if you play defensively, let the Skirmishers come your way, make some kills alongside Custodian wing (which is always set to guard you), while in the cover of your own carrier. Intercept the transport and you should be good to start launching attacks alongside the Caliburns on the enemy carrier. Just keep an eye on your wingmen status and start retreating back if they start running low (picking something fast to fly helps with this). Alternatively you can also get the Excalibur and wittle the enemy carrier down from range with Phase beams.

As Thisisaverylongusername said, Combat simulator II&III tend to be a bit easier because you can secure a steady income of points and order your wingmen around.
If you're not having fun then there is no shame in just lowering the difficulty to very easy and/or cheating through the mission imo.

Quote
The writing's not perfect on a technical level
Can you elaborate on this? I mean, I'd like to improve, but then I'd need to know a bit more specifically what you mean with the imperfections on a 'technical level'.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Rhymes

  • Galactic Mediator
  • 29
  • Fatum Iustum Stultorum
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Thanks for the advice on the combat sims. I'll give it a shot after I've let it sit for a little to cool off. Like I said, I've been having a blast aside from the combat sim. I'm just frustrated, is all. I meant every bit of praise that I wrote for nuWoD.

When I referred to technical issues in the writing, I was mostly looking at it in terms of flow. It's hard to describe exactly because it's a matter of feel, but the best way I can explain it is that some sentence constructions and word choices occasionally felt unnatural--the kind of thing where it'd sound weird if I said it out loud. I'll have to go digging through the script to pull up specific examples to work with--I can't recall any right now.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2019, 08:45:02 pm by Rhymes »
If you don't have Knossos, you need it.

“There was a button," Holden said. "I pushed it."
"Jesus Christ. That really is how you go through life, isn't it?”

 

Offline QuakeIV

  • 29
  • test
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
I'll agree the combat simulator missions are in fact pretty miserable.  Its very time consuming since you don't really start with enough assets to quickly resolve the engagement, and there isn't a clear purpose unlike the regular missions.  I kindof just grimaced through them and then got back to the rest of the campaign and half forgot about them.

 

Offline Destiny

  • 29
  • Twintails are eternal!
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Hmm, I'm gonna have to echo the others on the combat sim. Maybe make it an SOC loop in future versions?

Personally...I just got in an Excalibur ASAP, flew into the enemy flagship/fleet and blew them up with the Phase beams at point blank range instead of playing the mission normally :P

I'll write a review eventually, because I'm still recoiling from the blast (of having fun)!

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
On M15, and things just keep getting crazier. We're now back to the level of old WoD fleet engagements, where the enemies keep pouring in as fast as you can destroy them. I love it. Each mission things keep getting crazier. I hope we get that 1-2 mission of old WoD Freefall and Trouble in the Sky. Those missions were incredibly memorable, and I hope we see the return of the Gundam 00 battle theme, at least for nostalgia sake.

Again, the best overall change to this rebooted version is the better pacing, and deeper scope of human society. I enjoyed chatting with the crew about different backgrounds and societies, and that also leads to have a better diversification with ships, weapons and designs for the player.

I also have no idea how Axem plotted that cutscene battle between the CSA and LSF, that was a thing of beauty. Also seemingly less one sided towards the damn Elves this time, even if it was a loss. And, as horrible as it must have been to make, I hope we haven't seen the last of these cinematics. You did too good a job!

I'm also not missing the "super ship" of old WoD, which was cool, but did feel out of place as "just another" precursor weapon. I prefer having mass produced, or customized fighters, with a few exotics but nothing too crazy. For example, fitting heavy beams on the Excalibur feels just as satisfying as before, but it's just a mass produced anti-cap package. I prefer mid season weapon packs and upgrades. Still a satisfying boost of power, but not a super weapon.

Special note has to be given to the OST really kicking in strong as things escalate, and I hope a discography can be posted at some point.

It's probably too early to start talking episode 3, but, let me throw this one idea out there. "Gundam-Jack" mission. ;)

I'll save the constructive criticism stuff for once I make it through the whole thing. But yes, still aces at this point.

Edit: Okay, constructive criticism time.

The conversation with half elf, half energy girl is... bad. Let me explain. The crew of the GA has been fighting for the lives against an alliance of slave races which Dawn apparently knows something about, more than she should. She's being hunted by the Cyrvans because they know more about her origins. All of this is perfectly fine.

In the course of one conversation, we go from Dawn being a power psyker to the potential Goddess of our reality. That's not a bad idea, it's just told in very, very clunky. Unconvincing fashion. At this point in the story, we're still dealing with a massive Noredea, Cordi, and now Zy invasion force, and we haven't even met *their* masters, who I'm assuming are still the Huertek from the first WoD. You're trying to cram Season 3 Wings of Dawn revelations into the end of Season 2.

And now we've got the Alyerians who fought them in the ancient past who declared war on and even *higher* level of being from *above* subspace and... it's just too much. Too many factions that are too distant for the problem at hand. It's too much for one conversation. And too much new lore instead of just surviving these crazy diesel powered aliens and their bug eyed allies running around.

I suggest two possible fixes for this. One, cut the conversation in half. END it with the revelation that Dawn is really an amalgamation of several different people, and that she was made as a living weapon. That's fine! We care about Dawn! She's a goof and the player character so the revelation that she's a walking Fusion dance with crazy powers is a good one. Move all the Alyerian, Hertek, other, super, anti-life people until it's more appropriate for the plot. Because as of this conversation the pacing is back to that same whiplash pace from the first WoD. Which I believe you were fighting hard to get away from.

The second is, leave the conversation as is, (I'm sure you're not thrilled at the idea of editing the game again) but table the rest of these revelations for later on until the Heurtek and the whole slave race alliance is shattered and the player needs a new enemy to help blow up.

Anyway, I hope I'm not coming across as too negative. But putting out there because I'm excited about this setting you've made and I want to see it turn out the best it can. The missions and gameplay remain stellar.

« Last Edit: January 06, 2019, 12:22:13 am by manwiththemachinegun »

 

Offline Jellyfish

  • 29
  • No relent
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
The game was great. Worth the wait, and quite an improvement over the already excellent original.

The new and returning characters got a lot more fleshed out. I kinda miss playing as Misuzu, but the thing is called 'Wings of Dawn' for a reason.
Love how Milkshake went from 'violent' to 'small, cute AND violent' and Kunoichi went from 'shy' to 'esper ninja assassin'. Every character is different, every character is interesting, can't wait to see them again. Wish the Tech Room entries on the characters and other characters' comments on them returned.
Will Ophelia and that one Cyrvan commander that can't say 'Terran' appear again?

The OST was exquisite. The gameplay at no point was very repetitive. Surprised how there were anticapship missions but they weren't really "fly a bomber, drop bombs, kill this capship".

The simulation missions were really out of the blue and as the poster above says, the infodump was too heavy. It's just too much in too little time.
Had technical issues but they were completely on my part and easily solvable.

Quote from: Zera
Know what's the difference between you and an egg, Stella? An egg gets laid.
It sure is good Crystal joined the crew a few missions later!
"A weapon is only as powerful as its wielder. With this weapon, you'll be but an annoyance, which would greatly dishonor it. With this weapon, I can change history. With me, this weapon can shape the universe."

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
So, after more than 40 crashes I finally made it through both episodes~

I'm afraid I can't say anything that hasn't been said before, just take my word that all the issues I had could at no point stop me from enjoying this lovely game! Waiting all the 3 and a half years was a much harder thing to do, actually. :D Special thanks again to Axem for the builds - 32bit is still better than not at all! I'm sorry that I don't have much more to say right now, probably because I can't think of anything that would value the countless hours Spoon and the other team members have put into this beautiful thing in an appropriate way. :(


As for Dawns leap from some bonus skills to near-god status, it was a bit... sudden though, as lore-wise it goes from mid classic WoD to what mid-WoD2 might have been. I think the final "stop that flagship"-moment would be a better place to trigger such a conversation about Dawns power, as long as it was rather unexpected (what could be a pretty cool surprise then when everybody thinks they're screwed, as well as being a good cliffhanger, as the conversation about Dawns powers would be in Ep3 then). Speaking of that, the rest of the crew seemed to take the super-psy-power like something... rather normal. I don't think it would require that much editing, it'd just have to be split up.

Elseway, I'd stick with what manwiththemachinegun said:
Quote
END it with the revelation that Dawn is really an amalgamation of several different people, and that she was made as a living weapon. That's fine! We care about Dawn! She's a goof and the player character so the revelation that she's a walking Fusion dance with crazy powers is a good one. Move all the Alyerian, Hertek, other, super, anti-life people until it's more appropriate for the plot.

PS. Can I have a Cyrvan StarMecha in Episode 3? ;7

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
So, after more than 40 crashes

This does not bode well.

Shivans view most other species the way we view infectious diseases. They think they are doing good by curing the universe of them. After all, no one mourns the fate of smallpox.

The Final War For The Multiverse

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Compared with "no builts for you", "your system is not most likely not supported" or "won't run" it's quite OK. :)

I haven't counted all of them exactly though, but considering that I had to restart 2 or 3 missions (VNs only, actually) about 8 times or so 30-40 seems a good estimate.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2019, 06:49:32 pm by Nightmare »

 

Offline PIe

  • 28
  • GTVA POLICE
    • freespace3.com
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
So, after more than 40 crashes

This does not bode well.
Nightmare was using a 32-bit build while only 64-bit is supported.  Believe me, it's a very stable game.
[6:23 PM] PIe: why do I have the feeling that I shouldn't be able to give orders to 22nd armored hq
[6:24 PM] Axem: 22nd armored hq, i order you to get me a cup of coffee
[6:24 PM] PIe: and donuts
[6:24 PM] PIe: BECAUSE THIS IS THE GTVA POLICE
[6:25 PM] Axem: :O
[6:25 PM] Axem: am i under arrest
[6:26 PM] [`_`]/: no, just please step out of the myrmidon
[6:26 PM] [`_`]/: you have so much to fred for

[9:50 PM] Sottises: wait did you do vassago's verge?
[9:50 PM] Sottises: .. dirge?
[9:50 PM] Axem: yes
[9:50 PM] Sottises: ohh
[9:50 PM] Sottises: well I have that and JAD too
[9:50 PM] Axem: :)
[9:50 PM] Sottises: what a contrast of themes lmao
[9:50 PM] Axem: isnt it
[9:51 PM] Axem: super grimdark thriller about unknowable alien intelligence and over the top colorful action about friendship
[9:51 PM] PIe: jad is grimdark???
[9:51 PM] Axem: :skull:

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
So, after more than 40 crashes

This does not bode well.
Nightmare was using a 32-bit build while only 64-bit is supported.  Believe me, it's a very stable game.

Actually, the missions were all stable; don't think I hit the line a single time in mission. The VNs were quite troublesome, though I never had a problem with the VNs in JAD.

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
So, after more than 40 crashes

This does not bode well.
Nightmare was using a 32-bit build while only 64-bit is supported.  Believe me, it's a very stable game.

I am not sure if I have a 64 bit system though...
Shivans view most other species the way we view infectious diseases. They think they are doing good by curing the universe of them. After all, no one mourns the fate of smallpox.

The Final War For The Multiverse

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
I'd love to finish it, but I can't find all of the uranite in the asteroid. Seems like maybe if there were some way to detect them.....or if the asteroid's colors and textures werent so muddy I cant see the tunnels very well........

10/10

5 Starz

100/100

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Switch to external camera mode (usually somewhere on the number pad), center the view so that it is in front of your ship, then zoom out. That way you can look between the inner and outer part of the asteroid model. The uranium will be easily found then, and all you do is to fly ahead.

 

Offline Spoon

  • Moderator
  • 212
  • ヾ(´︶`♡)ノ
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Thanks for the comments&feedback. I've read them a while ago but I've not really been in a good mental state to reply to them. (To be honest, I'm just kind of really ~done~ thinking about WoD at all)

I'd love to finish it, but I can't find all of the uranite in the asteroid. Seems like maybe if there were some way to detect them.....or if the asteroid's colors and textures werent so muddy I cant see the tunnels very well........
Try enabling the 'emissive light from ships' flag in the graphics option in the launcher/knossos, it helps light up the interior of the asteroid. You can target ore if they're within a range of 2500 from you, so just flying a circle within the asteroid and cycling through friendly targets should be an easy enough way to locate any uranite ore you can't immediately see.

Quote
Speaking of that, the rest of the crew seemed to take the super-psy-power like something... rather normal.
But you haven't even seen the reaction of the rest of the crew yet?  :confused:

Quote
Move all the Alyerian, Hertek, other, super, anti-life people until it's more appropriate for the plot. Because as of this conversation the pacing is back to that same whiplash pace from the first WoD. Which I believe you were fighting hard to get away from.
Without knowing the rest of the story and what comes next, how can you tell if it's an appropriate time?

Quote
You're trying to cram Season 3 Wings of Dawn revelations into the end of Season 2.
:confused: Am I, though? How do you know these things?
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Quote
Speaking of that, the rest of the crew seemed to take the super-psy-power like something... rather normal.
But you haven't even seen the reaction of the rest of the crew yet?  :confused:

Of course not, just that most named characters on the GA so far were flying around there, and their reaction was like "Nice job Dawn. Good thing the GA didn't got blown up, we would have to buy new clothes then."

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Thanks for the comments&feedback. I've read them a while ago but I've not really been in a good mental state to reply to them. (To be honest, I'm just kind of really ~done~ thinking about WoD at all)

I'd love to finish it, but I can't find all of the uranite in the asteroid. Seems like maybe if there were some way to detect them.....or if the asteroid's colors and textures werent so muddy I cant see the tunnels very well........
Try enabling the 'emissive light from ships' flag in the graphics option in the launcher/knossos, it helps light up the interior of the asteroid. You can target ore if they're within a range of 2500 from you, so just flying a circle within the asteroid and cycling through friendly targets should be an easy enough way to locate any uranite ore you can't immediately see.

Quote
Speaking of that, the rest of the crew seemed to take the super-psy-power like something... rather normal.
But you haven't even seen the reaction of the rest of the crew yet?  :confused:

Quote
Move all the Alyerian, Hertek, other, super, anti-life people until it's more appropriate for the plot. Because as of this conversation the pacing is back to that same whiplash pace from the first WoD. Which I believe you were fighting hard to get away from.
Without knowing the rest of the story and what comes next, how can you tell if it's an appropriate time?

Quote
You're trying to cram Season 3 Wings of Dawn revelations into the end of Season 2.
:confused: Am I, though? How do you know these things?


It's just, a lot of new info to digest bro. True, it's without context so far. And I am looking forward to seeing where the plot point goes... but, it's a lot.

It's not the direction the story, it's just a funky conversation which a few others have echoed. It was the one thing that snapped me out of the story and made me go, "Okay, what is going on, who are these aliens being talked about, and... why does it matter?"

But, since it was the *one thing* I found fault with, I'd say you still did an amazing job overall.

 

Offline 5thAce

  • 26
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Absolutely amazing!! Very much enjoyed the use of anti capital ship weapons which make you feel like you're directly involved with the capital ship combat. I actually really liked the Nordera, as it's not everyday humanity encounters a technologically inferior species in sci-fi stories. Is there any physical description of the Nordera available? I hope the WoD universe continually expands with future installments (whenever they are done).

 
Re: Reviews and Feedback thread Episode 1 & 2
Now that I've cleared what's available, some feedback:

--WEAPONS--
Primaries need more range, there was way too much knife fighting. Suggest minimum range of 1000-1100.

Lack of energy secondaries limits options VS Nordera ships.

Favorite Primaries: Positron Beam, dual-linked in the Dragonfly, Graviton Beam, good for subsystems, Photon blasters, good vs 120 Torpedoes
Lowest-Ranked Primary: Shotguns, too much evasive manuvering to get good shots off.

Favorite Secondary: HRDP Phoenix Pod: Good damage per salvo,most ships carry a lot of them.
Lowest-Ranked Secondary: FGT3 Harbinger: Pretty weak for an Anti-Cap weapon.

--SHIPS--
Not enough Fire-Linked options, Swap is good, but had to resort to Dragonfly a lot for added firepower.

Favorite Ships:
Ray Mk3W: I beat the final mission with this. had the best balance IMO, 2 Heavy HPs for the Graviton Beam, decent speed, enough secondary bays for HRDPs, enough shields for the barrages.
Dragonfly: Fire Linked primaries made the 120 Torpedo salvo more manageable.

Worst Ship IMO: Haze-H: I dont understand what this ship is suppoed to do. Capital Interceptor? 1 Heavy HP makes it not as effective, especially in Breakthrough.

--MISSIONS--
"Video Game": Your default setup is too weak to defeat the capships before they wipe out your fleet.
Breakthrough: I failed this 4 times, solely on time. You need to add at least 2 more minutes to this one. I cleared it on Attempt 5 with literally 3 seconds before the final beam shot.

Overall I had fun with this and cant wait for more.