Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!tmx!synth.county.oz.au!justin From: justin@county.oz.au (Justin Beech) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games Subject: Powermonger comments Message-ID: <1991Jan28.231935.7383@county.oz.au> Date: 28 Jan 91 23:19:35 GMT Reply-To: justin@synth.UUCP (Justin Beech) Organization: County Natwest Ltd, Australia Lines: 89 I have played powermonger on and off now for a while, and have also been reading with interest the comments on it in c.s.a.g. Here is my contribution: FUSTRATIONS * The window dismiss box is almost useless, and especially fustrating when the window covers the query icon so you cant use right button to get rid of all windows. Window move routine is too slow to be usefull, compounding the problem. Pressing dismiss with query ON re-queries whatever is _under_ the dismiss button. Windows too big to leave lying around. * No undo icon. Disaster when you miss an icon by one, hitting disband accidentally is particularly depressing! * Problem 'choosing' things, particularly when lots of things are in the area, or the terrain is steep - choice seems to go 'through' the terrain. Laborious work picking up lots of things, for instance boats. (is there an easier way?) * Current general should be highlighted more effectively, can really stuff things up if you dont continually check which general is receiving the orders. * Water is pain without boats. Even a little bit of water can split your army and quick action is needed if the lost contingent is not to give up and wander off. * High territory requires zooming out. Zooming out means its difficult to carefully point at things and position your army. arrrrgh! * The 'yeah' volume feature is pointless. It simply doesnt work. * General rough edges: no extra disk drive, pausing doesnt turn off sound, cant pick a destination on the land to move to unless it is a landmark or something - forced to use the mini-map. GAMEPLAY COMMENTS: * Whether you win or lose a map depends too much on which towns you take first, and this is guesswork the first time round. If you choose the correct 'route', then you can sweep up the population in advance of the enemy - choose wrongly and you are likely to lose. True? * Other generals are only really usefull for spying. What good is it to split your army in half given the way conflicts are best fought by out-numbering, and given the delay in commanding by pigeon. * Some maps your troops all have bows, sometimes not, why? * Determining the health of your troops is a pain. I tend to pick someone at random, and hope they are representative! * Troops leave too quickly when the food runs out. I mean they leave in _droves_. Very annoying when you are just seconds from a sheep/town or whatever. QUESTIONS: * Bugs in balance-of-power symbol?, sometimes it changes alarmingly when just a few people are killed. Maybe generals are worth more than troops? * Inventing things: Sometimes people work for ages without producing anything... why? * How do you give food to your own villages from your food stocks? * Can you destroy buildings in a village you own? (scorched earth) * Food blue-bar only represents around 500 food. Killing extra sheep doesnt seem to increase the real total. Grabbing food stores _does_. Maybe the trick is to kill sheep, dump the food, kill more, dump more and then pick it all up again. Any ideas? * How do you get sheep to follow you? is it just luck, like if you manage to recruit the shepard? Despite all this, this game is *fun*. I have spent an absolute fortune on amiga games in search of something lasting, and only powermonger and DM have proved to be long term stayers. Has anyone tried the linked-amiga option? Is it fun? Any ideas for expansion disks? A slightly less feudal society would be interesting..... -- Justin Beech - County Natwest Pty Ltd (justin@synth.county.oz) UUCP: uunet!synth.county.oz.au!justin INTERNET:justin@synth.county.oz.au