Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!jetson.uh.edu!cosc12t2 From: cosc12t2@jetson.uh.edu (Chris Viles) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games Subject: Re: Wizardry: - DONT BUY IT!!! Message-ID: <9029.27fb034d@jetson.uh.edu> Date: 4 Apr 91 10:43:25 CST References: <1991Apr2.024550.29890@censor.Bell.Ca> <1991Apr2.150457.27319@bellcore.bellcore.com> <10672@mirsa.inria.fr> Followup-To: rec.games.misc Organization: University of Houston Lines: 99 In article <10672@mirsa.inria.fr>, colas@lemur.inria.fr (Colas Nahaboo) writes: >- the gameplay has not improved in ten years. You still do not see monsters in > advance, the graphics are essentially non-informative, and conveys little > more information than the appleII line drawings. Positive points: you now see > stairs from a distance... and you can save the game nearly anywhere (but not > during a battle) Not seeing the monsters has always been part of Wizardry. And what do you mean the graphics are essentially non-informative? This doesn't tell me anything. And I don't know of any games of this flavor (Ultima, the AD&D games, etc.) that let you save the game during a battle...this helps prevent cheating. >- it is awfully mono-tasking: you can just sit there and do nothing till the > "cute" monophonic sound-effect or animation ends. I actually had time to make >me a coffee while 3 rats were dancing in front of me, disabling all my > actions!!! At least on the apple II there were no such pauses in the game. > It pauses for ages while telling "cute" messages, even with game speed to the > max (delay=0). If you don't want to read the messages or see all the graphics, hit RETURN a few times...I don't know why, but there are useless pauses everywhere in this game. >- It takes FIVE disks!!! - for storing non-compressed bitmaps, for more > user-locking jerky anims... Without these stupid anims, which are the main > cause for my gripes, WIz6 could well have been fitted one one disk. > On the apple II it fitted on one 130K disk!!! At least disk-access is fast > and OS-friendly, so that you can HD install, and use disk caches for floppy > users. I don't remember any of the Wizardry games on my Apple //e being as big as this one...At least this one you can't solve, start to finish, in 10 minutes (an old bug in the Apple version of Wizardry). >- the mouse interface is a total joke. For instance: > - to choose a characters, it shows you all of them with their names in one > window (there were alreadyu on the screen), then underneath it repeats the >names only in a small window - You can ONLY click there!!! > - menus have their items moving (disabled items are deleted, moving up the > others), so that you cannot click fast, you must examine the menu each >time! > + tons and tons of utter stupidity... Use the keyboard, then. > - the keyboard interface is a mess, what will be done when typing return is > far from obvious. On the Apple II I never had a problem. What do you mean? Everything looked pretty intuitive to me. >- I could go on an on... Suffice to say that with the same user interface than > Wiz1 on the apple II, the game would have been a LOT better. Everything they > have added in 10 (TEN) years is bad design! Perhaps the plot is interesting, > but it would have been better with a text-only interface... The design isn't bad, just your criticism. The world doesn't settle for text-only interfaces on most games anymore. >> Fortunately wizardry is not stupid enough to trap you into situations >> in which you can't go back > > I got stuck in one the first time I played it. Then you should have asked for help, or tried harder. I've gotten out of every 'impossible' situation so far (with a little help from my friends :). >Why I posted this message: >- I work in computer-human interface. Such things are appealing to me. >- I totally loved Wizardry I on the apple II. I don't want other uninformed > Wiz-lovers (like me) to give their money to these thiefs (I didn't). >- It is a shame that these people could make any money out of it when companies > with user respect and decent beta-test such as cinemaware go broke. >- That this software could have brought a single buck to its authors is an > insult to FTL (DM and CSB authors) and others... More like you wanted to rant and rave about something you have no control over. > Now you can go on and flame me, I don't care -- If by this message I could > prevent at least one people to buy this game, then it will have served its > purpose. I hope not...this game was definitely worth the money. I didn't buy it for glitzy graphics or killer-cool sound effects...I bought it for it's game play. It's kept me very busy and very intertained for a while now. >-- >Colas Nahaboo, colas@sa.inria.fr, Bull Research, Koala Project, GWM X11 WM >Phone:(33) 93.65.77.70(.66 Fax), INRIA, B.P.109 - 06561 Valbonne Cedex, FRANCE. ^^^^^^ Well, that explains it! +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ "Duct tape is like the force...it has a light side and a dark side, and it binds the universe together!"