Back To The Future For Role Playing Games?

[terin]

Back To The Future For Role Playing Games?

Australian Game Developers (http://www.ausgamedev.com) has released The Omega Syndrome, a computer role-playing game for Windows 2000/XP that follows in the footsteps of classic games such as Fallout, Ultima 7, and Baldur’s Gate.

The Omega Syndrome’s story is a breath of fresh air for the RPG genre, as it is set in 1950’s America and the player works for a secret organization that hunts down aliens and UFOs. It was designed to appeal to the mature gamer, who fondly remembers the golden era of computer role-playing games, as it uses a top down view that affords a strategic view of the battlefield. Its combat is turn-based and it uses well written text to describe its quests and dialogue.

The Omega Syndrome’s rule system encourages different playing styles depending on the type of character created and the skills the player chooses to advance in. It also comes with an editor and an online community, so the players can make and share their games.

The Omega Syndrome costs $19.95 and is available from Australian Game Developers,
You can download a demo of The Omega Syndrome (for Windows 2000/XP) from http://www.ausgamedev.com

[Sirrus]

And here I was thinking I was going to get to roleplay as McFly :(

[terin]

Manure... I hate manure...

I can't take credit for this catchy yet mildly misleading title ... :)

-Joe

[MingooX]

While I can see why you might make reference to such greats as the Fallout series and Baldurs Gate, when you make those statements you instill a certain high level of expectation in people. Your game has many irritating flaws (for example, if combat starts mid-walk your character continues to walk and waste AP [particularly annoying in turn based mode]) and doesn't have that high level of finish that either of those series have.

I don't know if I would have been as disappointed in your game if you hadn't made it up as the next of kin to these style of games, but I switched it off within ten minutes. I honestly found it atrocious.

The means of this post isn't to offend, I'm sorry if I have, but compare your game to Fallout (for instance) and then compare Captain Brawe to Monkey Island and you'll see exactly what I mean.

I'd love to talk more about your game, and what inspired certain choices and such though.

Steve

[Hiro_Antagonist]

well, it's not terin/Joe's game. He merely writes/pushes press releases for people. =)

[Sakura Games]

well, it's not terin/Joe's game. He merely writes/pushes press releases for people. =)
Yes, but he criticizes the fact of comparing his game (his=of his customer who ordered the PR) to great commercial games of the past.
I saw it many times in PRs, and it's really a bad choice from marketing point of view because you refer to niche products and people who played those games will be obviously disappointed (unless the game is really that good), while the ones who never heard of those old games maybe will end buying them at bargain retail deals instead of buying the shareware one.
If comparing to Fallout and Baldur's Gate was terin's choice, I think was really a big mistake expecially for a marketing guy.

[terin]

See, this is why I don't normally let clients write the press release.

To defend my honor! I didn't write this one... It was composed by the developer beforehand and stated as an ASAP because Al Halberg hasn't returned my e-mails in over a week. I merely cleaned it slightly and sent it.

So, there ya have it- the exact reason VGSmart writes our client's releases. Yes I read it and yes I noticed the comparison, however, I make the bold assumption that the comparison is justified and they know full well what a claim like that leads to.

I recall the last time someone had a negative comment about my press release it was written by the client then too.

Mah Honor is Restored!
-Joe

[DavidRM]

Mah Honor is Restored!
-Joe

Are you sure about that? Didn't you just dis a customer in a public forum?

-David

[terin]

If you are unsure then the answer is no :)

See now David, you are reading too far into what I write... and this thread is supposed to be about The Omega Syndrome.

Let me explain and we'll move on with our lives.

I said: "yes I noticed the comparison, however, I make the bold assumption that the comparison is justified and they know full well what a claim like that leads to."

Which is certainly not a diss, it says I trust my clients enough to allow them to compare their game to another game with all the potential ramifications that may cause.

The rest of what I wrote was a response to:

"If comparing to Fallout and Baldur's Gate was terin's choice, I think was really a big mistake expecially for a marketing guy."

Which was all about an opinion that it was a 'big mistake' (really I think its a pretty minor infraction IF the game doesn't live up to it- We call it puffery in marketing class... because you don't sell more products by saying your game isn't as good as another)

Ok... so- On to the discussion of the Omega Syndrome... because frankly I think it is silly that my post insulted anyone.