Impressions

posted on December 19th, 2003, 9:26 pm

Well I've played a few IA games now (including a big game with all five races against each other).

I'm very impressed, the AI is smarter and puts up more of a fight. I'm also impressed with the diversity of each race while retaining the balance. This is what A2 should have been, a strategy game - not a 'lets put every ship seen on the show in to make the Trekkies happy), if a ship like the Centaur isn't needed, then leave it out.

Having said that, I'm glad to see you have inlcuded all the cannon Klink/Rommie ships (well I thing you have anyway), good models you have for the Norexan and K'vort classes. The Borg were much better in A1 (graphically) than the really strange looking stuff in A2, and it's good to see you have made them look more realistic.

Only gripe I have is that I don't like the Noxter. (Every man to his own opinion I guess). I give you guys top marks for the modelling and tech tree for them, and the diversity from the other races, but the whole idea of yet another insect/living space organism type side just puts me off including them. There have just been too many ideas in space RTS I've played (Species 8472 from A2, Zerg from Starcraft, Mantis from CFW..), but I am looking forward to seeing that other new race you have planned.

IMO, since this seems to be an Alpha Quadrant mod, you really need the Cardassians in. It would be especially cool to see the Hutet class from Dominion Wars on the map. Glad you took warp feature out too, that was just completley stupid, especially for the AI.

I'll write a full review of the mod after Christmas when I have more time and I have a new graphics card to appreciate Optec's talents in their full glory (who knows, maybe I'll be reviewing beta 3 ) But I give both thumbs up to this, and will a single player element, this should have been Armada 2 hands down. As I said before, it just shows what the engine is capable of.

posted on December 19th, 2003, 10:01 pm

"I dont do impressions, my degree is in psychiatry"

Yeah i agree, really. From when i first saw FleetOps, it looked (and still looks/is) the most professional mod out there. It totally redoes the system, making things like the asteroid fields a LOT better, and in general every detail has been done to beyond its original potential. I can only hope that i can make Cold Front 2 even slightly comparable to it.

PS: Cardassians will be in it, under the Dominion. (i think so, leastways)

[DOCa Cola]

posted on December 19th, 2003, 10:19 pm

Last edited by DOCa Cola on December 19th, 2003, 10:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

thanks for your review, we are always happy to get feedback, cause you are the ones who play it and have to help to design it

Yep the Noxter are a very sensitive matter i was undecided a long time if i should include them or not. In Beta3 there will be massive changes to the Noxter, fixing some bugs and redoing their system.
The Cardassians will be a Non-Player race in the final release. The Dominion will be a playable race. Perhaps the Cardassians will make it on the player list with a expansion pack (don't see this as a confirmation that there will be one )

I'm looking forward to your detailed review!