This is quite the harsh review

Discussion in 'Planetary Annihilation General Discussion' started by brianpurkiss, September 13, 2014.

  1. brianpurkiss

    brianpurkiss Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,879
    Likes Received:
    7,438
    http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2014/09/12/wont-live-happily-ever-planetary-annihilation/

    And has a lot of information wrong.

    He doesn't know about PiP. He doesn't know that you can click on a notification and go straight to the event. He thinks that spherical planets means you lose "half of everything" and gain nothing. Somehow he concludes that you can't turtle, but it's a glorified city builder at the same time?

    However, he has a lot of valid criticism. Online only, no saves, lack of tutorial, selling of commander skins (and not explaining that they're just skins), bugs, performance...

    What's everyone's thoughts?
  2. squishypon3

    squishypon3 Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,971
    Likes Received:
    4,356
    Personally I don't think it's a valid point when you're against the selling of skins.

    That's completely opinionated. :p
    shootall likes this.
  3. brianpurkiss

    brianpurkiss Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,879
    Likes Received:
    7,438
    It is a valid complaint when you don't know what the commanders do and buy one thinking you get a better commander, or don't buy one thinking it's pay to win.
    spittoon likes this.
  4. squishypon3

    squishypon3 Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,971
    Likes Received:
    4,356
    But there was no indication, at all, that there'd be differentiated stats? If it did it'd give a little stat list on mouse hover surely.
    felipec and cptconundrum like this.
  5. ncostes

    ncostes New Member

    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    6
    He mentions PiP, and tiny "Little Prince" style planets do lose you 1/2 the map and gain nothing over a flat projection of a geoid. Wrap around is great, a mercator projection would get you the same thing and let you work with the whole map at once. If the planets were actually planet-scale, you would simply zoom in like you do in google earth and the map would be flat and large in an area. That's what I expected from PA. In the end we are working with a 2D projection of the spheres anyway, it's just a very inconvenient projection.

    He's dead on with most of the review IMO.
    stormingkiwi and spittoon like this.
  6. orangerinapay

    orangerinapay Active Member

    Messages:
    102
    Likes Received:
    61
    After a glimpse of a few paragraphs, it's as if this guy NEVER asked anyone for help and based everything of past RTS learning.

    I do agree that a lack of tutorial is hurtful which probably lead him to these misinformation. Hopefully someone will clear up his misinformations through a small comment.
    spittoon likes this.
  7. brianpurkiss

    brianpurkiss Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,879
    Likes Received:
    7,438
    There is no true way to turn a sphere into a flat surface without some form of distortion. With distortion, you cannot judge a unit's range, speed, and effectiveness.

    If planets were actually planet scale, games would last a week and require a super computer to run.

    It is simply impossible to turn a sphere into a flat surface.

    Spherical gameplay is nothing short of awesome. So much better than a flat surface.
  8. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,946
    Likes Received:
    6,820
    Remember when reviewers did their research?
  9. stuart98

    stuart98 Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,009
    Likes Received:
    3,888
    Just comment on the review. Discuss OP.
    spittoon likes this.
  10. vrishnak92

    vrishnak92 Active Member

    Messages:
    365
    Likes Received:
    118
    His review is however making people shy away from the game itself, just check the comments
  11. vrishnak92

    vrishnak92 Active Member

    Messages:
    365
    Likes Received:
    118
    A lot of these "reviewers" are seriously getting out of hand with their stories
    squishypon3 likes this.
  12. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,946
    Likes Received:
    6,820
    brian just make an account and very clearly and concisely explain what he got wrong and why.
    squishypon3 likes this.
  13. squishypon3

    squishypon3 Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,971
    Likes Received:
    4,356
    Agreed, not to mention having to learn topography. I don't care what a couple players say, having to learn the topography of multiple planets on the go is a game breaker.

    Seeing blob of icons moving to yours isn't all.
    spittoon and cdrkf like this.
  14. christer1966

    christer1966 Member

    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    55
    Just posted a comment that should hopefully set this guy's review straight.
    cdrkf and squishypon3 like this.
  15. stuart98

    stuart98 Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,009
    Likes Received:
    3,888
    That response you posted is about as inaccurate as the actual review... @Christer1966
  16. christer1966

    christer1966 Member

    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    55
    I am a retard. :p
  17. qwerty3w

    qwerty3w Active Member

    Messages:
    490
    Likes Received:
    43
    I still think torus is much better than sphere for RTS gameplay, it can be projected into a flat map perfectly.

    A 1998 RTS game with torus map, notice how the minimap works:


    Combine this with multiple battlefields in games like Metal Fatigue or Dragonshard, you bascially got what Uber originally was planned to do, before they gave up that plan under the pressure of the backers.
  18. brianpurkiss

    brianpurkiss Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,879
    Likes Received:
    7,438
    "perfectly" – you use that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means...

    It distorts the map which means we can't know what what their ranges are. And when we have super small planets/asteroids, you can't convert it into a flat surface without major distortion.

    What you're seeing in that game isn't actual spherical gameplay. It's a flat square where the map moves over to one of the other edges. That's two very different things.
  19. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,946
    Likes Received:
    6,820
    This may help explain things:

    kayonsmit101 likes this.
  20. idsan

    idsan Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    51
    He could have written a less scathing review, but he has one major point that rings pretty true: There's no in-game documentation, and no easy way to access a tutorial. There are no help tips save the standard tooltips either. I have to admit, if I were a total outsider and hadn't picked up the Beta, I'd be a little confused too.

Share This Page