Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeker
I wouldn't be so quick to disregard the main stream press. I fully accept your point they're not the place to find out about the finer points of weapon load outs and FM modelling, but they're as good as any one, if not better, in assessing interface design, immersion and playability.
It seems like all the beta tester for this game were dedicated sim fans who were giving thumbs up for just these points in Clod, and dismissing campaign bugs and clunky interfaces as "unimportant". It's a view I'd disagree with.
It's nice to have faithful users, but it's more important to have lots of new ones, especially in a "social" distribution media such as Steam.
One of the supposed benefits of this method is that "word spreads" on what's hot and what's not.
Grendel is a committed propeller head who loves and understands this genre intimately.
As such, he's already preaching to the converted.
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You make a fair point.
Certainly, Clod is lacking in content (campaigns) and overall polish. Heck, I'm still waiting for some sort of intro.
There is still a lot that needs to be sorted out, no doubt.
I'm willing to be lenient on the game at the moment because I think the challenge of producing a game of this scope is massive, more than most would realise, especially for a tiny (by today's standards) albeit experienced development team.
I'm sure it would be far, far easier (and more profitable) to develop an arcade type 'flight sim' and slap it into the consoles...and the only reason they're not doing so is because Clod, warts and all, is a labour of love.
It has to be.
Why else would they gut it out like they have been, or even start such a herculean project to begin with?
And darn it, it's great to still have developers making games something they have a real passion for. They're an increasing rarity these days.
They're not getting a free pass from me though...I still want Clod to be about as good as it can be.
...I'm going off on a tangeant, aren't I? Sorry.
My point, if I'm actually making one at all, is that I think anyone who has an appreciation for aircraft would probably end up taking an interest in the flight sim genre and buying the game anyway. I'm not sure your average shooter fan or RPG fan would even bother with a hardcore sim.
There is a reason they're not in demand by the general gaming public.
That's one reason why an opinion on a mainstream gaming site means so much less to me. While as you say they're perfectly adept at judging overall presentation, they're wholly lacking in appreciating the sim on a deeper level, and in my eyes it's that 'deeper level' that seperates 'simulator' from 'game', and the consequent expectations and demands the end user has as a result.
I'm just not sure Clod, even if absolutely perfect, would be in demand with your average gamer who in general prefers a flat learning curve and instant gratification.
There are already a ton of games that cater to that market.