how does it match upto expectation?

[wodin]

I know its very early but who feels the game has lived upto their expectation and who doesn't?

Only asking because I think an awfull lot of expectation was put on this release....considering its been made by an indy developer and is not a big budget game with unlimited resources....I really thought people where expecting to much from it and even though it ended up being very good game it would be picked apart because of the high hopes for it.

So is happy and who isn't?

[Erik Rutins]

Check out these threads too:

tm.asp?m=2414622

tm.asp?m=2415015

tm.asp?m=2413868

tm.asp?m=2414764

tm.asp?m=2414770

[wodin]

Ive been reading all the threads...so far Im very impressed.....just liked to have a thread where people either give a thumbs up or down or unsure as of yet.....so to get a quick overview of how the game has gone down...

[lordxorn]

I will openly say that this game is more enjoyable than Armada. However that is being unfair becuase Distant Worlds is truly a unique 4x that has not been seen anywhere else. It is very well done above and beyond anything indie. This game is the real deal ad the only thing that can maybe be called Indy are some of the production values. The recent artwork updates are very very good.

Bottom line if you like 4x games you can't afford to pass this title up.

[Webbco]

I think the pros far outweigh the cons, no doubt. It's fulfilled my expectations but you know what it's like...when you get a few niggly issues they NEED to be sorted asap!!

[mbar]

It has exceeded my expectations. I'm still finding things in game that make me say to my self "well done." Is Codeforce a small budget developer? You wouldn't know it by playing THIS game. As a gamer you can setup a game and edit it to your hearts content. That's just IN the game. I'm not a modder but I bet it's as easy to mod too. My point is this is a meaty game and it has been given a LOT of love up front.
 
What has disappointed me? Not much. One thing is the 2D sprites of ships and space stations are "fuzzy" looking to me. I thought they would be sharper. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe there is a trade off I'm not aware of.

[ASHBERY76]

I think it is the best and most innovative 4X game for a long,long time.The steep learning curve understanding the gameplay and getting used to control system takes an evenings play,but when you figure out the basics the game is awesome,epic,immersive experience.I am amazed that a indie developer managed to to make this game work with all its systems.

This is not a CIV clone is space.

[Webbco]

I know! Elliot, how did you do this? It's massive. I would have expected a huge big budget team to be able to accomplish something like this. In a way, I hope this game is recognised in the more commercial mainstream market. It has the potential to kick ass there. Unfortunately the demand for top-of-the-line 3D effects might prevent this, but for a 2D game I'm uber impressed at the visual work gone into it, let alone all the gameplay and sound elements. Well done Matrix and Codeforce, a great success!

[incbob]

I have played the game for maybe 2 hours.

It amazes me that a small time developer can create such an awesome game while some larger, more well known companies, come up with.....well...lets just say games that are not worth it.

I know there are many eye candy lovers that will not like the 2d, but I would much rather have 2d and great game play than 3d and lousy game play

DW succeeds.

[wodin]

Well I'm very pleased indeed. Matrix having a hit game that appeals to a big audience is superb news. I know alot of 4x games have become classics and the concept has many devotees. I suggest all you new Matrix game members to go out and spread the word. Im sure some of you had never heard of Matrix games until now due to there on the whole specialised games. If DW becomes a big worldwide success then I couldn't be happier. I hope that this is the game that might expose non wargamers to have a browse of the other games here and if they go and try the Bulge game that Panther are about to release then that would be fantastic. The reason I mention Panther Games out of all the other wargames is because its revolutionary, hads loads of depth, very immersive, easy to learn the game system, lots of detail and very realistic. If any of their last two releases had been the first PC wargame I'd ever tried then I'd be a covert to genre.

So getting back to DW. When I have some money in the bank I'm going to buy. I've tried 4x games before, the last one was Gal Civ 2. Just couldn't get into it. Never thought I'd buy another. Until now.

So if I can go and try DW my thinking is others may try the new Bulge game when it comes out.

LINK TO BULGE GAME FORUM

[lordxorn]

ORIGINAL: incbob

I have played the game for maybe 2 hours.

It amazes me that a small time developer can create such an awesome game while some larger, more well known companies, come up with.....well...lets just say games that are not worth it.

I know there are many eye candy lovers that will not like the 2d, but I would much rather have 2d and great game play than 3d and lousy game play

DW succeeds.

You make a very good point and one I fully agree with as far as what Codeforce has been able to accomplish. I think we can all agree that we all hope Codeforce huge financial success because this is what this genre needs, and I would love to see what Elliot and CO. can do with a sequel.

However, I have to disagree with you as far the 3d 2d argument. You have to look at Distant Worlds and the market it is being targeted at, which is a niche market now days known as 4x. I believe Distant Worlds will grow to be a huge hit given enough time, word of mouth, etc to build up the sales. Because the 4x market plays these types of games for the depth of game material. Someone who loves to play games like Halo, COD, and enjoy those types of games only will never play Distant Worlds. However, I firmly believe that any gamer who likes to play RTS or Turn Based will check out Distant Worlds.

Of course you have games like Command and Conquer 4 with all the eye candy, but that games lacks soul and lost the feel of CnC. So to sum up my point, 3d eye candy is not everything. I mean no offense Elliot, but the intro video was not that good, but did that have any bearing on the game quality? Not in the slightest chance because now that I have seen it, I skip it everytime. (The only exception for me are the Warhammer RTS games that had killer intro movies =P)

[RonLugge]

My opinion on this game?  I'll let you know once I stop being completely overwhelmed by all the stuff going on!

[Rosseau]

Good idea on this thread, Wodin.

Actually, I had no expectations. I only knew this game was coming and hoping it was not a clone of Armada, which wouldn't have made much sense.

Well, it's not a clone of anything I ever played. So people can buy Armada and DW and maybe have other 4X games and be happy with all of them. In the first several hours of play, DW appears to have broken the mold, and that's a very good thing. I agree with the other positive comments about this game in the forums.

I also didn't get a lot of sleep last night.

[Wade1000]

ORIGINAL: ASHBERY76

I think it is the best and most innovative 4X game for a long,long time.The steep learning curve understanding the gameplay and getting used to control system takes an evenings play,but when you figure out the basics the game is awesome,epic,immersive experience.I am amazed that a indie developer managed to to make this game work with all its systems.

This is not a CIV clone is space.

From Ashbery76, that's saying ALOT. If you've read many of his posts here and at other game forums that include judemental posts that often point out potential negative aspects of a game, even here before release, then you know his praise of Distant Worlds is not generic.

[Sarissofoi]

This game suck.
I mean this game can suck you in but also suck in negative sense. It is heavy on interfeys and some things dont work. (Like refting ships) as should work. Game isnt bad but can be much better.

[Erik Rutins]

In what way does refitting ships not work, Sarissofoi?

[wodin]

ORIGINAL: Sarissofoi

This game suck.
I mean this game can suck you in but also suck in negative sense. It is heavy on interfeys and some things dont work. (Like refting ships) as should work. Game isnt bad but can be much better.

Not sure what you mean interfeys? Also thats real harsh judgement compared to all the other posts here...will be interesting to see if anyone else feels the same....however as your post has no constructive criticism or any real reason why you think it SUCKS I will take it with a pinch of salt ( meaning: I will ignore your opinion)

PS...Judging by your AAR maybe your just not very good at this type of game? Get some more practice and you might start to get the hang of it and enjoy it....who knows?

[wpurdom]

Go easy on the guy. You said you were after a thumbs up, thumbs down thread so he gave you a reply consistent with what you asked for. You certainly did not ask that replies be limited to specifications of constructive criticism.

I say this as someone who hasn't touched the game but is interested.

I assume interfeys is interface.

P>S> Erik as always gave the appropriate response. We can always count on Erik for the constructive approach to criticism.

[Citriz]

This game was not even on my radar until about a month ago.  I have been hyping it up to myself, and building up expectations.

After playing for about 7 hours since I purchased it yesterday, all I can say is WOW. [&o] It is rare to find a game that exceeds expectations in nearly every aspect.  The depth is amazing, I cant even imagine turning automation off in more than one or two areas. 

I can only come up with two cons for the game.  The first is the zoom scrolling, its a bit choppy, although that could just be my machine as im playing on a laptop. The second is the graphics for the ships and bases, they dont seem to be detailed enough, and appear a little fuzzy ... maybe the resolution is wrong of somthing. Other than that, I am having a blast and the game is great. Have yet to experience a crash, and the only bug ... if it even is one seems to be when a fleet is destroyed ... the fleet icon on the map still stays there... not sure how to remove it.

I was a bit concerned about the real time aspect of it, but I could not have been more unjustified. The real time is great, it isnt to fast, and if it ever is, you can slow it down to a crawl, or pause it and still execute most of the commands in the game. This is one of those games that you start playing, and it feels alive.  This morning, I was being harrassed at two of my mining bases almost non-stop by pirates, I eventually paid one of them to attack a rival and sent most of my available fleet to the second pirate factions base to eliminate them.  Unfortunately I overlooked that my fleet was running low on fuel and they came to a near halt only halfway to the pirate base.  Now I had yet another problem on my plate, not only was my attack halted, but the majority of my fleet was stuck in the middle of nowhere, and the pirates were still hitting me.  Two of my mining bases eventually went down, and I thought the game was a wrap as my economy was starting to take a dive and the pirates were getting bolder.  Just as an attack on one of my colonies was about to start ... a new race I had not encountered came out of nowhere and started finishing the pirate base off, this took the attention of the pirates off of my empire, allowed me to get my fleet back underway, and eventually lead to a new ally in the area.

I honestly cant wait for further development, and the fact that modding is made so easy makes me think this game will be around for quite a while. [:)]

[wodin]

ORIGINAL: wpurdom

Go easy on the guy. You said you were after a thumbs up, thumbs down thread so he gave you a reply consistent with what you asked for. You certainly did not ask that replies be limited to specifications of constructive criticism.

I say this as someone who hasn't touched the game but is interested.

I assume interfeys is interface.

true very true....sorry.....I hold my hands up....just thought SUCKS was a harsh word...like I said if more people say the same thing fair enough...

Again sorry....twice this week Ive been abit touchy and it really isnt like me...under alotof stress