Tom's Comments: Mark and I just
got copies of the new Battle Isle game from Blue Byte. We're
going to try an internet multiplayer game against each other
before we even try the single player game. That way, the
loser can blame the learning curve. "I haven't figured
out how to make my units fire yet," is always a good
excuse for losing a game.
To boldly go where I can't get in
In order to get the drop on Mark, I figure
I'll poke around at the game first. When I install it, I'm
asked to also install some sort of Java routine that "isn't
supported by standard browsers today". That's strike one.
Strike two is the absence of direct internet connections
for multiplayer games: we have to go through Blue Byte's
servers.
I log in. I don't have a profile. I make a
profile. This involves submitting my email address so my
PIN number can be sent to me. The email shows up with a
link for me to click on to activate my profile. I click
on the link. The link dumps me at Blue Byte's main page.
I go back to the separate browser window Battle Isle had
already opened and I click on "Activate Profile". I get
the following Windows error message:
"Bitte gebe Deine personliche Identifikationsnummer
ein."
It's like being asked for my papers by an
SS officer. I get all sweaty and nervous. I move into an
attic in Amsterdam with another family for two years and
keep a diary. After that ordeal, I come back and realize
there's a place for my PIN number in the browser window.
My 36-digit PIN number. I'm only now getting around to getting
an ICQ account and that number is only 8-digits. Those Blue
Byte servers must be hopping.
Now I have to register the game itself, which
consists of entering the serial number. The 24-digit serial
number. Which I don't have. That's strike three. So much
for Mark and I trying an internet multiplayer game of Battle
Isle.
Since then, I've spent a little time with
the single player game. It strikes me as a little sleepy.
There's a wide variety of unit types, but they don't seem
to have much flavor. The game is strictly turn-based, but
it tries to give the action a real-time flavor by limiting
the amount of time you can spend taking your turn. I can
understand this being an important feature to keep multiplayer
games moving, but it's entirely pointless in the single
player game. They might as well make you type in a password
before you take your turn.
Speaking of entirely pointless, I'm going
to put on my gamecop hat and write Andosia War a ticket
for Unnecessary Use of 3D. As far as I can tell, this is
yet another game that would have probably run smoother and
played easier in 2D. Furthermore, the 3D engine really isn't
that attractive. There is a nifty cinematic mode in which
the camera swoops from the attacking unit to its target
so you can see the results of every shot (Blue Byte's Incubation
did something similar). This not only helps situational
awareness, but it can be pretty spectacular. However, I'd
gladly trade this slab of eye candy for an easier-to-control
camera.
But an Early Hours article on a strategy game
like Andosia War really isn't a reliable indicator. Whether
it's a good game comes down to issues like unit balance,
AI, and campaign structure, things that can only be addressed
after spending a good deal of time playing. But the most
damning thing about Andosia War is that I'm not really eager
to spend more time with it. And when a turn-based game junkie
like myself doesn't get hooked after an hour or so, the
war is already lost.
Publisher: Blue Byte
Developer: Blue Byte
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Requirements: P300, 64MB RAM, 3D accelerator
Expected street date: early December
December 5, 2000
