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Kalia
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
Posts: 30
Location: Arizona |
| Hammer & Sickle Review @ Tacticular Cancer |
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Tacticular Cancer is the latest site to review the recently released game, Hammer & Sickle. Breaking with the predominantly lukewarm reviews of other sites, the reviewer had this to say: <blockquote><em>I think by now you know the gist of the game and how I feel about it. Asinine CGW editors be damned, this is a great game. If you have even the slightest interest in turn-based combat or roleplaying, this is a worthy purchase. The SS combat engine is second to none and the abundance of options for your character to pursue is mind-boggling. Now, if only the damned thing would sell…</em></blockquote> Read the rest at <a href="http://www.tacticularcancer.com/content.php?id=5" target="_blank">Tacticular Cancer</a>. |
Sat Feb 25, 2006 6:49 am |
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Acleacius
King of the Realms
Joined: 24 Dec 2002
Posts: 453
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I am not really fond of the site name but wait till you get a load of this line.
"Perhaps not a commercial one, but definitely a critical darling that gamers would speak of amongst the lines of Fallout and Planescape."
(edited)
I actually like the game, had many good elements but many bad, the idea of comparing it with Fallout and PT, is just plain (edited) not correct.
He is (edited) wrong about the idea."If you have the slightest intrest in TB or RP you should pick this up."
This game is (edited) hard and really not completed, maybe due to first time Devs, this is not for anyone but HCfans.
Worst part they should have had a patch by now, but nothing and they use the STARFORCE copy protection very dangerous stuff.
Edited out, since my main intrest is the game, my reactions may have seemed to strong to oversites by the author.
2 emotes, 3 instances of "very", the single use of "ignorant" intended use was defenition (lack of knowledge) but can be taken by some to be an attack if they do not know the defenition and OMG.
Last edited by Acleacius on Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:11 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Sat Feb 25, 2006 6:50 am |
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NakedLunch
Guest
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Listen, turkey, I felt that it deserved comparison with Fallout and Planescape because of it's "dark horse" nature. Also, the game shares many elements with these games in terms of non-linear plot progression and the effect of stats in situations. I'd go as far to even say it was more non-linear than Fallout and it definitely had more outcomes and consequences. Planescape Torment is actually kind of linear, a much better adventure game than an RPG, but the use of stats (especially intelligence and wisdom) in dialogue and the gameworld was fantastic, as it was in Hammer and Sickle.
I didn't find that game that hard, maybe I'm just badass like that. You did know there was a customizable difficulty screen, right? If you fiddled with the options enough, bad guys would just roll over dead at the sight of you.
If you mean difficulty in game direction, well, yeah, that's part of the game. You can't expect to be getting up-to-date objective and mission info when 1) The thought of the internet is merely a spark in Al Gore's mother's eye, 2)You're behind enemy lines, and finally, YOUR BASE WAS BLOWN UP. You're trapped there and you gotta make do, that's what the game is all about.
I felt the game was very completed, a bit on the short side, but definitely chock-full of stuff to do.
I didn't have to deal with StarForce as I used a No-CD patch (my CD drive is crap, so I just run games of my HDD for better performance) so ehh.
To each his/her own, I guess. |
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Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:25 pm |
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Acleacius
King of the Realms
Joined: 24 Dec 2002
Posts: 453
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Think you have good skills keep, up the reviews (no sarcasm) but try to give a little more netural review.
Btw, I hope you asked BlunterII if you could use his flowchart and you mention Nival and never mention Novak.
Possible sarcasm below.
"I felt that it deserved comparison with Fallout and Planescape because of it's "dark horse" nature."
You have that right but of course that doesn’t make you correct. 
These games milestones in RPG gaming, classics in a generation of games and gamers.
"say it was more non-linear than Fallout......."
What fail or prevent?
Thats more non linear than Fallout, are you trying to be funny or something?
"Planescape Torment is actually kind of linear......"
Look stats work great in PT, but having 1 maybe 2 Intel checks and 1 Dex check in a game is not comparable to PT.
"maybe I'm just badass like that"
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, bro.
Tell you what since your such a badass, why don’t you post some screens of you completing it at 4.95 for us all to see?
Then we will see and know your a badass.
"You can't expect to be getting up-to-date objective and mission info......"
Umm, what does that have to do with mission updates in the game journal, you make decisions without Headquarters all the time.
Yeah your right of course how could anyone be expected to know the Devs intention for game play when they don’t let the player know.
Well as you mentioned I guess all the other 44 reviews, got it wrong.
http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/927829.asp
Like PCGamer who said something like, "Give us realism but don’t beat us of the head with it." are just clueless hacks.
Sarcasm off
I like this game, BUT:
It is clearly not completed or while many aspect really shine others are poor design, I choose rushed out.
I was drawn to it by the RPG factors and I enjoyed much of it, this game and style Novak has created has very much potential.
I hope he chooses to use if wisely.
If the Dev and Pub cared about sales, a patch much sooner than the Beta, Novak just posted would have done wonders addressing Difficulty.
The fact that the universal complaint is that the Difficulty settings, and they are very misleading, all they had to do was move the default setting to Easy (which is actually Normal, there is no Easy setting, actually) they could get re-reviews from most if not all the sites and mags.
The reviews were correct only hardcore need apply at this point in time.
I am not saying that can't change, just are correct.
I think that is a good idea, about the No-Cd, much safer if I had done that I probably would not have lost my C partition completely and game partition for 2 weeks (I recovered it) due to a conflict with Norton AV 10, thanks for a future tip on starforce games.
I understand you want this game to do better, so do I but until the Dev realises you can't force games on players and learn to compromise for the better of fans and the games.
He can still have uber difficulty but if he wants more sales, more love for his work then he needs to make it more accessable.
Would you mind trying to use the delete key if you get double post, please?
Thanks. |
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Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:43 pm |
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Roqua
High Emperor
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump |
The game wasn't that difficult. You just couldn't go at it like it is Diablo. Is the mainstream that slow when a real normal difficulty game gets released it gets slammed? Why didn't the Kotors get slammed for being too easy even on difficult setting? Unless you like only easy, in that case by the million mainstream games that get released, and leave the good games to the big boys that can do complex things like plan, think ahead, and use strategy.
Retarded_Cow_Lady is barely able to function and he had no problem with the game, and he also somehow is bright enough to see that it has more roleplaying than 99.9% of all games out to date.
This game was reviewed so badly by the mainstream sites because the mainstream sites or media, like your fancy coveted pcgamer, is for retards and freshmen. They wouldn’t know what a real rpg was even if they passed one like a kidney stone. They want flash, pomp, hype, and easy. They want console games. I want real pc games, like Hammer and Sickle and a real FO 3. I would love to see a PS:T 2 with the SS engine, because the combat in PS:T was very, very, very sub par, boring and repetitive. No strategy or thinking at all. Just mindless clicking and waiting. If that’s your idea of fun, have a ball, but don’t pick on one of the few reviews that understands the genius of Hammer & Sickle.
I don’t think H & S needs a patch, I played it a lot and I don’t remember any bugs. I don’t think H & S is the perfect game for me, as I keep saving and reloading to try new things. If anything it has to many choices, with repercussions that are big. And the choices can be very ambiguous. I have a hard time getting through games like that, but that’s more of my problem than any problem with the game at all. That is what roleplaying is about. That’s why FO 2 is still hyped after all these years. I had the same problem with that game.
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Vegitarian is the Indian word for lousey hunter. |
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Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:42 pm |
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Naked-Lunch
Guest
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quote:
Look stats work great in PT, but having 1 maybe 2 Intel checks and 1 Dex check in a game is not comparable to PT.
Er, did you even play the game more than once? They had that many stat checks on one person in Zeizenburg. Hell, almost every dialouge had a stat check and your stealth sucess was based on a dexterity check. Tsk, tsk, do your research next time.
quote:
What fail or prevent?
Thats more non linear than Fallout, are you trying to be funny or something?
Well, it's quite obvious you didn't play Fallout. Fallout was incredibly non-linear in the manner of how you could go about and do things. You could destroy the mutants before getting the waterchip, ffs. The game had so many paths for you to go through it was possible to beat it in under an hour or so, even if you haven't beaten it before. That's non-linear, that's what Hammer and Sickle is.
quote:
Yeah your right of course how could anyone be expected to know the Devs intention for game play when they don’t let the player know.
That would be annoying in the linear games you seem to enjoy, having only one path going through them. H&S is not built on the path the devs lay out for you, but rather the one you choose to take. It's probably the closest experience to PnP I've had on a computer. Yeah, it requires a bit of thought OH NOES, who wants to do that nowadays?
quote:
Like PCGamer who said something like, "Give us realism but don’t beat us of the head with it." are just clueless hacks.
PCGamer also gave Guild Wars it's RPG of the year. Your point?
About the difficulty, maybe if most of the editors at the magazines COULD FUCKEN READ they'd realize there's customizable difficulty. Just for fun I fiddled around with the difficulty, turning enemy APs all the way down adn my criticals all the way up and so on and so forth and wow, the game was easy as hell. I was dealing up to 240 damage with a single rifle shot. So if you want to shy away from growing some balls and dealing with the difficulty, there you go. |
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Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:11 pm |
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Acleacius
King of the Realms
Joined: 24 Dec 2002
Posts: 453
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Roqua
Well I don't really follow about this is the first review that understands the genius of H & S, many reviews have mentioned the positive elements of H & S.
Unless the genius you speak of is something that the me/we/the rest of us (?) have missed.
I have completed the game several times and been posting on the offical forums for more than 2 months, helping out trying to ease people thru the game.
I still go to help out about everyday, due to the time differnece many of the Mods are sleeping when people from US timezone are stuck.
Heck the reason I even knew about this game was your RPG of 2005 recomedation.
I clearly see this as being realistic the game wont breakout if it doesnt not address real issues.
If you enjoy it yourself, why are you trying to stop potiental of thousands of fans being able to enjoy it too, by having a patch?
If they made a patch to make a more realistic representation of the DIfficulty system, instead of elemenating the Easy difficulty and calling Normal difficulty the Easy diffiuclty, how the hell does that take away from your game enjoyment? 
I have never met anyone that said PT had great combat.
Naked-Lunch
Actally Stealth was more based on my Hiding skil than my Dex, if I recall.
Fail or Prevent was referencing H & S endings in refeerence your more outcomes.
Seems clear to me I thought Fallout was/is more non linear, than H & S.
H & S clearly limits you ability to go anywhere anytime.
That is just crazy, H & S had 2 major desicions, take or dont take Konrad's quest and take or dont take Sigfred.
Then the only other major factor is how many Allied troops you kill which is tracked by the game, whether Sanders is with your or not.
First place I am not the one claiming to be a badass and talking about showing off his balls, no wonder we are having this conversation.
You clearly are not intreted in helping the game, your more intreted in some pissing contest, which I am to busy for, thanks thou.
As I mentioned which obviously you can not do it show us how badass you are by showing us your ending screens of 4.95 diffiuclty, till then try to keep in yoru pants and stick to the subject, ok.
Editing
Doing an edit like this since it seems to be real time.
There is 1 Dex check and 1 Intel check, if I recall, but I gave myself a buffer.
You certianly dont seem to know this comparing a skill check to a Attrib check.
Here is a hint, Dex is related to a prisoner and Intel to Watersupply.
Btw
Would you please consider changing your name to something more progressive or innovative?
I will even offer you a much bettter suggestion, Tacticular Vision, enjoy.
Did you realise there is a new patch? |
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Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:24 pm |
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bjon045
Fearless Paladin
Joined: 02 Jun 2003
Posts: 234
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Acleacius> Can I just make one suggestion, try and make more consistent use of paragraphs and the carriage return/line break.
Personally I thought the game was quite good but I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as Jagged Alliance 2. |
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Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:50 am |
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Roqua
High Emperor
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump |
quote:
Originally posted by Acleacius
Roqua
Well I don't really follow about this is the first review that understands the genius of H & S, many reviews have mentioned the positive elements of H & S.
Unless the genius you speak of is something that the me/we/the rest of us (?) have missed.
I have completed the game several times and been posting on the offical forums for more than 2 months, helping out trying to ease people thru the game.
I still go to help out about everyday, due to the time differnece many of the Mods are sleeping when people from US timezone are stuck.
Heck the reason I even knew about this game was your RPG of 2005 recomedation.
I clearly see this as being realistic the game wont breakout if it doesnt not address real issues.
If you enjoy it yourself, why are you trying to stop potiental of thousands of fans being able to enjoy it too, by having a patch?
If they made a patch to make a more realistic representation of the DIfficulty system, instead of elemenating the Easy difficulty and calling Normal difficulty the Easy diffiuclty, how the hell does that take away from your game enjoyment?
I have never met anyone that said PT had great combat.
I don’t think this review is the first to see the genius; a couple of others did, but none of the big sites that I know of.
I want thousands of other gamers to be able to figure out simple settings. I 100% believe that normal mode is normal difficulty. I think the highest difficulty was too easy, as with SS (but yes, harder than SS, and SS had its own problems, like forcing you to use modded difficulty to not lvl to quick on a certain side’s mode).
I know saying the major sites or gaming media are retarded and freshmen seems mean, but I’m prejudice. I don’t like them, or the gaming majority. What can I say? I’m a gaming bigot.
I disagree that a patch would get any new buyers. Only TB fans would be interested in this game, and I’m pretty sure they already got it or plan on getting it despite of the reviews. The gaming majority will take a look at the graphics and say, “Like, OH MY GOD! This is like the gayest game ever! Turn based combat? How like barbaric or something!” The major site’s reviews were written by people that have no idea what this game is about, the difficulty level was only one of the ridiculous knocks against it they made.
But I understand what you are saying, I just really, really disagree. I’m glad I turned you on to it, since even if you don’t think it is great, you have to think its pretty good to finish it multiple times. I haven’t even finished it once.
Besides difficulty, what do you think a patch should change?
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Vegitarian is the Indian word for lousey hunter. |
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Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:42 pm |
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Acleacius
King of the Realms
Joined: 24 Dec 2002
Posts: 453
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I edited my first post, yesterday since my reaction could have been seen as too strong.
bjon045
I'll try but I am no grammer or compostion expert
Well not sure there is anything else that is important other than what Novik is fixing, except maybe the Journal update at the WaterScoop which is very spoty about the objectiives, which can break the MQ objective.
Wanted review sties to take another look at it, I persoanlly think it is what it keeping most people away, most are overwhelmed by the settings, which can not be changed in game.
Hey maybe that would be a good change, instead of forcing players to restart their game, once they realise about the settings, which is kinda cruel
Most inportant is too make the game accessable without taking away the Hard Core aspects.
Thou, if all the mags and sites say 60% instead of the 80%+ the game could be getting with a little attention form the Devs, certianly makes a difference how the public precieves the game, right or wrong.
It certainly makes them not as good of players as you guys, at the very least less experienced. |
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Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:38 am |
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Roqua
High Emperor
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump |
I just grew up in a different age of gaming. When I got a game I new I was going to have to spend time just figuring out how to get it to run, making boot disks, etc.
I still disagree. The reviews wouldn’t get better if people could change the settings after they started the game. People fundamentally do not like a game as open and ambiguous as H&S, that have strategic combat that isn’t none stop button pushing fast action. People have no attention span. People that love fancy graphics, hot action, and easy. And the big sites are filled with those people, and review games for those people, with those people in mind.
Even if they make H&S as easy as kotor, it will never have the direction or graphics that today’s gamers need to function.
If the reviews were better, it might end up with some people angry at the BS reviews that made them want to get a savage, slow, stupid, gay, TB game with craptastic graphics. Everyone that actually likes good games and can enjoy good games already got or plan to get H&S. That number is small, and patches aren’t going to make people have good taste.
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Vegitarian is the Indian word for lousey hunter. |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:04 am |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
I have one question, Roqua. I haven't played H&S (I hate the WWII setting, so SS is enough for me). Not having played, I'm not suggesting you are wrong...but I'm curious why -- if the problem with H&S reviews is the reviewers themselves and not the game -- Silent Storm was generally received well and got some pretty good scores? Aren't many of the issues the same?
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Editor @ RPGDot |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:19 am |
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Roqua
High Emperor
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump |
I was hoping my comments would lure someone in with a little passion so we could have a good debate but, I guess since everyone is going to be all civil…
This was my big point, H&S improved on SS in every way. Even way past S3 (Silent Storm Sentinels), why would it get reviewed far worse? It took the great SS combat engine, and wrapped it in a great, open rpg. A real rpg in almost every sense. Things you don’t do sometimes impact the game more than the things you do.
Yes, it took some of the same hits, like being difficult (both were too easy if anything) and the enemy and others turn takes too long, etc. Well guess what? In TB games the enemy takes a tunr, then the others do. If you can’t wait a second while they take their turn, neither game is for you. It isn’t a bad thing. Enemies and others took turns in JA and x-com and all the old classics. If gamers are getting so impatient that other people going drives them nuts, then Tacitus Online is destined to fail, and the x-com remake will be pure crap.
Did you read some of the reviews? One of them listed a bug of enemies being invisible. No. It isn’t a bug. When you can’t see them, but can hear them, they are invisible on purpose.
Just read some of the reviews. Even if you never played H&S or SS, but have played TB games in the past, it is blatantly obvious the reviewers had no idea of what they are talking about.
Their reviews of H&S are as valid as a review of Unreal Tournament by me would be. I do not like UT games, I do not understand them, and I would unfairly judge them not on their merits of how they are supposed to be, but on the merits I believe good games to be (which aren’t UT type games). I would slam it in my selfish ignorance. My review would be 100% invalid and would not be conidered a real review in a sane world.
Dhruin, even if you do not like the WW2 setting (a setting I cannot stand either), you will like this rpg. I guarantee it. If you get it and actually give it a good try and do not like it, I will send you my wife (or maybe I should send her as a punishment for you not getting it?). Either way, looks like you’re stuck with her.
Yes, the voice acting wasn’t the greatest, but neither was divdivs. Yes, the world is big and open, but so was divdivs, fallout’s and other games I know you liked.
Play it and tell me if I ain’t right about the reviews.
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Vegitarian is the Indian word for lousey hunter. |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:12 am |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
Yeah, I read most of the reviews I posted. And yes, some of them were unbelievable - reviewers confused the action stopped and who sat there waiting half an hour for something to happen ("game's broken - they won't move!!"). But I did read reviews from people who claimed to like S2 and who hated H&S - that seemed to lend credence to H&S having problems.
Anyway, I admit I didn't realise it was such an open gameworld - I assumed it was a map & mission based strat game more than an RPG. It isn't out here, so I 've ordered it from the UK. Oh -- keep your wife -- I can only just keep up with one.  Thanks for the recommendation.
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Editor @ RPGDot |
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Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:47 am |
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txa1265
Magister of the Light
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 390
Location: Marlborough, MA USA |
I am still playing through, and while I have some ways to go, I'm beginning to form a picture in my head. I like turn based games, but have never played SS. Here are some thoughts:
The Good:
- The turn-based combat system works very well, is flexible and requires planning and tactics ... unless you like constantly dying.
- I'm finishing Rebelstar Tactical Command (like X-Com on the GBA), and like H&S line of sight implementation better, as it is a bit more adaptive and flexible.
- There is a fair amount of openness and flexibility in the mission structure and how to approach the game as a whole.
- Did I mention the combat system is really good? It is the type of thing that has you coming back for more despite other stuff.
The Bad:
- While there is an opn feel to the game, you can generally see at least one edge of the world if you move off center.
- I have experienced actual invisible enemies ... once. Generally it is due to line of sight or 'floor' issues, all of which are critical to proper gameplay.
- The game seems built on the assumption that I will play it from start to finish, and therefore doesn't need to provide me many details or a way of recalling things. This is a general issue I have seen with the lower budget games recently, but I noticed it here in particular since I left the game for a couple of weeks and just got started up again after returning from a business trip, only to be lost and have little help from the Journal.
The Ugly:
- Three word Journal entries for missions. C'mon - this is an RPG! If I take on two missions at once, and can't remember who gave me one, and the game does nothing to help me out, it means that the Journal is CRAP. And it is.
- The voice acting isn't just bad, it is *really* bad ... however, I just finished Resident Evil for the DS, so I know it is possible to do much worse 
- The dialogue is awful as well. When the same few things are repeated endlessly, and they are bady written and voiced, it actually has an impact on the gamer.
- Performance is pretty lousy and inconsistent. My 'performance' system (new Dell XPS) has multiple freezes, whereas my older system (still pretty good) just has framerate and stutter problems.
Just some thoughts... and while I haven't gotten far enough to render a verdict, this is definitely not brilliant. Good, probably better than most reviewers noted - and an aquired taste. Doesn't lend itself to 'speed gaming for reviews'. But I just had a wonderful battle freeze up on me and have to reboot - second time in two days!
Mike
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