Planetarion Forums

Dookie Velvet · 16 Mar 2003, 15:42

... when PA first announced they were going to introduce races to the game? I know a lot of people were cynical and one person described it as "the last gasp by a dying company to inject some life into an increasingly dull game".

How do you feel about it now?
It couldn't stop the inevitable, that being the closure of Fifth Season, but do you think that the different races have indeed made for a more enjoyable game?

Scouse · 16 Mar 2003, 15:49

Races being introduced into PA was the best thing they ever did.

wakey · 16 Mar 2003, 16:56

Wouldnt go that far scouse.....It added a bit of variety for certain but I dont think its been used to its full potential yet, but hopefully this will change with r10

Scouse · 16 Mar 2003, 17:13

Quote:

Originally posted by wakey
Wouldnt go that far scouse.....It added a bit of variety for certain but I dont think its been used to its full potential yet, but hopefully this will change with r10

What was better, in your opinion? I agree that it hasn't reached it's full potential yet, as well.

Bas · 16 Mar 2003, 17:15

imo it was a very good change

finally being able to develop a fleet that r0x in freezing, not some half-freeze half-kill fleet

Dante Hicks · 16 Mar 2003, 17:28

I think most people supported it, but were worried they wouldn't get balance issues sorted.

I think it's been a positive development, as it's made the game more skilfull (especially combined with the limited targeting).

I would however worry that it might be slightly newbie unfriendly if R10 does get a sudden burst of players.

Zitos · 16 Mar 2003, 19:22

First now i got thegrip off playing with the races.. It just gest to uch maths for me.. But, then im standing over a realy realy nice round with playing.. I got to agree that the races indeed is a very good thing..

But when you think of it, its been races all the time since round two and three (as far back i can remember) though, maybe even during "the beginning," for those of you taken that one.. Where you in round three and four had to chose betwean battleship (dreadnought) or tarentula (spectre) future in to the round.. Round five this was taken a step futhure, where you after the spider and interceptor had to chose betwean going war or going science.. Round six the step had bean taken all the way out.. And we where now looking at the four races..

Its just envolved in to this.. Dont say its some thing happening over the night.. Personaly, I think it has allways been a part of the plan.. And as Bas said.. Its nice now, to have the ability to have a fleet that suits you perfect..

And if we look at the ships, there are realy nothing new to them.. Ok, there is more of them - but nothing new to them.. Terran is a spring off of the clasical 'war' serie.. Catchaar has the Emp technology, known from the 'sience' ships.. Same with Xandathrii, just they got the cloakced ships.. The Zikonians is building on the same tech's, used by the stealing ships back in the first two rounds..

So dont come and say that the races is some thing new.. And who knows, maybe the 'race' thingy will be envelved even future in to round ten?

:-D
loads of rubbish, loads of spell errors - but thats just me in a nutshell..
- the zitoz

Tactitus · 16 Mar 2003, 20:45

Races were kind of a logical extension from the exclusive tech tree branches that preceded them (tech trees in rounds 2 through 5, races in rounds 6 through 9). In some ways, they simplified the game balance issues as it was easier to balance the races instead of the tech trees or even all the individual ships. In another way, they were probably a big distraction, as considerable effort was spent on the races while more fundamental game issues never really got addressed.

Chax · 17 Mar 2003, 01:30

I find them too diversified while at the same time too similar.

I mean what is really the point of having so many ships that are really the same?
a harpy and a cutlass?
a gryphon and a brig and an andvordian bomber (and pre r8 defender)
a manowar and a guardian
a cutter and a centaur
and so on...

Would have been much easier to keep trac of the ships if they limited the sheer amount of them a bit and then gave the races something special as an addon to a common base.