Things you wish they kept from SE3

[DirectorTsaarx]

Don't misunderstand me; I miss some of the SE3 features, but SE4 is a great leap forward in terms of tech advances (especially the new stellar manipulation stuff & sensor types). Not to mention extra replayability due to the inclusion of racial techs, different quadrant types, the "finite resources" option, and the option to have warp points placed anywhere in a system (I LOVE this option!). Not to mention better fighters and troops (though mines could stand some more interesting options, and ground combat could use a bit more detail - or at least an explanation of the factors involved); and I like the idea of satellites, though I don't use them very often.

[Nyx]

quote:

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I think visual glitz is the biggest threat to game play going.

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I agree 100%. I think the single worst thing that ever happened to video games was the invention of powerful computers. Back in the '80s game designers had to scrimp and save every bit of computing power they could. Games had to emphasize gameplay over glitz because there was really no other option. Then moore's law started giving us kick a$$ computers and games went all to hell. 99% of the games that come down the pipeline these days are complete garbage with pretty interfaces and graphics. Like Star Trek New Worlds. That game blew steaming chunks of dog feces. But it looked pretty. It didn't sell because it didn't deserve to have ever been made. Meanwhile, ugly games with huge gameplay values sell millions of copies forever. Look at Civ, over 4 million copies sold. StarCraft only just came off the top 10 best selling lists a few months back. Ugly games that are a lot of fun to play. Every dollar spent on graphics is a dollar not spent making the game fun. And the fancy 3D graphics and cutscenes that look like garbage compared to full-motion video cost 10-30 times more.

Ok, I'll stop foaming at the mouth here. It's a sore spot with me. Companies like Hasbro and Infogrames take great games and release sequels that are worse but with "modern 3D graphics" and the new game sucks and no one wants to play any more. Like the third X-Com compared to the first. What a bloody waste of a great game.

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Compete in the Space Empires IV World Championship at www.twingalaxies.com.

[dmm]

X-Com! Simple and addictive! And it was great for breaks -- 15 minutes of adrenalin-pumping excitement.