Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5457355" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 221: September 1995part 8/8The game wizards: Back to bigging up the CCG's in here. Quite literally, as it's time for the gods to be introduced to the Blood War. So this is another basic promotional article, listing the various new cards that are coming out in the expansion, and giving us a couple of themed sample decks. Yawn. It's over quickly, so I shall skip over it quickly as well, knowing that they'll hopefully be getting rid of this kind of dreck soon. Why is reading about this so much duller than the wargaming stuff in the early 80's? Why have their methods changed for the worse so significantly? Why does this not make me want to investigate the games further at all? I'm sure their marketing people would love to know the answer to that. Trouble is, if it's something like you can't manufacture sincere enthusiasm, and people can tell the difference, there's not a lot you can do apart from easing up on the top down control, and hoping someone comes along with a cool new idea that isn't focus-grouped into blandness. Eye of the monitor: As mentioned earlier, this is Jay and Dee's final appearance. Their sacking must have been fairly abrupt, because they don't get given the chance to say goodbye, instead treating this as just another day at the office. Indeed, they introduce another reviewer as if he will become a regular contributor, when in actuality, we never see him in the magazine again. I'm having flashbacks to the mysterious disappearance of Pinsom and Jasmine when Kim took over. There's definitely some behind the scenes unpleasantness going on this time round. Who else will be on the chopping block? Hammer of the gods is a sim game with you playing vikings building communities, and then going out looting and pillaging. With decent diplomacy options, extra quests, and multiplayer options, it offers more than enough choices to keep you busy for a long time, and doesn't get boring while doing so. Sounds like you can get good bang for your buck from this one. Machiavelli the Prince gets a second review in quick succession. (again) This time they are aware of the previous review and try and comment around it. In the end though, it doesn't hold up quite as well as Hammer of the Gods, which seems more cohesive in design. Toh Shin Den and Ridge Racer get tiny reviews from just Dee. The first is a reasonably good fighting game, while the second is a rather bog standard racing game. Nothing much to say here. It's as if he was interrupted mid review or something. Hmm. High seas Trader has a rather long, but ultimately negative review from our guest reviewer. It looks good, and there's plenty to do, with a good economic system, but the combat system sucks, and many of the options are simply suboptimal or not expanded upon properly. Sounds like it needed a good deal more development and playtesting before being released. TSR Previews: The Forgotten Realms triple bills again. Elminster's ecologies get a second appendix, covering two more out of the way adventuring locales. Just how likely are you to find certain monsters there? Back in the Dalelands, Randal Morn is rescued and takes his rightful place. Assuming the PC's have done their job. You could get a doppleganger to take his place and rule in his stead. :rubs hands evily: And similarly, Troy Denning completes the giants trilogy with The Titan of Twilight. Happy ending left open for future adventures seems the likely order of the day, if I know them. Planescape gets it's second Monstrous compendium appendix. More creatures nifty and weird, including a complete set of mephits for all your elemental mischief, and a bunch of new alignment exemplar races. As you'd expect, many of these are powerful, and have annoying laundry lists of powers and immunities. Magic missile is no longer the old faithful it used to be. Ravenloft reprints I, Strahd in paperback. Yawn. Not worth mentioning, really. Endless Quest revisits greyhawk in Bigby's curse. Keep him from becoming a lich? That sounds a bit sketchy. Normally you don't get to be a lich without serious conscious effort, and stay fairly rational if you do. Who's idea was this. And finally, we have the Terror T. R. A. X. interactive audio CD games. More buh inducing and probably expensive to produce ideas. Did they have a bloc hiring of studio time they needed to fill or something? As usual, there are a few great articles in this one, but there really is a landslide of poor articles, plus the rather badly handled removal of the computer games columnists. It feels like people are quitting because they cant take the pressure, and their replacements are throwing their weight around, and in the process deadlines are slipping and quality control is being forgotten. If anything, this is the most turmoil-ridden issue yet. Have we reached the bottom, or is there even worse to follow? Guess I'll find out soon enough.</blockquote>

Verification