Games section

8. Comment regarding the Napalm test by Manni Froitzheim (by Aicke Schulz)

To anticipate one thing: this preview says exactly what I feel. It was written by a real strategy game fan without any prejudice. A real plus point! =)

Those of you, who think this beginning like talking like a book, I say it with different words: I really like this preview and hadn't made it better. Any questions, that interested me were answered and the evaluation was in my opinion really fair.

If I hadn't read this report I would not have known that there is no direct 2 player mode and it is most like I had bought it.

I would like to avoid it, but I have to say, that any other test reports, no matter where (and I read at least 4 others), they didn't justice to this game, sorry.

I downloaded the dem. And I heard that the sound effects are good (I cannot evaluate, if it's CD sound, but I think it is as good as Foundation) and I noticed that the graphics are fine in a high resolution (in low resolution it is nearly unplayable), I agree with all testers in this matter. But that the lots of disadvantages were generously ignored, but from Manni F., is very disappointing.

And this is supposed to be "The best game for the Amiga" (read in this way or similar multiple times)? Not for me.

The Amiga software companies don't make it easy for me:

• I thought Foundation will become THE top hit ... I think, it's unplayable


• and now Napalm, brilliant graphics (if I would put a graphics board into my computer, it would be worth it), fine sound, but the rest? 2-player-mode just using the Internet or networ, I get sick, if I think of 1. a telephone bill, which is not of this world or 2. the hopeless search to find another Amiga fan with a good Amiga, interest in Napalm AND (a quite cheap) network card in Berlin ... a nearly unsolveable venture. It's a pity, Napalm, I'm sorry ClickBOOM ... I don't spend my money that easy, just because there was a lack of games for a long time.

Maybe you might think .. Oh, god, another pessimist, I can't hear it again, it's going up ....

It's not that easy ... I didn't inveest into my Amiga for nothing (tower, CD-ROM, PPC board ...) during the last years or programmed for it (as co-author of "Madhouse"), but got nearly no return favour ...

How I can hold me back from jumping out of a window? I wait for games like "The Settlers II", WipOut, Fusion and PCx for PPC and some other games, which were announced, but I doubt their completion ...

Once and for all, I don't spend money for games with the standard of PD games, I invested too much into my hardware and my positive believe to "punish" myself with games like Gunbee F99 ... not even, if it was freeware, but it's not the fault of the programmer.

The motivation of some persons to port "super-fine-games-like-there-are-for-the-PC", with just a handfull of people (and less) is laudable, but unrealistic. It's better if you join and do less, but better games, and if possible not the 300. Amiga-3D shooter =)...

Without Napalm there is nothing for me to do but to raise the numberless hours of playing "Settlers 1" or to play "Settlers III" in a PC-network thanks to a friend.

Just a little comment regarding Settlers 3 for all the other Settler fanatics =) :

Super fine graphics (+), fine sound (+), but a hard control (-) and missing statistics (--), so it is an apple with maggots ... but it is a tasty apple after all =)

*At the end here is a TIP for Napalm:* If you should have the problem, you created a building and want to place it somewhere, but you have to move a soldier or a vehicle ... just press the right mouse button, this interrupted the build option and I was able to move the unit and to place the building without creating it again! But I only own the demo version, maybe this doesn't work with the full version!?

by and with Aicke "SpoOky" Schulz <aicke@gmx-net>