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Games section
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So, this is my opionion regarding the wrangling for the Quality of Napalm:
I think, it depends on the expections you play a game. So I cannot understand all the hype for adventures like Monkey Island 3, because this game type is not my interest. I also played some adventures (using the help of complete solutions ;-) ) and was happy about one or the other strategy, but I'm not patient enough to have a hard time to find out the various, partly unlogical puzzles. But I can understand, that you can have fun with games of this type (even if you know, what to expect) and wouldn't ever tell the publisher of an adventure, that it was outrageous to publish such games, just because I don't like it due to its game type.
Manni compares the game e.g. with Civilization - well that is a round based (but brilliant anyway) strategy game. The comparison with a real time strategy game isn't the best and he admits not to know C&C resp. not to have played before.
One point of criticism has been the word "strategy game" resp. the fact, that a strategy of a strategy game of Napalm has not been present.
Well, compared with complex games like Civilisation this might be true, the main strategy is to build a base and to create troups to protect the base versus attacks.
More strategies like alliances, using the area etc. don't exist (at least I couldn't find them in the missions I played).
But: this is no specific disadvantage of Napalm, but typically for the current genre of the so called real time strategy games (Dune2 and Command"amp;Conquer aren't different in this matter), so you should name them strategic bent bang game. So an evaluation should be made under these factors.
I own Command&Conquer for the Sega Saturn myself and I have to say, that Napalm is equivalent to that. What I could critisize was, that e.g. "Dune 2" had 3 players and also the good old "Meglomania" had more than one opponent and that it was possible to make alliances. Such features would have been fine for Napalm... but c&C as a successor of Dune2 had just one opponent and because it is a clone it has to look the same way (see above; I'll mention the point "Clone" later again.)
The criticism of the missing two-player-mode may be justified, but how should that work, except with null modem cable or network/internet - with a split screen?
Of course Manni and Aicke are correct, if they say, that it cannot be the clever solution, if we can play only clones of successful PC games, but I think, if we can prove the PClers and consolers (In the job I have tow work with a PC under OS2/Warp and Windows 3.11 and got some surprises especially with the so called multitasking, from time to time I can test a game on the PC of my brother-in-law, in addition I own a CD³², a Saturn and a PSX; so I know, what I'm talking about, but somehow the Amiga games are more fun than the console graphic overkills), what our old box still can do, this is no error.
I evalueated the currently available ports of elder 3D shooters from ID software similar, but 5 years ago they told us:"Not on the Amiga" and now these boxes can keep up with the (partly for hightech boxes programmed) originals.
Let's be true: Wintel-PCs are sold, not due to the Gates monopoly, but due to the many available games and if I look around in the software shops, there are mostly strategy games à la C&C as well as ego shooter in the racks (as well as the last ones are not indexed), but it is quite doubtful, eventually an argument, if you can tell an uncertain still-Amiga user, that there are games of similar quality for our lady.
But I also think, that the Amiga needs an absolute killer program, which is not available for other platforms, not matter, if game or application, but it had to be promoted that way to make it known by people not in the Amiga community.
Just in my job I found out, that the great number of my colleges wonders, why our PCs don't have Windoze95, because they, as normal users, don't know anything else. How shall someone explain them, that there are computers, that are absolutely Gates free?
Regarding the latest staements of Manni I cannot say anything, because I just played one robot level and I presently I don't have two Amigas for a network that are equipped good enough for Napalm (a 4000 with PPC604/200 and PicassoIV is waiting at KDH for me, until then my old Commo1200 with Blizzard 1230-IV must do, my 600 and the CD³² are not right for Napalm). But anyway, his latest comments are more objective to me than the first report. And an own opionion, that is contrary to the mass is alright for me ;-), if this doesn't result in polemics (because we Amigans are all crazy in the eyes of the PClers).
To cut a long story: I think, Napalm is a good game (compared with other games of this genre), even with the mentioned points of criticism, but I don't want to force my opinion to Manni and Aicke, because I can follow some of their points and it may be that from their point of view there can't be a better evaluation.
The only thing I wish for is an objective discussion about this theme (as well with those, who think about the game as I do as with the others) and it seems, that Manni is on the right way ;-). (But if I watch resp. listen to some of his "software pearls" it is also difficult to me to stay objective :)) )
Wolfgang W. Wolber <Wolfgang.Wolber@okay.net>
