OrsonM
Our man
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
- Messages
- 555
For those of you who are unaware of it, Gettysburg Armored Warfare, is in the words of his sole programmer, Danny Green: "an online multiplayer game with 64 players per server, an RTS/FPS hybrid". It is set on the civil war, but with retro futuristic units.
I still think Antietam Pillowfight Warfare was a better idea
On paper this may sound like an very original idea, A mashup of new and old!, a twist on a popular culture icon!, stylish and brutal!, RTS/FPS hybrid!, not the momma!
But seen with a dash of cynicism, this is just another of the many many Steampunk ideas out there (they are all the goddamn SAME). Set in yet another genre mash gameplay dynamic.
The latter one seems to fit the part, but not because the idea is wholly unoriginal (more of that to come), but because the game is buggy, a bit overpriced and not that fun to play.
Ouch, such meanness is however not without merits, as stated by the game's sole programmer Dan Green:
In fact, a lot of fans would rather have IGN or Gamespy being a bit softer on Green, since you know, he created the entire thing himself. Or at least that's the spin here, that he made it all by himself.
Made all by Danny Green himself and a few anonymous elves...
But I don't buy that, he didn't concept or model all the art assets within the game, which are indeed one of the better aspects of the game and take a lot of time to make.
Of the things Green made all by himself, we have the programming, concept and game dynamics of the game. All of which seem to be lacking.
Reviewers dislike the bugs and awkward game engine, which changes from 2d to 3d when you approach objects, giving out this rather weird flickering. Strangely enough, this extremely dated approach (I remember this being a thing on the old Doomsday Engine) was promoted as groundbreaking:
Probably should had not bragged about having just taken him just a day's work.
From the game dynamics department, the idea of a FPS/RTS hybris has already been out there, it goes back to Natural Selection, back in 2002. Or even more recently with Nuclear Dawn. Oddly enough Hybrid cousin Nuclear Dawn declares itself to be the first game to offer a full FPS and RTS experience, within a single gameplay model, without crippling or diluting either side of the game.. Which is of course not true either. To be fair of course, Gettysburg Armored Warfare never touted itself as being completely unique in that department:
Ok, maybe they did...
On the Concept most people agree that it's the best part of the game, in fact people are buying it because of that (if anything, just for that). In that part I'm alone in disagreeing, I believe the idea is way token for these times were everyone is doing the same thing. Lincoln is a Vampire Hunter, Pride and Prejudice has Zombies, Cowboys fight Aliens, Vampires fight Werewolves a bit too much, Stalin vs Aliens, Dino D-Day, Space Pirate and Zombies, Zombies, Zombiest, Zombierests!!!! etc.
The mashup, save for the exception of the amazing Plants vs Zombies, will probably be remembered as a pretty unoriginal fad in the future, once everyone realizes that there's perhaps a few too many of them.
And here's the thing, I know there's nothing new under the sun, but when you throw out a concept just because other people are doing something similar, it takes away sincerity from the project. Particularly when the entire game just has that gimmick to make people like it.
So it's a bit of a mathematical formula then:
How to make a million dollars idea?:
Take anything from popular culture that is hold dear (any, they are all good)...
...And then mash it up with any of these:
-Zombies
-Steampunk
-Vampires
-Werewolves
-Zombies
-DieselPunk (will there ever be a GreenTechnologyPunk?)
-Ninjas
-Dinosaurs
-Zombies
-Mad Max!
-Apocalyptic anything!
And collect some gazillions, cocaine and hookers on your way out. You my friend have just created an extremely profitable idea!, and as we all know, profit is the more handsome yet less talented cousin of originality (which is just as good).
But you know, could had been worst (there are no zombies on this one). Green does look like a standup guy, I still don't buy the whole 1 man development schtick, I think it's bull, but the game itself will probably be much much better a year from now.
It would also be cheaper then too, so you see, it's going to be better.
Gettysburg Armored Warfare is sold on Steam for 10 dollars, 30 confederate dollars, 5 Ron Paul gold pieces or 50 Orsonbucks, which is the most supreme form of currency of all.
I still think Antietam Pillowfight Warfare was a better idea
On paper this may sound like an very original idea, A mashup of new and old!, a twist on a popular culture icon!, stylish and brutal!, RTS/FPS hybrid!, not the momma!
But seen with a dash of cynicism, this is just another of the many many Steampunk ideas out there (they are all the goddamn SAME). Set in yet another genre mash gameplay dynamic.
The latter one seems to fit the part, but not because the idea is wholly unoriginal (more of that to come), but because the game is buggy, a bit overpriced and not that fun to play.
IGN review
Gamespy review
Ouch, such meanness is however not without merits, as stated by the game's sole programmer Dan Green:
In fact, a lot of fans would rather have IGN or Gamespy being a bit softer on Green, since you know, he created the entire thing himself. Or at least that's the spin here, that he made it all by himself.
Made all by Danny Green himself and a few anonymous elves...
But I don't buy that, he didn't concept or model all the art assets within the game, which are indeed one of the better aspects of the game and take a lot of time to make.
Of the things Green made all by himself, we have the programming, concept and game dynamics of the game. All of which seem to be lacking.
Reviewers dislike the bugs and awkward game engine, which changes from 2d to 3d when you approach objects, giving out this rather weird flickering. Strangely enough, this extremely dated approach (I remember this being a thing on the old Doomsday Engine) was promoted as groundbreaking:
Probably should had not bragged about having just taken him just a day's work.
From the game dynamics department, the idea of a FPS/RTS hybris has already been out there, it goes back to Natural Selection, back in 2002. Or even more recently with Nuclear Dawn. Oddly enough Hybrid cousin Nuclear Dawn declares itself to be the first game to offer a full FPS and RTS experience, within a single gameplay model, without crippling or diluting either side of the game.. Which is of course not true either. To be fair of course, Gettysburg Armored Warfare never touted itself as being completely unique in that department:
Ok, maybe they did...
On the Concept most people agree that it's the best part of the game, in fact people are buying it because of that (if anything, just for that). In that part I'm alone in disagreeing, I believe the idea is way token for these times were everyone is doing the same thing. Lincoln is a Vampire Hunter, Pride and Prejudice has Zombies, Cowboys fight Aliens, Vampires fight Werewolves a bit too much, Stalin vs Aliens, Dino D-Day, Space Pirate and Zombies, Zombies, Zombiest, Zombierests!!!! etc.
The mashup, save for the exception of the amazing Plants vs Zombies, will probably be remembered as a pretty unoriginal fad in the future, once everyone realizes that there's perhaps a few too many of them.
And here's the thing, I know there's nothing new under the sun, but when you throw out a concept just because other people are doing something similar, it takes away sincerity from the project. Particularly when the entire game just has that gimmick to make people like it.
So it's a bit of a mathematical formula then:
How to make a million dollars idea?:
Take anything from popular culture that is hold dear (any, they are all good)...
...And then mash it up with any of these:
-Zombies
-Steampunk
-Vampires
-Werewolves
-Zombies
-DieselPunk (will there ever be a GreenTechnologyPunk?)
-Ninjas
-Dinosaurs
-Zombies
-Mad Max!
-Apocalyptic anything!
And collect some gazillions, cocaine and hookers on your way out. You my friend have just created an extremely profitable idea!, and as we all know, profit is the more handsome yet less talented cousin of originality (which is just as good).
But you know, could had been worst (there are no zombies on this one). Green does look like a standup guy, I still don't buy the whole 1 man development schtick, I think it's bull, but the game itself will probably be much much better a year from now.
It would also be cheaper then too, so you see, it's going to be better.
Gettysburg Armored Warfare is sold on Steam for 10 dollars, 30 confederate dollars, 5 Ron Paul gold pieces or 50 Orsonbucks, which is the most supreme form of currency of all.
