Qvadriga - my thoughts

[eddyvegas]

As far as the game itself goes, you did a fine job. I think it's a good game. It doesn't try to do too much, but the stuff that *is* there is well done and meshes well together. Well focused. And of course, I am having fun with it. So my 'complaints' don't have anything to do with the game, but rather the presentation.

By far my biggest gripe is that there is not nearly enough visual difference between the different drivers, chariots, and horses during a race. I'll just use one example: the spokes on the wheels denoting an exceptionally strong chariot are much too small. Not only is it unclear (unless you have the manual open on the 2nd monitor and put your nose against the monitor), but you are missing out on providing gamey, fun feedback to the player. Here's the thing: if a fully upgraded chariot and horses driven by a great driver comes out of the gate next to my wimpy rookie gear, I want to look at that and be scared by its 'ornateness', by how much better and more powerful it looks compared to my stuff. By the same token, If I work hard and get a top of the line team, I want to be visually compensated for the work I put in. Yes, I know you only have a few pixels to work with. Still - untrained horses should look wimpy, while top of the line horses should look imposing.

Here's another small thing: The city page. When you start out your fame is unknown, but then it moves up to recognized, or whatever. When you go up in level, the color of the text should change, and keep changing as you go up in notoriety. That's huge gamey reinforcement right there. I know it sounds dumb, but 'oh look, it turned green' is great positive feedback.

Same with managing your teams. Why are all their upgrade icons black? Why not chuck a bit of color in there to make the player feel like his dude or equipment is badass? I know it's possible, I saw them colored in when I was playing single races in the demo.

That's all for now.

-Eddy

[Turnopia]

The upgrades being hard to distinguish during race has been the most common claim indeed, as I told fondfoat a explicit solution is being made:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3565982

About the interface, the intention of my design was to work with silhouettes like the Greco-Roman pottery jugs, and the typical Roman letters written on stone tablets, maybe because of that the result is so sober. I put the colors in health and danger bars

[eddyvegas]

LOL i wanted to propose a popup for those upgrade stats, but I was worried it was too much work. Hope to see that soon.

The management black upgrade icons, well, I don't agree, but as long as there is a concept behind it, I can't really argue about it any more.

Hope you look into the other suggestion.

Oh yes, please, separate sound and music mutes. If you don't want the music, you don't get any sound, that's bad.