Slitherine

Is there a Demo planned at all for this game ?
Thanks
Ian

We havent started working on one yet. The main focus at the moment is to support people who've got the game and see what additional features and content we can get done. We'll get one done at some point but no time line on that yet.

iainmcneil wrote:We havent started working on one yet. The main focus at the moment is to support people who've got the game and see what additional features and content we can get done. We'll get one done at some point but no time line on that yet.

Fair enough , thanks for the quick response.
Ian

Any news on the demo yet?

[rant]

I fully understand wanting to support the initial customers, but a game like this needs a demo in my opinion. It's trying something new and alot of people simply don't know what it is, or what to expect considering the limited info available.

I'm no programmer but shouldn't it also be fairly easy to throw together a brief demo? The game is tiny (file size) and is already split up into various missions, surely you could just grab a mission from X campaign (scenario, whichever) and provide it to all the people who are waiting with wallets open but are still unsure.

I don't want to be "that guy" but the price, while not over priced, is too high for me to justify when all i've got to go on are two very short videos and a handful of pics. I can't really trust user-made reviews as fans of this game tend to be fans of every other game on whichever forum it may be...Not to mention everyone has different tastes and a demo would allow all those who are waiting, to find out whether or not they should join and help this game, and community, grow.

[/rant]

Sorry for bumping an old topic for a rant, but i've been watching this game since the start of August and each day slowly losing interest without the opportunity to try it myself.

Maybe just a time limited demo of the full game?

Thanks for the mail and it makes perfect sense why you would want a demo. Putting a demo together is easy. Putting a good demo together is not. If we do one we need to make sure it gets all the good stuff across in the first few mins as that is when people decide if they like it or not and that is far from simple!

People who have bought the game are willing to invest more time in it before they decide but you don;t have that luxury with a demo, so it needs to be restruxtured.

We do plan to do it but our main priority is to support those who have the game right now.

The game is not what it first appears (actually, it's rather better, technical problems aside).

I suggest what it needs is a heavily linked narrated youtube video showing the flow of combat and discussing both mechanics and tactics/history in context. For example, explaining the right/left click command system, which is simple once articulated, dealing with front vs. side armour, showing an ambush, showing a combined arms attack on a small vilage with bombardment followed by combined arms use of AFVs and infantry, etc.

MikeK wrote:The game is not what it first appears (actually, it's rather better, technical problems aside).

I suggest what it needs is a heavily linked narrated youtube video showing the flow of combat and discussing both mechanics and tactics/history in context. For example, explaining the right/left click command system, which is simple once articulated, dealing with front vs. side armour, showing an ambush, showing a combined arms attack on a small vilage with bombardment followed by combined arms use of AFVs and infantry, etc.

I think this is very close to what you are suggesting :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mSJxyW25Ns

There are also some other good videos listed down the side of that link. However I think MikeK is asking for something that maybe has a commentary or extra screens telling the viewer exactly whats happening.

It would be good to show off the editor too - I'm surprised there aren't more maps made. They are reasonably simple to do - I know people are put off by scripting but with the new plugin a straight forward battle is easy to set up. Also multiplayer maps don't need scripting.

The editor is interesting but not quite so easy for people that have not the time or inclination to learn the more difficult parts. A simple game can be done naturally by about anyone and I have done so and might to more but the map is so incredibly time consuming it keeps me from learning more about the editor and doing more.

In my computer gaming experience, map makers/scenario designers are a different bred. It takes lots of patience and time. This game has only been out a few months. Now that winter has set in, I expect some people to spend more time in their caves creating new content.

tim1966 wrote:However I think MikeK is asking for something that maybe has a commentary or extra screens telling the viewer exactly whats happening.

Indeed. Like looking over a friend's shoulder as he runs through the game and talks about moves, game mechanics, tactics used, and other selling points in a conversational but clear manner. Could have 2 voices in the voiceover, so it includes some Q&A.