Friday, September 12, 2003

Ok, added a counter to this blog. I've been meaning to do that for a while.

posted by FlyingSheep @ 9:59 AM 0 comments

Finished Oni today. It's always bittersweet to finish a good game.

Along the way, I read a number of rather negative reviews of the game. Most of these reviews contained some valid points: The levels are sort of visually bland, the save points were a hassle, and I noticed quite a few clipping problems.

Visually bland levels don't really bother me. I'm there to beat up bad guys, not to be distracted by the scenery. Heck, I enjoyed Wolfenstein 3D back in the day, and it doesn't get much more bland then that. The dream sequence (possibly some reviewers didn't play the game all the way through) reminded me of Alice, and really took me by surprise.

The save points were annoying, but I think they served a purpose. Certainly, if I could have saved at any point during the level, Oni would have been much less challenging. Star Wars: Dark Forces shared the same problem, and I still managed to enjoy it. At times, I felt frustrated, but in the end, this didn't ruin the game for me.

The clipping problems were probably the most valid complaint that few reviewers bother to raise. Standing next to a wall and looking parallel to the wall, I could see into the next room. If there was an enemy against the wall in the next room, I could attack through the wall! I exploited this bug many times throughout the game to plan my next moves, and it added a level of strategy that I enjoyed, even though it was clearly cheating.

Despite these faults, Oni was a great game to play. It's a lot of fun, and I found the controls to be intuitive. I'm glad I found it, and I'm going to miss it.

posted by FlyingSheep @ 9:28 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, September 09, 2003

Session Report: September 8th
Games Played: (For Sale), Alhambra
Gamers: Don, Sara, Chris, Vitas, Josh, Chip, Mark, (Lewis, Eric)

Thanks to Chris for hosting.

FOR SALE (0:18)
Chris: 56
Josh: 50
Sara: 49
Don: 40
Vitas: 35

We had 6 players for this 5-player game, so I offered to sit out.
This game doesn't really do much for me. The bidding mechanics are simple enough, and it's quick, but it just doesn't push my "fun" buttons.

ALHAMBRA (1:00 + 0:15 rules and setup)
Chip: 11 - 132
Josh: 10 - 81
Mark: 4 - 66
Sara: 12 - 66
Don: 3 - 42

I'd like to believe that winning this game was not the main reason I enjoyed it so much (although I'll have to admit that it was a factor). I like the puzzle tile-laying aspect of the game, especially as each person has his or her own set of tiles to place.
I concentrated on getting as many tiles as I could for the exact price, even if I couldn't place them immediately. I did waste a few turns later on moving tiles in and out of my reserve spot.
For the second and third scoring rounds, I had a wall of length 13. The trade-off, of course, was that I had very few places in which I could lay tiles.
For most building types, there was one person with the majority, and 3 or more tied for second place. I held the majority of 3 of the cheaper building types, and I mostly ignored the more expensive buildings.
I like this game a lot, and I look forward to playing it again soon.




posted by FlyingSheep @ 9:32 AM 0 comments