Almost perfect!
First of all, well done creating this game! I can tell you put a lot of time in to it and if I can convince my parents, I will probably buy the full version. This game is definitely the best poker simulator I've ever played, and deserves a 10 and a 5. But, like in all games, there could be a few improvements. First, here's the rundown for the basic game features:
Graphics: For a poker game in the old west, these were pretty good. I'm kind of neutral about the overhead view. In some way, I actually liked it. In another way, I wanted to see their faces. Honestly, I don't think either way changes the game enough to warrant changing. Overall, the graphics were excellent. I don't expect the towns to be overly detailed because there are so many of them in the full version!
Sound: The music was fine and suited the atmosphere. Still, I'm glad that you put in a feature to turn it off. I generally listen to my own music and I hate when games make me listen to their music. I like how the characters actually spoke occasionally. Some of them are SO annoying! Just like real life :)
Gameplay: Excellent! What else can I say? I especially liked how you added the "speed x2" and the "fold and skip" options. I generally didn't use them because I enjoyed the realistic poker atmosphere but sometimes, it was ver helpful.
AI: For the most part, I think AI worked very well. The decisions players make are generally realistic and I like the touches you added like players twirling their chips when making a hard decision. However, there is one flaw I noticed in the
AI. When going head-to-head against basically anybody (this is in Hard mode), I found a system that wins it for me every time. It's really easy. I just consistently bet/raise 50. Usually, my opponent will fold and I'll collect his blinds. Over the course of 10 minutes or less, I can easily beat him/her. If he calls, I can often bet 50 on the flop and still win. I only have to fold a couple times, but not enough to make head-to-head challenging. Now, warranted, I was in the first city so perhaps the AI gets better later on. But if you do make a second one, I suggest you improve head-to-head play a little bit.
Ok, here are other improvements I noticed the game could use. Although Texas Hold 'Em is my favorite type of poker, many people prefer other kinds. I suggest putting at least one or two more kinds in like 5-card Stud or Omaha to appeal to a large range of poker fans. Also, I would get rid of the pause feature in the way you currently have it. At first, I kind of liked it. Then, I realized that I wanted to check another site, it would automatically pause. Because you're playing against computers, they can wait a little bit while you check AIM or MSN. Now, I have no problem with a pause feature. Just make it the more conventional method, i.e. pressing a button. If you want to make this game really realistic, go ahead and add more things to buy! Again, I'm only in the first town so maybe there's much more to buy in the full version. If not, add more. I like buying houses but it doesn't really make sense that you make money from owning a house? Are you renting it to people or is ther just random money that appears every morning from a kind stranger? Instead of just buying houses, make the buying of businesses available. That makes much more sense.
One last thing. If you do make a second one with slight improvements, please don't make owners of the original game pay another $20! I'd rather not spend more money a month after the original just for a few extra features. On the other hand, I don't want to know that the game could be better if I had the money. Maybe make it more like an expansion pack for $5-10. That way, you could buy the original game and add extra features for a smaller fee.
Overall, this game was excellent! 10/10 and 5/5. Keep up the good work!
