Flawed
has potential but the infuriating ai system gives it about as much finesse as a charging rhino made of hundreds of cocks.
plus how the HELL do you advance your tech level?
Reviews for "W & B : Deadly Strategies"
It was okay
it was okay but still pretty stupid
erm
I see little control of play
not so hot...
this game would be amazing if it was executed right, but you guys effed up real bad. the fact that the AI controls your guys for you is pretty cool, but at the same time really stupid, because the computer sends your guys into one at a time and sometimes your guys dont even attack, also, their units are much better than yours in comparison to how many you each have.... overall this was not a fun game... the graphics i didnt mind and the voice didnt bug me as much as others, but its very frustrating watching your guys get destroyed and not being able to stop them. keep working on it and im sure this game will be sweet, but right now it blows really hard
All flash, no substance
Alright lets get the big stuff out of the way first:
==fundamental flaws==
1. Name vs game:
I find it hard to understand how there can be any strategy in a game where all fighting is delegated to the AI, and you can only choose priorities. Things like formations, flanking maneuvers, ambushes, targeting priorities, etc. become impossible. I have no problem with games that do away with individual unit management, there is *some* strategy to that, but there is no escaping the fact that removing micromanagement removes player freedom, which invariably removes strategy. You can give the player the choice to automate certain micromanagement tasks, but you can't just eliminate them without reducing strategy and turning the game into a matter of pure patience. The name "deadly strategies" just feels dishonest when the "strategies" amount to "do this / don't do this / sort-of do this".
2. Priorities:
I would be interested to know how much time and effort went into the gameplay, as opposed to the introduction movie, voiced tutorials, rotating 3d buttons, blobby-fadey-scanney-green-thing, and just the main menu in general, because there seems to be a massive gap in the quality of the two areas.
I mean the game pulls me in with images of massive fleet engagements, warships, dragons, and ninja-supersoldiers cutting fc*king tanks in half with fc*king katannas!
...time passes...
And then here I am doing my homework in a different window while two AIs with all the intelligence of doom 1 enemies try to beat each other senseless with a level of "strategy" that makes professional wrestling look like a chess match.
It's just insulting.
3. It bears repeating:
Where is the strategy? In mission 3 when I face weapons with a large blast radius, why can't I give my units fancy orders like "don't bunch together" or even "you guys go that way and you guys go the other way."?
You know what screw the numbering system, all these flaws are the same thing! My entire experience here has been like watching a high-budget advertisement for an ultimately terrible product. I'm reading your author comments and despite myself I'm actually getting *angry* because it feels like I'm listening to a used car salesman. It says "not only" can you "build your base and defense towers" but ALSO "train units to attack the enemy base".
Think about that. You say it as if the *most basic elements of a war game* are extra-special features that set your game apart! A few lines later you mention strategies. YOU ADVERTISE THAT THE GAME HAS **THREE WHOLE STRATEGIES** THAT IS YOUR MAIN SELLING POINT! YOU ENSHRINED IT IN THE *NAME*, AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE OF THEM!
I'm sorry to yell. It just drives me crazy to see the wasted potential.
Are you making money off of this? I've looked at your site (My god you have a site and guide and storyline and forums! It's an ocean of content, but only a bucket of gameplay to put it in) and you don't seem to be making money, but in all honesty I have never seen a game with so much salesmanship and so little substance that *didn't* turn out to be just a promotional tool for some sort of money-making enterprise.
There are numerous minor issues that could be fixed in the game, I had a list of them, but it's not even worth mentioning them. It would be band-aids over a severed limb.
If you are innocent of the accusations I've made, and honestly never realized any of the above, then I apologize for my rudeness, my harsh language, and for being the bearer of bad news. It just feels like I'm being scammed or something and it puts me on the defensive. Try not to take it personally. Keep at it; concentrate your obviously immense skills on making the game really enjoyable to play, instead of just good looking.
Please. It's clear you have the resources. Use them. Don't stop until it's as fun to play the game as it was to watch the introduction.