Odie,
Thank you for your thoughtful and respectful response.
As I said, my gaming experience goes back to days before PC's even existed. I was in Okinawa in late 1971 on R&R from Vietnam when I saw a strange looking machine in a bar in Koza. I was called Pong and was being tested by a company called Atari. After waiting a considerable amount of time, because it was extremely popular, I was able to play it and became immediately hooked. It had just been delivered a couple of days earlier. I had been a board game player for many years, but this, this was something unique. So, I can say confidently that I am one of the first hundred or so Americans to EVER play any video game at any time. And I have been playing them since the introduction of the Atari VCS later known as the 2600. I've had computers of every kind including the Timex Sinclair, Commodore Vic 20, Atari 400, Atari 800XKL, Amiga 500 and 2500, one old classic one piece Mac, and PC's dating back to the Compaq 8088 portable which I still have. It has a 10MB hard drive and uses 2 5 1/4" floppy drives with Dos 3.3. and still boots BTW...so much for the Y2K bug. As you can probably guess, I'm in my late 50's and retired.
There are two sides to this issue. Those that like the idea of a battlescape save and those that think the game is better without it. But actually, that's only one side, because those who don't like it, don't have to use it. They can play ironman if they want. And that's the nature of the right to choice. And that's what the developers are depriving us of as players. The right to choose how we want to play. In some games, like Tetris, or video oriented games that's not a big issue, But in a turn-based strategy game where every move could result in losing a squad or a couple of players you've taken time to develop, it becomes important.
I've read other comments where the developers decided they wanted you to have to do things a certain way..lose players you become attached to, operate under a handicap. It's their game, they have the right to impose whatever limitations they want on the game. But frankly, I'm not going to subject myself to being placed in a gamer's box, so i guess I'm just going to have to look elsewhere for my entertainment. Good luck to everyone.
But I'm just going to say one thing..this IS a free, open source game, but were it commercial and the developers had this attitude, it would fail miserably.
Feel free to lock this thread also. I won't be returning to respond to any comments.
Branes,
No prob.
Well, i would say, we have to give the designers of this game much, if not TONS of credits for coming up with this incredible game. Its based on DOOM engine (IIRC, correct if wrong) and its an incredible work.
If u have played other 4x strategy, u prob heard of another open source called Battle for Wesnoth. In the same way, it was much simpler in design and programming, still, they allow saves for own player turn (at start only) and none (actually there's a way but i am not giving it away) during enemies turn. Ppl complain that there should be save for every turn including enemies and stuff......
But i like the way the designers insisted on their designs - which limits the way and style of play, hence forcing strategies to be re-thinked and sorts.
Its also liken to why i dun like arcades FPS so much, since u cannot save while in mission; This also reminds me of an incredible old-time arcade, called Super Marios (nos 1, which has basic missions and 200+ secret under water missions......). U cannot save, u have to complete it in one go, and nobody's complaining tat u cannot save Super mario. Why? Lol. I leave tat room for thinking.
I believe, now coming back to UFOAI, its good to have saves outside battlescapes; its sad that there is no saves during battlescapes. But its what make this game unique, and makes u really think hard and plan before throwing tat one grenade so close, or risking close combat stunning....... Its a strategy which reminds me of another game called Operation Flashpoint, where u r soldier, running FPS, and u need complete a mission, and u make 1 silly / stupid / mistake, and voila - pls retry the game again.
Is anyone complaining Ops flashpoint? Yes. Does that stopped it from being the best game of the year with 2 full add on packs with tons more campaigns? No. Haha.
I still hope Branes, u enjoy the game with these limitations, but look on the bright side. When i was on officer's course, there is this saying:
"There are only 2 types of things / situations in the world:
1) Things within your control
2) Things beyond your control
If 1), then do what u can to make things better. Contribute constructively and keep positiveness in sight.
If 2), then look for things tat are 1) and refer to point 1 earlier.
If 2), and insist on doing something to it..... then perhaps be advised u need TONS of endurance, persistance, a whole new group of ppl to help u or simply change the management.
*
Haha. Sounds good?
