What Happened To Interactive Envioronment?

[greenduncan]

Hi Ive been playing the game for about a week now.

 

My approach to this game was probably like a lot of peoples and thought GREAT ANOTHER UFO GAME JUST LIKE XCOM!

 

However CENEGA & ALTOR are not Microsoft!

 

EVEN STIL UFO AFTERMATH IS DEFFERNATLY AN IMPROVEMENT ON UFO ENEMY UNKOWN & UFO TERROR FROM THE DEEP!

 

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CENEGA & ALTOR FOR MAKING A GREAT GAME WITH A STRONG PLATFORM FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMET.

 

If i can add one small but maybe major improvement! altho there may be an obviou reason to this?

 

FOR WHAT REASON DID CENEGA & ALTOR DECIDE NOT TO MAKE THE 3D ENVIRONMENT REFFEREING TO ALL BUILDINGS & OTHER TYPE STRUCTURES INTERACTIVE?

 

ITS JUST A BIT STRANGE HOW YOUR SOLDIERS CAN ONLY GO IN CERTAIN BUILDINGS AND NOT ALL OF THEM!

 

I KNOW THIS IS A MAJOR TASK, BUT PEOPLE WANT THEIR CHARACTERS TO BE ABLE TO CLIMB LADDERS, OPEN ANY DOR TO ANY BUILDING AND GO INSIDE IT!

 

UFO AFTERMATH IS A GREAT GAME BUT IF YOU COULD DO THIS IT WOULD TRUELY TOP IT! IT WOULD REALLY HIT HOME WITH A LOT MORE GAMERS, GREATLY IMPROVE TACTICAL COMBAT.

 

EVEN THE FALLOUT GAMES HAVE THIS BASIC FUNCTION AND IT MAKE THE GAME SO MUCH MORE RELISTIC SO MUCH MORE INVOLVED!

 

SORRY FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM IF YOUVE TAKEN OFFENSE!

 

PLEASE REPLY TO ME IF POSSIBLE

 

7/10 room for improvement!

 

greenduncan@hotmail.com

[Slaughter]

Glad you like the game. But lay off your caps lock!

 

As for why ALTAR didn't include entering buildings, there are two reasons. First out is the fact that they didn't have time to implement it, and second is that the buildings are too small compared to the men, so it wouldn't look right.

 

Oh, and welcome to the boards!

[Terror From the Deep]

Aftermath is an improvment on The original and TFTD what are you on? This game doesn't hold a candle to those two and are still more fun to play then this. They released the game early and it took 2 patches to get it to be not so annoying, once a company releases a demo of the game then you know it's in ok shape but when they hold off on it until after the game is out you know they rushed it out.

[Pete]

Glad you like the game. But lay off your caps lock!

I was going to sday something, but I've been known for being picky before.

 

Terror From The Deep - It's a personal opinion the guy has of the game. He's not trying to force it on anyone, so don't find fault with him for having his own thoughts. Finished subtly bashing out your own opinion at us that you think the game's no good in comparison?

[Cpl. Facehugger]

I love it.

 

But would it be that hard to include an option to somehow get on top of a building (for sniping)? I mean, you could have the cursor change to a guy climbing stairs when over a building. Then you sould see your guy go in the door, dissappear for a second or two, and climb on the roof from a window/trapdoor/ something.

[Terror From the Deep]

Yeah and my opinion is that he's on something to think that, because almost everyone agrees this is a subpar game that could of done so much better then what was achieved. This game wasn't groundbreaking or a game people will talk about ten years after it's been realeased X-com is.

[S..]

oh, and what I've always wanted to do on the base missions, is put a sniper in each of the towers either side of the main gates to every base, now that would have kicked ass

 

S..

[Pete]

Yeah and my opinion is that he's on something to think that, because almost everyone agrees this is a subpar game that could of done so much better then what was achieved.

But saying someone is "on something" to have an opinion like that is right on that fine line of almost attacking them over their opinion. He didn't attack you for your opinion, so don't attack him for his.

 

 

On a more light-hearetd note:

This game wasn't groundbreaking or a game people will talk about ten years after it's been realeased X-com is.

Prove that last bit (not the groudbreaking bit) See you in ten years

[Grim Squeaker]

I think that in 10 years Aftermath will still be talked about as the game that never quite lived up to the original XCom.

 

To be fair, I like the game, it's not bad as such and I have played it fairly regularly since I bought it but I don't think I'll keep playing it, definetly not once I've finished it. The original XCom on the other hand became an obsession, every time I started playing it I wanted to finish it and if you lost a long standing team member you felt the loss. Sometimes you lost a team and it hurt.

 

Aftermath just does not seem to grab me the same, the graphics are ugly and while it may be nostalgia, I still prefer the original graphics. I don't feel that attached to my team, I can't even remember their names. When someone dies I shrug and sometimes you lose your team purely due to the bloody mindedness of a particular mission, on several occassions I've re-played a mission several times and always lose the whole team within 2 minutes because thats just the way the games is. I find that very frustrating.

 

Every so often I do a mission that I find to be very satisfying but for the most part I wish it was more like XCom. This in why in 10 years I think people will still be saying, 'wow do you remember XCOm? There was a good game." To which the reply will be, "yes I loved it, you remember Aftermath? It never quite made it."

 

Grim Squeaker

[alaric]

I miss the alien bases from ufo 1. I sort of enjoy the graphics otherwise, for some reason, but inside ufos and alien bases.. ugh. It looks like a early 70's hippie collective or something The bases in ufo 1 were much cooler!

 

Yeah, and the entering buildings thing. also I'd have loved a more evolved stealth, to further make use of the environment!

[Pete]

Hehe... I finally got bored of UFO Enemy Unknown a few months back when I completed it in one day of one weekend... on Superhuman You know when you've played it too much I guess. I'll have to leave it five years and see if I can forget the research route I've memorised

[Cpl. Facehugger]

Yes, overall I like the graphics of this game better than x-com's, but I must say that I hate the insides of ufos and alien bases. Ug, it is just so ugly! (Imo.)

[Centauris]

People people people! Come on! Your opinions are...strange for me! After sooo loong time someone has manage to create a game that resembles X`COM 1 and all you can do is talk about how it sucks! If You fell you can do better then do it ok? I love the game altought I was also mad that I had to buy it before I see the demo - it would not change my desicion of buying it but it would be cool to see the game before it is released. It is bad that Altar were rushed and the game was not polished at 100% and they probably didn`t do a lot of beta-testing but can`t you simply enjoy it? It really si cool - I still am pissed about that *&%* globe running around continuosly when a message appears and I can`t stop it at first so I need really these patches but they aren`t patches for my Polish version yet but I still love the game ! I have some comments on how to improve UFO and I do know it is not perfect but I really am happy that someone finally created game similar to legendary UFO:EU !

 

Oh yeah by the way : I don`t really like the look of alien bases&ships too - someone was on LSD while creating them ?)) (joking) but the look of bases is cool. And as for technology tree I guess it is too simple because all you get to research is like: "improved armour for ships" instead of for example have various names of armours for ships to research but that is only my opinion.

 

Overall : Game Kicks ASS and Thank You Altar for this extremaly GOOD game !

 

Waiting for sequel

[systems]

However CENEGA & ALTOR are not Microsoft!

I'm hoping he means Microprose - completely different company (and doesn't exist any more).

[Terror From the Deep]

I don't care if it was twenty years since they had a new X-com like game. This game still is subpar and was rushed out with plenty of bugs and horrbile pathing.

 

I'm not going to excuse a game company because they rushed the game if anything they should get more crap for releasing a game so damn fast that you couldn't even research something. They didn't even probably test it as anyone with a brain could of saw that that one particular thing was never being researched.

 

I can't do better but wtf does that have to do with anything? They released a subpar game that was made even more subpar by the glitches and bugs it has. The game should of been released when the Demo was. Which is why they held off on the demo so that they could get the kinks ironed out so the general populise wouldn't say my god this plays horribly and there's so many bugs.

 

Not to mention the ending and cutscenes are about the worst I've ever seen. pixelated garbage that has no sentiment or feeling behind them.

[Pete]

Well... I quite liked the ending and I didn't see the pixellation you mentioned. Go figure?!

Which is why they held off on the demo so that they could get the kinks ironed out so the general populise wouldn't say my god this plays horribly and there's so many bugs.

Know that for a fact do you? Or maybe they might have been rushed to completion and not had time to glue a demo together. Any number of combinations of events may have lead to this point. It's not as simple as taking a few maps, glueing them together and putting it up for download.

 

Doesn't change the end result, but don't assume that which is not written in black and white (or grey and darker-grey viewing these forums).

 

Have you actually played the demo though, just out of interest? I've not so I can't attack or defend it. Just wondering.

[moss_icon]

several games don't get a demo until a while after the full release, and often they are more high profile than this one.

[Cpl. Facehugger]

*WARNING, MAJOR SPOILERS!!!* Well, the ending was ok, but I would have liked a little epilogue, even a text message saying something to the effect of "After the queens were defeated on the moon, the the reticulian attacks ceased and the earth was wiped clean of biomass, clean of transgenants, clean of all that had not been there before. Your Victorious Phenoix Company solders recieved a heroes welcome on earth and eventually became the leaders of the new earth. The Old Greys whom you rescued were thankful for destroying the renegades and saving the universe from the biomass terror. They have promised that when the main reticulian fleet arrives, they will speak to their leaders and help rebuild our shattered infrastructure. The data from the biomass, combined with the knowladge of the two "old greys" Mr Slooz and Mr. Something has allowed the CoE to reform earth, just as it was before (except that billions of humans still lay dead) complete with pre- fall plants and animals kept in storage for shipment to reticulian zoos (part of the cooperateive trading that happened before the evil greys attacked.) In addition, analysis of renegade reticulian vessels (such as the retrubition) has allowed mankind to build similar vessels and expand to neighboring planets.

The years passed, and earth was allowed to rebuild uninterrupted, until one fateful day 20 years from our victory over the invaders... But that is another story for another time..."

 

I just felt that the current ending lacked meat. It essientially said "you have beaten the aliens, well done" But it didn't tell you about what happened after.

 

Edit: To get back on topic, I would like to be able to at least destroy buildings...

[Terror From the Deep]

It's a common tactic employed by the industry. I don't have to be a freaking spy and break into Cenega to know that. What do you propose then if they put out a demo of the game with how it was when it first shipped horrible pathing buggy research, bugs aplenty. Woulda sold tons of games right? They had plenty of time to "glue together" a demo . Once a game goes gold you have about two to three weeks there to do anything you want. It's not like demos are some huge obstacle either, basically it's breaking the game down to show off a few things, requires a weeks work.

 

Yes alot of high profile games get late demos this isn't because of shoddy work it's because the game is high profile and doesn't need a demo at first then once the buzz dies down you give people the demo so that you can rake in those few last dollars.

 

_spoiler_ And that Ending was horrible no two ways about it, childern reading a book and showing a sphere wow. Makes me feel I've acomplished something know that Childern can read books about tigers again. It would of been alot more pleasing to see something of the old greys coming to help us out or showing how we started rebuilding as a prelude to a sequel. But alas we get Child with a book. I think I'll head down to my Library now so I can go re-watch the ending of UFO:AM

[Pete]

I'll head down to my Library now so I can go re-watch the ending of UFO:AM

Funny. No two ways about that.

 

I still liked it though as it wasn't as presumptious as to hint at a sequel (which would have looked silly if everyone had totally hated the game). You don't need flashy graphics at the end of a game unless you've got loads of cash left over, but again that's just a personal opinion. Beating the last level gives me enough satisfaction - especially when you use mind-controlled Reticulans to defeat the end-of-game opponents and bring their own plans to a halt

 

The demo was always going to be released after the game due to time constraints, and I am far happier that although they were rushed to the finish post, they at least spent time after it went gold starting straight away on the patches for bugs uncovered after going gold rather than doing a demo. It's only common sense that a game demo isn't as straight forward a process as you're making out, as a completely separate installer has to be written, different files have to be included to allow the user to play the set of missions whilst not allowing them to download ALL of the game code for free etc.

 

As for breaking into Cenega - ALTAR made the game, Cenega merely published it. ALTAR said all along (from what I remember) that a demo would be out after the game and only if they had time. With budgetary constraints and a lack of publisher for a vast chunk of the development cycle, I'm just pleased that the game actually made it onto the shelves.

 

Now, from your other posts, you don't seem to hate the game, you just don't like its bugs and flaws and you prefer X-COM. So... why do you have to go ALTAR/Cenega-bashing based on assumptions? Can't you either just decide to hate it or like it as an okay-game-in-its-own-right-despite-bugs?

 

I'm not looking for increasing confrontation with every post I add to this topic, just trying to insert facts where I can (patchy at best, but I don't claim to now everything), add other perspectives where possible and calm people down where neccessary

[Cpl. Facehugger]

I would have liked to at least know that earth rebuilt itself. I mean, two kids reading a book doesn't really tell me anything. Now if they were in a (well kept) park, and you maby saw a guy with the pheonix company insignia on standing guard or something, then that would be cool. And it would tell me that we are rebuilding our lives which is something I like. Plus, we could still have a sequel! It would be perfect! [imo]

[Terror From the Deep]

I'm not bashing them I'm bashing them plus the rest of the industry that realeases buggy games. I'm glad they got it out but don't shove a game down our throats thats half finished and with a poorly designed pathing system. I payed cash for a game not a 9/10th finished game where I have to wait for two different patches. back when the internet wasn't as prevalent as it is today companies actually had to complete the damn game. Not just put out endless patchs to fix what should of been easily spotted.

 

Being small is no excuse for not having some QA with the product. It's obvious they put a rush on this I don't appreciate being jerked around, it's that simple. I don't hate the game I think it's a subpar game that Doesn't have much replay value as X-com. I wouldn't of recommended anyone play it until 1.2 though.

 

Sorry but I'm not buying the excuses of a demo being so late. It's a common tactic used when it's a rushed game. The devolpers had plenty of time to release a demo out there I'm sorry but it's not as hard as you make it out to be not 5 weeks after going gold to release one. If it does take them 5 weeks then they should fire there staff. They had to fix there rushed game first then they moved to release a demo on the 1.2 patch so that people would'nt see all the bugs prevalent in the game any normal user would of.

 

I expect a decent ending at the game not super but at least something like a telling of the near future or showing what would happen in the near future you could leave it open to anything you wanted at the end but showing me two children reading a book shows me nothing of an acomplishment outside of what I've already known which is I saved Small childern that can read books and humanity can propser. Show me the old greys or us re-building that would be interesting and following the story.

 

In the end I don't fault the game I fault the publishers for rushing the game and for obsfucating the demo so that people wouldn't be able to see that they put a rush job on it. I fault the devolpment team for not taking more time on issues that were easily spotted.

[Cutedge]

And that Ending was horrible

 

I haven't seen the ending, but I'm assuming it's better than the ending for Apocalypse, yes? That, sir, is one of the worst endings I've seen for a videogame to date, although it still doesn't match 1941's "CONGRADULATIONS GAME OVER"

[Pete]

Sheesh... and I like the Apocalypse ending too... without the voiceover. Now that game has horrible voices on the videos. Makes Aftermath voiceovers sound like they're done by Oscar winning actors

[Accounting Troll]

I think it is a pity that Altar didn't have enough time and money to properly beta test UFO:AM, but I also think some of the recent criticisms can equally be applied to the way Microprose developed the X-COM series.

 

TFTD was a quickly rushed out sequel to UFO:Defence, and it tells. There were few new ideas and some research tree bugs that often made it impossible for you to be able to build the most advanced submarine, which you need to win the game, clearly the beta testing was not as good as it could have been. Many X-COM fans disliked it for those reasons.

 

X-COM Acopalypse was released unfinished and a year behind schedule - the alternative to releasing the game unfinished would have been having it scrapped. Despite these problems, I am a big fan of the X-COM series.

 

If Altar had put off the release date until all the bugs were fixed, they might well have gone out of business and so we would never have seen UFO:AM.