Yearly Archives: 2006

Elder Scrolls IV? disappointed

Yes after just 2 days playing it, I’m thinking to give it up and go back playing Everquest 2 instead. The game looks great, has great atmosphere, etc etc.

Is not a BAD game. But is a BAD RPG 🙂 I understand the XBOX owner enthusiasm since there aren’t any CRPG on consoles, but seriously, would you define a RPG a game with:

– impossibility to bash door opens (yes you have to be a thief to solve many quests)

– real-time combat without ANY strategy, block-hit block hit, cast some spells or just sneak and hit from behind (again, this is taken from thief 3)

-impossibility to have a party or be part of one

– unusual level progression! you basically improve skills as you use them, then every level you just get a bonus in the primary attributes. Pretty bad compared to Fallout leveling (with perks, etc) or even just standard AD&D leveling. When I earn a level here is like nothing happened!! 🙁

I could go on, but I think you got the idea. Oblivion? a great game, something like an adventure with rpg elements, but definitely not a classic RPG for windows.

new UBM update coming soon

It was about time to make an update for my Universal Boxing Manager game. I’m adding some things, is just a minor update, nothing comparable to the latest expansion pack for Magic Stones. But is also true that certain games are more easily expandable than others (and UBM wasn’t really made for future expansions).

Still I’ll add a new search boxer feature that was requested since long time, hope my customer (and non customer) will like it!

portals are good?

In his blog, Phil Steinmeyer’s talks about the fact that portals are good. Those discussion are fun to read as always, but I want to talk more to another aspect of the “problem”. How can you define yourself indie when you’re using a portal? Everyone who worked with them, knows that they often require changes to your product (not all portals do that, but many yes). Isn’t this falling back to the old “boss that tells you what to do” idea?

You can tell me “yes I just change some minor things and earn 50k euros for that” – well is fine, I don’t talk about the money, but about the principle and the fact that you shouldn’t define yourself anymore “indie”. You’re just another small development team, skilled as you want, but that have to take orders from someone… 😉