Republic: Lessons to be learned?

[Ish]

Before someone moves this to the PC thread - let me just say that I don't want to discuss Republic specifically. More how, I think, it perhaps highlights two potential pitfalls in terms of game development.

And before I get lambasted for this - I'm in no way suggesting its an awful game. Its just that from what I've read (and on what most reviews seem to agree on) it looks like it serves as a rather striking example of the above (I'm tempted to buy it just to confirm my suspicions).

And I say again - I'm going on what I've read and heard of the finished game.



Firstly: Not having a clue where your going when you start

Anyone else remember the early days (its a long time ago!!) of this title. It was all 'look at our whizzy' graphics. Infinite polygon engines. All very clever. And Elixir seem to have delivered on there promise of high technology. From what I've seen it certainly looks pretty chipper.

But.... all that technology is basically undeeded. Instead you spend most of your time playing the game on a top down map. Occasionally (and optionally in most cases) just dipping into the 3d engine to 'watch' events.

Given its subject matter (and I applaud Elixir for trying something different) it was always going to be a niche market who were interested. And its the niche market that is most likely to overlook stodgy or less than cutting edge graphics (Civ 3, Galactiv Empires, Alpha Centauri etc.).

It seems that if Elixir had thought up front about what they actually intended to deliver in terms of gameplay they could have saved themselves a lot of time. And a lot of money.

And this leads me onto my second point.

Having a relatively inexperienced bod in charge

I'm not knocking Demis Hassabis. The guy quite clearly has a brain the size of a planet. He's a smart bloke no doubt. And the Theme Park concept was superb - so he has imagination too. And that was seen (very successfully) through to completion.

But he's really not worked on that many commercial games. And, as far as I know, other than at Elixir he's never headed game design (working with Molyneux previously right?).

Mistakes have obviously been made during Republic's torturous development cycle which perhaps could have been avoided by having a more experienced lead (though credit to him - it doesn't seem to have turned into another Daikatana!).



As I say I've not played this yet and I'm no longer sure I will. Just read a fair bit as it was on my list of things to watch. If someone has played it I'd be interested in hearing if they agree with my third hand summary of things.

[scottcr]

I really am quite intriguied by republic, a turn based political strategy game. I loved games like Armageddon Man and Yes Prime Minister on the humble speccy and we don't see enough games of this genre anymore... too many war based RTS. I want some political intrique and skullduggery... as a result, I may pick up Republic anyway...

[Magnakai]

I played a little at my cousin's. It seemed quite interesting. It struck me as being a little like a real time board game. It's almost turn based, but with time limited turns. I quite liked it, from what I played.

[DjSatansfury]

The 3d engine and the processes are too much for my pc to take, it will run, but its not worth playing.

As for the delays, the excuse Eidos gave for last months delay, was that "they needed to add a tutorial, due to user testing/feedback"

The only problem with that, is the tutorial is utter ****e, and refers you back to the manual all the time, making it utterly void and pointless (Its a slight visual benefit, if you can call it a benefit)


But the ideas behind it seem sound.

[angel]

i cant imagine the thing actually making a profit though, which is surely the point.

imo tightly focused games that take 2 years max are the way forward, with a few allowable exceptions from companies who'v made their money ie: valve. republic is the brit daikatana albeit a better game.

[Destrukticor]

while the graphics are very nice and the sense of ambience is high you start with absolutely no clue about what to do and where to go.

The tutorial is an absolute joke it teaches you nothing other than you should read the manual.

Not a bad game once you get in but man o man does it take time to get into through trial and error.