TITLE: Moonbase Commander and why I love it AUTHOR: Jim9137 DATE: 11/22/2004 08:52:00 ip. ----- BODY:

[editor's note: MP stands for multiplayer] Well, I just had one of the best multiplayer experience in ages. It was full of drama, tough luck, cheerful moments and bittersweet victories and losses. The game in question is Moonbase Commander. "What is it? Why is it good? Should I care?" one might ask. Well, for starters, its turn-based strategy game. Hum hum hum. Right, still here? Goodie. It is about moonbases, quite fitting I might add, and conquering planets with help of various bombs, missiles, emp's, viruses and what have you. What is great thing about that I just love it? Doesn't this sound like an ordinary RTS game? It takes bloody skill. I don't mean who has the fastest mouse, though. The skill of recognizing different situations, and the ability to be flexible. "My plan bombed? Fine! I have 6 in my sleeves!" et cetera et cetera. Well, to continue on the game description. You have one hub in start. If this gets killed, so will you. So, you launch more hubs and buildings to expand your small colony. They are connected with cords, and the cords cant over lap. But ah, the building is a bit of skill itself. You must launch them, in order to build em, in worms style. Surely is more challenging than the ordinary point and click eh? Well, because the cords can't over lap, it gives one hub possibility to support only 6 or so buildings in corresponding directions. And because you have to launch them, placing can be bit difficult. "This sucks! I just launched a building but it went bonkers and I cant delete it!" Sure you can! You only have to but reclaim on it... By launching, yes, you got it now. The game, even with all the wonders of building, revolves around combat though. You'll be wrestling to get those energy pools- "WAIT WHAT POOLS?"- oh ehehe, well, building and attacking costs energy naturally. You are only given 7 energy start, just enough for one hub or few smaller things. Normally this 7 will be given you in every rounds start, but if you have energy hubs, and especially near energy pools, you get more. So, back to the combat. You have lots of weapons, which seem to be similar to each other, but all behave differently. Virus disables buildings, and damages them. And of course spreads, like any virus should, along the cords. Kinda nasty when opponent has huge complex base. You can also aim the cords themselves, with spike. Very useful if the shield youre after is connected appropriately long cord. Shield? Well, its just shield that protects you about anything... Or so you think. Crawler are little car things that explode like a nuke! And ignore AA and Shields. AA? Well, it can destroy one airborne target per round. Missiles are your normal homing missiles, and EMP disables everything. Mines work against crawlers, but cluster bombs are very handy against them. Bomb is just bomb, but its also dirt cheap. Its complex paper-scissors-rock game, really. "PAPER-SCISSORS-ROCK GAME? I HAVE BEEN READIN THIS SHIT FOR "&¤&#%"/ FOR FU#¤&#% P-S-R GAME?"%¤&!" First, calm down. Lets look at average multiplayer FPS. Usually you have only one way to win, kill eachother. Well, usually and usually, actually always. "BUT BUT ET AND UH DOD AND!" Ah, but are the really that complex? How many times you actually plan stuff ahead? How many times you have said to yourself "maybe I should go to that corridor instead of this one to flank that bastard and maybe even radio for backup"? Never? Guessed as much. My only problem with FPS's is that they don't provide any alternatives to the plain old "Run around and press LMB if evil peep comes to crosshairs. Maybe wave the mouse a bit." Well, UT2k* tried something, but as I can tell its pretty much Team Deathmatch with vehicles. Not that I hate blowing few peeps out of the face of the earth with a redeemer. Then there is Tribes. This has novel game idea, why wont give the players a base and few dozens of options to upgrade themselves, and few rides too? WRONG! It always ends up in despairish bombing runs, while the others drive with tanks like chickens without head. Its really the one with the fastest jetpack skiing who will take the flag. One of the reasons why this is, is the difficulty to communicate. Typing in midst of firefight isnt exactly intuitive. Microphones will help, but there will be hilarious when little girl screams "PWNED" while being a bloody hulky marine. Predefined radio commands? Well, they usually lack crucial radio stuff, or just collapse to their complexity to use. Not that anyone would use them, in any case. Then there is the only purely for fun made multiplayer games, mainly racing games. Like Re-Volt. Whee. To end this longish blog post, I ask the game developers why they don't look at the games that are actually challenging, and try to make unique multiplayer ideas? I mean, combine Moonbase Commander with FPS. That would be so awesome. :D~

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