In principle this could work, but only if the names of things were always GAME NAME: PART, or GAME NAME: SEQUEL NAME, so that all related games stayed together. Currently some of mine seem to be split up. Even when they are near each other I can't tell which game comes first without going off and searching, e.g. Eador: Masters, or Eador: Genesis (the second one sounds like it would be the first game). Ones that do work well are Ishar, Ishar 2, Ishar 3.
The ordering of games in some series isn't working - Drod comes after Drod 2 and Drod 3 on the shelf.
I am also seeing things in my game list I don't recognise, such as "CRYSTALS OF ARBOREA" - clicking on the game gives me files to download but the game name is not a link to a store page that tells me more about it, meaning I'll have to Google the game name to find out if it is part of a series, and which games come first.
Actually, that seems to be standard for the unbundled games - the game name doesn't go to a store page, it isn't a link at all e.g. HEROES CHRONICLES [CHAPTER 1] - WARLORDS OF THE WASTELAND. I can't tell if the Heroes Chronicles games (8 on my shelf now) are related to Heroes of Annihiliated Empires, and if so, should I play them first or after HoAE (since they are listed before it on my shelf, suggesting they came out first).
I have three Tropico games - one has an image called Tropico Pirate Cove, but clicking on it gives the name Tropico 2 (btu again, doesn't link to a store page). There are other examples. So is Tropico Pirate Cove the middle game in the trilogy, or a spin-off of 1 or 3?
To summarise, I think my issue is that:
1> Unbundled games should all be next to each other on the shelf (even if that involves renaming them after the game the relate to), and in the order they were released. Otherwise, looking at my shelf of over 100 unplayed games, many bought years ago and with no rememberance of why I bought it or what games it relates to, I feel like I have to do research to make sure I am playing a game in order. What was simple before becomes a chore.
2> Unbundled games should still link to the store page/description when you click on it, to help with identifying what bundle it came in, and what order to play things in. Since clicking on a game image only shows you the download files, we need _something_ else to identify if this is a standalone game or part of a bundle/series, and what the game is about. It doesn't help to click in the image and just see "windows installer" "manual" etc.
My conclusion: I don't mind the games being unbundled though I was happy with it as it used to be, and probably would have preferred it to stay that way, so that the way I buy it is the same way it appears on the shelves, instead of a single purchase blooming into many fragments. Still, if something could be tweaked to help with 1 and 2 above, so individual games in a series weren't broken up and leaving me confused as to what to play first, that would help. (Or just an option to disable the unbundling).
---[A few days later]
AARGH! I just went to download some unbundled games such as Starflight 1 and 2. Downloaded everything for both games, put them in separate folders - then found that I had downloaded everything twice unnecessarily, because even though there are two entries on my shelf now, one for each game, the actual files you download are identical. That's just a mess and a waste of time.
Post edited April 05, 2015 by kdgog
