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ZWhat are some key things you want the dev, Tick Tock, to change?(17 posts)(17 posts)
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Posted July 05, 2014
I heard back from the publisher Kiss asking them to send ideas for change based on GOG.com reviews, and heard this back:

"The developer (Tick Tock) are monitoring the forums all the time and noting the comments. Rest assured, if it can be done it will be. Right now they are focussed on finishing Steel Soldiers for our end of month ship."

What do you believe are some crucial changes Tick Tock should try to make?
Posted July 05, 2014
high rated
well, pretty much everything. To the point where I believe they won't make it or else they would have done so already

-AI and pathfinding have to be exactly like in the old game
-controls need to be absolutely identical to the old game
-no lag
-difficulty has to be 100% the same as in the old game
-multiplayer
-old interface has to be included and made optional
-proper widescreen support
-fix all the bugs that shouldn't be there in the first place (invisible buildings, units stuck in front of bridges, etc.)

I'm really wondering why they didn't just re-release the old dos game with dosbox. This release adds absolutely NOTHING of value and only removes basic features like multiplayer. It strikes me as odd from a business perspective to be honest...
Post edited July 05, 2014 by d3vilsadvocate
Posted July 05, 2014
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d3vilsadvocate: well, pretty much everything. To the point where I believe they won't make it or else they would have done so already

-AI and pathfinding have to be exactly like in the old game
-controls need to be absolutely identical to the old game
-no lag
-difficulty has to be 100% the same as in the old game
-multiplayer
-old interface has to be included and made optional
-proper widescreen support
-fix all the bugs that shouldn't be there in the first place (invisible buildings, units stuck in front of bridges, etc.)

I'm really wondering why they didn't just re-release the old dos game with dosbox. This release adds absolutely NOTHING of value and only removes basic features like multiplayer. It strikes me as odd from a business perspective to be honest...
Hi, Pathfinding and crossing bridges could also be quite funny in the original and the Win95 version (e.g. tanks going back and forth a couple of times before actually crossing the bridge in question) - as well as things like vehicles parking a millimetre away from a flag and still showing no inclination to actually capture the sector. Nevertheless, I had the impression that the computer opponent plays tougher in the old versions (just played a couple of Z95 levels). Cheers
Posted July 05, 2014
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d3vilsadvocate: I'm really wondering why they didn't just re-release the old dos game with dosbox. This release adds absolutely NOTHING of value and only removes basic features like multiplayer. It strikes me as odd from a business perspective to be honest...
Legal issues of some sort. I asked Kiss about bringing the original, and what they wrote back was this:

"We have looked into [bringing the original game], but I am afraid we have been unable to get the rights to the original source code."

I wondered and wrote back asking if they could license the published game (as you said, with DOSBox) rather than the original source code, but didn't really receive a response on that subject. (Maybe you can't have one without the other. :P)

It's an interesting pattern b/c we haven't received any of Bitmap Brothers original games, only ports or remakes.
Post edited July 05, 2014 by tfishell
Posted July 05, 2014
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d3vilsadvocate: I'm really wondering why they didn't just re-release the old dos game with dosbox. This release adds absolutely NOTHING of value and only removes basic features like multiplayer. It strikes me as odd from a business perspective to be honest...
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tfishell: Legal issues of some sort. I asked Kiss about bringing the original, and what they wrote back was this:

"We have looked into [bringing the original game], but I am afraid we have been unable to get the rights to the original source code."

I wondered and wrote back asking if they could license the published game (as you said, with DOSBox) rather than the original source code, but didn't really receive a response on that subject. (Maybe you can't have one without the other. :P)

It's an interesting pattern b/c we haven't received any of Bitmap Brothers original games, only ports or remakes.
it always amazed me that there never was any CD compilation with the Bitmap Brothers Amiga classics. They could probably have made a fortune with it. (I for one would have bought it ;-).)
Posted July 05, 2014
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patricklibuda: it always amazed me that there never was any CD compilation with the Bitmap Brothers Amiga classics. They could probably have made a fortune with it. (I for one would have bought it ;-).)
But there was.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pc-game-bitmap-brothers-compilation-/231252496482?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item35d7b91062
Posted July 05, 2014
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patricklibuda: it always amazed me that there never was any CD compilation with the Bitmap Brothers Amiga classics. They could probably have made a fortune with it. (I for one would have bought it ;-).)
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korell: But there was.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pc-game-bitmap-brothers-compilation-/231252496482?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item35d7b91062
in that case the jerks did not exactly make a song and dance about it ;-) Dear Mike and the lads, maybe a re-release might be called for...
Posted July 05, 2014
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korell: But there was.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pc-game-bitmap-brothers-compilation-/231252496482?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item35d7b91062
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patricklibuda: in that case the jerks did not exactly make a song and dance about it ;-) Dear Mike and the lads, maybe a re-release might be called for...
There was actually another release of the compilation but it lost Cadaver so was just four games - Speedball 2, Xenon 2, Gods and Magic Pockets. That's the one that I knew about (from some years ago now) but I couldn't find it on the internet anymore, but found the original compilation instead. I think the guys who sold them (Crucial Entertainment) are now defunct as their website doesn't exist now.
Posted July 06, 2014
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tfishell: It's an interesting pattern b/c we haven't received any of Bitmap Brothers original games, only ports or remakes.
So...Z: Steel Soldiers will be a remake? If that's the case - likely it won't work on XP as well...Damn :-(

I try to be realistic: not likely they will add XP support. My only hope is that GOG makes Z a linux-compatibile game.
Post edited July 06, 2014 by tburger
Posted July 06, 2014
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tburger: So...Z: Steel Soldiers will be a remake? If that's the case - likely it won't work on XP as well...Damn :-(

I try to be realistic: not likely they will add XP support. My only hope is that GOG makes Z a linux-compatibile game.
Steam lists XP as supported for both Z and Z: Steel Soldiers (I haven't tried Z on XP to see if this is the case).
Posted July 06, 2014
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tburger: So...Z: Steel Soldiers will be a remake? If that's the case - likely it won't work on XP as well...Damn :-(

I try to be realistic: not likely they will add XP support. My only hope is that GOG makes Z a linux-compatibile game.
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Arkose: Steam lists XP as supported for both Z and Z: Steel Soldiers (I haven't tried Z on XP to see if this is the case).
Yes I know. But it seems they don't really check if that is true. I was so hot on this game I bought a copy here without even checking XP compability. But it doesn't even start. GOG guys say that it is not DirectX issue so ...theoretically it should run on XP.
Posted July 06, 2014
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d3vilsadvocate: -AI and pathfinding have to be exactly like in the old game
-controls need to be absolutely identical to the old game
-no lag
-difficulty has to be 100% the same as in the old game
-multiplayer
-old interface has to be included and made optional
-proper widescreen support
-fix all the bugs that shouldn't be there in the first place (invisible buildings, units stuck in front of bridges, etc.)
The only thing I can add to this list is:
-include the eleven new levels and the map editor from the Win95 expansion
Posted July 06, 2014
This doesn't make sense... if they don't have the rights to the original source code, on what sort of code is this release based then? On some reverse-engineering stunt? On beta code?

This whole thing is fishy tbh...
Posted July 07, 2014
I found an issue with the crane on Level 14. Whenever I try to repair the bridge north of my fortress, the game crashes. And I do mean everytime. Must be game-related rather than random.

Oh yeah, and the unit portraits are messed up. Psychos look like Pyro/Laser, Lasers look like Snipers and Snipers look like Psychos.
Posted July 08, 2014
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tfishell: I heard back from the publisher Kiss asking them to send ideas for change based on GOG.com reviews, and heard this back:

"The developer (Tick Tock) are monitoring the forums all the time and noting the comments. Rest assured, if it can be done it will be. Right now they are focussed on finishing Steel Soldiers for our end of month ship."

What do you believe are some crucial changes Tick Tock should try to make?
Theres a very good forum where lots of z issues and work has been carried out and is worth 'Tick Tock' contacting to see how to resolve these issues.
http://zzone.lewe.com/forum/

I had z95 plus the 20 levels expansion running on my win 7 but recently lost my files!
Its a great game and I hope they can get it working as irt should. I'd really like to see it with the expansion 20 levels added to make it worth while.
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ZWhat are some key things you want the dev, Tick Tock, to change?(17 posts)(17 posts)
(17 posts)