By Mark Asher on Monday, January 8, 2001 - 08:44 am:
"PopTop Software's Railroad Tycoon II won the 1999 Digital Crack Award for Most Addicting Game. We need a new drug. It might just be PopTop's Tropico, in which you can exploit your very own Third World country."
By Jason Lutes on Monday, January 8, 2001 - 10:22 pm:
I think more than any other game on the boards this year, I'm looking forward to Tropico. I love the RRT2 engine, and more and more I find myself seeking the "gaming grail" in this genre -- Where AI is a non-issue because the game is about negotiating a set of circumstances instead of beating an ostensibly equal AI opponent.
It's not "Man vs. Man," but more "Man vs. Nature" in the sense that it's you, the player, against the gameworld. Or with the gameworld, depending on your strategy.
This might be the point at which Steinmeyer breaks away from the pack. Molyneux did it long ago, but even though his games have been consistently innovative, I've never found them to be much fun. Steinmeyer, OTOH, seems to know how to design a highly playable and entertaining product (in some ways, for instance, I like HoMM II a lot more than HoMM III).
Whattawe got, till March or April? Not too long to wait...
By Mark Asher on Monday, January 8, 2001 - 10:35 pm:
"This might be the point at which Steinmeyer breaks away from the pack. Molyneux did it long ago, but even though his games have been consistently innovative, I've never found them to be much fun. Steinmeyer, OTOH, seems to know how to design a highly playable and entertaining product (in some ways, for instance, I like HoMM II a lot more than HoMM III)."
Hey, nice analysis! I should have used it in the preview! Where were you when I needed you! :)
Phil's games are always quite playable. I never played Iron Cross, but I've played all his other games and they're all quite good. He's one of the game designing stars.
By mtkafka on Wednesday, January 10, 2001 - 07:53 am:
This may be the underdog game for y2k1. . . it looks to be as engaging or even moreso than Railroad Tycoon 2. . . plus the RPG aspect of Tropico (based on screenshots) with choosing your previous profession ie. (professor, police chief, leftist writer!) is way cool.
as well i did like the RRT2 engine. . .for a strategy game, that engine is top notch!
etc