Demo's ??

[pad152]

Matrix is releasing a bunch of new games but it's really hard to tell what some of these games are like without a demo.

I own UV and plan to buy Witp, but I know what I'm getting with a Gary Grigsby game.

I hope Matrix will change it's policy on demo's so we can give some of them a try.

[U2]

Man you're gonna miss some GREAT games just because you can't try a demo. Why don't you read the forums or read the reviews???

[pad152]

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Man you're gonna miss some GREAT games just because you can't try a demo.
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At $50.00+ a pop - Yea!

[Fallschirmjager]

What games are you interested in?

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

I only want one game from Matrix Games.......

More Games!!!

Hey this is the information age man, demos are so 90's man.

Demo's are only fit for making computer mnagazines obscenely expensive.

Take Korsun Pocket for example.

Great wargame, but what can a person NOT learn from a day on the releated forum and scoping out the game's web site here?

What's a demo going to do for me really.

I either want it or not, and being able to run a stunted version isn't going to tell me anything worth the effort to make the demo.

When I am scoping out a game I want to know, will my machine run it. What battles are part of it. Difficulty level, online options. A few screen shots to give me a peak.

I can get all of that from some time online though.

Demos are a waste of resources, and a poor salespitch at best.

[gamewarden]

I was impressed with the 5 star rating for Korsun Pocket but I won't buy it unless I can play a demo.

[Belisarius]

Originally posted by gamewarden
I was impressed with the 5 star rating for Korsun Pocket but I won't buy it unless I can play a demo.

It's your own loss. Find a friend and try his game, then.

[U2]

Originally posted by Belisarius
It's your own loss.

Exactly.....he aint gonna be playing many new wargames for the next couple of years;)

[Pippin]

An interresting note I want to make. Sometimes demos can count against you. For example, when I tried the Sudden Strike Demo... it repeatedly crashed on our systems once you got halfway down the map.

A few rounds of that and I made up my mind about any future involvement with it.

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Not buying a game based solely on there being no demo is, well, a peculair attitude essentially.

Doesn't bother me though. Just means there is a better chance you won't get the last one before me hehe

[Fallschirmjager]

Originally posted by gamewarden
I was impressed with the 5 star rating for Korsun Pocket but I won't buy it unless I can play a demo.

You can download the entire arrdeans offensive by SSG online for free

Its basicly the same engine as you are going to get in KP
so if you like it then chances are you will like KP

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Ardennes sold me. I am mostly wanting to get Korsun Pocket just so I can get an XP cooperative copy of Ardennes hehe.

My biggest hope of course, is the Korsun Pocket design is a framework for more battles to come.

[Belisarius]

Originally posted by Les the Sarge 9-1
Ardennes sold me. I am mostly wanting to get Korsun Pocket just so I can get an XP cooperative copy of Ardennes hehe.

True, dat. TAO2 and XP are not a pretty match. :p

[gamewarden]

You can download the entire arrdeans offensive by SSG online for free

Its basicly the same engine as you are going to get in KP
so if you like it then chances are you will like KP

[gamewarden]

It's your own loss. Find a friend and try his game, then.

My main reason for playing a demo is to determine ifthe game will play in Zoom Text. I have macular degeration, a disease that clouds over the center of vision. Some games work with Zoom Text but most don't. I figure that if the demo works then the full game will.

[Fred98]

I have changed my view. I was once a fan of demos.

But a demo by its nature is a cut down version of a game – therefore many features are missing.

And it is a lot of work for a develop

And it is often released just before the final game is released – and the demo is always released before the first patch to the game. Therefore a demo can give a poor representation of a game.

Instead, we can now take screen shots of a game in action in a “movie” format.

Then you can watch a game in action and the developer can emphasise the important features in a game.

Such a movie would require a “pause” and a “go slow” function.

[U2]

I have changed my view. I was once a fan of demos.

But a demo by its nature is a cut down version of a game – therefore many features are missing.

And it is a lot of work for a develop

And it is often released just before the final game is released – and the demo is always released before the first patch to the game. Therefore a demo can give a poor representation of a game.

Instead, we can now take screen shots of a game in action in a “movie” format.

Then you can watch a game in action and the developer can emphasise the important features in a game.

Such a movie would require a “pause” and a “go slow” function.

That sounds really good. I am quite sure such a well made "movie" would help people get a feel as to what one can do with the game and how it plays

[Belisarius]

My main reason for playing a demo is to determine ifthe game will play in Zoom Text. I have macular degeration, a disease that clouds over the center of vision. Some games work with Zoom Text but most don't. I figure that if the demo works then the full game will.

Ahsee. My tip then would be to ask someone to test with the Zoom Text and report the result to you. I have no idea what the "Zoom Text" does (is it a standalone application or something that comes integrated with Windows?), but if it doesn't wreck KP I'm sure someone can test it?

[Voriax]

Hmm, gotta stick my spoon also into this soup..

There are demos and then there are Demos...remember the SP2 demo? It was so poor its a wonder anyone bought the game. It had..what..3-4 battles? I remember especially the Israeli vs Egyptians battle...quite an effort except the AI didn't do a thing You just had to locate the T-54's sitting in the middle of the desert and blast them away...

An opposite example was System Shock demo. It included the first level of the full game. And that level was a big one...easily couple hours to play it through. Nothing else was omitted from the full game except the other levels. Possibly about the best possible demo there can be.

As for the 'action movies'...many games have this sort of things nowadays. I personally give them about as much credibility I give to the gizmos sold in tv's 'shopping channel' programs - Zero.

Voriax

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

I likely speak for only myself and very few others, but to me a demo is only good for what does the game look like.

Frankly all I want to see is a few screen shots and a brief .pdf file explaining what the heck the game uses for justification of the game processes.

A quick over view of the games hardware expectations including minimum hardward before it simply will NOT run, and hardware required for a user to actually call the game "fun".

Maybe this will just sound outright arrogant (but some phrases can't avoid it unfortunately), but frankly I have played way to many wargames in way to many years. I just don't need a fully operational game demo to tell me if I will like it. I am not that dumb

Take Korsun Pocket for instance. I am sold on the game based entirely on screen shots and explanations of how it resolves the action. I don't actually need to see it running. The only piece to the puzzle left for me is commentary on how good the software is percieved. And currently it looks like everyone is more than willing to label it spectacular.