Gaming was and is still not that big on linux, this is though a bit of a shame, as it is supposedly quite fun to code. This is partially due to there being put a lot of effort into creating great apps and a very stable system, which we are all ofcourse very grateful for. Despite this there are a few games out there that are really fab.
netPanzer is one of them, it is a multiplayer game played across a server online with quite a lot of players being able to compete at the same time and in real-time.
The start-up menu is very green and military in appearance, but once you have figured it out, it is quite easy to access the various servers to play on and to get started. The game will start on a green plain and you will see that you have a small group of tanks placed in a square formation. Already from that point in time, you are in a state of war and nobody will have mercy on you for a mere second.
"...nobody will have mercy on you..."
The object of the game is to destroy the opposition or to capture the various bases, which are in reality factories that will produce much needed tanks for you. Tanks you will need in order to take over even more bases.
It is often done under difficult conditions, in which the amount of damage inflicted upon you and a time limit, being deciding factors.
The grapics are good considering that it is an online multiplayer game and I saw no hacking in the graphics, so it is also quite smooth. You can see and feel which textures are horrible to traverse in, meaning that there are no horrible stalls and surprises, like in some games.
Moving your tanks, can be done simply with a mouse or the keyboard and all the funktions can quickly be accesed in a little window at mere click of a button.
"...defeated after a mere 10 mins,..."
In every instance, in which I played it, I was defeated after a mere 10 mins, mainly because I am not that great a strategist. It is pure carnage, I thought in the start that there was a time differential between fiering a shot or a missile and it being rendered on screen, but no, my missiles and shots, came on command and the retaliation from the enemy was faster than I had anticipated.
I was destroyed. This is why I believe it is not that addictive, because you have to be good at strategy, in order to succede. It still holds something for people that love to see explosions, destruction and carnage(who does'nt).
"....it is a great idea not to upset anyone...."
Observe before you shoot. I would suggest that it is a great idea, not to upset anyone too much by blowing them up or the like before you have found out exactly who is most disliked (this is quite often yourself) and then finding out how you can mount an offensive against them. I believe this will make you a bit more popular, meaning that you can possibly survive long enough to celebrate a victory.
Like any other great game, there are always improvements that could be made.
later editions would be better if they had more textures, environments, buildings and tanks, this would make it more addictive and more interesting. It would also be great if there was a graphical intro and some in game (atmospheric) music, that you can turn on and off with ease. There is neither the great social interaction of most online games and it would be great if there were some bonuses, like emoticons or tiny images of participants in the chat window.
It is GNU and everyone can help in with making this game better, lots of improvements will no doubt come in the near future.
It is avalible in several flavours of linux, mac and windows.
I give this game 3 out 5 slightly evil, but still cute, little penguins.
Good
- Easy to play and to get started.
- Smooth graphics, with explosions and carnage done in real-time.
- Plenty of action.
- You end up dying far too soon.
- A lot of waiting around trying not to get killed.
No comments:
Post a Comment