Homeworld 2 is out!

Temjin · Post by **Temjin** » 2003-09-17 12:54am

WTF!!

You're telling me that if I were to buy this game, not only will I be paying $50-$60 on the game, but I'd have to pay an aditional $30 just to get most of the story details!

This not about being unable to fit the manual inside a tiny box. You can easily put a 200-300 page manual on a fucking .PDF! The money-grubbing fuckers just want to make more cash!

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-09-17 12:56am

Temjin wrote:WTF!!

You're telling me that if I were to buy this game, not only will I be paying $50-$60 on the game, but I'd have to pay an aditional $30 just to get most of the story details!

This not about being unable to fit the manual inside a tiny box. You can easily put a 200-300 page manual on a fucking .PDF! The money-grubbing fuckers just want to make more cash!

I agree, though supposedly they will be considering putting it up for download as well, but I don't know any details for that.

Axis Kast · Post by **Axis Kast** » 2003-09-17 01:27am

Ah, my apologies, but I thought you also had an Alienware laptop?

As for porting Homeworld 2, I doubt that it'll be ported to Macintosh anytime soon. It's running under Linux (SP only) at the moment, but Relic doesn't have the resources to do a simultaneous Mac/Windows release.

No. I have an Alienware desktop. I thought an Alienware laptop was attractive. I also own a Mac laptop.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-09-17 09:57am

Alienware desktop? Ugh, nice looking boxes but their markup is simply too high for what are essentially commodity parts.

What laptop do you have, btw?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-09-18 12:23am

I just got HW2 and it rocks.

The only thing better would be Homeworld on a 61" DLP HDTV

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-09-18 12:48am

phongn wrote:I just got HW2 and it rocks.

The only thing better would be Homeworld on a 61" DLP HDTV

*drools*

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2003-09-18 01:10am

Demo was good. Stable. Fun. Had maybe three crashes from point of release until yesterday.

Full Version. Boot to desktop. Three times. In under 45 minutes.

I think I've locked down the culprits responsible...I hope, but if not, well, there will be words. The kind of words that simulate being kicked in the crotch by steel-toed boots. These words will be directed at the people who should know the pain they have inflicted on me.

The Storyline, just going by the demo, sucks in comparison to HW1. Alex Garden is no longer in charge, the writers seem to be completely different, so on and so forth. However, this is compared to HW1, which is the holy grail of RTS games when it comes to storyline. Standalone, it's pretty good. Not really good (hell, C&C and WC kept better continuity than the entire HW series, even including Red Alert...) but good enough not to toss away. Sadly, this is the trend in Homeword games. Catacylsm made me feel pretty much the same way (though it was by far a more delayed reaction).

Gameplay is ultimately what will make or break the game, and so far, it's pretty solid. The lack of multiplayer modes is certainly disturbing, but we can hope that will be fixed shortly. Some other things can get annoying. Cycling through your building ships gets really bothersome after you've built a supercap, for example. Worse yet is discovering that you can't build anything with that shiny new Vagyr carrier (or MOTHERSHIP) you just captured (if you're Hiigaran, at least). Also, is it too much to ask for the instructions for using the Vagyr hypergates IN THE MANUAL so that people aren't stuck trying to figure it out for themselves? Yes, it's easy once you know how to do it, but it's bloody frustrating trying to find the activation trigger! (there isn't one, just right click on one hypergate when you have another selected, for 1000 RU it forms a handy little bridge)

Overall, a good game. Online play looks to be quite fun, even in the limited form we've been handed on release.

Sierra sucks ass, we have it to blame for the manual and tech support fiasco both. Sierra deserves a collective tabasco nuclear sauce enema.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2003-09-18 07:16am

Relic have realy screwed the game over with HW2. In terms of the storyline. Which isn't surprising as the guy responsable for HW and Cats stories was fired/left. I loved Homeworlds Story. I also realy liked Cats. It was a logical continuation.

But homeworld 2 has screwed it totaly. Its taken enromous liberties with the Homeworld story and technology. Its more or less totaly ignored Cataclysm for some stupid pety reason. Arg. Annoying!

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-09-18 10:20am

As noted earlier, the story will be released online for free, IIRC - or at least that's what I'm hearing on the RelicNews forums. Mod tools will also be released soonish.

EU regulations require the "DVD Box" size rather than the traditional full-sized box. A PDF would have been nice, though.

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-09-18 10:50am

phongn wrote:I just got HW2 and it rocks.

The only thing better would be Homeworld on a 61" DLP HDTV

Wow. Pwned, as they say.

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2003-09-18 11:25am

Looks like they have one of those Accent Home Theater PC cases too. Jealous and more jealous

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-09-18 12:21pm

I think I'll pass on this one. From the reviews I've read, it's little more than a Homeworld 1, with the same models etc, but improved engine

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2003-09-18 12:47pm

Slartibartfast wrote:I think I'll pass on this one. From the reviews I've read, it's little more than a Homeworld 1, with the same models etc, but improved engine

Which is exactly what the developers intended.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-09-18 01:02pm

Kamakazie Sith wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:I think I'll pass on this one. From the reviews I've read, it's little more than a Homeworld 1, with the same models etc, but improved engine
Which is exactly what the developers intended.

Gee, so it wasn't an accident? Anyway it's irrelevant. It's boring, not enough "new" stuff. Maybe "Homeworld V2.0"

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-09-18 01:21pm

Slartibartfast wrote:I think I'll pass on this one. From the reviews I've read, it's little more than a Homeworld 1, with the same models etc, but improved engine

It's Homeworld-style gameplay, but improved in many areas (though some would argue that various steps are in the wrong direction). The models aren't the same, either. The screenshots do not do this game justice, it has to be seen in motion to be truly appreciated.

The game was never intended to be groundbreaking like HW1 was, but it's still quite fun.

In other news, I just got a used copy of Alpha Centauri and TA

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-18 01:22pm

Slartibartfast wrote:I think I'll pass on this one. From the reviews I've read, it's little more than a Homeworld 1, with the same models etc, but improved engine

Only in the same respect that Red Alert 2 is little more than Red Alert 1 with an improved engine.

The HW2 gameplay is quite a bit different IMHO.

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2003-09-18 02:02pm

Slartibartfast wrote:
Kamakazie Sith wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:I think I'll pass on this one. From the reviews I've read, it's little more than a Homeworld 1, with the same models etc, but improved engine
Which is exactly what the developers intended.
Gee, so it wasn't an accident? Anyway it's irrelevant. It's boring, not enough "new" stuff. Maybe "Homeworld V2.0"

That's right. Basically everyone liked the first Homeworld, so they gave the game a touch up in graphics, sound, and made improvements to the interface. (Though some would argue that those modifications were in the wrong direction)

You should at least try the demo.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-09-18 02:06pm

Maybe I'll try the demo, but the gamerevolution review wasn't very flattering.