Astromarine
Angry Cunt
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 2211
Location: Switzerland
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 Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:42 am Post subject: Hammer and Sickle Review: HAMMERTIME! |
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[ Review ]
From Russia with love, it's the OFFICIAL TacticularCancer review of Nival and Co.'s Tactical Turn-Based RPG Strategy thingamajig.
Read: Hammer and Sickle Review: HAMMERTIME! |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:45 am Post subject: |
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| I also should've mentioned the game is only 20 bucks. 20 bucks! Same with Silent Storm Gold, so if you haven't bought either now's your chance to experience some complete rockage for only 40 bucks! |
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:47 am Post subject: |
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I just bought it last week. So probably no GC2 for me anytime soon. Economics and all that.
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Tacticular Cancer - It's the magic of children
StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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Astromarine
Angry Cunt
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 2211
Location: Switzerland
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:48 am Post subject: |
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what the hell is my wonderfully-groomed mustache doing up there in the first post?
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Astro
"Go skate into an AIDS tree, motherfucker!"
- Louis CK |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:59 am Post subject: |
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Eh? You approved the content and it makes an automatic post in the content forum when you do that. You were logged in when you approved it so thus, the post was made yours. Chalk it up to internet magic I guess.
I'll make a newspost about it and then post some junk on blues news about it and chit. |
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:13 am Post subject: |
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I already submitted it to Blues, Shack, StrategyCore, and StrategyPlanet. But do it again if you're feeling lonely.
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Tacticular Cancer - It's the magic of children
StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:26 am Post subject: |
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Wow, you're a true blue Baby Arm  |
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LlamaGod
Messed with Texas
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 3127
Location: Yes
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:10 am Post subject: |
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When I was at the doctor awhile go, they had a drawer for 'baby arm wood splints', but part of the sticker was fading off so it was just a drawer labeled 'baby arm'.
I gave a hearty laugh and remembered our fond times before the war, before you stepped on that land mine and before I banged your widowed wife.
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TACTICULAR CANCER - We'll have your balls
tcancer(.)patrick(@)gmail.com, if you need to contact me about the website |
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:13 am Post subject: |
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She still talks about you.
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Tacticular Cancer - It's the magic of children
StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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Fresh
Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 1057
Location: Vault boy's secret hideout
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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Can you sell and buy weapons like in SS:S?
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"...so good even the Codex likes it!"
"There's no fool like an old fool - you can't beat experience." |
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Slaughter
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 94
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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Just posted it at StrategyCore. Good stuff! Looking forwards to trying the Novik&Co game modification 
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Greetings from Olav (Staff at StrategyCore.co.uk) |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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| !HyPeRbOy! wrote: | | Can you sell and buy weapons like in SS:S? |
Yes, but before that you need to get on good terms with an arms dealer. You don't have a base like in SS, so to speak, so you have to get medical treatment, weapons, and other stuff in all different places. |
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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The only weapon you need is the pickaxe.
BTW, since you mentioned time of day in the review, how important is stealth? Is it one of those things that seem all-important in the beginning and then becomes meaningless towards the end?
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StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Stealth can come in handy quite a few times, and it's nowhere near useless. Of course, you cannot sneak your way through the entire game, some combat is neccessary, but being even a bit sneaky can definitely help you out in the long run. |
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S4ur0n27
Joined: 21 Apr 2004
Posts: 382
Location: Outremont
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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Using stealth is just going the complicated way, though. I wish it was more often a viable way, and not always twice as hard than just sending your tank in.
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| baby arm wrote: | "There was in the first game, and it was the big IIIIIIIII SEEEEEE YOUUUUUU omgscarrey burning eye, too. He pops up on the field and does something to units around him."
That sounds like the Susan unit. It can see you on any forum and pop up and surround you with smilies before you know what hit you. |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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Did you even play the game, Susan? D:
If you went and charged headfirst into every battle, you were bound to get smacked like a little French muffin. Using stealth and diplomacy made the game a lot easier, especially when you had to get Fidel out of prison. It was much easier to smooth-talking my way in and be all ninja-like than fight the 20 or so heavily armed allied soldiers there. |
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S4ur0n27
Joined: 21 Apr 2004
Posts: 382
Location: Outremont
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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I was referring to SS D:
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Duck and Cover: THE site for all your Fallout needs
FIND LOVE AND DIE.
| baby arm wrote: | "There was in the first game, and it was the big IIIIIIIII SEEEEEE YOUUUUUU omgscarrey burning eye, too. He pops up on the field and does something to units around him."
That sounds like the Susan unit. It can see you on any forum and pop up and surround you with smilies before you know what hit you. |
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:53 am Post subject: |
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Slaughter ( ) over at StrategyCore pointed out 2 more Hammer & Sickle reviews. One, at Armchair Empire, gives it 5.5 out of 10. The other, at Gameplay Monthly, is a little more generous with an 8.1 score.
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StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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Naked_Lunch
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Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 5380
Location: Norway, 1967
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Cons wrote: |
- Long enemy turns in turn-based battles |
You can change the turn length (animation speed) via a slider in the options menus.
| Quote: | | - Management of inventories between party members |
Hmm, I actually agree here a bit. I had some slowdowns and jittering when trading stuff between party members, but it's not really that big of a deal.
| Quote: | | - Lack of goals, hints or direction on what to do |
I think I've gone over this enough.
| Quote: | | - Camera adjustments and angles are annoying |
It's a free floating camera, you can move it around. I don't know how you could have a problem with it unless you're mentally handicapped.
| Quote: | | - Battle strategy and dynamics have little to do with skill |
Yes, of course there's a small manner of luck involved - right place at the right time, random ToHit rolls et cetera - but to say it has little to do with a player's strategical skills (or character skills for that matter) is just plain moronic. This isn't Diablo where you can just plow through everything, dammit. This game requires a brain! I guess this is just code for "This game is too tough! We're a bunch of pussies who can't handle it because we've been raised on hand-holding easy cheese games!" |
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LlamaGod
Messed with Texas
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 3127
Location: Yes
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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Fuck, why do people have so many problems using something other than a fixed camera?
I enjoyed the Silent Storm engine's camera alot, it's free to move and I can view whatever whenever. It's like having a table top with minitures units and being able to walk and look around from many different angles and stuff, except not as much of a waste as actually doing so.
You can even go into First Person with that camera.
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TACTICULAR CANCER - We'll have your balls
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voodoo1man
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Posts: 568
Location: Icy Highlands of Canada
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| Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:57 am Post subject: |
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| Naked_Lunch wrote: | | Quote: | | - Lack of goals, hints or direction on what to do |
I think I've gone over this enough." |
I am really surprised at all the complaining people do about having to think and decide for themselves in a videogame. How do they manage real life?
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Diogo Ribeiro
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 5587
Location: Lisboa, Portugal
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| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not sure that the problem is using the camera itself, but really just the angles. I remember playing Silent Storm and often finding myself unable to see a location in a given map because the camera would lock against some barrier or lock into a perspective which didn't allow me to see things clearly. An example would be the very last level where the terrorist organization is about to launch their missile, I had to rotate and adjust the camera dozens of times because of this. It's not always that bad though.
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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I have a similar problem in H & S. The camera angle gets moved around during enemy turns, sometimes in nonsensical ways. It's a minor annoyance because I can always put it back where I want it.
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StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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Diogo Ribeiro
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 5587
Location: Lisboa, Portugal
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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Something I forgot to ask about Hammer and Sickle: does it ship with an editor like Silent Storm?
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Jason
chasing a bee
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 8953
Location: baby arm fantasy island
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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No, unless it's hidden away on one of the CDs. It certainly doesn't show up in the default installation.
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StrategyCore - I become expert
RPG Codex - some times you have to kill a few kids to get a good game |
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