Game review -- and freebie
I've recently been playing Frozen Synapse, a turn-based online tactics game similar to Laser Squad Nemesis. Here are some initial thoughts (bearing in mind that the game is still in beta). Bonus: Due to their beta system, I have a free copy (Mac or PC) to give away to whoever asks first.
I have a huge fondness for turn-based tactics games -- the XCOM series of course, the more recent Laser Squad Nemesis, Jagged Alliance and so forth. But I don't play them much because I'm mostly a Mac user these days.
Frozen Synapse offers a number of unusual variations on the concept. The big ones are
Games where both players are online and active generally take ~5-10 minutes. Games where players are not online at the same time obviously take as long as it takes to get enough turns in (typical games run 8-10 turns). The system of no hitpoints and only four unit types, along with automatic last-sighted-location tracking, means that resuming an old game after a delay is fairly low impact -- there's no hidden state to remember.
On the whole, they seem to have decided to take the often overcomplicated turn-based-tactics genre and reduced it to its bare bones. The result has some weird wrinkles -- which is why it's still beta, I guess -- but is on the whole successful and shows a great deal of promise.
I have a huge fondness for turn-based tactics games -- the XCOM series of course, the more recent Laser Squad Nemesis, Jagged Alliance and so forth. But I don't play them much because I'm mostly a Mac user these days.
Frozen Synapse offers a number of unusual variations on the concept. The big ones are
- Like LSN, simultaneous ("WEGO") turns.
- Very simple game mechanics -- no hitpoints, relatively simple terrain, only four unit types and in many matches only one.
- Purely deterministic turn resolution -- there's no randomness and almost no arbitrary results. When A shoots at B, the game computes (and helpfully pops up for you) which has the advantage in various factors (cover, first sighting, etc.) and the higher score wins (by way of a slightly odd but usually unimportant timing mechanic).
- A fairly unique handling of the "who defends" asymmetry. In the "secure" game mode (the obligatory hold-this-territory mode), the players bid on territory to defend; whoever bids the larger area must defend it.
- A strangely hypnotic visual style -- schematic and minimalist without being ugly -- and nice ambient music.
Games where both players are online and active generally take ~5-10 minutes. Games where players are not online at the same time obviously take as long as it takes to get enough turns in (typical games run 8-10 turns). The system of no hitpoints and only four unit types, along with automatic last-sighted-location tracking, means that resuming an old game after a delay is fairly low impact -- there's no hidden state to remember.
On the whole, they seem to have decided to take the often overcomplicated turn-based-tactics genre and reduced it to its bare bones. The result has some weird wrinkles -- which is why it's still beta, I guess -- but is on the whole successful and shows a great deal of promise.