Re: The Will of Atai: Complete
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:25 pm
Critical Aspects
-> YES - Campaign's storyline is between Starcraft 1 and Starcraft 2.
Comments related to the direct scoring
===TEXT
-> + Few text mistakes
-> + Grammar seems fine overall
-> + Text properly formatted for reading
-> + Text modified properly to fit the characters' speech.
-> - Some negligence at updating mission objectives (player might not remember what to do in second part, etc.)
-> - Fourth wall breaking (shouldn't considering characters ties with some official story characters)
Note : "Fourth wall breaking" implies when a game character talks openly to the player and/or is aware that he is a game character rather than believing to be a real person in its own story.
===PROFESSIONAL
-> + Extra sounds are added (although can sometimes sound very odd)
-> + Have a credits section especially for music sources (although lacks campaign creator's name)
-> + Decent thread updates with screenshots and videos
===TRIGGERING
-> + Good overall and functional overall.
-> + Use of switches and locations
-> + Commented Triggers
-> + Best use of hyper triggers I have seen
-> + Triggered special hero abilities
-> - Obvious negligence/laziness in some triggering aspects (no loading of the next map, quite a few heroes can just die without defeat, no mission objectives updating)
-> - One critical bug (although unlikely to happen)
===MAPPING - LAYOUT
-> + The layout seems very good overall.
-> + Had no trouble maneuvering the maps.
===MAPPING - BEAUTY
-> + Okay overall (looks okay but can look often rushed and plain)
-> - Some doodads were put but lacks doodads in general
===Brownie Points
Note : This doesn't influence directly the scores but might improve it
-> + First version released 1 week before schedule (considering the beta one)
-> + Clearly different campaign
-> + Achievement points system
-> + Passable voices (although it would clearly need more work on it)
-> + Interesting boss battles
-> + Custom music
===Drawbacks (outside the score system)
-> Voices lacked volume (can't be hard to hear especially with other sounds)
-> Lacks some explanations at times
-> Quite a few annoying minor details
===INDIVIDUAL MAPS=====
GENERAL
Suggestion : There should be a readme or extra map with the different achievements possible and how to reach them.
Note : I decided to ignore any capitalization of "zerg" and equivalent mentions and such considering that it seems it's fine otherwise.
Issue : More efforts should have been made to update mission objectives in addition of loading the next map when the first one is done.
MAP 0 (PRELUDE)
Odd : Looks odds when units and ships clusters up with the arrival of the zerg.
Odd : Jack's portrait don't stay up when he stays.
MAP 1
Complain : Lack of music warning when the campaign uses custom music.
Complain : Does the Protoss even have a "Lord" status (for Lord Finn)? Espacially considering that the character in question has ties with Tassadar (thus likely with the Protoss ranking system).
Typo (Mission) : In achievements, 10 + 40 = 50 (while it's written 40 as total instead of 50).
MAP 2
Praise : Kane's new abilities in addition of the gas hyper triggers are probably one of the main features that makes this campaign very interesting.
Issue : No message when a hero dies (just a game defeat). If I permitted it in map #1 since there was only two units, in map #2 it's much less excusable due to having an army and the hero can die in the chaos of battle).
Suggestion : Would be nice to tell the player to use CTRL+1 when Kane is selected and CTRL+2 when the ability building is selected to easily hit the 1 and 2 keys to switch between the two.
Issue : Unit Unplacable (Spell Effect) can be seen (although a bit hard to do otherwise and considering how the battle abilities can be used everywhere).
Bug : Unit Unplacable (Cerebrate Kirin) can be seen (when Kane is just below it after killing it)
Typo (Briefing) : "ofAtai" instead of "of Atai"
MAP 3
Bug : Possible to get any of the three controlled heroes killed without a defeat. Even if they are unlikely to die, there should be triggers about them anyway.
Issue : Mission Objectives doesn't include Lord Finn's survival (since it's in the past and he appears in the campaign's initial present thus he is supposed to stay alive).
Issue : The Ganthithor unit speaks yet you see Jack's portrait (after going to the beacon).
Bug : Possible to destroy the Ganthithor after it appears at no defeat (it should be invincible).
MAP 4
Odd : If Kane loses all his 10 "lives", his hero unit should be killed prior the defeat.
Complain : "Lives" can be misleading thus should be renamed "Missile Shield" or something that might not imply that Kane can die normally and be auto-revived without one of those "lives".
Suggestion : At the beginning of the map and in-between battles, it might be nice to get 100 gas instantly to avoid waiting a bit to get it back fully.
Critical : In the beginning, it is possible to "kill warp" into the first beacon to trigger the first boss battle yet stay stuck in the cave preventing the completion of the map. However I admit that it's kind of intentional plus can just reload the map.
Suggestion : Might want to have 2 pylons instead of one to have 16 psi instead of 8 to use 3+ special abilities at once.
Bug : Unplacable unit (Cerebrate Zakat) seen after killing it and moving Kane under.
Issue : Considerable text dislocation of Jiinsh's name in the dialog after he is eaten.
MAP 5
Odd : In the briefing, Raynor looks odd at using the dialog of "should have stayed in bed this morning" in this specific case. Probably you could have used another of Jim's dialog and change the rest of your dialogs to fit better instead of Raynor looking half-stupid.
Issue : "Why there is a countdown timer?" is the first "fourth wall breaking" seen. Could have been avoided easily (make it narrative instead of spoken).
Issue : Same issue as above about the information regarding Thulera's forms of Templar and Zealot.
Issue : Sorry but you don't tell a player to remember the story in terms of objectives if there are new ones. You clearly state any new objectives.
Odd : Hero carriers should have a different name than "Ganthithor" (even look more odd when there are four of them).
Odd : Cerebrate Kull's custom dying sound sounds more like a baby crying while falling down a high building rather than a cerebrate's dying death.
Issue : Mission Objectives SHOULD update about getting rid of Lord Finn when it comes to the second part of the map (since some might believe they must destroy his whole base instead).
Issue : On second part, should remove science vessels on the map + leaving heroes from the bottom-middle center views choices.
Bug : Thulera's Templar form can be killed without a defeat.
Typo (Mission) : "thouand" instead of "thousand" (Said by Kull)
Typo (Mission) : "warrios" instead of "warriors" (Said by Lord Finn)
MAP 6
Complain : In the briefing, quite a bit of delay between ATAI's last words to Kane and Kane's self-speech.
Odd : The sound played when showing the appearances of the Khala is quite odd.
Issue : Even more fourth wall breaking when Kane speaks about saving the game.
Complain : Should have kept the stargate's unit name from map #2 that semi-describe the abilities.
Complain : While most of the voices can be okay, Zakat's voice is simply too bad however.
Issue : Unplacable Unit (Zakat's Brood) can be seen.
Complain : Zakat uses slowdown a bit too often and/or lasts too long giving a serious handicap when you want to be nearby Zakat to cast the corsair ability.
Issue : The new abilities aren't explained much which leads to some confusion especially about the shuttle ability.
Bug : For some reason, killing the lesser and greater spire buildings cause defilers to show mostly below-left of Kane and follow it instantly all the time. It causes Kane to have serious trouble to move down afterward until he uses his reaver ability.
Issue : LOTS of "Unit Unplacable (Terran Valkyrie) right after killing Zakat (I think it even froze Starcraft for 1 or 2 second).
MAP 7
Praise : Credit section with detailed music sources
Complain : Lack of campaign author's name in credits
Bug : For some reason, the two friendly ghosts shoot each other when the hydralisks start attacking.
Complain : Zerg invasion should be more swift considering it is a "filler" between the credit parts.
Typo : "sittin" instead of "sitting" or "sittin' " (due to character's speech)
-> YES - Campaign's storyline is between Starcraft 1 and Starcraft 2.
Comments related to the direct scoring
===TEXT
-> + Few text mistakes
-> + Grammar seems fine overall
-> + Text properly formatted for reading
-> + Text modified properly to fit the characters' speech.
-> - Some negligence at updating mission objectives (player might not remember what to do in second part, etc.)
-> - Fourth wall breaking (shouldn't considering characters ties with some official story characters)
Note : "Fourth wall breaking" implies when a game character talks openly to the player and/or is aware that he is a game character rather than believing to be a real person in its own story.
===PROFESSIONAL
-> + Extra sounds are added (although can sometimes sound very odd)
-> + Have a credits section especially for music sources (although lacks campaign creator's name)
-> + Decent thread updates with screenshots and videos
===TRIGGERING
-> + Good overall and functional overall.
-> + Use of switches and locations
-> + Commented Triggers
-> + Best use of hyper triggers I have seen
-> + Triggered special hero abilities
-> - Obvious negligence/laziness in some triggering aspects (no loading of the next map, quite a few heroes can just die without defeat, no mission objectives updating)
-> - One critical bug (although unlikely to happen)
===MAPPING - LAYOUT
-> + The layout seems very good overall.
-> + Had no trouble maneuvering the maps.
===MAPPING - BEAUTY
-> + Okay overall (looks okay but can look often rushed and plain)
-> - Some doodads were put but lacks doodads in general
===Brownie Points
Note : This doesn't influence directly the scores but might improve it
-> + First version released 1 week before schedule (considering the beta one)
-> + Clearly different campaign
-> + Achievement points system
-> + Passable voices (although it would clearly need more work on it)
-> + Interesting boss battles
-> + Custom music
===Drawbacks (outside the score system)
-> Voices lacked volume (can't be hard to hear especially with other sounds)
-> Lacks some explanations at times
-> Quite a few annoying minor details
===INDIVIDUAL MAPS=====
GENERAL
Suggestion : There should be a readme or extra map with the different achievements possible and how to reach them.
Note : I decided to ignore any capitalization of "zerg" and equivalent mentions and such considering that it seems it's fine otherwise.
Issue : More efforts should have been made to update mission objectives in addition of loading the next map when the first one is done.
MAP 0 (PRELUDE)
Odd : Looks odds when units and ships clusters up with the arrival of the zerg.
Odd : Jack's portrait don't stay up when he stays.
MAP 1
Complain : Lack of music warning when the campaign uses custom music.
Complain : Does the Protoss even have a "Lord" status (for Lord Finn)? Espacially considering that the character in question has ties with Tassadar (thus likely with the Protoss ranking system).
Typo (Mission) : In achievements, 10 + 40 = 50 (while it's written 40 as total instead of 50).
MAP 2
Praise : Kane's new abilities in addition of the gas hyper triggers are probably one of the main features that makes this campaign very interesting.
Issue : No message when a hero dies (just a game defeat). If I permitted it in map #1 since there was only two units, in map #2 it's much less excusable due to having an army and the hero can die in the chaos of battle).
Suggestion : Would be nice to tell the player to use CTRL+1 when Kane is selected and CTRL+2 when the ability building is selected to easily hit the 1 and 2 keys to switch between the two.
Issue : Unit Unplacable (Spell Effect) can be seen (although a bit hard to do otherwise and considering how the battle abilities can be used everywhere).
Bug : Unit Unplacable (Cerebrate Kirin) can be seen (when Kane is just below it after killing it)
Typo (Briefing) : "ofAtai" instead of "of Atai"
MAP 3
Bug : Possible to get any of the three controlled heroes killed without a defeat. Even if they are unlikely to die, there should be triggers about them anyway.
Issue : Mission Objectives doesn't include Lord Finn's survival (since it's in the past and he appears in the campaign's initial present thus he is supposed to stay alive).
Issue : The Ganthithor unit speaks yet you see Jack's portrait (after going to the beacon).
Bug : Possible to destroy the Ganthithor after it appears at no defeat (it should be invincible).
MAP 4
Odd : If Kane loses all his 10 "lives", his hero unit should be killed prior the defeat.
Complain : "Lives" can be misleading thus should be renamed "Missile Shield" or something that might not imply that Kane can die normally and be auto-revived without one of those "lives".
Suggestion : At the beginning of the map and in-between battles, it might be nice to get 100 gas instantly to avoid waiting a bit to get it back fully.
Critical : In the beginning, it is possible to "kill warp" into the first beacon to trigger the first boss battle yet stay stuck in the cave preventing the completion of the map. However I admit that it's kind of intentional plus can just reload the map.
Suggestion : Might want to have 2 pylons instead of one to have 16 psi instead of 8 to use 3+ special abilities at once.
Bug : Unplacable unit (Cerebrate Zakat) seen after killing it and moving Kane under.
Issue : Considerable text dislocation of Jiinsh's name in the dialog after he is eaten.
MAP 5
Odd : In the briefing, Raynor looks odd at using the dialog of "should have stayed in bed this morning" in this specific case. Probably you could have used another of Jim's dialog and change the rest of your dialogs to fit better instead of Raynor looking half-stupid.
Issue : "Why there is a countdown timer?" is the first "fourth wall breaking" seen. Could have been avoided easily (make it narrative instead of spoken).
Issue : Same issue as above about the information regarding Thulera's forms of Templar and Zealot.
Issue : Sorry but you don't tell a player to remember the story in terms of objectives if there are new ones. You clearly state any new objectives.
Odd : Hero carriers should have a different name than "Ganthithor" (even look more odd when there are four of them).
Odd : Cerebrate Kull's custom dying sound sounds more like a baby crying while falling down a high building rather than a cerebrate's dying death.
Issue : Mission Objectives SHOULD update about getting rid of Lord Finn when it comes to the second part of the map (since some might believe they must destroy his whole base instead).
Issue : On second part, should remove science vessels on the map + leaving heroes from the bottom-middle center views choices.
Bug : Thulera's Templar form can be killed without a defeat.
Typo (Mission) : "thouand" instead of "thousand" (Said by Kull)
Typo (Mission) : "warrios" instead of "warriors" (Said by Lord Finn)
MAP 6
Complain : In the briefing, quite a bit of delay between ATAI's last words to Kane and Kane's self-speech.
Odd : The sound played when showing the appearances of the Khala is quite odd.
Issue : Even more fourth wall breaking when Kane speaks about saving the game.
Complain : Should have kept the stargate's unit name from map #2 that semi-describe the abilities.
Complain : While most of the voices can be okay, Zakat's voice is simply too bad however.
Issue : Unplacable Unit (Zakat's Brood) can be seen.
Complain : Zakat uses slowdown a bit too often and/or lasts too long giving a serious handicap when you want to be nearby Zakat to cast the corsair ability.
Issue : The new abilities aren't explained much which leads to some confusion especially about the shuttle ability.
Bug : For some reason, killing the lesser and greater spire buildings cause defilers to show mostly below-left of Kane and follow it instantly all the time. It causes Kane to have serious trouble to move down afterward until he uses his reaver ability.
Issue : LOTS of "Unit Unplacable (Terran Valkyrie) right after killing Zakat (I think it even froze Starcraft for 1 or 2 second).
MAP 7
Praise : Credit section with detailed music sources
Complain : Lack of campaign author's name in credits
Bug : For some reason, the two friendly ghosts shoot each other when the hydralisks start attacking.
Complain : Zerg invasion should be more swift considering it is a "filler" between the credit parts.
Typo : "sittin" instead of "sitting" or "sittin' " (due to character's speech)