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The Icon Bar: Games: Why not!!!
 
  Why not!!!
  Syam (22:26 6/2/2001)
  andreww (08:15 7/2/2001)
    Ramuh (11:39 7/2/2001)
      rich (13:37 7/2/2001)
        davidm (16:13 7/2/2001)
          kick52 (17:41 7/2/2001)
            Jon Atherton (20:21 7/2/2001)
              tfountain (20:47 7/2/2001)
                Jon Atherton (21:46 7/2/2001)
 
Samuel Midgley Message #85403, posted by Syam at 22:26, 6/2/2001
Member
Posts: 21
Why can't the acorn have some decent stragety games similiar to Command and conquer and civiliasation these games would'nt exactly push the power of the computers to limit would they

I know there probaly be a good reason why not but i am just asking!

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Andrew Message #85404, posted by andreww at 08:15, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85403
AA refugee
Posts: 555
Don't forget TEK is just arund the corner!!
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Shane Message #85405, posted by Ramuh at 11:39, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85404
AA refugee
Posts: 35
I'll do it when I finish Forever Story smile
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Richard Goodwin Message #85406, posted by rich at 13:37, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85405
Rich
Dictator for life
Posts: 6824
Why can't the acorn have some decent stragety games similiar to Command and conquer and civiliasation these games would'nt exactly push the power of the computers to limit would they

I know there probaly be a good reason why not but i am just asking!


I'm sure there'll be lots of replies about home-grown stuff, but with respect to actual ports of PC C&C games there are five main reasons (in no particular order):
1. expense of getting the licence
2. technology (such as movie players) not available for RISC OS
3. Fluidity of PC market - i.e. companies get bought out, close etc.
4. Lack of decent RISC OS programmers that are willing and able to do the job
5. PC people haven't heard of RISC OS, so why should they bother agreeing to a port?

In reality these work in combination - examples:
* Warcraft has movie scenes in - the player for which would cost several tens of thousands of dollars just for a licence, more than would be got back in sales for the whole game.
* Cavedog were about to agree to a port of the excellent Total Annihilation - but two days before RCI were to get the source code, Cavedog folded. There was also IIRC a problem with finding a coder that wanted to do a C&C clone that wasn't C&C itself.
* The old Bullfrog back catalogue is now owned by EA (the American company best known for sports sims), so although we got Syndicate anything else is unlikely (costly and lack of RISC OS knowledge).

Enough doom and gloom. Wait and see what TEK is like, and Iron Dignity should have strong strategy elements in it too.

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David McEwen Message #85407, posted by davidm at 16:13, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85406
Member
Posts: 100
I'm sure there'll be lots of replies about home-grown stuff, but with respect to actual ports of PC C&C games there are five main reasons (in no particular order):
1. expense of getting the licence
2. technology (such as movie players) not available for RISC OS
3. Fluidity of PC market - i.e. companies get bought out, close etc.
4. Lack of decent RISC OS programmers that are willing and able to do the job
5. PC people haven't heard of RISC OS, so why should they bother agreeing to a port?

All fair and accurate points. Add to them poor sales of the more recent conversions and number of prospective sales.

In reality these work in combination - examples:
* Warcraft has movie scenes in - the player for which would cost several tens of thousands of dollars just for a licence, more than would be got back in sales for the whole game.

Can't remember which player they use... probably something like Smacker, which I don't think any RISC OS based company could afford the licence cost for. However in the case of Warcraft there is a freeware Linux clone called FreeCraft.

* Cavedog were about to agree to a port of the excellent Total Annihilation - but two days before RCI were to get the source code, Cavedog folded. There was also IIRC a problem with finding a coder that wanted to do a C&C clone that wasn't C&C itself.

I believe that there were coders willing to do the job, however the manner of the Cavedog situation meant nothing could go ahead.

* The old Bullfrog back catalogue is now owned by EA (the American company best known for sports sims), so although we got Syndicate anything else is unlikely (costly and lack of RISC OS knowledge).

Bullfrog have been owned by EA for ages... the Syndicate conversion had to be done by going through EA - and the small volume of sales have probably made EA steer clear of another licence.

There basically needs to be a decent guranteed market before any company will consider a reasonable licence fee. This is the major problem. Finding a coder is far simpler -> offer one money and/or pizza and they'll do anything wink

Knowledge of a platform doesn't matter to a company if they can be shown that they can get money for doing virtually nothing...

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Tim Brook Message #85408, posted by kick52 at 17:41, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85407
Member
Posts: 87
Don't forget TEK is just arund the corner!!

A long and rounded corner that one smile Hope it's about to happen though!

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Jonathan Atherton Message #85409, posted by Jon Atherton at 20:21, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85408
AA refugee
Posts: 40
Are you forgetting Heroes of Might and Magic2?
I know it's turn-based and not real-time but it's still the best strategy game on RISC-OS (In my opinion smile)
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Tim Fountain Message #85410, posted by tfountain at 20:47, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85409
AA refugee
Posts: 59
Not really similar to C&C though is it (i.e. it's not an RTS game), which is what the original poster was asking.

Definitely one of my favourite RISC OS games though, which reminds me I really need to get round to adding our 2nd opinion review of it...

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Jonathan Atherton Message #85411, posted by Jon Atherton at 21:46, 7/2/2001, in reply to message #85410
AA refugee
Posts: 40
Not really similar to C&C though is it (i.e. it's not an RTS game), which is what the original poster was asking.

Definitely one of my favourite RISC OS games though, which reminds me I really need to get round to adding our 2nd opini
on review of it...

I agree their is a big difference betwen C&C and HoMM2, but I have found that if you like C&C there's a good chance that
you'll like HoMM2 (I know a fair number of people who like both games!) )
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The Icon Bar: Games: Why not!!!