Test Your Might #1: Roaring Synapses #2 - Delays and Bumbling

by Indiana… on Tuesday, 15 March 2011

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Foreword: We now return to our irregularly programmed schedule; apologies for the delays (they had an almost-reason…promise). Good things and bad excuses after the jump.

The Game:
Frozen Synapse - "Bite-size, critically-acclaimed hardcore strategy with a striking sci-fi aesthetic" in the creators words; "one of the most incredibly tactical, yet beautifully simplistic battle of wits" in ours.


The Goal:
To ascend the game's global rankings leaderboard (top 10 for Indiana, top 100 for Rathe) and maybe even have some fun in the process.


Mea Culpa:

Indiana: You might think this was all a mistake —the subtitle would be a clue—but professionals such as ourselves don't make these mistakes… we clearly balled with intent…
Rathe: Maybe we should tell them what we're going on about?
Indiana: If you must be so picky… well this is a story all about how games journalism got turned upside down— 
Rathe: ...Not entirely what I had in mind...
Indiana: ...A long time ago...
Rathe: ...
Indiana: In a galaxy far, far away—
Rathe: ...

Indiana: You see, there was this tricky thing called life, it devoured all free time in the valley, and lo soon the patch monster—
Rathe: ...Hmmm.
Indiana: What do you mean, lying won't work?! Our previously mentioned professional credibility… well, folks, basically we were busy and unsure of when the patch was coming out; apologies.
***

Rathe: Well that was a mess.
Indiana: Never speak of it again…
Rathe: Agreed.
 
Indiana:


Well, we have seen scant progress in terms of position—one week, one place— but I can't say I've been trying too hard, honestly. However I have spent some time digging around in the editor; I should preface this with the little conversation I had with the lovely Ian of FS 

Indiana:"…is there any way to get a guide for the map editor…"
Ian: "Erm...beware of the editor!"

Frozen synapse editor error
Case in point: note the turn limit...

Indeed, after reading some of the excellent Gausswerk articles, I've been on a level designing binge; analysing famous maps such as cs.dust, etc.—the level above is of my own creation.

level design plans
More notes equals more progress… right
It has been most fulfilling and hopefully the design lessons I've learnt will improve my playing… also, as you may have noticed, the new beta has levels, so I am now a proud level 13 (whatever that means; ~ twice as good as Rathe hopefully). Onwards and upwards…

Frozen synapse ranking
Surely this is the path of glory

Rathe: 


I apologize sincerely for the delay, and remarkably little progress, i.e. none. More pressing real-life concerns have, incredibly, knocked shooting little neon blue mans in the face down a peg or two in my priorities. I mean, once you set aside a week for moping, and nine or ten days for straight-up procrastination, a man can get mighty busy, mighty fast. The appallingly few games I have played, however, have allowed me to address a couple issues I've been having with the game.

While the option to effectively "hop" between games - i.e. have multiple games running at the same time that you can check up on individually, like playing chess-by-mail with multiple people - is nice, it proved pretty aggravating when I just wanted a straight, quick one-on-one with someone else. The game would inform me he had either gone offline, or had gone to another game without so much as a "u suk n00b". Great for him, as he's juggling games like a pro. Not so good for ham-fisted, jug-brained me, who found myself waiting days to progress to another turn. A "lock-in" feature for a quick game with someone would be nice for degenerates like me, but possibly not so appreciated by the FS power elite, who are merely crushing me on the way to crushing someone else.

To end on a more upbeat note, me and Indy have had some rather brilliant fun toying with the hilariously glitchy level editor - presenting us with such excellent anomalies as sticking mans inside of structures, rendering them unusable; and my particular favourite, engineering a situation wherein two machine gunners on the same side enter a small alley, one in front of the other, and the furthest of which can fire round after round through his teammate into a mans of the opposing side, with neither his view obscured or his partner harmed. The lack of friendly fire makes up in usefulness what it lacks in realism, I suppose.

Frozen synapse editor error
No, really, what's going on?

 Again, sorry for my relative lack of input. It'll pick up now. Promise. No, really. Don't give me that look.

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