Getting 'Shells of Fury' attention and support

[XanderF]

I'm sure many are familiar with the in-game messenging/voice chat/etc client Xfire. It has support for many SubSims, including Silent Hunter 3, Silent Hunter 4, and Dangerous Waters.

But not 'Shells of Fury'. Yet! Generally, Xfire support is added to newer games when the devs can see that there is general interest for that.

So, to that end, if you use Xfire, and would like the ability to chat in 'Shells of Fury', track time played, etc - post over in the Xfire forums in my thread, here.

Yes, it's a long shot, as 'Shells of Fury' doesn't have any multiplayer support itself - but Xfire can chat across games just fine (so when you are playing this game on your own, you can still chat with other friends online playing Sh3/DW/Battlefield/etc), so I think it's still worth petitioning for!

[me262]

On the case, website sited and engaging.

[cdragon]

Ya know, interesting enough, menu screens mentioning "Network connection" and "Network Game" exist in the interface, although they aren't used in the game. So I think network play was planned was intended. Too bad that it wasn't included, for whatever reason.

[Bum]

I was surprised in the credits they only list 5 people who made this game. Can that be true? The credits list more guys on the publisher side that the actual guys who made the game.

[me262]

I bet, another rush job on a shoestring budget.

[XanderF]

Originally Posted by cdragon

Ya know, interesting enough, menu screens mentioning "Network connection" and "Network Game" exist in the interface, although they aren't used in the game. So I think network play was planned was intended. Too bad that it wasn't included, for whatever reason.

It IS a real shame, but given the absolutely abominable communications available in this era, and overall lack of co-ordination within the fleet (no wolf packs, here), it's not surprising. There really isn't that much USE for co-op multiplayer, and adversarial requires the addition of playable enemy forces. (Of course, heck, maybe that is what the rumored 'part 2' of the project is - adds OpFor and multiplayer with it. Hah, wouldn't that be a turn!)

[cdragon]

Originally Posted by XanderF

It IS a real shame, but given the absolutely abominable communications available in this era, and overall lack of co-ordination within the fleet (no wolf packs, here), it's not surprising. There really isn't that much USE for co-op multiplayer, and adversarial requires the addition of playable enemy forces. (Of course, heck, maybe that is what the rumored 'part 2' of the project is - adds OpFor and multiplayer with it. Hah, wouldn't that be a turn!)

I imagine a cool multiplayer game that takes advantage (? if you want to call it that ) of the methods of communication available during the Great War. Seeing that the blinker (flasher?) is modelled in the game for ship-to-ship communication within visual distance...wouldn't it be cool if the chat between players could be done by blinker. You'd type your message. The other player would see the blinker flashing on your sub's tower, then he would see the resulting message appear in the chat window when the message was finished being sent. OR the real hardcore could watch the blinker and read the morse as it's sent. Also, wireless telegraphy could be used for ship-to-ship communications over longer distances, but there would be the chance (very high given the technology) that the message would not be received.

C.

[CB..]

i can't help thinking that game devs miss a trick or two when thinking about online or multiplayer stuff...they seem to think it's either all or nothing...when in fact there's a whole world of imbetween that never gets explored...
for a tiny an trivial example..

take the historiccaptains text file in the game which is a simple text file listing the historical captains names and their tonnage (the usual sort of thing seen in most games)

change the CONCEPT behind the list to the names of your FLOTILLA comrades...

add the capability to go on-line after a mission and UPLOAD your missions completed and tonnage results.....and at the same time download every-one elses.....so when you view the historical captains results page in the game during a campaign you will be presented with a huge list of fellow SOF players their missions completed and results....it's a really silly and almost bizaare thing BUT you'd be surprised at just how addictive it becomes when it is a reality...daft really but very effective....after all you don't have to take part but it seems silly not too given that it is there and adds to the fun...sure you could cheat no doubt but with a couple of hundred names on the list you's soon get to know whose names were reliable..

anyhuw what i'm saying is that there are thousands of ways to enhance a game using on-line stuff that don't need a complicated full on multiplayer engine...

we have a lot of user run and developed "on_line" campaigns with forums misssions role play etc etc...which really can add hugely to single player.....BUT game devs never seem to cotton onto the fact that they could build these things straight into the game itself...with whole interfaces built into the game variuos screens for all the possible stats and info etc etc..wonderfully imaginative...even build in a "forum" link --chat room--- forum--- what's the difference?? not a huge amount when it comes down to it..they could have a field day and build in a whole new area of on-line "play" and have a lot of fun at the same time...without any need for multiplayer..

all or nothing.....??? what about the rest:hmm: tho it has to be said i'm not a huge fan on multiplayer....everything ends up being just another way of playing QUAKE!!!

[cdragon]

Originally Posted by CB..

...

take the historiccaptains text file in the game which is a simple text file listing the historical captains names and their tonnage (the usual sort of thing seen in most games)

change the CONCEPT behind the list to the names of your FLOTILLA comrades...

add the capability to go on-line after a mission and UPLOAD your missions completed and tonnage results.....and at the same time download every-one elses.....so when you view the historical captains results page in the game during a campaign you will be presented with a huge list of fellow SOF players their missions completed and results....it's a really silly and almost bizaare thing BUT you'd be surprised at just how addictive it becomes when it is a reality...daft really but very effective....after all you don't have to take part but it seems silly not too given that it is there and adds to the fun...sure you could cheat no doubt but with a couple of hundred names on the list you's soon get to know whose names were reliable..

...

So...say there is a Flotilla website, with this structure (roughly)

Flotilla
------> Home
------> Register
------> Login
-------------> Upload Current Campaign data
---------------------------> Stock Campaign
---------------------------> Custom Campaign 1
---------------------------> Custom Campaign 2
---------------------------> Custom Campaign 3 ...
---------------------------> Custom Campaign n
-------------> Download Current Captain's tonnage list
-------------> Download Custom Campaigns
-------------> Fun Flotilla stuff

The tonnage list you download will show you the other captains' tonnage at your current mission in the campaign. If you're on Mission 15, for instance, you'll see where everyone else was at Mission 15.

OK, thats kind of off-topic. Sorry. I agree with you, CB. Developers do miss many chances to give their games simple, innovative features that guarantee a sort of rabid cult following.

C.

[CB..]

yes that's the sort of thing..not that off topic really..as devs could build a chat facility into their games with a nicely designed interface ..perhaps making the chat appear to be in the form of letters from home...to be read in the captains cabin or at home port ..or even as mentioned transmitted by morselamp from an AI sub...or appearing as a radio message in the same way as normal radio messages appear...you perhaps wouldn't even need to be online to use this facility as you could download a cached set of messages each with a delay set up so they would appear to be recieved at random moments during the next few missions etc...and it could be very nicel incorporated wth a simple SEND MISSION REPORT button on the end mission screen when you have reached home base as a natural part of the gameplay and interface..it could even be set up so that the information is stored in a file with the option to upload the file the next time you go online..that way you do not have to mess about connecting to the internet at the end of the mission..it can wait untill you go online normaly..no hassle..no finding websites..just set as an option to automaticly upload and download the info..the next time you go online..

i like the idea of a flottilla bar room (ala AOTD)..where you could even interact with avatars....whilst a captain is at sea their avatar would be absent...you could read his mission reports and so on on a notice board..if he dies then for the rest of that campaign his avatar and messages would be no longer downloaded with the others...(even tho he may have started a new campaign and up,loaded his new capatains items)...rucks of detail and fun and entertaining little touchs that would be dynamic and relevant and inteactive and real (in a multiplayer sense) yet absolutely no need for any multiplayer engine at all...for example if one of your flottilla online buddys dies or sinks a ship...your map screen could be updated to show when where and what was sunk or where he met his untimely end so to speak...IMO that would actualy be far more satisfying than genuine multiplayer..which with the best will in the world is nearly allways very limited in scope...

[cdragon]

Originally Posted by CB..

yes that's the sort of thing..not that off topic really..as devs could build a chat facility into their games with a nicely designed interface ..perhaps making the chat appear to be in the form of letters from home...to be read in the captains cabin or at home port ..or even as mentioned transmitted by morselamp from an AI sub...or appearing as a radio message in the same way as normal radio messages appear...you perhaps wouldn't even need to be online to use this facility as you could download a cached set of messages each with a delay set up so they would appear to be recieved at random moments during the next few missions etc...and it could be very nicel incorporated wth a simple SEND MISSION REPORT button on the end mission screen when you have reached home base as a natural part of the gameplay and interface..it could even be set up so that the information is stored in a file with the option to upload the file the next time you go online..that way you do not have to mess about connecting to the internet at the end of the mission..it can wait untill you go online normaly..no hassle..no finding websites..just set as an option to automaticly upload and download the info..the next time you go online..

i like the idea of a flottilla bar room (ala AOTD)..where you could even interact with avatars....whilst a captain is at sea their avatar would be absent...you could read his mission reports and so on on a notice board..if he dies then for the rest of that campaign his avatar and messages would be no longer downloaded with the others...(even tho he may have started a new campaign and up,loaded his new capatains items)...rucks of detail and fun and entertaining little touchs that would be dynamic and relevant and inteactive and real (in a multiplayer sense) yet absolutely no need for any multiplayer engine at all...for example if one of your flottilla online buddys dies or sinks a ship...your map screen could be updated to show when where and what was sunk or where he met his untimely end so to speak...IMO that would actualy be far more satisfying than genuine multiplayer..which with the best will in the world is nearly allways very limited in scope...

Second Life + u-boat sim, maybe a Great War naval sim, with a broad selection of missions, both surface and subsurface. I've always valued game play over visuals, so I'd even go for ALL platforms being playable, with a generic interface for each type, with an available modders SDK to supply more appropriate interfaces for each platform. And I'd choose WWI of WWII because WWII's been done to death.

[Monica Lewinsky]

The lack of a save game option has me putting this game on the shelf of "What a waste of $20 bucks".

I could care less about Xfire and such. The Game is a WASTE of money if you think you can save and continue the battle another day. Don't get me wrong ... I am NOT bashing it.

I dearly love the game. But what is the point of playing the career mode if you can not save and come back another day to finish the battle at a later date and time of your choosing? Taking your sub from 1914 to 1918 is impossible in the career mode unless you want to dedicate a PC to be in the pause mode [and go use another PC/laptop] while you do everthing else in your life.

Because, if you quit, ... everything you accomplished is ... GONE - POOF - Gone!

REAL NICE game, but the lack of a save current game feature is a sign of a company that has their head not on top of their shoulders and their brains are somewhere else - below - Who knows they might be sitting on them [their brains].

VERY disappointed with this game because of the lack of a "SAVE" option.

Don't waste your money on it [buying the game] if you think you can retreive saved games - it is not an option, and from what I read, the company has no intention of fixing or patching the game - EVER. Well, they got my $20 bucks, but Twice Learned at this end. They are not getting anymore money from me (and you?).

Take a PASS on Shells of Fury is my advice.