Observations from first beta game
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
Started a game last night using .70[b] I think and made it through 22 turns while exploring the interface before accidentally killing the game. Here is a short list of things that may need to be looked at.
1) The sliders on the game start don't act intuitively. I started trying to adjust the sliders by clicking on the hovering arrow and dragging it to the right and left. After some experimentation I realized that what I needed to do was just click to the right or left to get the desired results.
2) The opposing candidate moves extremely fast at the start of the turn. I'm not sure if this is a matter of difficulty level (I was at the second easiest level) The result of this is that the opponent gets all the goodie boxes unless the player has really good reflexes... this may not be a factor with more play.
3) When I entered the option menu, I was presented with the options to start a new game, start a fantasy game, or quit. Since I was at turn 22 of the current game, I was expecting to see an option to close the option menu. I choose quit, which locked up the game and never recovered.
4) Is it intentional that the player cannot move the units that they get from the goodie boxes? I'd found a heckler and a jaded consultant. The heckler I moved to Pennsylvania and never saw the jaded consultant... not sure if this was intentional or not, or just specific to the individual units. The AI seemed able to move their helpers from state to state.
5) Campaigning solely on wanting more jobs and my opponent opposes new jobs seems a bit too easy (may have been difficulty level).
On the positive side, the game was relatively intuitive for me. I should qualify that because I am usually able to figure out interfaces quickly and may or may not be typical of the average user.
After the initial figuring out of the interface, the AI seems good enough at low levels to show a new user a decent strategy of jetting around the country setting up campaign headquarters.
1) The sliders on the game start don't act intuitively. I started trying to adjust the sliders by clicking on the hovering arrow and dragging it to the right and left. After some experimentation I realized that what I needed to do was just click to the right or left to get the desired results.
2) The opposing candidate moves extremely fast at the start of the turn. I'm not sure if this is a matter of difficulty level (I was at the second easiest level) The result of this is that the opponent gets all the goodie boxes unless the player has really good reflexes... this may not be a factor with more play.
3) When I entered the option menu, I was presented with the options to start a new game, start a fantasy game, or quit. Since I was at turn 22 of the current game, I was expecting to see an option to close the option menu. I choose quit, which locked up the game and never recovered.
4) Is it intentional that the player cannot move the units that they get from the goodie boxes? I'd found a heckler and a jaded consultant. The heckler I moved to Pennsylvania and never saw the jaded consultant... not sure if this was intentional or not, or just specific to the individual units. The AI seemed able to move their helpers from state to state.
5) Campaigning solely on wanting more jobs and my opponent opposes new jobs seems a bit too easy (may have been difficulty level).
On the positive side, the game was relatively intuitive for me. I should qualify that because I am usually able to figure out interfaces quickly and may or may not be typical of the average user.
After the initial figuring out of the interface, the AI seems good enough at low levels to show a new user a decent strategy of jetting around the country setting up campaign headquarters.
