Paddle Party

[mjarnold7]

I think it is a great game (s)!

[retroillucid]

I always applause every homebrew efforts and always feel lucky to have guys/gals making homebrew stuff

 

Sure, you're always free to dislike or even hate a homebrew game, but if you don't like it you should at least let the programmer knows so he/she can use those comments/suggestions/critics to help to make their next game awhole lot better or simply to understand where he/she failed while making the game

 

Things I learned during my 6 years in publishing homebrews is that you cannot always satisfy everyone

There's always someone to point something wrong and it's ok! This's how you improve yourself!

 

Come on guys, there's enough drama in the CV scene

No need to spill the shit here too

 

 

Cheers everyone!

Edited January 23, 2014 by retroillucid

[LidLikesIntellivision]

Generally I'm guilty of not playing Intellivision enough.

 

I got Paddle Party only this week (Tuesday 01/21) and played a bit.

 

First impressions and comments:

 

1) Box, overlays, manual etc.

The good: top quality as all Elektronite products.

The bad: the best (for the consumer) is to offer all games with and without the extras (only cart). Actually, I like so much Intellivision that this point doesn't apply to me but I feel it regarding Atari 2600 and 7800. Currently I want to buy some Atari homebrew games but they come with box and are expensive...

 

2) TV Tennis and Doubleball:

The good: 1) it's well done and a fun 2 players game (especially doubleball). 2) It's a classic and for those who love the console, it's always good to be able to play all the classics on your console (tetris, chess, checkers -no Brazilian rules available , backgammon, reversi, minehunter, go - not available etc.) It makes one say 'why should I play something else than my Intellivision?' The game fills (in a successfull way) a gap in the Intellivision library.

The bad: 1) former atari players (like me) will certainly miss analog paddles! 2) it is a simple game that may not fill your gaming hunger (actually, this has some pros, casual gaming). 3) playing alone will probably make you lose interest in the game soon (most serious contra).

3) Air Hockey:

The good: I liked it. Even playing alone I enjoyed the game.

The bad: Ignorama brought a good point about slowing the game... This makes the game annoying if you play with an annoying friend.

4) Handball Smash:

Playing alone it's not my type of game. I tend to be nervous with all this blocking the AI opponent. I'm not sure if a 2 players mode will still make me nervous or can turn into a laughing and fun experience. Just don't block me for too long or I get irritated.

5) Tennis in Space:

Crazy concept and I didn't play too much to tell about. It seems good, a nice Tv Tennis variation at first glance.

6) Bonus game:

Oh, I didn't play it. And that's the bad about it! It shouldn't be hidden.

Press 7 as game option? I'm going test this and then. Don't hold me, don't hold me 'cause I'm going to write a '7' in the overlays!

Personally, I like bonus when it comes in a natural way of playing the game (achieving a higher score, finding an object by exploring etc). Otherwise, it's better for me if the bonus is another known feature/phase/option of the game.

 

Sorry for not playing the demo I downloaded (guilty of not playing enough Intellivison).

And sorry for posting my opinions after playing so few Paddle Party (it could be any game, I wouldn't play much since last Tuesday, not PP's fault)

 

 

P.S.: true case. My son unpaused air hockey and played until my wife 'caught' him. He's one year and 4 months old and may be the future 2nd player I'm looking for .

[+intvsteve]

I have started and discarded replies on this thread twice today... Anyhow, as to Lid's assessment:

• Section 1: Totally agree
• Section 2: Spot on w.r.t. the weakness of digital controller vs. analog paddle for this kind of game.
• Section 3: I was susprised by the ability to stop the puck -- but thought it was actually a nice touch. "Official" rules be damned!
• Section 4: Totally love Handball Smash. My favorite on the cart.
• Section 5: Tennis in Space: Hurts my eyes a little too much. Need to try it more to give it a more fair assessment. I appreciate the technical virtuosity of the game, and like the concept. Have to pore over tech docs to determine if it would have been possible to soften the colors at all.
• Section 6: Bonus game is fun. Maybe it could have been a 'stage' in Tennis in Space, e.g. you could dock w/ a station or land on a planet and fight the 'bots. Fun, but simple.

Probably already gave a similar mini-review a few pages back.

[+intvsteve]

On the topic of feedback for games:

 

There are many aspects of that easily wander off into the weeds of pop psychology and mushy mumbo-jumbo. I approach this as follows:

• Be positive. "This sucks" is stupid, worthless feedback. "This sucks because..." may have useful information, but can offend the thin-skinned. "This would be better if..." is more encouraging.
• Try to be concise and accurate. This can be difficult. Try to identify a specific set of steps to produce a bug.
• Be specific. "That looks funny / strange" isn't very helpful. "That looks like a baboon's face" is better. (Sorry, but once someone pointed that out over in the Mars Mini-Games thread, now I can't look at that beautiful screen w/o seeing a Baboon instead of a 'kinda funny looking' space ship.)

I also try to support any Intellivision projects I can, even if it's just buying the end product. I'll test / proofread / whatever if / when I have the time, if asked. Sometimes I volunteer, other times I wait to be called upon.

 

With this sort of community, I think people get so excited and passionate about these things that sometimes it's easy to overlook that the producers are doing this of their own free will, devoting all-too-precious free time to projects that are immensely important to themselves. Constructive, encouraging feedback can act as a great motivator if someone's down / frustrated. Some people can roll with whatever comes along, or just don't care about input from others. Some will give up. Some will be inspired. But perhaps worst of all is to get no input or reaction at all.

Edited January 24, 2014 by intvsteve

[Ignorama]

@ catsfolly

 

 

First of all: Its really cool that you read my opinion and answer in the way you have done. You are not sulky and take the feeback easy, even if its bad and not just that, no - you replied in a very factual way. That honors you very much and unfortunately its not natural if I compare it to other homebrewers (I don't talk about INTV developers right now).

 

I have to admit, that I can't tell much about the technical aspect, so its may a aspect I cant prize enough. But of course I do not doubt your statement about Tennis in Space. Thats the problem of us "noobs", we can't see so many details you worked so long for, because we don't know how hard it is to develop.

 

I also will try the game you told me as far as I find the time to do

 

 

@ Steve

 

I do not really agree with your feedback-rules, because its so soft and often the message gets lost because of the diplomatic words you use to hide the criticism. But I have to admit, that I wasn't in the best mood when I wrote my comment, so some parts are too hard and others maybe too undifferentiated. But what I have to say about this community: Why did you guys wait til I criticize the game? I often get the feeling that the Intellivision community just want to put stuff in there shelf and thats enough, but thats not what I want.

 

As I mentioned before - Many statements "arrived", a few staments "like game XY very much", but all single lines. The only REAL feedback I found so far was from DZ Jay in another thread, which surprises me that he bought the copy after what happened in this thread. What I want to say is: Please play the games and share your opinion, positive or negative, with the developers, because they need the feedback to improve there games and I am sure they also like to hear nice words about there games too. I really don't understand why most people don't do this, its not much fairer for the developer than my post.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Ignorama

[+DZ-Jay]

As I mentioned before - Many statements "arrived", a few staments "like game XY very much", but all single lines. The only REAL feedback I found so far was from DZ Jay in another thread, which surprises me that he bought the copy after what happened in this thread. What I want to say is: Please play the games and share your opinion, positive or negative, with the developers, because they need the feedback to improve there games and I am sure they also like to hear nice words about there games too. I really don't understand why most people don't do this, its not much fairer for the developer than my post.

 

I bought the game because I respect and admire catsfolly and his work, and because ever since he started working on this project (and I got a chance to play it back when it was called "Intellipongola"), I thought it was very good and was looking forward to its release. I did find a purchase partner and managed to take advantage of the discount, which I think was very reasonable considering that the price was very high for a Pong variant.

 

I've also noticed that people don't seem willing to provide negative feedback or constructive criticism. I think there are two main reasons for this. First, when in the past someone has provided negative feedback, others have ganged up on the individual, as if it were wrong to point out flaws or issues in the game, price, packaging material, or promotional approach. Second, I believe some people are afraid of ruffling feathers and that someone will go "soup nazi" on them.

 

I found Ignorama's comment overly defensive and hostile, but I completely understood why it was so. He has been attacked in the past for providing what I thought was constructive criticism; and so he came to this thread to provide feedback with the expectation of being told, once again, he was wrong and unsupportive--or worse, to be insulted. That was perhaps unfair, but understandable.

 

-dZ.

Edited January 24, 2014 by DZ-Jay