Wyrdsmith

When the original Battlestar Galactica aired when I was a kid. It was awesome (when I was a kid anyway lol). Books are what really made me a fan. The school library had a huge selection of Heinlen, Bradbury, and Azimov. I was hooked after that.

Huh. That will be awesome if it happens. It's nice to see that a couple of Starship sim games are getting ported to the modern consoles. However, Elite IV has been promised for so long it's could give Duke Nukem Forever a run for it's money. I'll believe it when (and if) I see it. Still, it would be awesome though. I'd love to play a new version of the grandfather of the starship game.

Knightblade, huh? I think I remember reading one of the preliminary posts about that a year or two ago. Forgot it was on the 360. Playing something even remotely like UC on a 50' plasma tv .... you can well believe I'll have it on launch day. Thanks again. I've been tapping my fingers at work all day to get home and wreck yet another expensive carrier on yet another ill conceived (yet fun) jaunt into some sector I have no business being in, only to remember I forgot to read the sticky on the engineering panel that reads:'NOTE TO SELF ---> BUY FUEL BEFORE LEAVING'. I've got a leg up this time. I've gone back to UC enough times now that I remeber what all the three letter acronyms are for, what most of the keyboard shortcuts do, and more importantly, my traditional first 'get my feet wet' cruiser, the (usually) aptly named "Falling Brick" managed to kick ass without getting so much as a scratch (with me shouting orders at it via tacops from an ill conceived safari on earth due to my forgetting about the VTOL down key while getting in some shuttle practice). Tonight, though, it's a BC Mk III and an Insurrectionist base. I like to do the big coordinated marine strikes on them, which always result in lots of screaming, and my calling the carrier down from orbit in a panic, so it's point defense can lay waste to the base. An awesome sight, to be sure, which almost makes up for for the gazillions of dollars of replacements I have to buy to replace all the marines and tanks. And they keep giving me carriers.

After a break of about a year, I had some time to dive back into UC/CE once again. Last year I played it quite a bit, until a big HD crash ended an otherwise promising career. Been playing these games since Millenium, since the BC/UC series is really the only real starship sim since Dr Trevor Sorensen made the old Star Fleet series (anyone play those -great games!) So, tonight, I installed the game and downloaded the new 2.0 patch. I have this to say: God DAMN did this get an upgrade! Everytime I pop in on these forums, I've read how Derek is moving on towards more action based games, and leaving the now unprofitable starship sim genre to rust in peace, and yet, each time I come back, there is yet another awesome update to this wonderful series. One might almost think the man, you know, likes the game or something... This time, however, I was just blown away. I've always thought the UC games graphics were serviceable to good, not that it mattered given the scale of the game, but now ... wow, UC/CE is just jaw dropping. So I decided to log in and post to say ... thank you. I don't know any other developer who has stuck by a game regardless of bad press, reviews, criticism, slander and an obviously dwindling niche market like Derek has. No developer cares that much. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to command my own starship. These games scratch that itch like nothing else ever has. The unbelievable scale, detail, and vast scope is like nothing else I've ever experienced. UC is obviously a labor of love, and it shows. Version 2.0 of the final release of Universal Combat is one hell of a swan song, sir. My hat is off to you. You're a dying breed, a developer that actually cares about they games they make past the initial profit. By way of thanks, I ordered Galactic Command, even if I have no idea when I'll get to it though. I'll be far to busy commanding a carrier to bother with fighter patrols, however pretty, for some time. Thanks for letting the few of us who care explore the final frontier in style and extraordinary beauty, one last, glorious time. *whoops, just realized I posted this in tech support -could I get a move to the general discussion forum? That's what I get for posting past my bedtime...*

Hi all. I posted on here a bit back in 2004 or so when I picked up vanilla UC, the only one in the franchise I've played. I played it pretty regularly, but a very glitchy PC setup contributed to a lot of CTDs and other problems, and after losing my second major career to file corruption, I gave it up. A few days ago, I stumbled upon yet another *cough* glowing review of the game on a game site. What a bunch of whiners. For a series I enjoy, it's ironic that I always seem to get reminded of this franchise by the copious amounts of bitching involved by reviewers. Long story short, I picked up UCCE at the local game store, and I must say, I'm pretty impressed. The planetary engine is vastly improved, and I'd completely forgotten how jaw-droppingly huge the damn game is (teach me to land thirty clicks out from an Insurrectionist base and try to drive). I like the FPS portion a lot. It's a lot different than the more common 'shooter' types like Halo and Half Life, but the huge scale, and unit tactics are very fun. In some ways, it feels pretty realistic, and being able to explore whole planets (and nuke them from orbit) is just awesome. The draw distance is staggering. The new anti-aliasing/shading options make the space side of things look great, and i love the new gun sounds and effects. Makes the ships sound much more menacing. Sure, the graphics may not look as good as, say, FEAR or Halo 3, the last time I checked, you couldn't coordinate orbital strikes, fighter attacks, and ground assaults on one of hundreds of bases on a planet while you ride shotgun on a tank as your mile long carrier roars overhead raining PTA fire in Halo. I'd forgotten how much fun this game was, though it' really probably better labeld as a simulation. It's got a lot more in common with Sub Command and Decicive Action and other 'sims' than most games. Actually, maybe that's the reason for all the bitching. People buy a game, and bitch if it's not easy to play. Sim players, on the other hand, bitch if the Cessna cockpit has a gauge with too many bolts, or the waterfall display in a 688 attack sub doesn't use proper sound channel modeling for the ocean thermal layer. Giving a game like this to some gonzo at IGN or Gamespot to review is like handing my dog an algebra textbook and asking him to graph polynomials. I'd almost forgotten how rewarding some of these sim games are, and how much fun it actually is to have to think as well as react in a game. Of course, a lot of the thinking, I'm finding, involves various ways of saying 'gee, that was dumb' I'm a bit rusty Anyway, nice job to Derek and the dev team. This thing is THE definitive starship sim IMO, and since everyone else is whining and moaning about it being impossible, I figured I'd chime in and say thanks. It's rare a developer sticks with a series this long and develops it to such gigantic proportions. Think I'll stick around this time. Maybe join one of the MP fleets if the time commitment isn't too big.

Nope, I wasn't cheating! I'm not big on using codes, cheats etc. Mind you, I've got my lumps since My Warmonger is currently sitting in lunar orbit, and I believe two airlocks, a turbolift, and a bathroom are still functioning. My crew are currently 'camping' in the shuttles due to radiation. Heh. If I had just reloaded the save, I wouldn't have had the fun of evacuating my crew, and towing my wreck of a ship back to spacedock with a shuttle before an Aestrom and it's fighters got in range to finish me off. I made it, but only just I guess actually reading the documentation pays off, eh?

Great point Narny! I should have specified that I meant more of the 'early teen' demographic when I said kids, because yes, you're right, we do all start with imagination, and (some of us) lose it along the way. Too much in games, tv, etc TELLS you what to do/believe etc, rather than stimulate or inspire. They call it the idiot box for a reason As to your experience, don't be embarassed. I'm fairly new at the game, but I posted something on another thread about the first time I landed a shuttle and just watched the sunrise, so I know what you mean. THAT has never happened before. As to the reviewers, we could really use some people who actually think for themselves, and don't just rehash what all the other websites and mags are doing. Video games, unlike a decade ago, are major entertainment, rivaling movies and the like. It's too bad they are not given the breadth of scope and creativity the way film is. UC, in that context, would be more of an art film. I understand why it's not for everyone. I just wish it, and other good cutting edge or experimental games would get the credit they deserve. A LOT of people won't even BUY a game without letting a reviewer tell them it's ok, so bad press really hurts the small developer in the end. It's strange how imagination really makes a game memorable. I STILL remember Wizardry, Ultima, Elite, etc like I played them the other day. I do this because a part of myself went into playing them, and like a book, the memories are part of my own interpretation, and part of the games own style. I can't remember much of anything about most of the new stuff, because most of it didn't really involve me creatively.

Umm, back to the topic at hand...?

LOL! If I had a feather from every feces-laden turkeybird in our government right now, I'd have a pillow factory by now

A comment on the game being 'too easy' (snicker): Play something other than a carrier. Try a career as a raider in one of the smaller heavy cruisers. I did that. It's much harder, but a lot of fun. How about my other point? That people don't get into games like UC because they change the way that people have to play/interact with them? Almost all the complaints that I've read about UC (that are not whining about some problem that could be solved by glancing at the manual) go something like this: 'This game is no fun. The FP career isn't like halo/doom/half-life. The space career isn't like freelancer/wing commander etc' Many people don't want to use the imagination, and we've established that, but do you all think it may also be an unwillingness to change the way they PLAY games? Everyone whines about how most games are 'all the same', but when they're different, the reviews are always as above. They want the new game to play like the old one with some new bells and whistles. UC make you play the game different, and I think that scares some people off. Comments?

quote: *I agree, I would like to also add that perhaps that they don't have the time to wait for hours for things to happen, with the shortage of leisure time people are looking for the most "bang for the buck" from their games.* I don't think it's a time issue (although it is with UC, perhaps). You can have a creative, stimulating game that involves your imagination and/or creative faculties. An example might be Animal Crossing which, although I don't really like it much, is very open ended and requires a lot of participation and imagination to enjoy, while only playing 30 min or so a day. As to UC specifically, I don't think it takes that much time to enjoy. It DOES take a lot of effort to PLAY well, yes, but not to start enjoying. I was having a blast after a couple of hours or so. I sucked at it, yes, but I was having fun I think the main thing with the people who say UC was too hard to get into are the ones who don't read the manual, the folks who just like to 'jump in'. THEN UC's an exercise in frustration. I got stuck in a meeting at work and read the whole manual , so i was all set by the time I got home. The UC interface looks much more counter-intuitive than it is. Once you actually dive in, you can see why the SC set it up the way he did. Playing the game, as far as controls are concerned, is really a cinch once you leanr how it works. Staying alive is a whole other shopping spree. As to the whole 'waiting' thing, I've found it makes for a unique experience. Perhaps it's just me. It forces me to actually approach the game differently. It's become kind of an after-work unwinding thing. I kick back, fire the game up, and do mostly automated trading runs at present. I grab a good book, something cold to drink, and kick back. I RELAX. When the alerts sound, I dive straight in, and it's nail biting and edge of the seat panic for a bit. Very much (so I've heard) like real life patrols in wartime. I wonder if the SC programmed it that way because of this? I almost feel like an off-duty captain getting called to the bridge, you know? More of that imagination stuff we've all been yammering on about So, to wrap up my after work diatribe, here's another reason people don't like UC: It forces you to change the way you play games. It changes the experience. People don't like change. We humans tend to stick with the familiar, and unfortunately, miss out on a lot in the process, you know? So, how do you guys handle the downtime?

Bridge Commander? Blech. My roomate thinks along those lines as well. Here's a question for you all: WHY do you think so many people want their hands held these days? Here's my spin on it. I think it's because the graphics, sound etc have gotten to the point where people no longer need to use their imagination when playing games. Kids especially are so overstimulated that they really don't develop imagination as much I think. I started out gaming with the old Atari 2600, and worked up to an Atari 800. Lol. You NEEDED an imagination to play stuff back then, and it really deepened the experience. Plus, I think, most people don't read books as much as watch TV anymore, which dampens the imagination too. What do you all think?

Some thoughts on UC and gaming: My ship, the GCV RAINIER, has managed survive a massive engagement right out of spacedock, several concerted attack runs by enemy cruisers, and several raider attacks to boot. I actually haven't been 'savescumming' (as we nethackers like to call it) either. One thing I've noticed is that the immersion level of the game deepens considerably the longer you play a single ship. That 'Mk1 Shuttle' ceases to be a meaningless asset and becomes the 'Mk1 shuttle I flew that marine mission against the insurgent base with; the one that got us out alive while half it's systems were shot out'. Your crew ceases to be random cannon fodder, and you start feeling (at least I do) attached to them. You worry when you take your ship into battle because they could get killed. People complain in the reviews that UC is dry and boring. A recent magazine review actually stated that you need to be 'obsessive and fettishistic' to even enjoy it. Excerement. Maybe in the future, folks might actually, umm, you know, PLAY the game a bit first? Like a good book, UC takes time to get into. I love the fact that the game lets you have room for the imagination, for your own stories, adventures etc, and doesn't lead you around through the nose. Here's the reason I think most people don't get into UC, BCM, etc. We'll use my roomate as an example. *glances over shoulder* See, I convinced him to buy UC the other day, since I am having a blast with it (and hoping to play som MP over the network). He gets it, installs it, and plays it for about 15 min and says 'it's boring, there's no point to it.' I argue otherwise. I tell him about all the great stuff you can do. He says the same thing, over and over. After talking to him, what I realize is that he really means 'I don't like it because it doesn't tell me what to do. I'm lost.'. It's kind of sad, but a lot of gamers feel that way I think. They want to be led, coerced, pushed. They don't want to (or even remember HOW) to engage their imaginations to participate in a game. They want everything spelled out for them, like my roommate. They want the game to take the PLACE of their imagination, rather than stimulate it. When you think about it, that's a bit scary. Meanwhile, my ship (and I do mean MY ship) is undergoing a refit in prep for it's first long range mission into the unknown. I'm a little worried she won't make it back. I mean that. I have NO IDEA what will happen, so *I'm a little worried* That's worth twenty bucks ANYDAY.

My day job involves working with people who have varying kinds of disabilities. I teach them different job skills, and basically help them overcome a lot of the negative self-image problems that they have developed in a society that treats them as defective. Currently, my crew is doing janitorial work. The following is taken verbatim from an unintentionally funny episode the other night. The guys were loading up the van with our equipment and having a bit of problem getting the mop to fit in the back, so they began arguing about it. Another crew memeber and I were sitting up in front of the vehicle waiting for them to finish when we hear (some grammar correction was necessary): "Pull it out! Pull it out! It's going in funny!" "Shut up! I can't help it, it's all wet!" The guy in the seat next to me looks over at me with raised eyebrows, and then starts laughing, but it only gets worse. "No! NO! Not like that!" "Stop complaining, I always put it in like that!" "Ouch!" "Take it like a man" "Just put it in the other way!" "Now it's going in crooked! Do it the other way!" "I can't help it, it's too hard!" "Ow! Use both hands stupid!?" By now, the other crewmember and I are practically rolling on the floor we're laughing so hard, then we hear: "These wood ones are too hard to fit in!" "Why don't they make them out of plastic? They would bend easier. Stupid wood." "Yeah, even when they're wet they're hard." "Stop pushing!" "It's going in!" "You're gonna break something!" At this point I was laughing so loud the two unintentional comedians with the mop noticed and asked what was going on. I explained. It's been mop jokes for two weeks straight

Haha. Retrained? I think you need to get your voice recognition software out of the liquor cabinet and over to an AA meeting Thanks for the advice too. The jammer/FATAL tip sounds very useful, as did the evasive maneuvering tip. I was doing that for the first half of the initial engagement (totaly by accident, of course ), and when I tried something else was when I started to get hammered. I've been observing my pta's via f10 and I'm getting better at aiming them. Nothing quite like seeing a poor gammy fighter getting torched by a storm of plama. I have had good luck with jamming when I hear the 'incomming' warning, and then a quick course change, followed by deactivation of the jammers and missles. I've found shooting brief bursts with my guns at any fighters that happen to fly past my forward arc caused them to veer off at times, so I did that occasionally too. I haven't had this much fun with a space game since Star Control II (I'd almost given up on finding a good one again). Freelancer irritated me (someone should sue them for that 'free' in the name), and X2 induced coma but the battles in UC are about as intense as anything I've come across in years, and it's HUGE. Thanks again for the tips, Admiral, and taking the time to type all that up. For all the bad press these boards got elsewhere, I've found them very friendly. See you around, it's been a pleasure meetin' ya!

Here's one that'll demonstrate how unpredictible and smart (was that a joke?) the UC AI can be: I had just restarted a new roam scenario, and was sailing the GCV Rainier (Warmonger) back to GalCom HQ to sell nutripacs and make some HQ-Wraith runs and build up capital, when two reds, an Aestrom and a Garid(I think, still sorting out the dif ships) show up. I abort docking and make ready to intercept the Aestrom, when I notice the cruiser is heading for a friendly LRT-10. Change of plans. I swing about, activate my weapons, marines, and de-activate launch control and arm a few missles in FATAL, and jumped my Cruiser to intercept the Garid. It was all a ploy. As I jump out of hyperspace, not only do I see the Garid (now targeting ME, not the trans), but SEVEN enemy fighters, all of which are aiming at me! I figured I was going to be swimming in vacuum soon, but I accelerated to attack speed and brought my guns to bear on the cruiser, lighting it up like a christmas tree, while activating a few more missles in fatal against the fighters. The Garid, rather obligingly, vanishes in a pleasing fireball, and my PTA's are lighting up the fighters, but there's seven of them, and only one of me. Missle locks start appearing everywhere, while my shields start taking a pounding, and I go into evasive maneuvers while intermittantly activating the jammers. I take out a fighter or two, but I know I'm not going to last. I target earth and wait for my HD to recharge, fighting like mad. I make it -intact- but jump with only 5% shields. Whew. I know it's not over. THREE carriers have now materialized. Two are over by GalCom (which eventually eats them alive), and another one is waiting for me at earth with it's fighters, PLUS the fighters that were engaging me are waiting too. I think the original Aestrom is responsible for the ones behind me. Dunno. I begin to think Cmdr Black's career is going to be rather brief. I use the time to recharge my shields and assign a LOT of targets in FATAL, focusing mainly on the new (intact) carrier and fighters. When I come out of hyperspace, my ship spews a hellstorm of missles and PTA fire. Three of the new fighters go up in flames, and lucky for me, a friendly Dro/Mil cruiser jumps into the fray (maybe it was already there, dunno, was kinda busy ) The battle is long and difficult, but it ends up with me completely intact,and all enemies destroyed or disabled. I can't believe I'm still standing. I order my shuttles to deliver some disabled ships, and I tow the now burning Dro/Mil back to HQ. Thats when that first Aestrom decides to bushwhack me. Cmdr Black, by this time, is gettying kind of annoyed, having missed breakfast, and really doesn't want to fight ANOTHER battle with 8 or so fighters, so he wisely arms seven sts missles in FATAL, charges up the mains, and cheerfully blows the offending Aestrom into sub-atomic glue before it's fighters can even launch. And all that happened 2 minutes into the first shakedown cruise, and somehow, I got off without so much as a scratch. The lesson? Never EVER let your guard down in this game, and never assume the AI works like it does in other games. It's devil's magic, I tell you In UC, anything goes.

I've played both carriers and cruisers since I started a week or so ago. I like both. The carriers are really fun to use as strike command ships, with ordering your fighters around, coordinating strikes, and the ability to attack multiple hostiles in different locations simultaneously. I don't have a fav yet. The cruisers are great for more direct hand to hand fighting. They are much more of a challenge to use defensively, however (which is the fun part ). Since they have no cloaking device, maneuvering, tactics, and jamming become really important. Escaping from large attack groups unscathed takes some doing. Of the cruisers, the Garid and the Warmonger are my preferred ships. I like the Warmongers' heavy forward firepower.

I'm new at this, but even I know the answer to this one: If your shuttle circles endlessly around a waypoint, it's because you didn't set a previous waypoint farther away to give the shuttle enough distance to plot an approach vector. Read the tutorial that comes with the latest patch. I was having the same problem. Once I did the above, I've had no problems. Read the docs before you jump to the conclusion that something is a bug.

I don't kill him -it's too quick. After Mr 'Order only my a few of my dumbest marines to search duty to fight off an entire army of boraders' Resnig showed off his amazing powers of ineptitude, I had him reassigned. To a tiny lil' island in the pacific. -With the two of my dumbest marines. As far as I know, they are still happily 'yessir'ing each other and goosestepping about the island, while Resnig orders them on search duty to fend off hostile coconuts. I'll check up on him in a month. Heh.

A quick word on the tutorial - it's very helpful. Despite all of your humourous dialog about how often I was going to die, -I didn't. At least up to the point where I'm at now (just after the big engagement in the second star-system). I managed to get through with all systems still functioning, loosing only a fighter or two, so you must be doing SOMETHING right . I also found it very helpful in pointing out alternate ways to accomplish a given task. That big engagement proved how deep and unforgiving the strategy and tactics of the game can get as well. And how many ways UC will serve you your ass on a plate. Thanks for taking the extra time to write it up.

Well, after a week of playing, here's my two (or five) cents worth: The moment when I knew this game was a keeper was when I had first landed my shuttle on earth next to an (insurgent? don't remember) base. I had plotted a waypoint which I thought (snicker) was close. I landed the shuttle an realized that the planet was not big. It was HUGE. Like bigger than a politicians' ego even . So, just for fun, I walked a few miles and climbed an actual mountain(!). When I got to the top I just stared. Maybe it's the poet in me, but the lovely sunrise, all the environmental effects, millions of trees, and the impending drama of a ground assault struck me as the kind of moment you don't often have in a game. No one made me go there, or even pointed the way. There were no hints, no nudges in the right direction. No quasi-freedom like in most games, where (after all the running around) you really can only do one thing to advance the game. There WAS no right direction. Just a vast ocean to swim in, a nice ship to sail it with, and (I was to find shortly) a lot of hungry and unforgiving sharks . The second big positive impression was after I had delved a bit into the Tacops menu. Now, I've been programming for years. Small, hobby stuff, mind you, but I'm pretty good, and my work is usually fairly complex. Tacops is pure programming art. All I can say is that the closest I've ever seen a game come to that level of functionality and complexity with such a (fairly) simple, minimalist interface is in hardcore military sims like harpoon. It really feels like the kind of thing a real (if we ever get that far) intergalactic warship might have. You can do anything you can imagine from that simple screen. Fun stuff. As you might have guessed by now, I like the game As to any negative impressions, I have none worth mentioning, they were mainly technical and easily solved after browsing the forums, or silly quibles that detract not a whit from the experience. I think those that have posted their dismay at the size of the game, and the ease with which one can get lost, are missing the point. Yeah, maybe I'm new and all, but the kind of programming that put this kind of detail and scale and freedom into a game, and then make it so transparent (and almost bug-free), is skill indeed. Take it from one who knows. In an ideal world, UC would have garnered awards, instead of whining. But me? Give me a game big enough to get lost in anyday, I never asked for a roadmap for real life. I sure as hell don't need one anywhere else.

Ah word. Thanks!

Glad y'all enjoyed that, I think I needed to get it out of my system . Seriously, though, the number of times I've seen good or great games bagged on in the press, merely because they don't 'fit in' is ridiculous. In the movie industry, smaller, riskier films are often lauded (Cannes festival etc), where as games that are innovative in an un-faddish way are too often put down. It's really too bad. Oh and SC, you're not kidding about what you say being 'all over the press'. Having (previously) tried out 'not-so-free'lancer and x2-the slog, I remember seeing several posts on their respective forums regarding one 'Derek Smart' and his 'crappy' battlecruiser series. I believe the words 'arrogant' and 'megalomaniac' were tossed around a bit too It actually caused me to do a google search on you to figure out what the heck everyone was going on about. I'm glad I did. Not only did I find a game I really enjoy, but a community where raving fanboys and morons are gleefully and vociferously clubbed to death. Now there's a sport. Think I'll invest in a lead-filled bat. Anyway, glad to be aboard folks.

I'd like some clarification about a deleted post, if possible. Mind you, I understand that posts that do not meet the requirements are deleted, and that's fine -no problems here-. I'm not arguing or anything. I just want to know what I did so I don't make the same error again. The post was called 'UC, system requirements and reviews', or somesuch. It was a joking, sarcastic rant on reviews and the state of gaming. I posted it here because I thought it would fit in the 'fun' catagory. It wasn't a technical question at all, and was just meant for a laugh or two. So, what did I do wrong? Was it because the title had 'system requirements' in it and it got deleted because one of the moderators thought it was off-topic? Or was the humour not appreciated? Either way, please let me know. I realize, after browsing the forums, that people here don't want their time wasted, and I don't want to waste my time or theirs either, with off-topic posts. I thought mine was in the clear. Let me know, hmm? Thanks!

WARNING! The following topic may contain sarcasm! Readers discretion is strongly advised. Hi all. I'm new, but not (I trust) a nuub. Unlike some other battlecruiserly challeneged folks, I actually read the faq, browsed the board, read the manual and addendum, and *gasp* added my profile to my sig. Thats right folks, my ships may die like rabbits in the microwave, but I go down with a sig and the goddamn manual in my cold sweaty fingers. Usually I make sure to read it after I die to find out why too Alright, back to the, umm, point. Here's the deal. I bought UC on a whim and loved it, having no experience with the BC series. I usually ignore reviews, as I seldom agree with them, but I like to check them out after I've played a game a bit, just to see if I agree. After several reviews, the general 'official' concensus seems to be as follows: 'Hi. I am reviewer drone #44579d. I have been assigned UC to review. I don't like it. It is too hard and makes no sense. It doesn't hold my hand or wipe my ass. I pressed buttons on the keyboard but no toilet paper came out of the disk drive. I got lost looking for the bathroom. Help me, I'm scared...' Or some such rubbish. Why is it everyone nowadays expects games to hold their hands and babysit them? I never did understand that trend. Sure UC is complex, but with a couple of days of trial and effort I got everything more or less figured out control-wise. Playing well takes longer, of course, but that's the point, right? Here's why I think a great game like this gets such poor reviews: You see, back in the before-time, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we'd come home from brontosaur hunts and play ultima, elite, and star fleet on our commodores and apples. Idiots did not use those machines, and the games themselves took some time to learn. You had to put in effort to use both the machines, as well as the games. It was rewarding. Nowadays, what with Microshaft Winblows and such, anyone can use a computer, and what with our cultures penchant for 'fast and easy', the standard of gaming has gone down. Reviewers want quick and easy, not rich, difficult and rewarding. They'd rather play tic tac toe than Go, ya know? Nothing worth doing is easy. SO! I have decided that the SC (nice to meet ya, by the way) could have avoided the entire problem by posting the following system requirements on the box, right after the os and processor stuff: REQUIRES: Anti-twit version 1.0 or higher and Dumbass filter 2.067 needed. REQUIRES:Attention span exceeding AT LEAST 256mg or higher. 1 gb recommended. REQUIRES:Literacy and fourth grade education to run manual. Basic motor skills to browse said manual also recomended. RECOMMENDED: Brain, with all OS upgrades installed. That would have fixed those reviews, I'm sure Lol, sorry if this sounds a bit ranty for a first post, but I'm *really* tired of hearing the few games I really get into dogged on by people who don't like them because they don't resemble the latest fad in gaming, you know? Any other thoughts on this topic? Cheers!