I pretty much just started playing and noting things as I ran through a quick 20 minute game. Anyway, here it is.
Well, I’ll give this a try. First thing I noticed is that the initial size of it is wider then my screen and there is no way to resize the actual window.
Second thing. Tutorial mode crashes the game.
Third thing. There is no way I can tell to create your own character from scratch. You are stuck with selecting the Old Snake template. Fortunately, you can fix that once you select it. However, the other options, custom and the other one, are visible but unable to be selected.
Next, there are graphical artifacts on the character select screen, not sure on others. Character select is standard Cataclysm fare, 10 point build, with no new traits from the pre DDA branch.
First thing I notice, interface is clunky. Everything has more space between it, for no apparent reason that I can discern. In addition, the chat boxes that list the new skills the survivor has have no message for how to get rid of them. The esc key is the one you are looking for.
I notice the option to switch between tiles and ascii, and do so. Ascii mode suffers from the same everything really spaced out effect the rest of the display suffers from. Tiles is meh, the icons on my screen are fairly small and can be hard to distinguish.
Next, start to move. First movement immedatily brings up a prompt asking me if I REALLY wish to step up onto a bench. Decide not to, and move around away from the bench. Significant movement lag as opposed to DDA.
Crafting menu is standard C:DDA fare. So is the construction menu. Font is grating and very harsh.
Turns out ANY movement that would slow you is given a warning. Stepping into a bush gives the same as a bench.
One fun thing is you can DYNAMIC ENTRY into rooms, smashing through doors instantly with a leap.
Raided some houses. Items use ascii icon, can be hard to tell what things are against the tiles.
Found horde. Fresh zombies are new. Faster then you are, even with fleetfooted and quick running down the center of the street. Also, Parkour Expert seems to do nothing.
Found a gun on a zombie, and raided a gun shop for bullets. Aiming mode. Adjusting the cursor lets zombies move, as though you yourself were moving. Even keeping a bead on a zombie is difficult, as lining up multiple shots in a row can cause the zombies to move 3-4 squares to each of your shots.
Overall evaluation. Some semi decent additions that I’ve found so far. Jumping has potential, but overpowered and just seems to be a quicker long distance movement method. Kicking I haven’t tried much of, but seems useful, though I have doubts about the actual ability to kick a bench into someone and have it knock them back. However, the incredible lag in every action, the HUGE console that extends past both sides of my screen, the muddy tiles and tiny sprites which are hard to distinguish, and the forced selection of a single character template instead of allowing full clean creation from the get go weigh heavily against this. Fix the lag, the muddiness, and the MASSIVE console screen that you can’t adjust, and this might be worth another try.
