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[QUOTE=Scott DeMers;293210]Ahhh the memories.

I came up with the concept, designed and programmed Battle Wrath way back in 1995. I *think* I deserve some points for stepping up when the game gets such nasty reviews. LOL

At one time there were about 10 of us working on the game from artists to developers to storyboarders. If you will indulge me, I would like to share the story of the game as someone may find it interesting.

Our original concept for Battle Wrath was to distribute a free engine with a couple of characters to let people taste the game. If it was for you, you could purchase additional characters off of the internet for about $8. The goal was to reduce the cost to 'allowance money' that a kid would have vs. receiving a $50 game that required a parent's income.  We also were intrigued by the idea that you could purchase characters to make the game into what you wanted it to be. No interest in Sci-Fi? Great, buy the fantasy characters... or follow a particular artist or game mechanic or whatever YOU wanted to do with the game.

I stand by the game engine which allowed for amazing flexibility for characters (shape shifting, ANY size, amazing AI that is hard to beat at the top levels, etc.). On a technical level, I was always proud that we put out the first fast action fighting game that utilized SVGA (640x480, 256 colors). In the end, the engine did lack some capabilities that it really should have had - see previous review for at least one of them. ;)

So, our plan was downloadable characters to expand the game universe back in 1995. Alas, the idea was (in my opinion) ahead of its time and the '95 internet could not support 8mb downloads so we had to reverse course to mailed disks containing characters as they were purchased. This worked okay, but not great. As the development of Battle Wrath was progressing, we were approached by various companies about entering into a distribution relationship. Ultimately, we decided on Magicomm.

The item we missed about Magicomm is that they were a very siloed company. Our primary contact was the only person who knew anything about the game, or their relationship to us. Sadly, he was gravely injured in a car accident shortly before release and our game was shelved for 6 months despite efforts to get it back on the table. As you all know, 6 months is an eternity and we missed out window. This, combined with a personal situation that had me relocate from Raleigh, NC to Denver, CO (where I remain to this day), signaled the end of any aspirations for the game.

In an interesting twist, we worked for a while with (the old) Avalon Hill before they went belly up to do a remake of the game Diplomacy using some of the AI innovations of Battle Wrath (odd that some of it applied to both games). In the end, they were embroiled in their financial issues, though out primary contact at AH, Bill Levay, went on to direct the AH Diplomacy release that they ultimately put out.

So, did the game fail? In most regards, absolutely. However, as a creative endeavor it was very rewarding and financially, it paid for itself, but not much more.

This is the first time I have shared my thoughts on the game to any audience and I hope that at least one of you found it an interesting read.[/QUOTE]

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Topic Review (Newest First)

03-08-2007 04:29 PM
guesst	Wow, this is the second review I've written that prompted a responce for the author. (The first was Crystal Maze.) Sorry I ripped so hard into the game, but it did suck in the end. It sounds like you had alot of good ideas on paper. The idea of downloadable content was definately ahead of it's time. Infact, many games don't do that now. I've long thought a game that you bought $5 at a time would appeal to a different audience, but the it hasn't seemed to catch on. (Personally, I think it's because it'll apeal to a different audience which means a tond of marketing would be necessary to get it started.) Denver, CO, eh? That's where I am believe it or not. If you ever check back, aside from living in Denver, CO, what are you doing now? Are you still involved in programming or more specificaly videogame programming?
03-08-2007 11:39 AM
Guest	interesting indeed to hear from the author. I'm sorry your vision didn't quite work out as you'd intended mate
23-07-2007 11:08 PM
Donners	That was indeed an interesting read. The idea of users picking and choosing specific downloads for a game rather than an all-inclusive expansion pack is one that is only catching on now through games like Oblivion. Certainly an idea ahead of its time.
23-07-2007 10:39 PM
Scott DeMers	Ahhh the memories. I came up with the concept, designed and programmed Battle Wrath way back in 1995. I think I deserve some points for stepping up when the game gets such nasty reviews. LOL At one time there were about 10 of us working on the game from artists to developers to storyboarders. If you will indulge me, I would like to share the story of the game as someone may find it interesting. Our original concept for Battle Wrath was to distribute a free engine with a couple of characters to let people taste the game. If it was for you, you could purchase additional characters off of the internet for about $8. The goal was to reduce the cost to 'allowance money' that a kid would have vs. receiving a $50 game that required a parent's income. We also were intrigued by the idea that you could purchase characters to make the game into what you wanted it to be. No interest in Sci-Fi? Great, buy the fantasy characters... or follow a particular artist or game mechanic or whatever YOU wanted to do with the game. I stand by the game engine which allowed for amazing flexibility for characters (shape shifting, ANY size, amazing AI that is hard to beat at the top levels, etc.). On a technical level, I was always proud that we put out the first fast action fighting game that utilized SVGA (640x480, 256 colors). In the end, the engine did lack some capabilities that it really should have had - see previous review for at least one of them. So, our plan was downloadable characters to expand the game universe back in 1995. Alas, the idea was (in my opinion) ahead of its time and the '95 internet could not support 8mb downloads so we had to reverse course to mailed disks containing characters as they were purchased. This worked okay, but not great. As the development of Battle Wrath was progressing, we were approached by various companies about entering into a distribution relationship. Ultimately, we decided on Magicomm. The item we missed about Magicomm is that they were a very siloed company. Our primary contact was the only person who knew anything about the game, or their relationship to us. Sadly, he was gravely injured in a car accident shortly before release and our game was shelved for 6 months despite efforts to get it back on the table. As you all know, 6 months is an eternity and we missed out window. This, combined with a personal situation that had me relocate from Raleigh, NC to Denver, CO (where I remain to this day), signaled the end of any aspirations for the game. In an interesting twist, we worked for a while with (the old) Avalon Hill before they went belly up to do a remake of the game Diplomacy using some of the AI innovations of Battle Wrath (odd that some of it applied to both games). In the end, they were embroiled in their financial issues, though out primary contact at AH, Bill Levay, went on to direct the AH Diplomacy release that they ultimately put out. So, did the game fail? In most regards, absolutely. However, as a creative endeavor it was very rewarding and financially, it paid for itself, but not much more. This is the first time I have shared my thoughts on the game to any audience and I hope that at least one of you found it an interesting read.
18-09-2006 02:34 PM
a1s	very well. as a servie to the blind soceity I will tell you what's going on in the screnshots (and don't say I never did anyting for you ): 1.player one (the alien thing) is using it's special attack on player 2 (the gladitor guy). it's the first hit he'd ever scored. 2.player one (the ninja girl) is high kicking player 2 (who is a knight). This is the easiest level of difficulty. the human is sill losing. 3. player one (the faery) is evding an attack from player 2 (the draconian). looks like the human finaly got the hang of the controls (or lucky). it's early, but they are evn so far. 4.player selection screen. the current chrecter is Vorax (the android thing). 5.payer one (the roman guy) has just missed an attck on player 2 (the android thing). he doesn't suck half as much as he did in screen 2. go Human!
17-09-2006 10:25 AM
Stewie	I don't know about anybody else, but I can't hardly tell what's going on in the creen shots. 'course, based on the review, that might not be such a bad thing....
16-09-2006 11:25 AM
_mzonas_	This game looks like good fighting old game! Thanks for staff!
16-09-2006 09:46 AM
Shatari	I normally like to think that there is something redeeming about a game, but I have to agree with the reviewer here. I played this clunker back when it first came out, and it didn't hold my interest then either. Compared to similar games from about five years prior to it, this game still stunk. Time hasn't improved it...
16-09-2006 12:40 AM
ReamusLQ	Feel free to comment and discuss this game here. Also, if you have any useful tips or tricks don't hesitate to share them with the others! Thanks! Review and Download (if available)

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