JEO 27/46
//// BattleSphere Playtester's Report
[from Mark Santora's BattleSphere Playtester's Page
]
//// The October 1997 Report
THE PLOT
In the future, an intergalactic war is about to break out. Eight
different races were set to fight until they controlled the galaxy.
But in a brief moment of intelligence, the races agreed to save the
galaxy from being ravaged by war. They did this by placing their best
pilots in an enclosed area of space to fight until one remained. Which
ever race that was, would rule the galaxy. Here lies the plot for
Battlesphere.
So, it's been about three months since my last report and a lot has
happened. So let me see where to start....
ALONE AGAINST THE EMPIRES
The mode has quickly progressed from early prototype to finished play
mode.  I'm not going to repeat what I've said here previously about
the playmodes - check the previous reports at the bottom of the page.
In a galaxy of 64 sectors you command your forces to protect your
starbases from incoming forces. You can order the forces to any sector
(although only one "set" of forces may occupy a sector at a time). A
good idea is to have them sit on the starbases and wait for the bad
guys to come try to destroy them. Of course you can make them
intercept incoming forces. However, you have a limited number of
friendly forces - use them wisely.
Depending on the skill level (Trainee, Recruit, Pilot, Ace, Destroyer,
Starfighter, and Starkiller), your hyperspace jumps will range from
easy to hard. It takes quite a bit of use to get the hyperspace
controls accurate in the advanced levels.
Other options include the ability to either have or not have friendly
forces (say you want to go it alone - a really stupid idea), the type
of ship (Fighter to Supership), and if you want one race or all of
them to come in and kick your ass. Either way it's just as fun.
Support is now in for the ProController (THANK GOD!). Yes, doing 3D
moves is now a breeze thanks to the "advanced" controller from Atari.
As for the modified Gravis joystick from DKG, I don't know how the
game will play with it. I mean I know the joystick is solid and well
built (Gravis did design the thing), but BattleSphere is a very fast
game and you can't exactly stop the game to pick up the joypad to find
the button to switch your weapons (which by the way is not set up as
A, B, or C). While BattleSphere could be fun to play with a joystick,
I don't foresee any joystick adding to the game. If you don't own a
ProController, go buy one - you'll need it.
Unlike the Gauntlet mode, the enemy vessels in AAtE do not attack in
squadrons. So the feel of this mode is closer to Free for All than any
other of the playmodes. However, it is designed (with the obvious nod
to Star Raiders) as more of a combination of the Gauntlet modes
(defend your starbases) and the Free for All (general gameplay
design). This is a great one-player game.
NETWORKING
Unfortunately, I only have two Jags right now. That third one is just
sitting at Kay Bee waiting for me to come into $40. Anyway, with the
two I have - an original Jag from 1993 (Motorola chipset) and a
developer Jag - I have tested Battlesphere with the JagLink. I do not
have two CatBoxes.  Anyway, for those out there who only want to have
two Jags for BattleSphere and don't want to drop $140 for two
CatBoxes, the JagLink works just fine.  It plugs into the port next to
the video card so you can run your SVideo- A/V modes and network. I
haven't played the BattleSphere mode yet. But that will come soon
enough.
THE BATTLE SPHERE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO - TAKE 2
Well, with the original video completed, I thought my job was done.
But NO!  The 4Play team felt that the interview footage was a bit
obtrusive, so they asked me to put another together. So, I have
completed the next "script" and am starting to gather footage and lay
down the floorplan as you will in Premiere. I expect this edition to
run under 8 minutes as the original ran in at just over 9.
This video will show off all the gameplay modes, not just general
shots of the Free for All mode, which is what graced the original
video. Now there are just gameplay shots, and I think the 4Play team
and others who see it will enjoy it more. One of the 30-second spots I
created for it can be found at the GameSpot site. It also features
original music by Stephanie Wukovitz (wife to Mr. Scott Le Grand and
4Play member).
Well, that about does it for now. More as more of the bugs disappear
and we get into production of the cartridge.
... The wolf will hire himself out very cheaply as a shepherd.
--- JetMail 0.99beta22
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