Monday 21 December 2009

My Email To Team 17

I am a huge Worms fan and feel frustrated at every Worms release now. Here is a copy of the email I sent Team 17, asking them to address my concerns. Let me know if you agree, guys. Hell, let them know!

Dear Sir or Madam,


You can count me among the truly die hard fans of the Worms series. The fact that I am sending you such an email is testemant to that. I have watched the releases of Worms titles over the last decade or so since you've been releasing them and seeing Worms 2 on Xbox arcade for sale makes me feel I should say something. As a fan, I am going to tell you the honest truth that you need to hear, straight up.


With all due respect I say this: You have almost designed the perfect worms game. The problem is, it's not in one piece. It's scattered amongst a few titles. Whenever you release a Worms game, there are often positives to be said for it - ways that it is improving or adding upon the series - yet there is always something missing from past versions. If you were only to collect the very best features from all of your Worms games you would have 'Ultimate Worms'. A game thats only update requirements would be graphics (or perhaps AI).


The thing that is disturbing me most when I see each new Worms release is the "almost" factor to it. The missed potential. Every single time. Example. Worms Open Warefare on the DS...well of course we don't really count that as being even a Worms game - it was more fun to dig up real life worms in the garden and watch them squirm about wondering where all the light came from than play that first game on the DS. However, the sequel? Now that was great. I still have it. Great new weapons bringing about wonderous new tactical opportunities. However, with Worms Open Warefare 2, you even felt like things were lacking - things you've seen in previous games, such as more schemes.

Here are the 3 major problems you need to address:

1. Custimized Options/Schemes - Out of all of your past games, you've amassed some amazing possibilities. However, they've never all been included together. Why not? Let the players custimize everything they've ever been able to. Let players turn on or off every setting. Let's have features like turning off sudden death and the like. Especially applying to the schemes. The major problem with your new XBL Arcade Worms 2 being its lack of schemes! To add to that, the fact that you cannot take your own made schemes online - so no remedy...Why limit us? Because you don't want griefers making too many bad schemes to annoy people? Alright, then add all the schemes from Worms World Party and no one will have to add anything! I used to like the Air Strikes scheme from the latter game. I'm damned if I've been able to play it since, for example. What a shame. It's a nice tactical mode, making me play in a different way. There's the key to longevity.


2. A.I. We both know that worms A.I. is a little unsatisfying. We can only hope that it becomes a bit more interesting and realistic. WWP was almost perfect in its own way, but of course the A.I. was quite horrid. Tactics like it using a shotgun to burrow at a wall turn after turn make the licence feel a little outdated.


3. Bring Back Sudden Death Poisoning!: This is so important that I've given it its own section. Remember in WWP how sudden death meant losing 5 pts from every worm each round + rising tides? That was perfection. There's nothing more annoying than having all your worms go down to 1 health and losing them all to some noob who uses a donkey on you. Minor splash damage, even from your own dying worms sent at you from the thing spells your end. It takes a really tactical game and makes it a no brainer. This important point related to point 1 a lot. You could have a choice of choosing which Sudden Death style you want! If it's radiation sickness then you could even choose the % lost per tick.


To wrap up:
Bring out a worms game looking as beautiful as the technology of the moment (like Worms 2 xbl is) with all the features of WWP and added features from everything else combined with an ability to turn off and on every single relevant setting. Have the ability to play all those schemes online. Try your best to improve the A.I. to new leaps and bounds, somehow and please above all else, make sure the sudden death elements are custimized so that those who want a more tactical game can do so.

Thanks for reading

Robert James Freemantle

1 comment:

  1. I'm even thinking, this could be a patch in. Hell I'd be happy to pay MSP just to get a proper tactical sudden death mode!

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