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computers / comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action / "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return

SubjectAuthor
* "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnSpalls Hurgenson
`* Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnMike S.
 +* Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnJustisaur
 |`* Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnSpalls Hurgenson
 | `- Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnMike S.
 `* Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnRoss Ridge
  `- Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) ReturnSpalls Hurgenson

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"Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return

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From: spallshu...@gmail.com (Spalls Hurgenson)
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Subject: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2022 17:16:50 -0400
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 by: Spalls Hurgenson - Wed, 6 Apr 2022 21:16 UTC

A lot of people didn't even know that they had made a video-game based
on Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" novels. Although it received
generally favorable reviews on its release - almost a quarter of a
century ago, in the far-away year of 1999 - it wasn't a game that had
much longevity. Despite having a solid single-player campaign and some
unique twists to its multiplayer gameplay, it pretty much disappeared
from gamers' radar after only a few months. I only remember it because
it had a few memorable levels and an excellent soundtrack which I
ripped to MP3 and have been listening to ever since.

But it was also one of those games I /knew/ would never make a
comeback; it was too niche, too forgotten, and too saddled with a
third-party licenses to make its resurgence worth the effort of a
resurgence (as is common with licensed titles). It was a game, I was
sure, would only be remembered by the scant few who still owned their
original CD-ROMs.

Well, I thought that right up until the day I learned they were making
a TV show based on the "Wheel of Time" franchise, at which point I
realized it was only a matter of time before the rights-holders
dredged this old game out of the shadows of history in order to make a
quick buck. And lo and behold, that day has come, because "Wheel of
Time" is now available on GOG.*

Although I'm quite happy to see it made available, I am not rushing
out to buy the game again. At $10USD, it's just not worth the price -
especially since, as I've said, I already own and have played the
game. If I do buy it, it'll be largely for the convenience of owning a
digital, downloadable version of the game, and that luxury is only
worth a dollar or three to me (your price point may differ).

But neither can I recommend the game to others. It was an innovative
title in some ways, and - as an early licensee of the Unreal engine -
stood out from its peers with its large and colorful levels - but from
a modern perspective, it's not all that much fun. The controls are
clunky, the combat mechanics are inaccurate, and its visuals haven't
aged gracefully. It has a moment or two of spectacle (I personally
remember traversing the haunted city of "Shadar Logoth" quite fondly,
even if its map was infuriatingly mazelike) but on the whole it lacks
so many of the quality-of-life conveniences that make modern gaming so
enjoyable and effortless. "Wheel of Time" does have some nifty ideas -
it has a fairly wide array of weapons, and there's a bit in the middle
part of the game where you set up traps and soldiers in an early
attempt at tower warfare - but on the whole the lack of polish is
problematic. There is, after all, a reason this game was largely
ignored by most gamers, and it's not because of any grand Anti-Robert
Jordan conspiracy. The game was average at best, even when it was new.
23 years later, its innovations are all old-hate leaving its flaws all
the more prominent.

The music remains excellent, though.

Still, if you have fond memories of the game (or want a look at an
early 3D FPS, or just love the license) and never got a chance to play
it back in '99, the game is now available again. I'm just happy that -
whether its worth playing or not - it's no longer abandoned as too
many games of that era are. Whether you're interested in the game or
not, be glad you have that opportunity, even if you don't chose to
take advantage of it.

--------------------------
* https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_wheel_of_time

Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return

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From: Mik...@nowhere.com (Mike S.)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return
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 by: Mike S. - Thu, 7 Apr 2022 12:45 UTC

On Wed, 06 Apr 2022 17:16:50 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>Still, if you have fond memories of the game (or want a look at an
>early 3D FPS, or just love the license) and never got a chance to play
>it back in '99, the game is now available again. I'm just happy that -
>whether its worth playing or not - it's no longer abandoned as too
>many games of that era are. Whether you're interested in the game or
>not, be glad you have that opportunity, even if you don't chose to
>take advantage of it.

I never bothered with the game because I did not like the books. I
read all of them and wish I hadn't.

Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return

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Subject: Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return
From: justis...@gmail.com (Justisaur)
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 by: Justisaur - Thu, 7 Apr 2022 14:00 UTC

On Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 5:45:25 AM UTC-7, Mike S. wrote:
> On Wed, 06 Apr 2022 17:16:50 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
> <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Still, if you have fond memories of the game (or want a look at an
> >early 3D FPS, or just love the license) and never got a chance to play
> >it back in '99, the game is now available again. I'm just happy that -
> >whether its worth playing or not - it's no longer abandoned as too
> >many games of that era are. Whether you're interested in the game or
> >not, be glad you have that opportunity, even if you don't chose to
> >take advantage of it.
> I never bothered with the game because I did not like the books. I
> read all of them and wish I hadn't.

I don't think I ever read them, nor played the game. I'm curious now
as I watched the show on Prime and rather enjoyed it.

- Justisaur

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From: spallshu...@gmail.com (Spalls Hurgenson)
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Subject: Re: "Wheel of Time's" Ttriumphant (?) Return
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 by: Spalls Hurgenson - Thu, 7 Apr 2022 15:45 UTC

On Thu, 7 Apr 2022 07:00:31 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 5:45:25 AM UTC-7, Mike S. wrote:
>> On Wed, 06 Apr 2022 17:16:50 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
>> <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >Still, if you have fond memories of the game (or want a look at an
>> >early 3D FPS, or just love the license) and never got a chance to play
>> >it back in '99, the game is now available again. I'm just happy that -
>> >whether its worth playing or not - it's no longer abandoned as too
>> >many games of that era are. Whether you're interested in the game or
>> >not, be glad you have that opportunity, even if you don't chose to
>> >take advantage of it.
>> I never bothered with the game because I did not like the books. I
>> read all of them and wish I hadn't.
>
>I don't think I ever read them, nor played the game. I'm curious now
>as I watched the show on Prime and rather enjoyed it.

The books are an incredibly mixed bag, not just between volumes but
within the individual titles themselves. There are some parts that are
riveting - a fascinating blend of imaginative world-building and
interesting characters - and other areas that are duller than
dishwater, pointlessly (and slowly) retreading the same ground. The
series has about a trilogy's worth of material stretched out into
fourteen books.

I struggled through the first... ten (however many Jordan actually
wrote) and never bothered to finish the series after that. Despite
some moments of brilliance, it is absolutely not worth the effort to
read.

The game is similar, even if it lacks the stultifying pace of the
literature. There are moments when you might marvel at what the
developers created, but equally there are points of dreary boredom as
you clumsily fight your way against the same boring enemies in
virtually identical labyrinths.

It's a game that reflects its the time when it was released: that
transitional era between Doom and Half-Life clones, and between the
colorful sprites of 2.5D shooters and the angular clunkiness of early
3D. Historically interesting and not without merit of its own, but not
really worth playing for its own sake.

(Standard disclaimers apply)

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 by: Mike S. - Thu, 7 Apr 2022 15:59 UTC

On Thu, 07 Apr 2022 11:45:16 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

>The books are an incredibly mixed bag, not just between volumes but
>within the individual titles themselves. There are some parts that are
>riveting - a fascinating blend of imaginative world-building and
>interesting characters - and other areas that are duller than
>dishwater, pointlessly (and slowly) retreading the same ground. The
>series has about a trilogy's worth of material stretched out into
>fourteen books.

Every single comment you made in this one paragraph about the books is
spot on. If someone in the future asked me what I thought of this book
series, it would be easiest for me to just copy and paste what you
posted here.

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From: rri...@csclub.uwaterloo.ca (Ross Ridge)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
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 by: Ross Ridge - Sat, 9 Apr 2022 03:08 UTC

Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
>I never bothered with the game because I did not like the books. I
>read all of them and wish I hadn't.

Wheel of Time is one of those series I decided not to read until it was
finished and then never did. It sounds like I should keep it that way.

--
l/ // Ross Ridge -- The Great HTMU
[oo][oo] rridge@csclub.uwaterloo.ca
-()-/()/ http://www.csclub.uwaterloo.ca:11068/
db //

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 by: Spalls Hurgenson - Sat, 9 Apr 2022 15:46 UTC

On Sat, 9 Apr 2022 03:08:47 -0000 (UTC), rridge@csclub.uwaterloo.ca
(Ross Ridge) wrote:

>Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
>>I never bothered with the game because I did not like the books. I
>>read all of them and wish I hadn't.

>Wheel of Time is one of those series I decided not to read until it was
>finished and then never did. It sounds like I should keep it that way.

I can't argue with that conclusion, as much as I'd like to. There are
some really fun ideas in the series; I liked its magic system, I liked
the setting, I liked the idea of ta'veren (and how Mat abused his
status as a plot-central character to his own benefit)... there's some
really neat stuff in the books. But, oh, how so much of the books just
drag on endless over inconsequential, repetitious or meandering prose.

I do sort of lament never finishing the series (I gave up after
book... ten? eleven?) but at this point I've forgotten so many details
that I'd have to restart the series to benefit from the last few books
(which were completed by another author after Robert Jordan died), and
I've neither the time nor tolerance to do that.

If you're now thinking, 'well, maybe I'll just play the video game to
get an idea of what the books were about," be aware the books share
the setting but not the plot, and in fact take place several centuries
earlier than the novel. It captures the feel of the books fairly well,
and there are a number of locations shared between the two, but the
characters and story are completely different. And, as mentioned, the
game has problems of its own.

We should all be glad that there's nothing on Usenet as pointlessly
long-winded as those novels ;-)

1
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