Tribes-Vengeance, Surprisingly Good!

[OldsterHolster]

If you're into first-person, single-player, shooters, as I am, then you might want to check this one out. I'm just into it, maybe a third of the way, and, so far, I'm impressed. I'm already sure that I'll be playing it for a second time.

It's your basic Sci-Fi fantasy shooter, which is what I like, and boy did they do it right. Lots of big, pretty, maps; with alien terrain and nice colors, and even the music fits. Remember the original Half-Life expansions, Opposing Force, and Blue Shift, where you played different sides of the same story? You do the same, here, with time shifts added in; and it's a wonderful way to draw you into the slowly developing story. When's the last time you played through a shooter that actually had you thinking about the story?

It is a shooter, no doubt; but the weapons are great, and gameplay is right on. The AI are pretty damned smart, so you have to be on your toes; but, although the game moves right along without a dull moment, you don't ever feel "frenzied" like you do in some games. The many cutscenes are well done, and there's impressive variety in levels, as well as in smaller details throughout the game. These folks know what they are doing.

So far, I've driven a dune buggy, and flown a little one-man fighter; but did I mention THE ROCKET PACK!! Oh my God, I guess I'm just a slut for flying through the air, but this feature, alone, melts my butter, and it's done, perfectly, in this game. The learning curve is short, and, before you know it, you are blasting up the sides of mountains and floating from peak to peak, as well as doing a kind of dogfight-dance with other airborne opponents. It gives a whole new, and refreshing, twist on "jumping puzzles." I'm hooked. Heh, heh.

Enough for now. It's after midnight and I have to work, tomorrow. Just wanted to report in for those of you that enjoy the same games I do. Two thumbs up, so far, and it's a good feeling. Have a great week, everyone. Edward.

[Gary V.]

I agree, Edward. Tribes: Vengeance is a lot of fun and the most underrated game of 2004. The backpack is a blast. Online is tough, though. There are some very good players who will absolutely destroy newcomers.

[SupaTroopa]

Hmm, didn't even know it had an entertaining single player (I have nooo desire to go online with that game, ever). Might have to pick it up some day.

Haven't donned a back pack since Giants: Citizen Kabuto - and if you haven't played that game yet Oldster then you should pick it up in the bargain bin next chance you get!

[Quantum Ninja]

Being a huge fan of the original Starsiege Tribes, I picked Vengeance up in October. The original was entirely multiplayer aside from three extremely short "training" levels (the sequel, Tribes 2, was entirely multiplayer as well, but I skipped out on that one), so I was surprised to see a full-blown single player campaign in Vengeance. Irrational did a pretty good job on the single player aspect of the game and I had a fun time playing it, although multiplayer is what Tribes has always been about and that's the real meat of the game IMO.

Unfortunately, Irrational and/or VUGames have done a horrendous job of supporting this game. The title was released without a finished version of the dedicated server code; instead, they distributed a beta version of it soon after release date. I'm still not even sure an official completed version of the dedicated server ever came out. Not to mention a host of other things that weren't properly implemented like a working observer mode and support for tournaments.

A representative from VU said we were supposed to receive a patch some time in December fixing these issues and adjusting several gameplay issues that many players were expressing concern about. Then the date was moved to January. It's now March and still nothing. The community has evaporated away; you're lucky if you see more than 200 players online (http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/) at a time now. Back when I stopped playing, probably around the beginning of December, the number of players was hovering around 350. As a comparison, there are curently over 500 people playing the original Starsiege Tribes and over 800 playing Tribes 2.

Although many diehard Tribes fans were disappointed with the multiplayer in Vengeance, I think it is decent (aside from the fact that there's no community). It's a little more fast paced and less tactical than the original, and it doesn't entirely capture the authentic "Tribes feel", but it comes fairly close in that regard. Many players likened it to Unreal Tournament with jetpacks, which I don't agree with entirely, but I see their point; even if it is, it's still fun in its own right. But I miss some of the features from Starsiege Tribes that really set it apart from anything at the time, and still to this day, like deployable sensors, deployable cameras, jammer packs, and a command screen through which players could relay command points to other players. I guess the lack of such features and the less tactical style gameplay was enough to turn off a significant portion of the series' fanbase. In turn, this probably is the reason why we've seen such a lack of support from the developer/publisher... no reason to fix it if no one's playing.

[OldsterHolster]

I'm on dial-up, and I've never played multiplayer games online. I suppose I might, someday; but, after reading lots of posts in the last few years, I'm not so sure it's worth the trouble. I really enjoy playing the single-player shooters, and my impressions were just about that part of Tribes-Vengeance. It was only when I read a couple of reviews that I became aware that there had been previous Tribes games, and this one was the first with a single player campaign. Sorry to hear the multiplayer experience is so troublesome, because it really is a good game. Edward.

[Xindon]

I do love Tribes Vengeance! It's the best multiplayer game I've ever played.

But....

the Tribes: Vengeance community is outraged. Actually we have been for months now. Tribes: Vengeance, although it may be a good game already, is heavily pested by bugs.

The dedicated server binaries are still in a beta stage. The netcode has serious flaws (often the game just randomly drops ALL players). The weapons are not balanced (several weapons are nearly useless). The gameplay is heavily flawed (advanced players can capture the flag several times with NO chance of following or even damaging them, because they jet at superhigh speeds curvy across the maps like spiderman with help of the grappling hook). The tourney mode has too many bugs to be supported by online gaming leagues.

Like any gaming company or producer, the game was supposed to be fixed, that is: patched.
Yet only ONE patch has been released for Tribes Vengeance. This happened about half a year ago and left T:V in it's current, unfinished state.

Since then further patches were promised to the community, but were never released.
You can read about the promises of patchment, the excuses for the lasting delays and the anger that has built up within the Tribes players here on the official Vivendi Universal Tribes Vengeance Community Board:
http://community.vugames.com/WebX?1...92703@.1dd94706

Today, this message was posted by Guy Welch, one of VUG's marketing employees:
http://community.vugames.com/WebX?1...92703@.1dd97873

VUG does NOT plan to release any more patches for Tribes Vengeance. The long awaited and often promised v1.1 patch is not going to be released. Although PunkBuster support was promised in the patch and officially announced about one month ago, this will also never happen.

We, the Tribes community, are extremely disappointed that our game won't be fixed. Even moreso, since VUG took our money, but won´t deliver any support.

Please make this scandal big news, other players and customers shall be forewarned of VUG's politics and think twice about buying their products.

[Quantum Ninja]

Wow. I can't say I'm really surprised though. I kinda figured after 2 months with no word about the patch from VU, not even so much as a sentence fragment, that the promised patch was never going to see the light of day.

Thanks for the update, though, Xindon. I've stopped following the Tribes community since we've been starved of any kind of support from VU whatsoever and I probably wouldn't have found out about this news for quite some time. At least there's a finality to it now and I won't have to keep peeping around TribalWar.com forums with my fingers crossed, hoping to find some information on the patch.

Sucks that VU had to piss on the Tribes community like that. The game is fun, but needs a lot of polish still. For them to just abandon it like that is atrocious customer support. I haven't played Vengeance for at least a couple of months, but now I really have no desire to go back.

Damn VU. :mad:

[OldsterHolster]

Well, too bad about the multiplayer aspect of the game. I just finished the single player for the second time, and I still say it's one of the best shooters I've played in a while. I encountered no bugs or issues and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The second time through was as much, if not more, fun as the first time, and I got much better at using the innovative features such as skiing and using the above-mentioned grappling hook in addition to the rocket pack. If they come out with another single-player sequel, I will definitely get it; and I don't understand why they can't get their act together for the multiplayer community. Edward.

[Baraden]

That game is about one of the best I've ever played. The single player had a good story and the multi-player just about kicks all other games. (Unfortunantly there are not many good servers...)

[OldsterHolster]

I should've been a bird, I guess. It was the rocket packs that got me hooked. Another off-beat, low reviews, silly, shooter was Armed and Dangerous. It had a JumPak that let you rocket up, and then glide around, and I had a ball with that game too. I'd sure like to see another single-player Tribes game. Edward.

[DanTheManPR]

Yeesh, support sounds like a nightmare. I never played any of the Tribes games. They looked awfully cool, though - makes me feel that I've missed out on something great.

[OldsterHolster]

Yes, DanTheManPR, the single player Tribes-Vengeance is definitely worth playing if you like shooters with a twist. I think I went through it three times, and I may even play it again, now that we are talking about it and the memories are coming back.

As mentioned, it's the vertical element that tickled me. Rocketing up to the tops of bombed-out skyscrapers or the sides of cliffs, and attacking enemies from the air was just loads of fun and a little different from anything else I've ever played. Give it a shot if you run out of newer games to play, and you won't be disappointed. Edward.

[Gary V.]

I'm very disappointed the game wasn't supported and didn't do well. It is an incredibly fun game. I loved jumping around; the jetpacks were a blast.

[Joe Cool]

I bought this game when I had my last rig. I could not get it to run on it so I chucked it under the bed and it lay there for over a year. A few months ago I moved house and found it again. With a new pc in tow I decided to fire it up.

Now, its not the best fps I ever played and it is dated when compared to todays fps, but yes it does have a charm about it. The story line is quite good and the way you can play as diffrent people is graet a s Ed said. It's also a great feeling when you fly up 100 feet into the air while killing 3 guys on the ground whit the disc launcher and whoosh by the bodies as you land! :yes:

All in all I play Tribes like I smoke cubens, not that often but when I do I ask myself "why dont I do this more often?"

Also, in terms of no support, I read somwhere that they pulled the plug cause the game sold, like, 11 copys world wide..........

[OmegaBob]

People still play this?

I thought support had dried up (I think my one BB still has boxes of it for sale for $49.99 - bwhahaha)

If its ever reduced to $9.99 or less, I might pick it up.

[Joe Cool]

People still play this?

I thought support had dried up (I think my one BB still has boxes of it for sale for $49.99 - bwhahaha)

If its ever reduced to $9.99 or less, I might pick it up.


I picked it up for 15E ove a year ago.

[OmegaBob]

Hence why Best Buy sucks....

BAM

[utBurn]

OG tribes FTW..... not so much vengeance... :face11:

[MasterChief]

Man, for a minute there I thought Warren had returned :p: