"Play Preview" Screenshots, Parts 1 & 2

[DanQ]

The first batch of screenshots from the Rise of Nations first press beta that will constitute Apolyton`s "Play Preview" of the game are now available for viewing. All captured by DanQ, the eight JPEG images are comprised of six 1024x768 resolution captures JPEG images, one 640x480 and a special picture 370x250 in size. All are accompanied by 200x150 thumbnails for quick browsing.

The 640x480 image serves as the game`s loading screen and the said half-dozen 1024x768 captures show the introductory details of six included tutorials in RoN; more than half of these have never before been made available online. The aforementioned 370x250 is an exclusive special in nature: for the first time in public, the "Change The Course Of History In Your Lunch Hour" logo can be seen at one`s leisure.

Watch for the arrival of the second set of eight screenshots, all of which are at full size 1024x768 JPEGs, on Thursday, November 14th.

---------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[ixnay]

The link to the pic for Tutorial 5 brings up the pic for Tutorial 4 and the link for Tutorial 6 goes to a dead link. Other than that, nice!

[DanQ]

Originally posted by ixnay37
The link to the pic for Tutorial 5 brings up the pic for Tutorial 4 and the link for Tutorial 6 goes to a dead link. Other than that, nice!

* Tutorial 6 link corrected
* Tutorial 5 listing temporarily removed (correct image will be posted tomorrow)

---------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[Alex]

On the tutorial screens, I noticed that the D-Day tutorial has "(NYI)" after the title. Does this mean "Not Yet Implemented"?

[DanQ]

The second batch of screenshots from the Rise of Nations first press beta that will constitute Apolyton`s "Play Preview" of the game are now available for viewing. All captured by DanQ, the eight JPEG images are set at 1024x768 resolution. Each is accompanied by a 200x150 thumbnail for quick browsing.

Notable screens include the `Game` and `Hotkey` tabs in the "Options" menu and a technological victory declaration.

----------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[tniem]

Dan, thanks for some more screens to wet are apetitite.

Seems to be a ton of game options. This should be fun to find what elements I like for MP gaming. I just hope that the single player is challenging and engrossing. That is what I will play more of than anything else and so I just hope that single player holds me for a while.

The in game continues to look really amazing, especially in the two images where there is a information box over a grayed landscape. That looks faboulous. The artists and all those working on that aspect of the game shuld be very proud and excited about the work they have done.

One, problem I have is in shadding a unit that is behind a building or tree. We have already had debates on this site about whether shadding or simply lines is better and while I do not want to get into that conversation again, I do not like what I see in the Technology Victory screen capture (congratulations by the way Dan). In that shot you have a truck with only part of it behind a building, it makes no sense to see that part shadded. In game it might not be a problem, which is what I am hoping, but in staring at a screen shot it looks out of place. I am just hoping that it doesn't look as glaring while playing, which when the game is released will all I care about.

And one other thing (here is my edit), one of the images shows a shot with Dan working on his city. In the shot, on the left hand side it has all the latest reports, but it fills the screen. That seems way too busy for me. I want a lot of that information there but to have that many lastest reports on the screen will distract me from pressing matters. It will also keep me from reading any of them. Any way that this can be shortened? Dan, does it ever take your attention away from what you are doing?