Duel Monsters Unlimited

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ID:53398
 
Jan 23 2009, 9:37 am (Edited by moderator on Feb 18 2009, 7:16 am)
Before you go saying my marks are ridiculously high and biased, please, read my reasoning.






Yu-Gi-Oh is sparsely covered on BYOND for 2 main reasons:

1: People can't be bothered with the graphics
2: Coders find making the code nice and automated for each card tedious.

Duel Monsters Unlimited is one of the few Yu-Gi-Oh games on BYOND and it also appears to be the one putting the most effort in. On connection to a server, you are greeted to a well-made login screen, that simply requires a click in the middle to join the action.



Once you log in, you find yourself at the Spawn Point, the central hub of the game.
The Spawn Point is always bustling with players, so you can be sure to always find someone to duel.

DMU's dueling code allows players to be anywhere on the map to duel, not just in arenas. As long as they are standing with 5 spaces between them, they can duel. Upon starting a duel, all possible options you need are posted at the top of the screen. This shows, of course, that this game isn't for the beginner in Yu-Gi-Oh, but more the advanced player.

It's predecessors had many unique features too, such as DMO's automation, but not a system that made the player have complete control over what they were doing.
DMU's un-automated style of dueling allows players to control exactly what they want to do when they want to do it. For example, a constraint with DMO's system, was every time an opponent made a move, a pop up was given about you wanting to activate trap cards. When this comes up 5 times a turn...it gets old fast.


The graphics on this game are purely stunning. All original, each and every card has it's proper depiction all leading to a very well planned game. It gives a feeling of professionalism knowing that such time and care was put into it's design.




The game play itself is different depending on the server you play on. Whether creatively customizing your decks using the intuitive deck editing system, having friendly duels with random players, or participating in a tournament to gain 'stars' used to improve your abilities, there is no shortage of things to do.






Though at times the servers get a little lagged out depending on player numbers, there is never a shortage of servers to play on, guaranteeing you will always be able to find someone to duel.

I think I have explained myself well. In summary, I believe this is a game with great potential, a strong player base, and good expectations, but needs to try to trim down on the lag.

EDIT: OK, let me put this a different way. I would PREFER if people who put nay put why, as just putting nay helps no one. For example IceWarriorX posted constructive criticism.. Some people have just put nay and left it at that..which of course, helps no one. God knows your reasons for putting nay, maybe cos everyone else did, maybe cos your from a rival game, I don't care how lucrative your reason is, you could at least state it XD
Jan 23 2009, 11:39 am
Ta v much =)
Jan 23 2009, 11:47 am
I'm assuming this means you Approve this review as a valid one UnknownDuelist
Jan 23 2009, 12:32 pm
lol, Great review, all true ;)
Jan 23 2009, 12:38 pm
Needs more Firefox.
Jan 23 2009, 2:04 pm (Edited on Jan 23 2009, 2:24 pm)
Funny....4 nays, and not a single given reason why...shows how worthless those peoples opinions were XD

(Apart from mebbe SuperAntx, but that was more on a FireFox level, then a game quality one)

EDIT: 6 Nays and no comments, makes me think the people who are putting nay aren't even reading it XD
Jan 23 2009, 2:27 pm
Disregarding the fact that I hate Yu-Gi-Oh like poison (I have fond memories of burning my friend's cards. Die stupid Yu-Gi-Oh cards!), lets get to the other complaints.

The first thing to look at is the originality rating. Although I realize a lot of people consider games programmed from scratch to be "original", perhaps a better term for them might be "unique". I find it hard to give any game that is based off of someone else's ideas a high originality rating.

Second is the presentation. Now, I've never played this game so I don't know how well it is presented, and since you never bothered to include any kind of screenshots whatsoever I'm certain that I won't find out from this review nor get any justification for your 10/10 rating.

However, the nays may not reflect disagreement with a review, but just the lack of quality in the review itself. Not that this is the worst review I've ever seen or anything, but I wish people around here would spend a little more time and take reviews more seriously. Go look at some reviews at GameSpot or IGN. They're usually several times as long as this review and include at least 3 screenshots.

So my suggestion: Spend more time writing out good and bad points of the game in detail to explain your ratings, and provide screenshots! People read reviews to learn about the game, so tell them everything you can about it.
Jan 23 2009, 2:27 pm
Vetunkollo wrote:
Funny....4 nays, and not a single given reason why...shows how worthless those peoples opinions were XD

(Apart from mebbe SuperAntx, but that was more on a FireFox level, then a game quality one)


Make that 5 nays. If you want reasons I'll give you some.

1. This is not original whatsoever...The manual idea came before this game(DMX did it way before this heap) as well as bringing duel monsters on BYOND, I fail to see the originality in this game at all, also with the exception of a few graphics it seems to compile a ton of random sprites and graphics from various sources..and it shows.

2. You completely brush off other people's opinions, if they want to nay your 'review', then I'm sure they have a very good reason of doing so.

3. You said DMO gets old, and would rather doing it manually, well, the automatic car is about 10,000x more popular than the stickshift for a reason.

Do your research, post more pix, be less biased.

tl;dr: NAY

*edit* it was nayed again while writing this..so..6 nays
Jan 23 2009, 2:39 pm
As someone who has never played Yu Gi Oh, has never watched the anime, and has no idea how to play the game, this review means nothing to me.

The point of reviews is passing judgment on games in addition to providing screenshots of how it works, along with general design specifics that mean little to the average person. This review seems more like a reason to give a game a near-perfect rating while offering zero objective criticism. No game is perfect, but your implication is that it descended from the heavens in the arms of a deity.
Jan 23 2009, 3:20 pm
An article at IGN about writing reviews:
You Got Game, But Can You Write?

(If you don't have the patience to sit down and read that, you shouldn't be writing reviews. Although you might start at the The Basic Five section.)
Jan 23 2009, 6:28 pm
What level GM are you getting for this?
Jan 24 2009, 12:25 am
IcewarriorX wrote:
Vetunkollo wrote:
Funny....4 nays, and not a single given reason why...shows how worthless those peoples opinions were XD

(Apart from mebbe SuperAntx, but that was more on a FireFox level, then a game quality one)


Make that 5 nays. If you want reasons I'll give you some.

1. This is not original whatsoever...The manual idea came before this game(DMX did it way before this heap) as well as bringing duel monsters on BYOND, I fail to see the originality in this game at all, also with the exception of a few graphics it seems to compile a ton of random sprites and graphics from various sources..and it shows.

2. You completely brush off other people's opinions, if they want to nay your 'review', then I'm sure they have a very good reason of doing so.

3. You said DMO gets old, and would rather doing it manually, well, the automatic car is about 10,000x more popular than the stickshift for a reason.

Do your research, post more pix, be less biased.

tl;dr: NAY

*edit* it was nayed again while writing this..so..6 nays

Umm..the automated car is more popular because for most people, it's more convenient. This automated system that thrashes your screen in popup boxes like a patient with a mental illness sticking post-it notes to your face is not convenient whatsoever.

You lot say I am biased, but I hardly even play this game =/

Jeff 8500 Wrote:
What level GM are you getting for this?

I'm not..I'm not writing this to get a GM position.
Jan 24 2009, 4:37 am
Screenshots are a nice addition I guess
Jan 24 2009, 5:31 am (Edited on Jan 24 2009, 5:39 am)
IcewarriorX wrote:
Make that 5 nays. If you want reasons I'll give you some.

1. This is not original whatsoever...The manual idea came before this game (DMX did it way before this heap) as well as bringing duel monsters on BYOND.

By the very nature of an anime based game, how can the original concept be original? The idea itself (a dueling game) is not original, nor is it the creation of DMO, DMX or DMU.

I fail to see the originality in this game at all, also with the exception of a few graphics it seems to compile a ton of random sprites and graphics from various sources..and it shows.

This is the main thing i needed to reply too. That last bit about the graphics is nonsense. It's all done by myself, no 'different sources' or 'collection of sprites'. I find your insinuation that the graphics in my game are somehow ripped from elsewhere an insult to the work ive done on them.

The only graphics in the game i cannot claim to have created from scratch are the occasional screencapture (such as the BG on the intro screen) and a few random character sprites (which make up about 2% of the images in the game) oh and of course the card images (as in the art, not the cards themselves, they are mine too sorry). The rest is all original to my game because i made it.

On a side note - If by DMX you mean DME, the map in there is my work too. If thats where the idea that the map in my game and theirs is from some sort of sprite rip.
Jan 24 2009, 5:33 am
Everyone on BYOND is paranoid that all the games that they thought were original are ripped content. Me, I don't care.
Jan 24 2009, 7:48 am
Yash 69 wrote:
Everyone on BYOND is paranoid that all the games that they thought were original are ripped content. Me, I don't care.

Which is a good reason for reviewers to get in touch with the authors of the games they're going to review and ask some questions before stating their own opinions. Reviewer may think the game's graphics are ripped even though the author drew them. Or at least the author may readily admit that they're from a certain source that can be credited in the review.
Jan 24 2009, 10:12 am (Edited on Jan 24 2009, 11:45 am)
Actually I was referring to the whole manual idea in general...

Also, I said graphics because, while they are pretty good, are sprinkled in with a few things everyone sees. Obviously the first thing I'm going to look at is the character when I get in the game, so what does that tell me? It's the same way with the unblending grass and common-looking turfs that seem to show up in just about every game. As for the buildings and random objects scattered about, good job, those are very well done, assuming you made them.

/runonsentence
Jan 24 2009, 12:45 pm
IcewarriorX wrote:
Actually I was referring to the whole manual idea in general...

Also, I said graphics because, while they are pretty good, are sprinkled in with a few things everyone sees. Obviously the first thing I'm going to look at is the character when I get in the game, so what does that tell me? It's the same way with the unblending grass and common-looking turfs that seem to show up in just about every game. As for the buildings and random objects scattered about, good job, those are very well done, assuming you made them.

/runonsentence

Everything on the map (and i mean everything, right down to the painted white lines on the road) including that unblending grass and 'common turfs' are 100% by me. I didnt get any of the images used on the map (and anywhere else in the game) from anywhere except my PC, from photoshop where i created them. As i said before, DMX (DME?) is using a map i made and gave to them. Thats the only place your going to see any simular turfs, unless someone ripped it from my game (which is possible ive had that happen once or twice, thankfully those games are no longer up).

A handful of character icons are from the Gameboy games i admit, when i was first creating the game it helped having some pre-made icons ready to go. But many many more are not and have been made for this game only.. did you click any others? Your initial "Random Boy" icon might be from a GBA game yes, but go choose one of the others and u will quickly find lots of others that are not.

Sorry to be so defensive, but i take great deal of pride in the graphics i create for DMU. So when someone insinuates that ive stole them elsewhere or plays them down its frustrating.
Jan 24 2009, 3:02 pm
I'm not insinuating that you stole anything, you misunderstand. I'm just saying that it's easy to come to that conclusion..
Jan 25 2009, 2:22 am
For starters..

'DMU's un-automated style of duelling allows players to control exactly what they want to do when they want to do it. For example, a constraint with DMO's system, was every time an opponent made a move, a popup was given about you wanting to activate trap cards. When this comes up 5 times a turn...it gets old fast.'

Did I ever say this idea was original to DMU? No, all I said was DMU implemented it well.


'Reviewer may think the game's graphics are ripped even though the author drew them. Or at least the author may readily admit that they're from a certain source that can be credited in the review. '

If you read, I said the Graphics were excellent, not ripped...
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