Hi Dark, I do take your point, and for the most part agree with it. That is very bad, and a very sad state of affairs when organizations like the RNIB treat something like Azabat as the best solution in terms of games when Jim Kitchen's or Spoonbill's games are cheaper and much better examples of those types of games.
Cheers! On 11/8/13, dark <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Tom. > > Well the Vb issue is a separate one, but to just concentrate on design for > the second, I agree taht there is a place for games like Azabat, and > certainly they have produced some unique games, however what irritates me > about their company isn't just the running from the cd it's the attitude of > > avoiding! adding basic features and other elements to their games in an > effort to keep them symple. > > For example, in their anagram and mathematics style games, you have no > ability to input an answer, or have the computer keep score, also, though > the games run with the timer it is simply an audio sound file of a ticking > clock that the user ignores or not as they wish. Effectively, the game is > not using the power of the computer at all to create challenge, interest or > > extra possibilities for the puzzle, you could do pretty much the same thing > > with an audio timer and a bag of tactile scrabble letters. > > Bare in mind This wasn't due to the developer's lack of skill, indeed he did > > add the feature to have the computer produce a generic list of answers with > > the anagram from the dictionary (albeit it is up to the user to do > everything in his/her head as to whether he/she got any of those answers). > The developer stated his decision to do this was because he "wanted to have > > it as a game where people could just yell out" but what is really the point > > of that? > > Compare this to the Bg anagrams game of spoonbill or indeed the anagrams > game from allinplay, both of which are considderably cheaper than azabat's > version, have far more features (including in the case of allinplay online > competition), and are customizable with respect to time, challenge, score > etc, all of which customizations could be easily set for a person in the > game and saved by someone else, (though they're not hard to set on their > own). > > Another example might be pontes backgammon, which impressed me so much I > bought the game. Loads of features, customizable background, play against > the computer on various difficculties, or play online, or indeed with > someone else at the same machine, different rule sets, even different ways > of viewing the board, (you can play witht the mouse if you wish), not to > mention several language packs, yet to start a game you just start the > program and hit enter, (everything is found in the settings menue). > > While Azabat was certainly the first to create an accessible backgammon > game, and they still have the only backgammon game with graphics, in terms > of customization, features and just plane design Pontes is an amazingly well > > put together affair, (plus it's cheaper too). > > while as I said I have nothing against card, word or puzzle games, and > indeed enjoy them myself on occasion, like any games the better designed the > > better the game, and it just seems Azabat chose to design the games without! > > features, complexities or indeed in some cases much interaction at all in > gthe guise of "simplicity" ---- and yet this is what the Rnib promotes as a > > standard for modern > and complete audio computer games for blind people! > > Oh,nd to prvent this turning into a witchunt on Azabat, a very similar > example is talking crossword puzzles, vs Bg crosswords from spoonbill, which > > even lets you import crosswords in different formats from actual newspapers! > > again, why do certain people and organizations have the idea that "for the > blind" means skimping on decent design? > > Beware the Grue! > > Dark. > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > [email protected]. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to [email protected]. > --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
