That's it, I am Cancelling My Subscription to PC Gamer!

Tim Stone of PC Gamer needs to get a clue before accepting the job as a flight simulation reviewer at PC Gamer. He scored DCS:BS an 82%. Now, I know that's not a low score by PC Gamer standards but the problem I have with his review is that he cites the following reasons for the "lows":

 

Intense learning curve

dense manual

Starforce DRM

no Dynamic War Campaign

 

Ok, doesn't Tim Stone have a clue that this is a study sim? As such, the intense learning curve and dense manual is expected. Thank God the manual was dense. Otherwise, I would have never learned how fly this thing. I haven't noticed any negative effects from whatever DRM the simulation came with so I don't understand why Tim Stone cited Starforce as a low. No dynamic campaign? Well, if Tim Stone even tried playing the scripted campaigns, he would realize there is much more depth to DCS:BS's campaign than seems on the surface. I mean, please, a dynamic campaign is a random mission generator....and that's pretty much it. Out of all the simulations I've owned, I've always felt that dynamic campaigns were so repetitive.

 

Anwyay, I guess I've had it with PC Gamer. I don't pay them money to get some amateur analysis of one of the greatest study simulations ever made. IMO, the score should have surpassed 90 %. I mean, they gave Doom 3 well above 90%.......

[Grimes]

Sigh, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at this post.

 

PCG US has a standing policy of posting DRM alerts on all games that use it. This includes all Steam Games, Starforce, SecuRom whatever. Besides, its a review. Everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. Its not written by some guy who was praying for a flight sim to come out, it was written by normal a game reviewer. I find it hard to believe that this review influenced your purchasing decision. Believe it or not, some people dont want a steep learning curve or giant manual to sift through to find an answer.

 

At this rate nobody on these forums will own any gaming magazines in a few months. :D

[ESzczesniak]

Well, the name of the magazine is "PC Gamer", not "PC Simulator". Your average 15 year old that owns every gaming console around does not care to sit and read manuals for hours before getting airborne and for this crowd, these are legitimate draw backs.

 

If this was PC Pilot or Computer Pilot, I'd wonder what they were thinking. But coming from a gamer magazine, this actually seems reasonable.

[Amuro]

When my PC Gamer subscription expired last May, I didn't renew. Looks like I did the right thing. The magazine is getting thinner and thinner anyway.

[-Nighthawk-]

Well, the name of the magazine is "PC Gamer", not "PC Simulator". Your average 15 year old that owns every gaming console around does not care to sit and read manuals for hours before getting airborne and for this crowd, these are legitimate draw backs.

 

If this was PC Pilot or Computer Pilot, I'd wonder what they were thinking. But coming from a gamer magazine, this actually seems reasonable.

 

+1

most gaming magazines don't respect the level of detail gone into this flight sim, instead focus on games like "Hawx" or something because its "cool" for the younger crowd...

Sigh, I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at this post.

 

PCG US has a standing policy of posting DRM alerts on all games that use it. This includes all Steam Games, Starforce, SecuRom whatever. Besides, its a review. Everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. Its not written by some guy who was praying for a flight sim to come out, it was written by normal a game reviewer. I find it hard to believe that this review influenced your purchasing decision. Believe it or not, some people dont want a steep learning curve or giant manual to sift through to find an answer.

 

At this rate nobody on these forums will own any gaming magazines in a few months. :D

 

What does their standing policy have to do with reporting the DRM as a "low"? Reporting it is one thing but implying as if it's hindering the game in some way is not accurate.

 

BTW, where in my post does it say that this review influenced my purchasing decision? LOL

Edited February 24, 2009 by <((((><

Well, the name of the magazine is "PC Gamer", not "PC Simulator". Your average 15 year old that owns every gaming console around does not care to sit and read manuals for hours before getting airborne and for this crowd, these are legitimate draw backs.

 

If this was PC Pilot or Computer Pilot, I'd wonder what they were thinking. But coming from a gamer magazine, this actually seems reasonable.

 

Well, then maybe perhaps a review should not have been done at all? Coming from a gamer magazine or not, if the review is far from accurate, then I don't think it's reasonable at all.

[Grimes]

I was referring to a practice that they have used in the past of placing a large box stating "DRM ALERT!" next to the review box score. So as a whole they dislike any use of DRM regardless of if the system is good or not. But the bottom line is that they are telling you its in the game more than anything. Evidently the guy who reviewed it thinks Starforce is a negative.

 

I meant the purchasing decision comment based largely in part that you have already made up your mind in regard to Black Shark.

 

Honestly I was intending to just point out the obsurdity of cancelling a magazine subscription over what they declared as "lows" in the score summary box. (I acknowlage you could have plenty of other reasons to cancel but for the sake of argument I am stating this solely on what you originally posted)

 

82% aint bad, espcially for their magazine where they actually use the entire scale 0-100% (well 4% to 98% of the games reviewed)

[Arizona]

I let my PCG subscription expire years ago.

 

I'm kind of surprised they even reviewed DCS:BS.

 

He should have given +10 points for DCS:BS being something other than yet another first person shooter.

 

Every now and then I'll pick up PCG at the newsstand to see if I should subscribe again, but it is always packed with reviews of the FPS flavors of the month and not much else.

 

Looks like I'll be set on the 8th of April (when the box comes out). Then I'll be anxious for A-10C...

 

 

 

Arizona

I was referring to a practice that they have used in the past of placing a large box stating "DRM ALERT!" next to the review box score. So as a whole they dislike any use of DRM regardless of if the system is good or not. But the bottom line is that they are telling you its in the game more than anything. Evidently the guy who reviewed it thinks Starforce is a negative.

 

I meant the purchasing decision comment based largely in part that you have already made up your mind in regard to Black Shark.

 

Honestly I was intending to just point out the obsurdity of cancelling a magazine subscription over what they declared as "lows" in the score summary box. (I acknowlage you could have plenty of other reasons to cancel but for the sake of argument I am stating this solely on what you originally posted)

 

82% aint bad, espcially for their magazine where they actually use the entire scale 0-100% (well 4% to 98% of the games reviewed)

 

Huh? I don't understand what you mean. Why is it absurd about cancelling a magazine because they write bad reviews? Also, I don't get the part about "made up your mind in regard to Black Shark". What do you mean by that?

[Grimes]

Nevermind. Dont worry about it. ^_^

:)

[docehrenhoefer]

At least they made a review at all.

 

In our german gaming magazines, they don´t even review simulations any more.

 

Well, seems I´m a slowly dying species *sigh*

[HansRoaming]

DRM is basically malware you install on your PC and when they don't get along all sorts of goodness can happen to your PC. That's why it gets a low score.

[MBot]

Not having read the review, but 82% by a gamers mag sounds like a great score. I remember the German GameStar giving 8% for Flanker 2.0 :)

 

Actualy I would rate Black Shark as 82% even as a simulation enthusiast. Let's face it, next to being a spectacular flight simulator and being a very solid release, there is still plenty of room for improvement. I am confident that DCS is on its best way to become a spectacular -combat- flight simulator, but it is not quite there yet.

[tflash]

Let's face it: we're playing a 82% rated game. Life can be hard. It's like Scotty beams you up and only 82% has a arrived.

 

But we have to go on with our lives!

[Feuerfalke]

Tim Stone of PC Gamer needs to get a clue before accepting the job as a flight simulation reviewer at PC Gamer. He scored DCS:BS an 82%. Now, I know that's not a low score by PC Gamer standards but the problem I have with his review is that he cites the following reasons for the "lows":

 

Intense learning curve

dense manual

Starforce DRM

no Dynamic War Campaign

 

...

 

IMO, the score should have surpassed 90 %. I mean, they gave Doom 3 well above 90%.......

 

82% is not bad at all for a general gaming magazine!

 

And the points stated are not wrong. It has a very intense learning curve, which is not positive for most players out there and it has a dense manual, that is not always as clear as we would like it.

On the other hand, DRM and the missing dynamic campaign (or dymamic mission elements at all) are a big downers for most of us, too!

 

There is a nice thread about reviews on BS from the community and it does not differ that much from the magazines rating. Maybe because other things are more important to us, but a rating way over 90% would mean that it is one of the top 2% of games ever released.

I honestly doubt even ED expected such a rating for their first release of a DCS module, that is still based on the old engine.

 

In other threads, there are also a lot of suggestions how to make the game more accessable, so maybe DCS: A10C will get a better rating ;)

 

 

And one other remark: You shouldn't complain about the "bad" review. There are no magazines posting reviews or any information at all about DCS in Germany that I know of. :noexpression:

[MBot]

And one other remark: You shouldn't complain about the "bad" review. There are no magazines posting reviews or any information at all about DCS in Germany that I know of. :noexpression:

 

I wouldn't worry about that, I am sure that once the retail release hits the stores, they will write reviews about it (although I wouldn't expect high scores from those...).

[159th_Viper]

.........Life can be hard. It's like Scotty beams you up and only 82% has arrived.

 

 

:megalol: Priceless :megalol:

 

The remaining 18% would accordingly account for the 'My Helo is intent on commiting suicide for reasons unknown' posts..........Scotty Fcuked up and neglected to Beam the AP or other vital component :music_whistling:

 

 

:P

[Feuerfalke]

I wouldn't worry about that, I am sure that once the retail release hits the stores, they will write reviews about it (although I wouldn't expect high scores from those...).

 

I don't count on it, honestly.

 

If they are promoted by ED, yes, but I have yet to find a source that even knows of the existence of DCS or any current development in the flightsim-genre.

 

 

@Viper:

 

Nah, it's rather like the 18% missing means that all people in your new universe run around like zombies, against walls and not caring if they or somebody near them are shot or not. You'd also have a groundhog-day experience, as every day would be the same unless you rearange it personally.

 

Oh, and you can only change clothes 8 times, then you won't wake up any longer unless you pay for it again. ;)

Edited February 24, 2009 by Feuerfalke

[AlphaInfinity]

PC Gamer.....hmm

 

Unless most of the game was a first person shooter where you climb out of the cockpit and find yourself in a field where (place whatever bad guy you want here) starts shooting at you, don't count on getting a great rating from them.

 

You guys must have forgotten that the demographic PC Gamer is trying to market to is the younger "instant gratification" crowd which means that the manual cannot be any thicker than your average Xbox game manual.

[ESzczesniak]

...if the review is far from accurate' date=' then I don't think it's reasonable at all.[/quote']

 

What's not accurate? It does have an intense learning curve, the manual is dense, there isn't a dynamic campaign and it uses DRM/starforce. These are all accurate. Just some of use think they make the game awesome. Others think it's a major detriment because they can't go blow stuff up right away.

[sobek]

What's not accurate? It does have an intense learning curve, the manual is dense, there isn't a dynamic campaign and it uses DRM/starforce. These are all accurate. Just some of use think they make the game awesome. Others think it's a major detriment because they can't go blow stuff up right away.

 

It's just that this review shows a lack of insight, especially for a professional. It would be like a racedriver taking a F1 car for a spin and complaining afterwards that the car is so impractical because it has no trunk to store your groceries in when going shopping. Totally besides the point :D

[hannibal]

+1

most gaming magazines don't respect the level of detail gone into this flight sim, instead focus on games like "Hawx" or something because its "cool" for the younger crowd...

 

yea!!!!

 

i am going to get HAWX because..

 

a) it is 'cool' and will make me 'cool' and 'popular'....so cool that noobs will think i am god like..lol

b) it will make me young.

c) it has F-14D

[Feuerfalke]

yea!!!!

 

i am going to get HAWX because..

 

a) it is 'cool' and will make me 'cool' and 'popular'....so cool that noobs will think i am god like..lol

b) it will make me young.

c) it has F-14D

 

:D

 

it also has an up-to-date graphix engine and collidable trees. :lol: