Why Does Everyone Have Low Playing Time?

[Genghis Khan]

Was looking at the reviews and noticed almost everyone has very low playing time. Wonder why? Well, I just bought the game and I guess I'll learn why soon.

[MLGTASTIC]

the game is made for fun and not really to grind , so low hours will be common

[Genghis Khan]

Originally posted by MLGTASTIC:

the game is made for fun and not really to grind , so low hours will be common

Irrelevant deceptive comment, basically a lie - if the game was fun as you say then players would have high hours not low. Low hours indicates a game that quickly becomes boring.

[Genghis Khan]

I gave it a Thumbs Down and requested a refund.

"The creativity options are very low - and I mean VERY low as there aren't many options or choices when designing your fort. It forces you to build 90% of what you need and the other 10% is quite insignificant - so there's really no creativity at all promoted by the game. Most of the weapons are useless as its damage can easily be repaired. It's basically a race to the final weapon and once you get it you can destroy the enemy fort relatively easily. You'll notice everyone's playtime on the reviews is also very low and that's because the game is not fun. The players are being too generous with their ratings and not critical enough at all. The real truth is, I requested a refund because the game is not fun."

[Romerolagus]

If you don't like the gameplay itself, then obviously I'm not going to change your mind. But I would make the case that there is a great deal of creativity and depth in Fort designs, much more than you can experience in a single playthrough of the campaign. With a good understanding of the physics model you can figure out how to build almost anything. People make suspension bridges, swinging bases, the infamous T3 mortar and more, all while being shot and frantically repairing and rebuilding and firing back.

A good base won't be destroyed by a single cannon or laser or warhead. The only way that happens is if you leave the starting structure alone and never build additional defenses as you progress into the late game. You need to defend, diversify your weapons, and maintain your economy to keep building, firing, and repairing. That's where the 'weaker' weapons fulfill a support role in both offensive and defensive capacities.

If you're willing to give it another chance, there's a ton of Forts videos out there showcasing radically different design philosophies. There's also several thousand custom maps, and over a hundred different mods that do everything from change the underlying physics to entirely new tech and weapon trees.

[believor in Prawn]

Originally posted by 616RexFortis:

I gave it a Thumbs Down and requested a refund.

"The creativity options are very low - and I mean VERY low as there aren't many options or choices when designing your fort. It forces you to build 90% of what you need and the other 10% is quite insignificant - so there's really no creativity at all promoted by the game. Most of the weapons are useless as its damage can easily be repaired. It's basically a race to the final weapon and once you get it you can destroy the enemy fort relatively easily. You'll notice everyone's playtime on the reviews is also very low and that's because the game is not fun. The players are being too generous with their ratings and not critical enough at all. The real truth is, I requested a refund because the game is not fun."

use mods dude

[Aeven]

Originally posted by believer in prawn:

Originally posted by 616RexFortis:

I gave it a Thumbs Down and requested a refund.

"The creativity options are very low - and I mean VERY low as there aren't many options or choices when designing your fort. It forces you to build 90% of what you need and the other 10% is quite insignificant - so there's really no creativity at all promoted by the game. Most of the weapons are useless as its damage can easily be repaired. It's basically a race to the final weapon and once you get it you can destroy the enemy fort relatively easily. You'll notice everyone's playtime on the reviews is also very low and that's because the game is not fun. The players are being too generous with their ratings and not critical enough at all. The real truth is, I requested a refund because the game is not fun."

use mods dude

If he doesn't like the base game mods won't help much. You shouldn't buy a game only because it has mods to add stuff.

[Genghis Khan]

speaking of Mods, this game uses the term "mod" but they're not mods at all. They're just optional settings.

[[DEV] BeeMan]

You are talking about built-in mods. They use the same system that community modders use to add to or change the game. And as Rome said, there are well over a hundred community mods.

With regard to lack of creativity and useless weapons, you are overlooking large parts of the game. Location, timing, aim, combination and co-operation are all important, not just what you build.

Take the incendiary mortar. It does little immediate damage to structure (unless the fire is left to burn), but can be brought out quickly. It's especially good at taking out early turbines and forces the enemy to shift focus and build sufficient anti-air. Later game it can be used as a decoy for missiles, to draw out anti-air for clearing, or to drain resources from flak.

The Firebeam can be combined with several other weapons to make more damaging projectiles, block cannon rounds, and can also be used to protect missiles and rockets in-flight.

Team members can pursue different tech paths and use them in combination to overcome any defense. Using rockets, missiles or cannons to take out shields, and following up with lasers.

There are trade-offs in locating some weapons that allow different strategies. Placing a cannon close to your reactor may allow you to get it out faster, reduce total weight and size (presenting a smaller target to the enemy). It also risks damaging the reactor if it's destroyed.

This is not even touching on commanders and how they can be optimised for best effect, or how map design affects your options and how you build.

Much of this you will not appreciate unless you are playing at a high level. Beginners often do not build rigid, well defended forts, so it appears that you just have to race to a heavy weapon to win the game. With skilled players a battle can become a dramatic tug-of-war with trading of blows, cliff hangers, come backs, and unlikely victories.

I don't expect to change your mind. You appear to have gone into the game trying to confirm your suspicions. For everyone else out there, Forts has many players with hundreds of hours of play who are still going strong. Personally, after working on the game for six years plus, I still enjoy playing it and wish I had more time to.

[Lorenzonium]

Originally posted by MLGTASTIC:

the game is made for fun and not really to grind , so low hours will be common

I Totally agree

Originally posted by Aeven:

Originally posted by believer in prawn:

use mods dude

If he doesn't like the base game mods won't help much. You shouldn't buy a game only because it has mods to add stuff.

I have bought a lot of games with this principle and i don't see the problem.

I Mainly like this game because it doesn't require grinding or map knowledge, it's just fun; you can hop in a lobby at anytime with some friends and enjoy the game.
If you prefer grinding hours just to get ahead other players go ahead and change game, this one is probably not for you.

[Kepler_22]

Originally posted by Aeven:

If he doesn't like the base game mods won't help much. You shouldn't buy a game only because it has mods to add stuff.

I have bought a lot of games with this principle and i don't see the problem. [/quote]
Same here, if you want to play more often, play mods, and play time is low mostly because server count and player count is low, which means more time waiting for games to start, this game, even with its flaws, IS TONS OF FUN. and im not afriad to show that i have only around 100 hours

[Juiced2010]

There really isn't much to the game to make it a high hour game unless you're online challenging people. For me, with low internet speed, I bought the game because I'm been a fan of turrent based games since the artillary simulator on the apple IIe where you had to perform math to get your artillary to hit the enemy on the other side of the hill. Was somewhat disappointed in this game but it will be something to pull a few rounds before I get bored. So it won't really be a high hour game.

[Akui]

I played for 272+ hours, most of the time was spent testing mods.