Re: CRAP Poll # (Infinity - 6): Bring It Back!

On Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:58:56 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Rin
Stowleigh wrote:

On Sun, 08 Jun 2025 10:42:59 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
>

Archon (1983) with low latency online multiplayer play

>

The chess type game?  

>
That's the one. It spawned its own genre that muddled along for a few
years during the 90s (leading to games like "Dark Legions" and "Wrath
Unleashed") but ultimately the whole idea was abandoned by the market.
It tried to bridge arcade gameplay with chess mechanics, and satisfied
fans of neither. I'm not sure it would have much more success today,
but who knows?

>
I'm guessing you're not talking about the 1983 (Atari 8 bit computer)
version I'm referring to?
>
It was insanely popular, won awards, and really put Electronic Arts
(the original team, not what they are today) on the map.
>
Multiplayer (which of course back then meant two joysticks going into
a single computer) was an insane mix of strategy and reflexes.
>
There was a remake in 2010 that isn't really worth bothering with.
>
For it to succeed these days it would require online lobby matching
with no wait times (good luck with that these days) and input latency
requirements that might be hard to achieve consistently on an Internet
connected game.  This was part of the fun factor of the original.

Yeah. Low latency is key. Otherwise running a Basilisk or Unicorn strat
would be pointless.

--
Zag

What's the point of growing up
if you can't be childish sometimes? ...Terrance Dicks, BBC