RoNews: R.I.P Erik Cassel, RoGalaxy added to Roblox Wiki

   A few days earlier, after 3 years of battling cancer, Erik Cassel died. The co-founder of Roblox, many posts have been made to acknowledge him. Both by the players, and the Roblox staff. Without this great man, none of this would exist. Not Roblox, not this blog, nothing. I first found out he died on the forums, where I also saw a post from Keith, a moderator, confirming this. Soon after, the admins released this blog post: http://blog.roblox.com/2013/02/in-memory-of-erik-cassel/. Erik will live on forever in Roblox, and hopefully the newer players will know his name for years to come. I applaud you, Mr. Cassel. I truely do.

Game Review: Call of Robloxia 5 - Roblox At War

   Call of Robloxia is a first person shooter created by  litozinnamon back in 2009. Although it's as old as Base Wars, it has adapted to the Roblox throughout the years and in my opinion is one of Roblox's sleekest FPS games out there. Let's get straight to the review.

   Combat & Weapons: Naturally, this game has a huge focus on combat and weapons. I love the combat in this game, because the weapons are varied and their's a lot more you can do, including using ammo drops, tomahawks, etc. But what really sets this apart from other games is that all of the weapons are free. This feature really appeals to me because it cuts down on the amount of people going. "Unfair, you had an overpowered weapon noob!" You can immediately be a contender in the battle, and it's about playing your cards right and using skill, not grinding for xp. There are many different types of weapons, ranging from shotguns to snipers to dual pistols. There are even grenades to flush out the enemies. I could go on forever about how many weapons there are, but I'm going to cut it short, and summarize with. Lots of weapons, lots of ways to get rid of the enemy and a lot of fun. I legitimately can't find anything to complain about, (Although I might when I lose) so I'm going to give the combat a slightly generous 10/10.

   The Terrain: This game features multiple maps, each with their ups and downs. At the start of each round, players get to vote on one out of four maps, although four is only a portion of the amount of maps. Each map gives you a chance to adapt, change your weapons, and master it. Some you may need a sniper, some a machine gun. Each is c-framed and well made. The terrain gets a 8/10.

   Updates: This game is frequently updated, and although the updates are usually little ones the game has progressed a lot. Like Gusmanak, lito incorporates a change log into the description which can be viewed here: http://www.roblox.com/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=88384044. Although there are a lot of subtle updates, there are some big ones that keep the game engaging like the prestige system. (The prestige system would be better, but all it's good for is slight satisfaction.) The creator definitely puts a lot of effort into maintaining the game, and the community has responded well with him having 16 million views at the moment. For all these reasons, I give the updates a 8/10.

   Game Mechanics: In a game like this, game mechanics can mean a lot of things. Rather than narrow that down to this and that I'm going to be broad about it. To begin with the controls are good, you have all your basic controls for crouching, scoping, etc. and then some. The game runs smoothly most of the time, with the biggest annoyances I have with the game itself being the menu screen staying up to long, or not saving my classes. Even so, the menus are easy to access and customize, the controls are smooth (but the kid who loses multiple times will say otherwise) and there's a lot you can do with the game. I give the game mechanics a 7/10.

   Overall Fun: This game can provide a lot of fun for a medium period of time. It is better with friends and players who can chat, because although breezing through the newer players like there's no tomorrow is fun, it does get kind of boring. There are no different modes so storming through maps can get repetitive and it's not the kind of game you spend hours on. Still, if you're faced with a good challenge, into that type of game, and have some skill at it it will provide fluid gameplay (for a Roblox game) and a lot of good time. I enjoy it, although not for too long so I give the overall fun a 7/10.

   Final Score: This game has few faults, it's biggest drawback being the repetitive gameplay that could easily be countered by adding a few modes. Still, there are a bunch of different maps, a good arsenal, and it's an enjoyable game. The final score for this game is an 8/10.

    

Apocalypse Rising: It got shutdown!

  Apocalypse rising, the first game to be reviewed on this website. Apocalypse rising, getting an 8/10 here and a 10/10 from much of Roblox's community. Apocalypse rising, one of the few games you can expect to always see on the front page... has been shutdown! It was only shutdown for a little while, and now v4.0.8 is back in Gusmanak's active places, but it definitely gave the people of Roblox a scare! Gusmanak stated in the description while the game was shutdown, until the Roblox admins update Roblox and fix the games, this will be shutdown. A bit harsh, in my opinion, since the mods have been behind him all the way. But unless the mods fixed all of Roblox overnight, Gusmanak must've regretted his decision, whether for the loss of income, (Unlikely) or just because the huge demand for the game back. We now have it back, but who knows what's in store for Apocalypse Rising?

SFOTH IV vs. Sword Fighting Tournament

   Sword Fighting Tournament is a tournament based game created by The Gamer 101. SFOTH IV (Sword Fights on the Heights 4) is a deathmatch based game created by Shedletsky, or Telamon. Sword Fighting Tournament was created in 2009, and has over 14 million views. SFOTH was created in 2008, and has over 6 million. Even so, place visits don't prove ANYTHING. I'm lookin' at you five star island resort. Now, before we begin, I'd like to state that this is going by my opinion, although I'll try to be as fair about it as possible and use as many facts as I can. These two games may both have swords, but they're very different. Now, we begin.

   Weapon Assortment: Everybody knows the SFOTH swords, Darkheart, Firebrand, Icedagger, etc. They're all very valuable as gears, and they set a standard for all swords. Sword Fighting tournament has 14 swords in the normal shop, plus a bunch more you can get by buying a special weapon shop V.I.P. Both games have a few things other than weapons, like upgrades. In the case of upgrades, they have about the same. The large weapon assortment keeps you glued to the screen, but the challenges of fighting and hunting for them in SFOTH does the same. Still, I'm going to have to give this round to Sword Fighting Tournament. There are more swords, almost as many upgrades, and you have to work for all of them, which keeps you playing.

   The Terrain: In SFOTH, the main part of the title is on the heights, which is really what this game is centered around.  For each sword, you need to fight through the heights to get them, you have to jump, slash, and sprint all the way through it. With the symbolic ring of fire marking the center arena, everyone knows "The Heights." There are also some obstacles, like the spinning blades of fire and the disappearing platforms. But don't count SFT out yet. SFT has multiple maps, some famed for their obstacles, some for their detail. Some big, some small, there's a big assortment of maps and a practice arena. There's even a viewing area. I'm gonna have to call this one a tie.

   Lasting (and Overall) Fun: By lasting fun, I mean time spent on the game without getting bored, and how many times you want to go back and play it. Sword fights on the heights is a classic. You always want to beat your score and get all of the swords and items at once, and just dominate the competition. Sword Fighting Tournament, on the other hand, has many bonus modes, maps, swords, upgrades, and people to play with, which keeps you going. Both games can get frustrating if you're not that skilled though, and can lead rage quitting.  Because Sword Fighting Tournament has so many modes and swords to work for, it gets kudos. But the never ending fighting of SFOTH IV gets it points. I usually get frustrated and rage quit waaayyy more often in SFOTH IV, so I'm gonna say SFT wins this one.

  Updates: This is the quantity and quality of the updates put into the games by their creator. Shedletsky doesn't update Sword Fights on the Heights too often, but it's a completed classic game and doesn't need too many updates. Still, he hads little things like a lag meter, thumbnails, videos, etc. Sword Fighting Tournament gets a lot of updates, including new maps, modes, swords, etc. Still, not all of his updates are loved, some are controversial and lag the game or create glitches. I think the game is currently pretty smooth. TheGamer101 gets points for keeping the game fresh, and Shedletsky gets points for not going crazy and ruining his game, but still occasionally adding updates. Don't fix it if it ain't broke, as they say. (If only he treated the Roblox layout the same way.) Still, TheGamer101 gets this, for keeping the game fresh.

   Engagement: (Not in the marriage kind of way.) I mean which game engages you more. In Sword Fighting Tournament, you not only compete in tournaments, but bet in them. Unfortunately, you have to wait a while between rounds, and even longer if you lose. In Sword Fights on the Heights, it's just pure fighting, no limits, no waiting. So in this round, Sword Fights on the Heights takes the win.

   Miscellaneous: SFOTH IV gets a point for remaining true to its origins. Sword Fighting Tournament gets a point for having more place visits. SFOTH IV gets a point for being a classic preferred by many. Yes I know that that is a very sketchy point with not much evidence, but I'd like to point out that they currently both have about 167 thousand favorites, even though Sword Fighting Tournament has over double the place visits. Which just goes to show that although SFOTH IV got less visits, the bigger majority of the people who played it thought it was good enough to favorite.

Final Score: (Ties are 1 point each) Sword Fighting Tournament wins, 5-4. I know this is going to spark flame, most people prefer SFOTH IV. I tried to be fair, but remember this does go by MY opinion. Still, I hope you enjoyed.
 


 

Game Review: Paintball!

  Paintball is a fast paced first person shooter game made by daxter33. The catch? You use paintball guns. This game has been developed and improved upon for a long time, the game itself was made in 2008. With over 13 million visits and nearly 300,000 favorites, this is a game that has been on and is likely to stay on both people's minds and the front page. Even I favorited this game. Before I give everything away, let's get to the review.

   Combat & Weapons: Let me start off by saying that every hit is an insta-kill, which may make or break the game for you. Otherwise, the combat in this game is pretty smooth. To demonstrate and improve upon the type of shooting mechanism daxter uses, Shedletsky made a game called Paintball Brutality, in which you fire an unlimited amount of high speed ammo at other players. In Paintball! you are able to crouch, run, lay down, and throw paint grenades, which makes the combat interest. You have a fair selection of weapons, and you have to reach a certain level to get each. This makes leveling up rewarding, and it's fun to see what your brand new weapon is going to do. The weapons are: The Starter, which fires at a medium speed. You have to click for each shot. It is fairly accurate. Next up is The Shotgun, which fires a spurt of scattered ammo and then reloads for about .75 of a second. (Estimate) You have to click for each shot. Third up we have the rifle, one of my favorites earlier in the game. It is like a starter but its bullets go a bit more powerfully, a better way to put it would be saying they have better range.. You also can shoot faster. Then comes The Burst, which fires a spurt of ammo like a shotgun, but it fires as straight as a rifle. Afterwards is The Sniper, which has the best accuracy, range, and the only scope. The time between shots is much longer. Then there's the Launcher, which shoots grenade like shots that explode on impact. Finally, we have The Automatic. This one fires a wave of shoots for as long as you hold the mouse button, but if you let got it takes a second or two to reload again. That's all the weapons, back to combat. Although the shooting mechanism is pretty good, if it's laggy enough they hand in the air and the game is just unplayable. Still, many games are unplayable with a certain amount of lag. I give the combat and weapons a 7/10.

   The Maps: There are many maps in the game, each unique and fun. Every round the map changes, which keeps the game lively. The look of the maps is great aswell, the was obviously a lot of time put into them. Each features a lot of c-framing, and they all look great for a Roblox game. One of the maps' major problems is wall jumping, a glitch that allows you to jump up the walls. Plus, some maps make it easier for one team, with the flags being closer to one or them having a strategic advantage in some other way. Still the maps look great, they're functional, and you need to pick the perfect weapon to dominate each one. The maps get another 7/10.

   Game Modes: The game modes in this game are great. They're varied, fun, and keep you addicted to the game. A few examples are capture the flag, in which there is a small flag on each side you need to capture, team swap, where when you "tag" people they join your team, or the classic team deathmatch. And who can forget elimination, the one round you don't respawn. The large variety and fun in each game mode really makes the game. All of the game modes are different, and I honestly wouldn't play very often if there was just one game mode. I give the game modes a 9/10.

   Updates: I haven't ever really experienced a bad update in Paintball! It's updated often, and various cool features are added. One update I really enjoy is the paint sentry, which you get after about 8 tags. It fires like an automatic does at people who walk into it's sight. Many of the new maps are the product of updates, and the updates also add to the fun of the game. Still, the game breaks a lot. There is not direct evidence that, but it's likely and most people say that's the reason. For lack of evidence, I won't make this lower the score much. I give the updates and their quantity an 7/10.

   Overall Fun: This game is extremely fun, and for a long time to. The updates, game modes, and maps make it addicting. It puts a twist on your average FPS game, and can provide a lot of fun. Large servers and a high speed connection make the game competitive, especially if everyone else has chat. You have a lot of guns to work for, and they make you want to level up. The maps look great, and the game is just fun. That's all there is too it. I give the overall fun a 8/10.

   Final Score: I pretty much summed it up in overall fun. It's a really good game, and I personally enjoy it a lot, especially when my connection is good. The creator has been putting a lot of effort into it for a long time, and although the servers do break occasionally it's still a fantastic game. I'm level 52, I've put that much time in it. The final score for this game is an 8/10.

                                      

Happy Roblox New Year!

  The New Year is here, 2013. The world didn't end, so you may go on playing Roblox. To celebrated New Year's roblox made the 2013 New Year's Crown, 2013 Sparkler, 2013 New Year's Tophat, and the 2013 Firework. Plus a few other hats that may or may not be related to the New Year, depending on your point of view. I don't have much to say at the moment, just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year!

Game Review: TŞ Professional Soccer 2013 - TPS 13

   TPS 13 is one of the most popular soccer games in Roblox, I love soccer in real life and in video games so I play it all the time. TPS 13 features 3v3 + goalkeeper games. Other than that, there's a 5 minute practice between games. There isn't much else to say, so let's get straight down to the ratings.

   Controls: Whenever a soccer game comes out, even a professional one like FIFA, there are always complaints about the controls. That does not exclude TPS 13. The lag makes the ball change direction in mid-air, and the diving for a goalkeeper is currently glitched. But if you forget about the lag, the controls are pretty smooth for a roblox game. Many players have achieved great goals, and there are many tricks you can learn to make it as realistic as possible. There are different button combinations you can do for tricks, and you have five main controls, Shoot, Dribble, Tackle, Long, and Pass. The lag really does make a huge difference though, especially if you have a slow computer. Mainly because there are so many controls that do work well, I give the controls a 7/10.

   Social Interaction: Like all soccer games, it takes teamwork. If you're playing with friends or good players, they might pass and you can do some serious damage against the other team. There are many ways to pass and shots that require teamwork, you can't win this game alone. I could stop right here and give social interaction an 8/10, but I won't. Because when teamwork is required, there's always going to be ball hogs and pests. Even I rage a lot playing this game, especially if I'm losing. Still, this happens in REAL LIFE, so it's to be expected. The difference is, you don't usually have goalkeepers playing midfield and players stealing from their own team too much in real life. Still, teamwork is required to win, so I give social interaction a 6/10.

   The Terrain: The terrain in this game is great. It really mimics an actual soccer field, and you can even change the weather, time of day, and the ball being used if you are a captain. The field is realistic for a Roblox game, and the meshes looming overhead provide a pretty good feeling. Even the practice arena is good looking in its own right, not to mention the changing rooms. I give the terrain an 8/10.

   Overall Fun: This game has had me addicted for a long time, especially if you have a cooperative and skilled team. Learning the controls is not bad, mainly because you don't need to learn all the skill moves to be good at it. You also have an option to be goalkeeper, which is pretty fun. Still, there are many cons. If you have a bad team and a laggy computer, this game is not for you. On the upside, if your team really sucks and you're goalkeeper, you really get good practice time. The game can be frustrating, and I've found myself raging at my team countless times. Still, this game deserves at least a 7/10.

  Final Score: The game can be really fun. It's detailed, there's a lot of cool controls, and it's a great game to play with friends. Still, there's a lot of people who ruin the game, and it can lag up a lot. You have to give it credit though, Roblox isn't the best place for a soccer game, and it still managed to be one of Roblox's best soccer places and an over all outstanding place. I give TPS 13 a 7.5/10.