FurryRage's Reviews: Circa 1.4

FurryRage is best known for his massive reviews for Wolf Packs Alpha. Here is where he will be posting them from now on, for the 1.4 series.

HEY HEY HEY!
Well, I'll start my first review on this forum.

So, not much for now since there's a lot of changes in the skills, and it'll take a lot of time to get them all and give a real opinion on them globaly.
Only thing I can say now about the skils is that so far, I love the changes, even if some may need to be tweaked since I haven't got the time to list them all.

I paid a visit to the site this morning since I couldn't access the forum and then I haven't been able to write my review.
The sections about the ennemies are well detailed, but the section about the wolves, even if it's good, isn't as detailed. The skills are only described rapidly. It could be cool if you can describe them as you've done for the creeps. I know it'll take time but it's not as if I was in a hurry, I was speaking about something to do in the future, not necessarily right now. Also it would help me to judge the new skills since I'm currently trying myself to make the skill tables in MSexcel to have a global view of them.

As for the map, Not much, I love the new paths, they don't change much while allowing to discover different ennemies in different places, and not all of them grouped in a same part of the map. (like the bandits near the village, and I also loved the new forest cutting zone (dunno how to say it in english, sorry, I hope you understand what I'm talking about)).

I tested the hunters, while clearly less powerfull than the wolves, they can be of interest if they act together, the fact is they're damn bugged and weak yet so I'll wait for another version to give my opinion about them. (though, I like the idea of a "xmen wolverine" skin for the poacher, even if I thought about a damn ugly baldhead crossed with heihachi from tekken at first...). Note that I liked the way you roll between each hunter, really good, keep it ^^ This way you'l think twice about going to suicide.

Now, time for some major bug reporting and tweaking.
- Pups can't transform, they freeze once the choice is done and die of starvation.
- The sniper hunter hero have no mana regen (TERRIBLY ANNOYING)
- the hunters may level a little too fast, but since they're still weak even on level 20, it's ok ^^ (how about making them a little stronger, but longer to level? I got nearly wiped out at level 20 with a sniper by a female alpha level 11... and I can't do anything against the other more attack based wolves. Even in a 1vs1. Also, items are DAMN HARD TO GET, give some money! no, really, I mean it, even more if you lose them when you change hunter. If you were stronger, then maybe ok, but in the state it is, you damn need them with no regen and hardly being able to kill a wolf on 1vs1. 75 golds or so to get a 125 HP potion... I really hope you'll make a health regen for them)
- MAJOR BUG : the hunters can't see each other or only partially since they stay in their respective team! I mean : When I go hunter, I can have vision of oter hunters from my pack, but not from the opposite pack, and when I ping the wolves (or use the GPS) I see only MY PACK hunters and THE OPPOSITE PACK wolves. Since when I'm testing the hunters generally in everygame my pack is winning because of my advices, it's getting damn sick since most of the opposite pack die and when I go for killing some wolves, I can only ping the remaining survivor alone, while other hunters get a great time against my mates -_- Hunters should be in a 3rd team, all together, against the other 2 wolf teams. Though, I loved the fact that you have vision of the other humans (except bandits).
- One last thing, even if I think I'm forgeting one or two more that I can't happen to remember, due to the new paths, the hunters now encounter bandits and fight against them, is it normal? I mean, it's not as if it was unreal, but since the bandits never move from their camps, it's kind of like the hunters go by themselves to kick some bandit butts during their patrol, instead of being assaulted while on duty. I can't imagine hunters patrolling all by themselves in the middle of a bandit camp, doesn't seem right for me. The paths could come close to them, but not right in the middle of it.
- Also, it could be good to have some kind of regen in the bandit camp for heroes, since they SUCK at getting back to full life, I only made it after not engaging for like 15 minutes, and it's damn boring. Some way to get health and mana regen could really be good in their camp, and maybe in the village too (how about the fountain in the village and a tent in the camp? or a more powerfull sleep command than the one for the wolves.)

Hum, still forgetting something I think, but it'll be all for today. See you on my next review ^^
I'll be waiting for the skill update on the official site (which I found otherwise very well made) tell me when you'll do it, if you ever do it.
Oh, nearly forgot, tell me about my veteran wolf if you like it, and what would you prefer for the skills, I'd like some feedback since I can't improve it without your opinion, and I still have some ideas for the skills which are different and I'd like you to decide which one you like the most.

EDIT : I got the thin I was forgeting while I was editing about the item problem for the hunters a little way up.
The last bug is that wolves can't equip hunters items, but hunters can equip wolves items... I got a nature claw, a porcupine armor and fox eyes... Hunters shouldn't be able to get wolves items, (claws for a sniper!) make hunters only and wolves only items. I don't know if you wanted it this way, I myself think you just added the hunters too fast and forgot about it. Also You could make enhanced items for hunters at the tauren paladin shop, like you did for the wolves, it would be great. This way the "secret" merchants would have be of interest for hunters as well.

Finally a review

You tested 1.4g right? (I don't think you did, since I haven't been able to update the link). If not, then you probably want to play that... and it kinda nullifies about half your review (sorry!). Because you were mentioning bugs that I swear I already fixed. Although I think you did pick up a couple I missed.


I'll go into more detail about wolf spells. I really just wanted to have a general idea laid out, so people could get it before I ever went in and got fancy.

Forest Cutting Zone works. I call it a lumberjack operation.

The hunters are actually quite powerful if you use their skills in combination with a team effort. And once they level. Although they'll likely get a buffing in the near future.

-I'm fairly sure I've fixed that pup bug now. Go check. (1.4g)
-The goddam hunters aren't regenerating their mana, I know. But in 1.4g the outpost does heal.
-Hunter leveling was slowed down a little in 1.4g.
-I'm trying to understand the bug as you've described it. It doesn't sound right, since I ally the hunters completely when you become one, regardless of what pack you were in. Are you entirely sure this is happening? It doesn't sound right, but I would have to see it in action to know firsthand. And I can't put hunters in a 3rd team because it's being used by the humans and bandits, and besides: Players can't shift around like that.
-Yes it is normal, although I'm trying to prevent it. But it happens.
-The outpost does have mana and health regen in 1.4g.
-I'll take a look at the Veteran wolf and decide some stuff.

Btw, you really do need to review 1.4g. I added a new feature for the dens that I think you'll like.

EDIT: You can't play 1.4g. There's an insane bug which causes insane lag and freezing, and then crashes everyone.

I reviewed 1.4f since I didn't even know you released another one ;p
also, I edited my post but you missed it since you replied nearly right after I posted :

EDIT : I got the thing I was forgeting while I was editing about the item problem for the hunters a little way up.
The
last bug is that wolves can't equip hunters items, but hunters can
equip wolves items... I got a nature claw, a porcupine armor and fox
eyes... Hunters shouldn't be able to get wolves items, (claws for a
sniper!) make hunters only and wolves only items. I don't know if you
wanted it this way, I myself think you just added the hunters too fast
and forgot about it. Also You could make enhanced items for hunters at
the tauren paladin shop, like you did for the wolves, it would be
great. This way the "secret" merchants would have be of interest for
hunters as well.

I'll take a look at the 1.4g if I find the link on the forums.
As for : EDIT: You can't play 1.4g. There's an insane bug which causes insane lag and freezing, and then crashes everyone.
You're clearly pulling my leg ;p
I'll try it anyway, bug or not.

Also, the poacher regenerate his mana, it's just the sniper who isn't (haven't got the rider yet so I can't say about her)
And for the hunter ally bug, I swear it did it everytime I play the map, when I try the hunters, I have no shared vision (except with the town) and though I'm allied unallied with my pack, I still can't ping them in anyway I tried. Also, weird bug I'll report as a proof : When a wolf of my team left, I got control of it! Even if I was a hunter! So, there's definitely a problem here. Though, I couldn't attack my pack with it, it was still allied, but at least I got vision of it (not of the rest of the pack) and shared control. I can add one more thing : another one left the game before I got to the hunters side, And I lost the shared control of it, so it's only for the one who leave AFTER you go on hunters side.

And as for the hunter power, I think too they're powerfull enough if acting together (AND HAVING GODDAMN REGEN, thanks for 1.4g ^^) but acting together when you can't even ping your pack wolves or see what the other hunters see or where they are... (yes I tried to ping them with a GPS and it didn't pinged the opposite pack hunters) that's why I was saying I'll probably wait for it to be fixed before giving my opinion about it, because solo doesn't really count.

EDIT : look at my quote, it's all formated strangely. Apparently, it's not when I edit that it goes wrong, it's when I copy/paste from another post. Does it still come from my firefox/IE or does it do you the same?
And I looked but I can't seem to find the 1.4g download link, any help?

Regarding your edit: I fixed that in 1.4g.

You're clearly pulling my leg ;p
I'll try it anyway, bug or not.

Dude, I am NOT shitting you. I spent HOURS trying to fix it. HOURS. I almost cried because I overrode the only backup I had with a bugged copy, and almost lost all of WPA up until 1.4f, which I couldn't edit anyways. You're damn lucky I finally "fixed" it (it's as good as I could get it). Why would I joke about a major gamebreaking bug? And you wouldn't have been able to play it anyways, the game freezes in the first 20 seconds.

And for the hunter ally bug, I swear it did it everytime I play the
map, when I try the hunters, I have no shared vision (except with the
town) and though I'm allied unallied with my pack, I still can't ping
them in anyway I tried. Also, weird bug I'll report as a proof : When a
wolf of my team left, I got control of it! Even if I was a hunter! So,
there's definitely a problem here. Though, I couldn't attack my pack
with it, it was still allied, but at least I got vision of it (not of
the rest of the pack) and shared control. I can add one more thing :
another one left the game before I got to the hunters side, And I lost
the shared control of it, so it's only for the one who leave AFTER you
go on hunters side.

Okay, you've provided enough information for me to work with. I think I know where the problem lies, and I'll look into it today.

And I looked but I can't seem to find the 1.4g download link, any help?

That's because there IS no link to 1.4g. The only one was at wc3campaigns.net and I removed it as soon as I found the lagspike bug. I'll have the link for 1.4g up as soon as I fix the hunter bugs you reported.

Sorry, I just thought it was really weird for a bug to cause an intense lag then crash. What was causing it? I'm curious now ;p
I'll wait for 1.4g and the detailed skill tables on the offical website.
I think I'll make next report after that because there's not much to say of current version except it's awesome, as always and I loved all the changes.
When will you add the dragon king? Will you move the dragons or keep the mountain?

Stop saying the game is awesome and make that clan already.

I'll wait for 1.4g and the detailed skill tables on the offical website.

1.4g is today; but skill tables? No tables. You can't make tables for hero skills. I can make them more detailed though, sure. That'll be done by tonight, I hope.

When will you add the dragon king?

1.5.

and is 1.5 next? or are you going through every letter in the alphabet?

Mebbe if all goes well. He's going through with letters because he's finding small bugs here and there until he ends up with a stable version.

when I was talking about tables I was meaning more detailed descriptions, not necessarily pure tables, sorry should have said it clearly.
I'll go check both (1.4g and descriptions) tomorrow, even if I may only be able to test them on wednesday.

also

and is 1.5 next? or are you going through every letter in the alphabet?

good one sniperwolf xD

Sniper, 1.5 is not a letter.

No, i hope I don't have to go through all the letters of the alphabet. That would be a lot of bugs.

1.5 is going to be a big change. Lots and lots of new stuff. It'll be exciting.

like the hunters weren't exciting enough to change the numbers? nor the pups?
am I the only one feeling sad about that?

joke put aside, if it really isn't enough change for you to justify a number change, then I'll really be waiting for 1.5
and there will better be a crapload of change ^^

I dunno what your talking about so....

Btw how exciting will 1.5 really be?

I didn't feel like going into 1.5. That's really all there is to it.

1.5 will feature the rest of the wolves (4 of them, I think, maybe 5), new enemies, possibly tweaked terrain, maybe new items... and perhaps other things I might think of.

In other words whatever floats your boat.

Official 1.4g will be delayed a day due to required preliminary testing (basically, ensuring nothing is going to explode.)

tested 1.4g, not much to say, great as always, no bug found so far, and everything seems to go fine, only bug left is hunters having control of their original pack leavers.