From: adong_d@galaxy.gov.bc.ca
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games
Subject: Wayne Gretzky Hockey III review/answers
Date: 23 Nov 92 13:48:14 -0800
Organization: BC Systems Corporation

Wayne Gretzky Hockey III

I have read several questions and comments about WGH3, and I thought I would
share some of my own thoughts....

To answer some questions first :

   Yes, you can easily use two joysticks with the game. Go to the dressing
room before the game begins, and change the team control.... Simple.

   Team Image files... I have seen a set of team IMG files, and I have seen
them work, but I can't figure out how to create them myself (the set I saw
has long since been deleted). What can I use to create the IFF standard for
brushes? (and what's IFF stand for..)

Now to my complaint, I mean review of WGH3

The game bugs me, plain and simple. Don't get me wrong, it's a great game,
and it's easy to see that a LOT of work has gone into this game (again). But
it continues to be ALMOST a great game - not quite putting itself over the
edge.


First, some background. Eight years ago, when I bought my PC, I began my search
for a hockey game of some kind. About 6 years ago, I found Mindscape's 
Superstar Ice Hockey. Not bad, it had a league, was CGA, you could change the
players stats, and as far as PC games went, it was fine. This was the only
game for years, until Mindspan Technologies (out of Vancouver BC) developed
Faceoff! Hockey. Now this was a great game. VGA, adlib, fast, you could trade
players, send players down to the farm, change their names, stats, etc. The
only problem was - the game play itself. I never lost a game. It was so easy
to win 10-1, or 8-0, it just didn't have the skill built into the game.

It was time for Wayne Gretzky hockey.. About 4 years ago.. WGH1 came out. It
was great, the play was fast, graphics sucked, awful sound, but you could
tell that Bethesda had something going. They just needed time...

A couple of years ago, they released WGH2. What a piece of junk. The only
advantage over WGH1 was the addition of sound card support (which was
awful) and perhaps a few additions to the AI portion of the program that
made the computer 'smarter' as thegame went on. There were still tons of
problems with the game. At the time, I had heard that Bethesda was going
under, and that WGH2 was a way of getting a few last gasp sales before they
left the market. That obviously wasn't true...

SO that leads us to the review...


Again, Bethesda has released an inferior product - with so much unrealized
potential. WGH3 offers many new features, huge improvements in graphics and
sound, but it still falls on it's face when it comes to the most important
part... Hockey - the game.

Yes, the VGA graphics and digital sounds are awsome (should have been in 
WGH2, not WGH3). I love the announcer, even if he can't say names. The
newer interface and menus are way better than before. The game play, while
updated, remains about the same. The addition of the 3/4 rink view is nice,
although hard to get used to after years of looking down on things. BUT, the
whole effort is ruined because it seems that no one on the development team
knows how hockey is played. Why don't they hire a consultant who knows about
hockey? That, and the addition of a few more bug testers, and they would be
set. Every hockey fan with a PC would buy the game!

The problems, well lets begin with the game itself - not the bugs. For one,
look a offside passes. A pass which crosses two lines (a blue and a red) and
is then received by a player who crossed the second line BEFORE the puck did,
is called an TWO LINE PASS. While the game picks these up with no problem,
and stops play for a faceoff, the faceoff should be where the pass originated
from, not where it was received. Also, if a two line pass is made into the
opponants zone (which is also offside) on certain occasions neither call
will not be made, and you can get a clear cut breakaway.

Icing also gets me. In real hockey, icings can be 'waved off' if the puck is
deemed to come close enough to a opposition player that he could have played
it. This does not happen in this game. A puck can go through the legs of
a player, and you will still be called for icing.

And what about passing? The computer players seem to have become stupid in
this version, as it is almost impossible to complete a pass. Try going in
on a two on one, and pass the puck to where the winger should be going. As
soon as you release the button, the player stops, and the puck goes into
the corner, ruining your chance. And never pass the puck back to your
defencemen. Are they stupid or what? I increased all my defencemen to skill
levels of 9 all across the board, and they still lose the puck every single
time they get it... 

For more fun, try shooting with the joystick. It's almost impossible to hit
the net. When you do, the shots never register. A buddy and me once counted
over 20 shots in one period against a goalie, and the stats menu at the end
of the period showed 6. What happened to the other 14? It seems they only
count if the goalie changes position (dives for the puck).

And if you score, what happens to the game? It takes more than a few seconds
after you score before something happens on either the screen or the 
hard drive. When I first scored, I thought it had hanged on me...

Want to pull your goalie for a faceoff deep in the other teams end late in
the game.... too bad. At the faceoff, press F5 to go to the menu, and click
on your goalie to pull him. It will say that you can not pull him while the
game is in progress. Excuse me, but until the puck has been dropped, I don't
concider the game 'in progress'.

As for bugs, I have had the game hang several times for no reason, and every
now and then, it will hand for a second, beep, and continue. No idea. I have
also had problems with the Canadiensteam file. The game doesn't recognise
the file name, and won't say 'canadiens' on things like penalties and
offsides. This apears to be the only team it can't say. And how about extra
goalies? I have been playing a game, and the computer team will make a line
change and out comes a goalie.. He skates around (very slowly) and can even
take a pass, but can't shoot. I once had 3 goalies on the ice at once.


If I sound too negative here, bear with me. I've been waiting for a good
hockey game for a long time, and after spending almost $200 on three
different WGH's, I feel I have the right!

One word of advice, if your feeling as depressed as I am about WGH3's poor
implementation of the game of hockey, do what I do. Sit down with a SEGA
GENESIS and play the new NHLPA Hockey 93. Now there is a game worth buying..
Take note people at Bethesda....


Brian.

Go Bruins!