TutOHRial Review

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Baconlabs
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TutOHRial Review

Post by Baconlabs »

This game was entered into the 2020 Heart of the OHR contest, where it won 13th Place.

TutOHRial is exactly what it says on the tin: a step-by-step instructions game where the player must tweak things on the fly in the editor to progress from one prefab room to the next. To put it another way, this game is "broken" and it's up to the player to learn how to fix it and create their own ending to the adventure. Many of the engine's various features are explored in depth - perhaps to a fault, as the author elaborates quite a bit on some features that are too specific to fit into most games. The author also makes frequent diversions to explain things unrelated to the engine in a very chit-chat manner, such as real-world weapon and armor trivia, or which RPG conventions he personally prefers over others. Some players might appreciate the "relaxed" tone of the narration, but I found it to be a distracting waste of time. If I sign up for a cooking class, I don't want to hear about the history of the kitchen cleaver, or the exact point of origin for saffron, or the instructor's opinion on coconut as a flavor.

Beyond being in dire need of a solid proof-reading session, the game is also quite ugly on the eyes. There is some serious potential here for an excellent crash-course lesson for newcomers to the OHRRPGCE engine, and a complete face lift will do wonders. The engine supports a 256 color palette; it should be flaunted with colorful, attractive sprite art and a clean UI that will make people want to come and experience this game and the engine it was made with. A "chapter select" option would also be a godsend, though that's a steep task given the nature of this game. Still, what's already here gets the job done. It might be more tedious than reading a how-to article, depending on the player, but it's a heck of a lot more creative and engaging, and actually mucking about in the editor will drill things into a potential learner's head much more effectively than just reading stuff. So, if you don't like this game, the writing is on the wall: get in there and make it better!

Time Invested: CLASSIFIED
Rating: 4/10
Accolade: COMMUNITY SERVICE
Attachments
COMMUNITY SERVICE: The author has provided a unique and valuable experience for newcomers to the engine.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: The author has provided a unique and valuable experience for newcomers to the engine.
13 TUTOHRIAL.png (120.25 KiB) Viewed 2503 times
TutOHRial0004.png
TutOHRial0004.png (6.25 KiB) Viewed 2503 times
TutOHRial0002.png
TutOHRial0002.png (3.89 KiB) Viewed 2503 times
Birthday Natalie by Gaplan.bmp
Birthday Natalie by Gaplan.bmp (63.55 KiB) Viewed 2503 times
Last edited by Baconlabs on Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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