Info about WARSHIFT:

Official game description:
GAME FEATURES:
==============
**\- Switching between Action/Strategy mode on the battlefield  
\- Dynamic battles in the action mode  
\- NODE-based strategy gameplay**  
**\- Customization and evolve system for main characters (combat avatars).  
\- Dozens of weapons and upgrades  
\- Super-abilities and transformations**  
**\- Heavy flying battleships.**  
**\- Grounded, air, water, underwater, outer space (the orbital mission) environment.  
\- 10 linked single player missions + 4 interactive training missions.  
\- Custom skirmishes vs AI and Co-op mode.**
About the Game
==============
**WARSHIFT** is the unique mix of the Action, Strategy and Role-playing gameplay elements that forms an innovative game genre. You can build base, manage troops, and then come down to keep your enemy at gunpoint in the dynamic battle and customize your main characters. This unusual gameplay requires a complete change of your play style.  
The game is developed just by one person, who is both game designer, artist and programmer in this project. He worked hard for more than 5 years to implement a lot of his and the game community's ideas.  
**GAMEPLAY VIDEO:**  
**BACKGROUND**  
In 2062, the colonial planet “Enigma” was invaded by an aggressive alien race Atroid’s from the parallel world that has gone into our universe through the hypothetical “Gates of Chaos”. This non-material beings were forced to clothe their energy nucleuses in the strong physical shells (exoskeletons), as they needed to have impact on the environment in our world. As a result, they created an army of alien droids which are capable to fight in any environment and at any temperature. The fortifications of the planetary defense line turned out to be not effective against the powerful energy weapon used by the aliens. Soon, the biosphere of the planet felt the destructive power of their deadly attack, and a half of its surface turned into a lifeless desert. The miner colony garrison that was made up of volunteer soldiers suffered huge losses and was urgently evacuated. All resource extraction works on the planet were suspended, and corporations began to bear huge losses. But, after numerous antiwar protests, the government of the Colonial Republic did not want to risk human lives, and scientists had to create an entirely new army of intergalactic operations. The republican fleet and the assault battalion “Delta”, consisting of cyber-guards, heavy machinery and robotic drones-transformers was sent to the planet. The Commanders who have telepathic skills control that steel armada while being aboard the ARKS. For the purpose of their own safety, they are forbidden to leave the ARK. However, they can be directly involved in battles as operators of combat avatars (unmanned combat robotic vehicle).  
If any combat avatar gets a critical damage, it will be immediately evacuated and, after a quick repair, again will be sent to the battlefield. But, if the aliens are still able to destroy all the ARKS, the Colonial Republic will lose control of the planet forever..  
**THE AUTHOR'S MESSAGE**  
_"I want to thank the game's community for all the feedback, suggestions and support they have given me during the Early Access period.  
I came up with idea of this game a long time ago. Once, I'm decided to stop just to dream, but to make it real. Being a professional artist, game designer and programmer, I spent 10 years of my life working for many game companies. Finally I decided to leave my last job, staying home like a hermit for a while, and focusing on my own game title. The game you see here is a result of my personal day to day hard work over a 5 years.  
Everyone who helped me make it as awesome as possible, I thank you very much!  
Cheers, Cyril"_  
Please use this form to contact developer directly and for technical support:  
Ask question or discuss game on the official community forum:

Release date: Oct 12, 2016

Categories: Real-time Strategy, Third-Person Shooter, Action RPG, Character Progression, Vehicle Customization, Cooperative Multiplayer, Single-player Story


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The community sentiment is predominantly negative regarding the full price, with multiple reviews explicitly stating the game is only worth purchasing on sale or not worth the current cost. The game is described as unfinished and lacking key features, which suggests a lower valuation. A fair base-game price range of $5-10 aligns with typical discounted indie pricing for a small, incomplete experience, as indicated by the reviews.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: 4.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The clearest playtime metric is story completion: one review explicitly states 10 missions and 4.5 hours to finish the campaign, and another mentions finishing most of the campaign on easy in a few hours. Total game completion is not supported because the game is unfinished and no full-completion time is reported. Session length is not clearly defined from the evidence, and no endgame playtime is mentioned.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with a frustrating tutorial and steep difficulty curve, but becomes enjoyable when players move to multiplayer or skirmish modes, which are widely praised as fun.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Multiplayer/skirmish mode
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: overly simple tutorial; difficulty spike on easy; odd tutorial missions; crashes; lack of online multiplayer; control issues with multiple groups
  - Unlock drivers: multiplayer mode; skirmish mode; playing with friends; MOBA approach for multiplayer
  - Conditions: playing multiplayer; playing skirmish; playing with friends; skipping the campaign; tolerating bugs; having patience for the learning curve; not requiring online multiplayer
- Player Archetypes:
  - Indie Dev Supporter (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting a solo developer and witnessing the potential of an indie project.
    - Playstyle: Plays all modes, appreciates the effort, and is willing to overlook minor flaws.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Multiplayer Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Playing with friends and engaging in competitive or cooperative multiplayer matches.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on multiplayer modes, skirmish, and co-op, often hosting or joining LAN games.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - RTS Connoisseur (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking a challenging and well-designed RTS experience that honors genre conventions.
    - Playstyle: Analyzes mechanics, compares to classic RTS titles, and plays campaign and skirmish to test depth.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: RTS veteran
    - Reference games: Starcraft 2; Airmech; Dawn of War 2; Battle Engine Aquilla; KKND
  - Unfinished Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Warning others about the game's unfinished state and lack of polish.
    - Playstyle: Tries the game, encounters bugs and missing content, and stops playing or advises against purchase.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent graphics and visuals (weight 0.38): Players consistently praise the game's high-quality graphics, describing them as top-notch, beautiful, and polished. This positive reception spans multiple clusters, indicating strong visual appeal.
- Great potential for future (weight 0.31): Many players see the game as having significant potential, with some describing it as massive or ridiculously high. This optimism is tied to the game's innovative features and dedicated developer.
- Active and dedicated developer (weight 0.15): Players appreciate the developer's continuous updates and hard work, which keeps the game improving. This dedication is seen as a positive sign for the game's future.
- Helpful tutorials for players (weight 0.07): The game includes several detailed tutorials that assist players in learning the mechanics. This is appreciated by reviewers, especially given the game's complexity.
- Interesting heroes with personality (weight 0.07): The heroes are well thought out and have distinct personalities, adding depth to the game. This is a positive aspect noted by players.
- Fluid mechanics integration (weight 0.07): The game's mechanics work fluidly together, indicating good design and execution. This contributes to the overall positive gameplay experience.
- Enjoyable third-person experience (weight 0.07): The third-person gameplay is described as very enjoyable, adding to the game's fun factor. This mode is a highlight for many players.

Common complaints:
- Bugs and crashes (weight 0.21): The game suffers from various bugs and random crashes, affecting stability. This is a recurring issue that detracts from the experience.
- Abandoned by developers (weight 0.13): The game appears to be abandoned, with no updates or support. This is a major concern for players expecting ongoing development.
- Balance is fragile (weight 0.12): The game's balance is not well-tuned, with issues that make certain strategies too strong or weak. This affects competitive play.
- UI is inconvenient (weight 0.12): The user interface is cumbersome and has a learning curve, with confusing menus. This makes navigation and management difficult.
- Lacks story and characters (weight 0.07): There is no meaningful plot or character development, making the game feel empty. The narrative is almost non-existent.

Gameplay feedback:
- Hybrid RTS and shooter gameplay (weight 0.75): The game is widely described as a hybrid combining real-time strategy with first-person, third-person, or action shooter elements. This unique blend is a central and frequently mentioned feature.
- Multiple game modes available (weight 0.23): Players note the inclusion of campaign, skirmish, co-op multiplayer, and LAN modes, offering a variety of ways to play. This breadth of content is appreciated by reviewers.
- Avatar progression and upgrades (weight 0.14): The avatar levels up through combat, gaining experience and unlocking new weapons and equipment. This RPG-like progression is a notable aspect of the game.
- Transformable vehicles and units (weight 0.11): Units and vehicles can transform, such as into jets or adapting to different environments like underwater. This adds variety and strategic depth to combat.
- RPG elements integrated (weight 0.11): The game incorporates RPG elements such as skill points, leveling, and character progression, blending with the strategy and shooter mechanics. This is a recurring theme.
- Dreadnoughts and space battleships (weight 0.09): The inclusion of Dreadnoughts, flying space battleships, and tactical strikes adds a unique sci-fi element. This is a distinctive feature that stands out to players.

Performance notes:
- Optimization praised by some (weight 0.17): Several users note that the game runs smoothly, even on low-end hardware, with high frame rates and stable performance. This suggests that optimization is effective for many players.
- Occasional freezes under pressure (weight 0.04): One user mentions split-second freezes when the system is under heavy load, which could be a minor performance hiccup. This is less severe than crashes but still affects experience.

Recommendations:
- Mixed recommendations overall (weight 0.91): Reviews are split between strong recommendations and strong avoidances. Some praise the game's value on sale, while others advise against purchase due to incompleteness.
- Best value on sale (weight 0.22): Many reviewers recommend purchasing the game during a sale, noting it's worth the discounted price. Some suggest waiting for a discount rather than paying full price.
- Not for RTS purists (weight 0.07): Some reviewers advise RTS fans to avoid the game, suggesting it doesn't meet expectations for the genre. They recommend playing other RTS games instead.

Other player notes:
- Developed by a single person (weight 0.52): The game was developed by a single individual, often identified as Cyril Megem, who handled design, programming, and art. This is a recurring theme across many reviews, highlighting the game's indie nature and the developer's personal investment.
- Early Access and update concerns (weight 0.28): The game's history includes Early Access, and reviewers express concerns about slow updates due to the single developer, potential abandonment, and the risk of development being cancelled. Some note the game has not been updated since 2017.
- Game is unfinished or unpolished (weight 0.26): Multiple reviewers describe the game as unfinished, unpolished, or not ready for release, with some noting it is still in a testing phase. This suggests the game lacks final polish and may have incomplete features.
- Limited content and features (weight 0.2): Reviewers mention the game has little content, only two factions and five maps, and is not feature complete. This limits the game's longevity and replayability.
- Multiplayer issues and low player base (weight 0.17): The multiplayer mode has issues, including a lack of players due to poor promotion and the multiplayer still being in development. Some note the game has its own master server and LAN support.
- Lack of Chinese localization (weight 0.12): Several reviewers note the absence of official Chinese language support, which is a significant barrier for Chinese-speaking players. This is a common request for improvement.
- No modding or workshop support (weight 0.09): Reviewers point out the lack of modding capability and hope for workshop compatibility. This limits the community's ability to extend the game's content.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.27): Players are frustrated by broken pathfinding, unresponsive controls, and AI that either gets stuck or is unfairly overpowered. The game also suffers from instability, crashes, and a steep difficulty curve even on easy, making basic missions feel impossible. The constant need to switch between RTS and FPS modes, along with cumbersome UI and building mechanics, compounds the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): The game is seen as a promising concept that was poorly executed and ultimately abandoned by the developer, leaving it unfinished with bugs and missing content. The short campaign, lackluster story, and weak integration of FPS and RTS modes further disappoint players who expected more from the hybrid design.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.13): Players enjoy the unique hybrid of RTS and FPS/TPS gameplay, especially the ability to switch between commanding forces and directly controlling units in third-person. The mech customization, air/land/sea combat, and fun multiplayer battles provide a highly engaging and entertaining experience that many find worth the price.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): The game's innovative concept of joining your own army in an RTS, combined with cool units like transforming mechs and a submersible T-Rex robot, generates excitement. The ability to switch perspectives and witness epic battles up close, along with the potential for future improvements and a sequel, fuels anticipation.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players feel satisfied with the game's value for money, especially when purchased on sale, and appreciate the developer's continuous updates and support. The ability to jump into the action and tip the scales in battles provides a rewarding sense of accomplishment, and the game's performance for a small team is commendable.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Players appreciate the developer's dedication, noting the game is made by a single person yet features detailed tutorials, good unit designs, and frequent updates. The support for LAN multiplayer and adjustable difficulty also earns appreciation, as does the overall visual appeal and effort put into the game.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): The game's development by a single person is a source of admiration, with players impressed by the graphics, controls, and the creative combination of RTS, TPS, MOBA, and TD elements. The avatar transformation system and the carrier's fleet mechanics are particularly praised as awesome and well-executed.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Players hope the sequel will receive more polish and frequent updates, and that the developer will continue to improve the game. The game's potential to change the RTS genre and the constant updates from the developer inspire hope for a great genre hybrid in the future.
- Impression (weight 0.02): The game leaves a strong impression due to its impressive combination of real-time strategy and third-person vehicle action, with graphics that can compete with many other titles. The fact that it is developed by a solo developer adds to the impressiveness, making the project stand out.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the pioneering action RTS concept that allows them to join forces on the battlefield, and the commander's vehicle transformation based on environment is a standout feature. The leveling, command control, and combination of elements from other RTS games, along with the ability to zoom in and out seamlessly, contribute to this affection.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance stems from muffled and inaudible voice lines, limited volume options, and the inability to build more than one structure at a time, which feels time-consuming. The need to send the command unit to level up and the overall base-building process also irritate players.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): Players are amazed by what the developers have achieved, especially considering the game is made by just one person. The game feels feature-rich for its price and looks amazing, exceeding expectations for a solo project.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concerns include the possibility of the game not continuing to update and eventually dying, as well as space battles causing motion sickness for those prone to 3D motion sickness. These issues create uncertainty about the game's longevity and accessibility.
- Expectation (weight 0.01): Players expect future updates to address the game's unfinished state, given its newness and potential. The anticipation of improvements and additional content drives a positive outlook for the game's development.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the difficulty in activating power points, which is not easy to understand or execute. The game's complexity also makes it hard to immerse oneself to a point of full understanding, hindering the overall experience.
- Calm (weight 0): The game is described as really calming, providing a relaxing experience for players. This emotional response highlights a positive aspect of the game's atmosphere or pacing.
- Difficulty (weight 0): The game is considered hard, particularly when managing both the RTS and FPS perspectives simultaneously. This difficulty can be a barrier for some players, affecting their overall enjoyment.
- Fun (weight 0): Despite the issues, the gameplay is fun, indicating that the core mechanics and interactions provide enjoyment. This suggests that the game's strengths outweigh its flaws for many players.
- Interest (weight 0): The mix of RTS, third-person shooter, and RPG elements is not commonly seen, sparking interest among players. This unique combination makes the game stand out and attracts those looking for something different.
- Surprise (weight 0): Players are surprised that the game is a lot better than it has any right to be, given its indie origins and potential limitations. This positive surprise enhances the overall perception of the game.}