Sanura
21-02-2006, 03:34 PM
This game is a fairly simple affair to get up and going. At less than 5mb in size, it is a sinch to download and get fully installed in under 10 minutes. However, should you wish to enter any additional areas, such as the user created 'dreams' (small playable non-public areas with different rules and regulations), each area has to download individually, ranging in size between approximately 400kb and 1.5mb. If you are on a broadband connection as I am, it is not really an issue, but it would be rather a drag if you were just playing on dialup.
Your first goal is to try to create a character, but don't worry about it too much.. once you get to the actual game-play you will only appear as little more than a blob of colour anyway, as you move around the world. I went for a gothy squirrel myself, but there are a variety of options to choose from, each one as equally as gay as the rest. After you name it, and give yourself a kinky description, you move on to get a lesson in how to navigate around the world and interract with different things. Get ready for some music that actually sucks more than elevator or 'on-hold' phone music. Yup, it uses that popular midi format, and it sucks.
You can move only SE, SW, NE and NW, and each time a character is standing in your way, you can not continue to walk in that direction, so you have to go around them. Thus, it is fairly easy to get stuck in one spot, if people decide to be asses and block your way. As you go through the inital tutorial, it gives you descriptions of the different areas you can explore, with cheesey automatic dialogue such as 'you can meet your new friends in the fluff pit'. Each area is themed in a different way, with areas for gaming, R rated interraction, and so on and so forth. Naturally, I made a bee-line to the R rated section.
Don't bother unless you want to jump around in numerous 'dreams' that don't have anyone in them for a long time before you actually get into one that has other people in it. It seems that the 'dreams' in this area consist mainly of kinky role play areas and virtual brothels. A couple such dreams have websites such as this one, with a full slave price list (http://www.furcadia.com/) or this one (http://www.greychurch.com/goldentether/GTframes.htm) to give you a quick idea of it all. All in all though, there is virtually no general chat in these areas/dreams, and there certainly seems to be an imbalance (by my reading of peoples descriptions) of who wants to do what to whom. Little more than an overly complex means to get a quick hit of cybersex, I think. Some of the other areas may be slightly more amusing, but I highly doubt it.
Not to mention that if you want extra features for your furry character you have to pay some cash for them (http://sales.infire.com/sales/furcadia/cart.php4?furcadia_session_id=1140495668-jlmoqyorgxlp&). Not a little cash either at $149.95 to be a pheonix, for example, for as long as you want to play the game. Or if you are a budget, purchase that option for a measley $29.95 for a year. I assume all these figures are in us dollars, of course.
All in all, a novel idea that falls short of what I think it is trying to achieve. Eh, in my honest opinion, don't bother. The graphics are no better than good ole Commander Keen, and the gameplay is much less amusing.I only gave it a 3 for graphics because it does seem to have a certain retro charm, despite the fact that in reality it just sucks ass. The controls are bulky and even the chat commands leave a lot to be desired. But with such a quick download, if you do want to give it a go at least it doesn't take that long to get it up and running.
You can find out more information and download this game from http://www.furcadia.com/
Your first goal is to try to create a character, but don't worry about it too much.. once you get to the actual game-play you will only appear as little more than a blob of colour anyway, as you move around the world. I went for a gothy squirrel myself, but there are a variety of options to choose from, each one as equally as gay as the rest. After you name it, and give yourself a kinky description, you move on to get a lesson in how to navigate around the world and interract with different things. Get ready for some music that actually sucks more than elevator or 'on-hold' phone music. Yup, it uses that popular midi format, and it sucks.
You can move only SE, SW, NE and NW, and each time a character is standing in your way, you can not continue to walk in that direction, so you have to go around them. Thus, it is fairly easy to get stuck in one spot, if people decide to be asses and block your way. As you go through the inital tutorial, it gives you descriptions of the different areas you can explore, with cheesey automatic dialogue such as 'you can meet your new friends in the fluff pit'. Each area is themed in a different way, with areas for gaming, R rated interraction, and so on and so forth. Naturally, I made a bee-line to the R rated section.
Don't bother unless you want to jump around in numerous 'dreams' that don't have anyone in them for a long time before you actually get into one that has other people in it. It seems that the 'dreams' in this area consist mainly of kinky role play areas and virtual brothels. A couple such dreams have websites such as this one, with a full slave price list (http://www.furcadia.com/) or this one (http://www.greychurch.com/goldentether/GTframes.htm) to give you a quick idea of it all. All in all though, there is virtually no general chat in these areas/dreams, and there certainly seems to be an imbalance (by my reading of peoples descriptions) of who wants to do what to whom. Little more than an overly complex means to get a quick hit of cybersex, I think. Some of the other areas may be slightly more amusing, but I highly doubt it.
Not to mention that if you want extra features for your furry character you have to pay some cash for them (http://sales.infire.com/sales/furcadia/cart.php4?furcadia_session_id=1140495668-jlmoqyorgxlp&). Not a little cash either at $149.95 to be a pheonix, for example, for as long as you want to play the game. Or if you are a budget, purchase that option for a measley $29.95 for a year. I assume all these figures are in us dollars, of course.
All in all, a novel idea that falls short of what I think it is trying to achieve. Eh, in my honest opinion, don't bother. The graphics are no better than good ole Commander Keen, and the gameplay is much less amusing.I only gave it a 3 for graphics because it does seem to have a certain retro charm, despite the fact that in reality it just sucks ass. The controls are bulky and even the chat commands leave a lot to be desired. But with such a quick download, if you do want to give it a go at least it doesn't take that long to get it up and running.
You can find out more information and download this game from http://www.furcadia.com/