Going to write an article on Soldat in a magazine and i need your help...

[Lobasuu]

I`m going to write an article on the best freeware computer games and, duh, i`m including Soldat. I really want people to try Soldat, but i simply cannot say whats special about it? What should i say that makes people try the game?

I haven't tried many real online FPSes, so i don`t know if these things are in those games as well, but:

*In soldat, members have created loads of alternative gameplay modes such as race levels, dodgeball, cmib maps, ninja maps, LAW/knife/saw-only maps etc.

*There are a lot of user-created maps and even servers which play only usercreated maps

*Quite a few players/servers/clans.

I cant think much more, will you guys help me out?

[Meep.]

Hmm, there are two different game settings as in realistic mode (or pretty much realistic/survival) and normal mode to keep you occupied since both are pretty different.  Both also have great communities, normal being the larger one of course.  Oh, you could also say something about the ability to mod the weapon settings.

[The Geologist]

You've got to appeal to potential players by giving them something to go for.

Instead of telling them people have created maps for the game, tell them that they can create maps for the game and distribute them.  Inform them about programs like polyworks and the ability to mod the guns in the game and make custom weapons.ini files to their liking.

Give some stats on the number of players, and even how those numbers have grown over the years.

Everyone likes a free game.  But some of them might like it even more with the option of gaining the options registering brings.

Emphasize how active the game is, and how clans/matches are going on all the time.

Yes, there are many servers and players, but to appeal to every community make it ap oint to make things clear just how world wide this game is. 

[MofoNofo]

Put that quote from Soldat.pl (something about 2d muliplayer game which is like liero etc)
Mention it was made by 1 man
get screenshot space and put a pic of 32 bot server with all flame arrows.

[Bgretydews]

I`m going to write an article on the best freeware computer games and, duh, i`m including Soldat. I really want people to try Soldat, but i simply cannot say whats special about it? What should i say that makes people try the game?

I haven't tried many real online FPSes, so i don`t know if these things are in those games as well, but:

*In soldat, members have created loads of alternative gameplay modes such as race levels, dodgeball, cmib maps, ninja maps, LAW/knife/saw-only maps etc.

*There are a lot of user-created maps and even servers which play only usercreated maps

*Quite a few players/servers/clans.

I cant think much more, will you guys help me out?

Soldat's not a FPS By the way.
I think you should talk about how easy it is to mod the game and the wariety of differant things you can do on soldat, like all the gamemodes and mention that you can even create your own gamemodes

[Lobasuu]

Thanks for all the quick replies. I will definetly use all thos ideas, but i have one question: how many of those things are possible in, for example, CS, Doom 3 or Half-Life 2?

[Blues]

Put that quote from Soldat.pl (something about 2d muliplayer game which is like liero etc)

Soldat is a unique side-view multiplayer action game. It takes the best from games like Liero, Worms, Quake and Counter-Strike and gives you fast action gameplay with tons of blood and flesh. Soldiers fight against each other on 2D battle arenas using a deadly military arsenal. This is what multiplayer was invented for.

[CheeSeMan.]

Maybe compare it to other freeware games that are more the same genre like liero xtreme and Cs2d?

[Demonic]

Mention the dedicated fanbase; the forums are payed by a Soldat player, there are 3 leagues run by players (!), 1 by ESL, there are numerous fan-created gamemodes ( trenchwar, Counter-Strike Soldat, Race, etc ). There are real high quality mods and total conversions which make the game look like it's in Tom Clancy's world, World War 2 or in some Mech-warfare world.

The real advantage of Soldat over CS / Doom / Quake communities, is that it's smaller, and it's easier to know the 'top dogs', the 'pros' and the league organisers.

[MofoNofo]

...Unless you live in Australia or New Zealand

Also mention how there are endless amounts of maps for soldat.

[Avarax]

Tell em that there actually is no game comparable to Soldat, because... I've simply never seen a 2D side Shooter with Small Soldiers and these tons of guns

Tell em that there are very different tactics depending on what map you play on and which weapon you use.

Tell em that the controls of and Basics of Soldat are easy to learn, but hard to Master.

Give em spectacular Screenshots.

Give em Links.

[Scrooge]

@avarax: Try this game out
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/301129

Tell them how much gore there is (every one likes gore) Definately give screenshots, websites etc. Maybe tel them about the different gamemodes, ctf, dm, inf etc... Oh and by the way is it an actual mag that you can get at the newsagents? or just a local one.

[n2j3]

People keep asking Lobasuu to "tell them" this that and the other.Tell who exactly? what's the target group of your magazine? Are you writing for Christian Quarterly or a games magazine? Take these into account when you write about it. The things you mentioned are not unique to soldat which has a small userbase compared to other online games (ok, for an essentially "free" game its' doing alright). In my opinion you sould mention how frantic the pace of the game can be, which imo cant be found anywhere else. Oh and that it's missing realistic weather effects adjustment ala Animal Crossing

[Lobasuu]

Umm, yes, its a real mag, Scrooge. One of the biggest in my country (my counrty is quite small, so dont go thinking that its too hard to get your piece published in "one of the biggest magazines"). Its about alla sorts of electronic stuff (if the "stuff" is connected with PCs of course), but it also has some 8-10 pages for computer games as well. Now, i think that i will start writing about all the best freeware games out there (plasma pong, Soldat, N, armadillo run etc) as in a chain (one or two each month). I`m not quite sure how much space the editors will give me for this, but maybe i have to scratch a few things you guys listed.

Thanks for all the good advice! If anyone has some 1337 screenshots (not `shopped, mind you) then feel free to post them I need some for the article.