White Gold: War in Paradise

Frag Maniac · Post by **Frag Maniac** » 05 Dec 2007, 20:31

Deep Shadows has been at work making this title which follows their Boiling Point game with many similarities, though this time they're promising to release it without bugs. Hopefully that means no memory leaks either, which I've yet to see them admit to concerning BP. Currently it's in the testing phase with release said to be by end of the year or beginning of '08. This game uses a revamped version of Vital Engine 2 dubbed Vital Engine 3. They're talking of added effects like motion blur, HDR and a completely destructible environment. The AI is said to be smarter too and the vehicle models and physics are greatly improved. They claim you will see AI take cover well and even duck away around corners and in buildings when reloading.

There isn't much in the way of trailers I've seen yet except for some minimal stuff on YouTube with terrible Flash format degradation but the screenshots look far beyond what Boiling Point was. I would describe the look as being right in between that of Far Cry and Just Cause with auto aim vehicles but first person weapon and player modeling right on par with Far Cry. In fact the weapons themselves are modeled and skinned very well with perfectly round scopes and a very realistic looking gleam when exposed to sunlight. None the less I will likely check out a demo or at least chat about it after release before I make any assumptions on it's being a success where BP failed.

As the name implies this title is all about the big money world of drug running, primarily cocaine. It takes place in the Caribbean and has a lot of similarities to Far Cry 2 in subject matter and the vast open ended gameplay area with no levels to load. The inventory screens are like Boiling Point but with added items, so it's a bit similar to STALKER as well. There is deep character interaction and development as in Boiling Point with both linear and non linear missions to carry out. They have made the map area slightly smaller than BP but still 140 square miles and now it is very intricate and diverse. They have vowed to not copy and paste (eg repeat) ANY map features. It's up to you to develope your character as you see fit leaning toward weaponry or other skills. Word is you can even grab a shark by the fins and be towed at length if your swimming skills are honed.

I have to admit, though the screenshots and gameplay elements look and sound very promising, I can't help but be skeptical. The auto aim on the vehicle weapons makes me wonder if the PC version will have the feel of Just Cause where it was necessary due to lack of good vehicle control or any mouse sensitivity adjustment available at all. I also still have the memory of having purchased Boiling Point for only $15 well after it's release following the patch that was claimed to have fixed the memory leak lag. I found out the game still had a problem playing smoothly even on spec that was well above the required and gave up on it after a few short sessions. I certainly hope this title won't disappoint like BP did.

http://www.whitegold-game.com/eng/
http://www.firingsquad.com/games/white_gold_interview/

Blinky · Post by **Blinky** » 08 Dec 2007, 19:47

I've got my eye on this game too. I know Boiling Point was said to have a lot of flaws, but it looked very interesting, so if this is an improved version of that, I want to check it out .... Screens seem very nice.

ewan · Post by **ewan** » 17 Dec 2007, 12:50

boiling point is one of the best games ever. Great dialogue, believeable plot, lets you do what you like. amazing intro song! I loved it. OK you need to patch it a bit, but what games dont need patches these days?

I love the free roaming no walls feel of the game, like GTA or operation flashpoint, great to here there is a sequel.

unfortutnately havent been able to make it work on triple head :(

Frag Maniac · Post by **Frag Maniac** » 18 Dec 2007, 02:07

boiling point is one of the best games ever. Great dialogue, believeable plot, lets you do what you like. amazing intro song! I loved it. OK you need to patch it a bit, but what games dont need patches these days?

I love the free roaming no walls feel of the game, like GTA or operation flashpoint, great to here there is a sequel.

unfortutnately havent been able to make it work on triple head :(

As mentioned the main problem I had with Boiling Point was that despite reviews claiming that the patch fixed the lag issue it did absolutely nothing for me.

When a game is made with such a pitiful excuse for an engine in the first place rarely are such problems ever fully corrected. In a few instances a patch may add a little boost for some while the game is still being played a lot or in this case well after the fact, but it's almost never a case where everyone benefits.

Proper testing of the engine needs to be done during and after it's engineering, otherwise it's most assuredly rushed and half ass and what you get is patches that are bandaids, not solutions.

It's common that such patches address only a small niche of the gaming market, mainly the enthusiast level, particularly those with newer gear. They look at what amount of time they're willing to spend to "fix" the problem and single out those they think are most upset by it.

Like I said, after my discontent even with the patched version of BP, I am skeptical. GRAW is another game series that fell well short of expectations. Grin claimed GRAW 2 runs smoother than GRAW 1. Well for me it runs much worse, and it's not that I'm still on AGP.

Crysis runs just fine on my rig and looks better than GRAW 2. I average 35 FPS in Crysis dipping no lower than 20 FPS. With GRAW 2 I average 30 FPS and it dips to 10 FPS or less at times.

Laser Eyes · Post by **Laser Eyes** » 18 Dec 2007, 09:25

boiling point is one of the best games ever.

My view exactly.

Post by **czarman** » 12 Dec 2008, 00:03

I tried a lot of times to get this Game in Widescreen.

Now i found the Solution:D

1.Install the Game - No Updates yet!!!
2.Run the Game
3.In the Video Otions select WINDOWED (1024x768)
4.Save the new Configuration and exit the game.
5.Install now the newest Update: BOILING-POINT-EUROPE_AnyVersion-UPDATE2.EXE

6.Start the Game again and select Fullscreen in Video Options.
7.Now the diferent Resolutions till 1680 x 1050 are AVAILABLE!!!

Ok bye

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 12 Dec 2008, 17:11

Distance blur and moving foliage are not what makes good games, but I'll certainly buy this one. A dozen persons worked on Boiling Point, now they're suposed to be 30... Well, somehow I still expect a crapload of glitches, but Boiling Point was fun, so hopefully this one will be, too.

Post by **scavvenjahh** » 28 Dec 2008, 18:44

Well, russian reviews of Xenus 2 aka White Gold are not very enthusiastic. Just one more so-so FPS with close to zero RPG elements. Boring back and forth travelling a la Far Cry 2, flying is even more suicidal than in Boiling Point and the whole game is technically a couple years late.

http://gameguru.ru/articles/616/view.html
Graphics : 59%
Sound : 42%
Interest (?) : 73%
Subject (?) : 50%
Overall score : 56%

On the bright side, the recommended setup is nicely moderate :
http://www.ag.ru/reviews/white_gold_war_in_paradise

Minimal requirements :
Pentium 4 3 GHz/Athlon 64 3000+
1 GB RAM
GeForce 6600/Radeon 9800 Pro
7 GB disk space

Recommended :
Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz/Athlon 64 X2 5200+
2 GB RAM
GeForce 8600 GTS/Radeon X1900
7 GB disk space

(requirements are even lower on the official site, but they may be outdated like the rest...)

Frag Maniac · Post by **Frag Maniac** » 09 Jan 2009, 22:55

As the name implies this title is all about the big money world of drug running, primarily cocaine. It takes place in the Caribbean and has a lot of similarities to Far Cry 2 in subject matter and the vast open ended gameplay area with no levels to load. The inventory screens are like Boiling Point but with added items, so it's a bit similar to STALKER as well. There is deep character interaction and development as in Boiling Point with both linear and non linear missions to carry out. They have made the map area slightly smaller than BP but still 140 square miles and now it is very intricate and diverse. They have vowed to not copy and paste (eg repeat) ANY map features. It's up to you to develope your character as you see fit leaning toward weaponry or other skills. Word is you can even grab a shark by the fins and be towed at length if your swimming skills are honed.

May I ask why you posted this excerpt from my starting post? Is it something that appeals to you about the game? Usually quotes are accompanied by comments.

A few things I found out on the Deep Shadows forum btw. Though the supposed release date has been pushed back a few times, there are rumors now, rumors mind you, that there's a possible Q1 '09 release date for White Gold. From what I've read most seem to think they don't even have a publisher lined up yet. Needless to say Deep Shadows goes about things very casually.

Post by **GeneralAdmission** » 10 Jan 2009, 00:29

You got quoted by a spammer, Frag (happened to me in another thread).

*Paging Paradigm Shifter with the Ban Hammer....* :twisted:

OT: I completely missed Boiling Point, but White Gold looks interesting.

Post by **maherie** » 10 Jan 2009, 05:59

The ban Hammer is my Hammer. Consider it used.

Post by **Paradigm Shifter** » 11 Jan 2009, 20:30

maherie is the man with the hammer. Odd, though, I always thought it was a sledge? ;)

This sounds like it could be interesting. It's gotta be better than Far Cry 2... which aside from the flames, which is just a graphical wow anyway... really didn't do much for me at all. I got bored in like half an hour when I played it at a friends. :(

Frag Maniac · Post by **Frag Maniac** » 12 Jan 2009, 00:20

maherie is the man with the hammer. Odd, though, I always thought it was a sledge? ;)

This sounds like it could be interesting. It's gotta be better than Far Cry 2... which aside from the flames, which is just a graphical wow anyway... really didn't do much for me at all. I got bored in like half an hour when I played it at a friends. :(

Yeah, weird how Thor's hammer MjÃ¶llnir is so small. True to Greek mythology though, it had super powers, so not surprising that it looks more like a sledge than mall. Personally I like the Thor in the game Painkiller. That bad boy is huge with a very large hammer.

The only thing I'm really worried about with White Gold is whether they optimize it properly this time. Boiling Point failed there. I'm also hoping the control set won't be specifically designed for gamepads with clunky movement and aim on KB/M. It will no doubt be rich with character development and things to do though, like Boiling Point and GTA IV.

Post by **Paradigm Shifter** » 12 Jan 2009, 19:48

Most devs now seem to hold to the "Optimisation? What's that?" method of coding games. ;) A pity, but that's the price paid by the 'ease' of the internet with providing patches for things, I guess. :(

Having enjoyed GTA4 on the PS3 a fair amount, I've heard good things about Saint's Row 2 on the 360. When I finally get my act together on the 360 front, I might see about picking that up and seeing what it's like.

I'm a bit worried that White Gold might end up being rather like Far Cry 2... hype that fails to deliver after the initial 'wow, that's neat' factor has worn off...

Frag Maniac · Post by **Frag Maniac** » 12 Jan 2009, 23:47

I'm a bit worried that White Gold might end up being rather like Far Cry 2... hype that fails to deliver after the initial 'wow, that's neat' factor has worn off...

Yeah, like I said, I'm skeptical too, esp considering the condition BP was released in and that it was such a long time before they patched it, the results of which were hit and miss.

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