If you think that a massively multiplayer online game needs to be backed by a giant software company to be successful, millions of Puzzle Pirates players would tell you differently (and likely precede it with "yar!"). Now, thedecidedly not giantgroup of puppet masters behind that innovative andinstantly fun game have concocted a new strategy MMO: Bang! Howdy - this time set in the Wild West.Like its predecessor, Bang! Howdy is a breeze to run on nearly any PC and is as addictive as any hardcore, high-budgetMMO.
Bang! Howdy' s gameplay comes by way of short rounds of cattle rustling, gold rushing or claim jumping, where your team will attempt to brand cattle, collect gold (by theft if necessary) - all while outwitting your gun-slinging opponents.
In a stroke of genius, Bang! Howdy blends real-time and turn-based strategy for all of its mini-games. This eliminates the RTS click-fest syndrome and waiting forever for people to take their turn. A small circular icon around each of your team members tells you when they are ready to go. If the "ticks" on the lower left are all the way to the 9 o’clock position, get ready to take a shot or make a move.
It's that simple, and it keeps the gameplay moving along quickly - but not too quickly. You’ll still have plenty of time to keep opponents guessing with your sharp thinking. Ticks are worth about three seconds each, and every game lasts for a set amount of ticks, or about seven minutes.
