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Which version of Realms of Arkania: Star Trail should I play?

Pentagon

Educated
Joined
Jan 17, 2017
Messages
69
Location
Cascadia
I'm preparing to play through a game of Star Trail for the first time. Should I play the original or the 2017 remake? 3D graphics are nice, but the remake appears to have a worse art direction than the original.
 

Alkarl

Learned
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
472
Original version, it has a timeless aesthetic. That hd version already looks dated.
 

mushaden

Scholar
Joined
Aug 12, 2015
Messages
334
YES!

lol

What I think I learned from older threads is that, after a terrible launch, Blade of Destiny HD is polished and addresses some of the shortcomings of the original so HD>original in that case. But as far as Star Trail goes, the original is already a nearly perfect game so it's not worth it to play the HD version, which does seem to have worse art direction.
 

Eriador

Arbiter
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
Messages
423
I'm preparing to play through a game of Star Trail for the first time. Should I play the original or the 2017 remake? 3D graphics are nice, but the remake appears to have a worse art direction than the original.

The remake is playable but still buggy, kinda like a newly released Ubisoft or Bethesda game. Nothing really gamebreaking, mostly graphical glitches like enemies that still stay on their feet even though they are dead, once or twice the enemies literally fell on the battlefield from the sky. A few times, one of my characters kept suffering from Claustrophobia even when he was outside (and it was always that specific character). Sometimes when you arrive to a new area, you spawn high in the air and fall down (there's no fall damage, so it's more funny then anything else). They are still patching the game and it needs it. Also, I think the Treat Poison skill doesn't work, but it's not like you'll ever need it.

The english translation is... well, it's pretty bad. The dialogues and texts are mostly the same as in the original game, but there's lots of typos, odd phrases and sometimes even German words (until the last patch, trade window had an option to "handel abschlieĂźen" instead of Trade or something like that). It's mostly just amusing (or annoying, depending on how seriously you take the story).

Your characters have voices and sometimes say things, like when they become the leader of the group, they stand idle for too long, cast a spell, get a critical hit etc. But there seems to be like two guys + one woman doing all of the voices, so it's about of the same quality as Oblivion voice acting. "I'll be back, AS A NIGHTMARE!"

The graphics are already dated and barely look better then the first Witcher game, but I don't really mind that much. Voice acting and sound effects are better in the original (but the voice acting in the original isn't very good either). The animations aren't exactly stellar, but I guess they are ok. Paralyse in the remake doesn't have that nice Petrify effect it does in the original though. Just some web at their feet. The original also has some enemies that use the same models as player characters (dwarves all look the same, for example), so it's hard to tell them apart. You won't have that problem in the remake. The original also has nice cartoonish screens for shops, inns, temples and such. The remake has 3D screens instead and the NPCs... well, they won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon. Mostly, the screens look kinda bland compared to the original. On the other hand, I actually like how most of the dungeons look (well, except for one), they are definitely much more detailed then in the original, same for the towns. But that depends on how you like the "art style" (which seems generic).

Some screenshots from my LP

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Some other things about the remake:

- It's easier to start out without an imported party in the remake, as newly generated characters practically start at level 6, while in the original they would be level 3 after they leave the starting town.

- The equipment the characters wear actually shows on their models, in the original the characters look the same no matter if they are in platemail, leather armor or naked.

- Combat seems to be harder, armor is somewhat weaker. Traps are less deadly.

- More rituals for everyone. In addition to their Wand Rituals, Magicians can also perform Crystal Ball rituals and rituals to enhance the Mage's Rapier, Druids have Dagger Rituals, Witches Cauldron Rituals, Elves can now use Soul Instruments to play magical songs etc.

- Some quality of life changes, like you can change direction in the middle of travelling. Also, it's much harder to screw up your game and break the main quest, as the original has several sections where you can get hopelessly stuck for arbitrary reasons (like, you can choose to return a key after borrowing it, but then you can't ask to borrow it again. The remake fixes that.)

- Some events and quests have additional options:

There's one quest early in the game, where you have two suspects and need to find the guilty one. In the original, when you visit them, choose to attack them or not and either you get the right one on the first try or you don't. In the remake, you can use social skills and some spells to learn which one of them is the guilty one.

- All the relevant information is found in-game. Spells have descriptions (even if some are a bit vague) of their range, effects and attributes needed to cast them, skills also tell you what attributes you need to be actually good at them. Character creation is thus easier. You can use the classic system with increase attempts or some simplified point buy system.

- The character types all have some minor advantages and some also disadvantages in addition to their stats and skills. Hunters have a bonus to Ranged Attack and Track, Thorwalians have a bonus to melee attack and damage and penalty to magic resistance and parry, Ice Elves are practically immune to Frostbite etc.

- The characters also have less restrictions on equipment, you can have a Rogue in platemail if you really want. Magical classes are still restricted in armor use. Thorwalians still can't use two-handed axes, Hunters can now use crossbows (I think they couldn't in the original). Warriors are still the only ones that can use two handed swords.

- You can meditate without herbs, so it's somewhat easier to restore Astral Energy (and at the moment it's possible to exploit this with Treat Wounds).

- It's harder for the characters to die, as if they get to negative Health they enter a "dying" state and until their negative Life Energy exceed their Constitution, you can revive them with Treat Wounds (but prepare to fail a lot) or a healing spell. On the other hand, it's harder to ressurect them, as you no longer get easy miracles just by praying a few times and actually need to donate a lot of money.

- The remake has some additional content, apparently, but I can't really judge that, seeing as I haven't completed the original game yet. Playing it right now.
 
Last edited:

CryptRat

Arcane
Developer
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
3,548
Won't you start with Blade of destiny by the way? Conducing your characters through the entire trilogy is part of the fun, and they're not long games.
 

YES!

Hi, I'm Roqua
Dumbfuck
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
2,088
Everyone thought the games had pure shit graphics when they were released in the 90s. I was in the army during SoR release which was full 3d so don't know what the monkey census was then, but they seem to have gone full retard in flopping on the graphics of the originals.

The remakes have much better controls and UI, have mods, new content (for BoD, hopefully soon ST), way better graphics to anyone not a rere, way better portraits, remove unnecessary and redundant skills and spells, fixed big bugs from the originals, and only have very minor bugs that do not impact playthroughs.

Normal, intelligent people will pick the remakes every time. Plus, buying the remakes has the added benefit of putting money in the pockets of deserving devs who need it and will ensure a SoR remake, while buying the originals puts money in the pockets of no one good for nothing good.

The question isn't should you play the orginal or remake, but are you a rere window licker or are you a normal person of normal intelligence with good taste in games?
 

YES!

Hi, I'm Roqua
Dumbfuck
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
2,088
I was in the army during SoR release

Something makes me doubt you were even able to do anything more than shake a rattle during the release.

I have no doubt something tells you that. And that is why I don't want you to talk to me since you are stupid, wrong about everything, and annoying as fuck. Stop this nonsense. Please, please, leave me alone.
 

Jacob

Pronouns: Nick/Her
Patron
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
3,336
Location
Hatington
Grab the Codex by the pussy
The new game looks low effort. The combat grid looks so cheap it's embarrassing. Why the hell is the grid is smaller than a tiger anyway. Seriously they're in dire need of some decent art director and UI designer.

Low quality model or lighting can be hid by not allowing to zoom to close (It's unnecessary in games like this anyway), but art sense and competence is a requirement so your game doesn't look like ass.
 

empi

Augur
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Messages
452
The original looks nicer and isn't buggy or anything so would just go for that.
 

Eriador

Arbiter
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
Messages
423
Why the hell is the grid is smaller than a tiger anyway.

That's because that tiger takes up 3 squares, even if it doesn't look like it from that angle.

The worst thing is probably that blue glow on the active character. I'm sure they could find a better way to highlight the active character.
 

Jacob

Pronouns: Nick/Her
Patron
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
3,336
Location
Hatington
Grab the Codex by the pussy
well, I've never actually played RoA, my bad :M

But the grid still looks lame. The old games made it like they blend with the environment, this, meanwhile, is dumb.
 

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