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Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures (FRUA) thread

ProphetSword

Arcane
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Monkey Island
UASHELL.BAT is not compatible with Windows. It's a DOS file and should be run from DOSBox.

If you're using an Android version of FRUA, it's possible that the SAVE files are kept elsewhere. In a regular DOS structure, that's where they would normally be. What program are you using to run them in an Android environment?
 

Fluent

Arcane
Patron
The Real Fanboy
Joined
Apr 8, 2021
Messages
830
hey prophet! i actually just copied everything from my FRUA folder on my tablet (which was run with DOSBox) to my PC, and it worked! Just had to run UASHELL.BAT by clicking and dragging it to the DOSBox shortcut so it opened with DOSBox. Works great now. Looking forward to more FRUA & also your modules, ProphetSword ! Take care. :)
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
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Messages
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thanks Prophet. :) I am currently neck-deep in Ray's ToEE design. I think I have the first floor fully mapped, gotta go down a level and see what's what! Very cool design. I'm currently playing The Realm but will sometime try your modules as well. I heard yours are also highly rated and great, so yeah. Cool stuff. See you on the FRUA forums as well! :)
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
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Messages
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going thru some of these designs has been some of my favorite RPG gaming experiences ever, and i only discovered Gold Box somewhat recently. i really love the whole aesthetic and presentation of these designs, how they draw u in with descriptive text and charming still images, and also challenging combat. And resource management, yay! Just really great stuff. I encourage anyone who loves RPGs to check out FRUA. U can't go wrong with this type of gameplay imo. <3
 

Deuce Traveler

2012 Newfag
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Grab the Codex by the pussy Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture
going thru some of these designs has been some of my favorite RPG gaming experiences ever, and i only discovered Gold Box somewhat recently. i really love the whole aesthetic and presentation of these designs, how they draw u in with descriptive text and charming still images, and also challenging combat. And resource management, yay! Just really great stuff. I encourage anyone who loves RPGs to check out FRUA. U can't go wrong with this type of gameplay imo. <3

Welcome to the club, brother. Yeah, it's really amazing how FRUA still holds up after this many years. Too bad there are still no successful attempts to create a new engine with similar gameplay and updated UI.
 

Deuce Traveler

2012 Newfag
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Messages
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Stuttgart, Germany
Grab the Codex by the pussy Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture
Welcome to the club, brother. Yeah, it's really amazing how FRUA still holds up after this many years. Too bad there are still no successful attempts to create a new engine with similar gameplay and updated UI.

Dungeon Craft?
The IceBlink Engine?

I haven't followed Dungeon Craft in awhile, but last time I checked it seemed as if development of it slowed to a crawl and no one was building decent modules for it. The IceBlink engine looks interesting, but is it entirely 2D? How's the modding community? It looks like IceBlink was only supported to Windows 8.
 

Dorateen

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I haven't followed Dungeon Craft in awhile, but last time I checked it seemed as if development of it slowed to a crawl and no one was building decent modules for it. The IceBlink engine looks interesting, but is it entirely 2D? How's the modding community? It looks like IceBlink was only supported to Windows 8.

I have been working with IceBlink for seven and a half years, and while I like to build on Windows 7, the engine runs fine on Windows 10. Pongo is another module author currently working on a new project. It is a small but enthusiastic community with great appreciation for D&D and the Gold Box games.
 

Mortmal

Arcane
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Jun 15, 2009
Messages
9,555
going thru some of these designs has been some of my favorite RPG gaming experiences ever, and i only discovered Gold Box somewhat recently. i really love the whole aesthetic and presentation of these designs, how they draw u in with descriptive text and charming still images, and also challenging combat. And resource management, yay! Just really great stuff. I encourage anyone who loves RPGs to check out FRUA. U can't go wrong with this type of gameplay imo. <3

Welcome to the club, brother. Yeah, it's really amazing how FRUA still holds up after this many years. Too bad there are still no successful attempts to create a new engine with similar gameplay and updated UI.
There's kotc 2 module editor which allows a lot more FRUA could . Ton of work of course.
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
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Messages
830
hello Dorateen . Any updates for Iceblink Lite, or what the mobile version is called (the name escapes me right now.) I would like to give it a go on PC sometime, though. I have a better mic and recording software for PC so i can cover things better for youtube. I'll eventually get to iceblink though, it always intrigued me. Hope u continue working on it brother. Take care. <3
 

Dorateen

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hello Dorateen . Any updates for Iceblink Lite, or what the mobile version is called (the name escapes me right now.)

Iceblink basic is being worked on extensively by slowdive and he can probably give more in depth details. I believe he has been making a lot of updates to this version. All the progress is tracked on the forums here: https://iceblinkengine.com/ib_forums/

In fact, I think he is also doing live streaming for IBBasic modules on his youtube channel.
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
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Iceblink basic is being worked on extensively by slowdive and he can probably give more in depth details. I believe he has been making a lot of updates to this version. All the progress is tracked on the forums here: https://iceblinkengine.com/ib_forums/

In fact, I think he is also doing live streaming for IBBasic modules on his youtube channel.

thanks Dorateen. I'll be sure to stop by those forums and sign up when I decide to delve into the PC version. Will probably be awhile though, got a lot of other stuff to dig thru in the time being. Continued luck and success with the engine though, it's very promising!
 

slowdive

Bree Arts
Developer
Joined
Nov 1, 2012
Messages
236
Yes, IBbasic (I like to think of it as a 2.0 since it has been significantly overhauled) is currently being tested. It is available on PC, Android, and iOS:
Google Play (Early Access program): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iceblinkengine.ibb.ibbasicjr
PC (on NW Vault): https://neverwintervault.org/project/iceblink/other/tool/iceblink-basic-enginetoolset
iOS: in Apple Test Flight program which means I would have to send a link via email

The Feature/Bug Tracking lists are here:
IceBlink (IB): https://www.iceblinkengine.com/ib_forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=45
IBbasic: https://www.iceblinkengine.com/ib_forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=24&p=439#p439

My streaming channel for IceBlink dev stuff and some play throughs:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrgtr5tIl2QvASUtulQWRQQ
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
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subscribed to your youtube, slowdive . looking forward to seeing more Iceblink! keep up the great work all. <3
 

slowdive

Bree Arts
Developer
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Nov 1, 2012
Messages
236
subscribed to your youtube, slowdive . looking forward to seeing more Iceblink! keep up the great work all. <3
Thanks, and I have been subscribed to your channel as well (I think ever since you did a Let's Play of The Raventhal) and have been watching the recent FRUA videos so keep those coming!
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
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Apr 8, 2021
Messages
830
Thanks, and I have been subscribed to your channel as well (I think ever since you did a Let's Play of The Raventhal) and have been watching the recent FRUA videos so keep those coming!

Definitely, man! Thanks for sticking around and watching, that's really cool and I appreciate it a lot. More FRUA to come for sure, gotta do a speedrun of that first floor and see if there's any areas I didn't explore yet. Should be fun. :)
 

ProphetSword

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I haven't followed Dungeon Craft in awhile, but last time I checked it seemed as if development of it slowed to a crawl and no one was building decent modules for it.

At this point, you could probably build anything in Dungeon Craft that you could build in FRUA, and you'd have more options, better resolutions, unlimited text space, the ability to create items and such, etc. Why there isn't a bigger community around Dungeon Craft, I really can't say. It deserves better. As far as I know, it's frequently updated.
 

MRY

Wormwood Studios
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Aug 15, 2012
Messages
5,720
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California
I haven't followed Dungeon Craft in awhile, but last time I checked it seemed as if development of it slowed to a crawl and no one was building decent modules for it.

At this point, you could probably build anything in Dungeon Craft that you could build in FRUA, and you'd have more options, better resolutions, unlimited text space, the ability to create items and such, etc. Why there isn't a bigger community around Dungeon Craft, I really can't say. It deserves better. As far as I know, it's frequently updated.
IMO, you can never underestimate the importance of aesthetics in the adoption of turnkey game development software. If the early RPG Maker suites hadn't had very strong SNES-era aesthetics, they never would've taken off. It's not even an answer to say that you can manage all of it under the hood (assuming you can). One look at the screenshots and my interest vanishes.

Obviously the low hanging fruit would be the encounters:
ss06.png


vs

3476-unlimited-adventures-dos-screenshot-sample-game.gif


But the world map, too, while perfectly fine in Dungeon Craft has an amateurish feel, despite the higher resolution allowing more detail:
ss03.png


vs

355548-unlimited-adventures-dos-screenshot-travelling-in-the-overland.png


And while the world map had too many clashing colors, the combat is boring in comparison to FRUA because of the plainness of the designs:
ss02.png


vs.

355540-unlimited-adventures-dos-screenshot-a-combat-we-made-in-the.png


Even the exploration, which is where FRUA was at its most plain, has a certain charm that is lacking in Dungeon Craft:

ss07.png


vs

355546-unlimited-adventures-dos-screenshot-the-first-person-view.png


By the way, these aren't even cherry picking the greatest hits from FRUA, it's just me trying to find analogues to the Dungeon Craft screenshots on MobyGames.

To be clear, I'm not saying there's any wisdom or justice in this, but the thing with FRUA is that the instant you loaded it up, you could make phenomenal looking games similar to games you were going out and buying just a few years earlier. Dungeon Craft doesn't stir any excitement. Even today, using FRUA means making authentic Gold Box era games, truly retro -- Dungeon Craft can't accomplish that, you'd just end up making a FRUA-like game but with weirdly high res and less aesthetic graphics. I'm sure it's vastly better to develop with (FRUA used to drive me crazy back when I made modules), but you probably can't even get enough people over the initial hurdle to have anyone to make or play modules.
 

MRY

Wormwood Studios
Developer
Joined
Aug 15, 2012
Messages
5,720
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California
Yeah. Again, I'm not speaking normatively about how people ought to think, just descriptively: it makes a huge difference if the built-in assets are attractive and coherent because the fantasy you're selling with a game maker is, "You can make games just like the ones you play!" If even during the wooing stage it is obvious that the game will look like shovelware, it's hard to build the romance.
 

Fluent

Arcane
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The Real Fanboy
Joined
Apr 8, 2021
Messages
830
I mean, I see your guys' point, it's less attractive in a certain charming way than FRUA, but I don't think it's repulsive or anything. I mean, I'd gladly play Hearkenwold or any good module in DC if it were made all the same. FRUA is the god-tier one of course, but DC could produce interesting results if the author puts some work in. But maybe you're onto something with why the DC community is smaller and less modules are made for it. I don't know. But I'll take good modules in either of them personally. :)
 

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