Neal Hallford - Krondor Kickstarter petition

[Kukulkan]

stuff.

I'm playing BaK right now but I don't like the way the party moves in the gameworld. Is there a way to make movement smoother and with less key presses?

You can change the movement and turning speed in the options, but IIRC that doesn't help all that much. You'll to be tapping those keys like crazy.

Goddammit. It seems I'll have to adjust. mondblut, thanks for your suggestion.

 

[mondblut]

I'm playing BaK right now but I don't like the way the party moves in the gameworld. Is there a way to make movement smoother and with less key presses?

Smoother, no. Less key presses, (right?)click on the road icon (highlighted when on the road) to "lock" your party on the road, then just hold forward and they will have a rollercoaster.

 

[suejak]

BaK is certainly a cool game and was lots of fun at release, but I'm not sure what point there is to a "spiritual successor". It was essentially an interactive novel -- in the era before real cutscenes, BaK had massive blocks of text and dialogue that ran by on autopilot while the player, left with zero control, simply watched.

It was more than interactive novel - it was integral part of the Riftwar saga. Half the charm of it was going to familiar places and meeting up familiar people. It hit a golden spot between games set in modular worlds, where nothing that happens therein matters shit anywhere else in the setting (like all the D&D, Star Trek, Star Wars etc games) save for a maybe occasional cameo mention, and strict novel adaptations (like all those LOTR games throughout history) which universally suck balls as games. BaK had an artistic freedom of being a brand new story, yet firmly grounded in Riftwar canon as a direct sequel to "Darkness at Sethanon".

Hence the Antara mention - I haven't looked at the credits, but it was a carbon copy of everything BaK all over, except with a new setting and unfamiliar characters tucked inside. We all know how it ended up.

Yeah, no offense but I'm pretty sure that BaK's enduring popularity has nothing at all to do with it being based on some niche fantasy novels. It was definitely nerdy as all hell with its stylized dialogue and massive block-of-text cutscenes, but most people don't know anything about the novels.

This is an example of unchecked, unexamined nostalgia. I'm not sure people know what they want.

 

[Gozma]

Yeah, +1 for me being someone that gave no shit about Gene Feast's Riftkemia and never even read them despite being a BaK fan and giant nerd. In fact I remember being a bit pissed that they had probably killed Gorath because the novel guy wouldn't want an original character running around in his shit.

 

[Johannes]

I'm pretty sure I only read the books afterwards of playing the game. While they were entertaining, at least for my 14-15 year old fantasyhungry self, I have fonder memories of the game. Don't remember ever seeing Owyn or Gorath mentioned though... But it's not like I read every single book by Feist.

 

[Whisky]

If I recall, Owyn and Gorath were only in the Betrayal at Krondor novels, which were made after the games. Apparently copyrights screwed over Feist too and he couldn't use Owyn in later books.

 

[Rhuantavan]

I also never read any of Feist's books prior to playing the game and I was sucked in just the same.

I don't think Feist's Midkemia had much to do with how good BaK was. The original team with Hallford and Cutter at the lead came up with basically everything but the world setting. All the game mechanics, most of the characters, spells, etc. were their work, not Feist's. Also you cannot possibly compare this with Betrayal in Antara's cheesy characters (dog-people anyone), average story, butt-ugly graphics, unimaginative names for places and spells, copied game mechanics...

I have my outmost respect for the original team and I am pretty sure that if this project gets to be made it will be AWESOME.

 

[suejak]

I also never read any of Feist's books prior to playing the game and I was sucked in just the same.

I don't think Feist's Midkemia had much to do with how good BaK was. The original team with Hallford and Cutter at the lead came up with basically everything but the world setting. All the game mechanics, most of the characters, spells, etc. were their work, not Feist's. Also you cannot possibly compare this with Betrayal in Antara's cheesy characters (dog-people anyone), average story, butt-ugly graphics, unimaginative names for places and spells, copied game mechanics...

I have my outmost respect for the original team and I am pretty sure that if this project gets to be made it will be AWESOME.

What exactly about the new project do you expect to be awesome?

 

[Rhuantavan]

What exactly about the new project do you expect to be awesome?

I have no idea, but having played BaK and read Neal's Swords & Circuitry book, I am pretty sure the man knows how to make a great game.

Excuse me, an awesome game.

 

[suejak]

What exactly about the new project do you expect to be awesome?

I have no idea, but having played BaK and read Neal's Swords & Circuitry book, I am pretty sure the man knows how to make a great game.

Excuse me, an awesome game.

I get the feeling this is typical among supporters of his new project. Not really sure what they like or want.

 

[Rhuantavan]

I get the feeling this is typical among supporters of his new project. Not really sure what they like or want.

I know what I like, and it is BaK. What I want? A sequel worth of the predecessor. And I believe I will get it if this project gets funded. It is simple as that.

 

[Kukulkan]

Has any brave soul lets played Return to Krondor? I'm awfully curious of the game yet I don't desire directly playing it.

 

[suejak]

I get the feeling this is typical among supporters of his new project. Not really sure what they like or want.

I know what I like, and it is BaK. What I want? A sequel worth of the predecessor. And I believe I will get it if this project gets funded. It is simple as that.

So what will this worthy sequel be like?

 

[mondblut]

Has any brave soul lets played Return to Krondor? I'm awfully curious of the game yet I don't desire directly playing it.

I am replaying it right now. A mixed bag. Exploration is horrible, across screens and camera views that change and reposition every few seconds, like in those awful adventure games every straight man hates. Pacing is full of fail: for instance, in chapters 1-2 the time does not move and you can't rest or employ alchemy; then starting with chapter 4 you're kicked out of Krondor city and have pretty much no access to shops for the rest of the game. The only warrior in your party goes his separate way after chapter 3, his following 'chapters' consists of nothing but one battle each, and he doesn't rejoin the rest of the party until the endgame - meanwhile, your main party keep finding epic warrior-exclusive equipment and he keeps looting non-warrior stuff no one will ever get to use.

On the positive side, combat is pretty decent, some encounters well-designed, and game mechanics are passable. If they thrown out everything but chapter 3 - the only one where you get access to everything, it would be a very nice game. Except it would still suck because of horribad alone in the dark-like view.

 

[majestik12]

I want a Krondor sequel more than any other RPG. Make it happen, that game was special.

This.

 

[Rhuantavan]

I want a Krondor sequel more than any other RPG. Make it happen, that game was special.

This.

Agreed.

 

[Primordial Soup Nazi]

$200 is too rich for my blood, but I'd throw something in the $20-80 range at a BaK successor, depending on what the reward tiers looked like.

Best of luck if you guys do decide to make it happen.

 

[Rhuantavan]

Been browsing through Neal's FB profile https://www.facebook.com/nealiios and he is looking for a digital matte artist. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matte_painting)

He is being secretive on the project he needs the artist for, so care to speculate if he is gathering a team to produce the BaK sequel or perhaps a kickstarter?

 

[Sergiu64]

I think Feist bought back his rights, why can't it be a real sequel?

 

[Jaesun]

I think Feist bought back his rights, why can't it be a real sequel?

Did he buy the IP AND Trademark rights?

 

[Sergiu64]

I think Feist bought back his rights, why can't it be a real sequel?

Did he buy the IP AND Trademark rights?

Probably not both... anyway found this post from Neal's facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nealiios/posts/10150677051663840

So either Feist gave him a nice No for an answer due to having the rights and having something else planned with them, or whichever entity does have the rights have something else planned for them.

 

[suejak]

Let's Kickstarter a big budget sequel to a classic game!!!

 

[DalekFlay]

BaK was the first RPG I ever played. Unfortunately I was like 12 at the time and didn't get far, but I still have a soft spot for it. I hope something comes of this.