Prosper Realms of Arkania: Shovelware Edition

[Haba]

Oh Jesus, Skyrim generation and orienteering.

 

[Bobbles]

Don't know why he recorded this with last Thurday's version and only released it today. Especially considering that the Saturday patch not only added that crucial missing intro screen ("you've arrived, go take a look around!"), but also revamped all interiors and did a complete NPC overhaul -- and I still haven't seen footage of the new NPCs anywhere. Did it take him four days to edit the video?

early adopters: how is the voice acting like? is it possible to play with german voice and english text?

English VO: D+ when taken seriously, A when drunk
German VO: A-

Voice and text can be freely matched. It used to require an ini edit, but that was supposed to be fixed with a patch.

 

[Lady_Error]

I still want to play the new version when it is reasonably fixed.

 

[Morkar Left]

They kept the small inventory???

 

[eric__s]

early adopters: how is the voice acting like? is it possible to play with german voice and english text?

It's insanely bad. It sounds like Ira Glass.

 

[Gord]

Don't know why he recorded this with last Thurday's version and only released it today. Especially considering that the Saturday patch not only added that crucial missing intro screen ("you've arrived, go take a look around!"), but also revamped all interiors and did a complete NPC overhaul -- and I still haven't seen footage of the new NPCs anywhere. Did it take him four days to edit the video?

There are a few seconds here:


The guy also got performance problems, but that doesn't seem to affect everyone.

 

[:Flash:]

Wait, stats for claustrophobia and fear of heights?

I will admit, I am intrigued.

Just play the originals. Among the best RPGs ever, and by far the most accomplished traveling/exploration part based on stats to this day.
I remember having to take a huge detour due to one of my party members having a bad fear of heights and being unable to cross a rope bridge high in the mountains. Hunting, looking for herbs, playing instruments in taverns, everything is based on the character stats. The only game I can remember that does not only have a day/night cycle (remember to set up a watch at the campfire) but also different seasons. High mountain passes become impassable during the winter months. Your party members will get sick if they do not have clothes fitting to the weather of the season and bedrolls to sleep in.
The originals are unsurpassed and do not need a remake. The only good thing about the remake seems to be the music which is taken unchanged from the original.

 

[Bobbles]

Patch 1.08 - August 5th, 2013 (10:30pm GMT+2)

Character: Fix missing class restrictions
Character Fix weapon damage display
Character: Fix magic item bonus
Character: Fix twohanded restrictions
Fight: Fix throwing weapon usage
Character: Animations updated
Fight: NPCs flee scene
Villages: some Markets updated
Item: Fixed ST-Belt
Fight: Fixed Opponent Portraits

The noose tightens; only 10 patch notes today. Temperatures of 40°C+ aren't really an excuse; even Austrians can afford air conditioning.

 

[Bobbles]

The guy also got performance problems, but that doesn't seem to affect everyone.

He's playing with 1.06, and 1.07 was the "major performance overhaul". Maybe that's why they're publishing daily patches; they can always credibly claim that the current build is much better than what you can see in video X.

 

[Bobbles]

Patch 1.11 - August 6th, 2013 (8pm GMT+2)

We skipped Version 1.09 and 1.10 for organisational reasons

Travel: Events Varnhome -> Daspota and Ottarje -> Daspota fixed
Travel: Random event handling improved
Event: Temple of the Nameless One event fixed
Travel-Map: Highlight of known Quest locations
Dialog: Frenja Jandasdotter fixed
Quest: Gorah fixed
Fight: Fix variable Spellrange for negative Skill values
Fight: Spell Strength selection fixed
Towns: Thorwal objects fixed
Towns: Guddasunden fixed flying NPCs
Towns: Armory rechecked, should work now for new Hetman missions
Towns: Daspota Vend Vendarrson fixed
Towns: Markets fixed
Dungeon: Activated Mine of Prem
Dungeon: Activated Mine of Upper Orken
Dungeon: made Nameless One reachable again
Character: Levelup negative attribute fixed
Character: NPC Animations fixed
Items: Tinderbox is now usable with Torch and Lamp
Dungeons: now require an active Lightsource (lighted and equipped Torch or Lamp, active Light in the Darkness spell)

Wonder what those "organisational reasons" are.

 

[SCO]

Shit sorting in autobuilds probably.

 

[HiddenX]

1.09 and 1.10 were needed to fix 1.07a to 1.08

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Maybe the changes weren't significative enough to release the patch to the public.

 

[Bubbles]

Patch 1.12 - August 7th, 2013 (8pm GMT+2)
Fight opponents
* Spiders added
* Steppe Dog added
* Grimwolf added
* Zombies added
* Ogres added
* Harpys added
* Monsterportraits added

Fixes and Improvements
* Different Marketbooths fixed
* Ground-Dwarf in front of Old Bailey fixed
* Minimaps fixed
* Fulminictus fixed
* Ignifaxius fixed
* Armory finally fixed
* Ranged and Magic Line of Sight improved
* Hitanimations improved
* Lights now go out as intended
* Bug in Loot Distribution Window autoloot fixed
* Gorah improved
* Magic without AE not possible any more

Zombies will go a long way towards fixing the game's sales numbers imho.

And a long-ass roadmap for the next few patches:

Preliminary Plan for Patches 1.14 - 1.21
This is a PRELIMINARY Plan for the coming Weeks. As we still have some additional Problems to tackle (eg. Stability) and this also includes planing for gamescom 2013 in Cologne [????], it is likely that there will be changes and shiftings.

Plan for Patch 1.14 - August 9th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: Magic (new Spells)
Fixes

• Remove run motion blur
• Fix stopping fights and undying opponents
• Fix missing Spell scrollbar
• Fix arena stone_bigroom_2
• Fix Final fight black magician's ruins

New

• Summon Spirits
• Skelettarius
• Witch's Knot
• Karnifilo Fury
• Improved Item images
• First Wand Enchantment
• Second Wand Enchantment
• Third Wand Enchantment
• Forth Wand Enchantment

Plan for Patch 1.15 - August 12th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: User Interface and Quests
Fixes

• Opponent Names sometimes not visible
• Quests: Update Old Bailey (Levels 3-5)
• Fight-Messages extremely small
• Escape-Menu when in Character Generator Mode
• Delay on successful ranged attack message

New

• Illnesses
• Change Character Portrait and Name after Generation
• Camp: Use Talents

Plan for Patch 1.16 - August 14th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: Bugfixes

• Fixing known problems
• Rebalancing
• Missrolls
• Improve Fight Messages (more Feedback)
• Fix Ork Champion (Endbattle)
• Fix Extro
• Statuschanges outside of Battles
• Ask if the rations found when hunting shall be kept

Plan for Patch 1.17 - August 16th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: Fight and Magic

• Add Goblins
• Add Sabretooth tigers
• Add Lion
• Call Crows
• Helter-Skelter
• Harmless Looks
• Improve Battle sounds

Plan for Patch 1.18 - August 19th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: Alchemy

• Recipes
• Ingredients

Plan for Patch 1.19 - August 29th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: UI and Fixes

• Fix Old Bailey
• Fix Dragoncave Heshthot Trigger
• Fix Spidercave Altar
• Fix Black magician's Ruins final Chest
• Add close for inflaming
• Make additional Items edible
• Doubleclick to exit

Plan for Patch 1.20 - September 5th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: UI and Fixes

• Kill-Cam as an option
• Questbook Notes separated
• Minimap: Hide unknown Quest Targets
• Endless Talk with honest Jorge
• ST-Belt Bonus after transfer to other character
• Talent usage, heal wounds

Plan for Patch 1.21 - September 10th 2013, 8pm GMT+2
Focus: Rituals

• Dagger Rituals for Druids
• Broom Rituals for Witches

The last patch is, as usual, the most exciting one. They may be horrible designers, but they know their PR.

Though I have no clue what they're going to do at gamescom with this game. Probably just wanted to have a company paid vacation/job hunting trip.

 

[Morkar Left]

They are in a fixing marathon and they still don't provide all the functions/game elements the original game has. Holy shit, even if the game gets fixed there I can see no way it will ever have a sequel after this desaster.

 

[Bubbles]

Well, at least the game is supposed to become winnable soon - only 16 days after release. If you consider that the devs come from the MMO scene, that's very very fast.

The first completely new content (Rituals) is planned to come out six weeks after release, which is a little slow by WoW standards, but pretty reasonable considering it's free.

 

[Kattze]

Well, at least the game is supposed to become winnable soon - only 16 days after release. If you consider that the devs come from the MMO scene, that's very very fast.

The first completely new content (Rituals) is planned to come out six weeks after release, which is a little slow by WoW standards, but pretty reasonable considering it's free.

That's only reasonable given the deplorable state of the game at release.

 

[logrus]

Well, I'm a software developer myself, so I'm familiar with the situation when management insists on releasing something that is not 100% ready from the developers perspective. So I'm the one could say that "understand them". But in this case we cannot say that even half-baked product was released, I wouldn't even call it alpha version. They have just release a random daily build, complete madness! I was hooked to play this game and bought it day one, what a complete mistake.

Person who decided to release software in such state should be immediately fired. If I the software house delivered business system for corporation unusable on so many levels the only possible result would be immediate contract termination and corporate lawyers jumping into action.

When I read the patch notes up to date and planned for next weeks then what I see is nothing more than code taken from the repository on 5 p.m., compiled and published on Steam with no QA.

Seriously, they ruined their reputation with this release. I will probably never buy another game from them. And for sure not for a full price in the month of release. I may wait a year or two when patch daily code check-in number 745 finally delivers the game .

 

[rashiakas]

Just wait for the enhanced edition bro.

 

[Bubbles]

Patch 1.14 - August 10th, 2013 (2am GMT+2)

• Reactivated Postprocessing Effects on fantastic quality and reasonable effects on other qualities
• Made Motion Blur deactivated
• Item-Images update
• X at timberbox
• Character Generator: Changed Song
• Honest Jorge fixed (incl. item sale)
• Fights fixed
• Fight: Lockups should be fixed
• Final Fight black magician’s ruin Mappiece fixed
• First Staff Enchantment
• Second Staff Enchantment
• Third Staff Enchantment
• Forth Staff Enchantment
• Attributo activated
• Negative Attributes rule fixed
• Two handed weapons (Battleaxe, spears, staffs) fixed
• Inventory: Stacking broken Items fix
• Level Up fix (when drunk)
• Tavern, drinking and leaving dialog fix
• Stone arenas fixed
• Armor and Weapon Information (Trader) by tooltip
• Battle UI fix (NPC portrait)
• Battle UI sorting update
• Battle Menu fix
• Battleturn more speed

Letting you win battles again is a huge step forward for the game. Can't say they aren't making good progress.

 

[Bubbles]

Did you know that the RoA video game licence is being handled separately from the PnP licence to reduce costs? Well, the PnP licence holder finally got around to disowning the game:

Hiermit distanziert sich Ulisses Spiele ausdrücklich von der Neuauflage des Computerspiels „Das Schwarze Auge - Schicksalsklinge“ vom 30.07.2013. Das Recht zur Lizenzvergabe von Computerspielen von Das Schwarze Auge und deren Abnahme obliegt alleine der Chromatrix GmbH.

Die Das Schwarze Auge-Redaktion war zu keinem Zeitpunkt in den Entwicklungsprozess des Spiels eingebunden. Weder Inhalt noch Aufmachung waren dem Verlag vor Erscheinen des Spiels bekannt.

Rumor is that they got more of hate mail for this release than they got in the last 10 years combined.

 

[Infinitron]

Potato review: http://www.gry-online.pl/S020.asp?ID=9140

 

[Bubbles]

Better than Ride to Hell, worse than Legends of Dawn. Seems fair enough.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Did you know that the RoA video game licence is being handled separately from the PnP licence to reduce costs? Well, the PnP licence holder finally got around to disowning the game:



Rumor is that they got more of hate mail for this release than they got in the last 10 years combined.

Translation, plz?

 

[Gord]

Ulisses Games wants to distance itself explicitly from the remake of the computer game "Blade of Destiny", released on 30.07.2013. The rights for licencing Realms of Arcania computer games and their approval falls exclusively to the Chromatix GmbH.

The editorial staff of RoA was at no point in time involved in the development of the game. The publisher was not familiar with content or presentation prior to release.

Ouch, I guess...