Prosper Realms of Arkania: Shovelware Edition

[Minttunator]

HD remake... more like an MHD remake, am I right?

 

[:Flash:]

Thanks for your answer.
I've never played the original, but it seems there is a fairly solid game buried beneath the rubble after all.
Will continue to watch this thread.

Why don't you just play the original?
Why would anyone want to play a game with a crappy 3d engine when he can have glorious 256 color vga graphics instead?

or

?

 

[Jasede]

Woah why did you post that Wizardry 8 screenshot?
:graphicswhoredex:

 

[Jasede]

okay, what's not in the manual? i have a roa manual - original release - next to me; I dare you.

 

[Gord]

Well, graphics-wise, dungeons and towns sure weren't the high point of the original BoD - they were pretty simplistic and lacked variety (~2-3 different dungeon tilesets and one for settlements, I think).
Gameplay/story-wise the game had one major issue, imho, that you had to rely on torough exploration/luck to find that one plot-critical document in this remote orc fortress, without ever getting any hint about its existence.

 

[:Flash:]

why one wouldn't play the original and wait for the remake to get decent? probably because of the lack of star trail improvements to combat like diagonal aiming, the hilariously unintelligible translation, the complete obscurity of the game mechanics (stuff isnt even in the manual)...

But, but... the translation was done by the experienced Old-School RPG developer Brenda Brathwaite. How can it not be good?

 

[InspectorRumpole]

Why don't you just play the original?
Why would anyone want to play a game with a crappy 3d engine when he can have glorious 256 color vga graphics instead?

or

?

Just gave the original a spin, and ...i really wish i had played it back in the day.
While your screenshot looks great in 300x200, and i like the art, the Legos on my 24" weren't too pleasing on the eye.
I probably could run it in windowed mode or something, but i've never liked that in my games.

I always thought the game looked interesting, but im just too old for having my ears blasted with MIDI music you cant adjust the volume of, UI where you have to refer to the manual, in order to understand, and Lego gfx.
I guess i draw the line with games like Wiz 8, M&M7, Eador:Genesis and games like that.
Shoot me.

 

[Jasede]

Nah, I feel you. Try getting a 13" monitor for the 320x240 games, they look great on those.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Just gave the original a spin, and ...i really wish i had played it back in the day.
While your screenshot looks great in 300x200, and i like the art, the Legos on my 24" weren't too pleasing on the eye.
I probably could run it in windowed more or something, but i've never liked that in my games.

3x normal scaler + windowed mode?

 

[Lady_Error]

But, but... the translation was done by the experienced Old-School RPG developer Brenda Brathwaite. How can it not be good?

pretty sure the de-en translation was done by someone else, there's lots to knock brenda about but this isn't one of them

Brenda is not into translations. She did most of the manuals of the Wizardry games though.

 

[mondblut]

why one wouldn't play the original and wait for the remake to get decent? probably because of the lack of star trail improvements to combat like diagonal aiming, the hilariously unintelligible translation, the complete obscurity of the game mechanics (stuff isnt even in the manual)...

Bullshit. Translation is perfectly passable, and game mechanics are identical to Star Trail, so the manual of it works just fine. Kids these days, can't make a step without a manual holding their hand.

Now, diagonal aiming, that point I earnestly concede, it was retarded. So was having a single slot for rings, amulets and belts (fortunately, there is only one belt of strength in ROA1, so you aren't losing much on slots). Still, I played through the entire trilogy just a few months ago, that's why I am so laid back about the failure in question. I can easily wait for a functional ROA1 remake for another year or three.

 

[mondblut]

Like what blankets

Better rest outdoors, less chance of disease.

winter coats

Less frostbite when it's cold outdoors.

nets, hooks

More food when scavenging by the rivers. Supposedly.

grapples

Help at climbing. Supposedly.

No in-game description, not in the manual either.

And no quest compass. Unthinkable!

What happened to "figuring it out on your own" in gaming?

what is ink for?

Copying alchemy recipes into recipe book.

 

[Stabwound]

3x normal scaler + windowed mode?

That works perfectly. Or, hell, play fullscreen with proper aspect ratio. No point in playing a Dosbox game in a small window.

 

[Bizarro Jimmy Olsen]

The original's got its charms, but annoyances too. The spells, I recall, had basically no description. Didn't some kindly bilingual fellow translate the German spell descriptions in English? Don't remember any of that in the manual. So the "Lightning" spell... blinds? Who knew.

And exploring towns is a PITA because all the buildings look the same. Is it a shop? What kind of shop? A house? A dungeon entrance? Open the door and enter to find out.

And no diagonal attacking. Even Chess had that 1,000 years ago.

 

[:Flash:]

okay, what's not in the manual? i have a roa manual - original release - next to me; I dare you.

all i have is the GOG manual, but there's plenty of mechanics that are completely obscure. Like what blankets, winter coats, nets, hooks, grapples etc inventory items actually do. No in-game description, not in the manual either. These items take up precious inventory space! what is ink for? i'm ok with certain spells not having any in-game use because at least there's a description of what the spell does. more bugs: slings don't have stones?

I don't know the GOG manual, but I have the original German manual, which is 96 pages long and while it has no descriptions for these items, it has hints of their use in the appropriate places, e.g. referring to winter coats in the description of frostbites, and to climbing gear in the description of the climbing skill.

Same for the spells: There is as five page section where every spell is described in detail.

Now, if the English release left out vital information in the manual, that indeed sucks.

 

[stony3k]

The English manual on GOG has a two page section listing the spells - no descriptions whatsoever. Which is essentially crap

 

[mondblut]

And exploring towns is a PITA because all the buildings look the same. Is it a shop? What kind of shop? A house? A dungeon entrance? Open the door and enter to find out.

They are all different on the map. Orange, grey, cyan etc.

 

[mondblut]

i don't see why you're defending opacity over transparency. complexity and challenge is great, but make the rules clear.

Figuring out "what does this shit do" is a part of that elusive "exploration" thingy.

It's not like you really need most of it. Me, I only kept blankets and winter coats. Unless loading a save is an anathema to you, you can get by with the native climbing abilities of the party, and there is a plenty of money around to buy provisions whenever you need those.

 

[Bizarro Jimmy Olsen]

Same for the spells: There is as five page section where every spell is described in detail.

Now, if the English release left out vital information in the manual, that indeed sucks.

That's the case, I believe. Like I said, some German was kind enough to do a good translation into English of the spells section of the German manual (it's on gamefaqs or something). Without that, you're pretty clueless.

 

[Lhynn]

Stop whinning, the name of the spells couldnt be more clear......

 

[Jasede]

i don't see why you're defending opacity over transparency. complexity and challenge is great, but make the rules clear.

Figuring out "what does this shit do" is a part of that elusive "exploration" thingy.

It's not like you really need most of it. Me, I only kept blankets and winter coats. Unless loading a save is an anathema to you, you can get by with the native climbing abilities of the party, and there is a plenty of money around to buy provisions whenever you need those.

Yeah, this was pretty cool about RoA. I was all Assburgers in it and reapt the rewards- my party had a much easier time making foraging checks, avoiding getting sick, climbing - on the other hand, my inventory had much fewer spaces for loot and everyone was constantly fighting with encumberance. Choices and consequences, suckers.

 

[Magellan]

Whatever happened with this mess? Is it in a semi-reasonable state now?

 

[eric__s]

Get ready! Apparently it's coming out for the 360 and Playstation 3 in February!!!!!!

 

[Magellan]

Get ready! Apparently it's coming out for the 360 and Playstation 3 in February!!!!!!

Oh wow, at first I thought you were joking.

 

[Infinitron]

Get ready! Apparently it's coming out for the 360 and Playstation 3 in February!!!!!!

Source?