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Episode 4: Feedback and Thoughts

Started by dark-daventry, November 06, 2011, 03:08:08 PM

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KatieHal

We don't have a release date for Episode 5 yet.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

snabbott

Quote from: daventry on February 01, 2012, 01:23:02 AM
I have a sad feeling that Ep5 will be rushed with a quick ending so that the Developers can get on with Cognition, i mean the Whole Site is ready for it.  :-\
The story is already done, and I am confident that Ep5 will be given the treatment it deserves. TSL is Cez's baby, after all. :) Also, only a small subset of the team is working on Cognition.

Steve Abbott | Beta Tester | The Silver Lining

Rosella

Right, I'm sure they're excited to work on something new, but I have no doubt that they love TSL and want to give it the send-off it deserves.

Not to mention, from a business standpoint, there's no point in annoying your fans right before you ask them for money. :P
I'm a princess even if my kingdom is pixelated.

Official Comfort Counselor of the TSL Asylum © ;D

It's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive.

waltzdancing

We are working on Episode 5, as I had a meeting almost every night this week. I will say that production is slow but it is moving forward. :D Episode 5 will come out, and don't worry, PR has ALOT of stuff planned to keep you all entertained while you wait.  :D

fluxmaster

One more complaint about the Pandora's box puzzle.  At the start of the puzzle, there is a message that states that save points would be established.  Points as in plural.  So I just played three-quarters through the Pandora's box puzzle, completing nine zodiac signs, and had to leave for work.  Since I couldn't save, I simply quit, figuring that a save point had been established.  But when I went back the next day to resume the puzzle, no save point had been established.  Tech support told me that there is only ones save point, at the end of the puzzle, but was kind enough to send me a saved game so that I wouldn't have to replay the whole thing.

In the tower sequence, I believe there was a save point estabished at one-third and two-thirds the way through, not simply at the end.  I think you should have established save points after every three zodiac signs completed, or else the message should have said that a save point would be established after completing of the puzzle.

After having played three-quarters the way through on easy mode, the Pandora's box puzzle isn't really that hard.  I may play the whole thing thorugh if I have the time.  but I want to work on the fight next.
The Fluxmaster

Neonivek

I actually am interested in how the twists go

since well

[spoiler]If you pay attention there is no reason that the Silver cloaks shouldn't still be around. As the story of Pandora's box confirms that they won with members to spare.

So I wonder what actually happened to them.

Also the PLOT HOLE part is that some of the ingrediants required for the cure are also the parts that are used up to make your Silver cloak medalion. Meaning that they weren't ever ingrediants.

Actually how the magic scroll works is a mystery when I think about it.[/spoiler]

I played the games back to back 1-4 so I don't really seperate them in my head. I sort of am keeping them as one big whole.

KatieHal

Hi Neonivek and welcome to the boards :)

And in response to your first point, there's still one episode left and a decent amount of that story you don't yet know. :)

And for the second..

[spoiler]This I think may not be as clearly explained in Episode 5, I forget how much we go into at the moment, but the items used in the fight were more 'borrowed' temporarily for that purpose. They weren't permanently changed into the medallion.[/spoiler]

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

Rockabore

I thought the 4th Game was a lot of fun and I know I enjoyed playing it the whole time, at least most of the time.

As always the voice acting and music were topnotch. I felt the cutscenes told the story well and the way the story played out here made me want to see more. The story and the characters are always the best parts of The Silver Lining for me. For both of those aspects along, I'd say I was won over. I'm still very disappointed that Valanice and the twins are stuck doing very little for a majority of time in the present, but I do love seeing secondary characters we all know and love return and play a part in the story. I had been anticipating Beauty and the Beast coming back throughout the first 3 episodes and it was one of my favorite parts of part 4; as well as the short scene with Pan (loved the homage to KQ4's tunes). I've always felt we really could use more characters from KQ4 and KQ7 since it was Rosella and Edgar's wedding that was started things off, their guest list should at least include Genesta and King Otar if they really had to have the wedding in the Green Isles where they know no one! Sorry, I digress... It's always nice seeing cameos, I love them and I would love more of them. I also liked the new additions of the Muses, that addition felt very much like the kinds of quirky takes on mythological characters I expect to see in a King's Quest game. Also while on the topic, I think Edgar should get more to do, he's really understated here and I feel bad for him to not get to help.

The fight toward the end with Graham and Shadrack was well made and I was glad that the combat system didn't feel TOO out of place in a modern King's Quest game. It was still kinda out of place in a way since it wasn't a puzzle that forced you to use your wits, more of a the trial and error game. Besides that, we all kinda know by now Graham won't be defeating Shadrack at this point, so it felt more like a chore than a milestone to me.

I, like a lot of others, was a little annoyed by the Pandora puzzle box. I think I would have liked it more if it weren't so hard to click on the symbols when they fade. It was incredibly frustrating to keep hearing the narrator say the same phrase, I'd have preferred if her audio was absent all together for that part. Plus it took a lot longer than a puzzle like that had any right to because of having to wait for the spinning symbols. I'm not sure how it could have been done better because if it wasn't spinning it would probably have been significantly simpler and thus less challenging. Either way, I'm kind of dreading playing it again when I play the game with my younger cousins.

One thing I can't help but complain about is the fact that we're spending SO MUCH time in the Green Isles. KQ6 is my favorite game in the KQ series, King's Quest 6 is undeniably the most well made game in the series, and to top it all off it was first adventure game I was a little kid, so needless to say seeing the Green Isles was nostalgic for me... BUT I feel like there's so much more to be explored and when we spent FOUR whole chapters doing stuff on the same few islands over and over, I felt SO sick of the place and was dying for new scenery! There really is so much to explore in the King's Quest Universe besides The Green Isles. I'm glad the next part looks like it will take place in Daventry so we can finally see some different scenery. It makes me cross my fingers that we may get to see some other lands like Llewdor and especially Tamir, both would be good places to play as the Twins (if we'll get to play as them) since it's where both started out adventuring.

Speaking of playing as others, as much as I love playing as Graham, I will say I was always under the impression that we'd get to play as each member of the Graham Family for a good amount of time each. It kind of gets dull having all but Graham in coma or delirious for the majority of the episodes. It would have been alright if this chapter were early on but it's the 4th episode. I really just want to let Graham have a little rest (he needs one) and play as someone else for a while. It makes me a little sad that by the end of part 5 it seems somewhat inevitable that we won't be able to play as the others, or if we do it will only be in a brief sequence like the Pandora Puzzle part with Valanice.

KatieHal

Thanks for the feedback Rockabore! Well, the good news, the next episode will have all new scenes far away from the Green Isles. The scenes will have some familiar elements to them...but they are entirely new. :)

As well, we've announced that Valanice will be playable in Episode 5, and another unnamed character will also be playable....

For playing with younger cousins, you might want to try the Pandora's Box section on Easy instead of Normal. It's not *quite* as hard, but still challenging. :)

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

snabbott


Steve Abbott | Beta Tester | The Silver Lining

Rockabore

Quote from: KatieHal on September 11, 2012, 08:58:32 PM
Thanks for the feedback Rockabore! Well, the good news, the next episode will have all new scenes far away from the Green Isles. The scenes will have some familiar elements to them...but they are entirely new. :)

As well, we've announced that Valanice will be playable in Episode 5, and another unnamed character will also be playable....

For playing with younger cousins, you might want to try the Pandora's Box section on Easy instead of Normal. It's not *quite* as hard, but still challenging. :)
That sounds exciting! I can't wait to see the new lands.

Awesome! I always thought Valanice could use more of a chance to be a playable heroine. I liked that we got to play as her in King's Quest 7 but even there it seemed like of the whole Graham Family she was the one with the least adventuring cred, the rest of the family had already been playable in more serious games and she was only given her moment to shine in a game that has her most iconic action as crying at a comb. But with The Silver Lining I like that Valanice is portrayed as having more to her than just a standard Queen, I'm really stoked to play as her!

Neonivek

Quoteit seemed like of the whole Graham Family she was the one with the least adventuring cred

Honestly that is kinda how I'd prefer it because... well... that is exactly how she should be.

She isn't an adventurer, nor does she has an adventurer's spirit. She doesn't like to get her hands dirty, she doesn't like to do any hard work, cannot stand anything crude, and she is the least witty or intelligent (Or rather not the smartest). By all means you could even consider her the worst of the entire family at being a Kings Quest Protagonist.

What she has over everyone else though is heart. She like all the others is willing to go out of her way to save her loved ones, as well she is the one most capable of showing sympathy to those she meets. She is brave because she needs to be but at the same time she is the most sensative. It is why SHE is the hero of Kings Quest 7 and not Rosella.

While I know she is sensative I also know she is just as strong as all the other characters, but more then that you get the idea that she is the only one who has to struggle through her shortcommings and all the better for it. It makes it feel all the better for when you do see her succeed at something. Only Valenece could charm a bird into trusting her, or show the depths of her sorrow enough to win everyone over (even if it gets a bit... manipulative). She is also the character who most felt like she honestly felt sorrow for anyone who wasn't herself instead of just raw altruism (or rather. She felt like she wanted to help people out of genuinly feeling for them. As opposed to "This is wrong, I'll help you!")

Quotethe rest of the family had already been playable in more serious games and she was only given her moment to shine in a game that has her most iconic action as crying at a comb

Uhhh are you kidding? She was the hero of KQ7!

Also yeah her most iconic action was crying but she is the only character in Kings Quest to show genuin emotion (it gets a bit weird later) and makes you understand the impact this had on her. The sheer number of things Valanece did (including getting the longest chapter in the game) compared to Rosella is staggering. You could have removed Rosella from KQ7 and changed almost nothing.

There is a reason why Valenece manages to be my favorite character over Alexander inspite Alexander essentially being my perfect Adventure game protagonist (Serious, studiuous, kind, and soft spoken? perfect!). Mind you they do flip flop in my mind.

I am actually more worried they may do too much with her and turn her into a "Butt kicking queen" when really that isn't her role. She isn't the "Princess who saves the prince", that is Rosella, she is the steriotypical princess except grown up and become a mother (Plus a LOT more intelligent and studious then most).

Ultimately I guess what I mean is. Valanece is at her best when she feels like she is rising to the challenge and becoming more then what she is, while at the same time reminding us why she was so great in the first place. She isn't a character I feel needs to transform but rather one whos better qualities is pushed to the front in times of crisis.

GrahamRocks!

I liked KQ7 a bunch, and I never thought of it that way! :)

charliebirds

Love the game because i have played all the kings quests, but i haven't been able to finish because of the pandora's box, they really should have made it so you could save your game during the symbol thing, i get so frustrated and then give up, i'm sure one day i will get it maybe by 2014 LOL, hope they do more, but this time being able to save your game at all points.

minimac14

So I'm very new to this website, and as I see these episodes have been out for awhile. I have just finished all 4 episodes because as a child I LOVED KQ6. I'm not a huge "gamer", however came across KQ6 and remembered it and decided to see if there were more.

Personally, I was so excited playing these episode and thought they were very well made in comparison to KQ6. The only things I didn't quite enjoy were, 1. the final "boss scene", as it has been referred to, since I enjoy KQ due to the logic and puzzles, not so much battles; 2. Some puzzles didn't give you actual clues on how to solve them so I found myself HAVING to look at clues on this site. I like it when clues are given from cut scenes or conversations or can be put together my logically thinking (like most were in the games).

For example, *spoiler alert* (don't know how to hide it)
How did people know that the shears and flower/shell had to be enchanted before using (without killing Rosella). And then once you knew (say the point was to try it out by trial and error) how did people know Fire and Earth was for the Shears and Water and Air were for the flower?

Those were just some examples where I found I had to cheat to know my next step instead of logic or even trial and error would have been tedious.

Either way, I am very late in a response, but really loved KQ6 and once I discovered and played TSL also THOROUGHLY enjoyed and have to say if you made more King's Quest based games I would for sure continue playing them as this series is one I would never stop playing!

P.S - I actually enjoyed the Pandora's Box :) and I'm not an avid game player. Found it difficult in the right ways, and you couldn't die so I didn't find it frustrating just had to have patience. Like those puzzles for end games.

KatieHal

Hello minimac, and welcome to the forums! So glad you found us and TSL, and thank you for the feedback!

The shears & shell: If you read the books in the book shop about Persephone, Nightshade, and Samson, they mention items being enchanted with certain powers (air & water, fire & earth, respectively). The horoscopes outside the Four Winds office then tell you which zodiac signs fall into which elements.

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!

Neonivek

QuoteHow did people know that the shears and flower/shell had to be enchanted before using (without killing Rosella). And then once you knew (say the point was to try it out by trial and error) how did people know Fire and Earth was for the Shears and Water and Air were for the flower?

Ohh goodness a LOT of busy work. Honestly for the longest time I thought the elements the book was refering to was the "inherant element within these objects" but it wasn't.

You do it by reading EVERY shelf in that library.

Then I had to go to the newspaper and write down EVERY SINGLE star sign and element that went along to it, as well as what it looks like.

THEN I had to get the idea to enchant them using the Druid's hut that can enchant now for no real reason.

It is a point and click... absolutely doing everything is what you do.

Heck the puzzle I legitimately hated the most was the Salt puzzle. "Hmm I wonder what of the MANY sources of heat the game wants me to use. What was that? The fire will hurt him? When did he indicate that? Wait the supernatural fire works because the game forgot how convection works? AND it glitched out my game and made it unwinnable?"

Also yeah I liked Pandora's box... I just wish I didn't chose hard.

boopish

Thank you. I had no idea such an amazing group of people could come together with their creative genius to make such a wonderful game. I downloaded the series just a few days ago, and after finishing Episode 4, I needed to thank all the people who made this possible. I had an enjoyable time immersing myself in this beautifully created game, and I look forward to seeing what this talented group will create in the future!

Oldbushie

I'm glad you enjoyed the game boopish! :D I'm looking forward to the conclusion too.
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KatieHal

Aww, thank you so much boopish! You rock! And welcome to the forums!

Katie Hallahan
~Designer, PR Director~

"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix." Christina Baldwin

I have a blog!