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Remaking MoE

Started by TheReturnofDMD, August 04, 2010, 01:01:02 PM

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TheReturnofDMD

What about KQ: Mask of Eternity: The Text Adventure?
With all of the Olde English language and epicness, it could make for a great interactive novel.

wilco64256

I've actually played some really great text-based MMO's, so that could be good.
Weldon Hathaway

TheReturnofDMD

Does anyone want to try to help me get this off the ground>?

atec123

Quote from: TheReturnofDMD on September 06, 2010, 07:31:21 AM
Does anyone want to try to help me get this off the ground>?
a text version?  idk.  could be very interesting.  not to mention easier.

TBH  2d still sounds the most appealing to me.  AGS is great, especially 2.72 for the easy interface and linux compatibility/portabillity.

I kinda started the project, but that one didn't count.  if I had help, I would love to start this up again.  I know we were kinda trying to.

BTW, I'm back.
Official maintainer of TSL in linux via Wine. TSL AppDB page
Maintainer of TSL in OSX via Wine
TSL IRC Chatroom Maintainer
We are the Defenders of Jazz Ballet
People say, when they see us:
Hey, folks! It's the Saviours of Jazz Ballet
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TheReturnofDMD

Quote from: atec123 on September 06, 2010, 05:21:52 PM
Quote from: TheReturnofDMD on September 06, 2010, 07:31:21 AM
Does anyone want to try to help me get this off the ground>?
a text version?  idk.  could be very interesting.  not to mention easier.

TBH  2d still sounds the most appealing to me.  AGS is great, especially 2.72 for the easy interface and linux compatibility/portabillity.

I kinda started the project, but that one didn't count.  if I had help, I would love to start this up again.  I know we were kinda trying to.

BTW, I'm back.

Do you still have anything from the AGS version?

atec123

Quote from: TheReturnofDMD on September 06, 2010, 06:13:54 PM
Quote from: atec123 on September 06, 2010, 05:21:52 PM
Quote from: TheReturnofDMD on September 06, 2010, 07:31:21 AM
Does anyone want to try to help me get this off the ground>?
a text version?  idk.  could be very interesting.  not to mention easier.

TBH  2d still sounds the most appealing to me.  AGS is great, especially 2.72 for the easy interface and linux compatibility/portabillity.

I kinda started the project, but that one didn't count.  if I had help, I would love to start this up again.  I know we were kinda trying to.

BTW, I'm back.

Do you still have anything from the AGS version?
simple answer: nope.
Official maintainer of TSL in linux via Wine. TSL AppDB page
Maintainer of TSL in OSX via Wine
TSL IRC Chatroom Maintainer
We are the Defenders of Jazz Ballet
People say, when they see us:
Hey, folks! It's the Saviours of Jazz Ballet
Fearless heroes of kick and spin

Fierce Deity

I think an AGS version of MoE would be interesting. I'm not savvy in video game development, but I support the idea nonetheless. At least (seeing as the game was mostly action-based), you are open to an original, creative adventure (aside from picking up the mask pieces). 
Freudian Slip - "When you say one thing, but mean your mother."

TheReturnofDMD

Quote from: Fierce Deity on September 06, 2010, 07:34:57 PM
I think an AGS version of MoE would be interesting. I'm not savvy in video game development, but I support the idea nonetheless. At least (seeing as the game was mostly action-based), you are open to an original, creative adventure (aside from picking up the mask pieces). 

I'm pretty much open to anything as far as an KQ8 is concerned. I'd like it to be in retro 3D ideally, but still.

kindofdoon

Quote from: TheReturnofDMD on September 06, 2010, 08:32:30 PM
Quote from: Fierce Deity on September 06, 2010, 07:34:57 PM
I think an AGS version of MoE would be interesting. I'm not savvy in video game development, but I support the idea nonetheless. At least (seeing as the game was mostly action-based), you are open to an original, creative adventure (aside from picking up the mask pieces). 

I'm pretty much open to anything as far as an KQ8 is concerned. I'd like it to be in retro 3D ideally, but still.

I thought the point of your remake was to make MoE fit in with the other KQ games in terms of graphical style. For what reasons do you wish to remake MoE in "retro 3D"?

Daniel Dichter, Production/PR
daniel.dichter@postudios.com

TheReturnofDMD

Quote from: kindofdoon on September 06, 2010, 08:36:34 PM
Quote from: TheReturnofDMD on September 06, 2010, 08:32:30 PM
Quote from: Fierce Deity on September 06, 2010, 07:34:57 PM
I think an AGS version of MoE would be interesting. I'm not savvy in video game development, but I support the idea nonetheless. At least (seeing as the game was mostly action-based), you are open to an original, creative adventure (aside from picking up the mask pieces). 

I'm pretty much open to anything as far as an KQ8 is concerned. I'd like it to be in retro 3D ideally, but still.

I thought the point of your remake was to make MoE fit in with the other KQ games in terms of graphical style. For what reasons do you wish to remake MoE in "retro 3D"?

No, no if you read the OP it was to make it into a retro 3D style similar to the original graphics of the game, but Baggins and I got into a bit of a debate and yeah I had caved, but still...I'm pretty set in my desire for it to be retro 3D, to emulate the style seen in the early screenshots. Sort of a 'de-make', but it would be adding in elements that were taken out like the second Daventry town and the Underwater Kingdom with the ship of the would-be raiders of Daventry, along with the Alchemist being ''un-stoned'' and having to get amethyst, plus the original idea of having Connor be a statue of a Knight turned to life by the breaking of the Mask.

kindofdoon

I see. So you would keep the original graphical style and gameplay but modify the story, right?

Daniel Dichter, Production/PR
daniel.dichter@postudios.com

TheReturnofDMD

Quote from: kindofdoon on September 06, 2010, 08:48:32 PM
I see. So you would keep the original graphical style and gameplay but modify the story, right?

Pretty much. Expand it. Add in perhaps a better, more conclusive ending.
And the graphics would be more like this:


Instead of:

Baggins

Although those 2-d tree sprites are absolutely horrid... :p
Well, ya, King's Quest is on Earth. Daventry is very old city from a long time ago. It's in ruins now and people aren't quite sure exactly where it used to be. There are some archaeologists searching through the ruins, they think they know its Daventry. But its somewhere on Earth."-Roberta Williams http://kingsquest.wikia.com/wiki/File:Daventryisearth.ogg

Fierce Deity

Quote from: Baggins on September 07, 2010, 03:07:55 AM
Although those 2-d tree sprites are absolutely horrid... :p

Really? I think they're kind of quaint.  ;)

Honestly though, I liked the scenic view in the actual Mask of Eternity. Might have just been me, but it gave me that dark and isolated feeling. I think the first screenshot is too bright and spacious. The early stages of MoE aren't what I'd call ideal for MoE's story. I'd say, do something completely original. Make a new Connor, a new Daventry, and a new story (though still somewhat related to the restoration of the Mask).   
Freudian Slip - "When you say one thing, but mean your mother."

crayauchtin

All I ask if that the fires in the remake be less ridiculous looking. I mean, seriously, I know that those were the early days of 3-D but there was NEVER an excuse for flames that looked like that.
"If your translation is correct, that was 'May a sleepy hippopotamus lie down on your house keys,' but you're not sure. Unfortunately, your fluency in griffin-speak is too low."

We're roleplaying in the King's Quest world: come join in the fun!

Fierce Deity

I think what disconnected MoE from the KQ series was not only the fact that it was not a point-and-click adventure game and the main character wasn't a part of the royal family (unlike the psyche-out that was Gwydion), but that it took place in a Daventry that was not familiar to the fanbase. Nobody knew about the Swamp, Underground Realm of the Gnomes, the Dimension of Death (which I assume is separate from the Realm of the Dead), or the Realm of the Sun from prior games. So the Archons, the Mask, Lucreto; it was news to everyone. So the fans were already disconnected from a place they would call 'home'. I would have liked to see Lucreto and the Archons in a prior game, cause MoE had a lot of potential. 
Freudian Slip - "When you say one thing, but mean your mother."

Baggins

#76
Well actually MOE is a weird hybrid of "Point and Click" (as in the puzzles/inventory), with physics puzzles, tomb raider type platforming, and diablo style combat. It basically combined the KQ7 single cursor interaction with all that other stuff.

As for the locations, actually you only are in Kingdom of Daventry for the first part of the game. The rest of the lands are the equivalent to leaving Daventry to visit Kolyma, Llewdor, Tamir, Serenia, Green Isles, Eldritch/Etheria, etc. That was part of Roberta's style, start or end in Daventry, and introduce new lands and kingdoms. MOE was so huge, it not only only introduced one new land (like previous games), it introduced essentially six (although technically KQ7 introduced several lands in one game as well).
Well, ya, King's Quest is on Earth. Daventry is very old city from a long time ago. It's in ruins now and people aren't quite sure exactly where it used to be. There are some archaeologists searching through the ruins, they think they know its Daventry. But its somewhere on Earth."-Roberta Williams http://kingsquest.wikia.com/wiki/File:Daventryisearth.ogg

TheReturnofDMD

Quote from: Fierce Deity on September 08, 2010, 09:09:56 PM
I think what disconnected MoE from the KQ series was not only the fact that it was not a point-and-click adventure game and the main character wasn't a part of the royal family (unlike the psyche-out that was Gwydion), but that it took place in a Daventry that was not familiar to the fanbase. Nobody knew about the Swamp, Underground Realm of the Gnomes, the Dimension of Death (which I assume is separate from the Realm of the Dead), or the Realm of the Sun from prior games. So the Archons, the Mask, Lucreto; it was news to everyone. So the fans were already disconnected from a place they would call 'home'. I would have liked to see Lucreto and the Archons in a prior game, cause MoE had a lot of potential. 

Yeah but every game had a totally new land. Who knew about Tamir before KQ4? Or Etheria before KQ7? Daventry in the KQ7 intro looks very little like any of the parts of Daventry we had seen previously. Each game introduced new realms and characters--I mean for example the BCS was never mentioned in a game before or after KQ6. The only exception was KQ5 which gave a brief mention of Alhazred, though he wasn't named.


(Posted on: September 09, 2010, 01:31:05 AM)


Quote from: Baggins on September 08, 2010, 11:29:12 PM
Well actually MOE is a weird hybrid of "Point and Click" (as in the puzzles/inventory), with physics puzzles, tomb raider type platforming, and diablo style combat. It basically combined the KQ7 single cursor interaction with all that other stuff.

Yeah, it's a great mix of old and new. And it introduced I think some really interesting elements to both genres. I've never played a game quite as unique in terms of both gameplay and storyline. It probably is the best made game of the series, and definitely the most unique.

Baggins

#78
It's certainly the most ambitious. I've always wondered what her vision would have been for King's Quest 9. My guess it probably would have built up many of the features of KQ8, but been even more polished.

And the technology would have caught up to her level of ambition. Many of the ideas that had to be cut, were cut because there were limitations to the technology at the time, that prevented her from creating certain aspects. Such as physics system for water currents. It would have taken another year to basically create that technology from scratch.

Its an interesting bit of trivia though from the first game in the series there were puzzle ideas Roberta had for the games, but she couldn't fit them all into a single game. So for example several of the ideas cut from KQ1 were moved into KQ2. Its possible this would have been the situation with KQ8. If she had made KQ9, maybe many of the ideas that were cut would have been incorporated into KQ9 somehow.

Oh, and come to think of it, MOE actually reincorporates some of the arcade abilities like the ability to "jump" that originally existed back in King's Quest 1  ;). Only thing it lacked was the ability to swim which was last seen back in KQ4. Well I suppose Connor can't duck either?
Well, ya, King's Quest is on Earth. Daventry is very old city from a long time ago. It's in ruins now and people aren't quite sure exactly where it used to be. There are some archaeologists searching through the ruins, they think they know its Daventry. But its somewhere on Earth."-Roberta Williams http://kingsquest.wikia.com/wiki/File:Daventryisearth.ogg

TheReturnofDMD

Quote from: Baggins on September 08, 2010, 11:37:31 PM
It's certainly the most ambitious. I've always wondered what her vision would have been for King's Quest 9. My guess it probably would have built up many of the features of KQ8, but been even more polished.

And the technology would have caught up to her level of ambition. Many of the ideas that had to be cut, were cut because there were limitations to the technology at the time, that prevented her from creating certain aspects. Such as physics system for water currents. It would have taken another year to basically create that technology from scratch.

Its an interesting bit of trivia though from the first game in the series there were puzzle ideas Roberta had for the games, but she couldn't fit them all into a single game. So for example several of the ideas cut from KQ1 were moved into KQ2. Its possible this would have been the situation with KQ8. If she had made KQ9, maybe many of the ideas that were cut would have been incorporated into KQ9 somehow.

Oh, and come to think of it, MOE actually reincorporates some of the arcade abilities like the ability to "jump" that originally existed back in King's Quest 1  ;). Only thing it lacked was the ability to swim which was last seen back in KQ4.

Me too. I wish we could see a KQ9 similar to KQ8. I really don't mind the action, so long as there is as much exploration and puzzles. The action, for me, actually makes things more interesting. I'd say the world of KQ8 is about as immersive and magical as KQ5's but in a different way. KQ6, story-wise, is a great game, but the Green Isles aren't very interesting and aren't that original--they're basically patisches of very common lands in fantasy, and borrows in it's cosmology heavily from pretty common mythology.
A lot of the stuff in KQ5, as in KQ8, are original, and the mythological referrences are pretty obscure. There's something oddly similar about them--Perhaps it's that they were both ambitious.

I think had Roberta stuck around, KQ9 could've been the new KQ6. What I mean is--KQ5 introduced some great ideas and radical new game mechanics; KQ6 built on the story and made it into an epic. A KQ9 done in the KQ8 style but building upon it, perhaps this time with Roberta working with a writer versed in sword and sorcery stories or even just by herself, could've been great.

I'd support an action/adventure KQ9, even if done by Activision, as long as it kept true to the uniqueness and mythology and mysteriousness of KQ8. No matter what else people say, you can't easily say that KQ8 is bland, especially in terms of the world it takes place in.

So yeah, action/adventure should be the future of the series.