Bit Blot Forum
Aquaria => General => Topic started by: Alec on March 10, 2007, 01:17:55 am
-
Aquaria FAQ
Are there any plans to bring the game to [insert platform]?
We're currently working with Ambrosia Software to bring the game to Mac.
A Linux version has been started (http://www.bit-blot.com/?p=19), but it's uncertain when it will be released.
We're considering Steam, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii all as possibilities, but there's nothing set at this point. :)
Is there support for widescreen?
Sorry, not yet! Right now we only support 4:3 aspect ratio. The recommendation for players with widescreen monitors right now is to play windowed.
There will hopefully be widescreen support in the future, but right now Alec is too busy!
Are there any plans for a boxed version, or at least a CD?
Heck yes! We just need to figure out how best to do it. Stay tuned... we'd love to go all out on something like this.
Are there any plans to release the soundtrack?
See above! Yes, we'd love to!
Are mods cross-platform?
Yes they are! If you make a mod for the PC, Mac users will also be able to play it.
Is there any way to send the game as a gift?
Not directly through Plimus, as far as we can tell... but we're looking into it! Check out this thread (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=376.0) for more information about how to go about doing it.
How are the games' sales doing? Are you guys doing alright!
The game is selling very well for an independent title, and it's thanks to you guys! Word of mouth has made this a great debut.
We can't give out exact sales figures, for obvious reasons, but your support has definitely made it seem possible for us to keep making games. Thank you so, so much. :D
-
Here are a few other questions I'm interested in hearing the answers to and questions that should just be in the FAQ, maybe you could add them:
- How far are you into development?
- How big is the game (In Memory), so far?
- Do you have any plans for a Demo?
- Are there any particular plans for Beta testing?
- Do you have any plans for the next games you would like to develop?
-
Here's another: (It'll have to wait, though)
Development-wise, what was the most challenging part of the game?
-
Here's another: (It'll have to wait, though)
Development-wise, what was the most challenging part of the game?
They could cleverly answer this with a "Knowing the most challenging part of the game before we finished developing it".
-
That's why he said it would have to wait :P ::)
I have some questions that could be put in:
Is the game going to be download only or will I buy a CD (and manul)? If I buy the download version will I get a discount/special features if I buy the CD copy?
-
I'm sure you're all tired of hearing this question, but...Is there a set release date? Or simply "It's out when we say it's out"?
-
You should probably update your FAQ to note that you have signed a deal with ASW to release Aquaria for Mac. Congratulations on said deal, by the way. ;)
xander
-
You work for Ambrosia, right? :)
-
You work for Ambrosia, right? :)
No. But I am a loyal fanatic, and I moderate their DEFCON board. ;)
xander
-
Question ; can you download the music soundtrack? Or even buy it, for that matter.
*EDIT* I mean, will you be able to?
<-- Also an Ambrosia loyalist.
-
It'll probably have it available in some form, as yet to be determined. I'd like to be able to release a nice soundtrack CD, with CD label, booklet and all that...
-
New question (addressed in another post, but I figure it'd be better suited to this topic):
User-generated content?
A level editor and mod system like that of Doom, UT, or Escape Velocity (long live Ambrosia!) would be awesome.
-
Answered :)
-
You mentioned you just played the game all the way through. Roughly how long did it take you to beat it, and is there going to ever be a way to time your game? (speedruns, anyone?)
-
You mentioned you just played the game all the way through. Roughly how long did it take you to beat it, and is there going to ever be a way to time your game? (speedruns, anyone?)
The savegame's are already timed, although it won't keep track of the amount of time spent dying!
Our playtest of the game took roughly 6 hours, although obviously we know all the ins-and-outs (the final version of the game will also have a little more content)... so I'd say the average time for a player experiencing the game for the first time would be around 15-20 hours. :)
-
Our lead tester Brandon had 15 hours on his save file, that's not including the times he died. He was playing a version of the game that was about 80% complete, and he found pretty much everything in it.
-
Our lead tester Brandon had 15 hours on his save file, that's not including the times he died. He was playing a version of the game that was about 80% complete, and he found pretty much everything in it.
15 hours is impressive. I wouldn't complain if that's how long it would take me to finish the first time I play.
By the way, as far as saved games go; will this game support "user profiles", or will it all be based on saved games?
-
I think this is the best thread to ask questions, so here comes one.
Will you be releasing patches that add content to the game after its release, or will you move on to another projects?
-
I think this is the best thread to ask questions, so here comes one.
Will you be releasing patches that add content to the game after its release, or will you move on to another projects?
I don't want to be out of place here; but I think that it's safe to say that as far as fixes go, we will definitely see patches for those in case any bugs are found. As for extra content, I'm pretty sure they are trying to fit everything they want into the game right now. So far there are probably no plans to release any extra downloadable content, but that could be subject to change in the future.
How did I do? :P
-
Yeah, that's pretty accurate. We want the first release to run well and have all the content in it. We're working on it! :D
We will definitely patch if issues come up, but we're going to try to catch as much as we can in the Beta.
As for additional content, we're adding a Mod framework (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=112.msg1307#msg1307), so users should be able to create their own "expansion packs" of sorts. I'd really like to have a level editing competition once we have enough people who know the tools.
Ideally I see the mods as creating new worlds and areas for players to explore. I'm sure some will keep thematically to the game and others will be totally crazy. I'd look forward to playing both myself. :)
-
So, what forms of payment will you be accepting?
Will I have to dust off the crummy old paypal account, or will you be accepting major credit cards...
Oooooor possibly firstborn children? ;)
-
We'll probably be using one (or more?) of the services mentioned in this thread (http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=257.0). They all accept major credit cards I believe.
-
Our lead tester Brandon had 15 hours on his save file, that's not including the times he died. He was playing a version of the game that was about 80% complete, and he found pretty much everything in it.
15 hours is impressive. I wouldn't complain if that's how long it would take me to finish the first time I play.
By the way, as far as saved games go; will this game support "user profiles", or will it all be based on saved games?
i second your question, as that can help the immersion of gameplay and add another.
are you guys going to pull a duke nukem forever on us? i mean at least give us a new trailer if its gunna take long! :)
-
It'd take a doomsday scenario in order for Aquaria to even come close to DNF's horrible record.
-
Unlike DNF, Aquaria is reportedly in the "almost done" stages, not the "still starting programming...*push under the rug*" stage. I mean, just from what I hear. Rather, it'd be more of a Dinosaur Planet...Oh Rare, how many people won't forgive you for that...
But I digress. I have full faith in Derek and Alec. They're not gonna pull a Duke Nukem Forever, they're not gonna pull a Dinosaur Planet, hell, I doubt they'll even pull a Twilight Princess. It'll be out when it's out, BELIEVE IT.
Also, KingAl has an awesome avatar. <3
-
you've probably already answered this, but when do you think public beta testing will be open, if ever?
And is the Mac version almost ready for beta testing yet, do you know?
If I have to, I'll switch temporarily to PC to beta test this game, it looks that good (I hate PC's)
-
And is the Mac version almost ready for beta testing yet, do you know?
Given that the Mac version is being published by Ambrosia Software (http://ambrosiasw.com), I would be willing to bet that some or all of the Mac beta testers will be drawn from ASW community. Sign ups for beta testing are usually announced in the "Ambrosia Banter (http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php?showforum=13)" forum. I would imagine that Mac beta testing will begin a bit after Windows beta testing. I also get the impression that the Windows beta may be internal / non-public, but the last time I saw Alec or Derek post on the issue, it was unclear.
And take all of this with a massive grain of salt -- I am only putting together bits and pieces of knowledge, and extrapolating a great deal. I don't work for Bit-Blot or ASW, and honestly don't know any more than you do about this, and would love to hear an answer from Alec, Derek, or someone at ASW.
xander
-
I just hope they dont wait too long to start up beta testing. ???
-
When we purchase the game online, will we be able to redownload the game for other platforms (Windows, Mac, now Linux), or do we have to choose one platform and stick to it?
-
When we purchase the game online, will we be able to redownload the game for other platforms (Windows, Mac, now Linux), or do we have to choose one platform and stick to it?
I would guess, based on past experience with ASW, that the Mac version will require a separate license. I can't speak to the Linux and Windows versions.
xander
-
I bought Soul Caliber for PS2. Will I be able to claim free copies of the Dreamcast, GameCube and XBox versions?
-
I bought Soul Caliber for PS2. Will I be able to claim free copies of the Dreamcast, GameCube and XBox versions?
wtf Toom? This isn't consoles we're talking about. Maybe you think it's crazy to want the PC version to mean PCs on all OSes, but I don't.
-
I bought Soul Caliber for PS2. Will I be able to claim free copies of the Dreamcast, GameCube and XBox versions?
wtf Toom? This isn't consoles we're talking about. Maybe you think it's crazy to want the PC version to mean PCs on all OSes, but I don't.
Well, that is very demanding of you. It takes time and effort to port a game to another platform. It takes time and effort to market it to that platform. Time is money, and the companies that sell the games for other platforms deserve to be compensated for their work. For instance, while Bit-Blot is writing Aquaria, I am sure that ASW is doing some work to help port the game to the Mac. If you bought the Windows version of Aquaria from Bit-Blot, should Ambrosia be forced to pay to support you using the Mac version? If you bought the Mac version from ASW, should Bit-Blot be forced to pay to support you if you mess up with the Windows version?
Anyway, if you buy MS Word for Windows, do you expect to get the Mac version, as well? How about PhotoShop? World of Warcraft? While it happens in some cases, it is uncommon for companies to sell a single version of software for all platforms.
xander
-
As always xander, you never fail to be a solid rock of good reason, intelligence, and maturity.
Excellent 100th post.
I think he has the situation drawn and quartered; let's try and keep this on topic now....
What's your favorite color, Alec?
-
My favorite color is Toom.
-
But what kind of color Toom is?
-
Well, that is very demanding of you. It takes time and effort to port a game to another platform. It takes time and effort to market it to that platform. Time is money, and the companies that sell the games for other platforms deserve to be compensated for their work. For instance, while Bit-Blot is writing Aquaria, I am sure that ASW is doing some work to help port the game to the Mac. If you bought the Windows version of Aquaria from Bit-Blot, should Ambrosia be forced to pay to support you using the Mac version? If you bought the Mac version from ASW, should Bit-Blot be forced to pay to support you if you mess up with the Windows version?
Anyway, if you buy MS Word for Windows, do you expect to get the Mac version, as well? How about PhotoShop? World of Warcraft? While it happens in some cases, it is uncommon for companies to sell a single version of software for all platforms.
Thank you for the reasonable and logically backed up answer, xander. However, I don't feel it would be such a hit to Bit Blot's bottom line as you make it out to be. I know Gish from Chronic Logic allowed you to run the game from any of the three platforms after purchasing your registration key, and that game ended up making good money. And I expect Aquaria to make even better money than Gish.
-
But what kind of color Toom is?
Nude.
-
Thank you for the reasonable and logically backed up answer, xander. However, I don't feel it would be such a hit to Bit Blot's bottom line as you make it out to be. I know Gish from Chronic Logic allowed you to run the game from any of the three platforms after purchasing your registration key, and that game ended up making good money. And I expect Aquaria to make even better money than Gish.
So Chronic Logic have decided to make that possible. IV have done the same thing with the Linux and Windows versions of their games. And more power to them -- I think they are doing a good thing. Also, note that I haven't a clue what Bit-Blot are going to do -- I would hope that they allow a person to purchase one license for both Windows and Linux.
In the case of the Mac version, I would bet good money that Windows and Linux keys won't work. Ambrosia is generally fairly active in porting software. Even if Alec and Derek do all of the work on the actual port, ASW will spend a significant amount of time and money on marketing, and they will probably also help with the beta process. I would also be willing to bet that ASW are working with and advising Alec and Derek even now. The Mac version will probably cost a few bucks more, and will almost certainly not support Winows or Linux keys. Whether or not the Windows and Linux versions support each other's keys (or Mac keys, for that matter) is up to Bit Blot, but the Mac version supporting the keys for the Windows version is a discussion between ASW and Bit-Blot.
Also, blue is my favorite color, but you are a very close second, Toom. <3 <3 <3
xander
-
For clarification, ASW will be helping out with development questions, beta and promotion; but they won't be actively working on the port itself.
Only I am. :P
-
For clarification, ASW will be helping out with development questions, beta and promotion; but they won't be actively working on the port itself.
Only I am. :P
Damn. That is a lot of work for one person. Good luck.
xander
-
I have a new question, but it's one that I believe I can answer.
Q: Are Alec and Derek hardcore?
A: Yes. They're more hardcore than you, unless you're both Alec and Derek at the same time.
-
I have a new question, but it's one that I believe I can answer.
Q: Are Alec and Derek hardcore?
A: Yes. They're more hardcore than you, unless you're both Alec and Derek at the same time.
You know, I hate to bring up stupid memes, but are they more hardcore than Chuck Norris?
xander
-
Dude, Mr. T could take Chuck Norris anyday.
-
Hi guys :)
I was looking through this forum and couldn`t find any info on NPCs. There`s Naija, she`ll be telling about her feelings, new places we visit e.t.c. that`s if i`m right. Ok, but is Najia the only alive character in the game who can think and speak? If not and there`re others, then do they all have voices like Naija and how do they interact if it`s not dialogue box? Is it some script scene where you`re listening to the diologue of those 2 or something else? I really want to know, there`s not even a hint anywhere about NPCs. It`s some major info gap i have about this lovely game, everything else about gameplay is more or less clear :)
Oh, oh, and one more :) Those songs. There`s a menu with 2 parts, on the right there`re these 8 notes and something to the left. What was that? Do you need to find those notes in the beginning and where do you find the correct combinations for songs?
-
Just because I'm rather bored and feel like being picky:
Anyway, if you buy MS Word for Windows, do you expect to get the Mac version, as well? How about PhotoShop? World of Warcraft? While it happens in some cases, it is uncommon for companies to sell a single version of software for all platforms.
Actually, WOW comes with a Windows/mac hybrid CD, as do most of Blizzard games. Same is true for all the games in the Myst series.
Your point stands though :)
Never mind me, carry on.
-
The game is focused around Naija and her journey, much like Metroid and Symphony of the Night focus around Samus and Alucard. That said, there are other characters that factor into the storyline, but how many and to what extent I don't want to talk about yet, as I don't want to spoil anything.
There's also a diverse range of interaction with creatures, some are hostile, some are friendly... many have unique ways of interacting with Naija, with varying effects. There's also a few other gameplay elements we haven't revealed yet.
You learn songs in different ways as you progress through the game. The menu left side of the menu has a list of songs, the right side plays the notes for you when you hover over one of the song icons. Clicking a song icon has Naija explain what it does.
-
That sounds sweet. When we want to use a song, will we have to bring up a submenu(that circle of notes) and highlight each of the song's notes manually, or will we have to option of just pressing a key on our keyboards? It could get hard to remember all the combinations; of course, we can always review them.
-
Thx for the answers :) And about what p3ter_st0ry said.. i think it will be rather difficult to make a new song during a battle if it`s that way. I mean there`s no pause for this, the game is still running and this action takes time, some big fish can eat Naija :'(
-
Yea, I'd get really freaked out trying to make myself into the fire Naija with that crazy fish thing after me.
-
Has there been any progress in the area of boxed distribution for Aquaria? I haven't heard anything about this in a while. I definitely hope that boxed versions make it into stores at some point.
-
Alec,
It would be nice if answered questions were edited back into the original post, but that's probably not a good use of your time. Is there a moderator around here you can delegate grunt-work to? :)
Also, I had thought the story, as revealed so far, was supposed to pose the question of whether she was alone in the world. Your response above says pretty explicitly (at least to me) that she's not. I had assumed already that she wasn't, so nothing lost there, but you might consider editing out the second sentence (and this paragraph, since it's even more explicit).
-
Naw, not going to change what I said, its very vague and it could mean almost anything.
-
Would it be fair to describe this game as underwater adventure in the vein of Metroid and Castlevania? I don't mean that it will be action-packed, filled with zombies and aliens, but in the idea of huge, beautiful areas to explore and many things to discover.
-
Yes, that's very fair! I think Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a good comparison.
In terms of differences, Aquaria has more open areas, and also more of a mix of peaceful and combat areas. Not everything in the world is out to kill you. There are a lot of entities you can interact with in peaceful ways to accomplish things. It should feel like a big, exciting world to explore and discover.
-
Cool, all of this sounds really interesting. It also looks have more adventure qualities, which seems pretty cool.
-
As long as we don't have to make a Pinnochio-like trip inside the belly of a whale, its good (damn this Monstro really traumataised me when I first saw the movie as I vas 2 or 3 years old XD even now I can't watch the movie)
-
What about Zelda? Link frequently visits the insides of some fish or other. ;P
-
Jabu Jabu's Belly was one of the most frustrating levels ever! How are you supposed to know you have to make the floor go up and down, it was just freaking ridiculous! I was stuff on that level for like 6 months :P
-
That's not merely a Zelda feature (although trust me, no one liked the GBC version of Jabu Jabu). The idea of going into the belly of a giant fish is as old as Jonah. It's certainly plausible, but making a maze out of a fish's gut is a little tricky if you stick close to reality, seeing as it's pretty much a straight line...
-
What about Zelda? Link frequently visits the insides of some fish or other. ;P
I was waiting for this one. Jabu Jabu is the worst dungeon ever made in a video game! :(
Even thoses from Twilight Princess are better. :-\
-
I got stuck on that room (to the right of the main entrance I believe?) where you had to move the rocks with the switch-hook. It was incredibly frustrating :-\ When I finally got it, I was so pissed, as it made no sense at all! (Rocks to the right or left side of each eye stone thing?) I also remember having to walk all through the whole dungeon to get to the other side of the room with the "water in" "water out" switches, which took forever. What was that room supposed to be, his brain?
It's really sad I remember this stuff ^-^
-
You remember it cause it's the most traumatizing experience of the GBC Zeldas. XD
Which is all the more reason for them to include a better, non-traumatizing fish level! *shot*
-
I was waiting for this one. Jabu Jabu is the worst dungeon ever made in a video game! Sad
Even thoses from Twilight Princess are better. Undecided
Are you insulting Twilight Princess? Those had some of the best level designs you can find anywhere. Jabu Jabu wasn't bad in my opinion, it was just difficult to figure out.
-
They should really rerelease Seasons and Ages on the same gamepak for the DS, then you could chose which one you wanted to play, and instead of writing down those ridiculously long secrets, you could just unlock them automatically, or get them from a friend wirelessly.
Oh, and wasn't there going to be a third in addition to Ages and Seasons with that green lady?
-
Hey Jabu Jabu's belly may have been a freaking labyrinth, but I love every minute of it. Every minute of the 2+ hours it took me to figure it out. Every minute of the sleepless nights the game provided for me.
-
Twilights Princess dungeons are poor (like a lot of thing in this game) it is always the same thing, besides they are the easiest of the Zelda series dungeon, and suffer from a serious lack of originality.
-
If I wanted originality, I wouldn't be playing Zelda. ;)
Much like my purchasing of the latest Pokemon games - people tell me that I'm wasting my money, they're all the same, to which the reply is "well, obviously I wouldn't buy a Pokemon if I didn't want to play a Pokemon game!"
-
Sorry, but I'll have to disagree and defend Twilight Princess. I thought the dungeons were amazing, huge in scope and design. Can you give me a more detailed reason why you thought they weren't good.
Oh, and yes, the Oracle games were supposed to a be trilogy of sorts. Or Tri-logy, because of the Triforce. The canceled game was supposed to use color as the theme for gameplay.
-
God, this is off topic. ???
Go make a new topic for it, fools!
-
Sorry Lord Zamzx! It won't happen again!
I've always wondered about that last game. Did they ever release a version in Japan of it? Or can you download the ROM online? ???
-
The third Goddess (Farore) was represented as the Oracle of Secrets, she lives in the Mako Tree in both games. There is no finished third game, Nintendo wouldn't have done something stupid like not releasing one of (if not the) strongest franchises worldwide. If there was a third game, it probably never made it beyond early production before they realized it was not worth it. End of story.
So I remember in the trailer that Naija has the ability to "jump" out of the water, like a dolphin. Given that...is is possible to, say, leap onto some dry land? My point is, will there ever be a part of the game where Naija is required to leave the water? Or would she flop around like a fish if that happened?
-
She can survive just fine out of water, so there are some higher areas that you can find by figuring out ways to climb.
-
But can she walk or something like that?
-
Nope, her legs weren't built for walking. :)
-
On the subject of Aquaria (tenuous links FTW), I notice Derek and Alec are confirmed judges (http://www.igf.com/judges.html) for the 2008 IGF.
-
If she can get out of water and climb, will there be places where she have to grab onto some area like a pole or something to swing over land and into another pool of water? Maybe even do a bit of pole jumping acrobats to get to the other side, and you get hurt or die if you fall to the ground? that would be neat.
Also, what type of graphics card is this going to need? I don't have a very good one, at all. Mine is pretty old.
-
If it is not in the game, you can add it with the editor :P
-
She can survive just fine out of water, so there are some higher areas that you can find by figuring out ways to climb.
It really *is* gonna be Sexy Hiking Mark II... ;)
-
After watching the 7 minute preview. An idea came to mind, it seems that one must click on the bottom right corner (button) to bring up the menu, a hot key to do the same thing might prove useful, even invaluable against a hard boss/swarm of foes.
-
Yep, we click near the map (on the map ??? ?) and if we are trying to escape a fatal attack it might be usefulle not to have to let Naija for a second to heal her.
But still, it might be more realistic. I mean if you are fighting a "Giant ennemy crab!!" you wouldn't say "Break time! Just let me cook a small pie, I need to heal to be able to defeat you." or juste make food straight into your mouth in a time equal to 0 second while you were fighting.
This little second of rest that Naija takes is not really realistic (for that Alex & Co would have need to make some elaborated animations where Naija shoots energy bolts with one hand while she is making scrambled sturgeon eggs with the other and it would have meant a tremendous work for not a lot of things in the end...) but stillit makes the thing a bit harder.
And the lack of difficulty is one of the major problems of videogames nowaday.
-
You can already push Escape to open the menu.
-
Just wondering, how do you bring up the spell menu? (When you want to sing a song)
-
Hold right mouse button.
-
And the lack of difficulty is one of the major problems of videogames nowaday.
I disagree! Not about games being easier, but about that being a problem. You want your games challenging, not hard. By challenging I mean that the player will need to employ his skills on a problem that may take time but he can eventually get there (there are many games out there that are virtually impossible to lose. That doesn't mean they are not challenging). Hard means that your average player will lose or be otherwise stuck so often that he will become frustrated and drop the game midway through. And unless it's an exceptionally good game otherwise he may never pick it up again.
-
Yeah, you definitely want a balance. You want obstacles that make sense. The worst is games that are arbitrarily hard. Like just ramping up the hit damage of an enemy so that you die instantly, or having impossible controls. (although, some b-games that do that are awesome, because they're so insanely challenging and weird) You also want to ramp it up in a fairly smooth way so that the player can grow with the game / characters.
Its hard stuff to get right, especially because everyone is at different levels of play ability. One way is to offer people alternate paths and/or solutions, so that players that may be more interested in exploration don't have to be doing combat all the time, etc.
Its a tough balance, that's for sure!
-
Man, I need to break out Petit Copter again.
As for offering different paths, I do like it in theory. The problem is that most games have a limited amount of content, and following one path can give you the sense that you're being explicitly denied other content (frustrating!). You could theoretically get rid of that sense if there were an infinite amount of content, but that's hard, and we've already seen how useful theory is.
If we're to have a discussion on game difficult, though, might I suggest moving it to Games (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?board=3.0)?
-
Yeah, that's true. By paths I more meant options. Like different solutions to some situations. Its just giving players options.
-
And what if...
you don't have a right mouse button :'( :'( :'(
Wahhhhhh!!!!! :'(
-
Being a Mac-user doesn't preclude you from buying a decent mouse...
-
And what if...
you don't have a right mouse button :'( :'( :'(
Wahhhhhh!!!!! :'(
Haha, I thought that might be why you were asking. :)
We're going to figure out something for the one-button Mac folks.
-
And what if...
you don't have a right mouse button :'( :'( :'(
Wahhhhhh!!!!! :'(
Haha, I thought that might be why you were asking. :)
We're going to figure out something for the one-button Mac folks.
The standard practice is to use ctrl+click.
xander
-
Some games (e.g. Blizzard's) also use cmd-click. I assume the logic there is that cmd doesn't exist on Windows keyboards, and ctrl-click might be assigned to something else.
-
Sounds good, but I think I'll have it happen when you type "RIGHT CLICK" on the keyboard. (including the space)
-
Sounds good, but I think I'll have it happen when you type "RIGHT CLICK" on the keyboard. (including the space)
One should not be so cruel to the poor one button mousers.
-
Sounds good, but I think I'll have it happen when you type "RIGHT CLICK" on the keyboard. (including the space)
One should not be so cruel to the poor one button mousers.
Yeah, or Mac users could just join the 20th century, and buy multibutton mice. That's what I did. ;)
I have seen several solutions to one-button-ness in various games and apps. Some use menus (which makes no sense in a game like Aquaria), some use modifier keys (ctrl is the standard, and is the default at the OS level (yes, OS X supports right-clicking for contextual menus as the OS level)), some use a click-and-hold scheme, and some use some combination. In IV's game Darwinia, click-and-hold is used to perform the functionality of the RMB, but in Darwinia, the RMB is only used to change unit states, and click-and-hold isn't used for anything else, really. Shift is used as a modifier key for certain functions, however, such as firing squad weapons. Thus Darwinia uses two strategies. From the videos of Aquaria that I have seen, a modifier key makes sense. Doesn't really matter which one, though I would suggest that if the keyboard is used for anything else, the appropriate modifier either be user assignable, or in a position easily reached from the other keys. Also, while I am sure you wouldn't do this, make sure that multi-button mice are still supported on the Mac version, as there are plenty of us with multi-button mice.
xander
-
I'm currently on a iMac using BootCamp to work both with XP and OS X and I purposely bought a Microsoft Habu USB Mouse (from Razer) since the iMac do not support PS2 port.
So yes, multi-buttons mouse (mice indeed?) are used a lot and should be easily customizable (the XP mouse speed is different from the OS X mouse speed). I guess that sensitivity should (and I'm sure will) be adjustable as well. But for those who are still on the old Mac-mouse version, a modifier key should be customizable as well. Most of the time, we (I worked with one a long time ago) used CTRL key...
In any case, customisation option may not be an option .:P
-
I'll never give up my one-button mouse!!!
NEVER!!! >:(
I have a multibutton mouse, but does it glow in the dark? The answer to that question of course is no.
-
Lol! Nice mouse.
See, I don't have this problem, I run Windows. >.> :D
Hey Alec, will there be support for the third button and/or scroll wheels?
-
I have a multibutton mouse, but does it glow in the dark? The answer to that question of course is no.
Mine does! :D http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/productdetails.aspx?pid=092
-
Not a beautiful, demonic, red glow!
Neither does it have the wonderful, all powerful apple gracefully concealed beneath an incredibly translucent outer shell.
HAHAHA!
Mac Zealotry Rulez 8)
It izzzz a nice mouse. Thankyou for understanding Hiro.
Oh, and what does Microsoft mean by saying stuff bout their "legendary comfort?"
Tsk tsk tsk...
-
Legendary as in apocryphal, perhaps?
-
Indeed. Microsoft are still striving for that unattainable legend known only as "comfort".
-
I wasn't really sayin the mac mouse aren't nice: I'd rather have used those instead of the common "classic" PS2 mouse. At least, mac had USB mouse! I tend not to look to much at the brand but usually at the commentary I can get. :)
In the case of Microsoft, they do goods and bads; like anyone else, no one is absolutly perfect. Let's not get this topic to a "Apple VS Microsoft" war. :P
In an attempt to change the subject, I have a question:
Will the game be distributed on Steam software?
-
The steam topic is here (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=141.0).
Long story short, we've talked to Valve a bit, but because we're really busy and we're planning on self-publishing the Windows version of the game ourselves at first, we haven't gotten too far into it.
Also it seems like a lot of people here don't like steam or something.
I'm curious why people seem that interested in steam. It seems like something that would make more of a difference to the developers than the players?
Just curious. :)
-
I presume the interest in steam comes from the fact that you have to install it to play half-life games (and other titles). So people are thinking: "If I can get a big game like Half-Life 2 off steam, why can't I get a game like Aquaria from there too? It's there, it's installed and all I would need to do in order to possess it would be to click on its logo!"
Well, it's a theory... ;)
-
Haha :D
Though this theory DOES seems to apply in most cases, I asked because of the wider distribution it would cause.
I do work and play... and play at work (during dinner time only! I swear!) so having a single software where I can download from anywhere on the planet is useful. That way I can have my game at home and at the office.
There are pros and cons to Steam as well... A post in the Steam topic pointed out a few (Internet REQUIRED, Steam must be running, Wider audience, lower prices, copy protection? etc).
Of course... if you do provide a accounting thingy to download a full version from your website (as stated in the topic), I'll be happy. :P
As a matter of facts, I just downloaded a game (Starscape) from website that do provide accounting on its webpage, updates, few extra hidden galleries... so I'll live with or without implentation into Steam. :)
In any case, whatever decision is taking, I WILL support the game and pay for it. Thanks for the answers!
-
We'd be using a system similar to Moonpod/Starscape on our own site.
Another big difference for developers is that while Steam lets you reach a wider audience, Valve also takes a sizable cut of the profits. If you buy direct from an indie developer's website, you know that ~97% of your money is going to support the developer.
-
We'd be using a system similar to Moonpod/Starscape on our own site.
Another big difference for developers is that while Steam lets you reach a wider audience, Valve also takes a sizable cut of the profits. If you buy direct from an indie developer's website, you know that ~97% of your money is going to support the developer.
Neat and clear. :)
Why not provide a "Donate" link for additionnal support? :P
-
We'd be using a system similar to Moonpod/Starscape on our own site.
Another big difference for developers is that while Steam lets you reach a wider audience, Valve also takes a sizable cut of the profits. If you buy direct from an indie developer's website, you know that ~97% of your money is going to support the developer.
Thought I'd chime in my first post on something worthwhile :P In response to your earlier message, as someone who reluctantly used steam at first (due to Half Life 2), I now find I'm purchasing more and more titles on the online content delivery medium. It hasn't been for any reason other than convenience- convenient distribution, convenient access and convenient portability (I can switch steam to offline mode when I head off to uni and still play single player games on my laptop during classes, yipee!). Then when I get home I can login to steam on my desktop, and my games are there waiting for me too.
As a developer, I'd imagine you would have to weigh out the opportunity cost of losing a percentage of profits to valve against the sheer mass-exposure that a highly popular distribution system as Steam offers. Would you be better off marketing from the website, or have Steam market for you? This is something that only you can really answer/decide on- but there's no real reason you couldn't do both, right? At least that way your website sales would all end up in your pocket still, whilst exposing Aquaria to those that may not stumble across the website either.
I'd really love to see Aquaria make it on Steam, as I believe it acts as a viable alternative to costly retailing/packaging distribution. At the end of the day though, I don't know how Valve's internal developer-model works, and if the cuts are hefty it may not be appealing to you at all. Either way, I've been tracking Aquaria ever since I first saw it on igf, and it looks remarkable! Can't wait to get these grubby paws on it, whichever way you decide to release!
-
We're looking into it, but we plan to release it ourselves first to see how that goes.
A lot of people know about the game already and it would be fun to market the game ourselves to see what we can do.
And again, if you're interested in supporting indie developers, you'd be better off buying a game from their website than from Steam.
Like mentioned above, developers like Moonpod do alright on their own.
Steam would open the game up to a wider market, and that's desirable, but I don't see the need to launch with it right away.
In any case, its something Derek and I will talk about and decide on at some point. I'm going to stop posting about it, because I'd rather be working on the game right now than thinking about this stuff. ;)
-
As a developer, I'd imagine you would have to weigh out the opportunity cost of losing a percentage of profits to valve against the sheer mass-exposure that a highly popular distribution system as Steam offers.
The thing is, if a Steam user never comes across Bit-Blot's website, and Aquaria is not on Steam, then they won't buy it, period. Not for any price. Thus, assuming that Aquaria sells for, say, $25, that is $25 that Bit-Blot didn't make. If the game is sold on Steam, but Valve takes half of what the game is sold for, that is $12.50 that Bit-Blot wouldn't have made otherwise. So, it is important to also compare several groups of people: (1) those that will buy the game direct from Bit-Blot, no matter what (probably only a very small number of the total potential customers); (2) those that will buy Aquaria from Steam (probably the majority of potential customers); (3) those that will buy the game from Steam, even though they know about Bit-Blot separate from Steam (this is probably a very, very small group); (4) and those that will see Aquaria on Steam, and buy it from Bit-Blot (again, a tiny demographic).
Group one is irrelevant from the analysis, as they are going to buy from Bit-Blot no matter what. Group three hurts Bit-Blot, but is tiny. Group four is good for Bit-Blot, but is probably also tiny. The contributions of groups three and four combined are probably negligible. Group two is the important group. If it is big enough, Steam is worthwhile from an economic standpoint.
As an example of what Steam can do for Indy developers, Introversion launched Darwinia in March of 2005. In December of 2005, Darwinia came to Steam. In the first week of sales on Steam, IV made more money off of Darwinia than they had in the first 6 months of sales self-publishing. To me, that is a powerful argument.
I should make it clear that I really don't care if Bit-Blot goes through Steam or not, and am in no way trying to persuade them, one way or the other. I am just trying to point out that the portion that Valve takes is, in the long run, probably irrelevant, thanks to the large volume of sales through Steam. In any case, it doesn't matter to me, as I am a Mac user, and will be buying from Ambrosia. ;)
xander
-
Ugh. I knew someone would misinterpret what I was saying.
I'm not saying we're not going to go on Steam because they take a cut. I'm saying if I saw an indie game on Steam that I wanted to buy, I'd go buy it from the developer's site instead. That's just a personal thing, and I think its worth pointing out. I feel that the indies probably need the money more than Valve does.
Obviously Steam would be a huge audience. I know that already. I think it would be good to have Aquaria on Steam at some point. I'm just saying that I'd like to see how far we can go on our own first.
And actually, in any of these threads, you guys can assume we're not idiots. ;)
-
Ugh. I knew someone would misinterpret what I was saying.
Actually, I wasn't responding to you at all. I was responding to Windburn. That is why I wrote this:
I should make it clear that I really don't care if Bit-Blot goes through Steam or not, and am in no way trying to persuade them, one way or the other. I am just trying to point out that the portion that Valve takes is, in the long run, probably irrelevant, thanks to the large volume of sales through Steam. In any case, it doesn't matter to me, as I am a Mac user, and will be buying from Ambrosia.
I'm sorry I wasn't clear.
xander
-
Oops! :-[
-
Spot on xander, that was implied throughout my OP. It's the market exposure that you wouldn't otherwise have access to that is Steam's greatest boon.
Great that you have some empirical evidence too, didn't know that about Darwinia. But yah, out of respect for Alec's request, let's curb the Steam talk so he can concentrate on releasing! :P
-
Here's a proposal for an edit to the first post. I substituted { for [ to disable bbcode so you'd need to replace them back to get the markup.
-------------------------
{b]Q. When will the game be released?{/b]
When it's done ;)
{b]Q. What platform(s) will Aquaria be on?{/b]
PC: Yes
Mac: Yes
Details: The Mac version will be published by Ambrosia. Bit Blot is doing the work of porting the Mac version, with Ambrosia providing advice and beta testing. Currently the Mac version already runs well! We'll be making more Mac specific changes after the PC version is complete.
Linux: Yes
Details: The Linux version will be released after the PC version and will probably be a separate purchase. There's {url=http://www.bit-blot.com/?p=19]a video of Aquaria running on Ubuntu{/url] on the blog.
XBox360: Maybe!
Wii/PS3: Maybe?
NintendoDS: Maybe?
{b]Q. How is the game controlled?{/b]
On PC, you can use either just the mouse, the XBox360 controller or keyboard+mouse. You can switch to a control method by just starting to use it. Support for other game pads will probably not be added for the first release. You'll also be able to customize the controls somewhat. The main goal with the mouse and X360 methods is fluidity.
The in-game menu can be brought up with a button by the mini-map or the "escape" key; the spell menu is accessed with the right mouse button. For Mac-users lacking a two-button mouse, there will be some key equivalent, such as ctrl-click or cmd-click.
{b]Q. How long is the game?{/b]
We haven't done a lot of testing on this yet. Until we have, we can say it will depend a lot on how the player wants to experience the game. Those who want to push to the next objective will have a different experience from those who get caught up in exploring, finding secrets or feeling like they're living in the different areas. The world is really big.
{b]Q. What inspired Aquaria?{/b]
The ocean itself is a huge inspiration! There are so many {url=http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.0]strange things{/url] to be found in it. In terms of the gameplay; Metroid1, Zelda1 and Castlevania: SotN are the most fitting inspirations.
{b]Q. Are there going to be any deliberate references to other games in Aquaria?{/b]
We're not going to put explicit references to other games in Aquaria because we feel it would take away from the legitimacy of the experience.
{b]Q. Can I get a review copy for my site?{/b]
The game isn't finished yet. Until its done, we can't really answer this question!
{b]Q. How much will Aquaria cost?{/b]
Still thinking about this.
{b]Q. Will Aquaria be distributed via Valve's Steam?{/b]
It's a definite possibility. However, we intend to release the game on our own website before we look at alternate distribution methods. ({url=http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=141.0]discussion topic{/url])
{b]Q. How big will the download size for the full version be?{/b]
Likely over 100MB. There's a lot of content in Aquaria!
{b]Q. Do you have any plans for a Demo?{/b]
Why, yes we do! It's uncertain right now whether the demo will contain its own storyline, or be the opening chapter of the full game. ({url=http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=143.0]discussion topic{/url])
{b]Q. What about a level editor for user generated content?{/b]
The game will include a level editor, animation editor; all the creatures/events are scripted and the particles effects are editable files. ({url=http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=131.msg1451#msg1451]discussion topic{/url])
{b]Q. Do you have any plans for the next games you would like to develop?{/b]
Yeah, we have a pretty clear idea of what we want to work on next. Its exciting, but we can't spend much time on it until we've finished the PC version of Aquaria.
{b]Q. I want to work with you guys. Is emailing you up and acting like a dick a good idea?{/b]
{img]http://static.firedoglake.com/2006/07/tstevensmain.jpg{/img]
"NO!"
-
On the topic of Indie developers and Steam, what's your thoughts on Gamecock's approach to publishing video games?
-
What is GameCock's approach?
-
I'm saying if I saw an indie game on Steam that I wanted to buy, I'd go buy it from the developer's site instead.
That is what I'll do from now on, but before Aquaria and before I came here, I didn't even know what "Indie" standed for, nor that Steam would take parts of the price.
Maybe it sounds funny, but I do not think casual gamers/users are aware of that.
-
What is GameCock's approach?
Is was about to ask the same question XD
They edit video-games such as Dementium for the DS, but I didn't know they also publish Indie Games.
(Geez, this studio's name suck... (double Geez, I didn't even made it on purpose XD) it's even worse than Giant Bite...)
-
Their mascot is also a guy dressed as a rooster.
I'm not sure if anyone really thinks that's cool. :)
-
I don't think their "approach" is anything more complex than publishing games without stealing the associated IP. For a lot of independent game companies, that's a good deal, but I sort of think that Aquaria has built up enough publicity on its own, that it's not a good match.
That said, I do like Gamecock, and I do think the rooster is cool.
-
Word of Mouth, the cheapest and most unreliable of all advertising, but if it becomes a hot topic much can be gained from it.
-
Well when the game/demo comes out its definately going on my blog/comic site.
If everyone tells at least 2 people it'll be great. :D
-
Well when the game/demo comes out its definately going on my blog/comic site.
If everyone tells at least 2 people it'll be great. :D
I already got ten in line. I say we support our Indie developers who truly have the knowledge and talent to create what so many commercial $60 or $50 games try to imitate for a quick buck. Indie popularity has got a long way to go yet, but Alec and Derek are doing there part in bringing it there. ;)
To make this post relevant to the thread..... Aquaria rules and giant cocks don't :o (shame on your perverted mind, there's no such thing as giant roosters). ???
-
Well when the game/demo comes out its definately going on my blog/comic site.
If everyone tells at least 2 people it'll be great. :D
And if these two people tell it to two other people, whot tell it again to two people who tell it...
In the end, everybody is on Aquaria 8)
-
Isn't this some kind of pyramidal propaganda? :D I though pyramidal businesses were illegal in Canada. :P
Ok ok, I won't tell anyone. :-X
-
I personally can wait for the game, it will just be difficult, all I ask is PLEASE don't release it either near Oct 10 (Orange Box release) or December 5th (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
-
Lol, all I can say is, PLEASE release it when its done. ;)
I don't care if it comes out on October 10, this baby over-rides any silly colored box. :)
-
Haha, of course it does. I mean, HL2:Ep2 will be "short"... 5-7 hours of gameplay, with replayability. Same for Portal, I red somewhere that you could run through its thirtyish level in a few hours as well.
Though I'm a casual gamer (not a hardcore anymore... got a life now :D ) I'm sure we'll be able to know what to prioritize.
At least, I do... water is blue, and my favorite color is blue.
-
Oh I didn't mean I wouldn't play it if it came out then, it just means that if it did come out then I would be torn between them and end up playing them both instead of working, sleeping or doing much needed homework.
Ive been falling behind on some prior commitments Like, Wind Waker, Metroid Prime 3, LOTRO, which is why I am slighty glad of the delay.
I also will not let myself get a portable system because I play enough when I'm at home, I dont need the distraction in my pocket.
-
:D
I hear you. Man, I hate homework so much.
Actually, just to keep this on topic:
Q: What are your current thoughts about releasing a sound track? Is there going to be another download if you buy online? Will you have to pay for it separately?
-
XD EEEk! Orange Box is a Half-Life game. Now I understand XD.
In France it is something completely different and I didn't understood why you said that you were waiting for it. XD
-
Orange Box is a Package containing those games: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. ( Wikipedia rulez : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_Box )
It is not that literral box that provides people with internet, cable TV, Phone and Recorder... and it is distributed by Steam/Valve, not by Orange (the internet company I believe :D). Guess the misunderstanding was normal here...
Back to the topic : a soundtrack would be nice indeed! Are you planning to release one?
-
I've been here ever since this place opened up... even before that, actually, if you take Derek's pre-hype machine to account.
Still waiting, how are things looking Alec and Derek? Are we going to see Aquaria this year?
-
Are we going to see Aquaria this year?
Yep! :D
-
So, uh. Wanna give us loyal members a little intel?
Like, I dunno. THE EXACT DATE AND TIME OF THE RELEASE :P
Too bad the mac version wont be out until after Christmas. Those poor little children who have to go without Aquaria :'(
-
This may have been asked elsewhere, but will there be a mass emailing or should we keep checking the site?
-
I wouldn't mind starting a mailing list. I don't really know how to though. :-\
-
Like, I dunno. THE EXACT DATE AND TIME OF THE RELEASE :P
We'll announce that when we know for sure what it is, and not a moment before, because if we're wrong about it we'll get beaten down with the splintery wood plank with nails in it that is blog comments.
-
Probably the easiest way to get a mailing list would be to start a Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/) list. Personally, though, I find it easy enough to keep abreast of things with the Bit-Blot RSS feed (http://www.bit-blot.com/wp-rss2.php).
-
Probably the easiest way to get a mailing list would be to start a Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/) list.
Cool idea!
-
Like, I dunno. THE EXACT DATE AND TIME OF THE RELEASE :P
We'll announce that when we know for sure what it is, and not a moment before, because if we're wrong about it we'll get beaten down with the splintery wood plank with nails in it that is blog comments.
Was a complete and utter joke.
:)
Anyway, I'm game for a mailing list. Going to start one, Alec?
-
http://groups.google.com/group/bit-blot (http://groups.google.com/group/bit-blot)
Not sure if you can join from there or if you have to be invited yet...
-
It's set so you have to 'apply' to join. I've already done so.
I believe if you muck around in the controls you can set it to 'open'-so people can join without any confirmation by you or a moderator. I've used google groups before, but, it was awhile ago...
-
Gotcha, changed!
-
Excellent! Second member. 8)
You might want to post this on the ASW fourms/blogpost...
Oh, off topic, but did you know ASW hosts a IRC server and has a Aquaria channel? Usually it's only Xander and myself in there, but...
(ok, back onto topic from here on out)
-
Usually it's only Xander and myself in there, but...
Haha, good times!
I added a subscribe button to the Aquaria page too!
P.S. I was thinking about starting a #bitblot channel, but I don't know enough about running one. (like how to keep it running when I'm offline etc)
-
Creating an IRC channel isn't hard, from my experiences. What is hard comes afterwards, finding moderators you can trust, so the channel doesn't become insane. You don't want an excess of spammers and swearers and such. Try download mIRC, I believe that's the name, for a good IRC program.
-
It's up and running (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=176.0) and impossibly lively already ;)
-
Wow, I just found this, really looking forward to the release.
I'd really love to know if there is any replayability - like in Castlevania SotN, after you beat the game you could play through again with new options available to you, new items you couldn't get before and playble as different characters.. Anything like that?? That changed SotN from a 20 hour game to a 100+ hour game, and I loved every minute of it!
-
Welcome to the forums! ;D
Unfortunately playing through with another character wouldn't really make much sense. The game is strongly based around Naija, her unique abilities and her storyline. Conversely, I think the replay value will come from wanting to experience the whole journey/story over again. (my fav games are like that at least!)
Also we're releasing the level and animation editor with the full version, as well as the ability to create scripts for the game... so hopefully we'll see some interesting user-generated side stories. ^-^
-
Depending on how the game does, have you ever thought about creating expansion packs or downloadable content? Or are you more interested in porting the games to different platforms, like Wii and the 360, or different OS systems.
-
The level editor and mods should provide a lot of extra content for the game past the main game. I won't rule out an official expansion or something to that effect, but if/when/how/on what platform... we don't know!
We'll just have to wait and see. :)
-
Hey, I've got a little concern here...
See, I'm about to upgrade my laptop. Will I be able to transfer Aquaria to my new lappy, or should I wait until I finish the switch?
-
Also we're releasing the level and animation editor with the full version, as well as the ability to create scripts for the game... so hopefully we'll see some interesting user-generated side stories. ^-^
That'd be great! Hopefully you will be able to provide us some sort of "index" of those story? Perhaps some kind of repository of those stories?
Reminds me of those User Adventure for Mr.Robot Game...
-
What we'll probably do is have a mod forum where people can post their mods (and another forum to ask questions and share ideas for mods), and then we'll feature some particularly stand-out ones on the Aquaria website. :)
-
Woot for compendiums I say. There should be an official place to put a finnished mod where everyone can find it. (That is, if the dev.s approve the mod :) )
-
Now that we're closer to the release date, maybe we could revisit a question. I really would like to get Aquaria in box form, but I really really want the game too. Do you still have plans for a boxed release, and is it worth the wait (I'd say about 1 month or less is worth the wait) or should I just get the download? Grats on getting it done, by the way. Looks fantastic!
-
How much are you going to charge for the game?
-
How much are you going to charge for the game?
$30, I believe they've said.
-
How long have you guys been working on this game for?
-
Just over two years I think! :)
The idea was floating around a year before that. We have like a hundred builds from throughout development. The game went through some pretty interesting changes. :D
-
Oh yeah, what did you guys decide about for the demo? I remember some discussion a while back about whether it was going to be a little self-contained thing, so you could show off more of Naija's abilities or just going with restricting it to the first part of the game. With the release in a few short (actually, quite long) days, I'm just curious as to what's been decided there.
-
We changed the first part of the full game so that it would function better as a demo (and actually as a more interesting intro to the game as whole), so the demo is going to be the first part of the game.
There's also a pre-title intro that will only be on the full version.
You'll be able to continue playing the full version from the saves in the demo.
-
Just over two years I think! :)
The idea was floating around a year before that. We have like a hundred builds from throughout development. The game went through some pretty interesting changes. :D
Awesome. How many people were working on this? Also are you planning to move onto PC retail or console development after this game?
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EapcVSB7U4U (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EapcVSB7U4U)
;)
(+ Jenna, our voice actress, and our testers and various advisors along the way, of course. :-* )
-
No day 4? :'(
-
Shh... :-X
They're probably working :)
-
Haha, I was waiting for someone to post that. I, too, am anxiously awaiting the next update...
-
Hi, I used the search function to find a thread about widescreen from March (link (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=68.msg746#msg746)). I was just wondering whether their had been a change recently to enable a widescreen mode. It seems a huge shame for a game with a focus on it's beautiful art style to then completely screw up the presentation of the game by only offering it in 4:3. (Yes, games in 4:3 are ugly and stupid!)
3 days!
-
Hi, welcome to the forums!
We don't support widescreen right now, but it may be possible to add it. The problem is that it would affect the layout of a lot of things and involve a lot of time adjusting things / replaying the game to make sure it works properly everywhere.
There may also be weird issues that arise from being able to see more of the level than you were originally intended to.
I'd like to experiment with ti sometime, but I think it would be a mistake to add it now because it would probably be pretty hacky. I could see it being a patch later though, if it works out well enough.
-
Hi, thanks for the speedy reply. Just goes to show how little I know about game development! Still picking this up on day 1.
-
Thanks! :)
I think next time we'll try to keep it in consideration from the beginning, that way it would be less of a hassle once the game is done, it feels kinda like a game has to have it in mind from the beginning to avoid weirdness. (unless its a 3D game or something and you can just change the perspective with the magic of math)
-
(Yes, games in 4:3 are ugly and stupid!)
3 days!
Well..... I'm not sure if that's necessarily true... it's just what you're used to. You obviously are lucky enough to have access to widescreen stuff, but I've not been wealthy enough in the last 5 years to afford anything widescreen. I'm not used to it though, so 4:3 looks just fine to me.
-
It can get ugly if it gets stretched to fill the widescreen monitor. And whether or not that happens depends on your monitor and video card.
e.g. on my mac book pro's widescreen, I can run 4:3 in fullscreen at the right aspect ratio. But if I run fullscreen on my separate widescreen monitor, it stretches horizontally to fill the space. Its not the worst thing ever, but its not the greatest either. :)
-
Black bars look kinda ugly too. As far as I've seen, though, the only UI element that might be genuinely difficult to adapt to widescreen is the red tinge that indicates low health. Otherwise: clip the screen; move the mini map and captions up; scale down the pause/inventory screen and it should be fine.
It would be a nice feature to have by the time of the Mac release, since all of the current Macs use them.
-
I wonder if people would be upset about clipping the screen. There was a huge stink when gamers found Bioshock was clipped.
(although personally it wouldn't make much difference to me either way)
-
I'm sad to hear about Aquaria not supporting widescreen. Not so much because it wont fill my screen but because my nVidia drivers are so buggy that I can't get 4:3 to display without stretching. It works perfectly in linux, but the Windows drivers just can't handle it.
There's no way I'm going to play Aquaria in the wrong aspect ratio. Is there any way you could work in support for widescreen resolutions to add black bars on the sides?
-
Well, if you verified that the extra width wouldn't ruin any secrets, I'd be happy to have it :)
If you were concerned about a later outcry, though, you could always start a poll here first. I'm sure anyone that would care enough to complain would be here now to voice an opinion.
-
Personally I would like to see black bars at the sides. It seems like a perfectly alright solution to me. Just like running the game windowed, but without the task bar and stuff; and the game acts like its in fullscreen.
-
I did a bit of looking into it - depending on your video card, some support bars on the side, though it's not always the obvious setting. And I had to update my video drivers to even get the option to appear. But, I can at least say what I had to do with my nvidia card.
Right click desktop, pick NVIDIA control panel. Under the Display settings, there was another category called 'Change flat panel scaling' for me, in there, I clicked the radio button that says Use NVIDIA scaling with fixed-aspect ratio.
Not sure if it works for everything, but I checked a few games out. One that supports wide screen resolution worked like it did before I changed it - another that semi-supported it (i.e. it lets me pick 1440x900 in the game settings, but it still stretches the screen), it gave it black bars on either side, and the view was now no longer stretched. Which is precisely what I wanted to occur. Not to mention, updating my video drivers looks like it made some of those games look better than ever. =D And I'm sure it helps too that two of the ones I tested are no longer stretched. (Cave Story being one of those two.)
So, check into your video card settings - there's something else that can be done for ATI cards, but I can't help much with that. Here is a site that may be able to help find the right settings: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/ (http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/)
-
ATI cards do work the same way, however there are numerous bugs with either vendor's drivers. My widescreen monitor has it with the nVidia drivers where I can't select fixed-aspect ratio, and none of the possible fixes work (even editing the EDID). That's why I was asking if it's possible for it to be implemented in game. Otherwise I'm gonna end up trying to run it under Wine when it comes out ;).
-
I'm close to getting 1440x900 to work with black bars I think!
(well not really black bars, cause its just clipping, but w/e)
Right now the problem is that its on the left side of the screen instead of the center. I should be able to shift everything over somehow tho...
(wow i really hope i don't break anything adding this :P)
-
But if it's just clipping won't it still be stretched, but just cut-off? Unless you mean something else.
luciferin: Huh, that's a bit odd, it just won't let you select fixed-aspect at all? Only thing I can say is try updating the drivers, even though you probably already have. I didn't even have those settings until I did, all it was showing was rotate the screen and setup for multiple monitors. Or maybe it's just not supported in your video card or something. *shrug* Otherwise, maybe someone at the site I linked might have an idea. Aside from their forums, here's a small blurb on pillarboxing (note overly useful, but I'll link it nonetheless)-
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gaming_with_Blackbars_%28Pillarboxing%29 (http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gaming_with_Blackbars_%28Pillarboxing%29) Your monitor might have settings in it if your video card doesn't want to cooperate.
-
Its like 4:3 but in a 1440x900 area.
i.e. 1200 x 900
That bit of it works, I just need to center it + add bars on the left + right sides. (for stuff that goes off the edge of the screen normally)
But I have a feeling framebuffer effects won't work for shit under this res. Getting the reflections synced up was hell.
Well, we'll see if I can get it centered first.
-
(http://zaphire.ca/AQ/aq_widescreen-001.png)
Some kinda progress.
Mouse cursor locking stuff is broken. (Cursor centers somewhere that isn't the center... goes beyond the wrong bounds)
Couple rendering things don't work right.
But it looks like if we ever did a full widescreen mode it'd be pretty sweet.
At this point I'm not sure that I have enough time to pull off either that or black bar mode tho.
-
Zaratus: No, I have the option for it, and it's selectable, but the output it gives is garbled. It has to do with an improper EDID on my monitor. It's a bug that's fixable, but it requires writing new data to the EEPROM on my monitor, which is rather tricky and risky to do. I would have done this anyway, but my EEPROM is write protected, so I can't. There are ways around this, but they're really not easy to do. So far I've spent probably about ~20 hours researching this and trying out various methods, and it's different for each monitor, so not so simple.
Alec: This is great news for a lot of widescreen gamers. I can't believe you're still doing development work days before your release, but I sure am glad that you are. Don't drive yourself crazy of course, I can live with what I have if need be, but it's amazing that you're trying.
-
If I can get the black bar thing working I think that would be more than adequate for now... just worried that it will break a bunch of other stuff, so I may leave it out of this release.
But yeah, the potential is definitely there. I'd need some time and a less hectic week probably. :P
Looks beautiful on my Mac Book Pro @ 1440x900 btw!
Update: added black bars, but there's a bunch of other broken stuff. I'm not able to deal with it right now because I've got more than enough on my plate.
-
Yeah it seems like something that would be better to implement when there's some time for testing and bug squishing available. It's nice to hear that it's most likely going to be possible some time though. But in the mean time, I've been playing every other game with this problem and I'm not going to let it stop me from diving into Aquaria in just three more days!
-
I wonder if people would be upset about clipping the screen. There was a huge stink when gamers found Bioshock was clipped.
(although personally it wouldn't make much difference to me either way)
Personally, I always prefer any sort of widescreen option (even when it's buggy, or the hud doesn't match up), so a cropped widescreen mode is certainly a great start if that could be worked into a future patch or update.
-
Best bet if you do eventually end up including it would probably be to have a toggle option on it as well - some people might prefer the stretched look rather than side bars. *shrug*
Still, I wouldn't worry about it until after the release - I'd hate to see the release get marred by some bugs introduced by tinkering with it. Besides, I'm sure you have more than enough to work on with the game coming out in two days. I can't wait!
-
So, just to clarify because I'm totally lost, what currently happens when you play the game on a widescreen monitor, in the build that's going to be released?
-
The first build will only do 4:3 properly.
(you can manually set the resolution in a config file, but it will be kinda messed up when you run it if it isn't 4:3)
For some widescreen monitors/video cards, you can center the 4:3 screen at the right aspect ratio. (so it'll fill the space vertically, and on the left and right sides there will be black bars) That capability is dependent on your video card, video card drivers and your LCD monitor. If its not supported by your hardware, what it will do is stretch horizontally to fill the space.
Again, that's just what drivers + monitors do automatically and it depends which kind you have. Above I was working on a solution that could work on anything. (and looking ahead to possibly having a true widescreen mode at some point) But I really can't afford to spend the time on that now for obvious reasons. :)
-
Will this game be coming to steam by chance? Please?
-
Good sir, I direct you to this topic; http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=141.0
To summorize; Alec might do it after the intial release. (page 3)
-
Hmm, I'd like black bars but I'll live untill it gets put in. Alec and Derek have enough to do as is. :)
-
As a question, how much longer after the near, nay extremely close release will the mac version be done, if it isn't already done.
-
January maybe?
Depends.
I don't think I want to work much over the holidays tho. (altho the mac version is already pretty far along)
-
Neither would I.
-
January maybe?
Depends.
I don't think I want to work much over the holidays tho. (altho the mac version is already pretty far along)
Well my birthday is Ground Hog's Day (Feb. 2nd) So I'll be happy if it's around that general timeframe.
Hmmm, will the Mac version get extra stuff since it's comeing out later? Also will you or Derek be releasing add-ons for Aquaria like alot of game developers these days?
-
Well my birthday is Ground Hog's Day (Feb. 2nd)
Like in the movie with Bill Muray? :o
I thought it was invented for the movie. i didn't knwo there really was a ground hog day! :P
I'm quiet lucky with Aquaria realese date, since it is just 3 day before my birthday :)
-
I thought it was invented for the movie. i didn't knwo there really was a ground hog day! :P
Aye, it's a pretty small American holiday. More of a tradition than a holiday, really. People know when it rolls around but few people actually care.
-
I thought it was invented for the movie. i didn't knwo there really was a ground hog day! :P
Aye, it's a pretty small American holiday. More of a tradition than a holiday, really. People know when it rolls around but few people actually care.
Aw, don't say that! :'( Come on they're ground hogs! It's more popular than mole day at least.
-
Not true! Mole Day is huge!
In chemistry classes, at least...
-
btw Alec, I just noticed this FAQ was hideously out of date. You should update it. ;D
-
10 PM over my place... When you said "by the evening" you meant a particular hour or not? ;D
-
Shit post. Please ignore.
Edited: 22 March 2011
-
Forum time is GMT by default, I think. It's still only like 5pm PST.
Keep your pants on everyone.
-
Dude, its 5 PM PST. :)
-
Damn, i guess we kinda jumped the gun there.. :'( So, how long do you think it will be untill release now? 3 - 4 hours?
-
6 PM PST.... but 2 AM here in Italy... should I stay awake 2 more hours + possible delay + download time + thewholenightplayingthegame or should I calm myself, have a chamomile cup and try to sleep?
-
Same, its 5 am here for me, should i get back to sleep or stay attached to my computer.... :(
-
I would really like to see how many http request did www.bit-blot.com receive today, how many time people pushed F5 or ctrl+r or apple+r or whatever.
Anyway I've made my decision. I go to sleep sure that tomorrow, wathever happens, will not be a bad day at all.
ciao!
-
I would really really like to see how many copies have sold thus far. :) I know I'm already gonna buy the mac version, but since Alec sounded worried on the Jenna interview I'd like to see the actual numbers. (but if you can't say the numbers just say, "great!" or "oh no, I need a warm blanket and ice cream...")
-
I was able to see the intro video the first time I loaded up the game, but on subsequent loads it just goes straight to the main menu. Any way that I can see the intro video again?
-
If you click the crystal in the center of the title screen it should give you the option to watch the intro again.
-
Excellent! Thanks!
-
I know you're already answered this question in the FAQ, but I've got to say, I'm excited about the possibility of this game appearing on PSN. I'm thinking about buying this game for my PC, but there is no question this game would be on my PS3 faster than light. I love the indie games on the PSN, and hope to see this one on there someday.
All the best with your future projects.
-
Alec, loomsoft had the brillient idea of putting the license key question (wether or not it'll be croos-platform) in the FAQ. ASAP.
-
I know you're already answered this question in the FAQ, but I've got to say, I'm excited about the possibility of this game appearing on PSN. I'm thinking about buying this game for my PC, but there is no question this game would be on my PS3 faster than light. I love the indie games on the PSN, and hope to see this one on there someday.
All the best with your future projects.
So do I.
Everyday Shooter is a great game and when Aquaria was out, I thought about that one being on the PS3...
It's pretty awesome! The PS3 deserves it :)
-
As this thread seems to be about questions to add to the FAQ, where can the actual FAQ be found?
-
I'll work on the FAQ today. I'm going to update the first post in this thread. O0
-
Awesome, I want a Faq I can read at work so I don't miss being at home playing Aquaria. I cant call in sick to play games...again. I need the money for christmas ;)
-
^^ Geez
It's so different from the forum before the release now. There's so much people XD
-
^^ Geez
It's so different from the forum before the release now. There's so much people XD
Is that a bad thing? ;)
-
I would really really like to see how many copies have sold thus far. :)
I'd love to know, too. I'm an avid follower of the industry in general, and I'm very curious to see how the game is doing. Chances are not as well as it deserves, but I think most of the forum-goers here are doing what they can to rectify that!
-
k, I got some of the most asked questions up there, at least! O0
-
Shit post. Please ignore.
Edited: 22 March 2011
-
^^ Geez
It's so different from the forum before the release now. There's so much people XD
This is normal.
I've experienced in an formerly rather empty game forum as well.
The only problem might be that too many people chance the "tune" or "verse" ;) of a forum, the feeling there.
-
Hey Mr. Mario dude! I think that the "lost track" as you call it would be great addition to any "music of aquaria" cds Derek & Alec plan on releasing, so...
it might not be within any of the games files :)
Good luck looking for it though, if you do find that any tracks are easily accessed, let me know, k? I'd love to have some of that muzic for myself ;)
-
Guess this isn't really an Aquaria question, and probably waaaaaaay too early to be asking, but do you guys have any ideas or concepts in mind for your next great masterpiece? Anything else in the world of Aquaria, perhaps?
-
They've said that they've got something up their sleeves, but no details yet. I can't wait already.
-
Guess this isn't really an Aquaria question, and probably waaaaaaay too early to be asking, but do you guys have any ideas or concepts in mind for your next great masterpiece? Anything else in the world of Aquaria, perhaps?
Finish the game and maybe you know more. ;)
-
A somewhat random question, but I'm curious what determines what's displayed on the intro screen (the landscape behind the vertical lines as they fade out). I saw a dragon thing there, but it's not always there.
-
Its random.
-
Sorry if this has already been asked but I'm in no mood to read trough 15 pages worth of questions.
- I presume that you guys are working on a next game. Will you use the same engine or start from nothing?
- Can we expect similar type of games like Aquaria or will you two try your hands at other genres?
- Do you guys work only in fantasy settings or will you people try something else? Horror, sci-fi, real-life, hardboiled?
- Is it really true that only two of your worked on the whole game, besides Jenna acting as voice and occasional sound?
-
- I presume that you guys are working on a next game. Will you use the same engine or start from nothing?
I'd like to use the same engine, but it depends on what kind of game we decide to end up making. Our engine is pretty nice now and lets us set stuff up quickly.
- Can we expect similar type of games like Aquaria or will you two try your hands at other genres?
I think our next project will be something entirely different, perhaps with some similar themes though.
- Do you guys work only in fantasy settings or will you people try something else? Horror, sci-fi, real-life, hardboiled?
Eventually, yeah. I think our next project may still have a lot of fantasy elements to it though.
- Is it really true that only two of your worked on the whole game, besides Jenna acting as voice and occasional sound?
Yeah! We had some friends help us test the game, and we worked with one of our friends, Brandon, for a month. He helped us do some enemy scripting and sound effects. I also teamed up with my brother for ~4 music tracks. But other than that, 'twas just us two.
-
Great job on the FAQ. :D
Anyway I'm still playing this game and it is AMAZING. This game is a true evolution of 2D. While all the other developers just rehashed their same ideas (and sprites) on handhelds or make small flash games, you guys created a 2D Behemoth.
Congrats for the games success! You deserve every sales! :)
-
I was wondering if it would be alright to use a hex editor and modify the game to support widescreen? I can post a tutorial if I am able to get permission and if I can accomplish this with Aquaria. I've done it with other games which don't support widescreen formats. I have the demo of Aquaria and I have no interest in prolonged playing in windowed mode.
-
I don't really see how that would work. There are a lot of things that have to be modified for widescreen to work.
-
The side effect that happens with the other games is that some of the hud panels such as a lifebar could end up closer towards the center of the screen. Basically, the guages will remain positioned as they would at the native resolution, but the actual game will be resized to fit.
-
There's other things, like the cull radius, the black out tiles (they're based on 4:3), stretching certain sprites to fit the screen.
Some things like the minimap don't even look partly right.
I tried hacking widescreen and I could tell by the number of things that looked wrong that it would take a lot of work.
-
I think rather than extending the playfield horizontally to support wide screens, you should simply inscribe a 4:3 display into whatever the current monitor's aspect may be: 4:3, 16:10 or 16:9. (Check out Peggle on a wide screen.) This way you don't need to expend resources only to end up with gameplay compromises in a game designed for 4:3 display. If you don't like the idea of black bars on the sides, you can fill the area in with suitable artwork. I have a 16:9 Samsung which allows me to switch to 4:3 aspect, and it works beautifully (without the ugly sideways stretch that's become ubiquitous in so much content).
-
That has similar problems. (how to set the correct ratio, how to center it properly, how to prevent the mouse control from messing up)
I think the only way to simplify it would be to force it to use render to texture:
pretend that the game is running in some 4:3 resolution, render to texture and then wipe the screen and draw the texture in the center of the 16:9 view.
But that seems pretty wasteful/limited.
-
The path to this solution is straightforward, though. You can start by assuming square pixels, so that you can derive the aspect from the resolution. Blit whatever you want for the background up front, then center your display on that. Virtualize the 4:3 game screen (framebuffer) somehow, as you said, and add in whatever X offset you may need to the frame just before sending it to the screen. (This would be a constant you calculate up front.) This might involve some busy work, but it won't be anything like trying to redesign the game for a different aspect.
-
I don't know that its that simple since I'm using OpenGL. (3D acting as 2D) It wants to use the whole screen space to render stuff the way its set up, so what i have to do is expand to that space, figure out some magic ratio (which i got close to but not close enough) to squash stuff again in the middle, then adjust... then magically rewrite the framebuffer code to compensate. (no idea how)
It gets really tricky, its not like in 2D saying: render this slightly to the right.
-
Yeah, that's a whole other paradigm. I don't know enough about OGL to be of any use there. 2D used to be so simple. :) But you'd never get that smooth zoom out of an old 2D software engine.
-
Shit post. Please ignore.
Edited: 22 March 2011
-
Cough (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=916.msg9970#msg9970)
-
Hey!
I just played a game called Eternal Winds on my Wii, when I remembered a great game I played on a PC before. It occured to me that it would be great for this great game to be released on Wii (trough Wiiware or on solid media), because it just seems so perfect for this console. Please considerr doing something in this direction, because I'd really like to play it on Wii someday. Oh, by the way ... I'm talking about Aquaria off course!
-
check out the dozen wiiware-threads...
-
Hi, I'm interested in buying the game, but I've got a question.
At the moment I'm away from my PC, and only have access to a Mac right now. If I were to buy the Mac version, would I be allowed to download the PC version at a later date? Or is it the case that the version you bought is the version you have access to, and I'd be better off getting the PC version?
Basically I'm asking whether if I make the purchase, do I get access to both Mac and PC versions, or just the version I bought?
Thanks.
-
Just the version you bought. At least if you buy the PC version (because Ambrosia handles the Mac Version and they don't give it for free no matter what you do) - I don't think/believe Bit Blot is giving the PC version for free if you buy the Mac version, don't know if they can check if you bought it).
So it might be better for you to buy the PC version and play it with a windows emulator/bootcamp on the mac and then switch to your PC later.
Meh, this looks confusing, hope it helps. ;)
-
It helps, thanks.
I always figure it's better to get indie games direct from the author where possible, even if Steam has got a sale on right now. ;)
-
For now, you only get the version you bought.
-
This is by far one of the best games Ive come across since Castlevania Symphony of the Night and I LOVE that game, the feel, the texture the awesomeness. I fell in love with Aquaria just by watching the trailer and not to mention THE SOUNDTRACK, that had me LOCKED. So far I only have one issue with Aquaria, the mini map and the regular map needs some more work, its kinda hard to tell where u are. Once you enter a new area u see the name of that area come up after thats gone there's no other way to tell where u are, cuz the name of the location is not on the map, that aside I have no problems whatsoever. Once I beat the game I'll voice my other concerns if any. Till then keep making cool games like this.
-
The name of the location is on the map ... are you playing the latest version? If not, I'm sure all your complaints will be resolved. :) 1.1.1 is an entirely different beast.
-
Hmm 1.1.1 eh? I'll have to check it out. Thanx!!
-
You're missing a LOT if you haven't downloaded the latest version: the links below display the latest features.
Widescreen Forum Thread (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=916.0)
Blog Post with Links to Feature Descriptions (http://www.bit-blot.com/?p=69)
Enjoy! :)
-
Hello, I read on a game testing website that Aquaria required an internet connection, is it true or can I play as a stand alone ?
-
Aquaria does not require an internet connection - whoever said otherwise was sadly misinformed. ;) This is assuming that you've already downloaded it off the internet, of course.
-
Hi all,
I came here looking for additional answers as I didn't find them on the official FAQs (http://www.bit-blot.com/aquaria/faq.html) page.
Here are some of them:
- Is this game truly DRM-free? IOW, no phone home every launch or activation requirement.
- How are patches handled? I've seen mention of patches in a few threads I've browsed through.
- When the purchase is made a link is emailed to the customer and they have X days to download and then the link expires?
- If for some reason the customer loses their setup file, how would they go about replacing it? Do you guys have a GOG.com feature where we can login and download again? I personally archive all of my digital download products, but that's a good question to answer on the official FAQs page.
Thanks for your time.
-
I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability below:
1. Yes - you can move the game anywhere you want.
2. If you have Steam, patches are handled automatically. If not, email Alec with ALL the information given to you when you installed the game (including your email and full name) and ask for a refreshed download link. The installer will delete the old version and install the new one.
3. Yes - I believe the period is 15 days.
4. See 2.
Hope that helps! :)
-
ALL the information given to you when you installed the game (including your email and full name)
Thank you for the reply, much appreciated!
When you say information given to you when the game was installed, do you mean when it was purchased? How does the installation work if I buy a non-Steam copy? I'm specifically looking to make sure I can install this (serial #s are fine) years later without a net connection and be good to go.
Thanks again.
-
When you say information given to you when the game was installed, do you mean when it was purchased?
Indeed.
]How does the installation work if I buy a non-Steam copy? I'm specifically looking to make sure I can install this (serial #s are fine) years later without a net connection and be good to go.
Do you mean move your copy to another computer? If so, just click and drag the folder onto a flash drive and you'll be set. Patching, however, is impossible without an internet connection. As for more detailed patch instructions, you need to send the registration key and the original email address and name entered during purchase to admin@bit-blot.com. The download link sent to you when you first bought the game will be refreshed, and you'll be able to download the latest version (it will replace the previous one).
-
I must say, neither FAQ really helps much... Besides this is outdated.
FAQs should have some, if not a lot, of info about stuff INSIDE THE GAME ITSELF. :)
-
I agree that the FAQ could be updated, but Alec seems to be busy with a lot of other things.
-
I must say, neither FAQ really helps much... Besides this is outdated.
FAQs should have some, if not a lot, of info about stuff INSIDE THE GAME ITSELF. :)
There's a help file built-in to the newest version of the game...
-
Well, from what I've seen in other games, FAQs that can be found on the forum are usually much more detailed than any in-game help. Looking around the forum a bit, this FAQ is much closer to what I mean: http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=836.0
But even if you don't want to add these things to the FAQ, you really should update it. The first question mentions Steam as a possibility, the second is entirely outdated, and the fourth is also no longer correct. The same goes to the FAQ here (http://www.bit-blot.com/aquaria/faq.html#SOUNDTRACK) (as far as I can tell only one question though :)).
You definitely do not want anyone to not buy this game just because he thought there's no widescreen support!
-
I agree, but as Alec has said in another topic; he's swamped.
-
Well, from what I've seen in other games, FAQs that can be found on the forum are usually much more detailed than any in-game help. Looking around the forum a bit, this FAQ is much closer to what I mean: http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=836.0
But even if you don't want to add these things to the FAQ, you really should update it. The first question mentions Steam as a possibility, the second is entirely outdated, and the fourth is also no longer correct. The same goes to the FAQ here (http://www.bit-blot.com/aquaria/faq.html#SOUNDTRACK) (as far as I can tell only one question though :)).
You definitely do not want anyone to not buy this game just because he thought there's no widescreen support!
If you don't mind helping me out by updating the FAQ, I can post the result. :)
-
Aquaria FAQ
Are there any plans to bring the game to [insert platform]?
We're currently working with Ambrosia Software to bring the game to Mac.
A Linux version has been started (http://www.bit-blot.com/?p=19), but it's uncertain when it will be released.
We're considering Steam, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii all as possibilities, but there's nothing set at this point. :)
Is there support for widescreen?
Yes! Widescreen is fully supported!
Are there any plans for a boxed version, or at least a CD?
Heck yes! We just need to figure out how best to do it. Stay tuned... we'd love to go all out on something like this.
Where can I get the OST?
Right here! (http://infiniteammo.bandcamp.com/album/aquaria-original-soundtrack)
Are mods cross-platform?
Yes they are! If you make a mod for the PC, Mac users will also be able to play it.
Is there any way to send the game as a gift?
Not directly through Plimus, as far as we can tell... but we're looking into it! Check out this thread (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=376.0) for more information about how to go about doing it. You can also send Aquaria as a gift through Steam!
How are the games' sales doing? Are you guys doing alright!
The game is selling very well for an independent title, and it's thanks to you guys! Word of mouth has made this a great debut.
We can't give out exact sales figures, for obvious reasons, but your support has definitely made it seem possible for us to keep making games. Thank you so, so much. :D
Eh, that's as far as I know :P
It took me two entire minutes to do it! :O
(no, I'm not complaining that you're lazy, I know you're not)
as for the FAQ here (http://www.bit-blot.com/aquaria/faq.html), the only question I know is wrong is the soundtrack one, so:4. What about a soundtrack?
The soundtrack from the game can be found here! (http://infiniteammo.bandcamp.com/album/aquaria-original-soundtrack)!
If this is good enough for you.. :P
-
Did you not notice my post? Sorry for double post
-
I'm pretty sure the game is now listed on Steam for 20 bucks. I think this because I'm looking at it right now. So that can be added to the FAQ alterations.
-
I'm pretty sure the game is now listed on Steam for 20 bucks. I think this because I'm looking at it right now. So that can be added to the FAQ alterations.
You think, therefore it is. ;)
-
I'm pretty sure there's a million euros in my closet. I think this because.... I'm thinking of it right now, so it should be there.
-
I'm pretty sure there's a million euros in my closet. I think this because.... I'm thinking of it right now, so it should be there. Damn.
*Invents the teleporter and invisibility, sets up an invisible tunnel between the Bank of London and Alpha's closet.* Might want to make an addition to your closet space. ;)
-
Didn't you do just that?
-
I read somewhere else about a patch or an update to this game. Is this true? I'm unsure which version I have now (I'm at work) but it still has the issue where your shots don't home in on enemies when you're sitting still. Has this been fixed and if so, in what patch or version? I'd like to at least get a version in which that was fixed, if possible. Any help?
-
I'm afraid that bug is unique to players using a gamepad. As far as I know, it hasn't been solved, but the latest PC non-Steam version is 1.1.1. The Steam version is updated to 1.1.4, but I really don't know if that includes a fix.
-
So if you want the latest version of the game and you bought it originally straight from this website, you must buy it again on Steam?
-
So if you want the latest version of the game and you bought it originally straight from this website, you must buy it again on Steam?
That's correct, unfortunately. The additional features of the Steam version (and the lack of DRM on the non-Steam version) make a transfer problematic.
-
And if I'd like to get the 1.1.1 version of the game?
-
And if I'd like to get the 1.1.1 version of the game?
http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=1426.msg25193#msg25193
-
I recall being informed early-on in the game that if I play a jellyfish's note or song I would get whatever it held inside. Am I trippin' or what? ???
-
I recall being informed early-on in the game that if I play a jellyfish's note or song I would get whatever it held inside. Am I trippin' or what? ???
Nope, that was just talking about the plants with the glowing bulbs.
-
Seeing this ported to 360 or Ps3 store would be awesome. I know a few people who just don't care for pc gaming but love console gaming and that's actually something holding them back from playing it.
-
Yes, please!!!!!
-
Hi, I just bought Aquaria for windows, and I must say I do not regret it! The game runs just perfectly under wine in 64 bits, and the overall experience is just pleasing. Two thumbs up for the voice over, I just love the english accent, excellent choice :D
I'm still wondering why the linux version was available with the Humble Bundle of 2010 and is not available anymore? You could just have added it to the buying page of your website ??
Anyway, great work for this very original game. That just show that some people still are inspired ;)
-
you can either compile the bins yourself (get the code at http://hg.icculus.org/icculus/aquaria/) or download the linux bins posted by GMMan (http://www.bit-blot.com/forum/index.php?topic=2304.0).
As the game data for the linux and windows versions are exactly the same, you can just put the compiled bins next to the exe files and it should run :)
-
Thanks false.genesis :D
I knew for the icculus repository, but I didn't understand how to download all the files, and not one by one ^^'
I'll try the binaries, in hope it works fine with me.
EDIT: ok, I read the thread you linked me, and everything is explained to compile a 64bits binary ! Thanks a lot :D