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General / Re: Aquaria OST received pics
« on: January 20, 2010, 01:36:41 pm »
Hiya, I haven't taken any pics, but the soundtrack arrived over here! The new song is awesome!!! 
!
!
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General / Re: Any update on the soundtrack?
« on: January 09, 2010, 02:44:56 am »
*Anxiously awaits the soundtrack*
I ordered at the end of November, still waiting. Can't wait to get my hands on it!
I ordered at the end of November, still waiting. Can't wait to get my hands on it!
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General / Re: Any update on the soundtrack?
« on: October 26, 2009, 01:30:54 am »
You nearly made me drool all over the keyboard!
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General / Re: Any update on the soundtrack?
« on: September 23, 2009, 01:17:30 pm »
You have my 25 dollars...well, provided you deliver to foreign countries, that is.
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Gameplay / Re: Huge bug I came across
« on: April 27, 2009, 02:04:59 pm »
Sadly, Steam is not without its perks. The service used for paying refuses to send me the confirmation SMS required to create an account. Goody. At least Plimus sent me 2 copies of the game by accident...
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Gameplay / Re: The ending, final boss, etc. [Obviously spoilers]
« on: April 16, 2009, 09:57:32 pm »
The fact that Naija is afraid of her own feelings at some point (when she "likes" the destruction she is causing) and how she wonders about being consumed and nearly IS when Li gets taken away (twice), there is clearly some indication that she too can be "remade" if her creator (Mia) wishes it. And the last ending, the one where Mia gets control over Naija again...It seems to point in that direction.
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Gameplay / Re: Problem in the Abyss
« on: April 16, 2009, 06:26:36 pm »
You need to go back to the veil first, there is something there that is waiting for you. It will help you pass the big door. Perhaps searching near the cave to the upper right will help you.
When in the abyss, you must not be alone.
When in the abyss, you must not be alone.
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Gameplay / Re: The ending, final boss, etc. [Obviously spoilers]
« on: April 12, 2009, 01:55:25 am »Uhm, I believe the title screen of Aquaria, which has Naija in a crystal, is the 'end' of the story.
I don't think a perfect being like Mia would just let her roam again to ONCE again find her lost memories.
And she does mention a thing or two above the land above. Conquest?
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Gameplay / Re: The little cave in the Kelp Forest *Minor Spoilers*
« on: March 18, 2009, 04:24:20 pm »
Thanks a million, Alpha
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Gameplay / Re: The little cave in the Kelp Forest *Minor Spoilers*
« on: March 14, 2009, 11:55:20 am »You didn't miss much by only visiting them after defeating the Kelp Forest boss, just some Naija overspeech about how they are connected to Mother Nature, and are sad that she's sleeping/diseased/distant now. I don't recall precisely.
Don't forget to poke around in there thoroughly with Nature Form, to get the seed bag.
Missing a single voiceover is missing a lot. The stuff you tell me would have answered the question beforehand, and is apparently a background story to the Nature Boss. I will revisit that one next time I play through.
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Gameplay / Re: THE BIG SHELL AFTER ENERGY TEMPLE
« on: March 11, 2009, 06:31:18 pm »I successfully tried it out after everyone else had done it - does that make me a sibling by adoption?
One big happy nautical family.
I did beat it at first, but then I feared I had done something wrong, so I loaded my previous game and entered the temple instead, only to realise that I now had to re-beat that boss. Woops.
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Gameplay / The little cave in the Kelp Forest *Minor Spoilers*
« on: March 11, 2009, 06:28:29 pm »
Now, I'm obviously not referring to the fish cave or the Mermog cave when I am typing this, but I was wondering about the little cave in the Kelp Forest that's home to rather cute looking creatures that have a connection to the Mother Nature Boss. Unfortunately, I discovered the cave only AFTER I defeated said boss, so I do not know why the creatures are so relieved that I beat it, other than the hint in the little cutscene.
What are these creatures?
Why did the creator choose not to destroy them? (Did he? or did he just fail to?)
What are these creatures?
Why did the creator choose not to destroy them? (Did he? or did he just fail to?)
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Gameplay / Re: For a good time, call...
« on: March 02, 2009, 02:15:33 am »The only unsatisfying thing of the Aquarian text to me is that it's no clue for nothing, only background stuff, no secret passage ways, no... easter eggs. Only actual text that has to do with the story.
Fun to read and a great addition to the story, the 'The End' was nice too, but it's sad that it leads to nowhere.
It's the same with a lot of other games.
It's a shame on the one hand and a joy on the other. I prefer Easter Eggs not to include paleography. Of course, considering how these things are linked to story events of both past, present and beyond the known storyline, who knows if they lead "nowhere?"
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General / Re: New here, Just finished, commenting on the game.
« on: February 26, 2009, 02:25:09 am »
To get back to the discussion:
I feel that the buildup of the energy temple is certainly not cliché, especially because there is a boss-type creature at the very beginning. It demands use of Aquaria's unique gameplay system of singing. Did I mention that system is unique? Furthermore, it is not a traditional "hit hit kill" type thing, and it awards the energy form, solving the practical problem of having no attack brilliantly with a story issue, introducing the beginning of the buildup.
Again, the end demands another solution, something familiar. Adding something unfamiliar would draw an unintentional parallel with the entry fight, ruining the buildup because the start and finish are too similar. Even more important, the human aspect of the player will also force the gamedesign to obey the 70-30 rule. A max of 30 % can be new, or the game will immediately become confusing, difficult, frustrating and so on. Aquaria has always been spot-on in maximizing the unfamiliar and the original with familiar to create solvable puzzles that require more than the usual "drag X to Y" and "recover X of Y" by making use of just those systems. Where Myst violates that rule and becomes difficult even with the hintbook, Aquaria is more succesful, using the inquisitive nature of the player in combination with previous knowledge to create a synergy of success. (Being on both the levels of gameplay and storyline).
I feel that the buildup of the energy temple is certainly not cliché, especially because there is a boss-type creature at the very beginning. It demands use of Aquaria's unique gameplay system of singing. Did I mention that system is unique? Furthermore, it is not a traditional "hit hit kill" type thing, and it awards the energy form, solving the practical problem of having no attack brilliantly with a story issue, introducing the beginning of the buildup.
Again, the end demands another solution, something familiar. Adding something unfamiliar would draw an unintentional parallel with the entry fight, ruining the buildup because the start and finish are too similar. Even more important, the human aspect of the player will also force the gamedesign to obey the 70-30 rule. A max of 30 % can be new, or the game will immediately become confusing, difficult, frustrating and so on. Aquaria has always been spot-on in maximizing the unfamiliar and the original with familiar to create solvable puzzles that require more than the usual "drag X to Y" and "recover X of Y" by making use of just those systems. Where Myst violates that rule and becomes difficult even with the hintbook, Aquaria is more succesful, using the inquisitive nature of the player in combination with previous knowledge to create a synergy of success. (Being on both the levels of gameplay and storyline).
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General / Re: New here, Just finished, commenting on the game.
« on: February 19, 2009, 06:55:05 pm »
The problem faced with in this part of the game is which element should be more prominent: the succesfull ending of the story or the gameplay pacing. Game designers will invariably prefer gameplay pacing, because a boss fight can provide a challenge more than once, whereas a story ending can only work succesfully once, meaning any replay attempt of the game will be more boring, with the player knowing the outcome already.
Furthermore, it is essential for the succesful completion of the story and the resulting evaluation that there is a peek in gameplay constancy at the end of certain sections. The Energy temple (from your example) would be dull without a boss fight, the dragging back and forth of the orbs would become tedious and the final part would be anticlimactic, destroying the careful construction of the whole energy temple and invalidating its constancy of proper music, atmosphere and anticipation. The story alone would not be enough of a reward for the completion here, because the way the temple is constructed demands a "crescendo" event. Touching a crystal would only resolve the story aspect, not the required gameplay crescendo.
And adding to that last point is the notice that the storyline of games constantly creates an opposition. There is a goal, usually personified in an enemy (boss), which is superior to the other enemies that you face. The defeat of Mephistophiles at the end of Neverwinter Nights is an example of a boss fight, not a resolution without one. The player is pitted against a mighty devil of the most powerful kind (thus a boss). Just because the option of guile (learning his true name for a load of money) enables you to instantly kill him, does not mean that you do not defeat him.
This is the important difference between the two options you voice. Game designers have ocasionally tried to forego boss fights and create anti-climax resolutions, but they have thus far not been able to fully replace the invention of the "boss" with something else.
Furthermore, it is essential for the succesful completion of the story and the resulting evaluation that there is a peek in gameplay constancy at the end of certain sections. The Energy temple (from your example) would be dull without a boss fight, the dragging back and forth of the orbs would become tedious and the final part would be anticlimactic, destroying the careful construction of the whole energy temple and invalidating its constancy of proper music, atmosphere and anticipation. The story alone would not be enough of a reward for the completion here, because the way the temple is constructed demands a "crescendo" event. Touching a crystal would only resolve the story aspect, not the required gameplay crescendo.
And adding to that last point is the notice that the storyline of games constantly creates an opposition. There is a goal, usually personified in an enemy (boss), which is superior to the other enemies that you face. The defeat of Mephistophiles at the end of Neverwinter Nights is an example of a boss fight, not a resolution without one. The player is pitted against a mighty devil of the most powerful kind (thus a boss). Just because the option of guile (learning his true name for a load of money) enables you to instantly kill him, does not mean that you do not defeat him.
This is the important difference between the two options you voice. Game designers have ocasionally tried to forego boss fights and create anti-climax resolutions, but they have thus far not been able to fully replace the invention of the "boss" with something else.
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