So whens the sequel? :p

[delve]

Aquaria is still a game, there has to be gameplay, not scenes with interaction like the oh-so-lacking Kingdom Hearts.

Well, some sort of cutscene is necessary if the developers want to tell their own story rather than let the players make their own.

If you want to make your own story then buy a sandbox game. I've gotten the impression that Saint's Row is decent. Oblivion is another option in a different theme.

Aquaria is a more traditional game of the sort that tells a story. A pretty good story imo, though that's entirely subjective. Half the point of Aquaria as I perceive it is to tell that story; allowing room for the player to make their own story would at best emasculate that intent.

The two aims are different and divergent. It's technically possible to do both, Oblivion makes a decent stab at that, but it requires a massive amount of content to pull off and because you have to allow a player off your story rails they'll almost invariably end up playing in the sandbox more than following your story, which leads (at least for me) to the feeling that the story was sort of tacked on at the end to satisfy a checklist item.

[Align]

Yeah. Hence why cutscenes of some sort are necessary.

[Alphasoldier]

Actually, It was pretty good pulled off in Fallout 3, you had like dozens of different endings and dozens of different paths, which eventually, of course ended up in 1 story line with different outcomes.

But in Aquaria you only once have a choice of path... and further it's only exploring, so I have to give you that. None the less, that doesn't matter to me, the creators of the game are responsible for creating the story, and a damn good one, which Bit-blot has certainly done.

Not a while ago I found a rather interesting piece of dialog that was not used in the story, I'll post it here.

Code: [Select]

"Creature: Who goes there?"
"Naija: It... it is I, Naija."
"Creature: Naija... what a beautiful name."
"Naija: Beautiful?"
"Creature: Come closer, little Naija."
"Naija: ..."
"Naija: In the name of the Old Father! What kind of foul creature are you?"
"Nerhaji: Ha! Foul? I am Nerhaji! Once I was as mighty a God as any. Now reduced to this form... it is more than foul, it is sacrilege."
"Naija: What? Put me down!"
"Nerhaji: You are a defiant one, indeed. One I would have called a sinner, so long ago. One who would have been fed to me, as nothing more than a tasty morsel."
"Naija: *pain* Let... me... go!"
"Nerhaji: This pain you feel Naija, does it make you feel alive?"
"Naija: *pain* What...?"
"Nerhaji: Your bones could be crushed in an instant. Your spirit extinguished from this realm forever."
"Naija: *pain* ..."
"Nerhaji: You may very well be asking yourself, 'Why am I still alive?'"
"Nerhaji: The answer is simple."
"Nerhaji: It is by my grace that you are allowed to continue squirming in my mighty grasp."
"Nerhaji: For you see, Naija; I need something from you."
"Nerhaji: I require a gift, and it is a gift that even a frail mortal as yourself, can provide."
"Naija: *pain* What... do you want..."
"Nerhaji: Quite simply, Naija, I am old. I am tired."
"Nerhaji: I have spent an eternity in this place, longing to be free."
"Naija: *pain* What... makes you think... that I would free you..."
"Nerhaji: Ha! As if I would desire to rule in this dying age. No, Naija... I wish to be free from existence."
"Naija: You want to... die?"
"Nerhaji: What was truly me has long since died. All that remains is to free my spirit."
"Nerhaji: I will teach you the Song that will bind me to the void, once and for all."

Source: \scripts\maps\node_energygod.luaFor some reason I'm glad this wasn't in here. I may be very prejudging, but I don't think this would've come over right.
I'm just saying... the story is good, and looking at this text, you know the team here has put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, time and trouble into this.

[Align]

That's not quite what I meant; the player has a choice, yeah, but it's still developer-made content, rather than stories made from nothing but the players own experience.

[Zoko]

"Nerhaji: Ha! Foul? I am Nerhaji! Once I was as mighty a God as any. Now reduced to this form... it is more than foul, it is sacrilege."
"Naija: What? Put me down!"
"Nerhaji: You are a defiant one, indeed. One I would have called a sinner, so long ago. One who would have been fed to me, as nothing more than a tasty morsel."

Hmm ,looks like this is what later became Mithala (or at least a part of his backstory) This would have been interesting to see in the game, although it's basically:
-I was a god but now im not
-I can kill you but i wont cause i want you to kill me
The conflicting points of this are that A): Even the Creator couldn't kill Naija by merely holding her, I don't see why this 'Nerhaji' would, especially since he seems to be stripped of his godlyness. B): It would make a pretty uninteresting boss fight, especially since this looks like it was to be the energy god, which is the first boss you fight

However this would have still been a great addition to the game, i'm picturing a long, winding passage filled with all sorts of deadly things, leading down to a dark cave, the final resting place of a long forgotten, once powerful creature. I think I would have preferred to get spirit form this way instead of the way you get it in the game. (I was pretty unhappy with those ghost-priest things, it just didn't seem to fit in with everything else.)

[Alphasoldier]

The 'once have a choice of path' I meant that you could get Beast or Nature form first, from there... there will only be one path.

And Zoko, I sort of agree with you, it would have... in a different way, been a great addition to this game, but that would be when the whole story would be different. Naija would way sooner get in to a spiral of dementia, as she calls it. Would you want to live in a world where gods want to kill themselves?
It would be a whole new look at the game, which wouldn't fit in.
Like I said before, the story is solid, and thought about. I don't mind that I need to go in one path, I can go back whenever I want.

[silverflagon]

Whatever's best for you - do it, Alec. But once you've replenished your energy stores, remember those who played Aquaria devoutly, hanging onto Naija's every word and reveling in the beauty of the game. Those are the people who await the sequel. Thank you for the hope of a return to the waters ... 

I am quite willing to wait Alec, but please do create a sequel sometime in the next 2 or 3 years pretty please.. There will always be some who don't like games but most of us love it even players that haven't visited this forum they are out there waiting and hoping.

I haven't forgotten what I told you you know.

[Nava]

I am quite willing to wait Alec, but please do create a sequel sometime in the next 2 or 3 years pretty please..

Heh, it took 2 years to make the first one 

[silverflagon]

Well start to make it then Chrissy lol I don't mind waiting so long as there is something to wait for and no other game has captured me like this one has and I so want to start a version that I haven't played before.

I understand that Alex needs to rest from it who wouldn't

[Zoko]

Naija would way sooner get in to a spiral of dementia, as she calls it. Would you want to live in a world where gods want to kill themselves? It would be a whole new look at the game, which wouldn't fit in.

It wouldn't fit in with the game as it is now, but i'm sure Derek and Alec could have made it fit in if they included it in the first place. Which wouldn't make it less or more perfect, just perfect in a different way. I could imagine having that in the game instead of the priests, and then us going "What? Undead priests? No, that would never work."

I am quite willing to wait Alec, but please do create a sequel sometime in the next 2 or 3 years pretty please..

Maybe at least start on a sequel in the next 2 or 3 years.

[delve]

Hmm ,looks like this is what later became Mithala (or at least a part of his backstory) This would have been interesting to see in the game, although it's basically:
-I was a god but now im not
-I can kill you but i wont cause i want you to kill me

Actually, this is sort of in there. Parts of it as Mithalas' backstory yes. But also, have you forgotten that the energy god essentially gives you the song to slay him? When you enter the temple the statue teaches it to you. Of course there's the obligatory follow the leader chase with the glowing light which triggers a fireball dodging 'fight', but even then you're pretty much given the notes required to win. The whole sequence drips with 'use this to destroy me,' especially with that bit of discarded dialogue exposed. Even more to the point, you are required to use energy form to defeat the god-boss, the very form that the statue of said god teaches you before you're allowed into the rest of the temple. Oh, it made it into the game alright, they just made it more subtle. I suspect if that scene had made it into the game it would have felt a lot more like being hit over the head with a hammer, and probably wouldn't have played out as well.

I was pretty unhappy with those ghost-priest things, it just didn't seem to fit in with everything else.

I can agree with that. Those bosses felt like a 'we need a boss for this form, quick think of something.' I'm sure they weren't and the whole spirit business is hinted at in other parts of Mithalas dialogues, but it just felt a bit forced to me.

[Zoko]

Good point. Although I didn't consider the statue of the god to be an incarnation of the god himself, I've always thought of that part as a testing chamber for the Krotites  to determine if they deserve to wield fireball-hurling powers. I think maybe the statue was infused with the god's power and is always supposed to give you that test. Also, you don't use your energy powers to kill the god directly, you use them to activate the laser-thingy (although, that was probably made with his power too). Although I don't see a reason for that thing to be there, besides providing Naija with a way to kill the god. I don't think any of the Krotites would have tried to use it on him. Oh well, minor inconsistency. One of the challenges of creating a game based on exploration is making a world created solely for the player appear like it isn't.

[delve]

Also, you don't use your energy powers to kill the god directly, you use them to activate the laser-thingy (although, that was probably made with his power too). Although I don't see a reason for that thing to be there, besides providing Naija with a way to kill the god. I don't think any of the Krotites would have tried to use it on him. Oh well, minor inconsistency. One of the challenges of creating a game based on exploration is making a world created solely for the player appear like it isn't.

Ignore the man behind the curtain.

You're right about using the pearl rather than direct fire, and yet you have to use energy bolts to charge the pearl so in the end I think it's the same.
Your interpretation of the statue is also a good point, I've always thought of it (at least after I finished the temple the first time) as being a manifestation of the god himself. Although I don't think it's ever mentioned that the Krotites are singers, and the fact that you can't sing in energy form further suggests that they aren't. Leaving me to question the use of song in a Krotite testing ground.

[Zoko]

Well remember, you don't actually become a Krotite when in energy form, you just harness their fireball-hurling powers. And the verse does flow through most living things. Just because most living things you meet can't sing doesn't mean that you have to be specially designated a singer. Keep in mind that most things you meet are below your level of intelligence. The things that are (presumably) equal or above can sing. Examples are: Mother Nature, Erullians, Whale(I'm pretty sure he's smarter than your average fishy) Simon (he has enough brains to obtain a third cooking slot, wh knows what else he can do).

[delve]

True, but I don't recall song ever being mentioned as being a significant part of any of the other races. Even about Mithalans. The opposite side of the coin you propose is that anyone can sing, but only a few people can wield power with it. Some people are natural singers and can touch your soul with it, some like me can't even keep the same tone through an entire whole note.