So whens the sequel? :p

[FaeDyne]

MM discussion? awesome!!!

Could you maybe take that to another thread if it's going to continue? I know this discussion of a sequel is probably mostly over, but I'm interested in a sequel and don't want to keep coming in here thinking there's discussion about a sequel if there isn't.

[inkblob]

and here's me checking to see if the modest mouse conversation was being added to 

[ilGaspa]

Yeah, its not about criticism, its more about making something intensely personal that costs years of your life and much personal strain and then realizing that it wasn't worth it.

(sorry for the bad english)

May I ask you why you say it wasn't worth it..? I think that with Aquaria you and Derek created a masterpiece, one of the things a person should look back to and think "Look at what I've been able to do"... I would be proud if a day I'll ever be able to do something as great as what you done creating Aquaria... so why aren't you?

And speaking of the sequel..well, Aquaria it's your story, only you can decide if it has to go on or if it ends there As I said, I think it's a masterpiece..the ending left me sad, but I guess that just like life not all things are destined to end happily..still I'd love to know what will be of Naija, trapped inside that crystal.. If I can ask you, should you a day decide definitely that Aquaria ends there, would you tell us what you meant to say with the ending?

[Alec]

I don't know, it was worth it to me personally on some level, but not as much as I wanted it to be.

[Archeus]

I don't know, it was worth it to me personally on some level, but not as much as I wanted it to be.

Hmm, I guess I could see it your way. You really didn't think you accomplished much? Was it due to the numbers of sales? Probably not, but let me tell ya something bro. A good number of the gamers nowadays (sorry if this is a generalization) are a bit more into the violence games (which is ok, but there should be a nice balance) than deep thought story telling games like Aquaria. And that's a sad observation(fact?) in my opinion.

 At first glance this game "may" look a bit kiddish, but it really isn't. It talks about life. It talks about peoples mistakes and the outcome of them. This game really has a deep deep level of thinking if you sit down and think about it. And to me that's a rare gem in the swamp infested game industry these days.

You know I may be spinning wheel or rehashing things many have said. But for what its worth, you guys did great with this game. I would gladly take it over any of the first person shooters coming out there.

My question to you overall is: What "is" worth it?

Oh and good luck with those other games i've read about. I'll keep an eye out for them.

Mt two cents.

[silverflagon]

I don't know, it was worth it to me personally on some level, but not as much as I wanted it to be.

Hmm, I guess I could see it your way. You really didn't think you accomplished much? Was it due to the numbers of sales? Probably not, but let me tell ya something bro. A good number of the gamers nowadays (sorry if this is a generalization) are a bit more into the violence games (which is ok, but there should be a nice balance) than deep thought story telling games like Aquaria. And that's a sad observation(fact?) in my opinion.

 At first glance this game "may" look a bit kiddish, but it really isn't. It talks about life. It talks about peoples mistakes and the outcome of them. This game really has a deep deep level of thinking if you sit down and think about it. And to me that's a rare gem in the swamp infested game industry these days.

You know I may be spinning wheel or rehashing things many have said. But for what its worth, you guys did great with this game. I would gladly take it over any of the first person shooters coming out there.

My question to you overall is: What "is" worth it?

Oh and good luck with those other games i've read about. I'll keep an eye out for them.

Mt two cents.

I strongly second this opinion Alec, your game is awesome in many ways and I am finding that so I haven't found a fighting game that pleases me even half as much as Aquaria.  (That is my opinion only so please no counter arguments please)

[Zoko]

Good one Archeus, you've really made some good points. Alec's been going 'it won't really be worth it' but hasn't specified what worth it really is. Whats up, Alec?

[Nightmareshadow]

I don't know, it was worth it to me personally on some level, but not as much as I wanted it to be.

Hmm, I guess I could see it your way. You really didn't think you accomplished much? Was it due to the numbers of sales? Probably not, but let me tell ya something bro. A good number of the gamers nowadays (sorry if this is a generalization) are a bit more into the violence games (which is ok, but there should be a nice balance) than deep thought story telling games like Aquaria. And that's a sad observation(fact?) in my opinion.

 At first glance this game "may" look a bit kiddish, but it really isn't. It talks about life. It talks about peoples mistakes and the outcome of them. This game really has a deep deep level of thinking if you sit down and think about it. And to me that's a rare gem in the swamp infested game industry these days.

You know I may be spinning wheel or rehashing things many have said. But for what its worth, you guys did great with this game. I would gladly take it over any of the first person shooters coming out there.

My question to you overall is: What "is" worth it?

Oh and good luck with those other games i've read about. I'll keep an eye out for them.

Mt two cents.

I've gotta agree here.

Aquaria is something truly unique, stunningly beautiful and amazingly haunting...sadly most gamers won't even budge from their recliners if a game doesn't have half a ton of blood, and twice as many curses...i'll be honest, when i first saw Aquaria, i thought "Hmm...that's kinda neat..."  Figured i'd pick it up, see what it was about.  Never expected it to be...so stunning.  In f act, it's revitalized my faith in Indie games.  Even if it wasn't as good financially as it could be, Aquaria is something well worth exploring.  TIm Schaffers Psychonauts was disturbing, fantastic, and amazingly funny...it sold incredibly poorly, but he still hopes to make a sequel.  I guess what my long spiel is trying to say, to Alec, Derek, and all fans, is that we shouldn't be swayed by sales numbers, or any of that.  You put your heart into the game, and it's one of the best i've ever played.  I'd be really disappointed if a sequel never came...I'm keeping the faith for a sequel.  If you didn't think you'd accomplished much, just look at the forums...how many thousands of us are waiting for sequel?  Those are all lives you touched(okay, i'll stop before i get sappy here.)

Side note to Alec, I'm keeping tabs on your work.  Heroes and Villains is neat and all(not so interested because i lack an iphone), but i'm really interested in seeing where you might go with Marion.  You've got a real talent for storytelling.  Keep at it.

[Chibi]

Couldn't agree with you more - Aquaria touched me, and a sequel would simply make my [insert interminably long period of time here]. 

[Nightmareshadow]

Month?  Try decade(seriously, i'd wait ten years for a sequel if i had too...worked for Valkyrie profile)

An Aquaria sequel...might just give me a heart attack(the good kind)

Derek seems to be interested in making one, even if Alec is a little hesitant...do you think it could work without Alec?

It's hard for me to imagine Aquaria being Aquaria without Alec's music, even with Derek's fantastic art.

[Xiagan]

Derek seems to be interested in making one, even if Alec is a little hesitant...do you think it could work without Alec?

Where do you have that from? Atm Alec is the one still involved and supporting the game.

btw, Valkyrie? Like, Septerra Core?

[Zoko]

If Alec and Derek are to make a sequel it would have to be after Heroes and Villains, after Marian, and after he gets all his other projects out of the way. And of course all the legal crap involved with it. And I would imagine that by the time he gets finished with all that he'd be pretty worn-out. And the last thing he needs is a bunch of screaming fans demanding that he do more work. I think we should let Alec take a break, because after all, he deserves it. If he started working on a sequel right away he won't be able to put all his effort into it (and possibly wouldn't want to) which results in a worse game, which is bad for all. I would rather he made the game later and to it's full capacity, because a game like Aquaria deserves a good sequel.

[Xiagan]

Alec doesn't take breaks, he takes new (awesome) projects and sugarcoat them as breaks. 

[Nava]

we shouldn't be swayed by sales numbers, or any of that.  You put your heart into the game, and it's one of the best i've ever played.  I'd be really disappointed if a sequel never came...I'm keeping the faith for a sequel.  If you didn't think you'd accomplished much, just look at the forums...how many thousands of us are waiting for sequel?  Those are all lives you touched

When Alec talks about whether or not it was "worth it," he's not talking about sales at all. Like you said, he put his heart into it. Making Aquaria was an extremely draining process for him on a personal level, and I think there are a lot of bad memories associated with that time (good memories as well,  of course, and lots of learning experiences) that make him reluctant to volunteer himself for it doing it all again. He recognizes and appreciates that there are many fans eager to learn the rest of the story... the decision to make a sequel or not isn't hinging on how many fans ask for it, he knows that the demand is there. It's just personal stuff, guys. Alec is the sort of person who will not commit to a project unless he knows he can put all his passion toward it from start to finish; given the emotional connections that were made during the making and release of Aquaria, I don't think he's yet at a point where he can commit that much energy and know that he will come out alright on the other side.
I'd love to see the sequel too, but I think we have to be patient here and respect his decisions and try to understand his hesitance against just gung-ho-ing it. 

Derek seems to be interested in making one, even if Alec is a little hesitant...do you think it could work without Alec?

They are both "interested," of course, it's their baby. But there are other factors that limit the realistic chances of it happening. Both Alec and Derek are really busy and committed to their current projects and other ideas swirling in their heads. But taking a "mental time-out" from one project to complete something entirely different is definitely beneficial for motivation, I find. 

Alec doesn't take breaks, he takes new (awesome) projects and sugarcoat them as breaks. 

A greater truth has not been spoken.   

[Chibi]

Alec doesn't take breaks, he takes new (awesome) projects and sugarcoat them as breaks. 

A greater truth has not been spoken.  

Indeed not - who would of thought that Alec could work on Paper Moon and Heroes & Villains after the labor of love that is Aquaria? [Admittedly, they are small projects compared to Aquaria, but they still require work.]