A Tale of Two Kingdoms - Deluxe Edition

[Infinitron]

GOG being twats again? Here's the wishlist entry: https://af.gog.com/wishlist/games/a_tale_of_two_kingdoms?as=1649904300

 

[Fizzii]

GOG being twats again? Here's the wishlist entry: https://af.gog.com/wishlist/games/a_tale_of_two_kingdoms?as=1649904300

I think the person who checked out the game wasn't a particular fan of point n click, that's all. The feedback was the game was a bit too niche and small in scope.

installing now

Thanks!

 

[Fizzii]

does acsetup.cfg: gfxfilter=Hq3x not work?

Hmm, 3x nearest neighbour works for me. Is this only peculiar to the 3x scaling?

 

[Fizzii]

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the difference between the two, since I haven't really dabbled in AGS myself. I can ask Radiant when he's awake and get back to you. We normally recommend just using the max scaling though, but I understand that some prefer different window sizes.

Edit: Just saw your new post, let me have a look (but I'll probably still need to ask Radiant about your question).

Edit (2): Is Hq3x meant to apply some softening effects? And yeah, I'll have to ask Radiant about it - though the game graphics weren't drawn to have softening / smoothing done to it.

 

[Fizzii]

StdScale3:
The 3x scaling is just for comparison's sake. As you can see, anti-aliasing filter works fine though the results are blurry. HQ filter doesn't work even though the game correctly recognizes the scaling.

Radiant has confirmed that it has been deliberately disabled. Apparently when we were working on HQ, Corby had expressed that he didn't like the filter, so Radiant disabled it in all our games.

 

[Tramboi]

StdScale3:
The 3x scaling is just for comparison's sake. As you can see, anti-aliasing filter works fine though the results are blurry. HQ filter doesn't work even though the game correctly recognizes the scaling.

Radiant has confirmed that it has been deliberately disabled. Apparently when we were working on HQ, Corby had expressed that he didn't like the filter, so Radiant disabled it in all our games.

And justly so

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Well, time to get pissed off at Geraint again.

 

[lightbane]

Does this new edition include new content compared with the original? If so, how mch?

 

[Fizzii]

StdScale3:
The 3x scaling is just for comparison's sake. As you can see, anti-aliasing filter works fine though the results are blurry. HQ filter doesn't work even though the game correctly recognizes the scaling.

Radiant has confirmed that it has been deliberately disabled. Apparently when we were working on HQ, Corby had expressed that he didn't like the filter, so Radiant disabled it in all our games.

Could you elaborate on how it was disabled? And how to undo it

Radiant has said that apparently you are the first person to ask for this feature ever since HQ was released four years ago. He can put it back, but he wants my opinion on it so I'm going to look at some other AGS games first which have the option enabled (when I get some time, probably this weekend).

Does this new edition include new content compared with the original? If so, how mch?

The new edition includes a new interactive prologue - which shouldn't take too long to go through, but is a step up from the original walls of text in the intro. Everything else is the same; we didn't plan to add copious new amounts of content to this game since we don't really like reinventing the wheel several times (the primary aim was to add a voice pack and make improvements so the game is of higher quality and fit for commercial release).

We're working through clearing our backlog of old projects - after Leylines (4x strategy) and Sub Terra (puzzle), we'll be working on all new content. And Radiant has a couple of ideas for a new adventure

 

[jfrisby]

I just borrowed a winsetup.exe from another recent AGS game to edit the cfg (I prefer to play either in a slightly smaller window, or fullscreen).. It did seem odd not to include a fullscreen option (that I saw anyway). Congrats on the release!

 

[Fizzii]

I think the person who checked out the game wasn't a particular fan of point n click, that's all. The feedback was the game was a bit too niche and small in scope.

and yet they released both of the IQ games

Yes, but it may have been a different person that reviewed the demo of QFI, not to mention there was the excitement of the Kickstarter exceeding its goal by over 200%, and the humour in the demo may have appealed to whoever checked it out.

For OOTT, likewise, they had a KS to show that there was some interest in the game upfront, not to mention that by that stage, Bt would already have a contact who he has built up rapport with.

It's one of those things. We haven't built up enough of a social media presence, haven't done much networking etc so we don't have as much reach to show that our games will sell. It's kind of like nearly starting from scratch because, even though lots of people have played HQ, we can't really reach most of them as they don't follow us on social media.

As to how to improve publicity, well, I've reached out to a bunch of sites so far, and need to find some more; hopefully a couple will write about the game in the near future. As for improving social media (and this is where I struggle), when we create a new game, it'd be a matter of posting more WIPs etc. But I tend to feel a bit spammy if I post too much, so I probably need to be less concerned about that too .

It's also a bit hard to do marketing on top of full time work, a baby and keeping house, and game development. So at least we're not dependent on game making paying the bills, and hopefully with word of mouth and time, more people will pick it up so that we can fund future games.

 

[Fizzii]

Radiant has said that apparently you are the first person to ask for this feature ever since HQ was released four years ago. He can put it back, but he wants my opinion on it so I'm going to look at some other AGS games first which have the option enabled (when I get some time, probably this weekend).

Any word on this?

Yep. Radiant just sent me a screenshot comparison since I couldn't find a game where I could enable the option. The smoothing effect isn't great as it means some things look overly smooth (e.g. the wood texture), but it doesn't seem ridiculously blurry like the antialias filter. So I've told him that it's fine to enable for those that really want to play the game like this.

Comparison below:

 

[Lambonius]

You could just smear Vaseline all over your monitor and achieve a similar visual effect.

 

[MRY]

I wonder if there will be a point, 20 years in the future, where graphics that look like they had terrible HQx filters will be the retro fad.

 

[Fizzii]

v2.02 is now available:

18 November - Radiant
We've uploaded an updated version on Steam, v2.0.2. Please note that saved games from 2.0 and up are fully compatible with this version.

Enable HQ graphics filter.
Gameplay fixes: crash picking up the rope while swimming, and getting the notepad when skipping a cutscenes, and achievements 'Wisdom of the Bards' and 'Fierce Warrior' not work properly.
Fix minor glitches when toppling statue, hotspot on the city bluff, apprentice skipping first dialogue, Branwyn responding when not in the room.

oasis789 You now have the option to turn the filter on.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Got this recently after forgetting to check it out for years, finished today. Really cool game, the 2nd Crystal Shard AG I've finished after Heroine's Quest, and two things that really, really stand out/are impressive about these are the technical aspects (like the random animal spawns, citizens in the city, some very clever puzzle mechanics) and the non-linearity + lots upon lots of optional content that ties into the main 'quest' + multiple quest solutions. I can't imagine how much time and effort planning it all up takes.

My final score was 83% wisdumb and 77% humour, but I wanna at the very least try to handle the final chapter in some other way.

Spoiler

Never found Rhiannon, wonder if I can succeed without turning Geraint into a goose.

As for other things, I also never got my belt back and didn't take the Changeling out of not-Tir Na Nog (which only makes me wonder how the hell can that be done because it did look like a thing to do, but I can think of no ways to do it whatsoever)

There were on the whole only 3 things, I think, that had me stumped or which I thought were really dumb:

Spoiler

1. This is the prime thing that had me REALLY stumped for a long while. The fucking flute at the jeweller's shop. First, the odds of there being a FLUTE at the JEWELLER's are one thing, but second, it being a narrow set of pixels placed in some goddamn glass case and melding in with the background drove me to insanity when I finally learnt how/where to get it. On my first visit to the shoppe I look over every case and exhibit in search of stuff and even then I didn't find it. Seriously, this was just really bad.

2. A bit less infuriating, but also got me stumped - test of strength with the giant. I knew I was supposed to crush the apples somehow. I used them on the giant, I even used them on a nearby rock, but nothing. O you gotta use them on urself, hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

3. Rope ladder in the secret passage. Didn't leave me stumped per se but it was SUPER dumb. Why can't Branwyn just GIVE YOU A LEG UP?!

How many people figured out who the murderer was and what his motives were without resorting to a walkthrough ? Seriously ?

I dunno how it was handled in the original gaem, but in the Deluxe Edishun (tm) it seemed fairly obvious to me:

Spoiler

My final list of suspects was narrowed down to only 2 gits: Finegas the monkor and the smith. I was 99% certain that it was the munk because I figured he was writing letters in his cell and then sending them out via pigeon through the small hole. He even had a book on black magic in the room too. Also brown clothes when the cloth patch from the murderer was also brown/dark/black (yeah which was dum because "it was from Carbonek", but I thought it extended to Theylinn in general).

But then I get an epiphany - blacksmith was the only one who coulda forged the forged blade. He was also in the castle boozing with Midir but nobody else saw him at it. And he wanted to get a stronk leader on the throne who'd get rid of the goblins. The only bit that didn't really fit was the letter with the pigeon - I never thought it likely that the simpleton smith would even be literate, especially since illiteracy among simpletons is stressed often with Branwyn.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Did you find the Changeling's counterpart? That's all it took to return him.

 

[Jaedar]

Got this recently after forgetting to check it out for years, finished today.

Same, liked it, but preferred Heroine's quest.

Felt like I missed a lot of crap, so I started a new game and was immediately greeted with developers commentary. Kewl.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Did you find the Changeling's counterpart? That's all it took to return him.

Was it perchance

Spoiler

Ruadh?

If so, well, considering I got to interact with him like twice in the whole game before he vanished for good... :/

 

[Tramboi]

Spoiler

Ruadh?

If so, well, considering I got to interact with him like twice in the whole game before he vanished for good... :/

Yep, missed the opportunity on my first run and it unlocks several things you/I missed.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Did you find the Changeling's counterpart? That's all it took to return him.

Was it perchance

Spoiler

Ruadh?

If so, well, considering I got to interact with him like twice in the whole game before he vanished for good... :/

Yeah,

Spoiler

Just chuck the orc rune at him and note his reaction. Also save that rune for Rhiannon in the goblin invasion.

 

[Fizzii]

Now 20% off again: http://store.steampowered.com/app/603870/A_Tale_of_Two_Kingdoms/

And Darth Roxor recommends it, so that means something (Thanks for the feedback btw, I'll copy to Radiant and maybe he can make the flute sparkle a bit).

A Tale of Two Kingdoms has also been nominated in several categories in the AGS Awards - please check out the games there, and if you feel it deserves it, give us a vote for Best Writing / Best Programming / Best Voice Work / Best Background Art: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/awards/vote/ (to be honest, Radiant is well overdue for a Best Programming award )

Also, in case anyone was curious about the puzzle game Beer!, it is now available on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/782280/Beer/

The Crystal Shard Adventure Bundle is also 50% off: store.steampowered.com/app/551840/Crystal_Shard_Adventure_Bundle/

 

[Fizzii]

Bump. Our games, including ATOTK, are currently 50% off. Happy Halloween!

 

[Fizzii]

A Tale of Two Kingdoms is currently 40% off, and the Crystal Shard Adventure Bundle is 50% off during this Steam Winter Sale. Our list of games can be found here: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/CrystalShard

In other (non-adventure) news, we are veeerrrrry close to releasing Leylines on Steam. Just one bug to fix and need to prove that there are 180+ units in the game. Store page here, and will be announcing in the strategy forum when it's out.

 

[OndrejSc]

Why you no make adventure games?