martiniii
Joined: January 2010
Posts: 2,116
Location:
|
Post by martiniii on Dec 27, 2013 1:40:59 GMT
I've started a run of this one. Thus far I've found it better than it's reputation suggests. The comic style, cartoonish animations, and medieval fantasy setting all remind me of Blazing Dragons, which is a pleasant memory. Even the voice actor for Rincewind sounds a lot like Flicker. I've been enjoying digging through the Discworld novels lately, and while the game is obviously in a more comedic style than the books, it's still a real treat to see the Discworld and its characters in this form. The voice acting so far is superb all around, though perhaps it helps that I'm from across the pond; I can't get enough of British voices.
Gameplay wise... Haven't gotten far into it yet, but at least it starts you off gently. It really could use mouse support, though. Also, I think I've been a bit spoiled by Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller (3DO); I keep wishing I could bring up a list of all the people and objects in the room that you can interact with.
Question: Is the terrible stuttering/freezing that routinely occurs during animations a flaw of the Saturn version, or is something wrong with my copy?
|
|
|
Post by MIK on Dec 27, 2013 3:58:59 GMT
Never played it, not my thing much like Simon the Sorcerer and that lot of the day... Myst was the only one I gave the time of day to be honest and loved it.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was the Saturn causing the stutter. Yeah the odd game does suffer a little from time to time when processing FMV. Maybe the compression format of the movie file takes a strain on the Saturn in the video department, proper early for it's time and as you might expect a shite codec of that era with some being worse than others. Back then most software houses would create their own unique format of FMV, sound and GFX data ect... so was never standardized unless you were in the know and could borrow an app or two off the top dogs in the business. Tho not something you notice on PSone when running the same game if you get my meaning. PSone was better with FMV anyway.
|
|
srrae
Joined: August 2012
Posts: 302
Location:
|
Post by srrae on Dec 27, 2013 8:44:15 GMT
I thougth Discworld did support the Saturn Mouse?
|
|
NeoGeoNinja
Shadow Warrior
Joined: August 2011
Posts: 6,616
Location:
|
Post by NeoGeoNinja on Dec 27, 2013 12:12:54 GMT
We're probably talking True Motion... the Duck Corporation, right?
|
|
martiniii
Joined: January 2010
Posts: 2,116
Location:
|
Post by martiniii on Dec 29, 2013 17:43:19 GMT
I thougth Discworld did support the Saturn Mouse? Interestingly enough, the game disc does contain the peripheral code for the Saturn mouse according to Madroms's database, but it does not actually support the mouse. I double-checked it just now, to be sure it wasn't a case where the game supports the mouse but the title screen doesn't. It's worth mentioning that Discworld came out in 1995, before the mouse was released (though unless I'm mistaken, Myst came out in 1995 and includes mouse support nonetheless). We're probably talking True Motion... the Duck Corporation, right? Hard to say. The logo for the compression software doesn't appear anywhere on the game's packaging.
|
|
|
Post by buckoa51 on Dec 29, 2013 18:02:22 GMT
Rincewind is voiced by the great Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame.
|
|
|
Post by MIK on Dec 30, 2013 10:16:19 GMT
I was thinking it might even be the buffering from CD to Saturn. The file could be a little on the large size and what once run perfect off some virtua harddrive setup on on PC now struggles after being burned to disc... Also... and Mick is let off this one as he is busy. How many people in the past have posted they have full PAL sets and as yet have not answered this question. That's the sad thing, would take seconds to check and I would do it if I had it.
|
|
|
Post by MIK on Dec 30, 2013 10:24:50 GMT
Rincewind is voiced by the great Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame. That rings a bell. Didn't one of the Monty Python guys voice Simon the Sorcerer on Amiga CD32 as well? Might surprise you, I have an official retail release of Simon the Sorcerer 2 on CD for Amiga lol. There was such a big fuss over it coming to the Amiga at the time, almost like Doom hype of coming that I bought it, not a bad game but I did become stuck after a while and never been back.
|
|
martiniii
Joined: January 2010
Posts: 2,116
Location:
|
Post by martiniii on Jan 3, 2014 4:42:09 GMT
I've progressed a fair bit now. The one strike I see against the game is that there's not a strong sense of objectives... You're just told to gather five random items, and you're not given any indication of where to get some of them. Now that I've retrieved the staff and the imp, I feel like I'm just wandering around trying out items on stuff. Other than that, it's a very nice point-and-click, and I'm surprised it wasn't better received. The humor's still enjoyable, and the voice acting is extremely solid. I'm very happy with the casting for Death. Getting the imp is a well-designed puzzle, though would you believe my first instinct was to put the corn in the bellows and pump it onto the fire? Guess I spent too much time watching cartoons as a kid.
|
|
martiniii
Joined: January 2010
Posts: 2,116
Location:
|
Post by martiniii on Jan 8, 2014 2:09:44 GMT
Anybody else get totally stuck on the dragon's breath? I wasted time trying all sorts of logical things like using the "fine acoustic properties" drinking glass to listen in on the inn's occupants, filling the "bladder buster sized" mug from the toilet can and pouring it in the effluent purification machine (well, it's logical in gameplay terms ), and starching the bloomers. Then I finally consulted a walkthrough to find that you're supposed to use the mirror on the tip of the flagpole. What? But it all made sense once I saw that doing that draws the dragon to fly over, admire itself in the mirror, and randomly breathe fire at it, which somehow transforms it into solidified dragon's breath. Yeah, who wouldn't have guessed that would happen if you put the mirror there. What really kills me is that I've enough experience in adventure game illogic to guess that you might need to lure the dragon over and that a mirror reflection might do the trick, so I had already tried using the mirror on the dragon. I understand why that doesn't work, but why didn't they at least give you some indication you're on the right track if you try that? Okay, enough griping for one post. The concluding cutscenes of Act I were fun. As far from original humor as you can get, but fun. I naturally assumed that the first task for Act II would be checking out the library, but found nothing new there. I went around town and found some amusing new dialogue, a few new items (yaaaay corn flour!), but still nothing that said "problem to be solved". I was very close to checking a walkthrough again. Then I gave the library one more visit, and by chance realized that the shady guy has an invisible banana on his head - the key to advancing in Act II. No idea how play testing missed that, but once I'd spotted it I was on a roll. Unloading all the dragon treasure on the shady guy was very satisfying, like relieving myself of the weight of Earthly possessions. The L-Space is a cool idea, the first part of the game that really makes it stand out from other point-and-clicks. Hiding behind a shelf in the library's past gave a little chill down my spine. Hard to even explain why, but that's great stuff. I stumbled upon Rincewind sleeping in the park (a nice touch, especially with the nighttime lighting) before figuring out how to get to the hideout. Now I just need to figure out how to get in... By the way, I stumbled into one very starting glitch at the city gate: For a few seconds, there were two tiers to the guard tower, each with a sleeping guard. It's not the only time that I've run into graphical glitches while playing this game, but this one was absolutely seamless with the correct graphics. For a moment, I was wondering if there really were two tiers to the guard tower and I had just overlooked the second one at first.
|
|
crue1
Novice
Joined: November 2007
Posts: 41
Location:
|
Post by crue1 on Jan 9, 2014 20:56:07 GMT
Rincewind is voiced by the great Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame. That rings a bell. Didn't one of the Monty Python guys voice Simon the Sorcerer on Amiga CD32 as well? Might surprise you, I have an official retail release of Simon the Sorcerer 2 on CD for Amiga lol. There was such a big fuss over it coming to the Amiga at the time, almost like Doom hype of coming that I bought it, not a bad game but I did become stuck after a while and never been back. No, it was Chris Barrie, famous for being Rimmer in Red Dwarf and Gordon Brittas
|
|
mick_aka
Kickin' it lively!
"Mick is moderately adequate."
Joined: April 2007
Posts: 9,817
Location:
XBL: mickloaf
PSN: mickloaf
Nintendo ID: segamick
|
Post by mick_aka on Jan 9, 2014 22:59:25 GMT
Did anyone get the number of that donkey cart?!
|
|
martiniii
Joined: January 2010
Posts: 2,116
Location:
|
Post by martiniii on Jan 14, 2014 21:44:43 GMT
I'm into Act III now, and have since come to understand better why Discworld wasn't better received. That mirror-on-a-flagpole puzzle was just par for the course for Act II, and Act III is only moderately better. I'm now playing with a walkthrough at the ready. Some of the humor later in the game is pretty painful too. The "humans are repetitive creatures" bit was initially funny, but went on so long that I was convinced the CD was skipping. The string of bad humor wore me down so much that I laughed out loud for the first time in weeks when I saw the "pause" screen in Angel Paradise Vol. 2.
|
|
Xander
Saturn Player
Joined: January 2014
Posts: 51
Location:
|
Post by Xander on Jan 25, 2014 17:46:33 GMT
Hey guys, I'm actually just discovering this game right now. It's kind of difficult to find info out about it. It looks like this was released on PAL and JPN only, is this correct? And does anyone know if the JPN version is able to be played in English?
|
|
NeoGeoNinja
Shadow Warrior
Joined: August 2011
Posts: 6,616
Location:
|
Post by NeoGeoNinja on Jan 25, 2014 18:13:06 GMT
Hey Xander. Just a quick heads up: we use the term JPN or JP to abbreviate the word Japanese. Any reference to the abbreviation as the first 3 letters of the word Japanese will be edited. This is in light of the term "Jap" being considered a racial slur, today. Thanks
|
|