tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.comments2018-09-07T21:31:46.614-07:00Side Quest SagaZenic Reveriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-15458904657713650402018-09-07T21:31:46.614-07:002018-09-07T21:31:46.614-07:00The endings have definitely been a bit underwhelmi...The endings have definitely been a bit underwhelming. I've finished three characters, and hope to come back to this some day (maybe this'll be the year). It might be worth it to reach out to the creators to see if they still have notes on the third game. I read somewhere they had most of it written up, but MasterPlay went under before they could publish.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-40083205265909433112018-09-07T17:51:10.341-07:002018-09-07T17:51:10.341-07:00We finished Star Saga Two with Laran, Professor an...We finished Star Saga Two with Laran, Professor and J. Clerk. It was somewhat fun, but definitely inferior to the first game. Some of the scripting is ambitious with moving Survey line, planets changing under the occupation and other reactivity. But it made the game more linear and gated by gear checks. Ending was underwhelming - no climactic struggle, with a single command you just bomb the entire star system (nonchalantly killing every living soul there). I still want some kind of conclusion, so I'm going to look into tabletop space rpgs to write my own story for and finish the saga.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027616438062465492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-72523864925695292562018-06-03T14:13:18.114-07:002018-06-03T14:13:18.114-07:00Hi! Have you finished the second game?
After two ...Hi! Have you finished the second game?<br /><br />After two years since finishing the Star Saga One we started the part two today with 4 players. It was very fun I am looking forward to the next session already.<br /><br />I wonder, given the game's past tendencies, if the 'time limit' imposed by Clathrans is an another ruse (similar to the threats of character death which turned out impossible) added for the sake of immersion. At least the fleet progress has to be scripted to players actions, otherwise it would be possible to lose without doing anything wrong.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027616438062465492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-16030307049382706092016-06-08T10:02:43.625-07:002016-06-08T10:02:43.625-07:00Yeah, the lack of chapter 3 is a bummer. One possi...Yeah, the lack of chapter 3 is a bummer. One possibility I'm considering, if reception to the part 2 will be good, is to port the characters to a space tabletop RPG and run it, inventing the final part of the story myself.<br /><br />I will definitely report on the second part, however I decided not to run it back to back with the first game to avoid potential burn out, and play some D&D, so we won't be getting our hands on Clathran Menace for a few months.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027616438062465492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-22612006389161137102016-05-30T00:36:46.467-07:002016-05-30T00:36:46.467-07:00Glad to hear it's been appreciated. Let me kno...Glad to hear it's been appreciated. Let me know how the second game goes. I still plan to cover it in a series of posts, but got distracted with other projects. Also, the fact that there isn't a third installment soured my impression of the second, which felt like big lead up with less substance and promise than the first. I have yet to run through multi-player though.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-81577557807314701362016-04-30T16:43:34.813-07:002016-04-30T16:43:34.813-07:00Thanks for doing this series of posts!
Yesterday ...Thanks for doing this series of posts!<br /><br />Yesterday we finished the Star Saga One, and while we started in full force with 6 players, only three made it through the game (Laran, Clerc and Professor), so it was very nice to read through other characters' entries to satisfy curiosity and fill some blanks.<br /><br />Me and my friends were pleasantly surprised with this game and folks already want to start the second chapter :D It was impressive how fair and well structured the game is, and how robust and convenient is the accompanying piece of software.<br /><br />It works very well in multiplayer mode, with constant information trade, jokes and tales of misfortune flying around the table. Dynamics were competitive at first: players were keeping good info (free goodies, prices on markets and shipyards, recipes for complex equipment etc) to themselves and were trading it in one-on-one fashion. Later the atmosphere shifted to cooperative and supportive, we bought resources and guns together, cheered in battles and freely gave away the info from our journeys to comrades.<br /><br />Sometimes, when the game gets it right (like when one player stole the stash that other player made on Sto.Sta.7 or when the bomb exploded on Arthlan and it changed the planet for everyone else) it feels like magic. Unfortunately, such moments are quite rare, and seeing the same course of events in the squirrel war on the path to Warp Core somewhat damages the immersion.<br /><br />Nevertheless, amazing game, I am so glad I decided to run it with my friends. <br />Thanks for the great resource!Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027616438062465492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-48774337366202071242016-02-25T22:18:39.381-08:002016-02-25T22:18:39.381-08:00I didn't. This was running on Windows XP 32-bi...I didn't. This was running on Windows XP 32-bit OS from command line. DOSBox might actually be a more accurate reproduction.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-20338054089946223692016-02-21T19:33:06.021-08:002016-02-21T19:33:06.021-08:00How did you setup your DOSbox to have a square win...How did you setup your DOSbox to have a square window? I can only get wide window with fonts stretched horizontally.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027616438062465492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-44212880568556948052013-11-11T12:21:13.522-08:002013-11-11T12:21:13.522-08:00I suppose a score of 4 would have been better for ...I suppose a score of 4 would have been better for puzzles. I'm not a good judge of them, but they seem sparse and devoid of challenge here. I would have liked to see more variety and usefulness for each tune. Stealing a point from another category would give the score though, so I'm glad I wasn't completely of the mark.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-63940204532640191232013-11-10T10:44:42.144-08:002013-11-10T10:44:42.144-08:00I agree with almost all you've said: sound and...I agree with almost all you've said: sound and graphics were great, but plot was a bit non-existent and environment had no consistent feel. I might have been a bit more positive about the puzzles - at least there are no unfair puzzles. And I might penalize the interface for the use of colours in the spell system, because I had trouble distinguishing the two bluish shades.Ilmari Jauhiainenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-80958561755265423192013-08-16T19:51:30.181-07:002013-08-16T19:51:30.181-07:00Thanks Brian for the links. I don't think I...Thanks Brian for the links. I don't think I'll get back to SS1 again (I don't know anyone interested in playing through it anymore). I've downloaded the SS2 map and will check it out soon.<br /><br />For those wondering (very few of you as I can tell from the page views), yes I've slowed down my playing quite a bit, but I should wrap up in a few months. I'm planning some time in November to write up everything on Star Saga Two into a cohesive presentation of the full game rather than have a play session review or journal. In the meantime, I'll post the games I've been playing along with Trickster soon, starting with Colonel's Bequest.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-47484751690306095042013-08-16T16:05:44.070-07:002013-08-16T16:05:44.070-07:00I added the SS1 map and threw in my SS1 PDF books ...I added the SS1 map and threw in my SS1 PDF books which are much better scans than the old stuff from HotU. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find decent scans of SS2 anywhere, and unfortunately I lost my physical copy long ago. If I had it, I'd scan it and upload it for you.<br /><br />The SS1 PDFs are ones that I got from http://mocagh.org/ and cleaned up a bit. I sent an email to them requesting that they also scan SS2. Even if they do so, I wouldn't expect it any time soon.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17595516521637663689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-36041256137904389732013-08-15T14:04:14.897-07:002013-08-15T14:04:14.897-07:00Well I seem to have misplaced the map for SS1, but...Well I seem to have misplaced the map for SS1, but here's my SS2 map. Dropbox is the only means to host it that I have. So let me know when you've gotten it, and I'll delete this post.<br /><br />https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c4r71wwo0gd2nfq/0I5XF3wcfH<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17595516521637663689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-84670386185263165752013-08-15T13:19:21.228-07:002013-08-15T13:19:21.228-07:00Sure. I wouldn't mind taking a look at them. D...Sure. I wouldn't mind taking a look at them. Do you have them hosted somewhere?Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-18819104049468259772013-08-15T13:08:32.505-07:002013-08-15T13:08:32.505-07:00I have created maps for Star Sage 1 and 2 which ca...I have created maps for Star Sage 1 and 2 which can be used within Photoshop (or probably any imaging program which supports layers) to play these games. They simply have token images for each player on a separate layer which you move using the move tool. All in all, it seems much easier to use than the old program on HotU.<br /><br />If you'd like to get them, let me know and I'll send 'em to you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17595516521637663689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-40242590751372086682013-04-16T13:44:25.384-07:002013-04-16T13:44:25.384-07:00I confirmed elsewhere, but having just read throug...I confirmed elsewhere, but having just read through all passages, I can confirm you can't actually die in the game. Let's see if the second game added this feature.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-65866507405269931372013-03-16T17:28:07.606-07:002013-03-16T17:28:07.606-07:00I can confirm there is no way to die in this game....I can confirm there is no way to die in this game. The sequel as HP though, so I think they introduced it there.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-6214667144956287622012-12-30T16:51:47.008-08:002012-12-30T16:51:47.008-08:00A small note: The Immature Riallan that takes up a...A small note: The Immature Riallan that takes up a cargo bay will give points as though it was a special unit of cargo.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-18945733348206273902012-10-08T21:06:31.658-07:002012-10-08T21:06:31.658-07:00Fascinating how the developers thought about all t...Fascinating how the developers thought about all these alternatives. You're probably right about no game over existing. It seems strange to mention the possibility in such detail though. Maybe it was planned, and then removed after play-testing.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-54559181741631336872012-10-08T12:25:27.964-07:002012-10-08T12:25:27.964-07:00To address two of your bullet points:
I don't...To address two of your bullet points:<br /><br />I don't think it's actually possible to die in this game, despite the manual's claims. Maybe someone realized it would really suck to have to start all over in a multiplayer game like this. Or maybe that section of the rules was just there to make you panic when your character temporarily died testing the drive system.<br /><br />The bomb on Arthlan can be stopped with Whurffle (from Alkon), Levitation (from Rialla), the Technology Nullifier (from Ascension) or an Anti-Energy Field (from Feldo). Only if you don't have ANY of those does it actually go off. Incidentally, the game is pretty thorough about handling this properly for multiplayer games; there are passages for folks showing up after someone else has set off the bomb (different depending on whether they'd been there before it happened or not) and passages for folks actually ON the planet when the bomb goes off (showing how they get off in the nick of time).<br />Fred M. Slonikerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00160266344815166217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-79673345026615363872012-07-29T08:34:21.920-07:002012-07-29T08:34:21.920-07:00That seems strange; I remember Oblivion being a bi...That seems strange; I remember Oblivion being a bit better about that.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-47390850659784360382012-07-29T06:14:37.737-07:002012-07-29T06:14:37.737-07:00I can kind of accept an old game making that mista...I can kind of accept an old game making that mistake, that you already knew about something, but modern games keep making it! Skyrim avoids it on the first quest (Yes, I already have that item!) but so many times thereafter "Join the Mages guild!" "I AM THE FREAKING ARCHMAGE"Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-23224203662019508992012-07-10T13:30:12.823-07:002012-07-10T13:30:12.823-07:00The majority of narrative is in the books. Only in...The majority of narrative is in the books. Only interactive or immediate decisions are handled by the computer.<br /><br />I'll be posting the rest of the summary throughout this week, finished the game this morning. It took 370 turns, and I ended with a score of 4909/5000. I have no idea where the remaining 91 points are supposed to come from, but I missed one piece of equipment (E.C.M.) and some options were left unexplored (can't get back to them).<br /><br />My short summary I left for Chet wasn't too far off actually, just a lot of details missing that fill in the back story. After all this is done for Professor Dambroke, I'll take a short break before starting the other characters. They should go much faster now that I've mapped out all the planets, choices, and item locations.<br /><br /><br />Back to your point of reference material outside the game software, I agree, and enjoy boxed games for this reason. We recently got a game called Skylanders in our house, which uses figurines to choose your character (you place them on a pad connected wirelessly to the console). At any time, you can swap characters this way, have two players play, and even equip them with items.<br /><br />I'm also fascinated by specialized card based games (Magic the Gathering style) inside games. Twice now I played a game only to get caught up in the card game portion of it and forget where I was in the actual game. It's a wonder I've never got into one game called Eye of Judgment for PS2, but somehow that felt too gimmicky (place cards in front of a camera to have it load in the game).<br /><br />'Where in ... is Carmen Sandiego?' were also a set of games that came with an almanac that was fun to leaf through in order to solve clues presented by the main game.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-88528558742291380602012-07-10T13:12:29.644-07:002012-07-10T13:12:29.644-07:00It was definitely exciting seeing the game world o...It was definitely exciting seeing the game world open up like that. I enjoy being surprised by games, and this was one of the first times a game did that.<br /><br />The whole game is really well written, and intrigue ramps up once the second half of the game starts (after the initial character's quest is completed). I'm expecting a cliff hanger moment at the end of the second game, which I know isn't resolved; I don't have much hope for a third game coming out over 20 years later.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1526043076948519972.post-85029990850348939032012-07-10T13:03:39.588-07:002012-07-10T13:03:39.588-07:00No worries, I've slowed down the pace for you....No worries, I've slowed down the pace for you. ;) I'm hoping to get back to posting in the next couple of days. I got caught up in finishing this game.Zenic Reveriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441583549326102945noreply@blogger.com