tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post8130070308825477418..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 158: Quest 1 (1981)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-51179948616214151652024-01-28T21:42:14.641-05:002024-01-28T21:42:14.641-05:00I'm only about a decade late, but on the off-c...I'm only about a decade late, but on the off-chance you would still find it of interest (or that anyone else visiting these comments a decade late would), you can find the Best of SoftSide compilation in pdf form here: http://www.atarimania.com/documents/Best-of-SoftSide-Atari-Edition.pdf<br />Quest is on page 17 of the pdf, and there's a bunch of other games with source code and descriptions.snarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-20501395534723625532017-01-19T00:59:16.763-05:002017-01-19T00:59:16.763-05:00I played quite a lot of Dragon Quest as a kid. Int...I played quite a lot of Dragon Quest as a kid. Interestingly it calls itself "QUEST 3" in the menu. Was there ever a Quest 2?Fujihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04421378428215375384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-58284314678630022792016-03-15T21:33:51.107-04:002016-03-15T21:33:51.107-04:00You're going to see at least one more quite so...You're going to see at least one more quite soon.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-88037303424330609612016-03-15T16:08:00.060-04:002016-03-15T16:08:00.060-04:00I guess Quest 1 was important to a number of peopl...I guess Quest 1 was important to a number of people. I've found another version of called "Quest for Gold" and a slightly enhanced version called "Dragonquest v3.14" by Matt Pritchard (both for Atari 8-bit).<br /><br />The Dragonquest one has a (c) of 1983 and a notice saying it was released into the PD in 1986. <br /><br />I wonder how many other variants there are?<br />Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04392929433544603494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-72922217765955012922016-02-01T21:35:05.909-05:002016-02-01T21:35:05.909-05:00This is really a wonderful write up for a game I n...This is really a wonderful write up for a game I never got to play enough. It was a difficult game!<br /><br />At the time, the game was cool for doing graphics without graphics, and having something to do with Dungeons and Dragons. I was glad to learn the nugget that it's only 400 lines of code. Amazed.<br /><br />The fact that it was written by a 12 year old is just stellar. What adult could code back then, though? VCRs anyone?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16750638120311638080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4069235857791350462015-06-26T08:26:20.680-04:002015-06-26T08:26:20.680-04:00It still wouldn't GIMLET nearly as well as Poo...It still wouldn't GIMLET nearly as well as Pool of Radiance (my guess is in the 40's)- but not much would.EriChanTheRetroGamerNerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862547154849146963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87089565410917369502015-06-25T22:11:22.763-04:002015-06-25T22:11:22.763-04:00Ok, you do make a good point actually. I was think...Ok, you do make a good point actually. I was thinking of it compared to Pool of Radiance. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-19621887668426532392015-06-25T21:43:48.690-04:002015-06-25T21:43:48.690-04:00You do get to pick whether to raise your HP, FP, o...You do get to pick whether to raise your HP, FP, or BP at each level up (in fact that's the *only* benefit to leveling up) so you do have a lot of control as to how you develop Mario within the constraints of the game's system. (Although somewhat less in Paper Mario 64, since you can only get so many levels of each type total, and hitting max level by the end is very realistic.) Still though, I think the PM games would GIMLET decently but not spectacularly for things like enemy descriptions from Gombario/Gombella, customization through badges, Sound and Interface, the fact that the game world responds to your actions well (and is very consistent), and interesting NPCs with their own stories. Paper Mario is decent as an RPG, but better as a cartoony/actiony/silly game that's wonderfully fun.EriChanTheRetroGamerNerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862547154849146963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-25536683018705814362015-06-25T21:12:34.422-04:002015-06-25T21:12:34.422-04:00Oh, they are great games. However, I don't thi...Oh, they are great games. However, I don't think they emphasis the things that Chet would enjoy. They have very little exploration, you don't need a map, you don't get any choices when levelling up except which badges to equip (To be fair, I think that can change your playstyle a lot), and you can't name your characters. Also, there isn't a ton of deep Mario lore to explore. I don't recall any puzzles worth mentioning either. <br /><br />Great game, but I don't think Chet would be a big fan; the circles between 'great game' and 'Chet will love this' are not perfect overlaps by any means. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-33404298748657040432015-06-25T20:31:49.016-04:002015-06-25T20:31:49.016-04:00Paper Mario (at least the first two), for what the...Paper Mario (at least the first two), for what they are, are some of my favorite games ever. They're cartoony and goofy, but they work well, and do things like make fun of the fact that they're games (and to a lesser extent, RPGs) sparingly enough to make it funny and surprising when it happens. Not to mention that with the badge system, there's a lot of depth to the gameplay; I just wish they weren't so easy.EriChanTheRetroGamerNerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862547154849146963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-75941483330264183062015-06-25T17:55:50.809-04:002015-06-25T17:55:50.809-04:00(For those wondering at me writing long comments a...(For those wondering at me writing long comments at 3 pm: I'm home sick, and writing them in bits while I wait for images to save, and then for PNGGauntlet to squish them to a size I can use in a powerpoint)Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-12866698184632930662015-06-25T17:55:04.246-04:002015-06-25T17:55:04.246-04:00OHoRG: Shhhh, I'm making a joke. I don't w...OHoRG: Shhhh, I'm making a joke. I don't want Chet to snap and beat me to death with a giant 1990s CRPG manual. <br /><br />はかせの外人: I did forget Paper Mario. Pokemon Stadium wouldn't count, as you can't level your pokemon in it, you have to use them in the game for that, and it just provides an interface to the cartridge. I don't THINK you can use items, but could be wrong. <br /><br />Paper Mario: You play Mario, in a story book, so he is 2D. You level up as you defeat enemies. You can buy and find items. You get companions, and can use one at a time (switching whenever you want). Battles are on a stage (literally), and you choose moves from a list, which then have a fast timing game that lets you store multiple hits, critical hits, etc. You get badges which give new/better abilities and stat upgrades, the number you can have equipped is level dependent. Also you can use the fact that it is 2D in some cases, turning Mario into a paper airplane for example.<br /><br />The thing you won't like is that N64 RPGs tend to be very linear.<br />I've watched a bit of a Hybrid Heaven Let's play: Person doing it tells that it is one of the most linear games ever,.<br /><br />Quest 64: Areas to explore, and you can backtrack, but only one way to move forward.<br /><br />Ogre Battle 64: Battles are on tacticle maps. Can pick what region to go to but are in a line. Sometimes there are branches. Can go back to old maps to find hidden items and such. <br /><br />Aiden: Not sure. There were areas you'd have to map, and places to explore, but I think the game overall is linear? I only had it for a weekend, and Nintendo Power only went to the end of the tutorial mission. <br /><br />Paper Mario: There are towns and dungeons. All side-scrolling, but with doors, elevators, side passages. However, you can't go anywhere you want, I don't think. Some free roaming. <br /><br />I think you'd find Ogre Battle interesting, but not your cup of tea, and Hybrid Heaven I think you'd find interesting to write about, but not play (Unique game mechanics: What other game do you level up your left and right arms speretly, and learn moves by having enemies do them to you? (None for the first, Blue Mages in some Final Fantasy games on the second). <br />Quest 64 and AIden: I think you'd find them primitive true RPGs. I think you'd talk about the real time combat a bit, and breeze through them each with very little trouble, neither hating nor loving them. Paper Mario I expect you would find childish and hate. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-82136497857494098362015-06-25T14:42:46.468-04:002015-06-25T14:42:46.468-04:00You should also get her a Genesis emulator: That ...You should also get her a Genesis emulator: That system has a lot of awesome games, most of them made by Treasure. Sega's games age very poorly, unlike Nintendo which is great at any time but there are a few exceptions like Phantasy 4 and Shining Force.Obdurate Hater of Rhythm Gamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-80848378392404872232015-06-25T13:23:34.651-04:002015-06-25T13:23:34.651-04:00You forgot Paper Mario :P
Also, does Pokemon Stad...You forgot Paper Mario :P<br /><br />Also, does Pokemon Stadium let you use items? If it does it might count by Chet's defenition.<br /><br />And there's some Ultraman RPG or something in Japan, I think.EriChanTheRetroGamerNerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862547154849146963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-21322235632799544622015-06-25T13:05:56.136-04:002015-06-25T13:05:56.136-04:00To further the joke while I'm on break:
Quest ...To further the joke while I'm on break:<br />Quest 64: One character trying to avenge the death of his father. 5 stats that level with use (One for each type of elemental damage, plus strength. Not sure if HP goes up, I only rented it once.) You can find all sorts of items, lots of healing ones. <br /><br />Aiden Chronicles: The First Mage: One main character, poisoned at the start of the game. On a quest to get cured before he dies. You get various NPCs to join your quest. Class/level system. Movement in real time, attacks are stats based. Lots of gear and equipment. <br /><br />Hybrid Heaven: Modern day conspiracy setting. You play a clone who screwed up a mission to replace the president with a clone. Lots of healing and attack items. Stats level by using them, as do body parts. Has some (easy) shooting segments, but most combat is via martial arts and is mostly stat based, but with real time movement. The only RPG you'll see with a variety of kicks, throws and pins to level up!<br /><br />and sorry, it turns out there are FOUR English language RPGs on the system: Ogre Battle 64, my favourite game for the system counts via your definition: Dozens of NPCs with one main character (Magnus), all of which can level. Inventory is several hundred items types. You can also recruit pretty much any creature in the game into your army. If you only played one N64 RPG, I'd probably say this one, even though it is more of a stratagy game. It is one of the first games with multiple endings: If you play through without a guide you WILL get the "You care only for battle" ending. Even WITH a guide I wasn't doing very well as a kid, which is why I never beat it. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-86444807313810962982015-06-25T12:01:25.177-04:002015-06-25T12:01:25.177-04:00I just realised that I've been helping my girl...I just realised that I've been helping my girlfriend get emulators up and running so she can play some early games she missed as a kid. So if you need help getting NES and SNES emulator up and running.... (Just kidding. They are dead easy to run. Far simpler then DOSBOX. We've been using puNES and SNES9x on her computer and BSNES on my gaming machine.)<br /><br />On the other hand: CHET! I DEMAND YOU PLAY ALL THREE RPGS ON THE N64! *Gets a sign and pickets the outside of the blog* *Fails to notice the sign says 'half off pork buns'*Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-10435682867910146782015-05-31T21:13:58.955-04:002015-05-31T21:13:58.955-04:00Wouldn't realtime OCR be able to manage it? I...Wouldn't realtime OCR be able to manage it? If not, you could make a table file for each individual game (takes maybe an hour or so if you know what you're doing,) have it read kana onscreen (which should be trivial with a table file, since with a table file the translator knows to look for tile 2E being output rather than looking for "か", for instance) and feed that into a machine translator. Granted, it would have to detect line breaks and such (unless it was being fed the control codes for the text, which aren't strictly speaking graphical tiles) but it should be very doable. Also with most 16-bit games, you'd have to code it for kanji, VWFs, and more stuff, at which point realtime OCR just seems more practical.EriChanTheRetroGamerNerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862547154849146963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-76969836701233316962015-05-31T20:00:33.508-04:002015-05-31T20:00:33.508-04:00Based on what I know, such a thing would be very d...Based on what I know, such a thing would be very difficult to program for a console emulator. <br /><br />In a PC, text processing is handled by the OS. Consoles don't generally possess an OS, as the cartridge either has the entirety of the game into memory instantaneously with power-on, or has its own subroutines to decompress data. Thus, there's no memory register or system call that you can point to and always say "this is a 'の' character, and this is a '人', etc." You would need a program for each individual game, and that assumes that they stored the text in an easy character map, which is not guaranteed. Gnomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920812227941556716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-15434194169065060232015-05-31T19:45:00.744-04:002015-05-31T19:45:00.744-04:00I don't remember exactly, but I think there mi...I don't remember exactly, but I think there might be a special NES emulator, maybe some variant of FCE Ultra which allows something like this.<br /><br />There's also a thread over at vndb.org where somebody describes his efforts to hook console emulators, but it's not trivial compared to Windows/PC-98 computers. There have been some developments I wasn't aware of, instead of AGTH there's ITH now, which is easier to use. There's also a special version of Neko Project now, which opens up many more PC-98 games for this kind of translation.<br /><br />Trypticonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-69547085373256605062015-05-31T19:00:32.183-04:002015-05-31T19:00:32.183-04:00Now I have to ask- are there any such programs for...Now I have to ask- are there any such programs for console emulators (NES/SNES/etc.?)EriChanTheRetroGamerNerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10862547154849146963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-36958771514722286822015-03-23T16:26:42.759-04:002015-03-23T16:26:42.759-04:00It has nothing to do with available tools.
The th...It has nothing to do with available tools.<br /><br />The thing is that with the old systems, code was constantly in your face. When you turned on the Commodore 64 or Vic-20, you didn't get a GUI, you got a cursor. IIRC, you needed to know a couple of SYS commands to even be able to kick off some games.<br /><br />A lot of the early commercial games like Telengard, you could actually look at the code and the way BASIC is written, it was easy to see what was doing what, and that encouraged playing around.<br /><br />Also, if you worked on a piece of code for a while, even a teenager could put together a game that wouldn't look all that much worse than the stuff he would see in magazines or on the shelves at Egghead Software. Today, it took me an embarrassing amount of time just to put together a really low-end app, most of which was spent on music and graphics. And don't get me started on how much fun it is to deal with Apple.<br /><br />It's not that kids can't learn this stuff or that the tools aren't out there. It's that the tools aren't directly connected with gaming and fun anymore. They're work. And it takes a long time to get good enough to make anything worthwhile.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-64741369773855579552014-08-26T12:22:59.463-04:002014-08-26T12:22:59.463-04:00I tihnk Anex is the only PC-98 emulator that plays...I tihnk Anex is the only PC-98 emulator that plays nicely with AGTH without having to mess around with H codes, which is unfortunate as people generally say Next is the better emulator. But, yeah, to get a machine translation of a PC-98 game as you're playing, just download the Anex emulator, then make a shortcut to it. Download AGTH, then change the shortcut so instead of saying "C:\anex86.exe" (or wherever you placed it) it says "C:\agth.exe /c C:\anex86.exe" (again, or wherever you placed agth). Now run the shortcut, and AGTH will automatically hook into Anex. After some text comes up on screen use the drop down menu to find the thread titled Anex, and it will then automatically copy any text that appears in the game to the clipboard.<br /><br />Now you just need some translation software that's set up to automatically translate anything placed on the clipboard from Japanese to English, for example Atlas (with its Quick Atlas utility).Showsninoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17954620997154597702014-08-18T16:14:54.168-04:002014-08-18T16:14:54.168-04:00"[A] programming language is not shipped by d..."[A] programming language is not shipped by default in a modern OS."<br /><br />Use *anything* other than M$ drivel and you'll find that they do, indeed have a variety of languages shipped with the OS. Perl, Python, and Bash being the most common.tlhonmeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03256644187305759072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-3915478485055255382014-08-17T10:04:38.633-04:002014-08-17T10:04:38.633-04:00The problem isn't som much that there are no k...The problem isn't som much that there are no kid-friendly programming languages nowadays. The big problem is that the computer you are programming on is so much more complex.<br /><br />It was entirely possible to learn most everything there is to know about C64, Apple II, TRS-80 or the Spectrum. But trying to understand the modern computer is so much more complex what with graphic cards, comples CPU:s and a much, much more complex OS.Ragnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-92177497711251892662014-08-16T20:38:20.819-04:002014-08-16T20:38:20.819-04:00English text in these early Japanese games isn'...English text in these early Japanese games isn't unusual, there are even some which are entirely in English, but I don't recall any RPG-like ones among them. Maybe the first Hydlide? I tried Phantasie IV a long time ago. The interface is English, and it seems navigable, but messages are still Japanese.<br /><br />To my knowledge the only tool that can capture text from an emulator is AGTH, which is also what that linked ChiiTrans app uses. Emulator-wise it's restricted to PC-98 emulation though, primarily it's rather used with Windows games.<br /><br />Trypticonnoreply@blogger.com