Orion Prime : ordering has started !

[ukmarkh]

@mr_lou: that's a great idea. Since my girlfriend finished all the online point-and-click adventures she could find, I'll propose OP next!

...unless she starts replaying Phantasmagoria first...

If she hasn't played it already, The CPC Adventure is a fine point and click game. Outside the CPC tell her to try Full Throttle, Sam and Max and Blade Runner.

[Targhan]

>On the minicd, there's a folder named PICTURES that's empty. Is that   supposed to be empty?

Yes, it is empty. It's a folder created by default, I didn't ask for it to be created.


>I didn't think it was too much trouble   making it possible for the user to select output method.

Come on... I worked my ass off to get a 18,3 Khz music, a quality that no one even thought was possible with three channels... Don't ask me to do more than that just because you suddenly discovered an almost-never-used card some fifteen years after its creation...

Trg.Aks

[mr_lou]

>I didn't think it was too much trouble   making it possible for the user to select output method.

Come on... I worked my ass off to get a 18,3 Khz music, a quality that no one even thought was possible with three channels... Don't ask me to do more than that just because you suddenly discovered an almost-never-used card some fifteen years after its creation...

With all due respect, you need to work on your perception of things.
I never asked you to do anything. I merely explained that, with my limited knowledge, I didn't think it was a big job to include Digiblaster output. I'm not saying what you did isn't great, but I have no clue how many hz is possible and not possible, so I wouldn't know if 18,3 Khz music is great or not. I do know however that a Digiblaster sound-output sounds better than what's possible with digitized music on AY-output, even though it's 18,3 Khz. I'm still not saying that what you did isn't great here.
Try to understand that I'm not following the scene as such, and I wouldn't know what's been done and what's not been done. The name Arkos however pops up a lot, so I just assumed that this would probably be one of those groups that would use such stuff.

Could you please try to remember that I am in no way complaining or mocking you with my posts. I would appreciate if you also didn't mock me. Thanks.

[Targhan]

>Could you please try to remember that I am in no way complaining or mocking you with my posts. I would appreciate if you also didn't mock me. Thanks.


I don't mock or insult you in any kind of way. Please note how I always answered your previous post about digidrums and stuff, because I think it's important to spread knowledge, and I always help people when they ask questions.


However, we present you a five years work game, with more innovations in one introduction that in all professional games combined, so please forgive me if your remark sounded a little irritative.


Play the game, enjoy it for what it is, have fun. If you're interested in doing better than us, I'd be delighted to give some clues on how to do it.

[mr_lou]

However, we present you a five years work game, with more innovations in one introduction that in all professional games combined, so please forgive me if your remark sounded a little irritative.

There'll always be people asking questions or making comments that seems stupid to the developers, no matter how long time was spent developing the game.
Such things shouldn't annoy you, even if they are in fact complains about certain lacks. But it's apparent that they do. It's easily read between the lines, when you make suggestions that I should just code my own game, or my own player-routine etc, and do better than you. That makes the replies seem slightly arrogant, and looks like they're signed with "P.S.: You're stupid" - which I indeed am regarding CPC coding and such, but I can't be good at everything, nor do I intend to be.

Seeing as my questions usually seem to annoy you a bit (judging from comments in the replies), I'm just letting you know that I merely belong in that group that just asks questions because I don't know anything, and therefor am searching for knowledge. These questions may seem stupid to you because the answer is so obvious to you, being the hardcore geek you are. (That is meant as a compliment in case you're in doubt).
But I don't ask questions or make comments because I'm unhappy with anything, or to complain, or to say "Dude you suck because you didn't do this". I don't ask stupid questions or make stupid comments to annoy you.

The only thing about Orion Prime that's been a bit of a let down so far, is the duct-tape used to seal the hole of a 1.44mb disk to become a 720kb disk. That part kinda sticks out from everything else that's otherwise very nicely done. But I don't make a thread or post to complain about things I think could have been done better. I leave that part to other people. I'm more interested in other things, and I can easily enjoy a production for what it is.

Orion Prime is a CPC masterpiece, which I believe I've said several times, and which is also why I supported your work by buying two copies of the game.

I hope this clears things up a bit.

[Gryzor]

I think what we have here is a classic example of developer/user interaction. Some people work their asses off for years and produce something new, exciting and big, and there'll always be someone who will ask for that little bit of extra juice, always with good intentions.  And the devs get pissed off.

I understand both sides. Lou, I know what you mean and how you said what you said, but try to look at it from his side. I know *my* reaction would be "oh, is he kidding us now, asking for this or that instead of recognising all the hard work we've put into it?". And, what's more, adding the feature you requested is a bit too much IMO. So it sounds like you're nitpicking through the guys' work. I know you do it in good faith, but us end-users should stop asking for stuff at some point...

Btw, my girlfriend is a seasoned adventure-player this side of 1995

[mr_lou]

adding the feature you requested is a bit too much IMO.

I have never ever requested anything.

That is my whole point.

And I would never ever request additions like that.

As I said, I just assumed that Digiblaster output was probably an option, since there was digitized music. That's it! I was never requesting it, and I'm not requesting it now, and I will not request it later. I merely thought it was possible.

Exactly why it is interpreted as if I'm asking it to become possible, I don't know. Obviously I must be phrasing it wrongly. But I generally don't ask for additional features for finished projects, because I do agree with you that it would be nitpicking, and I generally don't like when people do that.

But this here is what I said: "I hope Bryce will have my Digiblaster ready soon, so I can enjoy that   digitized music in great quality (if the game supports Digiblaster   output)..."

To this Targhan replied: "The game doesn't support Digiblaster. It doesn't need it . And I don't code for chipset   that no one is using... 18khz 4 bits is enough anyway ."

I replied: "I didn't think it was too much trouble making it possible for the user   to select output method.", and this is probably where it went wrong then. I was just trying to explain why I assumed it was possible, but I guess it was interpreted like "Make it possible now" instead. But I never meant it like that.

Are we clear on things now?

[Gryzor]

For me it *is* clear But let's drop the issue, shall we? The more we talk about it the worse it gets...

[ivarf]

But I have a request for Gryzor. Can you come over to my house and fix my 6128s. I need to play this excellent game soon!    BTW, I live in Oslo Norway

[Targhan]

I think you're overreacting a bit, but I did too, and I'm sorry for this.
Please, do not think I underestimate you or anyone that doesn't have extensive CPC knownledge, that's absolutely not true... I love your songs by the way.
I got a little irritated by your comment, because out of context it sounded like you were complaining, but you were not.
Now if you must know why I didn't include Digiblaster support :
- I don't own one, so I couldn't test the result.
- I believe in "Raw CPC power", so I'm not the one that will code something for a specific extension (unless it eases the development, like the CPCBooster).
- Digiblaster isn't well known. I generally don't code for a few people...
- Digiblaster allows 8 bits samples, which are not as packable as well as the lesser quality samples that I use, as the output is 4 bits only (an important argument, especially with such big samples).
- Selecting the digiblaster would have resulted in a menu or a keyboard combinaison, I wasn't fond of it.


For all these reasons, I didn't want to include any digiblaster support in OP... Pretty understandable, I think.
Trg.Aks

[mr_lou]

Yes, those are fine arguments.

I assumed it was 8-bit samples, and that the music was made with some kind of tracker like Digitracker.

Making a choice to use 4-bit samples, and preferring "raw" cpc power, is perfectly acceptable, and of course then it wouldn't make any sense at all to add Digiblaster output.

Sorry if I overreacted. I just hate when people have the wrong impression, so when it happens I have to try to correct it.

I don't think you underestimate people that doesn't have extensive CPC knowledge. I think you underestimate your own knowledge sometimes, and doing that can result in difficulties understanding why someone else doesn't get it.  (Not that uncommon a scenario really).

Anyway, I'm glad it's cleared up. Let's move along.

[Targhan]

>and that the music was made with some kind of tracker like Digitracker.


Actually, it was composed with ModPlug tracker on PC .

[Gryzor]

Actually, it was composed with ModPlug tracker on PC .

Ooh! So, can you release the mods?

[TFM]

The game doesn't support Digiblaster. It doesn't need it . And I don't code for chipset that no one is using... 18khz 4 bits is enough anyway .

Well, some people indeed use the Digiblaster, because it's cheap and genious. I'm one of them ;-) But OP must not support _everything_ ever made for the CPC.

[Targhan]

>Ooh! So, can you release the mods?
I don't think so, because they really sound better on CPC . But I shall release an Orion Prime soundtrack (as MP3) a bit after the internet release (which will happen on June, 30th).

[robcfg]

That's great news!


And much appreciated too.


Merci Beaucoup!

[Gryzor]

Good enough I'll wait!

[Targhan]

Hi all,

Orion Prime, the greatest adventure game on CPC (yeah !) is now available freely on the net, in 3" and 3,5" versions, and in French, English and Spanish.

You can download the archive here :
http://www.orion.cpcscene.com/


Enjoy,
Targhan/Arkos.

[Gryzor]

Good for you guys... can you give some numbers? How many copies were sold?

[Targhan]

>can you give some numbers? How many copies were sold?


Millions !!!
Seriously though, combining the two ordering sessions :
175 copies sold in total, including 121 (FR), 33 (EN), and 21 (SP).


Trg.Aks

[Gryzor]

Only 33 English copies? That's *weird*... Also, given the strength of the spanish scene I'd expect it to be second to France! How many more disks do you have?

[ukmarkh]

England beat Spain... woo-hoo

[Bryce]

Then it's obvious a football wasn't involved

Bryce.

[Targhan]

>How many more disks do you have?

0. We made pre ordering so that we would know exactly how many copies to produce.

Trg.Aks

[ukmarkh]

Then it's obvious a football wasn't involved

Bryce.

Sickening blow to the groin area...  :'(