Genesis8 - Athanor, a new Amstrad CPC (and Oric) graphical adventure game

[NewsBot]

Athanor, a new Amstrad CPC (and Oric) graphical adventure game
24 July 2014, 1:01 am

Athanor, a new Amstrad CPC (and Oric) graphical adventure game

Source: Genesis8 Amstrad Page

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

I love the amount of effort that has gone into this game, from the photos provided there are lots of things included.

[Gryzor]

Damn, still haven't played my copy...

[Carnivius]

I don't get it.

[Gryzor]

Get what?

[Carnivius]

Why bother making it a 'graphical' adventure game if you're just gonna have black and white doodles?

[Gryzor]

Because sometimes graphics is not what matters?

I understand what you're saying, and this style was abandoned ages ago, but still I find it interesting.

[Carnivius]

Style? 

Would have looked more professional if it had just been text only.   It all just looks like placeholder graphics to give a graphics guy some idea what to draw properly.  I was really confused when I first saw it and was looking around for what I thought would be the finished product.   I'm not trying to mean here, I'm just genuinely puzzled as to why it even has graphics when they look like so little effort has been put into them.  Would have been better to just not have them and leave it up to the player to imagine from a description as so many other text adventures have done so well.

[Prodatron]

The black white graphics probably have their origin from the Oric version. Maybe the Amstrad version is "only" a 1:1 port of the Oric version?
IMHO it's better to have still some graphics, even if they are black/white and spartan, than having text only, but that's a matter of taste for sure.

[MacDeath]

Why bother making it a 'graphical' adventure game if you're just gonna have black and white doodles?

the game was designed with really older school in mind.

So yep : ORIC's way.

also it is to notice that the graphics are not actually "bitmaped" but "vector graphics".
This as well explains why they can seem so crude.
being vector and calculated means they actually take no space on disc as well.
remember when powerfull computers only had 16K ?

author admitted one of the challenge was to get the thing ported on many real old school systems, C64, Oric, CPC, speccy, even old PC in CGA.


so yes, not the average expectation on CPC of badass graphics in well lavished pixel art madness.
But cool stuff with the game anyway, really in the spirit or 1982...

[TFM]

Why bother making it a 'graphical' adventure game if you're just gonna have black and white doodles?

Well, so the same GFX can be used for CPC and Oric. However for CPC it wouldn't harm to use all four colors.


On the other hand I wouldn't mind cut down grafix for a cut down price. But 20 Euros is a full price. Sorry.

[Atlantis]

Hi Everybody

First message for me here, but I will be happy to give you answers if you have some questions about the development of Athanor !

Little news to announce the English version very soon now !

Thanks to all of you
Atlantis

[TFM]

Damn, still haven't played my copy...

Oh you buy real copies? That's a good idea. Supports new productions for the CPC. 

[Gryzor]

Hi Everybody

First message for me here, but I will be happy to give you answers if you have some questions about the development of Athanor !

Little news to announce the English version very soon now !

Thanks to all of you
Atlantis

Oh, that's great, I'll probably overwrite my disk!

[awergh]

Oh yeah I was meaning to buy this game because the big box looked so tasty but I guess I can wait for it in english

[Nich]

Oh yeah I was meaning to buy this game because the big box looked so tasty but I guess I can wait for it in english

Well, after a long wait, Athanor is finally available in English! (The packaging is really nice - although it's not really a "big box", more like a wallet or a book! )

[J.T.Kirk]

I have bought the english version straight from Eric Safar. The feelies inside are remarkable, it's a great surprise really. Anyone else got the game? I'm asking because I cannot save/restore a game? Well, is this true that there's no save/restore option to disk?

[Atlantis]

Hi Phantom

Thanks for your comments !
Happy the game pleased you.

Indeed, there is no Load/Save option in Athanor I - The Awakening
You have to wait Athanor II - Secret of the Bird Men to have one !

See you
Erik

[Gryzor]

Hardcore retro

[MacDeath]

Athanor III will be more like orion Prime / BAT...