Let's Play The Way

A moderated forum to discuss topics surrounding the Way series

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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Sage Of The Wise » Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:59 pm

Sling wrote:No. The only option would be to combine each Episode into a single game and I'm not entirely sure that is a good idea.


I'd thought about what this would be like, and it really does more harm than good in the end. Each episodes cliff hanger really only works when there's a break afterword to make you think about it and want to know how its resolved. Even if that break is only the amount of time it takes to download the next episode and load the save. Without that those scenes become kinda anti-climatic since they are all resolved in like the first few seconds of the next episode when you think about it. ex:
EP1: oh shit, some serial killer is approaching Rhue!... and now hes leaving.
EP2: Rhue is about to be executed... and is immediately saved by some uber-warrior.
EP3: Kloe is about to be executed... and then pretty much just walks out because the blood lyn literally had better things to do.
EP4: ...ok, this one would work pretty seamlessly compared to the others.
EP5: Rhue's the phantom slasher!? hows he going to react to that?.... by not even acknowledging it.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby EmperorJeramyu » Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:48 pm

To close the door on this "combining episodes" deal, I'd just like to say that from a technical perspective it would be near-impossible anyway. Lun reuses switches in different episodes like crazy; one example being a switch in Episode 1 used to track bird movements across the screen is used again in Episode 5 to mark a conversation to some random NPC. And that's only the start of it. There would be tons of other problems that could only be solved by overcoming superhuman obstacles of tedium.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby War » Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:18 pm

I believe at one point it was thought that if The Way was to be remade into a single game, it would not be remade in rm2k or any rpgmaker.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Malefact » Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:45 pm

EmperorJeramyu wrote:To close the door on this "combining episodes" deal, I'd just like to say that from a technical perspective it would be near-impossible anyway...


That's really interesting! I never opened up The Way in RPGMaker (well, except episode one, when I was trying to figure how to get a CMS to work in my own game) so I didn't notice something subtle like the switches, let alone all the hidden bits of information jotted down here and there. I couldn't begin to get my head around the positioning of all the 3d stuff...I had enough trouble making chipsets into vaguely unbroken maps as it was.

Sling wrote:
Yeah, I noticed that you stopped reading as many lines. I think you have the right balance between line-reading and commentary atm. I also enjoyed watching your Tower of the Sower LP. Keep up the good work!!!


Ah, that's good to hear. I think I still indulge myself a bit too much sometimes, but when you get characters like Alan, can you blame me? :D

Angel_OA wrote:By the way Malefact your vids have got me playing The Way again, dammit!


Heh heh heh. Glad to hear it!
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Sage Of The Wise » Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:34 pm

Actually the switches part would be the easier complication. Lun has already done the hard part for us, at the beginning of each episode he resets all the switches that are going to be reused, you could just run that code when its needed. Granted it would make all the variable names meaningless, but it should still work fine.

The problem would be combining stuff from the database and the maps. Since rm2k keeps track of all that stuff by ID number, you'd pretty much have to redo almost every teleport in the game as well as any monster, battle, skill, common event, or character that has an overlapping id in the database, as well as change any corresponding calls to them.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Preki » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:48 pm

how to get a CMS to work in my own game

I did the same. I searched, but I found nothin' :roll: . Scripts and script-like things will be always a mystery for me (damn it!).
he resets all the switches

That's necessary. There could have been some bugs in another Episode if he hadn't did this.

Anyway Malefact, this "let's play" movies is a great stuff. More people will know about (and play!) The Way.

EDIT:
EP1: oh shit, some serial killer is approaching Rhue!... and now hes leaving.
EP2: Rhue is about to be executed... and is immediately saved by some uber-warrior.
EP3: Kloe is about to be executed... and then pretty much just walks out because the blood lyn literally had better things to do.
EP4: ...ok, this one would work pretty seamlessly compared to the others.
EP5: Rhue's the phantom slasher!? hows he going to react to that?.... by not even acknowledging it.

Sage, let's make parody of The Way :wink: :twisted: . With proffesional plunging of course :D .
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Sling » Mon Feb 16, 2009 1:41 pm

Sage Of The Wise wrote:Each episodes cliff hanger really only works when there's a break afterword to make you think about it and want to know how its resolved. Even if that break is only the amount of time it takes to download the next episode and load the save. Without that those scenes become kinda anti-climatic since they are all resolved in like the first few seconds of the next episode when you think about it.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Except if such a thing were to be done, then I guess Lun could create additional scenes in between cliffhanger and follow up that maybe revealed tiny portions of the story of other characters. I dunno, although there are other difficulties too.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby EmperorJeramyu » Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:26 pm

Sage Of The Wise wrote:Actually the switches part would be the easier complication. Lun has already done the hard part for us, at the beginning of each episode he resets all the switches that are going to be reused, you could just run that code when its needed. Granted it would make all the variable names meaningless, but it should still work fine.


Oops, you're right. I got it a little backwards.

You're right about the databases, but an even bigger issue is copying all the maps. If you copy a map and past it into another project it doesn't copy any child-maps, and any teleports will be pointing to the wrong map.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Wellsy » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:08 pm

Malefact, let me echo others in commending you on a job well done. Keep up the good work, I'd eventually like to see the whole game from you.

And if you liked the switch subtleties, you should check out the Easter Eggs and Secrets guide. There are a lot of messages squirreled away in the code that many folks here think contain clues to some unanswered questions about the Way and Lun's intentions as he created the game.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Malefact » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:59 am

Thanks Wellsy! Speaking of the Easter Egg and Secrets Guide...lands, I had no idea just how much discussion of theories and exploration of hidden secrets there were on these forums since I last left. I hadn't had much time to look through the archives lately, but now?

Wow. In part, I'm glad because a lot of opinions vindicate my theories about Gaius and the nature of The Way - but I feel completely dumb when I see my ideas about Serena, The Girl and Scatha/Slade/their sister pretty definitively exploded.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Jabbo » Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:22 pm

Seeing this Let's Play has really rekindled my interest in the games again. It's nice to hear Malefact express some opinions on the games that I agree with after hearing a lot of the oldschool-RPG people at RMN seem to think the gameplay is somehow lacking. And it's also interesting to hear someone else's thought process as a sort of play-by-play too. I'm definitely going to be following along with these.

Maybe I'll even finish my walkthrough, although I doubt anyone would notice at this point. Sorry that I kind of abandoned the community in that regard. At any rate, I hope this generates some new interest in the games. After all, a set of games that were "old" feeling when they came out yet still managed to shine can't really be hurt much by a few more years of age.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby War » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:52 pm

Just so you know, in the Marna stretch some enemies do actually respawn. I believe you said they didn't.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Malefact » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:51 am

Thanks, Jabbo. I've already told you that your walkthrough has really helped; I don't think I would have remembered where all the notch items were without it. How people could think the gameplay was lacking vs. a traditional RM-RPG, of all things, though, I'll never understand.

War wrote:Just so you know, in the Marna stretch some enemies do actually respawn. I believe you said they didn't.


Ah! I didn't actually realise that they could respawn, no. Thanks for telling me, I'll be sure to put in an annotation or a correction at some point. Don't suppose you remember which video it was?

Just a heads up, I'm planning to start on Episode Three at some point later this week; perhaps even sooner than that if I get the time. I also bought a new microphone which I'm *hoping* will make the whole thing sound better, although I've had mixed reactions so far.

I don't know if it's weird, but I'm really looking forward to the whole section in the Pits. :D
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Preki » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:02 am

Good luck. Hope you'll deal with this weird puzzle with electric spheres in E6. :roll: It was TOO hard for me.
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Re: Let's Play The Way

Postby Malefact » Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:32 am

Ok! Episode 3 played through. Almost time for things to go "major league".

I've got a problem though. And the problem's name is Sorya. I'm guessing opinions are divided on this one, but what do you guys think is the best way to go with this? I've always been really nice to her in past plays (heck, I'm usually nice to most characters, save Cetsa) but then you miss out on a lot of her in E6.
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