Post by GrahfMetal in SPECTACLE comments

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Thank you very much for the kind words and thank you for the feedback. With this soundtrack we were actually experimenting with something more soothing over the 8-bit music of all the predecessors because this is technically the longest of all the "Macventure" games, so we wanted something that would not feel tiring and have an epic feel to it to give weight to the land. For our third game we we're actually hitting the middle ground and doing a hi-fi 8-bit soundtrack, so it will be 8-bit music, but with a higher quality, so somewhere in-between Infested and Spectacle. I think you'll like the soundtrack to the 3rd game :D

Anyway, thanks again for the awesome feedback and take care

ab507213 years ago(+1)

"For our third game we we're actually hitting the middle ground and doing a hi-fi 8-bit soundtrack" -- WOOHOO - you are actually doing a 3rd game? Nice!!! That's great news. I look forward to it. You should look into boxed versions for this soon-to-be trilogy - id pay to add them to my NES/Famicom/GBC macventures shrine I have collected over the years.

The idea for the soundtrack does sound good and I am very, very looking forward to it's release. This is cool stuff. Thanks for sharing! I won't bug you for a release date -- I'm sure you must get that enough already.

If I could borrow a moment of your time for a slight nudge -- I seem to have forgotten a lot from my first playthrough. I have reached the "Vasir" and am following the desert "map" to try and find the special water that was indicated in the painting story, but I keep dying. Is it possible I am too far ahead and not ready for this section yet?

Have a good rest of the weekend! :)

GrahfMetal3 years ago

Hmm, shouldn't be. The path to the oasis should be open as soon as you dispel the curse on the Vasir.

ab507213 years ago(+1)

Hrm - yea I did that but I still keep getting lost. I've tried all sorts of inverted directions as well.

Question -- do the "curves" in the path lines mean something I should be paying more attention to?

Otherwise, idk, I have tried from both entrances of the desert following the route based on both the compass and also just using the directions as they look at face value.

I know I am missing something, I just do not know what, yet.

ab507213 years ago (1 edit) (+1)

One other thought,

Was this a bug fixed at some point in revision history?

Im not sure if im playing the most current version.

----------

OK - this is weird - edit.

I got to the oasis eventually. There is more that needs to be done other than freeing the Vasir before the road opens and you can make enough moves before dying in the desert to reach it.

Im not sure if these extra steps were intended (not listing here for spoiler purposes), but if you want to shoot me a private message, I can explain further.

GrahfMetal3 years ago

There have been a couple updates, but they were both for graphical flubs.

If you want to let me know the details, I'll send you a message, no problem

GrahfMetal3 years ago

Never mind, I don't know how to send a private message. You can just tell me on here. Shouldn't be a problem

ab507213 years ago (5 edits) (+1)

Sure that's fine.

So - to reach the oasis I actually had to do two things in addition to removing the curse you mentioned before.

I had to actually use the examine command on the makeshift "map" within the vicinity of the above event and then also make sure I used the examine command on the "story telling" art in said same vicinity. The path then opens with no issues and works perfectly as specified in the aforementioned makeshift "map"

Otherwise - you die one move before being able to reach it no matter what you do.

When I finally reached the destination, I didn't save and reloaded to test this theory -- before doing the above, upon reloading, I would die one move too soon as mentioned.

Once complete, reached again no issues.

Hope this helps!

After figuring this out, I have since finished the game, btw. Once again a fantastic conclusion (and admittedly a pretty tricky ending sequence that really made me think about past experiences, uses of certain things and even how they functioned when incorrectly used and causing death instead). Skydoor anyone?

You guys are talented!!

GrahfMetal3 years ago

Thank you, I really appreciate that. That actually helps a lot. I'm so glad you care about our game, that means so much. Glad you like the conclusion too.
Fun Fact: After making Infested I was planning on making a game that took place entirely within a Circus, but I couldn't quite figure out a story or how to design a coherent map around the concept, so I scrapped the idea. When I eventually decided to brainstorm another game concept and came up with Arabian Nights (I got the idea from looking at a Persian rug my grandfather gave me) and as we were making the game it was slowly becoming an unofficial prequel to Uninvited (NES), so I then decided to recycle some of the early 20th century Circus sections set in North America at the start and end to place it close to the events and location of Uninvited in order to tie the two games together further. So in total there are 8 direct references to the NES game.

ab507213 years ago (4 edits)

Moreso THANK YOU for now two amazing experiences with as best of preservation of the original feel as possible.

I have looked for other games like these online in the past -- never have I found anything (including one that costed $1.99 and totally sucked due to being highly incomplete in my opinion) like these. I am actually doing a runthrough of Infested now. That one will always ring home to me and I think will always be my true favorite because it is the first game of true quality I had ever found that put so much effort into preserving the true "MacVenture/ICOM adventure" feel. I showed one of my closest family members that day and they were as shocked as I was. We both ended up playing and completing both it and Spectacle and he even asked me if I heard anything about the 3rd game the other day :). I am super excited to say the least and looking forward to whenever it comes out :)

Spectacle's conclusion was TRICKY indeed and made you think, but, there is not a single aspect of it that one couldn't figure out with some critical analysis and that was a really good time figuring that out.

Truthfully the only overly odd puzzle to me was the one to complete to cross the desert for the first time. It seems the indication was to speak a certain dialogue based on as written. If interpreted that way and you reach the desert, nothing happens. In these cases, maybe a little hint you're using an item incorrectly or something would have been a little clearer is all. Suggestion only -- doesn't change a single iota of fantasticness of this game!

The story behind the creation of Spectacle is pretty awesome - it's interesting where inspiration can come from sometimes :). I think the tie-ins of the circus and other world worked perfectly and made for a much more expansive and intriguing game for sure.

Admittedly, I did miss one thing and had been wondering. I did recall this game was an unofficial prequel to Uninvited, but I think I missed some of the connections. I got the gem, the creature and an ending gesture (nice touch and references). The one thing I didn't understand was the location tie-in. Are you saying the circus itself is actually supposed to be located in Scotland?

/edit - final thought - you should charge a couple bucks for your 3rd game honestly. The quality you and team deliver has been proven and I'd gladly pay a small entry fee for the 3rd installment :)

GrahfMetal3 years ago

Thanks again for the super kind words.
Sorry, I worded that wrong regarding the location. It WAS in North America, but I then shifted it to Scotland and reworded a few things and changed a few sprites. I even included a nod to my father's side of the family from Scotland, but that's a VERY subtle reference that no one outside my family would get.

Your input on the desert crossing puzzle is excellent. I love hearing feedback like this cause it lets me know how to approach puzzles in the future. The third game is actually a much bigger project and a joint effort with a small studio, but it's still a secret as of now, so I can't say anything else other than it'll still be a humble NES-style MacVenture, just a tad more ambitious than the last two. We're planning on announcing it sometime in the New Year and it will in fact cost money (no amount decided yet) and it'll most likely get a wider release as well as here on itch(.)io, either through Steam/GOG or even console (fingers crossed)

Thanks again for all of your comments. Let me know if you have any other feedback, it's always welcome and I can't wait to share the 3rd game when it's announced!

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