Already implemented for the update... not like you describe, but I think you'll appreciate how it works. I *do* want to solve this issue for the people that want to play this way, and leave the game untouched for the purists. I'm still working on it. But basically, there's gotta be a balance here. You resurrect the dead character, there's a price to be paid. Still figuring it out, so hang tight. Not for the next update, but perhaps the one after it. Enough people have requested it that it should make its way in as an alt option. I love that so many people like the game as-is, and in no way shall we ruin it for those folks. But also, we want to accommodate and give the more casual players some options so that they can play how they like, while still keeping the immersion and storyline intact. So for people in either camp, I don't want you to worry. The game will just get better for both of you. Noah, sorry bud. The game really is about the journey. Death is an exciting and fun part of that adventure... for most. webman2k, there is a point where if you go too far negative, the hit is fatal. It's akin to decapitation, or being cleaved in two. Hard to drink a potion when you can't find your own head! EDIT: BOARDDUMB, I agree that Sword of Fargoal 1.0 is too easy... especially compared to the original. The update will be ready soon, and the old tricks for a quick victory won't be so easy. So consider version 1.0 an introduction to the game.
Extremely well said, and I can't wait to see what you're implementing. I'll certainly give it another go after the update As a side note, do you think it would be possible, at some point, to implement some sort of "quick game"? Probably an easy, medium and hard setting that throws you into a random map with a balanced skill and level set to battle the monsters in that particular map? No stairs, just kill the mage and you clear it. Completely out of the story, but good for a quick random hack and slash. Just an idea. I'm sure some more thought as to how it would work would be necessary.
Thanks! Anything is possible, if you put your mind to it! This has been an ABC Afterschool Special. Er... I mean that sounds like fun. And, who knows? Keep bugging me, it might show up as a training option. We do want to have an interactive tutorial mode, so it might fit alongside that. Pure speculation of course! But good idea.
Nice, I like that too. I'd do it as a separate free game, like "Sword of Fargoal: Arena". It'd act as a nice Lite version, giving people one level to play with, and hopefully give a very quick startup straight into the arena so I can launch, play, and put away while waiting for the bus.
idea Building on the previous comments. Why not make a option when you start a new quest to choose difficulty level? The difficulty level would not be changeable once you start. This should also be displayed visibly in the choose quest screen (maybe as an icon like they do in Halo) Tourist - When you die you get teleported to the top level and lose a level of experience. Your xp is set to the beginning of the previous level). Poser - same as tourist but in addition all of your items are scattered randomly to chests on different levels you have visited. You are also stripped of all gold. Adventuer - death is permanent (default setting) This would be best implemented in conjunction with a high score board which would only count scores earned in "Adventurer" mode (or report the mode earned and rank all Adventurer scores > all Poser scores > all Tourist scores Doing something like this would preserve the rouge like feel for most of us, but you can play with a lower death penalty if you wish. Even the tourist death penalty is a significant one if you are later in the game. If you are impatient and die several times it will really hurt.
Just FYI I'm enjoying this discussion, too, and hopefully it doesn't look like I'm picking on anyone. Bolded a couple parts of your quote. First thing, you're NOT giving yourself a second chance with the same rules, as one of the most intrinsic rules of a roguelike is that you die permanently. Again, this is the nature of this genre and if you take that away you're playing a different game. The only example I can think of right now is Chess. I love Chess but I'm horrible at it. It's really annoying how I can play a game for hours, but with one wrong move I can lose to the other player. It would be nice if they made Chess pieces that would sound a loud siren every time I'm about to put myself in checkmate, so that I could go back and not make that same move again. Kind of a lame example, but hopefully my point gets across. This would make Chess really lame, and people wouldn't still be playing it. What is the fun of beating your opponent of you need help doing it? In this case, your opponent is SoF's permanent death. Would it make you feel more accomplished if you beat the game because it told you every time you were about to die? This brings me to the next point, "brainless grinding". If you're finding the actual playing of the game not enjoyable, then this definitely isn't the game for you. Playing each level, finding items, beating monsters, leveling up, this is the cake of SoF. Getting the sword out is just the icing. Maybe that's what we're not understanding about each other. For me, I don't play this game solely because I want to beat it. Although I do want to (and have) beat it. I play it because it's fun to play. If you're only goal is to get the sword out, then you're missing the entire point and I'd again suggest this game might not be for you. The third point, if you play through from the beginning again you WON'T be playing it exactly the same up until your previous point. Everything is randomly generated, and even if you try, it won't be quite the same every time. And speaking from experience, I can say that since getting the sword out I've not played the game as much as I was. When it first came out I was sinking 5-6 hours a day into playing. I grinded my guy up so high, I could take on anything. Even still I had some trouble getting the sword out, but eventually it worked out. I wrote about that experience here. That was I think my 4th restart, when I finally got the sword out. I watched hours of work grinding away get lost in the blink of an eye in previous playthroughs. It made the one where I actually got the sword that much sweeter. I guess I'm harping on the same points over and over, hopefully I'm making sense. I actually can't wait for the update. Besides having a harder journey ahead, I know there's some other surprises waiting for me that I'm really excited about. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication!!! EDIT: Ok, I read some of your guys' responses while I was typing that, and those are some good ideas! I guess I'm not opposed to having features like that added into the game, but I really want people to understand and love this game based on what it's supposed to be. Not just what some people would like it to be.
I know I'm coming in at the tail end of this conversation, but I just want to agree with both of these paragraphs, especially the thanks. SoF is fantastic, and I love it as-is. I do look forward to any and all changes that come along (so long as hunger isn't involved ). Thank you for bringing such a cool game to the iPhone!
Been playing this game for the past week or two and really enjoy it - much more so than the standard rogue variations (which I've played off and on for many years - more off than on - and never won ). I really like the music - is it available as a downloadable/purchasable file? It adds great ambience to the game, and I'd be interested in listening to it on its own. I tried doing a search about the music, but from what I can tell, the search feature on here doesn't provide direct links to the found words - just the thread as a whole (or am i wrong?). And there are too many posts/pages to read through
All of the original game's sounds can be found in this .sid file (from the High Voltage Sid Collection) There are links on the HSVC Download page to SID players, and two versions of SID players on the App Store: (one of which is free now!) SID Player SID Player Pro
In case level 1 sounds too daunting you could go with the "Table Knife of Fargoal" which happens to be in your house. You could discover it during the opening video and not have to play the game at all! The alternate would be a "To Hell With the Sword" option where you try to take the sword as deep as possible, trying to reach hades or whatever is down there... OK I'll stop now.
Heh, you guys are funny. Especially since I proposed the "Socks of Fargoal" to Jeff about a month or so ago. Artfoundry, we don't have the OST available (by Daniel Pemberton), but I will pass that along and we'll see what we can do. About "Tourist" etc... another interesting idea. Lots of stuff here to consider now. Here's a question for you guys... how many items, spells, potions, etc. is too much? I have added some, but I don't want to go nuts and make the game a complicated management-fest. Comments?
You know, that'd be a weirdly cool mechanic. Think about it like LOTR and destroying the ring. You're a member of a five-person fellowship, and you have this item you need to take as deep into the caverns as possible. Each time you die, the item is dropped there with your corpse (maybe a monster on that level eats it with your corpse). Now, making your way down the second time without the item is actually easier, since the monsters aren't attuned to your presence. So on your way back down, you can make hay leveling up and grinding until you get to the level where the item's at. By then you should be more powerful and less battered than before, facilitating taking the item even deeper. The goal is to take it down as far as you can before all five members of your fellowship die. Or something. It's a totally different game, but using Fargoal's art assets, it could be a cool-looking game.
Man this game seemed to be kinda dull at first, but I really am warming up to it.. its good fun for sure, I think I'm starting to 'get it'!
You guys are cracking me up with these names. How about a version of SoF where you don't even need to OWN a device to play it. You could just use pen, paper, and some sort of numbered multi-sided rolling device. Now THAT would just be sheer madness. I think I'd have to quote another forum member who said it best: I still have nightmares of "You are getting weak from hunger... you pass out!". Argh!! But seriously, I think there's a good balance of items right now, and I'll have a better idea of what else I'd like after I see what's in the next update. In general, I don't like the negative effect type stuff. Like cursed items. That can get really aggravating. @BigDrahma: I really like that idea you have in your last post.
As a newbie to this genre, I'm very happy with the small amount of items to manage. I don't see what else (except for that sword tracker ) I'd need on my journey... but I'm sure you'll surprise us with items we didn't think we needed but can't do without.
Now I was thinking of something quite different - that you went bad and were taking the sword to whatever was 'down there' Temples would stop working, the baddies would (mostly) stop pestering you since you're helping them out, but similarly-leveled heroes would start chasing you...
Great responses, just what I wanted to hear. There are no permanent negative effects in the game (aside from death), and there never will be... Jeff has insisted on this from day one, and I tend to agree. It's just not fun when you have a cursed sword stuck to your hand, wearing a cursed helmet of blindness, etc. Gah, just die already! BigDrahma, that is a really cool idea actually. I could see something like that for when we add the infinite "deep diving" ability, like the original game. Perhaps you try to take an artifact as deep as possible, and when you die it remains on that floor until you make it there again, take it deeper, etc. Then the depth of "The Artifact" is a score in itself. Rad. EDIT: drelbs, also a cool idea... choose your own path... there could be benefits and drawbacks for either choice. So everyone tell your friends to buy our game so I can go full time and implement all of this crazy stuff!
