Anybody played AVS yet?

[Sven_Q45]

Yes Mata Hari was not so good. I´m a little disappointed!
The thing is I was too "hyped". lol I thought at last! a new Hal Barwood (ex-LucasArts) Game has a good story and so on, but it was not so.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by neon_git

Hmmm, we'll have to see what other reviewers say.

As a rule, Ascovel, would you say that reviews from that site are pretty accurate?

Assuming that even websites can pass inaccurate judgments, how can you be sure that some one like me will pass an accurate judgment on a website?

Well, OK. I'm not some great fan of AdventureTreff. I visit them because they have often very early reviews and information on adventure games. Some good interviews too. However, they're well known for overrating games. In fact, in the comments for the Mata Hari review the reviewer admitted that his 70% score means actually something around 45%! They're just so cool that they treat the 50% mark as zero (a slight simplification because the given explanation was very complex)! Great idea for inflating adventure games' scores IMO.

Anyway, I've seen almost only negative comments on Mata Hari so far. At the German Amazon website for example. At AT there are also suggestions floating around of some falling out between dtp and Noah and Hal during the last year. I'm not sure if they're properly founded though.

Personally, I'm not giving up on this game so easily, but I haven't read any encouraging impressions yet.

[AlfredJ]

Hi guys, I have been lurking on Mixnmojo for a number of years now, and I thought it would be time to post. I just started playing AVS, and I have to say, I'm a bit dissapointed. I would have been more impressed if Telltale Games hadn't happened in the meantime. The writing just isn't up to par with the Sam & Max-games (I'm not really a fan of the Strong Bad-games, so I won't comment on those). The game looks and feels amazing, if only they had some of the great writers of the Telltale Team... It's not a bad game, and I'm enjoying myself, and I love the 90s-feel it all has, but I can't stop thinking it could have been so, so much better.

However, I did find something nice which I think isn't mentioned anywhere yet. When you look at the journal of the baroness in the library, Mona says something like "Visit Von Kiefer - Period - Com". The site really exists, so, there you go: www.vonkiefer.com

The site doesn't seem to work that well yet, I can't seem to turn the page, but I thought you guys would like to know.

EDIT: Ah, I see it's already mentioned on the Pumpkin Post. Never mind me!

[Sven_Q45]

@Ascovel
There are so good adventures this year. And Mata Hari was one of the badest. That doesn´t mean it´s very bad. But it´s far away from Indy 4.

[Gabez]

Welcome to the forums, AlfredJ! Everyone is very welcome here, but especially "lurkers" who haven't interacted before!

Look out for our A Vampyre Story review to go up tonight.

[neon_git]

Originally Posted by Ascovel

Assuming that even websites can pass inaccurate judgments, how can you be sure that some one like me will pass an accurate judgment on a website?

Assuming that even websites can pass inaccurate judgments, and assuming you can pass an accurate judgment on a website, should a woodchuck chuck wood?

Sad news on the Mata Hari front then I guess. I'll probably still get it though, just with lowered expectations. Such is life I suppose.

@AlfredJ
Hello and welcome! Quality avatar by the way.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by neon_git

Assuming that even websites can pass inaccurate judgments, and assuming you can pass an accurate judgment on a website, should a woodchuck chuck wood?

Yah, these are some of those mercilessly twisted philosophical questions that true pirates ponder.

@AlfredJ
Welcome. I was once a lurker like yourself, so we may share quite a lot of similarities.

[Haggis]

Hi AlfredJ, welcome!

I must say I am also not 100 % impressed by AVS, although the game looks and feels great. I haven't yet finished it though, and I must say that the game really opens up in the second chapter. It's just a bit hit-and-miss I guess, but more hit than miss, especially when Mona says

spoiler:

"Let's crush Froderick's fruits and nuts."

That had me in stitches, heh. Overall I'm optimistic about the future of the series. There is room for improvement, and I am hopeful that we'll get that improvement in AVS 2.

[Gabez]

You can read our review of the game here.

It will be interesting to see what other people have to say about A Vampyre Story. The general reaction seems to be pretty positive, though!

[Sven_Q45]

One question:
Did anybody of the non German buy the German version or the Collectors Edition?

[Ascovel]

I have the option to choose German voices in my version. At least the installer claims so, but I didn't try it.

[Sven_Q45]

Well, ok.
But I meant actually the German version from Amazon. Yes you can choose the German voice but I didn´t know you can do that also in the English version.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by Gabez

You can read our review of the game here.

It will be interesting to see what other people have to say about A Vampyre Story. The general reaction seems to be pretty positive, though!

Thanks for the review. A really good read. Mixnmojo seems to have its own, complex relationship with every (important) game it reviews.

My own review should be out soon. ("Soon" as "not today" and "probably not tommorow", but soon ).

[TheJoe]

Didn't work for me, oh well, that'll teach me to be a dirty pirate.

[Kroms]

Originally Posted by TheJoe

Didn't work for me, oh well, that'll teach me to be a dirty pirate.

I've never been able to understand why someone would pirate from a company as small as Autumn Moon.

[Ascovel]

I've posted my own review on Adventure Classic Gaming:

http://www.adventureclassicgaming.co...e/reviews/434/

[TheJoe]

Originally Posted by Kroms

I've never been able to understand why someone would pirate from a company as small as Autumn Moon.

Because Sony killed my DVD drive, so buying games is pointless because until publishers start publishing games on USB or SD card I can't install anything.

The irony is that Sony killed my DVD drive to prevent me from pirating, they fail.

[Ascovel]

Buying is not pointless. You can buy an original game, then install a pirated version, and after you finish playing you can sell the box in mint condition on ebay.

[s-island]

Because Sony killed my DVD drive

... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106228

[neon_git]

So buy the download version from Gamers Gate which has been mentioned numerous times on mojo.

Pirating AVS makes you a colossal prick, there are no excuses.

[diduz]

Another negative Mata Hari review:

http://www.adventurecorner.de/reviews.php?id=142

Logic gaps in story, ultra-easy puzzles, too much emphasis on minigames.
Good graphics, decent sound.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by diduz

Another negative Mata Hari review:

http://www.adventurecorner.de/reviews.php?id=142

Logic gaps in story, ultra-easy puzzles, too much emphasis on minigames.
Good graphics, decent sound.

It's still a much more positive review than than the previous one.

The great emphasis on mini-games was to be expected.

[Gabez]

Originally Posted by neon_git

Pirating AVS makes you a colossal prick, there are no excuses.

Quote of the year! High five!

[diduz]

Originally Posted by Ascovel

The great emphasis on mini-games was to be expected.

I see what you mean: Hal Barwood, anyone?

[TheJoe]

Originally Posted by neon_git

So buy the download version from Gamers Gate which has been mentioned numerous times on mojo.

Pirating AVS makes you a colossal prick, there are no excuses.

It'll be DRM'd "/

[Sven_Q45]

No problem. You can skip all minigames.

[neon_git]

It's very simple: if you don't want the product because of the DRM or whatever other reason ... don't buy it!

Just because it has DRM doesn't make you entitled to a free copy. Stop trying to justify yourself, what you did was wrong and you know it. Man up and buy a copy.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by Sven_Q45

No problem. You can skip all minigames.

You, mean you can skip the entire game right to the ending cut scene? How cool is that!

[TheJoe]

Originally Posted by neon_git

It's very simple: if you don't want the product because of the DRM or whatever other reason ... don't buy it!

Just because it has DRM doesn't make you entitled to a free copy. Stop trying to justify yourself, what you did was wrong and you know it. Man up and buy a copy.

It goes like this:
Bought EA-made/published games, each protected by SecuROM.
Installed a few Sims 2 Expansions.
DVD drive ceased to function.
Sony Support acuses me of Piracy, refuses to replace my CD drive
Replacement CD drive turns out to be impossible due to the way this PC is built
Bought new game, tried to install, failed, money back not given due to open packaging
Piracy of SecuROM-enabled games begins in protest of Sony because of their stupidity
New PC not possible because believe it or not you need money for this sort of thing, something I don't have a lot of and need for other things, such as food which I need to survive. Buying a new PC is not a priority.

I also, would never, ever purchase ANYTHING that is not guaranteed to be DRM-free. Because of this I'm against many things such as Steam, Direct2Drive, iTunes and a lot more. Think of it as vegetarianism or religion, people have thier own values and should be allowed uphold them.

And if it helps, I immediately removed AVS after discovering it didn't work, I would also not condone piracy because I'm not a fan of it. I only download games/software that:
A) I have bought but have uninstalled and cannot reinstall either because of damaged media or this Sony-killed DVD drive
B) Are no longer commercially avaliable
C) Have Open Source components (as I believe that something should not be part-Open Source)
D) Made by EA or "protected" with SecuROM or Starforce
E) Is totally and completely ridiculously licensed or poorly made and undeserving of my money

There, I made my point and decresed the popularity of MI2SP by 20 points.

And of course, scolding me for being a pirate is probably completely hypocritcial because I GUARANTEE you have downloaded music illegally. Think of those bands that have lost money because you downloaded their music.

[/offtopic]

[neon_git]

OK this is the last I'll say on the matter:

First thing is I shouldn't have been so confrontation and I'm sorry (Believe it or not I actually toned down both posts).

Second nobody (I hope) will think any less of your project, that is totally separate from his debate.

Look, we share a lot of common ground. I'm a FOSS advocate myself and I'm also a fan of Larry Lessig and the CC movement. I agree that DRM sucks big hairy balls and have had to crack legitimately purchased games to get them to run on my chosen OS. I know where you're coming from and I do feel bad that your hardware got dicked over by Sony.

But the point I've been trying unsuccessfully to make is that none of that entitles you to abdicate responsibility for your actions. Your philosophy on software advocates freedom but only if it's your kind of freedom. If Bill Tiller wants to release his software as closed source why shouldn't he be able to? Why should you be able to disrespect his choice because it doesn't fit with your views?

For the record AVS (or at least the demo) uses Panda3d, which is open source, so you can buy with a clear conscience.

So ... we cool?

[Sven_Q45]

@neon_git
Yes I think it´s not so good.
But most of all I don´t can confirm reviews! I play adventures because of the entertainment!

[counting_pine]

Originally Posted by TheJoe

I also, would never, ever purchase ANYTHING that is not guaranteed to be DRM-free. Because of this I'm against many things such as Steam, Direct2Drive, iTunes and a lot more. Think of it as vegetarianism or religion, people have thier own values and should be allowed uphold them.

Sorry to bump in here, but I have to side with neon_git on this.
I imagine there are a lot of vegetarians who refuse to buy meat, but they won't then sneak into a field, steal a cow, and kill and eat it themselves.

I'm sorry to hear of your dealings with Sony and EA, and yeah, DRM like that sucks, but you shouldn't be taking it out on a smaller company like Autumn Moon.

Point A) I think is fair enough, since you deserve to be able to use software you've paid for, but I disagree with the other points:

B) If a company stops trading in older software, that can be tough, but it doesn't mean you're entitled to do what you want with it. If I wrote a game, and for whatever reason I only made a few copies available, or didn't release it to the public at all, that wouldn't give you any right to it.
In this case, it also reduces the potential market for the software, and would lessen the chances of a successful re-release in future, meaning it's less likely to see a re-release at all.

C) If an open-source project allows linking to commercial or closed-source projects, that's their business. If Panda3D is seen as suitable for use in commercial software, then that's great. Buying the product is also a great way to show your support for both.

D) A better action here would be boycotting the product. Illegally downloading a game isn't going to make them less inclined to stop using DRM. If you want to make a point, hurt them in ways they can't defend against at all - don't buy it! Companies can't install measures to prevent people from not buying their games.
Think back to events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott - it lasted over a year, and the inconvenience and persecution was much more serious there, but they still managed to secure the victory they were after, and it turned out to be a significant milestone in the Civil Rights movement.

E) Even if product's undeserving of your money, but if you don't pay for it, then you don't deserve to use it. If it's poorly made, then that's just less of a reason to download a copy.

[/offtopic]
Anyway, I'd really like to see AVS succeed, and I hope we get to see bigger and better things coming from Mr Tiller in the years to come...

Unfortunately, my PC doesn't seem to be up to the task of running AVS. I'll try messing about with my graphics drivers, but I'm not hopeful...
Anyone knows if it needs pixel/vertex shader or anything like that? If so, I can safely give up now...

[tk102]

Amazon.com just delayed my order for AVS again!

We wanted to let you know that there is an unexpected delay with your video game order you placed on October 23 2008

"A Vampyre Story [CD-ROM]" [CD-ROM]
Estimated arrival date: 01/09/2009 - 01/26/2009

[Udvarnoky]

Originally Posted by TheJoe

I also, would never, ever purchase ANYTHING that is not guaranteed to be DRM-free. Because of this I'm against many things such as Steam, Direct2Drive, iTunes and a lot more. Think of it as vegetarianism or religion, people have thier own values and should be allowed uphold them.

You are aware that everyone hates vegetarians, right?

[Haggis]

Originally Posted by Udvarnoky

You are aware that everyone hates vegetarians, right?

You don't love me anymore.

[neon_git]

Originally Posted by tk102

Amazon.com just delayed my order for AVS again!

That sucks dude. I wonder what's causing the hold up, is it manufacturing problems or something?

[The Tingler]

Where do you live tk102?

[tk102]

I haven't heard any information about the cause of the delay.

Product page.

Supply and demand I guess.

@Tingler: west coast of U.S.A.

[DeadKyle]

So I know the system requirements say Windows xp/vista but I'm still running 2000, any idea if it'll work in 2000? I've noticed quite a few things that say xp/vista only actually do work in 2000 and others don't. I know the new versions of Adobe Flash, Photoshop, and After Effects wont even install without xp or higher, other things like some games let me know I'm running on dino bones and **** will probably be messed up but don't complain, we told you so. Steam and valve games are like this.

Anyone know? I haven't searched for an answer to this on the net, I thought I'd ask the smart people here first.


Also, anyone know if/when the 60's Batman TV show is coming to DVD?

[The Tingler]

Off-topic (but then so is a lot of this thread!), but the 60s Batman show on DVD isn't planned yet. I think there's rights issues.