*ALL PHYSICAL COPIES ARE SOLD OUT*: REALMS OF QUEST V (Digital version is available)

[Ghislain]

Is this going to be available commercially? I think I'd like to buy the full boxed package, if so. I only bought the disk version of ROQIII.

As to whether people would have bought a disk drive and 32K RAM expansion to play games like this....

Probably not one the C64 was out....it didn't make sense to upgrade the VIC-20 when the C64 was a more cost effective "upgrade".

But there was probably a short window when it might have been a good move for Commodore to have released a slightly updated VIC with more RAM built in after RAM got cheaper.

Buying a disk drive for a VIC-20 would not have been wasted money because it could be kept and used when one upgraded to one of Commodore's later 8-bits.

I would like to think that Sword of Fargoal sold some VICs - it required 16K. But that's probably because I love that game so much on the VIC-20.

My intent is to definitely get it published commercially in physical format -- I want to simulate the 1980s CRPG experience for the VIC-20 as much as possible. And that includes a printed manual, a printed map and possibly an additional "feelie".

I'm in talks right now to get somebody well known here to create a 3D dungeon maze display engine with multicolor textured graphics. He can reveal himself here in this thread if he likes

As well, I am having somebody who is experienced in previous RPG game design create a world map for me, I just sent him the specs.

Outside of the game engine I suppose that a lot of the game design will not be mine (save for the bullet points that I want fulfilled for the unified game world), but I'm really more passionate about designing and programming the game mechanics more than anything.

So today I was mostly communicating with my other collaborators, but I did take the time to design the portrait graphics for the Orc players:

[ral-clan]

Who is the artist for all your monster portraits? They are quite nice.

[Ghislain]

Who is the artist for all your monster portraits? They are quite nice.

I do a Google Image search for let's say "female orc". I find an image that I like, do some manipulation in GIMP and then convert it to VIC-20 format using Mike's PGM IMPORT utility.

[orion70]

Commercial top-notch RPG game with a thick manual, map, and feelies... Well, here's my next purchase

[Ghislain]

Commercial top-notch RPG game with a thick manual, map, and feelies... Well, here's my next purchase

I thought that making Realms III in 2009 would get this urge to make retro CRPG games for the VIC-20 out of my system. I guess not. Thank you for your support.

I worked on Sprite player portraits during my break today:

[hasseapa]

Those distinct color schemes for the portraits work very well. Very pleasing to the eye but also instant color-coded information.

[Ghislain]

Those distinct color schemes for the portraits work very well. Very pleasing to the eye but also instant color-coded information.

Thank you. I'm having a lot of fun making them. Though I probably should get back to coding soon before I forget how to do that!

I did some Uruk-Hai portraits during some downtime today:

[beamrider]

perhaps you should keep the rest up your sleeve or the game won't hold any surprises...

[Mike]

perhaps you should keep the rest up your sleeve or the game won't hold any surprises...

+1

I wouldn't mind having Meriel in my party.

And Hazelwhisk bears a strong resemblance to Jude Law.

[Ghislain]

perhaps you should keep the rest up your sleeve or the game won't hold any surprises...

You're probably right. I think I will lay off posting any new graphics here for a while. I do plan on having about 144 monster portraits on side 2 (the maximum number of files that you can place on a side of a Commodore floppy disk) along with portraits for people that you meet, boss monsters and the like throught the other disks as well. The game is going to be about 650KB.

[eslapion]

You're probably right. I think I will lay off posting any new graphics here for a while. I do plan on having about 144 monster portraits on side 2 (the maximum number of files that you can place on a side of a Commodore floppy disk) along with portraits for people that you meet, boss monsters and the like throught the other disks as well. The game is going to be about 650KB.

Spoiler alert: maybe one of these monsters should be named "The Drumpf", wear a black suit and red tie, have weird blond/orange hair and continuously make the same 3 stereotyped gestures with his right hand.

Just a suggestion...

[Mike]

You're probably right. I think I will lay off posting any new graphics here for a while. I do plan on having about 144 monster portraits on side 2 (the maximum number of files that you can place on a side of a Commodore floppy disk) along with portraits for people that you meet, boss monsters and the like throught the other disks as well. The game is going to be about 650KB.

It's funny how easily one can get dragged away in the details when everything seems to work so well.

Of course it is also a matter of choosing good source material and it's quite natural to speak out ones heart with the results.

I suppose there will be a lot of other aspects of the game to be laid out - the overworld map, dungeons, puzzles (a.k.a. event triggering mechanisms), story, NPCs. Certain locations in the game could also be featured either in the top-left window, or even as full screen - similar to how TGA did it.

Would perhaps be funny, if one could persuade some of the NPCs to join the own party. That of course would require that it's not strictly necessary to start with a 10 people party right from the start.

[rubygolem]

Would perhaps be funny, if one could persuade some of the NPCs to join the own party. That of course would require that it's not strictly necessary to start with a 10 people party right from the start.

This is an interesting idea. It would +1up the previous Realms of Quest releases in terms of features if the party could pick up an NPC. Would still want to see all the great stuff that made the previous realms of quest 1-4 games so great too. Picking up keys for the doors. Having ghosts or other NPC's occasionally making an appearance to help the party out with a magic item or two...

One idea I would like to throw out there for extra fun is to include some new style dungeon traps into the mix. Previously in Realms of Quest IV we had darkness zones, spinners, teleporters, keys with locked doors, and pits...Maybe in this Realms of Quest V there can be traps that (besides the pits) inflict damage onto the party like Falling Rocks, or Poison Needles, or Zaps of Petrification, or Disintigrate? That'd be a blast!

[Ghislain]

Would perhaps be funny, if one could persuade some of the NPCs to join the own party. That of course would require that it's not strictly necessary to start with a 10 people party right from the start.

This is an interesting idea. It would +1up the previous Realms of Quest releases in terms of features if the party could pick up an NPC. Would still want to see all the great stuff that made the previous realms of quest 1-4 games so great too. Picking up keys for the doors. Having ghosts or other NPC's occasionally making an appearance to help the party out with a magic item or two...

One idea I would like to throw out there for extra fun is to include some new style dungeon traps into the mix. Previously in Realms of Quest IV we had darkness zones, spinners, teleporters, keys with locked doors, and pits...Maybe in this Realms of Quest V there can be traps that (besides the pits) inflict damage onto the party like Falling Rocks, or Poison Needles, or Zaps of Petrification, or Disintigrate? That'd be a blast!

As I stated previously, Realms V will allow each of the 10 player characters to have it's own "Ally" which is designated for summoned/controlled monsters and NPCs:



While the NPC is physically relegated as an inventory item for a player character, NPCs can participate and help in combat. You can meet an NPC at designated areas (like hidden rooms in dungeons or a tavern in a city). Effectively, then you can have up to 20 members in your party.

[Ghislain]

I finished the last of the Player Character portraits, the Ur-Viles. But I'm not going to post their images here. Instead, if you'd like to see them, you can download the latest demo here:

https://sites.google.com/site/gdbsite50 ... ects=0&d=1

To run it, just LOAD"RQ5.BOOT",8 and then RUN.

With the demo, you can Create, Delete, Inn (just view graphic), Market (just view graphic), Temple (view graphic) and View.

You can try the Create player option by first deleting a player from the party.