Alora Fane

There are still some things to sort out, but here's some progress on getting MARDEK on Steam (and a bit of a rant). (Update: Everything's done now!)

ANOTHER UPDATE - Steam has approved the files for the OST & Extras (but not the files for the game or the store pages for either), but included this warning:

Caution: We recommend including track numbers in the filenames (with leading 0s for tracks 1-9) so the soundtrack plays in the intended order, rather than alphabetically.

So that explains that!

UPDATE - I've made a trailer I'm quite pleased with (I didn't want to make one at all, but Steam requires it, and I can at least use it for promotion), which means now all the Steam stuff is (hopefully!!) finished! I've pressed the 'ready for review' button, which says it takes 3-5 days, though I don't recall Sindrel Song taking that long. There are a bunch of the now-familiar COVID delays warnings on the developer dashboard, though, so who knows how long it'll take. When that's done, I'll set the game to Coming Soon and post about it again!

I know I'm updating this a lot, but it's helping me keep sane through the process.

MARDEK on Steam is made up of two parts:

There's the main game, which will be $9.99.

Then there's an optional pack called "MARDEK - OST & Extras", for an additional $4.99. This contains the soundtrack and Piano Collections (almost 4 hours of music), plus pdfs of sheet music for those Piano Collections and an 81-page document of notes I wrote to plan out all the chapters before working on them (I think I started it after Chapter 1? And kept adding to it until around 2009). I also read through and added commentary to that document the other day (it took ages).

Thanks to those of you who replied to the previous post to clarify some things about whether I should make this a Soundtrack rather than just a standard DLC! I'm terrible at replying, but your comments definitely helped because I was wary about making the irreversible conversion from DLC to Soundtrack in case it prevented me from including the non-music-file pdfs.

Thankfully, it all works as it should, and you can use the Browse Local Files button there to open up the file folder, where you can find the pdfs. Good!

Annoyingly though, I'm getting issues with the track order. Yesterday I spent ages adding metadata like track name, number, and disc number manually, though Steam's apparently too good to use that information and requires an additional 'csv' file containing essentially the same metadata but in a different format, including the length of each track, which I think is stupid. Why can't it just extract the info from the files?? That took a while to write.

So with the metadata and the additional csv file, the tracks do have an established order... but when I actually click to play any of these tracks in the Steam app, it plays an unrelated one because it's getting the files from the right folder, but arranging them alphabetically for some bizarre reason. So if the Disc 1 folder contained "1. Theme, 2. Intro, 3. Battle", and these were specified as such in the csv file and the mp3s' metadata and correctly interpreted on this screen, and I clicked the first one in this menu to play the Theme, it'd actually play Battle because it's hearing 'play track 1' but retrieving "Battle, Intro, Theme" in that order. It's stupid!

I can't tell if there's any way to actually specify the order for the Steam player either. It's not as if you can add file names or paths to the csv file, even though that seems like the most sensible thing in the world. I've looked at the documentation, but honestly I'm so tired of all this convoluted Steam upload process that I've been skimming it and won't be surprised if I missed something.

It feels like this MARDEK stuff is neverending... I've not touched Divine Dreams all week because I've just been spending all my time on this. I don't know if anyone would really appreciate the time it's all taking; maybe it's just assumed that all I have to do is upload the file, press a button, then there, done, five minutes max. It was like that for Flash portals! But it's gone on for weeks and it seems like there's always something left to do.

I've now set a proper Release Date, as required (the 25th of May was the earliest I could choose, so I went with that), but now it's saying that I'm required to upload a trailer before I can submit the game for review, which I didn't want to have to make. I'm certainly not going to make a proper promotional one - what's the point, for a game most buyers will already have played? - but I'll rummage through the hours of video I have and cobble some things together. Even that'll take hours though. Urgh.

I'm wondering a lot about whether this'll even be worth it for me, financially, or whether only a handful of people will buy it and then complain about something anyway... But I'm almost done now, then I can finally - hopefully - get back to the stuff I actually want to do.

I like the game and want to make it more available, I just wish the whole damn technical process wasn't such an ordeal!

Oh, also, I've got this as the description now:

MARDEK is a retro-inspired RPG set in a lore-heavy world that blends together fantasy and sci-fi. Its initially lighthearted story soon evolves into a deeper exploration of moral ambiguity, told through a whole lot of dialogue both thought-provoking and ridiculously silly. Build your party from a wide cast of fleshed-out characters, each with their own stories, personalities, and unique skillsets, as you romp through vast elemental dungeons filled with hordes of monsters, oodles of equippable treasures, and huge, dramatic bosses.

The story follows a fairly ordinary young man called Mardek, whose fantasies of adventure begin to come true when he finds himself sharing his mind with the consciousness of a dead alien wizard, Rohoph. The three chapters follow Mardek's growth from his imaginative childhood, through his eventful training as a Royal Guard, and eventually to his missions as a full-fledged Royal Knight. Along the way, Mardek and his allies face off against members of a sinister council of Rohoph's alien allies, who Rohoph - being the being of light and good that he apparently is - claims are evil and must be stopped.

The game was originally released for browsers in three parts between 2007 and 2010. This version combines all three released chapters and presents them without the surrounding distractions common to playing on Flash portals, to increase immersion. The music is no longer compressed and as such sounds much clearer than in the browser versions, and there have been a few minor tweaks to rare item or skill acquisition costs - all requested by long-time fans - to aid in reaching 100% completion.

Other than that, this is a faithful port of the game as it was when originally released, for maximum nostalgia.

It's important to note that the series was originally (and rather naively) intended to be eight chapters long, though only these three were produced due to serious behind-the-scenes issues. Even so, there are many dozens of hours of gameplay to be had, and many memories to nostalgically return to or to form anew!

A direct continuation of this series isn't going to happen - at least not from me (the developer) - but the optional "OST & Extras" package contains some old notes I managed to dig up with the (rather vague) plans I had for the rest of the chapters. I know it's not the same as producing them, but it's infinitely easier!

As of 2020, I have been working on a 3D 'Reimagining' of MARDEK called "Divine Dreams", which aims to retell the story using the more-than-a-decade of personal and skill growth since MARDEK was released. You can check my website, alorafane.com, for more info.

I think it's a big improvement over what I had a few posts ago, but do you see any issues or omissions?

21 COMMENTS

vladandrei199647~5Y

First of all, don't feel bad because you're updating this a lot, most of us are eagerly waiting for more news from you, and this is your blog, so feel free to write as often as you want.

I've marked 25th of May , this is truly something to wait for.

The description seems fitting, you don't spoil much but you give new players something to take note of. A decade ago I was surprised by the 1st chapter when Mardek and Deugan were fully fleshed heroes and then the reveal that it was all imagination, we are just playing 2 kids that can barely hit with a stick.
You also wrote about not being a "full experience" as it was never completed but it still has dozens of hours of gameplay, that's good. No one can give you a negative review for having an "incomplete game" if you specify it. It is complete in your eyes as it is so that's what matters.

Well, it seems the big chunk of work was done, I'm glad that you took your time and did this, hopefully it will not be in vain. I'm waiting for this release so I can do another replay (I think it will be my 4th or 5th playthrough).

First of all, don't feel bad because you're updating this a lot, most of us are eagerly waiting for more news from you, and this is your blog, so feel free to write as often as you want.

I've marked 25th of May , this is truly something to wait for.

The description seems fitting, you don't spoil much but you give new players something to take note of. A decade ago I was surprised by the 1st chapter when Mardek and Deugan were fully fleshed heroes and then the reveal that it was all imagination, we are just playing 2 kids that can barely hit with a stick.
You also wrote about not being a "full experience" as it was never completed but it still has dozens of hours of gameplay, that's good. No one can give you a negative review for having an "incomplete game" if you specify it. It is complete in your eyes as it is so that's what matters.

Well, it seems the big chunk of work was done, I'm glad that you took your time and did this, hopefully it will not be in vain. I'm waiting for this release so I can do another replay (I think it will be my 4th or 5th playthrough).

JohnnyBoi45~5Y

I think your new description is very well done - definitely hitting all the right points and with a more fitting amount of pride in this work. Despite all the trials and tribulations, I do think this is the closure both you and longtime fans deserve with the series. Of course I hope it becomes a surprise smash hit, but if nothing else you've given Mardek a lifespan on the internet beyond flash, which I think is something worth doing.

xXDivineDreamerXx12~5Y

In my opinion, this looks awesome! I wouldn't change anything and would publish it as it is. The issue with the filenames seems annoying. Can you rename the files as 00_mardek_main_theme, 01_slaying_the_dragon, 02_... would that solve the alphanumeric ordering issues? Hopefully making the trailer doesn't take too long. I would encourage you not to spend much time on it, but knowing you (or at least what I think I know about you based on your blog posts) you'll probably want to do a perfect job and put a lot of effort into it anyway. I'm sure it'll be good! I think the re-release would look professional even if Steam didn't require you to make a trailer.

Tobias 1115~5Y

That's a good idea! Maybe I should do something like that, though it's annoying and bizarre that there isn't a more obvious way to determine the order Steam plays the files in.

Now that I've started on the trailer (which I am of course trying to do well rather than just slapping a music track over a couple of random clips), I'm thinking it'd be a good thing to have to promote the release, so it's probably not a waste of time. Or I mean Steam's forcing me to do it anyway so I might a well try to see it that way!

Nagatsuki12~5Y

Are you going to make versions in other languages?

Tobias 1115~5Y

I'm intrigued to hear how you think adding additional languages to a game like this works.

Spectre35~5Y

How many copies do you expect to sell?

Tobias 1115~5Y

Not many. How many copies do you expect it to sell?

Alban12320~5Y

I think at least two thousand people are going to buy it!

Spectre35~5Y

Maybe 1-2k

xXDivineDreamerXx12~5Y

Why do you think maybe 1-2k copies will be sold?

Nagatsuki12~5Y

You can ask fans to help translate the game text

codyfun12329~5Y

It's not that simple. Even if fans did translate the game, the code is very old and doesn't support displaying multiple languages. This would take up a lot of his time.

NewXmad5~5Y

Fans will translate anything my man.

I doubt there's a massive spanish or french or chinese mardek fanbase out there but if a game hasn't been translated yet there's probably somebody who tried/has translated it.

Elfangor8~5Y

Well, translating it ain't the problem. What would take time here is to insert the translated texts in the game.
I can tell you it's long and arduous, as I've already translated several games. If one game wasn't made to have several langages, chances have it it'll be difficult to change the texts

1 reply...

Ptyrell37~5Y

Here is a nonconstructive and generic comment, which accurately describes my thoughts right now:

"Sounds great!"

Falcon64~5Y

The description sounds great to me! Hopefully you'll be able to leave this behind soon enough. It certainly sounds like most of the ordeal with the port is over!

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to it, especially the design notes.

NewXmad5~5Y

I know it's been a massive pain in the rear end just porting this game over to steam but I really do appreciate it.

Plus with the steam release maybe this game gets a new audience? Unlikely it takes off as a classic cult hit or something but if maybe 1,000+ people over the years end up playing it who have never heard of mardek it's something I guess.

Anyway looking forward to the release and really thanks for all of the effort you're putting into this re-release. Or remaster? Port? Uh not sure what to call it lol.

HolyPenguin96~5Y

I'm really looking forward to this! And I'll definitely be picking up the extras and OST as well (I already got the Piano Collections from Bandcamp, but no harm getting it again).

The description sounds good to me, by the way.

Sorry that this has been such a pain for you to sort out, but you're nearly there now and hopefully it'll all be worth it.