Alora Fane

Almost exactly a year ago (wow, feels like way longer), I wrote ∞ a post ∞ about re-releasing a bunch of my old games. I managed to get ∞ MARDEK on Steam ∞ a few months ago, though I've been so focused on making my newest game that I forgot all about re-releasing the old ones. It's on my mind again, though...

I occasionally get emails or Twitter messages from people asking me either to continue games like Deliverance or Beast Signer, or in some cases whether they can access them at all. Usually they talk about how they were a huge part of their childhood and they just want a chance to relive some nostalgia.

It's always genuinely moving - and surreal! - when people tell me how significant a part of their childhood my old games were, but I feel like only people who encountered them at a particularly impressionable time during their young life would care about them. And I'm unsure how large this number of people is. MARDEK reached a much larger audience than anything else I ever made, and that's currently at... 1,876 sales after 4 months. The other games never saw that kind of wide release and were only (officially) hosted on my own website.

So I'm uncertain whether devoting a lot of time and effort to porting old games would be worth it if only a handful of people would be interested. Most people wouldn't work for a week or a month or however long it'll take for a potential amount of money that could well be under $100! My time would be better spent working away at Atonal Dreams.

If I were to do this, though, now seems a good time for it. Apparently Flash is stopping entirely at the end of this year... though I've been hearing "Flash is finally dead now!" for ages so who knows what that even means.

It seems that a lot of devs who used to make Flash games release a compilation of those games as a single item on Steam, as we've talked about on this blog before. I think Matt Roszak of Epic Battle Fantasy fame is/was doing something like that, based on recent tweets? (Though I'm terrible at keeping up with what others are doing!) So I'd probably do the same, but I'm unsure what games I could include in it.

I mean I could just include everything I've ever made in Flash (other than MARDEK)... but I don't think that'd be a good way to go about it. I could also fill it just with RPGs I've made - since those seem to be the most interesting to me and others - but some of the less-old ones like Taming Dreams and Alora Fane: Creation feel like they're too good to be clumped in with the likes of Deliverance and Beast Signer...

Looking through the list of games in last November's post, these ones could maybe qualify for some kind of Unfinished RPGs Compilation or something... though in my mind they could be divided into two distinct groups.

The first group are games I consider old and crudely-made, from when I was still figuring things out. I also released versions of a couple of them on Fig Hunter, which at least some people might have nostalgia for.

Fig Hunter

This one's the crudest-made game I could potentially include, but it might be too crudely-made to be worth it? I also think its battle music is stolen from another game, which would be an issue. There are a few hours of gameplay in it though, I think. Maybe it's too old and embarrassing to do anything with!

Deliverance

This is one I would include for sure, since while it's also old and embarrassing to me, occasionally people mention it to me. There are a bunch of different versions of it, though, which complicates things a bit.

Beast Signer

People sometimes mention this one to me, too.

The second group are games I'm still quite fond of, despite their flaws. They're all unfinished, but they also feel more refined and thought-out than the others. I'd get something out of playing them if I were to do so now, but I don't think there would be as many - any? - people with nostalgic fondness for them? I don't really get random emails on Twitter messages about any of them.

Miasmon

Miasmon's far from perfect, and far from finished, but there's a lot of content to it, probably hours of gameplay. It's 'voice' probably isn't that far off what I'm making now. I put it on Fig Hunter, I think, but nobody ever mentions it to me.

Alora Fane: Creation

This is a tool for users to create their own adventures which would have much more potential than anything else I'm including here, to the point where it's almost worth a release of its own... I'll get back to this later in this post.

Taming Dreams

This is a reimagining of MARDEK that I've recently been reimagining as Divine Dreams... then Atonal Dreams. It's complicated. I like it and want to release it again in some form, but dumping it in a compilation feels so unpleasant to me... It's unfinished and never will be finished though, so maybe that's the only thing I ever could do with it? (Maybe I could bundle it with Atonal Dreams...)

I'm not sure what (literal, financial) value re-releasing any of these old things would have for me. It might not be worth the time and effort. It looks like porting MARDEK was, though that was way more successful in its wide Flash release than any of these. None of these are finished, but I suppose you could say the same about MARDEK when looked at as a whole series... Hmm.

I figured out how to port old Flash stuff in a technical sense when I did that with MARDEK, so I think I should be able to use a similar technique to port these. All the first group were coded (poorly) in ActionScript 2, so they'd have the same problems as MARDEK, but I managed to get around them for that. The others were made in AS3 and might be easier to work with.

It's interesting how much - and how little - has changed for me since the last post almost exactly a year ago. I'm less naive now, and more concerned with the financial feasibility of decisions that I make. It'd be a different story if I were financially secure, but I'm not, so I have to think about how best to monetise things and to try not to waste opportunities for that, which it might be if I were to compile all these games together and release them for a pittance when I might have made more money had I released them in smaller packs or even individually.

There's no real way to gauge how many people might be interested, but I'd like to hear your thoughts about this if you're here on this blog!

I wrote this yesterday and I'm returning to it today after thinking about it a bit.

I didn't include games like Raider and Clarence's Big Chance here, even though the latter was actually finished and released, since I feel they're too different to the others to include in a compilation. I wonder whether I could get away with releasing CBC by itself for some tiny price like $3, but is it something I want associated with me these days?

In the post last year, I mentioned I'd add them to this site for individual pay-what-you-like prices, but I can't imagine that'd earn me any money at all... but would a Steam release, which would require much more time and effort? Hmm...

What do you think? I'm indecisive! If you're interested in any of these games, what - if anything - would you be willing to pay for versions of them similar to the MARDEK Steam release?

I've also been thinking quite a bit about Alora Fane: Creation, and how it might be interesting to make something like that again. Not exactly a direct remake, but something in a similar vein, probably in 3D, essentially carrying over a lot of things I've coded for Divine/Atonal Dreams.

Like in the Flash AFC, you'd be able to build rooms in a small grid, though the rooms would be 3D, probably like ∞ the floating dioramas idea I had for Divine Dreams at the start of the year ∞ (though probably without variable elevation since the aim will be to make it as simple as possible to use). You'd be able to create player and NPC characters that could be either customisable humanoid Alora Fane species, or monsters with variant skins. It'd use the dialogue system I've got in Atonal Dreams, or a similar one, allowing for a wide variety of emotes.

Atonal Dreams is taking a long time at the moment because I'm having to script a fulfilling story. I like the idea and I'll like the result, but the process requires patience! Also, once it's released, that'll be it; there's little I could add to it as the story would be complete.

With something like this, though, it'd be more of a tool for creativity than a linear experience. You'd be able to make your own quests and play other people's; there'd surely be some way to easily share and find them. I'd be able to add new content updates like new monsters, tilesets, items, music, etc, which wouldn't take too long on my part and would give people something to play with. The game's lifetime would potentially be bigger than Atonal Dreams'... for people interested in creating stuff with it, anyway. Maybe that's too small of an audience though.

It's just an idea that's been on my mind for a few hours, but would anyone be interested in such a thing, I wonder? Or are there way better alternatives out there if you want to make your own stories so nobody would bother with this?

20 COMMENTS

Refurin24~4Y

For any of the games that you think are either not worth the trouble of re-releasing or are possibly too crudely made, I think it may be worth seeing if you could at least get them put into the Flashpoint archive.

It's an effort to archive pretty much all Flash content that anybody could remember and download, and for the games you might rather just forget about it'd at least give those who had fond memories of them a place to access them when Flash's browser support finally kicks the bucket.

There's an absolute mountain of stuff already on there (roughly 530GB of it currently), but almost all of your older stuff (Deliverance, Beast Signer, etc) aren't.

If they never end up anywhere else it at least seems fitting that they be archived like so many other creators' Flash content that'd be lost otherwise.

Tobias 1115~4Y

I can see the appeal of that from a player's perspective, though I'm in such dire straits at the moment that releasing anything for free feels like losing an opportunity to maybe make a little bit of money. I hate that I didn't have to think like this, but money's sparse in what I'm doing!

I'll at least keep this in mind, but I'm reluctant.

appledoo2~4Y

I did flashpoint stuff once... pretty sure Beast Signer and some other stuff is on there as of the latest build.

Potato2~4Y

You mentioned having a Patreon (I think? I can't find a link anywhere). I'd say access to unfinished prototypes and such might be better left as a Patreon reward. If these are available on Steam, you might get a reputation of only selling "unfinished junk" (not saying I agree, but you know how the internet is), whereas anyone supporting you on Patreon is by definition interested in your work and would actually appreciate your history as a game designer.

Tobias 1115~4Y

How did you get to this post? I might need to add more Patreon links to somewhere where they'd be more likely to be seen! My Patreon is [LINK]

I never thought of putting these on there. That's interesting... though I also feel like it's overly restrictive. Few people would be willing to make the long-term investment in becoming a patron, while they might be willing to pay for a one-off thing in some way. I wouldn't want to release a bunch of unfinished stuff separately on Steam! Maybe a compilation though.

Another idea that came to mind is itch.io, which seems easier to release more casually on, and you can charge there? I might need to look into that...

Falcon64~4Y

A single payment is enough to unlock all Patreon content, so it wouldn't necessarily require long-term investment if someone is only interested in accessing the games; and the prices would be about as much as you thought to release them for on Steam?

I'm not sure what's the better idea, but it sounds like a Steam release would necessitate more work in exchange for more visibility; though it might not be desirable visibility, as Potato mentioned.

Personally, I would definitely be interested in having access to all of your old games, even the crude ones. I remember I never managed to "finish" Deliverance because I could never get saving to work!

bkjnt2019~4Y

Hi Tobias. Your games and websites have been part of my life since I was six years old, but this is my first time commenting on any of them, strangely. MARDEK is the only one that I've really kept coming back to over the years, but I definitely did spend an inordinate amount of time in my childhood on Deliverance and Raider, among others. However, I can't say that I felt an urge reading this post to play them again; with how crudely made they are I can't imagine they could live up to the fun I had all those years ago. I do really like some of the music from those games though! Someone a few years ago uploaded a lot of that music to youtube, and I've enjoyed listening to it. Sure, it's obviously not polished, and some of it hurts my ears, but there are other parts where I don't feel like I would be blinded by nostalgia if I said they were 'good'. There's also the Miasmon soundtrack, which I love, and don't feel the need to qualify with disclaimers about how amateurishly made it is or whatever. The main theme in particular is gorgeous. So maybe if you ever decide to release some of those old games, you could think about including some of the music with it; I bet a large proportion of people who are interested in the games would be interested in that.

By the way, I don't think you should feel ashamed about CBC or not want it associated with you. It's a good game! It's fun to play, and the humor is quite amusing. It is silly and unserious in a way that isn't true of your newer games, but I don't think you should be worried about that aspect of it; it's just different. I'm guessing from your recent posts that maybe you're worried that deranged people on the internet will get mad because the game is misogynist, objectifying women or whatever. From what I remember, that isn't really true of the game; if anything the premise is a negative stereotype about men, with the protagonist an obese ogre who lies and spies on the girl just to get sex. I won't deny that there are deranged people on the internet, but I can't imagine they would come for such an old, obscure game that hasn't even really done anything wrong. Usually those people aim to tear down whatever is currently the most popular thing and with all due respect to you, that's not where you are. Now, that might not be what you meant and maybe you just find the humor too crass, but I do think that a significant amount of people would enjoy CBC in a way that's not true of Deliverance or Beast Signer.

Overall, I think that releasing these old games might be worth your while if it doesn't take too long to do, but I don't know if it would be the best thing to focus on right now. Atonal Dreams looks really good so far and I can imagine it being quite successful; if that's the case I figure the best time to release other stuff would be after its release, when people are interested in you. That's especially true for the AFC remake idea; anyone who enjoyed Atonal Dreams would almost certainly be interested in that, but as it is there isn't a huge audience for it. I really can imagine it being successful though; I know people would have loved something similar for MARDEK back in the day. I do get that it's hard to just work on the same thing repeatedly, though, so maybe you would get more done if you alternated somewhat between these projects and Atonal Dreams. Whatever you choose, I'll be excited to see what you make :)

By the way, I don't think you should feel ashamed about CBC or not want it associated with you. It's a good game! It's fun to play, and the humor is quite amusing. It is silly and unserious in a way that isn't true of your newer games, but I don't think you should be worried about that aspect of it; it's just different. I'm guessing from your recent posts that maybe you're worried that deranged people on the internet will get mad because the game is misogynist, objectifying women or whatever. From what I remember, that isn't really true of the game; if anything the premise is a negative stereotype about men, with the protagonist an obese ogre who lies and spies on the girl just to get sex. I won't deny that there are deranged people on the internet, but I can't imagine they would come for such an old, obscure game that hasn't even really done anything wrong. Usually those people aim to tear down whatever is currently the most popular thing and with all due respect to you, that's not where you are. Now, that might not be what you meant and maybe you just find the humor too crass, but I do think that a significant amount of people would enjoy CBC in a way that's not true of Deliverance or Beast Signer.

Overall, I think that releasing these old games might be worth your while if it doesn't take too long to do, but I don't know if it would be the best thing to focus on right now. Atonal Dreams looks really good so far and I can imagine it being quite successful; if that's the case I figure the best time to release other stuff would be after its release, when people are interested in you. That's especially true for the AFC remake idea; anyone who enjoyed Atonal Dreams would almost certainly be interested in that, but as it is there isn't a huge audience for it. I really can imagine it being successful though; I know people would have loved something similar for MARDEK back in the day. I do get that it's hard to just work on the same thing repeatedly, though, so maybe you would get more done if you alternated somewhat between these projects and Atonal Dreams. Whatever you choose, I'll be excited to see what you make :)

Tobias 1115~4Y

Hello!

Revisiting our old childhood joys never feels the same, unfortunately, though I suppose it's best to approach them not so much to have fun in the same ways we used to, but to remember old times?

It's honestly sort of annoying that someone else has uploaded my music on youtube since I was unaware of that, but at least it means it's got some value to some people? I've been meaning to release it all in some form for ages, but converting all the files to the right format is time-consuming, and like with the concern about these games, I keep feeling like I shouldn't waste an opportunity to monetise it... though I'd be surprised if anyone was willing to pay anything for it.

I'd not actually thought about the political risks of CBC despite what's been on my mind lately! I was more concerned that it's just a bit too crude, hardly the kind of emotional, contemplative, compassionate angle I'm going for these days. So it feels like it'd clash too much if I had it on something like my Steam account!

I've done no work today on Atonal Dreams today and feel bad about that... but I think it's because I am just burned out from focusing on it too long, which is why my mind was wandering to other ideas like this. I do want to finish it though, and it's probably a better idea to try to focus somehow than to divert my attention...

Hello!

Revisiting our old childhood joys never feels the same, unfortunately, though I suppose it's best to approach them not so much to have fun in the same ways we used to, but to remember old times?

It's honestly sort of annoying that someone else has uploaded my music on youtube since I was unaware of that, but at least it means it's got some value to some people? I've been meaning to release it all in some form for ages, but converting all the files to the right format is time-consuming, and like with the concern about these games, I keep feeling like I shouldn't waste an opportunity to monetise it... though I'd be surprised if anyone was willing to pay anything for it.

I'd not actually thought about the /political risks/ of CBC despite what's been on my mind lately! I was more concerned that it's just a bit too crude, hardly the kind of emotional, contemplative, compassionate angle I'm going for these days. So it feels like it'd clash too much if I had it on something like my Steam account!

I've done no work today on Atonal Dreams today and feel bad about that... but I think it's because I am just burned out from focusing on it too long, which is why my mind was wandering to other ideas like this. I do want to finish it though, and it's probably a better idea to try to focus somehow than to divert my attention...

bkjnt2019~4Y

I think some people definitely would be willing to pay for the music, though I'm not in a position to say exactly what the number would be; I imagine the earnings would probably be in the hundreds, which could maybe feel 'worth it' or not depending on how long the process takes (something I have no clue about). Then again, I've never heard of anyone selling game music without the game itself, so maybe you would have to release the games, too, in which case the original thought I had applies. I don't think that random guy on youtube (with triple digit views at best) really affects your ability to monetize it, though I get why it would be annoying to see something you made yourself stolen by another person and posted online.

I'm glad you didn't think about CBC's 'political' risks, since they don't really exist, and now I feel kind of bad for acting like that could have been an issue. Are you concerned that other people will think less of you if they see such a crude game on your Steam account, or do you feel ashamed yourself for having made it, and want to move on from it? If it's the second, then that's entirely your affair, but if it's the first, I don't think you should be worried about that. People understand that you are not the same person as you were a decade ago; they won't judge CBC for not being Sindrel Song. Besides that, it's a well-made game, and it has over one million plays on Kongregate (way more than I thought) so presumably at least some people have fond memories of it. Obviously it's your choice what to do, but I personally don't think you should feel ashamed of it.

I'm glad you didn't think about CBC's 'political' risks, since they don't really exist, and now I feel kind of bad for acting like that could have been an issue. Are you concerned that other people will think less of you if they see such a crude game on your Steam account, or do you feel ashamed yourself for having made it, and want to move on from it? If it's the second, then that's entirely your affair, but if it's the first, I don't think you should be worried about that. People understand that you are not the same person as you were a decade ago; they won't judge CBC for not being Sindrel Song. Besides that, it's a well-made game, and it has over one million plays on Kongregate (way more than I thought) so presumably at least some people have fond memories of it. Obviously it's your choice what to do, but I personally don't think you should feel ashamed of it.

Dingding32167~4Y

I do have to say that I really enjoyed CBC! Different tone certainly but since it was all clearly made as a joke I don't think it reflects on you badly at all, and I do remember the "final showdown" being surprisingly respectful (compared to what I'd expect from games) to women when I first played it. I certainly haven't played it in a long time, but I think its silliness ages well, and you can always preface that with "this is very far from what I'm working on right now" or something like that. That said, I don't know how much I'd pay for it-- I'm probably not the best "average" gamer here to ask.
To be honest, I'm more likely to want to replay CBC than the other ones, just because I know the quality there is high and I know I enjoyed it before but don't remember much of it.

TheJop32~4Y

I personally never got to play Fig Hunter, Miasmon (I think this only ever got sent to Beta testers), Alora Fane: Creation, or Taming Dreams so I would want a Steam version. If you don't believe that your full games like Raider, Clarence, or Cyber Ortek would warrant separate pages, I think you could include everything in one package so that nothing is lost when Flash is dead and buried.

This reminds me of "The Basement Collection", a bunch of old Flash games made by Edmund McMillen, the guy who made Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. He included a clicker game that he made in a day for a game jam so I don't think all of the games need to have the same level of quality. Honestly, my favorite part of it was unlocking things like developer commentary and other extras as I played through the games. If you still have some of the early art/music of these games or could talk about them a bit, I would find that really interesting.

I like your quest creator idea, but there are a lot of RPG Maker games out there so I think it would have a very niche audience. Plus we would need to draw a lot more people to your blog for the game to have a long lifespan (which you may want to avoid).

Anyway! Saying all that, I think that if you're burned out on working on Atonal Dreams you might just want to take a break. If you switch to working on a new project you may spend a lot more time on it than you would have liked to, since you usually have pretty lofty aspirations for your games.

This reminds me of "The Basement Collection", a bunch of old Flash games made by Edmund McMillen, the guy who made Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. He included a clicker game that he made in a day for a game jam so I don't think all of the games need to have the same level of quality. Honestly, my favorite part of it was unlocking things like developer commentary and other extras as I played through the games. If you still have some of the early art/music of these games or could talk about them a bit, I would find that really interesting. 
 
I like your quest creator idea, but there are a lot of RPG Maker games out there so I think it would have a very niche audience. Plus we would need to draw a lot more people to your blog for the game to have a long lifespan (which you may want to avoid).

Anyway! Saying all that, I think that if you're burned out on working on Atonal Dreams you might just want to take a break. If you switch to working on a new project you may spend a lot more time on it than you would have liked to, since you usually have pretty lofty aspirations for your games.

MontyCallay101~4Y

I thought of suggesting something like this right after you had some modest success with the MARDEK re-release, but you were so enthusiastic to work on Atonal Dreams at the time! I think that doing this as a side-project would have a number of advantages:

- Reminding people that you're still out there, releasing things
- Giving fans an outlet to re-live their nostalgia (since those games aren't easily accessible for now) and you an opportunity to supplement your income
- Allowing you to take breaks from Atonal Dreams development, which, as you say, leaves you burnt out at the moment
- Giving you some additional perspective on releasing/promoting titles on Steam/other platforms

Most of which I'm sure you've already thought about, making the more cogent question how exactly to go about this! I'd almost be inclined to say you should release the old, entirely unfinished group of games as a bundle for free - giving you publicity and perhaps driving more traffic to your newer projects in the process. Then again, the fact that they aren't representative of your current content and most likely will be most interesting to nostalgic fans makes me think that you could perhaps try to build a more cohesive collection for a higher price tag, perhaps in the 5-10$ range, oriented towards those who are specifically interested in your creative history, maybe providing extra content in the form of some of the games/drawings you still had in your "My Story" posts. I would actually include the Miasmon remake there, for all it's worth, perhaps as an example of how your writing style etc. changed. Out of all of these, doing this one right might require the most effort. I feel like just putting these out there as a bundle with a low price tag so people can get to them would almost be a wasted opportunity!

Alora Fane: Creation undoubtedly deserves to get a release as a separate game! First of all, it's never been available to the public, and from what I've seen of it, it's pretty cool in how it leverages your art/gameplay style in order to create a toolkit for people to use. If you really wanted to go all out, you could add Steam Workshop integration for people to share and download content, since, iirc, the game was able to access a separate folder for that. I think this really has potential, personally, and you'd have a large enough audience from MARDEK that would possibly be interested and inspired to make their own little stories. Though options to do similar things already exist (RPG Maker comes to mind) I feel that AFC could work due to its unique style and accessibility. I have no idea if a 3D version would be a better project for you to work on, but if you put this out there now, and it saw some modest success, you could, perhaps after finishing Atonal Dreams, work on an "improved" 3D successor as a full-fledged project.

I have trouble categorising Taming Dreams, since it's both really good AND unfinished, so while it might not feel suitable for a separate release, it would really stand out if mixed in with the rest! So I have no idea here. Similarly with the Raider games, which are finished but might be the least interesting out of all of these for fans (though I have no idea if that is true).

I don't think releasing something like CBC would clash with your other projects stylistically - I would absolutely buy that for $3, and it's a great game! While it may have been released at a different stage of your artistic and personal development (as MARDEK was) I think it certainly is able to stand on its own, which I think people will be able to appreciate, considering that it was released a fairly long time ago. And I can't imagine a Steam release of that would require much effort!

- Reminding people that you're still out there, releasing things
- Giving fans an outlet to re-live their nostalgia (since those games aren't easily accessible for now) and you an opportunity to supplement your income
- Allowing you to take breaks from Atonal Dreams development, which, as you say, leaves you burnt out at the moment
- Giving you some additional perspective on releasing/promoting titles on Steam/other platforms

Most of which I'm sure you've already thought about, making the more cogent question how exactly to go about this! I'd almost be inclined to say you should release the old, entirely unfinished group of games as a bundle for free - giving you publicity and perhaps driving more traffic to your newer projects in the process. Then again, the fact that they aren't representative of your current content and most likely will be most interesting to nostalgic fans makes me think that you could perhaps try to build a more cohesive collection for a higher price tag, perhaps in the 5-10$ range, oriented towards those who are specifically interested in your creative history, maybe providing extra content in the form of some of the games/drawings you still had in your "My Story" posts. I would actually include the Miasmon remake there, for all it's worth, perhaps as an example of how your writing style etc. changed. Out of all of these, doing this one right might require the most effort. I feel like just putting these out there as a bundle with a low price tag so people can get to them would almost be a wasted opportunity!

Alora Fane: Creation undoubtedly deserves to get a release as a separate game! First of all, it's never been available to the public, and from what I've seen of it, it's pretty cool in how it leverages your art/gameplay style in order to create a toolkit for people to use. If you really wanted to go all out, you could add Steam Workshop integration for people to share and download content, since, iirc, the game was able to access a separate folder for that. I think this really has potential, personally, and you'd have a large enough audience from MARDEK that would possibly be interested and inspired to make their own little stories. Though options to do similar things already exist (RPG Maker comes to mind) I feel that AFC could work due to its unique style and accessibility. I have no idea if a 3D version would be a better project for you to work on, but if you put this out there now, and it saw some modest success, you could, perhaps after finishing Atonal Dreams, work on an "improved" 3D successor as a full-fledged project.

I have trouble categorising Taming Dreams, since it's both really good AND unfinished, so while it might not feel suitable for a separate release, it would really stand out if mixed in with the rest! So I have no idea here. Similarly with the Raider games, which are finished but might be the least interesting out of all of these for fans (though I have no idea if that is true).

I don't think releasing something like CBC would clash with your other projects stylistically - I would absolutely buy that for $3, and it's a great game! While it may have been released at a different stage of your artistic and personal development (as MARDEK was) I think it certainly is able to stand on its own, which I think people will be able to appreciate, considering that it was released a fairly long time ago. And I can't imagine a Steam release of that would require much effort!

astralwolf92~4Y

I'm very interested in AFC and CBC. CBC was a really great game, deserves to be memorialised in steam.

Maniafig222~4Y

It's always nice seeing you talk about your old games. I played those old games! I liked those old games!! Old games!!!

I know they certainly were a part of my formative years, perhaps just a small part, but still a part nonetheless!

Matt Roszak has been working on bundling his games together for a Steam release, he's been posting about it on DeviantArt, anyway. Some of the older games even get some new content, I think EBF1 had copyrighted material (Pokémon and Dragon Ball stuff), so he changed some visual designs and had a composer compose new music for it. A lot of effort just for a compilation!

It's probably fine for Fig Hunter to not be included, it looks very, well, crappy. It's the only one I never played, either, so I've little to say about it!

I do remember Deliverance! I suppose a lot of it lives on through MARDEK, and it certainly seemed more ambitious than it could manage. Having character and spell customization isn't that big of a deal when there's obviously best setups for both. And there's an infinite money glitch in the first town I'm sure everybody immediately exploited!

I am still somewhat fond of Beast Signer! It's kind of an unbalanced mess, but it's kinda fun. Yes. It's probably good that it's as short as it is, though, since the whole having to combine high level monsters into low level monsters to raise the level cap sounds so tedious!

I beta tested Miasmon! Beta testing your games was a lot of fun! I hope to beta test Atonal Dreams, too!! I'm pretty sure this one was accessible on the main page of the Fig Hunter site before it went down. Definitely include this one!

ALORA FANE: CREATION!! I played that, yes. Made quests in it, even. Why, I even made quests in the Good Lord's Year Of 2020. Did you know it includes Goblins? Cute Goblins. Any version of AF:C should have cute Goblins. Or else.

Taming Dreams also deserves at least something! Especially episode 3, since that one seems to be entirely inaccessible by any means whatsoever!

I suppose there's also the Raider games and CBC. I know they're not your typical sort of game, but I think at least CBC deserves to be in the package. It's a shame Clarence RPG never really took off, I'm pretty sure it was your first try at a non-violent encounter system, something you're still working with today. Though I suppose one could make non-violent quests with AF:C, too. I know I certainly have.

There's also Chameleon I suppose. How much did you get done on that one? I know you had screenshots of it, but it never made it to a beta testing phase.

I approve of any spiritual successors to AF:C, on the sole condition that the AF:C Goblin makes it in. You can remove literally everything else, and it'll be OK, but the Goblin must be in there.

I wonder how many of the assets for such a game can be reused from Atonal Dreams? I think it's an idea worth exploring. I could totally remake my quests in THREE DEE. Or not, since that sounds tedious. But I can make new stuff and make it in a format that might actually be accessible to people, wowzers!!

It's always nice seeing you talk about your old games. I played those old games! I liked those old games!! Old games!!!

I know they certainly were a part of my formative years, perhaps just a small part, but still a part nonetheless!

Matt Roszak has been working on bundling his games together for a Steam release, he's been posting about it on DeviantArt, anyway. Some of the older games even get some new content, I think EBF1 had copyrighted material (Pokémon and Dragon Ball stuff), so he changed some visual designs and had a composer compose new music for it. A lot of effort just for a compilation!

It's probably fine for Fig Hunter to not be included, it looks very, well, crappy. It's the only one I never played, either, so I've little to say about it!

I do remember Deliverance! I suppose a lot of it lives on through MARDEK, and it certainly seemed more ambitious than it could manage. Having character and spell customization isn't that big of a deal when there's obviously best setups for both. And there's an infinite money glitch in the first town I'm sure everybody immediately exploited!

I am still somewhat fond of Beast Signer! It's kind of an unbalanced mess, but it's kinda fun. Yes. It's probably good that it's as short as it is, though, since the whole having to combine high level monsters into low level monsters to raise the level cap sounds so tedious!

I beta tested Miasmon! Beta testing your games was a lot of fun! I hope to beta test Atonal Dreams, too!! I'm pretty sure this one was accessible on the main page of the Fig Hunter site before it went down. Definitely include this one!

ALORA FANE: CREATION!! I played that, yes. Made quests in it, even. Why, I even made quests in the Good Lord's Year Of 2020. Did you know it includes Goblins? Cute Goblins. Any version of AF:C should have cute Goblins. Or else.

Taming Dreams also deserves at least something! Especially episode 3, since that one seems to be entirely inaccessible by any means whatsoever!

I suppose there's also the Raider games and CBC. I know they're not your typical sort of game, but I think at least CBC deserves to be in the package. It's a shame Clarence RPG never really took off, I'm pretty sure it was your first try at a non-violent encounter system, something you're still working with today. Though I suppose one could make non-violent quests with AF:C, too. I know I certainly have.

There's also Chameleon I suppose. How much did you get done on that one? I know you had screenshots of it, but it never made it to a beta testing phase.

I approve of any spiritual successors to AF:C, on the sole condition that the AF:C Goblin makes it in. You can remove literally everything else, and it'll be OK, but the Goblin must be in there.

I wonder how many of the assets for such a game can be reused from Atonal Dreams? I think it's an idea worth exploring. I could totally remake my quests in THREE DEE. Or not, since that sounds tedious. But I can make new stuff and make it in a format that might actually be accessible to people, wowzers!!

mount201046~4Y

I really like your later pixel-art style, starting from Miasmon. (I'm also currently learning pixel art and I've taken your later pixel art as a sort of goal to reach). Shame that the financial difficulties will probably prevent you from releasing them, though! Perhaps push through with Atonal Dreams, and if that works out well enough, you could release these as a "see what else I've done before" to capitalize on it?

A separate thought, though, that popped into my mind while wondering if Atonal Dreams would be a success: I wonder if Atonal Dreams is actually "accessible" enough in terms of story to gain some sort of attention in a general audience. I think MARDEK worked out because it was a "generalist", familiar, knights-go-on-an-adventure story with a deeper element to it. It is this that makes me think Divine Dreams would've been more successful (if it wasn't a trilogy that would take years to make). Hm... I think if you want to be financially successful, you should also be mentally prepared to handle the stress of having attention directed at you. After all, you've jumped around 3 websites due to the toxicity of your old fanbase - what if this game attracts the same kind of attention?

Hmm... I wonder if you're making this game to be financially stable, or to come to terms with yourself... Oh well, either way, I think you should push through with it and do your best - I think you definitely have skill at game development and it'd be a shame if you never got to develop what you wanted because you were financially unstable. Sometimes I compare you (in your current state) to Vincent van Gogh!

A separate thought, though, that popped into my mind while wondering if Atonal Dreams would be a success: I wonder if Atonal Dreams is actually "accessible" enough in terms of story to gain some sort of attention in a general audience. I think MARDEK worked out because it was a "generalist", familiar, knights-go-on-an-adventure story with a deeper element to it. It is this that makes me think Divine Dreams would've been more successful (if it wasn't a trilogy that would take years to make). Hm... I think if you want to be financially successful, you should also be mentally prepared to handle the stress of having attention directed at you. After all, you've jumped around 3 websites due to the toxicity of your old fanbase - what if this game attracts the same kind of attention?

Hmm... I wonder if you're making this game to be financially stable, or to come to terms with yourself... Oh well, either way, I think you should push through with it and do your best - I think you definitely have skill at game development and it'd be a shame if you never got to develop what you wanted because you were financially unstable. Sometimes I compare you (in your current state) to Vincent van Gogh!

Wolf21~4Y

You're also forgetting SMECOF 2005X!

Fig Hunter is definitely something that should be left to the side. I remember playing it when I first joined Fighunter/YALORTism and even back then it wasn't amazing, but then I did have Deliverance to compare it to. Otherwise I think all of these deserve to see some sort of release- if possible.

I think you could bundle most of the games you listed as 'old and crudely-made' as a sort of showcase.

Miasmon, Alora Fane: Creation and Taming Dreams feel like they really are a cut above your previous projects. The art and style is really a standout, so I think they could more easily get away with standalone releases. I think that art choice- because it's a modern take on a classic style- really stands the test of time. I understand moving to 3D, and you are doing great work, but 3D complicates things so much. Advances in technology significantly age 3D games, while the pixel-based, retro styled 2D games seem to thrive through the years.

Alora Fane: Creation is probably the most unique, marketable game you've made previously. With the ability to create quests and share them, I think it could be a really good move to release a version of this. Maybe you could even release it for free, and then have 'paid DLC' - things like tilesets, character designs, and quests.

All of these are really nostalgic to me. It makes me regret not spending more time on Fighunter and cementing those friendships I made over the years there. I had a lot of great opportunities, from testing to moderating, that I wish I'd capitalised on.

You're also forgetting SMECOF 2005X!

Fig Hunter is definitely something that should be left to the side. I remember playing it when I first joined Fighunter/YALORTism and even back then it wasn't amazing, but then I did have Deliverance to compare it to. Otherwise I think all of these deserve to see some sort of release- if possible.

I think you could bundle most of the games you listed as 'old and crudely-made' as a sort of showcase.

Miasmon, Alora Fane: Creation and Taming Dreams feel like they really are a cut above your previous projects. The art and style is really a standout, so I think they could more easily get away with standalone releases. I think that art choice- because it's a modern take on a classic style- really stands the test of time. I understand moving to 3D, and you are doing great work, but 3D complicates things so much. Advances in technology significantly age 3D games, while the pixel-based, retro styled 2D games seem to thrive through the years.

Alora Fane: Creation is probably the most unique, marketable game you've made previously. With the ability to create quests and share them, I think it could be a really good move to release a version of this. Maybe you could even release it for free, and then have 'paid DLC' - things like tilesets, character designs, and quests.

All of these are really nostalgic to me. It makes me regret not spending more time on Fighunter and cementing those friendships I made over the years there. I had a lot of great opportunities, from testing to moderating, that I wish I'd capitalised on.

swatllama15~4Y

I actually did like Fig Hunter. It was crappy, yes, but had an incredible amount of lightheartedness and was cool to see the progression that went from that Yalortian game on your deviantart, to Fighunter, Deliverance, and Mardek (of course with tons of stuff in between) and 10 years of things afterwards too. I probably would play Fig Hunter once just since I haven't played it in 13 years, but I wouldn't end up playing Deliverance and Beast Signer again, at least for a while, since I"ve played them in the past few years. But I would still buy a bundle with all of them included! They were really well done for their time, and for the resources given to them.

I never got a chance to try out the Miasmon, AF:C prototypes, or the full Taming Dreams versions, so I would also be willing to pay to try those out.

Martyr3~4Y

BTW Why I cant download "Taming dreams" again in the Play store? I paid 3 euros for the 3rd chapter, and there's a special dialogue I wanna see... :///

Alban12320~4Y

Alora Fane Creation on 3D, that sounds like the most amazing thing ever, i bet you would make a ton of money if you make something like that.

phsc57~4Y

I'm a bit late and this was some weeks ago, but I really want to give my opinion on this, I have played Deliverance and Beast Signer out of the ones on the list and I remember liking them, Deliverance was buggy and a bit... weird, and I see what generates your opinions on that game, but it was still fun, if I remember right Beast Signer was quite incomplete which made me dislike it more than Deliverance (unfinished but has more content), both of these are games I really like.
But what about some of your other games? Clarence's Big Chance and Raider come to mind, fun games of yours I played, I think that you could get some new fans out of Clarence's Big Chance, it is a quite funny game which I believe could spark up interest, Raider is an interesting platform and it's difficulty could also make people get interested in it, I think this is a great idea.
About the lack of sales and such, I think I already said this, I think the biggest issue is that people don't actually get to know about your games! I've been suggesting MARDEK to people over my lifetime and most people who do actually get to play it really like it, of course it is not a game for everyone, but some who really enjoy the game would never play it if they did not get to hear about it, how to solve this issue? I am unsure, propaganda in general won't work, this is a hard issue and I think it is the biggest problem you face, I am pretty sure you know this.
Also, would be porting old games that hard? what really changes from making a program that pretty much just reads the SWF into Adobe's Flash Projector or something similar? I am very curious about this.