Edge of Reality
EDIT: (download updated: Feb 1 2009) - Please tell me if this solves your various resolution issues, everybody!
DOWNLOAD HERE (http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeof.zip)
Yes, that's right, Edge of Reality, the Longest Reality-on-the-norm game (both in production and potentially in gameplay) is complete. Nine years after I started this project, I have fixed most (not all) of the bugs, piled on extra content and made a second, very cool ending.
You already might know how long the game has been in production. Why should you play it?
Good question. It may not work perfectly on your new advanced system (may need a few changes to your resolution set-up, for example), and it will occasionally crash (save early and save often). But it is a unique game, which is why I finally completed it after all these years.
If you've seen the trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpQU76sUGdY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpQU76sUGdY)) or the original, funnier trailer (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOl_reVnH0 (http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOl_reVnH0)), you should have an idea that a lot went into this game. Some of my testers thought the game was nearly over around the end of the first chapter.
Ha I say. Ha followed by Ha, and potentially Hoo.
There are, in point of fact, four fairly long chapters and 1 that splits into two.
However, the game is more than the sum of its parts.
(http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeofrealityscreen3.gif)
STORY
Edge of Reality picks up from early threads in the RON universe, just after the death of Davy Jones. Reality has been hit by disaster after disaster after delicious cake, and our friend Mika is just starting to put it all together.
Our story begins, however, with never popular Scientist, Dr. Ronald Emeritus, historo-physcicist who has collected the chronicles of Reality in a secret book. However, just as he begins his first glimmers of understanding, something arrives in Reality. A mysterious, disembodied something. And it's not happy.
No. That's not right.
It's happy all right. For all the wrong reasons.
Beginning with the startling disappearance of Reality characters, Mika must make her way through the sleepy town to unravel a mystery and reach Thakbor the Great before its too late (that rhymed!). Her journey will take her right to the Edge of Reality: to the outskirts of town, the new city centre, the woods, the beach, the deep ocean, even other dimensions. What she finds is alternately ridiculous and unsettling.
Because things get weirder as you reach the edge.
Style
(http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeofrealityscreen2.gif)
Think everything from Yahtzee style insult humour to Captain Mostlyesque psuedo philosophical avante-garde anti-jokes. Everything from Sierra style puns, to graphically violent Sombreros. Disembodied heads of celebrities. Iraq jokes. The goofy cavalcade of poorly drawn villains and the burning embers of despair, all in one incredibly ugly package. Once you get past the first chapter, it just gets weirder, and I think, funnier.
There's more to Edge of Reality than that though. While not exactly the best RON game ever made, it is long, and deep. You'll find lots to click on, and messages for nearly half the interactions you think of (you are actually rewarded for clicking on everything). Half the fun I had making this game was going back to screens I'd forgotten and running through the various interactions. There's a lot of text here, and while a lot of it is either drab or outdated, there's a fair share of bizarre lines and clever zingers. I enjoy playing it just for that.
But there's more. Numerous secrets, including a dramatic secret ending, hidden items that you collect to unlock alternate modes of play, and 4 optional mini-games (technically more like 5, if you know where to look). There's lots of way to "die" in the first half with no real consequences (you immediately come back to life) and then in the second, more challenging half, ways to actually be killed that bring menace back into your adventure.
Multiple characters, optional paths, and many puzzles that can be solved in any order is just part of the draw that kept me plugging away.
Just remember to save your game first. Much like a crowded slushy turnpike, there are bound to be crashes. I could not fix every bug, and some just crash the game at random. All gameplay should work without error messages though. Feel free to report anything with a clear message like "Line 20011. Wrong Side of Cube For Flotsam Test."
(http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeofrealityscreen1.gif)
PLEASE though, read or at least skim the instructions first. Some important gameplay info and known bugs are included in there as well as a cavalcade of jokes and just strange ideas to get you set up for the game's odd mood.
The game is HERE:
http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeof.zip (http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeof.zip)
It may not be your blue cup of tea. It may not be your game of the year. But it is different and distinct, and I think worth playing through for a uniquely twisted take on RON, and for more puzzles than you can shake an anthropomorphic monkey wrench at.
To remind you, check out the trailers above.
Are you ready to reach the Edge?
Thanks to Alpha2t and Jon for their testing help BTW, your advice was taken on a few problems, and your names are now in the game and the instructions!
Finally! I think I have something to try out in the coming new year.
Looks really interesting. :)
Downloading now.
Good game so far, though I haven't seen much that I hadn't seen before yet. I'll probably comment more at a later time.
I'm unable to run setup.bat (I wonder why?) and I was wondering why you didn't include a default setup file , as the game looks utterly atrocious in 320x200. In fact, I seem to remember there was no setup file in the original demo, but I could be wrong as it's been a long time.
Anyway, if anyone else is having trouble in this area, this is the acsetup.cfg file I stole from another, more newer Windows friendly game. Keep in mind save files are incompatible across different resolutions. Apologies if I messed up somewhere, somehow...
[misc]
screenres=1
cachemax=20480
windowed=0
refresh=0
forceletterbox=1
[sound]
digiid=-1
midiid=-1
digiindx=0
midiindx=0
digiwinindx=0
digiwin=1096302880
midiwinindx=0
midiwin=-1
Man, I *never* thought I'd get to play thios thing! :D
Awesome, downloading now.
I did include a setup.bat, but it doesn't seem to work.
I would love to include a general setup file for future downloads, but I don't know how to do that.
Sergio, how do I do that? If you tell me, I will update the .zip ASAP.
Hmm, the game won't run in 320X200, and the Setup file doesn't work.
Sergio, I can't get your setup thingy to work either.
:(
Actually, whenever you have a setup problem, try this (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/kbview.php?id=60) first.
Gilbot, tried that, it gives me this error:
"ST02 Could not load game file AC2Game.dat"
"You must create and save a game first in the Room Editor before you can use this engine"
I ran the shortcut from the directory in which edgeof.exe is stored and only changed what the online instructions reccomend.
I have to say, the game has worked okay on any system I've checked it on, but sometimes it does run in that ugly 320 X 200 resolution.
What I would love is a batch that I can just set to the best possible set-up, since it would work for pretty much 90% of my players.
Congrats on releasing. I'm sad I couldn't help that much with beta but I'll keep looking for bugs in this release to make up for it. I just didn't had time ='(
Quote from: Gilbet V7000a on Sun 25/01/2009 18:21:02
Actually, whenever you have a setup problem, try this (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/kbview.php?id=60) first.
Thanks. That seems to have worked. ;)
Good game so far. :)
Holy crap. I never thought this would ever get released! I beta tested this years ago in... 2003? Yikes. Anyway, I loved it then. I'm sure I'll love it even more now. Congrats on finishing, bspeers!
That was the one of the first ron games and ended up the last to be released.
ok. I just played this game and its nowhere near what your screenshots are like. the graphics are ok, but the character graphic is poor. It looks like it came from the old king's quest game.
Im sorry for being harsh, but im just telling you. I really did not like this game. sorry.
That's actually a screen resolution issue, as discussed above. It looks a lot better in 640 x 480 - exactly like the screenshots.
However, I never claimed the game had great graphics. In fact, I call them horrible in many instances. Sorry you didn't enjoy it though. It is a 9 year project, so there are bound to be some bugs like that.
The game is more about extensive content than graphical appearances, I even like it in the lower resolution for the weird retro-look, myself, but if you want what you see in the screenshots, you'll probably have to do what Gilbot reccomends.
Good luck in things!
By the way, you might want to announce this on the RON Forum (http://ron.the-underdogs.info)
Congratulations on finishing this at last. It must feel pretty good to follow through on a project this old!
Well done!
Quote from: Frodo on Sun 25/01/2009 17:49:35
Sergio, I can't get your setup thingy to work either.
Ack! My fault, I knew I'd make some silly mistake. The first line got cut off as a result of it messing up the BBcode or something. It should work now, but the other solution posted is probably better.
Also, I'm stuck:
Spoiler
How do I get [to] the glint in the maze?
Good job, well done on completing it! This is definitely on my "to play" list!
:o
NO WAY !!! OH... MY ... GOD !!
It's complete ?!?
THE legend of the incomplete AGS games... is released !!
WOO HOO !!
[checks calendar] hmmm... no, it's not April 1st ...
Never though this day will come :=
I will comment once I play the game... though it may take a couple of weeks.. having less free time as of late unfortunately...
BTW...
Quote from: Dualnames on Sun 25/01/2009 21:17:52
That was the one of the first ron games and ended up the last to be released.
What do you mean the LAST to be released ?!?
RON is (barely) alive, this won't be the last game ever dude, I think there's a game or two in production (barely?). But the release of Edge of Reality could kickstart the series again.
I have a resource pack with many many rooms in it. They're poorly drawn, but would anyone want them?
Also, I could export my original characters. They're really ugly, but with a paint-over, they could be useful.
Sergio, this puzzle requires a bit of bad hit detection, but I swear I know people that had no trouble with it. Still, it's a little tricky to get right.
Spoiler
Did you "eliminate" the banana pickle man?
Spoiler
Have you gone "downtown" and gotten everything there?
Last, most revealing clue:
Spoiler
What did the banana pickle man leave behind?
If the moderators don't mind, I'd like to answer hint questions in this thread for the time being, and then get a hints and tips thread going if one is required eventually.
I want to hear about the first person to reach Chapter 4!
Last by date..
Please make an agsetup file. I have problems with screen resolution.
I don't really know how, but I will see what I can do since I do want it to look as intended.
Quote from: bspeers on Tue 27/01/2009 01:44:25
I have a resource pack with many many rooms in it. They're poorly drawn, but would anyone want them?
Also, I could export my original characters. They're really ugly, but with a paint-over, they could be useful.
Make a zip, could be usefull for some..
Also I will download this game and try it!
I've just started playing. It seems... strangely compelling to be playing this and seeing all the references to the original episodes. It's like a little time capsule of precious history has just washed unto our shores.
Gotta say that the writing in this is very sharp and out there. Really liking this a lot. Congratulations indeed for finally finishing it, this will make a fine addition to the roster.
I would really like to play this but I just can't figure out how to get it to work. I can get the title screen up.. It has a bunny, doesn't it? But when I click, (or wait) the screen eventually goes all black, and the sound skips and then stops completely.
If you could find some way to make the setup easier, it would really be wonderful.
Hey everyone,
if you had trouble running the game or with the resolution, could you try one of the three following solutions?
1: Downlaod and extract the newly updated zip with the setup file included:
www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeof.zip (http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/edgeof.zip)
or
2. Download the setup file directly and paste it into your game directory:
http://www.cardboardlogic.com/Games/Edge/acsetup.cfg
or
3. Follow the above link, copy and paste that line into a notepad/textedit document, save the document as acsetup.cfg and copy said document into your game directory.
Please report back with failure/success stories.
Hey speers I'm horribly stuck \ bugged out
Spoiler
at the maze I killed banana pickle man, put banana on the pole in order to take the shiny object from the hole. But using the pole on the hole isn't working. I clicked it everywhere. It's not working !! [\hide]
I'd hate to have to abandon the game at this stage because I've had all sorts of great fun so far.
Nostra, please see my response in hints and tips.
It's poorly designed, but not a bug.
still isn't working for me, unfortunately. :( Nothing I try to do seems to work. Maybe i'm just not trying hard enough.
What? Is it released???? It is really released? Great! 8) I will play it, if I have a lot of time someday. ;)
What is a RON game exactly? :)
Ugh.. a bug... in episode 2 when I step into town square the game crashes :(
Nostra, sometimes the game crashes at random, due to its extreme age.
Try it again, and if it crashes every time, please post any error messages you recieve.
Thanks!