Did anyone know that a WD RPG actually got a remake?

[Lucca]

Coming out of a long, long not posting spell because you guys were the first people I figured would want to hear this, considering there are tons of WD fans here and I KNOW some of you guys are fans of this game.

Imagine my utter, complete shock today that apparently the RPG Vay has been REMADE.

Yes, remade.

It's for itouch/iphone and you can buy it as of now. I can't because I have an ipod only. I cry mighty tears of pain. Anyway, here's the website if you're interested.

http://www.somoga.com/games/vay/

Is anyone considering downloading this and trying it if they have iphone/itouch stuff? How is it? Is it worth me getting in a lather about?

It seems they took the literal translations of the character names, hence why Sandor is now heighbelger, etc. I'm assuming it's game rights or something. Overworld graphics seem to be the same, and so are the cutscenes (though character voices have been redubbed), but the battle graphics have been completely redone.

Anyway, still shocked! If they redid the script I just might be all over this.

[GhaleonOne]

Huh, that's a heck of a find! I never expected Vay to get a remake/re-release after all this time. I'm in the same boat. iPod, but no iPhone or iTouch for me.

[Kizyr]

Coming out of a long, long not posting spell because you guys were the first people I figured would want to hear this, considering there are tons of WD fans here and I KNOW some of you guys are fans of this game.

Lucca!!!!!!!!

It seems they took the literal translations of the character names, hence why Sandor is now heighbelger, etc. I'm assuming it's game rights or something. Overworld graphics seem to be the same, and so are the cutscenes (though character voices have been redubbed), but the battle graphics have been completely redone.

Heiburger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok really, I'm kind of speechless. Yes it sucks that I can't get it (don't have nor really care for an iPhone). But still... Heiburger!!!

You should post around more often. KF

[Lucca]

I know! I should! I'm an elementary school teacher now, so my time is kinda limited. It's summer vacation now, though, so I've got more free time!


I'm torn on the itouch thing! I didn't want one when it first came out because all it seemed to have was just touch capabilities. However, trolling around the app store made me realize that it's finally worth the upgrade. Lots of free apps along with good looking games n'stuff. It's totally be worth buying if I can do what I did the last time I upgraded my ipod (sold the old one). I can easily pay for a lot of the price if I sold it on amazon or something.

Early reviews that I've seen on forums seem to say it's pretty good. Damn it all!


TORN TORN TORN

[Sonic#]

From watching that video on their website, that seems like a pretty interesting game. I'm sorry I missed out on it... I guess there's no way to emulate an iPhone (or iTouch) on a PC? :/ (I also have no clue how you acquire games and apps for an iPhone... download?)

And welcome back Lucca! I had checked RPGCafe not too long ago to see if anything had happened with it. ^^;;;

[Lucca]

Sigh, RPGCafe... ;_;

I want to do something with it, but I don't have nearly the manpower or CSS knowledge to make it truly awesome again.

I've been considering a podcast or blog, though. Too bad podcasts are expensive to run (bandwidth, etc).

BTW, there's a youtube video of Vay up if anyone is interested.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_aX7uGv_IRk

It SEEMS that the script has been redone. I'm guessing SoMoGa (the company that did the iphone port) got the Japanese build from SIMS and re-translated that. Reviews so far have been fairly positive, with the exception that armor stats aren't displayed. (I remember this being a problem in the first game too.). The fact you touch the screen to go places, attack enemies, etc, IS AWESOME.

It'll be interesting though to see how well Kizyr and I translated parts of the Japanese game! Also since it's a re-translation a lot of WD influence will be gone (no farting faeries, for starters), so that may be a real downer or incentive to check the game out

Also, argh. There's enough apps on the itunes store and the fact I can sell my old IPOD for more than half of what I'll pay for an itouch... which probably means...I'm gonna check out itouches at Costco tomorrow.

Dang! I mean, ANY WD game would have pushed me over the edge to get a system (Lunar especially!) but it HAD to be Vay, the one game I have a weird irrational love for despite it's flaws! Nrgh!

...Maybe I'll post youtube videos of my games if I actually bite the bullet and get one.

[DevNall]

Heiburger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok really, I'm kind of speechless. Yes it sucks that I can't get it (don't have nor really care for an iPhone). But still... Heiburger!!!

It's not advertised, but there's actually an option to rename all the characters. Oh, and you can also play most of these games on a iPod Touch.

(I also have no clue how you acquire games and apps for an iPhone... download?)

There are a few ways, but the most popular is via either iTunes on your PC/Mac or the "App Store" that ships with the OS.

[Alunissage]

Another incentive might be to play a game where the Wind Elemental has something approaching normal stats. Also no Gold Vortex.

So, in the Japanese game, do you still have to wear Filtration Helmets or whatever they were called to get transported by Sirufa to the next area? Are they just called something else with a different reason given for why you'd need them?

Hm. My husband had been successfully, if barely, resisting the impulse to get an iPhone, in part because he still has $ on his current comparatively low-tech (e.g. no camera) prepaid phone, but this might make a difference, even if I'd be the one playing it. Good grief. Of all the games to get remade.

[Kizyr]

It'll be interesting though to see how well Kizyr and I translated parts of the Japanese game! Also since it's a re-translation a lot of WD influence will be gone (no farting faeries, for starters), so that may be a real downer or incentive to check the game out

I don't remember really translating that much from Vay; the most was maybe some on-the-spot translations, but nothing really written down. Mostly, I remember that you got me to play through the Japanese version by telling me the Harpy sprites were uncensored.

Man, I should start going back to LunarNet again. Is that place at all active still? Like, with the IRC RPGs and everything? KF

[Lucca]

Another incentive might be to play a game where the Wind Elemental has something approaching normal stats. Also no Gold Vortex.

So, in the Japanese game, do you still have to wear Filtration Helmets or whatever they were called to get transported by Sirufa to the next area? Are they just called something else with a different reason given for why you'd need them?

Hm. My husband had been successfully, if barely, resisting the impulse to get an iPhone, in part because he still has $ on his current comparatively low-tech (e.g. no camera) prepaid phone, but this might make a difference, even if I'd be the one playing it. Good grief. Of all the games to get remade.

Heh, I finally bit the bullet and got an itouch. (Yay, surplus check!)

I haven't dled Vay yet though. Setting the itouch itself up. That comes next! Along with possibly super monkey ball? So shiny looking! :O~

From what I understand, yeah, I'm guessing it's going off the Japanese build, which means the wind elemental won't be scarily hard anymore (In fact, I wonder if EVERYTHING will finally be balanced now. OMG, healing spells at a decent spell cost! :O)

I'm actually not sure on the helmets! I really think it was a WD added thing. When I get to that part in the game, I'll let you know. It's fairly early on.

And Kiz, Lunarnet is still hopping and active. In fact, it's grown a bit since you were there last (Not to huge amounts - we're just doing well), so you should come back and visit sometime. The IRCRPG focus has shifted more to tabletop games like 4e, Spirit of the Century and Exalted, but I'm currently in an IRCRPG game based on Lunar (though it probably has only like 3-6 sessions left to go). There IS an AlundraRPG currently set to restart though that looks very promising (based on Spirit of the Century mechanics).

EDIT: Just played about 10 minutes of Vay. Oh my god, the battle encounters are seriously toned down if you play on normal mode! I went 45 seconds on teh world map without getting into a battle! Something is wrong with the cosmos if I can't play Vay and bring out my apparent inner machochist! Where's my battles every 4 steps!? ;_; (Exp apparently is boosted to compensate this)

[Lucca]

Sorry for the double posting, but someone from RPGFan requested it, so I thought I'd share with you, too.

Since it's really easy to take snapshots with the itouch, I've started to make an album of Vay snapshots from the game. I'll periodically be adding to it as time goes on. I'm only up to Fort Gilan (Fort De Bay in this version), so I don't have much...yet.

I definitely have some impressions based on what I've played before - stuff I like and stuff I hope gets improved with patches. I'll explain more on it later.

PS - Out of all the pictures, check out snapshot 6. Oh LORD is that funny (cheesy, but hilarious).

Anyway, album is here: http://rpgcafe.net/album/index.php

[Kizyr]

KF

[Lucca]

Bwahahaha

BTW, the references get BETTER.



Also, this entire exchange cracks me up for obvious reasons. I dunno which character to feel worse for, here:



I'm actually updating the album a lot. I'll probably post more tomorrow. They're STINGIER with money this time around...either that or I'm not powergrinding. I need money for Magmal! Gimme money!

Also, in regards to the filtration helmets -- They're bronze helmets this time around. I couldn't afford one and talked to the wind fairy (called Sylph in this game)...without ANY problems.

So yes, it's ENTIRELY a Working Designs thing.

[Sonic#]

"Yeah, I'm a level three apprentice! So I know all these secrets."

D&D joke indeed. Sometimes I think it would be interesting if we measured our positions in levels all the time, sort of like the military and civil service do now. "I'm a level 12 master accountant!"

[Lucca]

Okay, added a ton of new snapshots and will probably add a ton yet again tomorrow (I'm just in Mt Bole (Called Mt. Tipuya in this version) now). I'll probably update again once I'm in the next town or something. I have at least 20 shots I haven't uploaded yet.

A few little things:

-The touch controls are both awesome and a pain in my rear end. It works WONDERFULLY in battle, okay on the overworld, but they need better controls when talking to NPCs or opening chests. So much time wasted trying to open chests!

- There are some pretty funny jokes in here. In Kirzania, for example, LOTS of USA 9/11 esque jokes (The threat level is orange today!)

- The Wind elemental is now EASY. Well, that's because in the Japanese version he WAS easy. WD beefed this boss up.

- There's no double hits this time around, and it seems like some of the benefits to weapons aren't there anymore (Silver knives don't give you extra power against the undead anymore).

- For some reason the option to turn on the original sprites doesn't work for me. I emailed SoMoGa and they told me it's an issue they know about and they're working on it. Yay! Perhaps in the next patch it'll be fixed?

- Biggest gripe - NO ARMOR OR WEAPON STATS IN SHOPS! Arrghhh! Plus it doesn't tell you who can equip what! Pottle can't even equip the filtration mask/bronze mask! 800 GP wasted! Wasted, I tell you!

- The normal mode is actually a very nice way to play through Vay. Battles aren't hyperfrequent, spell costs are much less, and levels zip by at a good pace. The downside? It's pretty dang easy. Hard mode is more or less exactly like the SegaCD version, though enemy stats don't seem to be quite as beefed up.

- In terms of characterization: Sandor and Rachel are mostly the same so far. Pottle is...mostly the same, except in his intro he was HYPER arrogant (Paraphrasing his words here: "You can count on me! I studied with the best, and now I /AM/ the best! Plus I can cast a mean fireball! Heey! Master Otto, I'll be back before you know it!"). That has since toned down a lot and he's more or less how he was in the SegaCD version. He also seems a bit more...innocent? For example, when PJ opens the door in Raxxal cave Pottle asks, "Why are you blushing?" as opposed to calling her out on it and embarrassing her. PJ however, is the biggest change, and more accurate to the Japanese version. Here she's snotty and a ditz. Her voice actress tried to make her sound snotty, though really it just kind of sounds like she has an accent. Her meanness to Pottle is pretty one sided so far, and her intro? HILARIOUS. It's exactly like the Japanese version which believe it or not is BETTER. I need to replay that part and write it down here because it makes PJ look like the biggest ditz in the universe.

Anyway, that's what I've seen so far. I'm about to fight Gigatron after some levelling! Wish me luck!

[scaryice]

Cool stuff. Sounds like most of the changes are for the better.

[Lucca]

Well now! I'm starting to see WD influence here!



and



I guess I take back what I've said before about Pottle being more innocent this time around. Totally take it all back!

I have roughly 100 pictures to put into my gallery. Argh. Totally daunting, but I must press on. Aquanale is next.

[DevNall]

I'm pretty sure most of Pottle's behavior here can be explained by him being a 11-13 year old male who's had next-to-no interaction with the opposite gender.

[Lucca]

I'm pretty sure most of Pottle's behavior here can be explained by him being a 11-13 year old male who's had next-to-no interaction with the opposite gender.

Oh well, YEAH. It's just that Working Designs took that to an extreme degree because he was perfect for it (it being their more lol adolescent humor)! I mean, c'mon! A 11-13 year old kid would totally comment on bad breath and boobs. I see SoMoGa has upheld the tradition.

I believe in the actual Japanese version he says, "Waah! Huge Eggs!" ...and that's it.

[Lucca]

Double post again, sorry, but I know some people are actually viewing the album based on hits I'm getting so I KNOW at least one person is viewing it.

I've essentially caught up on my snapshot backlog, and just got the Water Orb. I've put Vay on hold for a couple days for Final Fantasy VI DS, but I'll probably pick it up again tomorrow.

For your sanity, if any of you manage to get the itouch version of the game, skip the anime sequence after the Water Temple, unless you intentionally want to LAUGH during one of the sadder parts of the game. The voice acting is so, so horrible (Sandor, especially!).

If anyone actually knows how to rip the quicktime movies from the app so I can post them on youtube to share the pain, let me know.

In case you couldn't infer - Don't expect good dubbing in this game.