5 Years Later... Still No Year 2?

[Albert]

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's nice but UI also requires some fast filters/favorites (different for each spell/action/whatever), suggestions (usually a list of relevant things, like locations that actually give some bonus for a current action, is VERY small, so game may as well color code it and sort it on top), tooltips for everything (so not to wander through interface so to check what some random thing does) and more information in general (for example, all lists should have some relevant data, not just names only) to make micromanaging... Let's say, not really painful.

 

You have waaaay too much content in the game to make it manageable without some interface help. And that content isn't self-describing, so to say. When you see "Barracks" or "Factory" in Civilization, you have a general idea what it should do. When you see things like "Hang Out With Oan", "Courtyard" or whatever, you can't really guess what it is, you need to actually remember thousands of things to play the game... Or check some other interface screen that actually has information you need every single time until you remember all these things.

 

I would say RPG system itself is not really optimal, but whatever.

 

 

 

I do love the vast amout of skills available though.

We should probably have some less serious skills aswell, Housekeeping and Paintmixing(for making paints like the old masters for canvas and wall painting etz)

Stuff that isn't necessary at the academagia and more Roleplay territory, I guess Vernin might appreciate the art part of that last skill though.

 

Anyway... I WANT YEAR 2! Beta test?

[Schwarzbart]

I would be already happy if we finally would get DLC 17 of year 1 or at last a beta test of this as this means BCS slowly moves forward in things.

Personal I suspect we have at last wait for a other 6 month probably more like 1-2 year after year 1 release on Steam before we can buy year 2 given the history of releases from BCS.

[freespace2dotcom]

I don't really know about that.

 

It seems to me that DLC 17 is about 99% done and just waiting on steam, so I think the team is probably 80% focused on Y2 by this point. I believe that a lot of things about Y2 are done, with UI work being the major exception. At this point I don't think that DLC 17's release is going to greatly affect Y2.

 

The only way it could affect it at this point is if Y2 was 100% done and needed to go under yet another greenlight campaign, which is something that would drive me bonkers. Of course, I could be wrong if the members of the team working to get DLC17 released could also work on Y2 but those are two different problems, 17 being a public relations/bureaucracy penetrations/art thing, and Y2 being mostly a programming thing now.

 

What's really driving me nuts is the silence.

 

Edit: Beta tests would be awesome, however I kind of doubt that would happen, if only because of the tight-lippedness that personifies BCS.

[Metis]

Fan content submission would have closed this month if the Greenlight debacle didn't occur, so if nothing else DLC 17 was ready to enter the final phase of testing/editing/fixing/etc. Of course it took DLC 16 a while to exit said phase, so I can't confirm whether that means it was really that close to being done.

 

And the Greenlight debacle occurred because contrary to expectations BCS already having released on Steam didn't excuse them from having to go through Greenlight again. Y2 might be excused because it's a sequel to Y1, assuming that it's Greenlight campaign doesn't fall through, but considering recent events I wouldn't assume that. At least that can be confirmed ahead of time, unless Steam is really asleep on the job...

[freespace2dotcom]

Personally, I understand why BCS is doing things the way that they are turning out, but I kind of wish that things turned out as it was implied here.

[Metis]

As so often happens plans have to be changed. One can only hope that Greenlight's audience got a lot friendlier towards games like Academagia during the intervening years.

 

I don't expect them to have gotten noticeably friendlier, but one can hope...

[dyrhet]

There are a fair number of visual novels on steam these days, which are probably Academagia's closest comparisons for most people. Just have to sell them on the utterly ridiculous (in a good way) amount of content.

[Metis]

I'm pretty sure that there's an entire genre of games like Academagia, but it's the kind that never was exported out of Japan so there's not even an English word for it. Also, checking Steam for the most popular tags Visual Novel is #65, two places below "Walking Simulator". "Casual" is also on #7, contrast "Difficult" on #32.

 

Basically I don't think Academagia is going to have a fun time...

[Legate of Mineta]

Ellestar;

 

For Y1, we sadly weren't able to import any filtering. That will come in Y2, however.

 

Everyone;

 

We're fairly confident we'll come through the Greenlight process...the real question is, by *when*?

 

In the mean time, the artist is finishing up a Special Project ™ Kickstarter campaign, and then they will begin the trailer for the Greenlight.

[Metis]

Here's to hoping that trailer isn't going to take a long time to put together. I've edited videos before and I'll tell you the ratio of time spend editing to actual video is...generally not appreciable

 

Anyway, is DLC 17 planned to be released along with/as part as Greenlight or is that reserved for when Academagia reaches Steam proper? Just confirming, since I seem to have missed/misplaced that information...

[isadorbg]

Well we have been waiting for years for Y2 so a few years of waiting is not too much asked. We learned to be patient.

 

DLC17 I presume will be released as soon as it is ready but with the delay of Greenlight I expect itto be released after Y1 lauch on Greenlight perhaps before Y1 official lauch on Steam.

 

And yeah Academagia is probably somewhere between the chose your own adventure and raising simulation sim ON STEROOOID. And I am afraid that it's the STEROOOID part that may put off people.

[Metis]

DLC17 I presume will be released as soon as it is ready but with the delay of Greenlight I expect itto be released after Y1 lauch on Greenlight perhaps before Y1 official lauch on Steam.

 

And yeah Academagia is probably somewhere between the chose your own adventure and raising simulation sim ON STEROOOID. And I am afraid that it's the STEROOOID part that may put off people.

With the talk of Academagia's Steam version being labelled the Final Enhanced Self-Proclaimed Game Of The Year Director's Cut 2016 Edition or some such I was under the assumption that Greenlight would coincide with DLC 17, though that may be in error.

 

No, I'm pretty sure it's the presence of something resembling a difficulty curve. Steam's most popular tags seems to confirm this .

[Albert]

 

There are a fair number of visual novels on steam these days, which are probably Academagia's closest comparisons for most people. Just have to sell them on the utterly ridiculous (in a good way) amount of content.

A lot of the people who loves Visual novels unfortunately loves simplicity and limited amounts of text and a game and story that mostly plays itself. With just a few preferential choices from the reader.

While there are similarities there are also difference. I love Academagias depth and how enabled the player is to affect the story in different ways.

The Random events also help improve the replayability and make it harder to know exactly what to expect. Most Visual novels, or rather all of them lacks random events.

 

Also I find the RPG element very deep and while I enjoy that immensely, some people think it makes thigns to complicated and inacessible.

 

Good thing though, imo, is that I didn't need to udnerstand everything during my first playthrough to enjoy the ride and border line catastrophy of a student I had during my first playthrough.

 

My last few students are more like living gods walking the corridors with the other first year students. That however commes from knowing how things can play out and what possibilities there are in the grand sceme of things.

 

What I'm pretty much doing by now is "Edge Of Tomorrow " and reliving the same school year over and over again, eventually you will get it down to near perfection.

 

If Academagia had been a real world and a student went through the school year like those students then it would have attracted some attention. A few sucesses is one thing but walking through everything the school and world has to throw at you and always comming out on top seeming like nothing surprises you or surpasses your ability to handle... well...

 

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Tom-Cruise-Relives-Same-Deadly-Day-Again-Again-Edge-Tomorrow-Trailer-42250.html

[Schwarzbart]

I agree Academagia is more suited to the people of pre The Sims live simulations and RPGs then for your typical VN player. Sure there VN player who love a beast like Scheherazade but that already a minority of the VN player from what I can tell and Academagia is even more complex and have not as easy access to the story as Scheherazade.

[freespace2dotcom]

Yeah. I was thinking of doing a let's play of it sometime, but I would need to spend an hour or two covering the basics of the game setting and story (as well as basic game rules) before even creating a character.... Which nobody would be interested in me doing because I'm a nobody on the internet.

 

Still. It would be interesting to do if I started recording myself playing more conventional games on youtube, but then I'd probably get copywright stricken or some other nonsense, and it just isn't worth it.

[Metis]

Yeah. I was thinking of doing a let's play of it sometime, but I would need to spend an hour or two covering the basics of the game setting and story (as well as basic game rules) before even creating a character.... Which nobody would be interested in me doing because I'm a nobody on the internet.

 

Still. It would be interesting to do if I started recording myself playing more conventional games on youtube, but then I'd probably get copywright stricken or some other nonsense, and it just isn't worth it.

I've done LPs before. Trust me when I say that if you want to do a LP of Academagia, do a SS LP in the same vein as Bobbin Threadbare and post it here on the forum or SA if you're in a mood to put your money next to a blowtorch. Youtube or Twitch or whatever else is not worth it. The effort that goes proper into video editing is not worth it. Copyright BS is not worth it. Trying to solve technical issues, especially getting a headset to pick up your voice and not every other dog sneezing across the street is not worth it. And the oft-repeated mantra of "you know I've heard that X records videos and makes millions off of it, so you can totally make a career out of it" is, more so than anything else, not worth it. And if I have to tell you that any and all offers for partnership must be killed on sight, with extreme prejudice and a goodly amount of fire, because they are especially not worth it you've clearly not been paying attention.

 

It's not that reading about the setting and seeing a student go through it isn't interesting, or can't be, rather. It's not that such LPs can't be useful, in fact you can thank the guy above for introducing me to the game and teaching me, at least mostly, how to play it. And it's not like people liking videos, commenting on them and either pointing out stuff you didn't know or asking questions that belong on GameFAQs because...eh, because they don't know how Google works or something, I don't know, isn't worth something. But the BS far outweighs the benefits. Save yourself a heap of misery and find a better hobby. You'll thank me later.

[ShiningCity]

OMG. I haven't thought about this game in years. Year 2 still not out yet I see. I remember when we thought we might get it in 2012. I wonder if my optimized, and slightly save scummed strategy from back in the day still works. Maxing out base stats was awesome.

 

One thing I will say is that it might be better to have a less RNG based attribute training system. Spamming the top tier running thingy to boost strength or w/e just encouraged save scumming. Similarly for actions involving befriending people. It would be better to have gradually trained attributes and friendships.

 

This game was amazing the first few times I played it, though. It really gave a sense old school fantasy novels. And even better, aside from the houses and familiars it actually reminded me much more of A Wizard of Earthsea than Harry Potter. Perhaps it was the critical strategy of avoiding dog latin as the magic system and using wands in their proper context of being more like enchanted items than "focuses".

 

I'm working on a game more focused on a KoDP/Emperor/4x right now but I always sorted wanted to get around to designing a game like this where it approximated the experience of a fantasy bildungsroman. Its such a fabulous concept. Actually I think Neal Stephenson did it in a sort of meta way in The Diamond Age with the Primer.

 

Maybe someday Year 2 will come out and it will be a real step foward on Year 1.

[Metis]

I'm sure your strategy would still work, Running a Crippling Training Course still has a chance of +1 Fitness, but with the re-introduction of the class skipping bug and the myriad of adventures added in DLC...whatever to 16 there's actually a better strategy, and that's spamming adventures like there's no tomorrow. Case in point:

 

 

 

 

I'll say that strategy still requires RNG, since adventures make you do rolls, but rolls can easily be made easier by either training up a skill or buffing yourself. Buffing attributes is rarely worth it over buffing skills, unless you're missing the right spells. Which you shouldn't. As a result you can easily play through an entire game and never manipulate the attribute raising abilities, except maybe at the start if you really want some manner of costly attribute points set-up and throw Fitness under the bus because hey, Running Training Courses can fix that.

 

That's something I actually intend to "fix" with a mod which I probably will not release, because I'll be modding the DLC 17 mod base directly, but still. A man can dream.

[Legate of Mineta]

Mat;

 

Whenever you finish your current game, be sure to come back and tell us. KoDP is fantastic.

[ShiningCity]

I'm sure your strategy would still work, Running a Crippling Training Course still has a chance of +1 Fitness, but with the re-introduction of the class skipping bug and the myriad of adventures added in DLC...whatever to 16 there's actually a better strategy, and that's spamming adventures like there's no tomorrow. Case in point:

 

 

 

 

I'll say that strategy still requires RNG, since adventures make you do rolls, but rolls can easily be made easier by either training up a skill or buffing yourself. Buffing attributes is rarely worth it over buffing skills, unless you're missing the right spells. Which you shouldn't. As a result you can easily play through an entire game and never manipulate the attribute raising abilities, except maybe at the start if you really want some manner of costly attribute points set-up and throw Fitness under the bus because hey, Running Training Courses can fix that.

 

That's something I actually intend to "fix" with a mod which I probably will not release, because I'll be modding the DLC 17 mod base directly, but still. A man can dream.

Adventures are terrible for raising attributes. Unless they have become much shorter since I last played. My strategy got you to effectively maxed attributes inside the first 2 months or something.

[Metis]

If the last time you played was 2011 there have indeed been many adventures introduced that are shorter, have much lower ceilings for roll difficulties, and that can be completed in fewer actions than there are stages to the adventure. Indeed, there are a few adventures with up to 10+ stages which you can complete in a single action, getting all the skills steps, items and the delicious attribute point all at once. If you succeed at all the rolls first try, that is, and yes, that takes some preparation. But since those new adventures don't casually break v.20+ rolls on parent skills it's much easier to do so.

 

They won't get you maxed attributes by Cheimare, I'll fully admit that, but they will get you good stuff at much better odds than RaPCTC's 10% at +1 Fitness.

[ShiningCity]

If the last time you played was 2011 there have indeed been many adventures introduced that are shorter, have much lower ceilings for roll difficulties, and that can be completed in fewer actions than there are stages to the adventure. Indeed, there are a few adventures with up to 10+ stages which you can complete in a single action, getting all the skills steps, items and the delicious attribute point all at once. If you succeed at all the rolls first try, that is, and yes, that takes some preparation. But since those new adventures don't casually break v.20+ rolls on parent skills it's much easier to do so.

 

They won't get you maxed attributes by Cheimare, I'll fully admit that, but they will get you good stuff at much better odds than RaPCTC's 10% at +1 Fitness.

I mean, generally you'll be save scumming for Fitness. That's the least efficient attribute gain. You may or may not have to save scum getting people into your clique. 6 is the cap on attributes so you can actually get to 6 on some things like Charm on your first action. Befriending that one girl that gives +3 Charm.

[Schwarzbart]

Mat you can't gain +3 Charisma from befriend Emilia Picotti any more, it was reduced to only +1 Charisma. Also it was confirmed that the Students will have different clique bonus in year 2.

[ShiningCity]

Mat you can't gain +3 Charisma from befriend Emilia Picotti any more, it was reduced to only +1 Charisma. Also it was confirmed that the Students will have different clique bonus in year 2.

Well perhaps my version of the game is currently lacking the updates because I still gain +3 Charm from her. Still, I think her power is worth it. She does other stuff. And it only takes 2-4 days, depending on how much you reload and your luck, to grab the critical 4 clique members.

[ShiningCity]

Well I downloaded the 16th update. I played out a game that was close to ideal. 4 clique members, sadly Driscoll went to a clique pretty fast so I couldn't grab him.

 

At the beginning of the second week of Priamdi I am at:

6

4

4

3

3

4

4

 

Have 15 stress cap and 14 vitality. I'd have like to get slightly better stats but unlike previously you only get 1 charm not 3 from Emilia and and I didn't save scum super hard. Also I took strength background stats. So basically I am doing as well as ever. I maxed out 3 study skills so far and headed for 4. I took Vernin cause it has some good adventures and other stuff but if I took Morvidius I would have a 6 +attribute study masteries and not 4.

 

Sadly as always I have got a shitty exotic familiar. Probably better to just take Pamela since you never get the good exotics and exotics cost you a background point. I could probably slice the first week of Priamdi off with a bit more save scumming and taking Pamela and still have the same stats. Might take half of Priamdi to max out at 5s and 6s.

 

I'm not gonna play the game through since its pointless until year 2 comes out. But the optimal strategy really hasn't changed. Max attributes, boost a bunch of skills, then either finish maxing skills or just spam adventures.

 

In some sense I suppose I'd like to trade some of the stat backgrounds for the two or 3 gates options as well as the money and items options. Items are mostly pointless currently so I haven't bothered.