Diamonds in the rough - good or not?

A thread closed because it got involve in but that only crept in at the ending and is really just like extremely many games with goodies and baddies and who wins.
also lets not touch the end but 98% of the game before which is nothing to do with any controversy.

i hope its ok to discuss the game itself and not get locked.

i liked the game a very lot and enjoyed the playing.i thought the voice acting was exelent and the subtitles also.the puzzles were good also;not too easy and not too hard.

what about other players?do you think it was good game and did you enjoy it? or not?

Linda -- I added a spoiler to your post because that theme is one that, I think, is supposed to be a surprise to the gamer.

Thanks becky.

I enjoyed this game very much... More than i expected...

I haven't ordered yet...

"Maybe I won't" I will have to do some research & read some reviews on how far this game deals with controversial subjects..

Good game .Just a story line .

I have a question. On the purchase page - they ask for a lot of information, but there's no lock thingee on the bottom of the screen to show it's secure. Are they using paypal for purchases? In which case they wouldn't need all the information. Or does the information once entered go to a secure location for a different method of purchase?

I liked this game very much in spite of some logic puzzles which were over my head, but I got the help I needed at Hints (Again, thanks Everybody!) and was able to finish the game without a walkthrough, a first for me. As for the ending it was right for this game and I can't find any fault with it. I keep going back to DITR in my head. I know it is over, but I guess I wish it wasn't, I miss playing it.

Its one of those games that stay with you

Hi nickie, I purchased the game via Paypal - I did question on another thread here about wanting too much info - specifically date of birth which I didn't think was necessary. Alkis said it was for statistical purposes but he said it wasn't a problem so maybe you can leave it out? I'll look for the thread & add the link if I can fathom out how to do it!

Thanks Chrissie! I don't need the link, I did read about the birthdays but I just don't see why I should send all that info via an insecure site, when paypal would have the necessary information for the seller. A one button click link to paypal would make it ever so much easier.

Hi nickie, I never thought about it as I was so distracted by what I thought was just one very unnecessary question. Thank you for pointing it out as I will certainly take more care in the future - as you are right! you should just be able to click on the Paypal button to buy the game - the whole idea of it to avoid handing over info to anyone else!

I do agree about the info, but it is quite useless without a credit card number to a person with fraudolent intentions , which was not requested on the page...so I guess no harm done but yes one link click to Paypal would be much easier! Alkis are you reading this? hehe Now on to the game....

What I liked:

• Good engaging mystery
• Likeable character and good acting
• Very logical and original puzzles
• Super fast loading and gaming times
• The music was right on and at the end very very creepy!
  
• Captivating chilling ending
  

What I did not like much:

• Poor graphics and static environments (I am probably spoiled by too many Sherlock Holmes games with superb graphic I suppose!)
• Too many mouse clicks to cycle through commands
• Non-stop music was at times a bit too much...
• Limited inventory items ( I don´t like a cluttered inventory but I thought there were too few items in DITR)
• Ending seemed to come very quickly

Those were my pro´s and con´s in a nutshell...

I didnt dislike following at all:
"Too many mouse clicks to cycle through commands
Non-stop music was at times a bit too much...
Limited inventory items ( I don´t like a cluttered inventory but I thought there were too few items in DITR)"

I didn't feel at all that "Ending seemed to come very quickly" but it did come rather suddenly.

Hi jedi valius, it was interesting to read your thoughts about the game but while I agree very much with the more positive comments you made, I do have to differ in opinion with some of the things you didn't like so much:

"Non-stop music was at time too much" - I never noticed throughout the game the music ever being over the top or dominating. To was to me the mark of a good musical score that fitted perfectly with the game & reflected the mood of various locations & situations.

"Too many mouse clicks to cycle through commands" - I may be wrong here but I'm sure I read in the in-game manual that there were keyboard shortcuts to avoid this if you wished?

"Limited inventory items" - my preference is for inventory based puzzle games but I liked the idea that you couldn't pick up 'everything under the sun' & only picked up what you might use. I think there was enough considering other aspects of the game such as the 'thoughts' idea & the use of 'special abilities'

"The ending came very quickly" - I didn't feel this & personally thought that it was extremely well done considering the limitations of a small developer.

"Poor graphics and static environments" - the environments were static, so what! - I really loved the artwork - the locations were beautifully 'drawn' & very detailed & I thought the outdoor locations were gorgeous. The characters conveyed their personalities & characteristics very well partiuclarly in the close-ups - for me the only let-down was the main movement of Jason who moved a tad clumsily & was 'less delicate' than his surroundings.

Overall I thought the game was very well thought out, & shines out from some of the bigger budget games 'contrived' to cater for a market rather than made with 'love' as DITR obviously was. It is a game that proves that you don't need all the latest technological trappings to convey a good story!

Hi Chrissie,

the music as far as I can recall was not a score but was ever present in the game, kinda like in the first GK game if I remember correctly. While this may be entertaining for a while, it became too much for me at times. I prefer a game where I can hear other sounds like steps, birds singing, leaves ruffled by the wind..you get the picture

I don´t like to use the keyboard while I am playing. I only reluctantly justify it when playing action/adventure hybrids. I would have preferred a command system like in Broken Sword for example, so I can choose the command I want with one click , rather than having to browse through them everytime. A technicality maybe but it did get tiring for me during the game.

I agree with you about the inventory items not having to be too many, however I felt that too few puzzles in the game were inventory based. Maybe cuz I like inventory puzzles a lot, I wish I had seen more

The ending to me came very quickly after I solved the computer passwords puzzles which did not take me long. Probably I felt the game ended too quickly or was a bit too short. Of course this impression depends greatly on how much time one spends on puzzles. I felt I got stuck only twice and briefly

The environments were static so what? Hmm well for me the immersion factor is crucial in a game and with static envornments I don´t really feel I am immersed in the story. With static I don´t mean that they should have moving elements in them , but that the actual locations did look pretty much the same throughout the whole game, giving a general stagnant feel to the scenes. Now I don´t know whether I would use the word gorgeous to describe any graphics in this game , but of course I also do appreciate that it is an independent release, so if you see it from that perspective they did a great job with a probably limited budget. Yep Jason moved really funny but you gotta love the speed with which the guy moved! That was nice

No doubt DITR was made with love, but I would love to see an offering from this author with a bigger budget. Let´s hope we will see that, otherwise I am sure he will come up with another fine story anyway.

I thought the graphics were perfect! But then it is a style I like and suits me just fine. Obviously, some gamers prefer different styles of graphics and that's okay, but that doesn't make this style poor or bad or anything the least bit negative. It is a matter of taste, not quality!

For me its not the grafics its the story so what can I say the story I thought kept me intrigued so to me its a winner

Sierra: an old-fashioned kind of graphic might indeed be your cup of tea and Alkis has confirmed that was his intention with this game, however limited funds also play a part. There is no doubt these graphics are inferior (less detailed, less refined,etc) than other games. When I described them as poor I indeed meant inferior to a certain standard which is the norm nowadays. GK1 graphic is also poor (i.e. inferior to current standards). That was an objective observation, without any subjective negative connotations. That said, I totally understand how that old school style may indeed appeal to many players as it does and as you say it is then a matter of preference whether you like it or not. I also did like the feeling of being back at Sierra times: a nice trip down memory lane

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dragon: indeed the story was very good and it kept me going throughout the game, which is a feat many current games can not seem to achieve....

Your comments don't sit comfortably with me at all - it's like comparing a drawing done with coloured crayons to an oil painting where the artistry in both are on a par with each other. The crayon drawing could only be described as inferior if the artist was trying to emulate & compete with the effects that can be achieved with oils. As Alkis didn't set out to emulate & compete with the graphics of e.g Sherlock Holmes - The Awakened' I think it's unfair to describe those of DITR as 'poor', 'inferior', 'not up to standard' in comparison. The graphics should be judged within context of the style of game & from that point of view I thought they were on a par with more 'technologically advantaged' games. I also saw the 'static' scenes as part of the style & think that the addition of ambient sounds wouldn't be in keeping & could very easily come across as phony. When I used the word 'gorgeous' BTW, I was referring to the artwork (rather than the graphics) of some of the locations especially Jason's back garden.

I found the locations varied enough, yes, the rooms in the apartments had similar layouts but can do in the real world. There wasn't a lot of clutter anywhere & there was a lack of personalization in homes but for me this reflected the isolation, boredom & lack of interests the characters must have felt/had when they weren't working (don't know whether this was intentional or not!)

I thought the game was respectable in length & although I'd loved it to have been longer I think it was perfect for the relatively small gameplay world - I feel it would have needed a few more locations to have carried on longer.

I appreciate where you're coming from with your comments but I can immerse myself in a game without the need for full 3D state of the art graphics - I guess it's down to preference!

As I also mentioned before I am well aware of Alkis intention to emulate the old-style Sierra games and in that context of course the graphics were exactly what they were meant to be...how much the low budget played into shaping the graphics, that only Alkis knows. And no game should strive to compete with others, however my comparison will naturally stem from the games I am familiar with, including Sherlock Holmes. I have not played a game with such simple old-style graphics in ages, hence my remark about that. I never said I needed a 3D graphic to immerse myself in a game. If that were true, I would not play adventure games at all as most are non-3D, however for me the richness of the graphics and the colour play an important part in the immersion factor and of course this is a subjective remark as are yours. Good there are enough varied games to please all our fancies

The grafics arn t brilliant in the Widgit games but I guess it comes down to money and every one as to start some where and to be honest a lot of makers think cause they have good grafics it will sell .Well for me it is the story and I love Joey and his personality and I liked Jason .Cant say to much don t want to give any thing away .

I'm very glad to see that the game continues to generate so much interest in this forum. Thank you all for your comments.

Regarding the information we request in our e-shop, yes it is for statistical purposes and the fact that Paypal has them is irrelevant as we of course don't have access to your Paypal accounts! Naturally, nobody is forcing you to enter your true birth date but if you do, all your personal information is protected as described in our privacy notice.

Regarding the graphics of the game, yes unfortunately graphics = money. The bigger the budget, the better the graphics unless the graphics artist is one of the company's owners which was not our case. I'm willing to bet that more people worked on the design of Sherlock Holmes' nostrils than the entire DITR team!

However, the technical aspect of a computer game is more than about the graphics. There's the music, the professional writing, the voice acting, the lack of bugs... and I think we did a good job with those.

I'm surprised to read that the inventory items were considered limited! Don't tempt me because I can easily triple that number in the next game. I'm a big fan of big inventories but I was under the impression that most people aren't. Don't forget that the Thoughts were objects that could be used as well.

No, you didn't! and sorry! it's not what I meant to imply. The comment stemmed from my view on 'static environments' which you made a comment about earlier.

One of the good things about AGs, I feel, is that as long as there is a good story with interesting characters and/or puzzles (whatever your preference)they can be developed on a comparitively simple basis on a relatively low budget. How many hardcore action fans would entertain less than state of the art graphics & gameplay?

I am really pleased that technological advances are catching up with a lot of AG developers & love the rich, intricate & fully detailed environments that are now being created - I just hope that not too many people will be lured away from also playing the 'lower tech' games developed by small independants & that we all continue to value & appreciate the great diversity in styles that we currently enjoy!

DragonUK, I have all of the Widget games along with numerous others which I will gradually get round to playing!

They are really good Chrissie I am sure you will love Joey just like I do .

Alkis, you're still asking for the information to be sent unsecured. It made the difference in whether I bought the game or not. It was meant to be helpful, but naturally you can do as you want.

I know. I'm simply trying to explain my reasoning. I never thought it would be an issue for people but please understand that this the first time I'm doing this and it's hard for me to foresee everything.

Hi Alkis, you have to understand that there is a difference between sending info to a site that pledges to protect your privacy & one that is a locked site. One is potentially accessible to unwanted third parties the other is not.

While I appreciate your interest & reasoning in and for collecting statistics I think you have to consider that this may be potentially costing you a lot of game sales. People that speak up, as Nickie has, are in the minority compared to those who may feel the same way but will silently not buy your game for the same reason.

I don't think anyone is blaming you, just trying to point out their feelings in the hope that you might just let people get on and order the game without having to submit the info

N.B. Artistic & businesslike don't usually gel too well together

Applause, applause, crhissie, take a bow! That was very well said.
I can also appreciate where you are coming from, jedi valius, but I prefer the old to the new. That is no doubt because I am so many, mumble, years older than you. So there is this generation gap between us, okay? Which accounts for different preferences and *standards*!

Thank you for your kind words sierramindy & hope that gems like DITR continue to be made!

That´s what I thought and I agree you did a great job with your budget. I would love to see what your team can do with a bigger budget and hopefully the sales of DITR will be good! I think a great story deserves a great everything else, including graphics but this is not always the case, however it was a job very well done overall and clearly a game done with passion and I believe where there is a will, there is always a way Good luck on your next venture and I´ll be looking forward to pre-order your new game

--------------------------------------

LOL Sierramind! That was eloquently put! haha I am no doubt younger than you are, but I am sure we both share a strong passion for storytelling and a good story, otherwise we would not be playing adventure games And any storytelling lover wants the story to be as enriched as possible and that is where great graphics come into play to enhance the experience. But you needn´t worry! There will always be new independent developers like Alkis who begin with a limited budget project with a great story, so you can enjoy plenty of your "old games" as you call them


I absolutely agree with the fact that a good story can and is enjoyed also with a limited budget and yes action games would not last a day without their fancy graphics! Whereas graphics play THE major role in action games, I see graphics as a great enhancer in adventure game and a medium with which to build beautiful game worlds as you mentioned...I also underlined the poor graphics in DITR because a story like that DO deserve a great and rich world which I hope Alkis future games will have. I have played many an adventure game lately where the graphics were superb but the story was very poor and I uninstalled a lot of them before finishing ...so it does get frustrating where great stories do not get the big budget they deserve, but I do believe the adventure genre is growing and hopefully we will see more and more independent game releases with the support they deserve.

jedi, please do not stack your posts. We try to conserve bandwidth as much a we can and would appreciate your cooperation. If no one has posted behind you, use the edit button. I have combined your posts.

Ana

hi Ana,

did you notice I actually did combine two of the posts? hehe I do manage to remember most of the times believe it or not! LOL Thanks for your help

I started the game yesterday & am wandering vaguely round looking for a light bulb....
I seem to wander vacantly round in most games , is it a blonde thing ?

dont worry Jenny, you need to "wandering vaguely round" at the beginning but you wont need really the light bulb untill half way about through the game

Jenny: it´s not a blonde thing...it´s called "exploring the game environment" hehe I do that all the time too and I have brown hair , so there Enjoy the game!

Hi

I've not started this particular game yet but I enjoy wandering round in any game - lost or not - where I am given the opportunity.
Probably the reason why I take so long to finish a game

Cheers.

Mad (the blond)

Since the spoilers thread was locked, I was wondering if it would be OK to discuss the ending without referring to the "controversial" issues. For instance, can everyone who completed the game please tell me

I want to make sure everyone understood the ending. Please remember to use spoiler tags.

Okay, I'll have a go:


Am I close?

Chrissie, everything is correct (and very eloquently described) but the last phrase.

Let me put it another way:

I had to think about and a ...

Absolutely correct, ladies.

My apologies, I didn't mean to sound as if I was testing you, I just needed to be sure that you understood that crucial final touch of ending.

Guess I am going to have to come back and read this once I play the game

I never realised at the time Alkis, but:



I thought it was a really good story anyway but I've now realised there's 'Icing on the cake'!!!

heya chrissie youve got a more devious mind than i but you may be right.i had not thought of that.
The only person who can tell us is alkiis because he invented the characters

Thought of an other scenario possible at end:

I'd rather let you decide by yourselves. After all, as I always say a story has a life of its own and most of the times it feels more like I'm telling it rather than creating it. Therefore, my guess is no better than yours.

not quite sure how to take that!

But I thought you made some good points LindaMarion & now that you've mentioned it:

EDIT: Just saw your post Alkis. The end of the game doesn't leave you 'hanging' so there's no frustration there. I think I like the idea that none of us know for sure what was in Jason's mind, how could we?, so we have to make up our own!

My thinking at the end proved to be wrong, but at the time ...



The ending was actually much better than mine would have been, I do know that. I was just dreaming my dream.

Serramindy You never know may be you are on to some thing

Another interesting idea sierramindy if only:

Chose a very bad word Chrissie- English
"Devious" wrong- maybe "intricate"? certainly no offence meant.sorry

another possible maybe unlikely:

Yes but ....

No offence taken at all LindaMarion & no need for apology.

There is a sheet of info about the 'stuff' - I think it would be worth reading again! I can't remember what the details were - at the time it seemed significant but not relevant at the time - if that makes sense?

dragonuk I don't think:

Thinking about it I

Ive never done this before, hope it works
i tried to close it in spoil tags but it doesnt work

i hope its ok and not against rules.it should be ok because the phosphorus poison business comes in first 5 minutes of game and is in demo which everybody has seen openly so its not giving any thing away or spoiling any thing for any body

**spoil warning**:
Best not to look at following if youve not finished game
Thank you alkis
http://www.picattic.com/viewer.php?file=s2x2ubi9kwc8jzifoax0.jpg

Nevertheless, it would be best if people who haven't finished the game didn't click on Linda's link. But it's very helpful for the rest of us so thanks!

H

Thanks for posting that Lindamarion - I now feel a little differently about the ending:

Regarding the ending: I thought that
But of course it's up to interpretation, which I love!

to GameBoomers VinceTwelve

Ana

Thanks!

vince12- hey thats a terrific idea.maybe?

Hi VinceTwelve

I didn't think there could be any other alternatives until you referred to Jason

A few more reviews have been published in foreign sites lately, here are some of the comments:

"The script is exceptional, the writing is awesome, the research that Alkis did sounds out of this world and it's one of the few games that invoke such intense feelings"
PC Master Magazine (Greek) - Grade: 80%

"Diamonds in the Rough with its innovations in puzzle design and the gripping, twisting, if not to say even stirring story absolutely deserves this high rating"
Adventure Archiv (German) - Grade: 83%

"The great and surprising story, simple controls and clever puzzles are absolutely on par with the best modern high budget productions. Clearly this game has been designed by adventure fans for adventure fans"
Adventure Spiele (German) - Grade: 4/5 stars

All reviews here

Hi Alkis, I agree with Nickie the main reason I have not ordered DITR is because of the insecure security browser, when I don't see the lock, I do not order from that site. Also I hate paypal, been burnt by them in the past and do not give my cc info to them. I played the demo counted down the days until this was released and hoped to buy it from Dave at interact online store. I wrote him and he said the ten copies you gave him to sell went fast and were gone. If you would consider letting interact sell them also for you, I would be one of the first to place my order for your game and I bet alot of other boomers would also. Just a suggestion. Please let us know if you release more copies to Dave. Thanks

Sherryah

What can I say... The 10 copies we gave to Dave were free of charge, part of an advertising deal for another web site. We do not sell the game anywhere else than our official page.

I have ordered it and got it but haven't started it yet. During summer I will be able to play it (I won't go on holiday this year!). To tell you the truth I'm very impatient to it!

You are going to enjoy this one Taurnil...
Pity you won't go on holiday this year though...

Just a note to inform you that the good reviews continue.

My favorite quote of the last review:



Oh and one more thing, if you care for some free copies of Diamonds in the Rough... Click here. Only hurry up because the giveaway will only last a week.

I have already bought the game, played it and enjoyed it. Plus I got an unsolicited email from Atropos Studios today asking me whether I want ANOTHER copy of DITR. Get real.

Something weird here. LOL

It's called a newsletter. If you do not wish to receive them, all you have to do is ask as there are clear instructions in the e-mail. I'm sorry if it bothered you, but



I don't see the need for the insults to be honest.

No insult intended. Alkis. To be honest I was a little surprised that you kept my email, name and address on file AFTER I had paid for the game and then you sought the necessity to email me asking whether I wanted to be in a "draw" for a free game. Newsletter or not ...... you obviously still have my details and I do NOT want THAT to happen, after I buy a game.

So, no insults, just I do NOT expect to get emails after I have made a transaction with MY Credit Card which is supposedly SECURE.

Everybody keeps the details of the clients for some time for several reasons; it's not my choice, it's the law. First of all, they're in our invoices which we have to present to the tax office. Second, someone might wait a few months and then protest to Paypal or their credit card company that they never made that transaction. We need to have a record of everything for our protection. The information we keep does not include your credit card number of course, which we never have access to in the first place.

I obviously can't tell who you are by your nickname, so can you please inform my associates that you want your e-mail to be removed from the list?

Hi Mystic Falls, I received the same newsletter which clearly concludes
with:

"If you do not wish to receive newsletters by Atropos Studios, please accept
our sincere apologies for the disturbance. Send us an e-mail with the phrase
REMOVE {YOUR EMAIL}
in the subject."

I can't see what there is to get so upset about! I've found it common practise to receive 'updates' from companies I've dealt with - so I think it's a little unfair to single out one for criticism.

We need to look after our game developers & refrain from unnecssary nitpicking!

In these days of so much mail in our email inboxes, it can be annoying to receive unwanted mail. (Okay, it's also annoying to receive unwanted snail mail.)

I appreciate it when companies allow me to opt out of receiving newsletters/updates at the time of purchase by asking if I want to receive them, and unless I check a box, I don't ever receive anything.

Was there a way to opt out of receiving the newsletter/updates for Diamonds in the Rough when people purchased the game?

It seems that I still have a lot to learn regarding pleasing people... and here I was thinking that all I had to do was to make a good game.

The email was send to me also and at the end of it it says that if i don't want to receive any more i can send an email to Atropos Studios and they are apologize for the disturbance. That is OK by me

me to I think it is good that they think about the every day player .

I agree with you dragonuk44. I think also that it is a good idea from Alkis to send us e-mails about his site and forthcoming adventures from Atropos Studios. I thank you Alkis!

Count me among those who also received the email and was happy to get it. I like getting any news from Alkis and Atropos Studios. I totally enjoyed all my experiences with Diamonds In The Rough (the game and the help) and am looking forward to the next game whenever it happens.

Hi

I too have had "after sales" emails sent to me by companies from whom I have bought games, some in the form of official newsletters and some not ....

Usually I am pleased to read the information they carry but if not, I just write and tell them to cross me off their list !!

Soon sorted - so not too big a deal ??

Cheers.

Mad

Hi,Mystic Falls

I have not ordered the game yet...But, There is no reason to worry...I get e:mails all the time from business I order from on the Internet..I just opt out to stop the e:mails...

Atropos Studios is a reputable company...Not to worry..

I never purchased the game because of fear of no lock on the security on my browser. Just can't bring myself to order online without seeing that lock for security sake. However I did fill out some info before backing out and that info was kept it appears. This concerns me because if they have that much they can also have my cc info even though I backed out without purchasing. Now I am getting email from the company proving they have my info stored. Strangest thing I ever saw online.

Seriously now, I do not understand the commotion all because of a newsletter. I must get 15 different newsletters from developers and publishers that I either remember signing up for or have no idea why I am on their list. All of them come with opt out instructions and I also know where the delete button is if I am not in mood at the moment. No big deal.

Sherryah, as has been stated here already, the Credit card is separate from the rest. You are on the newsletter list because you filled out part of the process but you cancelled on the CC part.

Please lets not overreact on a harmless act. If anyone got the newsletter that does not want it, please let Atropis Studio know directly.

Ana

Once again, we don't have ANYONE's credit card info. You do not enter your CC details until you're in the Paypal web site, which IS secure. I do not appreciate being accused of collecting private information so that I can charge people's credit cards and transfer the money to a Swiss account.

Can someone kindly explain to me why some people find complaining in a public web site so much more rewarding than simply sending an e-mail to us? All you have to do is ask and you'll never hear from us again.

I'm going to be honest with you all and say that I'm currently seriously discussing the possibility of making DITR my last game with my wife. This is getting too emotionally draining for me to handle. The other day I found a central Europan web site (Google translate helped me there) where people were wondering what my parents did to me when I was a child that I ended up writing these stories. Money is no good if you spend it on therapy. I started AS because I thought it would be fun and right now I'm not enjoying myself at all. You're probably thinking "what do we care?" and you might be right. Anyway... Adventure games existed long before me and they will continue to exist when I'm gone, and I'm sure 2 years from now nobody will remember me and I will get back to enjoying my anonymity.

EDIT: I just read this again and realized I'm not being fair. I don't want to sound ungrateful to those of you who bought the game, or didn't buy it but gave me moral support which is equally valuable to me. I just need to get these things out of my chest because I'm reaching my limit.

Hi Alkis

I am so sorry that you have felt the need to write what you have.

You have been very responsive to peoples' requests regarding security matters and I for one appreciate that very much.
And I'm absolutely sure the majority of people are with you and not against you in this regard.

So please don't let one complaining faction deter you from creating more of your games. Your talents are too precious to us.

Cheers.

Mad

Thanks for explaining Akis in fairness you never charged my cc card and just relieved any trepidations. Also in your defense, you made a good game from what I saw in the demo, and read in reviews. Your active inmagiation made it so. Keep up the great work!

dont let 1 or 2 minor comments depress you Alkis.their even not criticisms of the game
dont give up.we want more from you please please please
you could not get much better review than this with a very most top score

Hey Alkis, I'm getting a slight kick out of these latest posts.

For the curious:

Just about every game you buy from an indie takes you to another secured site that handles the transaction. We are just too small to have our own accounting department and can't afford building and maintaining a massive secure financial network.

Therefore, we let places like RegNow, PayPal, BMT Micro, Plimus and a few others handle that for us. They get a percentage of the sale. That comes out of the developers share, not an additional charge on the customer side - it's built into the price of the game. You might pay us $20 for a game, but we really only see a part of that after the transaction fee is paid.

We never even see anyone's Credit Card numbers - that is handled by whichever company it is we chose to handle the financial transactions (like PayPal). The only thing we see is the item you purchased, the number of copies purchased, along with your name and address. If we didn't see that, then how could we ship you your game?

Likewise we keep that information on hand in the event that someone is inquiring about not receiving their shipment (or in the case of downloads their harddrive crashed and they need a new copy). If we didn't, then ANYONE could con us saying they never received their game and we would have no way of knowing whether they are really a customer or some scammer.

For an interesting twist, around Halloween when we released 3 new games, I emailed our previous customers to give them free copies of two of the new games. Since Rune Rescue could now be purchased as part of a bundle for a nice savings, I didn't think it was fair for my previous customers to not be able to take advantage of that. So I tried to give them the sweetest deal of all by giving them two of the new games for free as a way of saying thanks for supporting us when we were starting out. An interesting thing happened. A full 70% of the emails came back as undeliverable because those customers had used temporary email addresses when they ordered. Email addresses which no longer existed - and the orders were less than a year old!

I understand people don't want to be bothered. I hate spam and junk mail too. We talk about making purchases from reputable sources. These forums are great in letting people know who is who out there. Many people can let you know who you can trust.

@Alkis - It's a fact of life and something you have to accept. Unless you are a big fish (pun intended) or have been boxed and sitting on a store shelf, there are always going to be people who will view you with suspicion and/or not buy your game until someone with a more familiar name is selling it. Unfortunately in those cases you will only see a slight sliver of money from the sale while those while those with the familiar name will pocket the biggest chunk - that's just the way it is. You have to crawl through the mud until you establish a reputation. One or two games is not going to give you that reputation. Forum regulars might know who you are, but most people don't. That's not their fault - it's just something you have to accept and it comes with the territory. No one is right or wrong. It's just the way it is. Never assume that because you posted something on the forum that everyone has read it.

As far as the other stuff goes with reading that Central European site, I'd be laughing. If you meant to disturb in your game to the point where people are questioning the mind that came up with it, then you achieved your goal! Heck, I'm still laughing over reading through 9 straight pages of negative comments over my trailer from action gamers saying how 'boring' it looked. Ummm, errrr...ehhhh...Of course that wasn't my goal, but it was still pretty funny.

Alkis i'm sure you are not the only one hearing bad comments about your work. There is good comments and bad comments. It happens to anyone who decides to release his work. You might not used to this kind of critisism but this is part of the game. The more your work is known the more comments you will hear. Don't let this comment affect your work. You create something really wonderful and we all anticipate for your next work. Don't give up. Do this for the ones they love you and let the others face their own problems. I'm sure i'm not the only one in this site who shares these thoughts...

Hi alkis, I'm so sorry to read that you are considering not making anymore games! That would be a complete waste of your talent & a great loss to the AG community!

You've made a very good & thoughtful game which reflects an artistic, caring & sensitive mind. Unfortunately this mind does make you prone to see things out of perspective & take too much to heart!

I don't know you personally, but I do care if all the 'negative'
comments are affecting you emotionally.

Sometimes people come across as criticising when they are just trying to tell you their feelings perhaps in a way that comes across negatively e.g the unsecure site for handing over some details. This is not personal towards you - they are genuinely concerned about unwanted 3rd parties intercepting this info & would feel the same way about any unsecured site asking for the same even if doesn't include credit card details.

As for the newsletter you sent, I agree that there really is no need to complain publicly & I think that most other people who posted here probably agree.

As for people questioning your upbringing, it must be infuriating to read these ignorant attitudes but you've got to see them as just that - they don't know you!

If you read Ivinia's post, hope that his comments help & maybe you need a holiday! Please don't give up!

Alkis, I totally understand how you feel, and I'm glad you were able to get some of it off your chest. It's an unfortunate fact of life that, as a whole, whether a game developer or an employee working for a company, one tends to hear more frequently about what you have done wrong rather than what you have done right. Why this seems to be an intrinsic part of the human mind, I leave it up to wiser minds than my own to determine.

I came across a wonderful book a few years ago called, "The Experts Speak," which was full of things that had been said to people who were following their dreams. One was said to Marilyn Monroe, who was told that she would never make it in films and should consider being a secretary; one was a casting agent who told Clint Eastwood that he would never get hired because his Adam's Apple was too large, and yet another told The Beatles that they ought to forget getting a recording contract because a bunch of guys with guitars was on its way out.

So, follow your dreams, and don't let the naysayers get you down. I am enjoying Diamonds in the Rough very much.

Whilst I was playing DitR for my review (I was about half way through), I made the following comment to a certain Medieval Moderator (who's also my editor):



... and I hadn't even reached the twists & turns at the end of the story yet!

Don't worry, Alkis, there will always be people who don't 'get' your work. Please remember that there are many others who do!

Gremlin
(former game developer/designer)