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General discussionFree-movement blobbers(35 posts)(35 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted April 09, 2021
I've been researching free-movement blobbers for a while now. Why? Because I played Wizardry 8 and was enthralled, because I watched that video on free-roam blobbers and saw that there was an audience, and, finally, I noticed no one else was really doing it. Inspired by DRPGBook, I created a spreadsheet.

As for what: free-movement blobbers are first-person party-based games with blob abstraction in, at least, exploration with at least three degrees of full movement. The abstraction comes from the fact that the party moves as a single nebulous unit. Also known as nongridder blobbers.

If you have any criticisms or suggestions for the list, please tell me.
Post edited March 19, 2022 by ZyroMane
Posted April 09, 2021
suggestion

https://www.gog.com/game/operencia_the_stolen_sun

other suggestion :

discard any and all japanese made rpg titles, their market for those type of games is literally huge and pretty much, not what you want ;-)
Posted April 11, 2021
Is the free-movement option of Operencia VR only? I guess I can put VR under grid option. Or just put it in a separate notes spreadsheet.

As to the second point, there are only three Japanese games on the list. One's the final game in a western franchise, and the others are part of a unique and fascinating series. Plus the video that made me start this only had Crime Crackers, Wizardry, and Might & Magic. Do you want me to remove MM8 too? Because the PS2 port is Japanese. Especially since Japan has keep the Wizardry franchise alive when Canada was the only other country that cared about it, and some of the best contemporary blobbers are Jblobbers (like Labyrinth of Refrain. I've also heard great things about Dark Spire.) If anything, it's probably better to be worried about weeb blobbers. But, to be fair, the only one I've played is the woefully mediocre Sakura Dungeon. Serment and Undead Darlings are probably better, but I'd have to play them.

I mean it's great that there are so many MM clones in development, but it would be nice to see other directions of the hypogenre. Including a modernized Crime Crackers.
Posted April 11, 2021
Interesting question. I feel like there's a lot of blobber inspired free movement games like Arx Fatalis, but I can't think of one where you're a whole party.
Posted April 11, 2021
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ZyroMane: Is the free-movement option of Operencia VR only? I guess I can put VR under grid option. Or just put it in a separate notes spreadsheet.

As to the second point, there are only three Japanese games on the list. One's the final game in a western franchise, and the others are part of a unique and fascinating series. Plus the video that made me start this only had Crime Crackers, Wizardry, and Might & Magic. Do you want me to remove MM8 too? Because the PS2 port is Japanese. Especially since Japan has keep the Wizardry franchise alive when Canada was the only other country that cared about it, and some of the best contemporary blobbers are Jblobbers (like Labyrinth of Refrain. I've also heard great things about Dark Spire.) If anything, it's probably better to be worried about weeb blobbers. But, to be fair, the only one I've played is the woefully mediocre Sakura Dungeon. Serment and Undead Darlings are probably better, but I'd have to play them.

I mean it's great that there are so many MM clones in development, but it would be nice to see other directions of the hypogenre. Including a modernized Crime Crackers.
well sideways, back and forth and the occasional ladder is what i remember, i mean full movement in 3 degrees is usually only attainable for flight/space sims ( and users of the ' flight ' spell ). I thought i had played most games on your list. Is operencia that different from the others? ( well of course you already provided an answer to that question )

concerning the japanese releases, well yea, maybe on one hand. Of course their renowned titles can live on but everything to obscured, there was a reason the world tried to forget about these types of games for a while!
Posted April 11, 2021
On Steam early access there are upcoming titles that seem to fit the description:

Arakion: Book One

Legendary Journeys
Posted April 11, 2021
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StingingVelvet: Interesting question. I feel like there's a lot of blobber inspired free movement games like Arx Fatalis, but I can't think of one where you're a whole party.
They are not a majority, but at least in classic games, oldies, I can think in some examples like Ravenloft series and Menzoberranzan. I'd define them like pure classic blobbers ala Dungeon Master but with free movement and obviously real time combat. There is also a selectable grid based movement but it was not the default.
Posted April 11, 2021
Another one in Steam early access: Elmarion: The Lost Temple

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1476230/Elmarion_the_Lost_Temple
Post edited April 11, 2021 by DiffuseReflection
Posted April 11, 2021
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Gudadantza: They are not a majority, but at least in classic games, oldies, I can think in some examples like Ravenloft series and Menzoberranzan.
Those Ravenloft games are from juuuust before my time and I keep meaning to play them. I've watched Youtube clips and they look great, very atmospheric.
Posted April 11, 2021
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Gudadantza: They are not a majority, but at least in classic games, oldies, I can think in some examples like Ravenloft series and Menzoberranzan.
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StingingVelvet: Those Ravenloft games are from juuuust before my time and I keep meaning to play them. I've watched Youtube clips and they look great, very atmospheric.
To me they offer some of the best 2d sprite art the old DOS in VGA could offer. But with a poor pre wofenstein 3D engine not very well optimized.

The quality of the art was possible with a good art direction. Very stylized, but in the technical side they used a way to make the VGA graphics look higher resolution. I do not remember exactly how. But it was not a ver common technique. Not completely uncommon but I couldn't say other popular examples

Greetings
Posted April 11, 2021
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Gudadantza: The quality of the art was possible with a good art direction. Very stylized, but in the technical side they used a way to make the VGA graphics look higher resolution. I do not remember exactly how. But it was not a ver common technique. Not completely uncommon but I couldn't say other popular examples
They not only look higher resolution, they are! Ravenloft and its sequel Stone Prophet use a special VGA mode with 320x400 resolution, so twice the vertical resolution compared to the usual 320x200.
Posted April 11, 2021
avatar
Gudadantza: The quality of the art was possible with a good art direction. Very stylized, but in the technical side they used a way to make the VGA graphics look higher resolution. I do not remember exactly how. But it was not a ver common technique. Not completely uncommon but I couldn't say other popular examples
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DiffuseReflection: They not only look higher resolution, they are! Ravenloft and its sequel Stone Prophet use a special VGA mode with 320x400 resolution, so twice the vertical resolution compared to the usual 320x200.
That is! Not exactly a technique but a very special VGA mode. I'd like to know other games using that mode, indeed.

EDIT: Apart of the complete list of Quake resolutions available under DOS, of course.
Post edited April 11, 2021 by Gudadantza
Posted April 11, 2021
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Gudadantza: That is! Not exactly a technique but a very special VGA mode. I'd like to know other games using that mode, indeed.

EDIT: Apart of the complete list of Quake resolutions available under DOS, of course.
Apparently at least System Shock, Extreme Pinball, Descent 2, and Aces over Europe supported that mode.
Posted April 11, 2021
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Gudadantza: That is! Not exactly a technique but a very special VGA mode. I'd like to know other games using that mode, indeed.

EDIT: Apart of the complete list of Quake resolutions available under DOS, of course.
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DiffuseReflection: Apparently at least System Shock, Extreme Pinball, Descent 2, and Aces over Europe supported that mode.
Evident examples once I can remember them :). Specially in AoE that mode was very noticeable in the crispy models and more antialiased lines, indeed. It even looked closer to SVGA than to VGA.

Anyway, all of them were multireslution games. But what about titles like Ravenloft with only this mode available? Not a lot of them.

Greetings
Posted April 13, 2021
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StingingVelvet: Interesting question. I feel like there's a lot of blobber inspired free movement games like Arx Fatalis, but I can't think of one where you're a whole party.
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Gudadantza: They are not a majority, but at least in classic games, oldies, I can think in some examples like Ravenloft series and Menzoberranzan. I'd define them like pure classic blobbers ala Dungeon Master but with free movement and obviously real time combat. There is also a selectable grid based movement but it was not the default.
MIGHT AND MAGIC 6-9! :) Those are true, free-movement dungeon crawlers with optional turn-based combat. Also Lands of Lore 3, or at least I think you get a party eventually.
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Community
General discussionFree-movement blobbers(35 posts)(35 posts)
(35 posts)