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The award-winning point-and-click adventure returns in the Director's Cut with an extended story, additional puzzles, and new areas to explore. Kathy Rain: Director's Cut is now available on GOG.COM with a 10% discount that will last until 2nd November 2021, 4 PM UTC.

If you already own the original Kathy Rain game in your library, the discount on the Director's Cut will permanently rise to 50%.

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Krusbert: Try now? There was a slight delay it seems.
Thanks for the discount, turned it from a "someday" into a launch purchase. Happy to support indie adventure game development even if it will be a long time before I replay.
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MarkoH01: I just compared the start of the original with the DC and noticed that because of the missing "look" function some monologues are now missing. In example if you looked at the grandmother at the start you would get her full name ... does not seem to be possible anymore since now clicking on her wii start the dialogue immediately.
That's a perfect example of my complaint above. Single click interface just means Kathy automatically only does what is necessary to complete the game. I am one of those adventure gamers that likes to examine everything and get all of the backstory and worldbuilding.

If a game is designed with single-click in mind from the beginning then ok, none of those things existed in the first place. But to convert an existing game with multiple verbs to a single click interface is to simplify the existing game by throwing stuff out. Your post is a perfect example of that.
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KetobaK: Have you tried contacted the devs, that is an important flaw, I haven't test it yet, but maybe they can re introduce the old menu as an option.
Pfft, good luck with that:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/370910/discussions/0/3118147979122922889/#c3133918821800475802
Post edited October 28, 2021 by my name is supyreor catte
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MarkoH01: I just compared the start of the original with the DC and noticed that because of the missing "look" function some monologues are now missing. In example if you looked at the grandmother at the start you would get her full name ... does not seem to be possible anymore since now clicking on her wii start the dialogue immediately.
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my name is supyreor catte: That's a perfect example of my complaint above. Single click interface just means Kathy automatically only does what is necessary to complete the game. I am one of those adventure gamers that likes to examine everything and get all of the backstory and worldbuilding.

If a game is designed with single-click in mind from the beginning then ok, none of those things existed in the first place. But to convert an existing game with multiple verbs to a single click interface is to simplify the existing game by throwing stuff out. Your post is a perfect example of that.
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KetobaK: Have you tried contacted the devs, that is an important flaw, I haven't test it yet, but maybe they can re introduce the old menu as an option.
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my name is supyreor catte: Pfft, good luck with that:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/370910/discussions/0/3118147979122922889/#c3133918821800475802
I'll pitch in here! I stand by my response in that Steam thread, but I'll elaborate further: We have examined every line of dialogue in the game that we had to cut this way, and any significant missing information (such as Grandma Rain's full name) will come up at a some point later in the game.

I was sceptical about this simplification at first too, until we actually looked at the concrete dialogue and summarized what had to go and what could be reworked to remain in the game in other forms.

I was personally the most bummed out by losing out on some silly little jokes breaking the fourth wall, like prompting Kathy to swim in the lake or mopping the floors in the jail ;) But I think cutting those is a small price to pay compared to the benefits of what we believe is the preferred and smoother interface overall for the majority of players.

We would be happy to keep supporting the old verbcoin if this was a patch of the original game, but it is not. The whole game code has been recreated from scratch in a new game engine, so to support these controls would mean coding a whole alternate interface, which just isn't realistic I'm afraid.

So, I'm really sorry if you guys are disappinted, but the single click interface is here to stay!
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my name is supyreor catte: That's a perfect example of my complaint above. Single click interface just means Kathy automatically only does what is necessary to complete the game. I am one of those adventure gamers that likes to examine everything and get all of the backstory and worldbuilding.

If a game is designed with single-click in mind from the beginning then ok, none of those things existed in the first place. But to convert an existing game with multiple verbs to a single click interface is to simplify the existing game by throwing stuff out. Your post is a perfect example of that.

Pfft, good luck with that:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/370910/discussions/0/3118147979122922889/#c3133918821800475802
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Krusbert: I'll pitch in here! I stand by my response in that Steam thread, but I'll elaborate further: We have examined every line of dialogue in the game that we had to cut this way, and any significant missing information (such as Grandma Rain's full name) will come up at a some point later in the game.

I was sceptical about this simplification at first too, until we actually looked at the concrete dialogue and summarized what had to go and what could be reworked to remain in the game in other forms.

I was personally the most bummed out by losing out on some silly little jokes breaking the fourth wall, like prompting Kathy to swim in the lake or mopping the floors in the jail ;) But I think cutting those is a small price to pay compared to the benefits of what we believe is the preferred and smoother interface overall for the majority of players.

We would be happy to keep supporting the old verbcoin if this was a patch of the original game, but it is not. The whole game code has been recreated from scratch in a new game engine, so to support these controls would mean coding a whole alternate interface, which just isn't realistic I'm afraid.

So, I'm really sorry if you guys are disappinted, but the single click interface is here to stay!
Well, it's good that you found another place for info like Grandma Rain's name, but the difference is that in the original version it was information the player had to seek. In the new version it sounds like the information is just presented at a scripted time and that's still a perfect example of what I was saying about player agency. I'm sad to hear about the loss of joke responses. Again, the decision making has been taken from the player and given to Kathy, who just makes the correct decision to move the game along.
It's a more... walking-sim way of doing things. This isn't a slight against walking sims, they are what they are. I don't mind if a new game is designed that way but I hate to see an existing game simplified like this.

I am still doubtful about your claim that people actively prefer a single-click interface. That Facebook survey of adventure game fans suggests otherwise. I think the most you might be able to claim is that many people are indifferent, but there's no preference for single-click.

The only explanation is that your target demographic is not adventure game fans. That's perfectly understandable, you are running a business after all. It's just sad to realise that not even point-and-click adventures are aimed at point-and-click adventure fans any more.
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Krusbert: I was personally the most bummed out by losing out on some silly little jokes breaking the fourth wall, like prompting Kathy to swim in the lake or mopping the floors in the jail ;) But I think cutting those is a small price to pay compared to the benefits of what we believe is the preferred and smoother interface overall for the majority of players.
Having to hear that you actually had to cut jokes (especially breaking 4th wall jokes which I really love) just because you decided that an OPTIONAL ssecond mouse button would be a thing that most dislike (which I highly doubt) really makes me sad. If you actually would have done a poll in which you had asked people if they would have problems lo lose jokes just so that you could use another interface I am more than sure that people would advice you to not do this. It is one thing to change the interface - because of the engine or whatever - but it is a completely different thing to cut things. Remember: the game was succesful because of what it already was and the more you cut from the existing and loved stuff the higher the probability that you might cut stuff that was the reason why people loved the game. You advertize the game of offering ADDITIONAL content and not less or different ... but yes, it is your decision - I just think that it's the wrong one.
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Krusbert: So, I'm really sorry if you guys are disappinted, but the single click interface is here to stay!
Just to add to my previous reply - it's not the addition of the single-click I have an issue with, it's the removal of the original interface as an option and the loss of content that it causes.
Future games can use whatever interface you like since they'll be designed with that in mind, I just don't like to see existing content and gameplay removed like this. I think you should have ported the original interface to the new engine and then given the single-click interface as an option.
Ok, I won't try to refute any of your arguments, because they are totally valid from your perspective. I can understand your disappointment about reduced player agency and cut dialogue, despite the other additions and improvements.

I'm genuinely sorry that this doesn't align with your preferences, and I truly wish we had the resources to give everyone the game that they wanted, without having to remove anything that they enjoyed or felt was important to the game :(

I hope you are all still willing to give the game a chance to see if the other changes could win you back, but if not, I would certainly understand. And the classic version will always remain for you to enjoy!
Post edited October 29, 2021 by Krusbert
Has anybody played this? How's the new content?
I played the original a few years ago and thought it was ok (disliked the final parts though, found the story nonsensical tbh). But even with discount the remastered edition is a bit expensive for my taste, so I'd be interested in opinions whether the new content is worth it.
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Krusbert: I hope you are all still willing to give the game a chance to see if the other changes could win you back, but if not, I would certainly understand. And the classic version will always remain for you to enjoy!
I am, but I'm probably going to wait. I don't quite feel like replaying the game again yet and 50% off is not enough to tempt me knowing I'll be annoyed about the cut content. I'll wait for a better discount and I'm sure I'll feel less strongly about the cut content by then. I hope this does well though and I hope we see more of Kathy in the future!

I'm sure you'll stick with a single click interface for whatever you do next, but that won't really bother me on a new game so I hope to see you there.
Post edited October 29, 2021 by my name is supyreor catte
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Krusbert: I hope you are all still willing to give the game a chance to see if the other changes could win you back, but if not, I would certainly understand. And the classic version will always remain for you to enjoy!
You never lost me at all and I am still looking forward to the additions that will come (I am just at the beginning of day 3 so far). I am just a bit sad that along with the additions we also get substractions which imo does not make it the best Kathy Rain but simply another version of it ...
I just finished the game and I am a bit surprised that I still haven't unlocked all bikes since I though this would happen automatically with story progress. Since this does not seem to be the case I wonder how those bikes can be unlocked.
Post edited October 30, 2021 by MarkoH01
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MarkoH01: I just finished the game and I am a bit surprised that I still haven't unlocked all bikes since I though this would happen automatically with story progress. Since this does not seem to be the case I wonder how those bikes can be unlocked.
The bike unlocks are tied to Galaxy achievements grouped in themes! You don't need to play with GOG Galaxy to unlock the bikes, but you need to perform the same in-game actions to unlock a specific bike model :)
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MarkoH01: I just finished the game and I am a bit surprised that I still haven't unlocked all bikes since I though this would happen automatically with story progress. Since this does not seem to be the case I wonder how those bikes can be unlocked.
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Krusbert: The bike unlocks are tied to Galaxy achievements grouped in themes! You don't need to play with GOG Galaxy to unlock the bikes, but you need to perform the same in-game actions to unlock a specific bike model :)
Ah, thank you for the explanation.
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Krusbert: Ok, I won't try to refute any of your arguments, because they are totally valid from your perspective. I can understand your disappointment about reduced player agency and cut dialogue, despite the other additions and improvements.

I'm genuinely sorry that this doesn't align with your preferences, and I truly wish we had the resources to give everyone the game that they wanted, without having to remove anything that they enjoyed or felt was important to the game :(

I hope you are all still willing to give the game a chance to see if the other changes could win you back, but if not, I would certainly understand. And the classic version will always remain for you to enjoy!
The way I see it it might be alright from a new player perspective. However for someone that already has the original it's more like a DLC so that's probably how your marketing approach to it should be.

Don't get me wrong here as I understand you put a lot of work into this but from a player perspective it's still just a bit of additional content for a cut down version of a game. That's where the disconnect is coming from. For most of us it feels like buying the same thing again so even at 50% off it still feels overpriced.
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PromZA: The way I see it it might be alright from a new player perspective. However for someone that already has the original it's more like a DLC so that's probably how your marketing approach to it should be.

Don't get me wrong here as I understand you put a lot of work into this but from a player perspective it's still just a bit of additional content for a cut down version of a game. That's where the disconnect is coming from. For most of us it feels like buying the same thing again so even at 50% off it still feels overpriced.
I think you're right. When other games get this sort of treatment, usually what happens is the price of the game goes up and new buyers get the Director's Cut and the old version together, and a "Director's Cut" DLC is made available for existing customers.
It's good that they've kept the original version on the store, but the only way to own both is to buy them separately.
New buyers of the DC should be getting the original for free and cost of upgrading for existing customers should only be the price difference between the old and new versions.