Castle Paradox

[JSH357]

If you want to vote on SlimeSalad instead (doesn't matter), go to this thread:
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1772

I want to have a Top 30 poll now, since interest has been brought up. This will not interfere with RMZ's Top games of 2007 poll (I'll aim for the February issue of HSpeak).

The last poll went great; we had lots of responses and some interesting commentary. As much as I'd like to see that happen again, some changes need to be made to ensure similar quality, but a unique list.

First, here is the previous Top 30 List for reference:
http://www.jsh.illuminative.org/top_30/top30summer07.html

Since we had some good general comments last time, let's get CREATIVE for this poll. The new rule: you can submit comments for a game like last time, but you can also submit a haiku or a screenshot. (if you don't know what a haiku is, look it up on Wikipedia)

BONUS QUESTION: Vote for the five best games in terms of story and/or dialogue.

Rules:
1. Vote for your five-ten favorite OHR games/movies/whatever. Lowest number = highest on your favorite list.
2. You may vote for your own game(s). The choice is yours, but bear in mind that if nobody else votes for your game, it will not make the list.
3. You may not vote for unreleased games. Demos are fine, though.
4. You may not vote twice, including by altnick.
5. You must be an active member of the community in order to vote. In other words, if you just registered and voted your vote will be ignored. This is done to prevent rigging.
6. Type out the entire name, just in case I don't know what the acronym is.
7. Airship 2600 is banned from this list. Sorry, it's just too good. Additionally, any other vaporware games shouldn't be voted for.
8. You are not required to give any reason for your votes, but you can include a short few sentences. The best ones will be posted on the list as flavor text. (Naturally, don't write any if you don't want yourself to be quoted)
9. Vote for individual games, not entire series. (OHR House, Pitch Black, etc)

Some general guidelines:
1. No one cares what you vote for, so don't feel compelled to vote 'in the community's eyes' or for games that you think are good but don't actually like. I want this list to reflect the personal preferences of real OHR users; i.e. I want it to be largely subjective.
2. If you want to vote in private, PM me with your votes and I promise not to reveal them to anyone.

How scoring works:
Your number 1 choice gets the most points. The higher the number, the fewer the points. In addition, the number of users who actually voted for the game is taken into account.

I'll post an example vote soon.

Deadline: February 8, 2008

[Gizmog1]

Here's my top 9, with possibly nonsensical, probably not properly syllabled haiku! I'll probably move an honorable mention up to #10 before the end.

1 Trailblazers

Ninja, shark, mushroom
Hey! This is no RPG!
Careful where you jump

2 Spellshard: Horgoth

See eight measly bits
Just like your old N E S
Man's wife, full of soup

3 I Made Dis Anthology

You play as Elvis
Zombies have taken control
Don't fear the reaper

4 Wandering Hamster

Our noble leader
and his fuzzy friend will start
the whole thing afoot

5 Don't Push the Button!

Glorious button
Ancient evil, Shiny red!
You may press me now

6 OHR House 2

The writers are strange
Everyone wants more of this
House full of loonies

7 Mormon Mission

Operation: Go!
Matches? Check! Parachute? Check!
Bring home the mormon!

8 Thanksgiving Quest
Hitler and Pilgrim
History's greatest hits? What?!
Guess it could be worse

9 OMGWTFTIZROXORS

Trust in your power
You are ultra! That is all.
NoW fall on spikes

10 OHR House 1


Honorable Mentions:
Fantasy Under a Blue Moon X, v4
Shadey (K?)Night
Scary Game
Super Concentration Headache Master Pro?

[JSH357]

After some thought and Surlaw's suggestion, I've decided to add a new rule to take care of an issue we had last time:

9. Vote for individual games, not entire series. (OHR House, Pitch Black, etc)

Gizmog will need to reconsider his vote a little; sorry for the inconvenience.

[Gizmog1]

Does IMD Anthology count as two games? Or is it okay because it was released in the same .rpg?

[Rya.Reisender]

1.Boundless Ocean
Beautiful graphics, beautiful music, awesome story and the gameplay is pretty good too.

2.FUABMX v4 (latest one, there was another unofficial v4)
White Owl is just a genius in all aspects. He manages to turn a rather "traditional gameplay" into an awesome and challanging game.

3.Grief
Best pure grinding game ever.

4.EOTE2
Well, I liked this game so much that I managed to play it through 20+ times due to gametesting purposes without getting too bored.

5.Babel
I loved the general gameplay idea of this game, too bad it was never finished. (or was it?)

6.Wingedmene
Also a rather traditional gameplay, however pretty good ideas considering the map layout (the map layout is very awesome in general).

7.FUABMX v3 (this is the one where you fight killer mice in the basement as the first dungeon)
For some reason I totally loved the graphics in this game. White Owl developed an art style that's so different from normal RPGs but yet so beautiful to look at. The gameplay was also pretty challanging and it took me 30 hours to actually complete it without the levelup bug.

8.Bloodlust
I really love the horror genre, but I always thought only games with realistic 3D graphics can be actually scary. This game convinced me otherwise. The stories Onlyoneinall writes are so sick and disgusting, in other words, he's perfect for the horror genre.

9.ARFENHOUSE!!! #!!!!!!
Misteroo managed to create a humour level that I and many others totally love, but that's not the only reason why this game is awesome. The idea to add an actual "serious" and rather "normal" hero into the group was a pretty good idea. Finally the different endings in this game are just awesome and rather new in the OHRRPGCE world at the time it was released.

10.ARFENHOUSE!!! FOR!!!!!!
Not by Misteroo anymore but really nice Final Fantasy 6 parody anyways.
-----------------------------------
Also considered (most from my old favorite list):
-----------------------------------
11.Dimensions I (nice levelup system)
12.Aquarius (I love the graphics and story seems interesting)
13.Horgoth (traditional feeling)
14.Evil Sword (for some reason I loved Royal's first game the most)
15.Lolsidothaldremobine (every aspect above average)
16.Sword of Jade (very much effort put into)
-----------------------------------
Motherland
Time Flies
Mofas
EOTE
Realm of the Mystics
Scars of Glory
Magnus 11
Land of the Mystics
Memoria
Origin
Earth's Last Stand
Wandering Hamster
The Last Blitz
Evildead: Timeline
Beyond Ultima
And&
Darkmoor Dungeon
Dreams of Light and Darkness
-----------------------------------



-----------------------------------
BONUS QUESTION (TOP 5 STORYLINES):
1.Boundless Ocean
2.Bloodlust
3.FUABMX v4 (latest one)
4.Lolsidothaldremobine
5.EOTE2
-----------------------------------
Also considered:
-----------------------------------
6.Wingedmene
7.Sword of Jade
8.Aquarius
9.Babel


I apologize if I forgot an outstanding game I played 5+ years ago. ^^'

[Pepsi Ranger]

January 2008

Wow, this post died in a hurry. If I could make a suggestion to people/voters, keep a template list of your favorite games in whatever folder you keep GAME.EXE and change it only as needed. So when it comes time to vote for the Top 30, you just have to cut and paste and then JSH can feel like he didn't waste his time.

And today's a voting day (for some), so when you finish with the Primaries, get the remainder of your voting itch satisfied here.

Speaking of copy/pasting lists (with minor changes):

1. Lolsidothaldremobine
I think I'm voting this my top game out of obligation these days. It's an awesome game, one that I hope aged well over the years. But even if it aged as badly as the other pre-2000 games, at least the name's still cool.

2. The Adventures of Powerstick Man
This is my newbie, yet symphonic game--the thing that frustrates me, and yet keeps me up through unreasonable hours of the night thinking about what I want changed. It's aged horribly, and still I work on it, adding new coats of paint until it barely resembles the game it once was. And it's supposed to make me happy. I hope one day it'll make you happy, too.

3. OHR House: Season 2
Even before the commercial market started producing episodic games, JSH produced the OHR House games. And they were spectacular. He proved it's still possible to make an excellent three-hour game where the only gameplay involved is to press the button that corresponds to the episode you want to watch (and spacebarring the dialogue). And while the first game revolutionalized the series, the second proved that there are no boundaries to where it can go.

4. Walthrus: Return of the Crystals
After all the madness with the comedic game genre stirring controversy (or call it what it is--the lack of comedy in parody games today), this game stands even higher on the pedestal among the ones that work. It proved that even the most beloved of dramatic titles are not safe in the hands of comedians. And it's even worse when the comedian is the same guy who made the dramatic version. Genius.

5. Catacombs
A new one for my Top 10, this game just reminds me of the stuff I played in the '80s and early '90s, where the story is thin (though quite existent), but the excitement to climb levels (and hear new soundtracks) brings me back to it another day. Add to that the changing environments with each play and this game deserves a permanent fix on the "it" list. I really wish the OHR had more classic titles like this.

6. Walthros
And the dramatic version of Surlaw's tale is still one the best RPGs on the OHR. It's traditional in its rawest form, and yet handles its characters with care. Even that annoying Scottie deserves his place among OHR greatness for his richness of character, though it's probably fitting that he's killed off in another game.

7. City of Dreams
This game still haunts me. It's one of the few titles that's quite honestly hard to finish, not so much because it's hard, though that's part of it, but because it's emotionally draining. When a game can actually depress you (because of what happens to the characters, not because of what happens to your time), it must be done right.

8. Mr. Triangle's Maze Madness
Red, I like Halloween Quest 3, don't get me wrong. But I really want to see an ending to this game. The puzzles were well designed (probably one of the best puzzlers on the OHR), reminding me a little of The Lost Vikings. The ability to send new characters through the mazes as you acquire them increases the playability, too. It's just another fun classic-style game that needs to be finished.

9. At the Risk of Manipulation
This game is so cool that I'm gonna write a novel about it someday. It's a story most of us are familiar with--boy likes girl, girl teases boy, girl gets boy to do stupid things--but the charm comes in its unique gaming style where all the action takes place through character influence. Yes, it will be updated someday. No, it won't be soon. Yes, it's still worth checking out if you haven't done so already. So be a friend. Play my game. (See what I did there? It's called "manipulation.")

10. Darkmoor Dungeon
It seems this game is getting a sequel. It seems the sequel wants to implement battles the original couldn't do. And this has to capitalize on Moogle's genius because I can't think of anything unique that the original didn't already do. I like my spacebar-mashers, don't get me wrong, but this game reminds me why boss battles are fun. It's a great game.

Honorable Mentions:

Just because I like to cram everything relevant into one post, here are a few games that missed the cut, but I still think are worth looking at--

Bandit Revolver
-Though fallen from my Top 10, it's still worth mentioning from a marketing standpoint. Gilbert essentially took what was a horrible game and made it into an advertising sensation. It's a bit like what Hollywood does with summer sequels. Brilliant.

Blasphemous Saga Fantasy
-This game almost made the Top 10, but fell short only because it's short. It's designed like a Zelda/Final Fantasy hybrid, with Fortis's signature art style. Once he adds a few more areas, this game will surely rise up the list.

Death Wears a Green Tie
-There aren't enough detective stories on the OHR. This, however, is one of the few available. It's a newbie game on the surface, yet something about the character impresses me. Good effort.

Ends of the Earth 2
-This thing is older than dirt, and yet the presentation is still as reliable as dirt. It does what it's supposed to do and does it well.

Genesis
-Barely missing the Top 10, this game brilliantly uses character animation to help tell the story--a feature I'm always happy to see in games, and one I try to use myself as often as possible.

The Last Blitz
-You'll probably have to get this one from Rinku, but it's worth playing if you do. The story is decent, but the characters are some of the coolest in the OHR library. A great play if anyone wants to learn how to steer away from generic heroes.

Locked
-This is a short game. For those who fear it'll eat up your time, it won't. It's a good play, full of puzzles that make no sense, though still leading to an ending. Play this to see what a good "fetch game" looks like.

matricx re-hacked
-This game is so faithful to its original source that it even has the green tint. Not as ridiculous as the movie sequels, though.

Memoria
-Another classic that probably plays like crap on Voxhumana, but was brilliant for its time. Might very well be the best of the non-plotscripted games.

OHR House: Season 1
-This game is actually worth sharing a spot with its sequel on my Top 10, but now that "grouping" has been disbanded, I only feel right choosing one. I chose the other, obviously.

Origin
-Excellent story, bad graphics--everything a growing boy needs. Play it today.

Plip-Tamer
-I was addicted to Bejeweled 2 for about a week in February (maybe earlier, I don't remember), so I was happy to see a free alternative available when James released this. If only he had implemented power plips and hyper plips, too.

RP
-I like it for its ambiguous title. There's a well-balanced, well-designed game underneath, too, but the appeal for me is in the title. Great title.

Scary Game 1 & 2
-These games made Halloween fun for me. I hope Moogle updates them for the latest version of the OHR (with sound effects and bugfixes) someday. Might even be nice to have a "Trilogy Release" when the third game is finished.

Shifter
-My favorite "incomplete" game. Unique characters and colorful worlds made this game one of the best fantasies to never get off the ground. Hopefully Bagne will pop up out of the blue and give us an official demo someday. I really thought this one had potential.

Surlaw Armageddon
-The "sequel" to Walthros is creepy. The music, creepy. The use of Grimace as the Angel of Death, pretty creepy (and probably appropriate). Good game.

Toy Town
-This is basically Sim City's retarded cousin. If Iblis figures out how to turn this into an economic simulator, he might even make a fan out of me.

Vikings of Midgard
-I'm actually waiting for Fenrir to finish this before I give it a real opinion. So far I like the design. It's probably my favorite game of his.

Wingedmene
-So, Komera is rewriting this game from scratch.... I wonder what that'll look like. A resurgance to the Top 10 maybe? An animated feature film? One can shoot for the stars, right?

Games I'll Probably Love Once I Actually Sit Down to Play Them:

I'm only including this section for those who know they have great games, but can't figure out why I didn't vote for them--

Sword of Jade
Missing
Fox and the Eight-Six
Timestream Saga
Destiny Calls

So you wanna know my Top 5 Best Written games, do you? You realize by asking this you're forcing me to swell my ego a little, right? Here they are:

1. OHR House 2
I think some credit has to go to Uncommon here (his writing has really taken off, by the way--he really needs to start considering the detective magazine market if he hasn't already), but JSH is just as guilty. It's crass in many places, but the characters really pop out as individuals. JSH once said he's "creepy good at portraying OHR people" and I have to agree. And I can tell he proofreads each episode before making it public. A far cry from Duck and MJ in all respects.

2. Lolsidothaldremobine
The only reason OHR House 2 beat out this game for the top spot: it diversifies its characters better than this one. Other than that, the dialogue is well written, the story is incredible, and the pacing is near perfect. It's a prime example of why the older games are still in many ways better than the ones today.

3. Wingedmene
This game has that sophisticated side not often found in this community's projects. It reads like a classic fantasy novel, complete with that mythic edge. I'm actually glad Komera is redoing this game because I have a feeling she'll make the dialogue unmatchable. And the characters are all quite rich.

4. The Adventures of Powerstick Man
Here's my bias. I'll be the first to admit that it can be better (and as of the Extended Edition it is better), but when others can agree after seven years that it's still one of the best in this category, then it has to make me kinda proud of what it is. Of course, it also makes me sad because it tells me that others aren't putting enough effort into their writing, because like I said, this one could be better. That doesn't say much for what it is, so if I'm gonna tack on one relevant line here, it's very good at slamming pop culture. Very good. Okay, that's two lines.

5. Origin
Vidual is very solid in his story telling. Nothing here screams originality, but it does handle consistency well. Thanks to the limitations of the pre-2000 engine, the presentation is poor, unfortunately. But that doesn't stop Vidual from handling the dialogue well.

Honorable Mentions:

OHR House
It's just as good as the second one, really. But I can only choose one.

Catacombs
The stuff that's written is very good. There just isn't enough of it to compete for the Top 5.

At the Risk of Manipulation
Same as above. I think this shows some of my best game writing so far (pre-Powerstick Man: Extended Edition), but it's too short to justify ranking it.

Tightfloss Maiden
Since it's been released twice in the past, I can technically list this here. This is another example of great writing marred by a short demo. It's also cliche (in the beginning only), so for that it falls short of the top.

Walthros
Actually, the entire Walthros saga can fit here. Any one of these games deserve a high spot on the list. The reason this particular game isn't ranked, however, is because the characters, as diversified as they are, fail to remain consistent with who they are. In particular, Super Walrus Man takes a sudden shift halfway through that doesn't make sense to his character. It actually killed the game for me. Otherwise it might have Wingedmene's spot (but don't anyone tell Komera I said that--gryphon claws are pretty sharp).

City of Dreams
I could probably put all of Friend's games on this list, but this is the only one I played. It's also the only game that gets melodrama right in my opinion. It's also one of the only games to have a compelling advertisement attached to it (with the possible exception of Harlock's games). This list should really be a Top 10, not a Top 5.

There are other games that could fit on the honorable mentions list, but most of them try to overwhelm me with emotional (and as a result, cheesy) dialogue, which rarely works. If you want to write great game dialogue (or tell a great story), play one of these first.
_________________
Progress Report:

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition

Currently Updating: General sweep of the game world and dialogue boxes. Adding extended maps.

Tightfloss Maiden

Currently Updating: Chapter 2

[Moogle1]

1. Sword of Jade
furry RPG
dogero, where have you gahn?
you look a bit green

2. Darkmoor Dungeon
select your party
priest, ninja, witch, berserker
escape the dungeon

3. Thanksgiving Quest
a sammich draws near!
hitler, carey, and lana
combine their powers

4. Trailblazers
platforming action
mushroom, lizard, and ninja
battle huge bosses

5. Surlaw: Armageddon
our fishy hero
confronts his scariest foes
apocalypse grimace!

6. Bastard.GUNS Transylvania
uh-oh, big problem
monsters in your real estate?
call up HEROMAN

7. Super Walrus Chef
walrus cooking time
the judges have decided
needs more secret sauce

8. Missing
invisible wife!
lol it is scary attiks
i can has clues plz?

9. SCH Battle Warrior
crotch wookie fish kiss
pants boobs RUN AWAY bombs barf
red oops i mean blue

10. Mr. T's Fantastic Adventure
go awesome heroes!
rescue operation time
hulk hogan assist

TOP 5 WRITING COMING SOON
_________________

Slime Salad :: Independent Game Design

[JSH357]

http://www.jsh.illuminative.org/top_30/top30winter08.html
There it is.

[TMC]

Feb 8? Aww, you said something about aiming for HS issue 13, so I forgot the real deadline and sat on it.

Too bad the bonus question doesn't seem to have gotten enough feedback for much of a ranking.
_________________
"It is so great it is insanely great."

[Gizmog1]

1. Gopherball Z - Truely, a forgotten classic

2. Habla No Ingles - The first joke game I ever made, and still a forgotten classic

3. Habla No Ingles 2 - Only because it includes Habla No Ingles 1

4. Halloween No Ingles - Did I draw graphics for this? I think I did

5. Mormon Mission - Who could forget CN and Flamer? The DREAM TEAM! A forgotten classic

6. The Giz No Ingles - I drew some graphics for this too, and it's the one of the few No Ingles games that stands up to the test of time. A forgotten classic

7. Santa Goes EXTREME - My first (and only!) collaboration with my brother. His sleigh, and house tiles are awesome. I did the chimneys and snowflakes!

8. OHR Typewriter - Typity typity!

9. OHR Paint - Painty painty!

10. OHR Alarm Clock - Wakey wakey!

11. Inferior Minion No Ingles - Ah, a rare political piece! Great sattire for it's time, but definitely dated. Just forgotten

12. God Damn It's Dark In Here - Straaaaaaangers in the niiiiiight

13. Don't Push The Button, Original Edition - Don't do it.

14. Don't Push the Button Remake - He's still waiting!

15. Duck and MJ - Finally, a forgotten classic by someone other than me! Duck and MJ is simply one of the most beautiful stories ever told. Translating it from 1999 Newbspeak into 2008 English has resulted in the greatest piece of literature since the King James bible.

[Rya.Reisender]

Wrong thread, unless you live south of the equator.
_________________
Snippy:
"curt or sharp, esp. in a condescending way" (Oxford American Dictionary)
"fault-finding, snappish, sharp" (Concise Oxford Dictionary, UK)
1. short-tempered, snappish, 2. unduly brief or curt (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)