Repton: The Lost Realms review requested for DnD

[sa110]

Drag 'n Drop (the pdf magazine for RISC OS and Acorn 8-bit systems) is looking for a review of the new Retro Software release of Repton: The Lost Realms.

If you are not connected to Retro Software and would like to review the game for Drag 'n Drop, please get in touch.

Also interested in hearing from anyone who would like to write general games related articles.

Current and previous editions of Drag 'n Drop along with details of how to submit articles are available at http://www.dragdrop.co.uk

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Paul Stewart
Editor
Drag 'n Drop

[Dave_E]

I'd *love* to review it - but when I asked for a copy of it previously, Dave M said I couldn't because Retro Gamer had the exclusive right to the first review.

Mind you, that was over two years ago now.

I'll be reviewing it for EUG when I can source a copy of it.

[Arcadian]

Tut! Should've gone to R3PLAY where you could have picked up your own shiny new copy!

(seriously though: I thought you said you were definitely coming to this one ... what happened?).

[Dave_E]

Severe financial pressures/ruin.

I have gone from a life of relative wealth to having to live with my parents again.

I wasn't great company around the time of R3PLAY so I stayed away.

I'm hoping to turn it all around in the next couple of weeks though.

[Arcadian]

Sorry to hear that Dave, though obviously pleased to know things may be on the up.

Some news on the Repton front: a load of glossy paper that I ordered arrived today, so I should be able to make a start on the next batch of BBC Repton discs this week.

[billcarr2005]

Count me in for purchasing Repton when it becomes available, in however many formats there are!
Also, a(nother) nudge for Krystal Connection!

[Dave_E]

http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/eug/revs ... -rtlr.html

[Samwise]

Nice work, Dave!

I noticed a couple of typos in it (screetsets, resusitated) but it's a fantastically glowing review overall - I've linked to it from the Repton: The Lost Realms page over at RS.

Sam.

[The Kraken]

Excellent review I just have a couple of corrections to make:

To cross over to the Editor briefly at this point too, some of the little annoyances about the REPTON 3 incarnations of the game have been tinkered with. For example, you can now set a rate at which the fungus grows - rather than it growing randomly and sometimes making it difficult to complete a level.

You can indeed set the fungus rate individually for each level, but that doesn't make it non-random, just faster or slower.

It was rescued from the one surviving development disc, and resusitated by some sixteen or so Repton fans, patching the code, rewriting whole sections of it and eventually producing something highly-polished and in no way 'buggy'.

Tom Walker is the one who should be credited with all that. The rest of the Lost Realms team (and there were eight of us, not sixteen) were responsible for testing and level design -- and of course Dave did the graphics, as the review correctly states.

[Dave_E]

Fixed. There were sixteen different names listed on the inlay sheet with responsibilities for one thing or another so that's where the sixteen programmers crept in from.

[kingcobra]

Perfect review. I think all of us who worked on it can be very proud

[Arcadian]

'Fraid it's looking increasingly likely that I won't have time to master a second batch of Repton discs until after Xmas ...

For the benefit of anyone who's itching to see how it plays, I've just been passed the following recording which shows the game being played at R3PLAY:

[billcarr2005]

Would there be any chance of selling the physical media with an IOU, then emailing an SSD to purchasers? It's an ideal time for me to give it a play in the downtime of Xmas!

[iomanoid]

I'd be up for that too....

[MatthewThompson]

I think that's an excellent idea. Buy an emulator image now and then get the physical product when it's available .

Put me down for one too.

[jms2]

Yes, I'd wondered whether that would be possible. It would definitely suit me.

[Destroid]

I really want to buy this for my dad. I'm upset there's no way to just pay your money and get an SSD sent to you. Our old BBC ate it years ago.

[Arcadian]

Would there be any chance of selling the physical media with an IOU, then emailing an SSD to purchasers? It's an ideal time for me to give it a play in the downtime of Xmas!

Mmmm ... wasn't overly keen on doing this, but ... go on then!

To order the BBC Micro version of Repton: TLR on 5.25" DFS disc, please send £6.95 + £2.50 postage via Paypal to donate AT acornworld.co.uk (if you can select 'gift payment' [and include your address in the comments field] that would really be appreciated!).

I will endeavour to email an .ssd emulator image within 24hrs.

The physical copy will be sent as soon as the second batch of discs are ready.

"IOU" offer will expire midnight GMT on New Year's Eve (UK time!).

Some pics:

[billcarr2005]

Many thanks for this!

Great game, so much as I've played it so far

Congratulations to all involved.

[Destroid]

Thank you so much

Is there any chance someone could make maps for these like with the older Repton games on Stairway to hell?

If someone could provide me with the editor codes and a sprite pack maybe I could give it a go

[Kecske Bak]

Is there any chance someone could make maps for these like with the older Repton games on Stairway to hell?

Personally I'd rather people didn't post maps and edit codes for a while - the Acorn Electron and Master Compact versions aren't released yet, and it would be nice if everyone had a chance to solve the game for themselves first before this sort of thing starts appearing.

The whole point is supposed to be working out the screens for yourself, after all.

[Destroid]

My Dad loves to study the maps when he has a cup of tea though. The time limits can be harsh for him especially when he can't see where the time capsules are.

[jms2]

Many thanks for making the game available as a disc image... my son and I have had quite a bit of fun trying to make progress with it - up to screen E so far!

The game is very good indeed and a worthy member of the Repton series.

[Arcadian]

Thank for the pre-orders, everyone - the physical copies will be going out this week.

The second batch of Repton discs are now ready (BBC Micro 5.25" DFS version) and you can get them via eBay:
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/dllm

[guddler]

I was playing it quite a lot earlier. I actually only really bought it for completeness of having all the physical Retro Software releases but as it happens I've gone from a non Repton fan to a fan now I know how the game works and I've actually cleared a level (albeit once!). I even got to L4 of Krystal Connection too. Yes, I AM that crap a player!

Once I reach a point I'm happy with my progress on my other project today ( ) I shall be digging out the other Repton game I bought off eBay some months ago. Assuming I can find it!

Just to echo everyone else - well done everyone involved

[Elk Towers]

how long roughly before the elk version is available please

[MatthewThompson]

Finally been able to get in some proper time playing this at last. Managed to get to Level F so far and having a great time doing so. The graphics are also a good improvement on the original BBC graphics.

An excellent successor to Repton 3, which takes the game in a new direction rather than just add on screens. I find the scrolling a bit jerky and annoying at times but this could be down to !6502em on RISC OS , haven't tried using it on my PC yet, is it smoother on there? i know the BBC used to suffer from jerky/flickering scrolling in many games so I'm not that surprised.

I have to agree that the lack of maps on some levels is disappointing, that was a real irritant on the original games, and I personally like to study the map of the level and work out the best route etc. I don't see the point of selective maps, either have maps or don't have maps, maybe once you've completed the level it could then unlock the map?

Lack of maps aside and flickering scrolling, this is a really good game that I am glad was finally discovered after all those years and a big well done and thank you to all those who made it happen and got it released.

It also makes you wonder what other unreleased BBC gems are still out there.

[The Kraken]

I have to agree that the lack of maps on some levels is disappointing, that was a real irritant on the original games, and I personally like to study the map of the level and work out the best route etc. I don't see the point of selective maps, either have maps or don't have maps, maybe once you've completed the level it could then unlock the map?

Well, we already had this argument on the Lost Realms forum, but since some people who didn't read that may wish to add to the debate, I'll say my piece again here.

The purpose of selective maps is to explore different aspects of the Repton experience -- the thrill of exploring the unknown and gradually piecing together a big picture from a series of little snapshot views. One of my fondest Repton memories is the overwhelming sense of awe I felt on being plunged into Finale Screen G (after getting so frustrated with Screen B that I guessed passwords at random!) It seems to me a reasonable compromise that Lost Realms gives you and other map-wanters two-thirds of its levels the way you prefer them -- surely it's not so much to ask that I and others like me should get to experience these pleasures on a few levels as well?

Furthermore, the mapless levels in Largo and Adagio were all specifically designed to work better without map availability; these, in their different ways, are levels that are all about exploration and working out connections.

I do like the idea of unlocking map availability once you complete a level -- assuming that you meant on selected levels, while four in each set would still have map availability from the outset. (Having map availability on Screen A of every set helps ease the player into the game, while conversely, Presto E and F would both be way off the scale of unfair hardness without maps.) But I'm fairly sure this could not have been implemented in Lost Realms as there wouldn't have been space to add it to the program. It's a possible idea for a future PC release, though. And meanwhile, what you do have is editor access once you complete a level, which allows you to screenshot the level map.

[Kecske Bak]

I've found that the scrolling on Lost Realms, running on the GNU/Linux B-Em, Fedora 14, flickers least out of all the BBC Reptons. I suspect it may be doing something clever that your RISC OS emulator can't yet cope with, but I think Tom better comment on that.

Many thanks for the kind words about the graphics - they are much appreciated.

[The Kraken]

Many thanks for the kind words about the graphics - they are much appreciated.

And much deserved -- though I still say that your graphics for testpilotmonkey's set are even better than the four sets that went into the game.