Sword of Moonlight Forum
Sword Of Moonlight Games => Complete Games => Taffer's Games => Topic started by: JC Bailey on May 30, 2014, 12:27:01 pm
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Return to Melanat
Introduction: Return to Melanat is an attempt to recreate the environments of King's Field 2 in a whole new light, and while delivering an entirely new story. Like all King's Field games, its gameplay centers around exploration, methodical combat, and light puzzle solving. All seven areas of Melanat are recreated to scale using nothing but the SOM toolset and very few custom resources. Please offer any constructive feedback, and have fun!
Note: This game is meant to be played in a standard 4:3 resolution. Widescreen mode is still playable, but will cause tile cut-off in open environments like the West Shore.
Download Links (235mb):
Full Game (Version 1.2)
http://www.mediafire.com/download/gjq7em8jq5hq77r/Return+to+Melanat.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/download/gjq7em8jq5hq77r/Return+to+Melanat.rar)
Alternate Link
http://gamejolt.com/games/return-to-melanat/download-distribution/40755/?os=windows (http://gamejolt.com/games/return-to-melanat/download-distribution/40755/?os=windows)
Version History
Version 1.0
- Game released.
Version 1.1
- Added directional lighting effects, which help to smooth out and blend textures.
- Rebalanced magic to make it a much more viable option in combat.
- The Moonlight Sword no longer increases holy magic, but regenerates more MP.
- A few instances where enemies could shoot projectiles through walls have been fixed.
- Healing spells now cost slightly more MP to cast.
- Fixed numerous grammatical errors.
Version 1.2
- Added a new area called the Lost City, which can be found behind a secret door on the West Shore.
- Reworked and added several small details to all maps.
- Added 11 (double the original amount) new NPCs and reworked all NPC dialogues.
- Added a fully voiced intro cutscene (voiced by Verdite).
- Added an extra final area and boss, and redid the ending cutscene.
- Added several new signs and wall writings.
- The dragon fountains now have to be 'activated' before they can be used.
- Removed the Aged Feather, but Dragon Fruits can now respawn on death.
- Reduced the amount of HP that Earth Herbs heal.
- Improved the sound quality of background music.
- Darkened the lighting a little.
- Added sword magic.
- The cliffs on the West Shore and East Shore are now much taller and more realistic looking.
- Lighthouses now actually look like lighthouses.
- Dark Slayer, nuff said.
Gameplay Length
Long (6-8 hours)
Story/Setting
This game takes place about twenty years after the events of King's Field 3. Light has been granted to the world and peace reigned for a while, however, a mysterious darkness has emerged on the Island of Melanat. Fearing the worst, the king led a detachment of knights to the island in an attempt to contain the spreading darkness, but they have not been heard from since. You play as a young prince who journeys to Melanat in search of his missing father, the king. From there, it is up to the player to explore the island and reveal its hidden secrets.
Screenshots
(http://i1314.photobucket.com/albums/t568/mastertaffer/1_zps428d4717.png)
(http://i1314.photobucket.com/albums/t568/mastertaffer/2_zpsd2d6672f.png)
(http://i1314.photobucket.com/albums/t568/mastertaffer/3_zps49faf4d7.png)
Credits
- From Software, for developing the engine and its resources, also for making King's Field.
- HwitVlf, for translating the SOM software and providing custom assets.
- Jacob Lake, who composed most of the soundtrack.
Beta Testers:
- Dmpdesign
- Verdite
- Jacob Lake
- George Ross
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If I may be the first to say it, this game is extremely impressive for many reasons...
1 - The time table with which you created in, I realize the maps were based on the original KF2, but even still to put them together so quickly, with such accuracy that I literally walked through the game end to end with no problem really speaks to the skill you have at recreating the original scale and feeling of the first game.
2 - The big mine map....just wow. When I had created my game I never dreamed of being able to make such an intricate connection of those sections of the game all in one map. You literally dug out the mines, the earth cave, the termite nest, the dark cave, the minecart tracks, all that, and its perfectly circular, you end up exactly where you should with no seams. Impressive. I absolutely loved how you included the dragon fountain doors that get you between the north village, central barracks and king harvines castle. Just absolutely amazing. If I had had these maps when I made DD, the game would have been so much better.
3 - You really have probably 80-90% of the original game maps included, that is something I never thought possible considering the massive depth of KF2. Bravo!
4 - I like the plot twist ;) Not going to spoil it though!
Will you ever make a physical copy release of your 2 games (or more if you are planning on making them?)
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You're amazing! The speed and quality with which you make these maps is really impressive.
I'm downloading it now. :beerchug:
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Wow, that was fast! :eek: I'm certainly going to downloading and playing this later.
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This game is bringing back memories. I'm REALLY enjoying it. I got greedy a couple times and died, just like the old KF days :badteeth:. Creatures seem well balanced and writing /design is great.
One recommendation; you might set the GAME.INI file to "device=2" which should make the game default to the TL enabled video device. Otherwise, nvidia card users might have graphical glitches on start up. I would at least mention it in the notes.
Also, you might want to add a "Tab - Show equipment/spell details" note to the Controls.txt. It's easy to miss that feature and it adds a lot to the game.
Really good job!
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Thanks for all the feedback. I'm already working on the next version of Return to Melanat, which will likely be released next week.
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Return to Melanat has finally been updated to version 1.1, which overall makes the game look and play much better!
A full list of changes can be found below.
Version 1.1
-Added directional lighting effects, which help to smooth out and blend textures.
-Rebalanced magic to make it a much more viable option in combat.
-The Moonlight Sword no longer increases holy magic, but regenerates more MP.
-A few instances where enemies could shoot projectiles through walls have been fixed.
-Healing spells now cost slightly more MP to cast.
-Fixed numerous grammatical errors.
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Version 1.2 is on the Way
I'm currently hard at work on another update for Return to Melanat. First off, I'm reworking the characters and dialogue, plus adding an intro and longer ending cinematic. Not only will there be far more story to the game, but it will be customizable to an extent. Also, I'll be adding a completely new area called the 'Cliff Village' that connects to the West Shore, and is based on the Cliff Mountains area in Dark Destiny. So, you can all expect some interesting surprises in the next update. :wink:
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Those sound like some really good improvements. I'm looking forward to a second playthrough when it's ready.
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You sir, are awesome!
Its like DLC without having to pay!
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This sounds awesome, dude
I will download and play this ASAP
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Have fun!
I hope you return to play after the next big patch is released. :P
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I've been adding subtle details to the maps to make certain places pop. For example, this area where the waterfall used to be on the West Shore was a flat boring grassy area with a boring stone bridge, now it looks much better. :biggrin:
PS: Figured out how to make a better lighthouse, don't know why I didn't think of this before. :tongue:
PS (Again): Here's a sneak peak at the new area I'm working on called the Lost City.
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I wish I had your speed at making games, looks good so far!
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Good to see my bridge being put to good use :smile:
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Here's a few more screenshots from some of the redone areas.
I should mention that the game will be significantly harder at the start now, as all fountains will be dried up at first and you'll need to restore them somehow. :wink: To make up for this, dieing with a dragon fruit in your inventory will now respawn you at the Dragon Shrine.
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Here are some screenshots of the Lost City, a new area being added in with the upcoming patch!
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The long anticipated mega-update for Return to Melanat is almost finished, and should be released either Tuesday or Wednesday. I've got tons of surprises in store for you all, so look out for my next post!
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I'm really swamped right now, so it may be a bit before I can "savor" playing it, but I think all the improvements you mentioned great, so I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks!
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Heh, randomly pop into this site to check out things, find out there's a full game to play, then realize there's a patch on the way with more content for said game. Can't wait for it to come out so I can give this game a whirl (And probably record for it after playing it once, knowing my track record).
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Sorry to keep you waiting Anima! I ran into complications yesterday and am working as hard as I can to finish up the new update. I'll have to do another playtest before release, so it may not be released until tomorrow.
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I gotta say MasterTaffer, I'm super looking forward to this. Between your update (to an already fun game plus these extras is going to be great) and Verdite's Rathmor, this week (fingers crossed) is going to be awesome. I joined this site so I could experience all the cool work and effort you guys put in to these games and also to tell you all that you rock. :beerchug: Thanks again.
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Heh, no worries. Seems like Rathmor or whatever its real name will be is coming out this weekend so I'll have a couple fun games to keep myself busy with and probably record for at some point too, likely after my first playthrough (Unless I go in blind, heh).
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Return to Melanat version 1.2 is out, and this time it's a HUGE upgrade. Overall, the game has been greatly improved to the point that it should feel like a completely new experience! Here's a list of all the major changes and additions that have been made:
- Added a new area called the Lost City, which can be found behind a secret door on the West Shore.
- Reworked and added several small details to all maps.
- Added 11 (double the original amount) new NPCs and reworked all NPC dialogues.
- Added a fully voiced intro cutscene (voiced by Verdite).
- Added an extra final area and boss, and redid the ending cutscene.
- Added several new signs and wall writings.
- The dragon fountains now have to be 'activated' before they can be used.
- Removed the Aged Feather, but Dragon Fruits can now respawn on death.
- Reduced the amount of HP that Earth Herbs heal.
- Improved the sound quality of background music.
- Darkened the lighting a little.
- Added sword magic.
- The cliffs on the West Shore and East Shore are now much taller and more realistic looking.
- Lighthouses now actually look like lighthouses.
- Dark Slayer, nuff said.
Have fun!
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The full soundtrack (including the track from the new area) has been uploaded to Youtube for anybody who wants to some tunes to listen to. :tongue: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMHCGC8qP542-buJzyyCRS1g0Cif02hft
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I missed this 1.2 expansion! Very nice :beerchug:
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Just updated the download file!
All I've done is fix a few minor bugs and made some small tweaks, but nothing major. I also upgraded the game.exe so that it's named appropriately and has its own icon.
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The opening video is nice! It feels like a homage to KF1 with an interesting twist into the new "lighter setting" of Return to Melenant when the doors open.
I notice what I think is a little stutter, probably from the demands of the video-capture software. Virtual dub contains a "filter" which can be applied to a video called "motion blur". It is designed to smooth exactly such stuttering. I think the effect looks kind of neat too - like "dept of field" You might check it out.
Just walking around the beginning area in 1.2, I can already really appreciate the improvements. The extra story makes the world come alive much more in my mind- great job :beerchug:
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This game is now available for download on Game Jolt in case the Mediafire link is giving anybody trouble.
http://gamejolt.com/games/rpg/return-to-melanat/37581/
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Something cool just happened. As it turns out, one of the mods over at GameJolt.com is a huge KF fan, and so he featured my game! See for yourselves. http://gamejolt.com/games/featured/
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Made a long overdue new trailer for patch 1.2 of Return to Melanat!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJ1RFSnwPA&feature=youtu.be
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Nice work!
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Return to Melenant brings back a lot of great KF nostalgia, much like the shoreline section of Todd's Dark Destiny.
Good stuff! :smile:
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I made a gameplay video of this game :
http://youtu.be/JJOeDG6sFF0
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When I try to play the game, the menu badly flickers, and when I try to talk to someone or examine something, ghostlike images of the menus I've previously entered flicker on the screen, blocking off the text. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing that, and how I could get rid of it?
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I believe it is caused from having other applications open on the screen when you start the game.
If that isn't it, you could also try changing the video device. To do this, open up Return to Melanat.ini in the game folder using notepad and change the value of 'device=2' on line 2 to something between 1 and 5 and see what works for you.
If all else fails, try restarting your computer.
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Well, I tried all three of those suggestions, but the menu still flickers and ghost-images just as badly. I truly have no idea what could be causing it, but it's extremely irritating.
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Try turning off your antivirus, and turn off any non-critical applications that use a screen overlay. Also, did you run the game from its folder? The folder being open may cause flicker, if this is the case you can either create a shortcut, or tab out of the game, close the folder, then re-open the game window.
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Does it have the same problem when the display device is set to RGB emulation?
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Alright, the RGB emulation is the only one that doesn't flicker, so that takes care of that! Now, the textures are a bit whacky, and the game slows down a bit even on the lowest resolution, but that's way more tolerable than the flickering. Thanks much! The game looks great so far.
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I've never experienced this issue so it's hard to have an educated idea what causes it. RGB Emulation (aka software rendering) isn't ideal for the reasons you stated, but the fact that it fixes the issue gives a clue as to the source of the problem.
I've heard that Windows Aero causes flickering issues with some full screen programs. People have reported a fix by disabling Aero. :confused:
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I will have to give this a try as well, I tried streaming Return to Melanat today - and uploaded the vids to youtube, though its quite choppy and flickery throughout. I thought it was just because I was capturing gameplay but it may be the aero desktop.
Anyhow, I will have the lets play of the game on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwrW065LpXjUW1MLNOIIFdxJa9Nyg9Hx when they are all finished. About halfway through the game right now I would estimate.
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Hey that's right, it might be a good idea to disable windows aero next time you record. I thought this was a pretty good playthrough though, other lets players can't even get past the first area. :dazed:
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I cant recall, is there a method to force windowed mode for an som game?
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Btw I added the download to the som dropbox so folks dont need to navigate to pop up city on media fire, check the game download links thread. I will add the other games on here soon and when there are final versions available.
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Hello all. I'm new to this forum, but not to the King's Field games. I have played every American release plus I just finished the SOM version of the original yesterday. I just finished 'Fall of Verdite', and was getting ready to fire up 'Return to Melanat' because frankly, the U.S. King's Field 1 is my favorite:)
Much to my dismay, the game for some reason fails to start properly. I press any key on the title screen, and then the title screen fades like it's going to go into the intro video, and I can hear the video playing, but I can't see it and the game itself never gets past this point to where I can start playing. Nothing I press gets me past the unseen video. The game essentially just hangs after the video gets done playing. It doesn't freeze, mind you...just a black screen. No other music, no switching to the first area...nothing.
Disappointed to say the least cause I was really looking forward as I read how amazing this game sounds like it is, have watched the trailer and a few brief minutes of other folks playing it on YouTube. But I didn't want anything spoiled, so I decided to wait. I'm going to fill the void until I can get help with getting this problem solved with some KF: Dark Destiny.
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Odd, not sure what'd be causing that. Did you try pressing escape? That should skip the video and drop you into the first area.
If not, I'll see if I can make a patch that bypasses the intro video at the start.
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Odd, not sure what'd be causing that. Did you try pressing escape? That should skip the video and drop you into the first area.
If not, I'll see if I can make a patch that bypasses the intro video at the start.
Unfortunately, I have tried everything. No button on either the keyboard or controller I am using seems to get a response.
Is there some sort of strange codec that the opening movie uses that not all computers have? Could that be what is making it not show up? But then again, that wouldn't explain why the game in essentially unresponsive to any input whatsoever, even after the sound portion of the video stops playing.
Are there any settings anywhere that might be able to be adjusted in order to get this to work without having to bypass video? Because if the ending is video also, then would it not have issues with that as well?
Bummer...well if you can come up with something to at least allow me and anyone else who might have this issue in the future the ability to at least play the game, I guess we can't complain.
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Okay, so this is going to be a complete facepalm once you hear it, but I got the game to work properly now.
Basically, I had a SEVERELY outdated K-Lite Codec pack on my computer. From back in like 2009. Version 5.5. Yeah.
So all I did was update it to version 11.2 and your game started like a charm. The opening intro video plays no problem now.
Looking forward to conquering Melanat again after I finish up Dark Destiny. Almost done with it. I am soooo excited.
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That's great to hear. I intend to keep video files out of my future SOM games, as others have reported problems with it as well.
Have fun with your playthrough, and let me know what you think!
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cinepak is a bit of a dicey codec, not sure what your best option is if you wanted to keep vids in the latest versions of windows. Might look into if xvid or something else from this side of Y2K works through SoM as a potential fix.
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Thanks for the great game! I've started playing Return to Melanat, and it's like revisiting an old, familiar place with so many fond memories. I really like how all the characters I've met so far have developed since KF2.
I've made it all the way to the East shore, but I can't help feeling like I'm missing something. Are enemies not supposed to drop gold? I guess shops aren't that important unless you want to buy unique items you can't find anywhere else... is the only way to make money is by selling stuff? Also, not sure if I've missed activating the dragon fountains, but mp refilling items sure are scarce. It would've been nice if magic crystals actually refill your MP as you learn spells. Really like to use more magic as I play.
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Glad you're liking it so far. It's been at least a year since I played it, so my memory of it isn't that great. :dazed:
Gold causes crashing problems with SOM, that's why I left it out. All items in the game can be found somewhere in the world, so it isn't really that important unless you want to buy recovery items or get a powerful item early on. As for magic - you need to find the dragon cup to activate the fountains, it's behind a door on the West Shore that unlocks with the pirate key.
You might also consider playing my more recent game, Heir of Granatyki; it's similar by design, but much higher quality imo.
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Great, that is what I've figured. I hardly use shops in KF games, but I thought the non-gold drops could have been a bug. I have played Diadem of Maunstraut before, and that had enemies dropping gold.
I know which door that is; it's the pirate's hideout under the waterfall. I'm probably close to finding the key then. Also, I'm hoping to find a health-regenerating weapon, like the Spider sword, when I get to the Big Mine.
Sure, I'll put Heir of Granatyki in my to-play-next pile, along with Dark Destiny. :)