King's Field 20th Anniversary

[TheStolenBattenberg]

December, 20 years ago From Software released probably one of my all time favorite games, King's Field... I have very little expectation of From Software realizing this, and actually releasing something to commemorate the date, so it's up to the fans I guess. Hey, I have free time to burn!

For this very special day, I've got something planned which will probably be one of the bigger PS1 modding undertakings.

I'll be taking a break from SoM 2.0 while I do this, but it should only take a month if I can do the textures with my very limited skills.

The eventual product will be a windows launcher, which'll have some fancy graphics and a pre-configured PS1 emulator, with configurations to get the games working perfectly, and an inbuilt PS1 image patching tool to install the mods. It'll be released ON THE DAY KF-Japan was first released.

First on the list is KF-Japan,

Some special thanks go to HwitVlf, for (I'm pretty sure this was him) translating the original KF-Japan into English, so I can mess with it without being confused. And even more for creating KFTool and giving a basic instruction on how to replace/add files to PS1 isos, without messing them up.

NOTICE: I'd like to ask HwitVlf a few questions should he see this, regarding to a pretty big idea I had with PS1 modding, caused by a very nice error I did replacing TIMs...

[HwitVlf]

What a cool idea! I wonder if Fromsoft will remember this anniversary...
You can contact me at weissvulf at yahooo dot comm if you like 

[JC Bailey]

Crossing my fingers in hopes for a King's Field V announcement.

[TheStolenBattenberg]

Crossing my fingers in hopes for a King's Field V announcement.

That would be VERY nice!

[JC Bailey]

You know, Hidetaka Miyazaki did step down as director of Dark Souls 2, I'm starting to wonder if it's because he's doing work on King's Field V next. Fromsoft has been know to develop multiple games at once afterall.

I think it'd be awesome if he managed to pull off Souls combat in a first person perspective, as not many games have gotten it right (except for maybe Chivalry and Mount&Blade).

[Verdite]

Looking forward to it TSB.

It is possible that after all the reception KF has recieved from Dark Souls (yeah, you'd think it should be the other way around...) I would say From could one day chance a new KF release that would have better reception in the west due to the Souls series.

It might have a caption like the western ST cover art had... "From the makers of Dark Souls" 

[TheStolenBattenberg]

In my honest opinion, From Software are geniuses... You always here people talk about how games like Final Fantasy 7 have revolutionary graphics, yet in all honesty they're not that great from a technology perspective. (not that I'm saying it's a bad game...)

King's Field is like the Doom of PS1, when you really break it down you can see why it was such a slow game.
Physics, real time 3D, multiple enemies all with AI... Hell, even though the textures were low quality, they're 128x128, and there's a pretty high tiling count on them.

The engine was rich with features, BSP-Trees; occlusion, frustum and distance culling; level streaming... The gameplay was rich with features too, the lore is deep if you take the time to find it, and that music... Best soundtrack ever.

I fear for From Software though, as money to any cooperation can mess them up. And with the success of Dark Souls...

But in the end, maybe King's Field should stay where it is? As a monument to gaming, it's something good, but modernization I fear would hurt King's Field... Sure I'd love another entry in the series, but I know I'd end up complaining that it's too fast... Hah.

\Rant over. Hehe... Sorry. 

[Verdite]

Agree with you on the technological limelight, and the quality that From put in to make KF what it became. I think thats why most of us here love From's games, just trekking through DS2 made me think "not many game companies make games this big" and I really hope that From keep up with their quality standards and dont take the Capcom route to cack. So to speak.

But for me, its not so much the tech side. Somehow, From have a very consistent art form that naturally takes a hold of your imagination and... Somewhat quenches it. Sounds odd, but thats the attraction for me, its almost like From know how to design great creatures, equipment and items to make them feel believable, while maintaining an appealing surreal effect. The Dark series isnt as surreal as Demons or KF / ST, and probably so to appeal to a wider audience, but its still there.

But in the end, maybe King's Field should stay where it is? As a monument to gaming, it's something good, but modernization I fear would hurt King's Field... Sure I'd love another entry in the series, but I know I'd end up complaining that it's too fast... Hah.

Yeah, but somehow I cant see From taking the Skyrim route, because their level design and pace wouldnt allow it. From seem to know how to link areas together without straining the player... So a new KF would likely progress something similar to the Souls games (hopefully more DS1 than 2) obviously with the warping more a privelege than a nessecity. Plus the quality artwork would make it shine

[HwitVlf]

its almost like From knows how to design great creatures, equipment and items to make them feel believable, while maintaining an appealing surreal effect.

That pretty much sums what I feel Fromsoft's strong points are.  I've played too many ultra stinker games made by them to feel like they are a infallible geniuses. But I think they are really good in the areas of innovation, art design and setting up "battle systems". They seem weak in balancing games and coming up with meaningful stories in my opinion (for what that's worth ha ha).

I think Agetec was a part of what made the KF games excellent. They changed the story at least and I remember reading long ago on the Agetec forums that Agetec had made a presentation for a huge new KF game to Fromsoft (which they turned down).  That would suggest that Agetec was involved in at least some aspects of the KF design. Which would also explain why KF(Jap), which made before Agetec cam on board, is widely considered the least of the KF games. Since it appears that Agetec is no longer in partnership with Fromsoft, a new KF would probably be something different that the previous ones. 

[HwitVlf]

How is this going?