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jwblase · Jul 26, 2002, 10:35 PM

I love them so much... I'd pay to see them all carbonized and released on a CD together as a new OS X gamepack... Heck... Even get Apple to bundle them if you could!!!

Is this even possible?

JB

Adam Betts · Jul 26, 2002, 11:01 PM

Yeah I'm sure it's possible but it would mean that we will see less new games and more old games. I heard that they are working on three 3D projects and I really want to see them putting full attention on it first

Let's hope that it'll be Ragnarok!

moki · Jul 27, 2002, 05:44 AM

Well, we are working on carbonizing one of our older games (Apeiron); we have an Intern who is giving it a shot -- but here's the thing.

First, some of our older games were written using compilers that don't even exist anymore. That means that carbonizing them wouldn't be that simple to do -- and plus, we'd want to make them somewhat OS X savvy (such as being able to play them "in a window"), otherwise, why bother?

Also, some of our games were done by third-party authors who may have moved on, and are not interested in updating the games to be OS X native. For instance, with Deimos Rising being native, is it really worthwhile to spend the effort to carbonize Mars Rising?

Finally, everything is a balance. Time spent on carbonizing older games means time taken away from new projects. I'm not saying it won't happen, I'm just noting this is a fact.

All that said, what games would you like to see OS X native? If enough people are interested in a particular game, we might give it a go!

diskobolos · Jul 27, 2002, 12:51 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by moki:
All that said, what games would you like to see OS X native? If enough people are interested in a particular game, we might give it a go!<hr /></blockquote>I always thought Avara was a great multiplayer game. I had tons of fun with internet play on my folks old performa 575 (and 14.4 modem). Though if it were to be updated today the graphics would need a major overhaul... but the internet play and chat was definately what made it fun. I'd play with my old friends in California, people in australia, in europe, it was cool.

The level editing was pretty cool too that you could make them in ClarisWorks draw format, if I remember right. A modern Icebox would be cool with quartz transparencies, shadows and reflections then you jump in and play using the infamous black hector.

Though Ambrosia didn't seem to do much with Avara. I think it was killed by too much piracy. Ironically avara was what introduced me to hotline.. <img border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" title="" src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" />

<a href="http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/avara/" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/images/avara_cover.gif" alt=" - " /> </a>

[ 07-27-2002, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: diskobolos ]

Worst. Episode. Ever. · Jul 27, 2002, 02:22 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by moki:

All that said, what games would you like to see OS X native? If enough people are interested in a particular game, we might give it a go!<hr /></blockquote>Barrack. My wife loves that game. And it doesn't run properly in Classic.

beb · 10:03 AM

Cool! Apeiron! Cool! Now if I could only get FutureCop LAPD to be carbonized. Yeah, that'll never happen...

My girlfriend really wanted Green Dragon's "Gridz" to be carbonized. I thought it would have been cool if in the corners you had iMac G4 flat panels spinnin around instead of those eyeball robot things. Then you could have the G4 towers as the bomb robots and various other Apple models as the other robots. Could be cool with an animated sky and all.

Then again what I'd really like is a Patlabor game.

moki · Jul 27, 2002, 05:19 PM

Yeah, Avara didn't sell well at all -- but something like Barrack might be fun, actually. Keep the suggestions coming -- no promises, but if enough people want something, who knows?

If we did port somethng like Apeiron or Barrack, would people be opposed to a marginal $5 upgrade fee like we did with Bubble Trouble/X? The engineering work needed to carbonize these suckers isn't trivial...

davecom · Jul 27, 2002, 05:20 PM

I would like to see a carbonized, less difficult version of that game where you play as a guy swinging around in his office chair.

MrBS · Jul 28, 2002, 12:45 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by davecom:
I would like to see a carbonized, less difficult version of that game where you play as a guy swinging around in his office chair.<hr /></blockquote>Harry the Handsome Executive. Classy game just for the name and storyline.
~BS

Jul 28, 2002, 02:25 PM

Barrack. Definitely Barrack.

Avara didn't sell well? I loved that game, playin multiplayer over my cheap dial-up.

jwblase · Jul 29, 2002, 03:08 PM

Apeiron, Barrack, Avara (It is way cool), Harry the Handsome Executive, Ares, and Swoop are my top favorites.

Please update them all... (I'll even scrounge couch change for these updates!!!)

JB

bewebste · Jul 29, 2002, 03:32 PM

This might be out of the question, but if there are games that Ambrosia doesn't have the time and/or manpower to Carbonize, maybe it would be possible to release the source for those games, as it was done for Maelstrom. Then some enterprising programmers with some extra time could port the game over to OS X.

I definitely understand there would be some issues, such as potential lost profit from sales of those older games, or the possibility that a port would be of poor quality and have Ambrosia's name associated with it. But it seems to have worked OK with Maelstrom, so maybe it could work with a couple others as well.

SeSawaya · Jul 29, 2002, 03:32 PM

Maelstrom and Swoop were always my favorites!!!

moki · Jul 29, 2002, 08:58 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by bewebste:
This might be out of the question, but if there are games that Ambrosia doesn't have the time and/or manpower to Carbonize, maybe it would be possible to release the source for those games, as it was done for Maelstrom. Then some enterprising programmers with some extra time could port the game over to OS X.

I definitely understand there would be some issues, such as potential lost profit from sales of those older games, or the possibility that a port would be of poor quality and have Ambrosia's name associated with it. But it seems to have worked OK with Maelstrom, so maybe it could work with a couple others as well.<hr /></blockquote>You hit the nail on the head for some of the issues, so no, we're not going to be open sourcing anything.

I wouldn't say it worked OK for Maelstrom, either -- the Mac OS X port of Maelstrom is pretty bad in some regards.

jwblase · Jul 29, 2002, 09:24 PM

You should find some enterprising college student who is in need of a thesis for programming to do the conversion work. They could then write some kind of paper. Aren't there any other college students out there (one of which I am not)

JB

dwishbone · Jul 30, 2002, 07:18 AM

Maelstrom, Avara, Barrack, and Apeiron. Bring em on!!!

goMac · Jul 30, 2002, 01:44 PM

I cast yet another vote for Harry the Handsome Executive!

Is it possible Moki?

Brien · Jul 30, 2002, 02:19 PM

Maelstrom and Avara.

jcarr · Aug 1, 2002, 08:59 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by moki:
If we did port somethng like Apeiron or Barrack, would people be opposed to a marginal $5 upgrade fee like we did with Bubble Trouble/X? The engineering work needed to carbonize these suckers isn't trivial...<hr /></blockquote>$5 is more than fair for a Mac OS X native version of Apeiron. Heck, I'd even pony up the full $15 again.