Jump to content
IGNORED

Swordquest Airworld


FIXcoffeehouse

Recommended Posts

We are currently in a holding pattern. Atari has not notified us yet, but if we continue with the game as is we most likely will be contacted about it. We are considering changing the title of the game to "Quest for the Sword"

 

We're not sure if we will continue or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
We are considering changing the title of the game to "Quest for the Sword"

"Quest for the Sword: World of Air" :) Hmm, if you did that, you could even (re)do all four-- "World of Earth," "World of Fire," "World of Water," and "World of Air." And for the grand finale, maybe "World of Metal" (the fifth element in Chinese philosophy)-- an appropriate element for the world where the One True Sword is finally found!

 

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A month ago, I wrote to five people who were working on the project. I got one reply back. Here's what it said:

 

 

"Hi!

 

Unfortunately, the project got canned. My partner, Ken Van Mersbergen, and I disbanded a while back. I would love to complete it someday, however."

 

I think we need to conclude this chapter, even if we need to take basic concepts and write the game (and comic book) ourselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken's game was a 5200 game, not a 2600 game - right?

 

I believe that is correct.

 

Seems to me a 2600 version should be made. After all, it was a 2600 series.

Yep. And it should be done as a true adventure series, not a figure-out-the-combinations-to-unlock-the-clues experiment in torture. ;) That might have been okay for a contest, but not for a game that would be expected to have replay value.

 

Did Ken and company ever post any details about what they were planning? That is, if someone were to try to do this, would they need to start from scratch with a completely different take on it, or could they try to run with the ideas that were already being developed?

 

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, the final game needs to be correct to the series. for the 2600. 'drop the right object in a room' puzzles with clues in a comic book. and some fun and some ridculously hard action sequences between boards with some funky 'travel' animations as you move around. and a shiny title screen :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

This is a confusing subject to me. I see the appeal to finally get a version of the game that many looked forward to but never received. But nobody upon nobody claims to actually enjoy the Swordquest series on 2600. So , if an Airworld was created as a homebrew, I must ask, what kind of game would it be? Surely it should not play liked the other 3 crappy Swordquests but be a true adventure. Does it have to complete some kind of storyline or star the same character(s) as the other 3 ? (really - I don't know a thing about the series - the comics were not interesting to me so I never remember what they were about).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a confusing subject to me. I see the appeal to finally get a version of the game that many looked forward to but never received. But nobody upon nobody claims to actually enjoy the Swordquest series on 2600. So , if an Airworld was created as a homebrew, I must ask, what kind of game would it be? Surely it should not play liked the other 3 crappy Swordquests but be a true adventure. Does it have to complete some kind of storyline or star the same character(s) as the other 3 ? (really - I don't know a thing about the series - the comics were not interesting to me so I never remember what they were about).

It's like the story of the pink elephant in the room. Nobody wants to say they see it because somebody might call them nuts yet everybody sees it. You want to like them because they are Atari 2600 games with cool artwork but..... When I was a teenager I hated the first two. And yes I still do.

 

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken's game was a 5200 game, not a 2600 game - right?

Yep, it was a 5200 game: http://www.atariage.com/development_page.h...DevelopmentID=8

 

I'd rather see a hack that includes all the minigames from the series put together as a new game without all the empty rooms and finding symbols crap in it.

That's a pretty good idea, especially the minigames in Waterworld were not bad at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't want to see an Airworld homebrew unless it's from the original series programmer. I know he stated Airworld was started before Atari put on the breaks. Well, I'd like to see him do a game like however was was started. If it was like the rest of the SQ games, do it like that. But only he can do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't want to see an Airworld homebrew unless it's from the original series programmer. I know he stated Airworld was started before Atari put on the breaks. Well, I'd like to see him do a game like however was was started. If it was like the rest of the SQ games, do it like that. But only he can do it.

 

That's a nice thought. But if he has no interest in it, I personally wouldn't care who did it. Just run with the original programmer's idea and see what happens.

 

I think it would be cool if an Airworld game contained all the other Swordquest games in it as well. Say you completed 25% of Airworld, then you got sucked back into Earthworld - and would have to beat it in order to get back to Airworld. Then after completing another 25% of Airworld you'd get sucked back into the original Fireworld. Beat that, go back to Airworld, do another 25% then go back Waterworld. Beat that then you can finally get back to Airworld and beat that - and collect the super warrior's sword, or whatever the hell the original plan was.

 

Ah, to dream...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't want to see an Airworld homebrew unless it's from the original series programmer. I know he stated Airworld was started before Atari put on the breaks. Well, I'd like to see him do a game like however was was started. If it was like the rest of the SQ games, do it like that. But only he can do it.

 

That's a nice thought. But if he has no interest in it, I personally wouldn't care who did it. Just run with the original programmer's idea and see what happens.

 

I think it would be cool if an Airworld game contained all the other Swordquest games in it as well. Say you completed 25% of Airworld, then you got sucked back into Earthworld - and would have to beat it in order to get back to Airworld. Then after completing another 25% of Airworld you'd get sucked back into the original Fireworld. Beat that, go back to Airworld, do another 25% then go back Waterworld. Beat that then you can finally get back to Airworld and beat that - and collect the super warrior's sword, or whatever the hell the original plan was.

 

Ah, to dream...

 

Id love to be apart of this project, if it ever arises in some form.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it would be cool if an Airworld game contained all the other Swordquest games in it as well. Say you completed 25% of Airworld, then you got sucked back into Earthworld - and would have to beat it in order to get back to Airworld. Then after completing another 25% of Airworld you'd get sucked back into the original Fireworld. Beat that, go back to Airworld, do another 25% then go back Waterworld. Beat that then you can finally get back to Airworld and beat that - and collect the super warrior's sword, or whatever the hell the original plan was.

 

Ah, to dream...

 

So let me make sure I have this straight. You want to punish the player for completing certain percentages of the game, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it would be cool if an Airworld game contained all the other Swordquest games in it as well. Say you completed 25% of Airworld, then you got sucked back into Earthworld - and would have to beat it in order to get back to Airworld. Then after completing another 25% of Airworld you'd get sucked back into the original Fireworld. Beat that, go back to Airworld, do another 25% then go back Waterworld. Beat that then you can finally get back to Airworld and beat that - and collect the super warrior's sword, or whatever the hell the original plan was.

 

Ah, to dream...

 

So let me make sure I have this straight. You want to punish the player for completing certain percentages of the game, right?

 

LOL Indeed.

 

It'd be a hell of a challenge though - not just in gameplay, but in patience, frustration and possibly boredom.

 

The way I envisioned it, as you got closer to the ultimate prize (whatever that would be from beating Airworld) the evil overlord (or whoever the bad guy was in the comic books) would make it even more difficult by forcing you to complete previous tasks once again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't want to see an Airworld homebrew unless it's from the original series programmer. I know he stated Airworld was started before Atari put on the breaks. Well, I'd like to see him do a game like however was was started. If it was like the rest of the SQ games, do it like that. But only he can do it.

 

That's a nice thought. But if he has no interest in it, I personally wouldn't care who did it. Just run with the original programmer's idea and see what happens.

 

I think it would be cool if an Airworld game contained all the other Swordquest games in it as well. Say you completed 25% of Airworld, then you got sucked back into Earthworld - and would have to beat it in order to get back to Airworld. Then after completing another 25% of Airworld you'd get sucked back into the original Fireworld. Beat that, go back to Airworld, do another 25% then go back Waterworld. Beat that then you can finally get back to Airworld and beat that - and collect the super warrior's sword, or whatever the hell the original plan was.

 

Ah, to dream...

 

If he has no interest in it, money talks. How many people on AA you think might be interested in the original programmer making Airworld? 300? 500? Let's say we all throw him $5, $10, $15, or whatever we can afford. Soon he'll be very interested. I believe only he can make the game true to form. Only he knows (and maybe a few others) how the game was going. Also, who did the comic set? I'd personally be willing to throw him/them a lot of cash to complete it.

 

I don't think Airworld should stray that far from the rest of the series. It wasn't a good series back then but we still bought the games and to this day want it complete. The comic book made that game like Darth Maul saved The Phantom Menace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...