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Fortune Summoners |OT| -- Time for an Adventure!

Kuro Madoushi

Unconfirmed Member
Played for a little while and I mostly liked what I've played, though there are a couple thing that are pissing me off, namely trying to kill the damn bats and how the combat feels a bit stiff.
On the other hand though, the game is lotsa charming.

fuck those bats!

the controls are utter shit!

I just can't seem to do what I want without it wigging out on me. Why is the response time between jumping and slashing so long? I had to hold my 360 controller claw-like to even attack in the air properly. I guess I have to get used to the delay between button press and attack, but goddamn these jumping and flying bastards!

Hit detection seems a bit off as well. And here I was getting ready for a good ol classic Wonderboy in Monsterland adventure...
 

JoeFu

Banned
I think the 360 pad just sucks for this game. It wasn't made for it... But I'm still using it cuz I got used to it. The game is pretty hard though. Just beat the first real dungeon I think
 
Ooph... displaced by Duke Nuke'em Forever.

To those who bought it: Should I wait for a price drop, or do you think $15.00 is a fair price?

Keep in mind I've already thrown Carpe Fulgur a bone by buying Chantelise on launch day.
 

jman2050

Member
Someone mentioned from the SA forum that the ridiculous menu slowdown may come from running dual monitors. I disabled my second monitor and the menu lag seems to have disappeared completely. Maybe that'll help SpaceDrake and co to narrow down whatever issue is causing that.

As far as the game itself goes, it heavily favors defensive play, at least early on, reminding me more of Zelda II more than anything else. You have invincible dodge moves and a parry, and you are expected to use them when at all possible. If the enemy is close but just out of range, use your forward slash to close the distance, or just wait for him to come to you. "Guessing" is a bad idea. Don't be afraid to run the hell away if things start to get dicey and go back to town. If your partner is getting herself killed, I believe you can use F3 to change the AI to stick to you like glue. Always keep healing items stocked. It seems like your father will ask you for specific items that, when given to him, will make them available for sale, and this seems to apply to the healing items that enemies drop, so stuff like taiyaki and slime beans can be restocked easily once you find them once.

That's the stuff I've figured out so far.
 

Soule

Member
I am going after the weathervane tower thing now, gotta say i definitely agree with the game favouring defensive play. The enemies now are frustration central, i was playing solo before and the enemies are quick and dodge and if theres more than 2 get ready for some stunlock, if they can put u to sleep dont expect to wake up on ur own cause they will mess ur shit up while ur out but thankfully when i got my faithful companions back things went much much smoother


Having to solo underleveled Stella is a bit frustrating.
Yeah but Her spells are awesome, the second spell she learns can 1 hit any mob ive encountered so far from off the screen which i have really enjoyed >:)
 

Soule

Member
I'd be so much more inclined to actually buy the gowns and dress the players differently if they didn't take up inventory space :(
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Ooph... displaced by Duke Nuke'em Forever.

To those who bought it: Should I wait for a price drop, or do you think $15.00 is a fair price?

Keep in mind I've already thrown Carpe Fulgur a bone by buying Chantelise on launch day.

$15 seems like more than a fair price. It might be an old game, but it's fun and unique from what I've played...we just don't get this type of game here. The translation is simple and charming.

I mean, if you're not going to play it for a while there's no real reason to buy it currently other than supporting Carpe Fulgur.

fuck those bats!

the controls are utter shit!

I just can't seem to do what I want without it wigging out on me. Why is the response time between jumping and slashing so long? I had to hold my 360 controller claw-like to even attack in the air properly. I guess I have to get used to the delay between button press and attack, but goddamn these jumping and flying bastards!

Hit detection seems a bit off as well. And here I was getting ready for a good ol classic Wonderboy in Monsterland adventure...

The slashes have a bit of a delay, but it's completely fair and it seems the game is balanced around this idea. With the timing down, you can chain attacks together pretty well.
 

duckroll

Member
25 bucks for this game on Steam would be a total joke, but at 15 bucks I find it really hard to hate and actually bought it specifically to support the positive attitude they have in terms of understanding that the current market expects a reasonable price for certain types of releases.
 
$15 seems like more than a fair price. It might be an old game, but it's fun and unique from what I've played...we just don't get this type of game here. The translation is simple and charming.

I mean, if you're not going to play it for a while there's no real reason to buy it currently other than supporting Carpe Fulgur.

Pst.

15 bucks is the first week sale price. It'll be 20 bucks past first week.

You could wait for Steam sales of course.
 

duckroll

Member
Yeah 20 bucks makes it harder to swallow. But since this was a compromise they made with the Japanese distributor, if sales completely tank after the first week, it would be even more evidence that they priced it right at 15 bucks.
 
For from I've played $15 seems to be a perfectly reasonable price for the game. And the game will no doubt have it's price slashed further later in the year for those that think it's too much.
 

Soule

Member
I'm pretty interested to see how the sales for this matches up against the Japanese sales, I had a similar idea as Duckroll that a big reason I purchased it was to support what I thought was reasonable pricing (as well as obviously having a bit of interest in the game). I really scoffed at $25 and was pretty adamant I wouldn't purchase this, I didn't even finish the demo and wasn't that keen on the kind of aesthetic the game has but at $15 I was happy to give it another chance and I'm enjoying it.
 

duckroll

Member
I'm pretty interested to see how the sales for this matches up against the Japanese sales, I had a similar idea as Duckroll that a big reason I purchased it was to support what I thought was reasonable pricing (as well as obviously having a bit of interest in the game). I really scoffed at $25 and was pretty adamant I wouldn't purchase this, I didn't even finish the demo and wasn't that keen on the kind of aesthetic the game has but at $15 I was happy to give it another chance and I'm enjoying it.

There's really nothing to compare to. I'm sure the game has sold more in the first day on Steam alone than possibly the life time sales in Japan. You have to understand that the games which are picked up by Carpe Fulgur are indie games in Japan, which is a totally different industry from how it works in the rest of the world.

Indie games in Japan are generally packaged and sold at events like Comiket in Japan, and promoted solely through the maker's website and fan sites. They are generally pretty pricey as well, even though they're distributed via CD-R. Fortune Summoners eventually got a "commercial" release as well, with professional voice work added in, through a mail-order distributor in Japan.
 

Soule

Member
There's really nothing to compare to. I'm sure the game has sold more in the first day on Steam alone than possibly the life time sales in Japan. You have to understand that the games which are picked up by Carpe Fulgur are indie games in Japan, which is a totally different industry from how it works in the rest of the world.

Indie games in Japan are generally packaged and sold at events like Comiket in Japan, and promoted solely through the maker's website and fan sites. They are generally pretty pricey as well, even though they're distributed via CD-R. Fortune Summoners eventually got a "commercial" release as well, with professional voice work added in, through a mail-order distributor in Japan.

So insightful, I had no idea but was curious how it worked. All the better for these big digital distribution services
 
So insightful, I had no idea but was curious how it worked. All the better for these big digital distribution services

It did so badly that the guy quit making indie games, and Carpe Fulgur had a hell of a time tracking the guy down to secure localization rights. That should tell you something.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Right it's just a person or small group who make it on their own agenda, go to a convention and try to sell it for $30-$60. And that's usually it.
 

L00P

Member
Man this game is hard, and I'm playing on easy mode. The player character have that weird lag when initiating attacks. Enemies are also pretty annoying, what with all the bouncing around and attacking aggressively. Maybe I should try playing with the keyboard instead of the controller, to see if it helps.
 
Is it possible to play this at a custom resolution? My monitor is a pain and forces me to stretch it or play it in a little box. Zoom option is stretched as well.
 

Soule

Member
Man this game is hard, and I'm playing on easy mode. The player character have that weird lag when initiating attacks. Enemies are also pretty annoying, what with all the bouncing around and attacking aggressively. Maybe I should try playing with the keyboard instead of the controller, to see if it helps.
My favourite so far is the poison mothbee, can put u to sleep AND poison you :D haha there's been a lot of frustrating situations, i was trying to jump on a platform before with an archer just a bit past it and literally every time i tried he'd shoot me and i'd fall down a pit, i tried feigning jumps and other tactics but literally a minute of trying to jump on one platform was undone by this single archer haha, took great satisfaction in killing him when i finally did get up there
It did so badly that the guy quit making indie games, and Carpe Fulgur had a hell of a time tracking the guy down to secure localization rights. That should tell you something.
I had an idea that they were having trouble finding the guy cause I saw the original recommendation on their forums and in another thread SpaceDrake said this was kind of their chance to let the dev have another go at their dream of making games but only just now am I really getting an idea of the situation I hadn't really put 2 and 2 together lol
 
Finally got a chance to play the demo. I didn't really like the fighting game inspired combat. At least on the 360 controller I found it a pain to do things like jump kicks or dogde rolls. How important are these moves and is there any way to map them to a button? Its easy enough to run up to things and slash and then jump out of the way but outside those moves anything else was annoying to pull off.
 
Why is the screen so small?

Also the combat is frustratingly difficult. Is there a way to time attacks? Enemies seem to interrupt me all the time.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Why is the screen so small?

Also the combat is frustratingly difficult. Is there a way to time attacks? Enemies seem to interrupt me all the time.
Because Japanese indie games are meant to run on 800x600 Intel Pentium III systems.

Link fast attacks (down+x) into normal into strong attacks. Block more. Reactively punish and use what little space control you have.
 
Because Japanese indie games are meant to run on 800x600 Intel Pentium III systems.

Link fast attacks (down+x) into normal into strong attacks. Block more. Reactively punish and use what little space control you have.

I have it set to auto-block. Is that a bad idea? And I try to punish, but it seems enemies can chain more attack than I can. So it seems really difficult to to that.


It's a Japanese indie game from 2008. It's OLD.

When were Recettear/Chantelise made? Different company I know, but those games had fullscreen modes.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
I have it set to auto-block. Is that a bad idea? And I try to punish, but it seems enemies can chain more attack than I can. So it seems really difficult to to that.

When were Recettear/Chantelise made? Different company I know, but those games had fullscreen modes.
I have barely played but I think the only attack string you have is crouch atk, atk, strong atk.
Anti-airs are good priority vs airborne, rest of the stuff block, roll, backstab or whatever.
I haven't spent much time with it.

The movement momentum I dislike, carries on too much imo.
 

Soule

Member
I have barely played but I think the only attack string you have is crouch atk, atk, strong atk.
Anti-airs are good priority vs airborne, rest of the stuff block, roll, backstab or whatever.
I haven't spent much time with it.

The movement momentum I dislike, carries on too much imo.

Oh yeah the momentum is pretty over the top. When I started in her parents item shop I couldnt believe how far she slid past the door in the house, gotten pretty used to it now but theres been a few falls from small platforms with enemies that are due to momentum when multitasking attack or blocking or sliding too close to the edge without intending to D:
 

jman2050

Member
Getting swarmed by multiple enemies when you're soloing as Arche is very very bad. Kobolds can go eat a dick, Kobolds + 2 yellow slimes around = Get the hell away from there.

And now I get to see how
Stella plays. And solo, of course.

This game is basically Wonder Boy-ish combat combined with Zelda II-level frustration. I mean that in a good way of course. This is not something like, say, an Igavania where you can just play on autopilot and get by just by paying a bit of attention. You CANNOT play recklessly. You do not have enough room in your inventory for the healing items you would need to play recklessly.
 
I'm really not digging the controls in this game. Something seems off.

It's really just making me antsy for Sega's (supposed) English releases of Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Monster World IV.
 
Feel kind of stupid, but how do I get past the school? I wasn't really paying attention to the text and now I'm in class and can't leave without finding out what a elemental stone looks like. I've talked to everyone multiple times and looked at everything.

Nevermind, just had to talk to Stella again, guess I missed her before.

Anyway, really liking this game except for the damn controls are so laggy and unresponsive. Really makes the combat a bit of a chore. Other than that, it's the best $15 I've spent in a while.
 
Hmm I can't find out what to do.

I have to locate
the wind seals, but the two locations the game gave me are blocked off. One route has a collapsed bridge, the other has a guard blocking the entrance.

What am I supposed to do here?
 

BiggNife

Member
So I tried the demo

Am I missing something with the combat? I keep trying to hit those goddamn bats but I can never time it right and I end up losing a ton of health. It feels super stiff. Is there some trick to killing the bats or am I always going to lose half of my health every time I fight them?

It's a shame too, because I really like what the game is trying to do.
 
Hmm I can't find out what to do.

I have to locate
the wind seals, but the two locations the game gave me are blocked off. One route has a collapsed bridge, the other has a guard blocking the entrance.

What am I supposed to do here?
Talk to an old lady in a house who wants you to give the soldier his lunch, IIRC it's near Arche's home. Then go back to the soldier near the shrine, then talk to the young woman near the broken bridge, then go back to the soldier. Then you should be able to enter.
 

Ledsen

Member
I tried the demo, won't be buying this. Three things ruined it completely:

1. The momentum-based running. Waaaay to slippery, ruins the movement controls.

2. The delay when pressing the attack button. Unforgivable in this kind of game.

3. The stuttering. It's not super noticeable, but the game is not smooth at all. I don't know why, maybe a refresh rate problem, but it's very annoying.

Pretty sad that technical issues like these destroy any chance I would have of playing this game, since it's in my favourite genre :(
 
I tried the demo, won't be buying this. Three things ruined it completely:

1. The momentum-based running. Waaaay to slippery, ruins the movement controls.

2. The delay when pressing the attack button. Unforgivable in this kind of game.

3. The stuttering. It's not super noticeable, but the game is not smooth at all. I don't know why, maybe a refresh rate problem, but it's very annoying.

Pretty sad that technical issues like these destroy any chance I would have of playing this game, since it's in my favourite genre :(

Hmm I don't notice any stuttering.

That aside, your first two complaints are valid. I will say that you do get used to the momentum and attack delay. But I could see why you wouldn't want to put in the effort to get used to arguably shitty controls.
 

Ledsen

Member
Hmm I don't notice any stuttering.

That aside, your first two complaints are valid. I will say that you do get used to the momentum and attack delay. But I could see why you wouldn't want to put in the effort to get used to arguably shitty controls.

It's not stuttering as much as a sort of intermittent hitching, seems to me like a refresh rate problem.
 

Soule

Member
So I tried the demo

Am I missing something with the combat? I keep trying to hit those goddamn bats but I can never time it right and I end up losing a ton of health. It feels super stiff. Is there some trick to killing the bats or am I always going to lose half of my health every time I fight them?

It's a shame too, because I really like what the game is trying to do.
Anything that flies is pretty tough for Arche, I struggled with bats as well. Easiest way is to just stand back and wait for them to swoop and hit them as they dive at you. Later on theres some really arsey flying mobs, the ai make them pretty good at dodging and they have ranged attacks and trying to fight them on small platforms is hella annoying. Thank god for magic.
Hmm I can't find out what to do.

I have to locate
the wind seals, but the two locations the game gave me are blocked off. One route has a collapsed bridge, the other has a guard blocking the entrance.

What am I supposed to do here?
That and the pond i found so annoying cause it just didnt seem clear what to do :( thankfully everything since has been pretty smooth just wish they gave a better indication there because i really wanted to bail lol would've been a shame.
I tried the demo, won't be buying this. Three things ruined it completely:

1. The momentum-based running. Waaaay to slippery, ruins the movement controls.

2. The delay when pressing the attack button. Unforgivable in this kind of game.

3. The stuttering. It's not super noticeable, but the game is not smooth at all. I don't know why, maybe a refresh rate problem, but it's very annoying.

Pretty sad that technical issues like these destroy any chance I would have of playing this game, since it's in my favourite genre :(

Something puts me off every now n then, hurts my eyes while they run. Maybe its very subtle stuttering? Not sure, in any case i feel if the other 2 points were fixed i think the game would be far more accessible gameplay-wise. Im really curious why the dev went for the slidey momentum. Im used to the controls now (yay can even hit those dastardly flying mobs in the air with my sword) and i guess he just wanted more defense based combat with deliberate moves (the way Arche unlocks new sword attacks u have to choose from like a fighting game reminds me of how i used to memorize moves in killer instinct and SF2) but the momentum just doesnt seem to serve a purpose or meaningful direction.
 

Jintor

Member
The momentum, imprecise controls, and animation priority are all dinging this very badly. It's a pity though because it's brimming with heart and the translation is top-notch.
 

Jintor

Member
Not getting stuttering (single-monitor setup atm), but am getting the ocassional 'refresh line' scrolling down the page.
 
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