Matt Chat

[laffer]

Haha, yeah... the feeling of becoming really powerful is something this game does well... using armageddon in various areas is a great way to gain easy XP, and since you can just donate a bit of gold at any temple, the bad reputation you get for killing all the villagers isn't really an issue

[gilgamesh]

[ Show youtube player ]
Matt totally loses it.

What I find remarkable about Stonekeep:
a) The graphics were pretty neat back in the day. I must know, 'cause I've played the demo.
b) Stonekeep2 was planned as a Planescape:Torment sequel. Then the background was swapped, and eventually the game was canceled.
Nerdrage!

[mattbarton.exe]

Originally Posted by gilgamesh

[ Show youtube player ]
Matt totally loses it.

What I find remarkable about Stonekeep:
a) The graphics were pretty neat back in the day. I must know, 'cause I've played the demo.
b) Stonekeep2 was planned as a Planescape:Torment sequel. Then the background was swapped, and eventually the game was canceled.
Nerdrage!

Whaaaa?? Do you have a source for B? Love to read more about that.

[gilgamesh]

Originally Posted by mattbarton.exe

Whaaaa?? Do you have a source for B? Love to read more about that.

Here it is under 'Development Cycle'.

[mattbarton.exe]

Haha! That's great.

[gimbal]

Nice vid, although I must say that later installments have become less 'headphones friendly' I keep the volume down because now I expect one or two screams. Just remember that when you shout, someone else (me) is jumping to the ceiling

Yeah Stonekeep. As a hardcore fan of dungeon master clones I quite enjoyed it, but I can imagine it was hard to get into for people who hadn't played a dozen or so similar games.

Funny that article mentioning that Stonekeep 2 was in development for 5 years, wasn't the same true for the first part? I remember at the time that it made it on the market too late because of an extensive development time and that, plus the many bugs, was what made it fail. Perhaps I'm mistaken, it was a long time ago

[lifeschool]

Merry Christmas everybody!

I have a gift for you RPG fans - and especially to Matt Barton and the Matt Chat team...


Legends of Valour - A Playguide 'Christmas' Special
RPGs aren't really my speciality so when I decided to make this review I knew I had to get some extra inspiration... . This tribute to the Matt Chat series features the completion of the first quest, a tour of some of the many important locations, and also provides a general insight into the very deep and complex Amiga version. This special edition is 'uncut' - it goes on for a bit - and it goes down better after a few drinks.


[ Show youtube player ]

Hope you enjoy this homage - you guys have a fun christmas!

[gilgamesh]

Hey lifeschool, that's sheer awesome.

And how nice of Matt to appear to your show. Christmas preparations must have been a busy time in St. Cloud, since he's made an episode all by himself, too.
[ Show youtube player ]

[mattbarton.exe]

Haha, nice work, Lifeschool. I think you should definitely consider expanding your headgrow and getting a nice 'stache going. You'll find you have even more time for gaming without all those pesky ladyfriends about.

This game definitely looks inspired by the Elder Scrolls, but when I looked them up on Mobygames I discovered that LOV came out quite a few years before the first ES, Arena. Ultima Underworld was 1992, which is perhaps a better comparison to this.

If the interface wasn't so ambitious and complex, I wonder if this might have caught on with the masses. There's certainly plenty enough to do in this game to keep you busy for years, even.

Are there any plans to review Liberation?

[laffer]

Matt, you never seize to amaze me, this might be your finest moment so far! Good work!

Lifeschool, good as usual, but I mean compared to champions like Matt... but still, nice video!

[lifeschool]

@ Matt - Thanks for helping me / inspiring me to do this! By co-incidence I got my hair cut just before making the video. I don't know what it's like where you are; but around here you have to be able to put up with a lot of peer immaturity when it comes to hair length. I used to have it shoulder length - and this is what first attracted my (now Ex) wife - so there can be advantages and disadvantages as you say...

I have no plans to do any more RPGs for the way-long foreseeable furture. I've already done Hunter and LOV. In the new year I'll start with Turrican II, Superfrog, and Gods - with many more to follow. All my games will be Amiga games of course.

@ Laffer - I get what you mean. Compared to a pro like Matt, my reviews are rather lame. That's why I'll never be a professional - no matter how hard I try. I started out on this journey because I was bored with guys playing some often great games very badly and posting their efforts onto youtube - along with a voiceover which states 'I don't know what I'm doing, I'm crap at this game' - which does nothing to inspire the viewer to play them. Then Matt Chat came along, and then a guy who made the Pats Nostalgia channel on youtube, (and Jim Plays Games of course), and I thought - 'if they can do it - I can'. I was always too afraid that my Lancashire droll sounded too goddam boring for reviews - but I always wanted to be a games reviewer so this is it!, basically.

With these playguides I wanted to show people how you actually play the games; so that anyone can watch these guides, jump in and have fun. I like to give away a few hints, tips and secrets I've found, and to demonstrate what the game can be like in capable hands. My videos try to aim half-way between a review and a longplay. The review part is often researched in detail beforehand so that I can talk about past reviews, bugs, developer bios, and the history of the genre etc. Most are cut down in size to be punchy and interesting. LOV should have been cut after the first quest is completed (after the line: 'Phew! I need a lie down'), but I couldn't bring myself to chop it. I think it suffers a little as a result... still, I'm happy I did this parody - to show my support for Matt and everything....

edit: for Matt? - 4-Matt? - Format? - Format Chat!

[mattbarton.exe]

You're doing great, Lifeschool! My advice is just to stick with it. Persistence will pay off in the long run.

[cosmicfrog]

lifeschool on the subject of hair, grow it long, it makes ppl who cant have long hair jealous

also great vid, heres to seening more in the new year from you and matt \o/

[lifeschool]

"it makes ppl who cant have long hair jealous".

Off Topic:
I know I often use he excuse that if I eventually lose my hair I'd have to start shaving it. So why shave it now? If I must spend my elder years with a shaved head, why should I have to spend my middle years with one too? Use it while you have use of it I say....

Besides, hair is a plant that lives on your head. If you constantly shave the stems of the plant down, all the nutrients in the hair go into trying to grow the stems back again - making the hair put all it's energy into growth. This is fine if the stems are relatively short, but VERY short (i.e. shaved) hair takes x10 times the amount of energy to regrow than trimmed hair, and long hair takes almost no extra energy to grow at all. That's why you often see balding guys go bald even quicker when they start shaving it. Hats also cut sunlight to the hair (used as an energy source) and also make the head sweat - which rots the hair at the base of the stem - so wearing hat to hide the bald spot will only make it worse. Constantly washing hair (like everyday) means the fingers are constantly rubbing the hair away (while shampooing and also while vigerously drying), and then further combing it will remove even more. Blow drying hair can also make it dry too quickly, becoming fine and brittle. This is relatively ok if you wash it two or three times a week, but every day just means more hairs in the sink hole. Hair produces it's own natural oils, which shampooing washes away, so the hair also has to work overtime 're-greasing' itself back to natural equilibrium. ...And then we wash it; and the whole cycle of robbing and replacing, overwork and no pay, starts all over again... This is on top of the stress of bleaching, dying, hairspray, and using other unnatural chemicals and creams on the hair - perhaps to make it 'stand up', or force it into a particular 'style'. Hair really does have a hard life, so if you have hair, treat it like a friend rather than something which has to be battled with and won over - 'cus you will always win - and the hair (you) will always lose. Philosophy over.

On topic:
Forgot to mention this before we return to Matt Chat and his wonderful interviews, but you might also like to check out my playguide (they're all playguides) to: [ Show youtube player ]. I am exceptionally proud of this longplay as I redubbed the whole soundtrack in the style of a movie.

Happy new year.

[lordofchaos]

Hi Matt,

I recently came across your youtube channel and watched the Jon Hare interviews, some of the game related trivia your guests share with you is both fascinating and priceless. Since then I have become hooked and watched every video, keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing what you have in store for us in 2012. An interview from a Bitmap brother or Ron Gilbert and my life would be complete.

Happy New Year

[gilgamesh]

[ Show youtube player ]

I love that quote from James Cameron. That's one reason why the old games were so immersive.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by gilgamesh

[ Show youtube player ]

I love that quote from James Cameron. That's one reason why the old games were so immersive.

Well the 'new' games are certainly immersive; graphics, audio and a well designed world can really help a lot there.

But where current gen games provide immersion through realism, retro games provide immersion through imagination. A far, FAR more powerful medium in the hands of the right person. Many indie games actually reach back to that kind of immersion, I hope that will continue so the latest generation of gamers can also experience it.

[mattbarton.exe]

The power of suggestion...

You can really tell when a designer isn't letting your imagination roam. Every artist knows that you it isn't the quantity of details that is important, but rather the selection.

[gimbal]

Well put I find a game like LIMBO really proves that. Its black & white, has a grainy filter and shows only silhouettes. But for every glorious minute it lasted I was hooked to my monitor.

http://store.steampowered.com/video/48000/80896

The power of suggestion indeed.

[gilgamesh]

Matt has made a game.

Thrust Lifter

It's really an utterly enjoyable old school arcade game and a trippy experience. The music is just awesome. Only downside is, well, the size. Man, there must be some huge easter eggs from space in that game.