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Pier Solar and the Great Architects + Soun...
(20P)
Ended 9 years ago
9 years ago by stlpaul
Invite Only
Level 3+
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6 Months of Humble Choice Holiday Offer
Started 5 days ago
$49.00
Description

This is an HD version of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game, inspired by the classic 16-bit RPGs like the Phantasy Star series and the Lunar series on SegaCD. You can also toggle to use the 16-bit style graphics and sound in this version.

8 Comments
sashadarko
(Game Developer)

It's funny, but while I got 3 cartridge copies of Pier Solar from the publisher, I never received a Steam key for the HD version. I was even asked to put a Pier Solar easter egg during the development while never playing the game.
Later started to play the cartridge on LCD and realized I really do need a CRT TV and I can't buy it here.
So...entered for HD. I hope its new "tweak grinding" system works.

9 years ago
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stlpaul

I haven't played the PC version much, but it does seem like I leveled up much faster on the PC vs the Genesis version in the beginning (before the garden in the cave). Also the Genesis version lets you save almost anywhere, on the PC version you can only save at a specific save point in the town. I'm sure there are other changes I haven't noticed yet.

9 years ago
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sashadarko
(Game Developer)

"Also the Genesis version lets you save almost anywhere, on the PC version you can only save at a specific save point in the town."

I found this on Pier Solar HD forums:

"At the beginning of the game, you'll need to go talk to the kid in the tiny house at the south end of town. You'll get a cutscene with a robot. After the cutscene, leave the house and try holding R1 (not L1) you should see a menu with MAP, RADAR, and AUTO-SAVE ENABLE on it (it's the radial menu on the right side of the screen, not the one on the left side). You don't get the auto-save function until you get the robot and leave the house. If auto-save is enabled you should see an "autosaving, please wait" message in the bottom right of the screen when changing areas."

9 years ago
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stlpaul

Ah-ha, interesting. I did receive the official strategy guide book recently, but haven't read through it just yet. I bet these things are covered in it. There was never an instruction manual released for the PC version, as far as I'm aware.

I have an LCD TV with NES, SNES, SMS and Genesis/32X attached using A/V cables. Genesis has the worst A/V output of those 4 systems, it's really a shame. It's not unplayable at all, but compared to SNES or even SMS, it's a step backward. I don't remember it being bad on CRT, though. So maybe it's not bad it's just "highly optimized for CRT"... :)

I know the Genesis/Megadrive can output RGB to SCART, and there are SCART-to-HDMI converter boxes, but the good ones cost hundreds of dollars... and the cheap ones don't support 4:3. I don't want to play games stretched out to 16:9 ratio.

9 years ago
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sashadarko
(Game Developer)

Well, LCD vs CRT is a very old story. It's just when you know how an old (16-bit/32-bit) game looks on CRT, you don't want to come back to LCD to play it (especially if it's 32"), you'd buy even 14" CRT because of how it looks better (especially via RGB). Except FMV games, of course.

AV has a major advantage over RGB - transparent object will look how they should like, while S-Video / RGB will make it a pixelated mess.

https://blz.la/rgb/img/2014/dithering.png
https://blz.la/rgb/img/2014/dithering_zoom.png

So you probably shouldn't be sad about it. I have an RGB cable with PAL LCD and I got myself thinking many times to switch back to AV because of how everything is pixelated (setting Sharpness down wouldn't really help). But it's a matter of taste, I think.

9 years ago
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stlpaul

Yep, I really worked hard to adjust my LCD TV settings to give just the right amount of blur to avoid the pixel shading/moire ugliness. It has the effect of everything being blurry but it's the best I can get on my TV anyway. Had to disable all of the post-processing, smoothing, etc effects to reduce input lag. NES/SNES/SMS all look really great, just MD/Genesis that is still blurry/dull. Maybe the TV has profiles I can toggle between... now I have a weekend project. ;) I will need to try Sonic and see how the waterfall looks for me.

When I was a teenager I played with these game systems on a 12" CRT TV, which had a perfect amount of overscan, so that's how I will always remember them. Sadly that TV died a long time ago. Here there are thrift stores where sometimes you can get CRT TVs for $5 or so, but I haven't found one that I like yet (either too big, damanged, crap brand, wrong inputs, etc.).

9 years ago
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jeffhowe

Wow looks like a game with a really interesting story line! Ive never played this type... is it ok to sign up?

9 years ago
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stlpaul

If you have the points, go for it :)

9 years ago
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