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zaubberer
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icon drod all over the world! (+2)  
yeap, i know that the fans of drod are a worldwide community. but i didn't know that there exist a russian edition of JtRH. i didn't have enough time to translate the complete page, but there are some funny things on it.

as example the translation of english names into russian language sometimes is not easy, because the letters and the speaking is very different. beethro is named here Bitro Badkin, russian doesn't know "th"... ;)

and i learned on this website that it would take you over 1100 hours to explore all rooms if you would conquere each room in 15 minutes.

i hope that i will find some time to check the site again, with my dictionary...

zaubberer
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08-25-2006 at 03:07 PM
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gamer_extreme_101
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
This is probably a review of the retail-version sold only in Russia. The cover looks amazingly done, although I don't think that Erik was the one who drew it. Still very cool.

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08-25-2006 at 03:19 PM
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eytanz
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
Whoa, cool cover!

But people who buy the cover thinking that's what Beethro looks like must be a bit confused by the face on the top left corner :)

Maybe that's supposed to be Halph...

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08-25-2006 at 03:59 PM
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trick
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  
It reminds me of those games in the 80's and early 90's .. The covers would be exceptionally cool, filled with firebreathing robot dragons dripping raw action from their princess-covered fangs! Then you try the game, and it's a square trying to avoid circles.

The difference here, of course, is that DROD is actually an excellent game. It just isn't much like that cover implies it is. The cover makes it look more like a fantasy RPG, I think.

- Gerry
08-25-2006 at 06:54 PM
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Chaco
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
Green hair? I'd think it was an attempt at the Slayer, except he's brandishing a sword, and against a roach (which, in game, doesn't really mind the Slayer, and the Slayer will not conciously attempt to kill a roach)

But yeah, this... is weird.

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08-25-2006 at 07:32 PM
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Briareos
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trick wrote:
It reminds me of those games in the 80's and early 90's .. The covers would be exceptionally cool, filled with firebreathing robot dragons dripping raw action from their princess-covered fangs! Then you try the game, and it's a square trying to avoid circles.
Heh...

np: Autechre - Basscadubmx (Basscad EP)

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08-25-2006 at 11:42 PM
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Banjooie
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  
Why hasn't there been a single communist joke in this entire thread

what is wrong with you people
08-28-2006 at 08:15 AM
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Briareos
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
Banjooie wrote:
Why hasn't there been a single communist joke in this entire thread

what is wrong with you people
In Soviet Eighth, people wrong YOU!!!1!onehundredeleven

Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week... :tomato

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08-28-2006 at 08:31 AM
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mrimer
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
This is something I've noticed about Russian media cover art. They make up some really cool picture that portrays the product only in abstract -- though the image itself is generally realistic-looking, it doesn't ever show what's actually there, except in spirit.

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[Last edited by mrimer at 08-28-2006 04:22 PM]
08-28-2006 at 04:22 PM
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Maurog
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  

Let me translate the "interesting facts" at the bottom of the Akella page for you:

Interesting facts about the game:
- Translating to real-life measurements, each tile of the game is 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters.
- Each room is built of 1216 tiles which is just a bit under a third of a hectare (a hectare is 10'000 square meters).
- This means the area of all existing rooms for JTRH is over 1200 hectares (they mention it that with user-made holds there are at least 4000 rooms).
- Putting the tiles of all existing rooms in a line, you will get a line 8193 kilometers long, which is just a bit under Canada's width.
- If you can finish each room in 15 minutes, completing all available rooms would take 1105 hours and 30 minutes.
- Walking by foot across Canada would take less time that completing JTRH.

I really don't know who came up with that stuff, or who made the CD cover for that matter.

PS: One of the taglines on the CD cover is roughly translated as "DROD has no negative sides".

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12-14-2006 at 06:58 AM
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Rabscuttle
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  
Erik came up with the facts.
12-14-2006 at 07:07 AM
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Maurog
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
Hmm, did the prediction about doubling the room count in half a year turn out right? How many rooms do we have right now?

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12-14-2006 at 07:30 AM
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Syntax
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Maurog wrote:
Hmm, did the prediction about doubling the room count in half a year turn out right? How many rooms do we have right now?
I would say so... Chechk Wallu's hs to see how many rooms there are. My only objection to those stats is that not every tile gets visited so Canada is probably wider than all the holds put together.
12-14-2006 at 01:02 PM
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mrimer
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
Maurog wrote:
Hmm, did the prediction about doubling the room count in half a year turn out right? How many rooms do we have right now?
The forum whispers to me that there are currently 12414 published rooms in total. This is great -- keep it up! And 3.0 will in no way diminish the flexibility of puzzles we can continue creating. I love it. :thumbsup

Edit: some quick calculations...this many rooms would now make a straight line of tiles that stretches ~13800 miles (22650 km). That's all the way around the world -- not at the equator, but probably at whatever latitude many of us live. (Anyone have a formula or resource to calculate at what latitude it's this far around the world?)

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[Last edited by mrimer at 12-14-2006 07:27 PM]
12-14-2006 at 07:20 PM
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zex20913
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
One more big hold ought to do it. Then we don't need to worry about silly calculations.

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12-14-2006 at 08:42 PM
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mrimer
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
zex20913 wrote:
One more big hold ought to do it. Then we don't need to worry about silly calculations.
Eh? Like a 10000 room hold?

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12-14-2006 at 10:01 PM
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schep
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+2)  
(circumference at equator) * cos( latitude )
ought to do for estimates, and all we had to do was pretend Earth is spherical.

I get about 55 degrees N or S. That's north of the entire 48 continental US, but it goes through Denmark. The southern version circumnavigates Antarctica; I guess that's something.

[Last edited by schep at 12-14-2006 10:23 PM]
12-14-2006 at 10:13 PM
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zex20913
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mrimer wrote:
zex20913 wrote:
One more big hold ought to do it. Then we don't need to worry about silly calculations.
Eh? Like a 10000 room hold?

...Oops. I totally misinterpreted your statement...thinking about a great circle touching a line of latitude.

But by the same reasoning, one tile is enough to circle the globe...at approximately 90 degrees latitude.

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12-14-2006 at 11:11 PM
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UrAvgAzn
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Maurog wrote:
- Walking by foot across Canada would take less time that completing JTRH.
This is incorrect, I think. When Erik said it, it was to complete all player-created rooms.

Keep posting,

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12-14-2006 at 11:12 PM
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Mattcrampy
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zex20913 wrote:
But by the same reasoning, one tile is enough to circle the globe...at approximately 90 degrees latitude.

Of course, so long as you're going from east to west, or vice versa.

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12-15-2006 at 12:30 AM
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Syntax
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
We could just put 1 tile on the pole and the it would cover... the pole. And the world, by some figment of our imagination.
12-16-2006 at 12:48 PM
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Briareos
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Syntax wrote:
We could just put 1 tile on the pole and the it would cover... the pole. And the world, by some figment of our imagination.
We could add an option to the editor to spin the whole tileset for a room in 90 degree increments... ;)

That sure would make for Escher-esque holds... :D

np: Autechre - Radio 10.04.05

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12-16-2006 at 05:54 PM
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igusarov
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+4)  
Ahem... Am I the only Russian here who read this post? :-0

I learnt about DROD from this review at Absolute Games.

Actually, AG assigned DROD exceptionally high rating. See this "gold pantheon" page - DROD is rated 97%, which makes it number 10 game in the list of best games ever. Personally I respect AG's opinion as very authoritative, and it's reviews almost always tell truth about games. In plain words it means that reviewers would rather write about what's bad in the game, instead of praising it. The game must be really good to get a positive review. Hence, I remember myself very surprised to see a game rated that high and receiving "our choice" award. Needless to say that such review made me immediately download Architect's Edition (since it was free) and solve it.

Reading AG's forum after such review has been published was like watching a little war :-) 140+ posts from variously biased users. To name a few trends in those posts: (not a precise translation - that would be too long - but the spirit of posts)

- Hey? Is it really that good? I'm going to download it.
- See, AG rate terrible games high. How much have you been paid to promote such crap? Just look at the screenshots, it's not even 3D...
- And you'd play chess only if it is 3D with shader materials and surround sound, right? And boy, you must've been shocked by Championship Manager, which doesn't have any graphic to talk about. This is a logic game, not a HL2. It has a lot beyond graphics.
- None of my friends had ever heard about it. Someone who downloaded it, post your opinion.
- I'm on the second level. There are queens that lay three eggs every several turns. It's becoming more and more interesting.
- What if the next day there will be a better logic game with incredible graphics. How would you rate it then?
- This game is not about dumb finding the only possible solution. It's about thinking and I like it. Thanks AG for discovering this game!
- Calling this game terrible means that you was unable to solve the first level, dumb.
- What's the difference between its freeware and shareware versions? Post a direct link to downloads.
- Why is player's rating so low? You should listen to people and lower your rating.
- Rotating sword could make for a good multiplayer TBS, but this game is primitive. There isn't even a multiplayer mode.
- Could be. But in logic game genre, this one is really good.
- If you rate a game above 85%, it must be a game which everyone would like, not just adepts of a given genre. Like HoMM3 and Fallout.
- DROD distributive has over 350 rooms, and the official site has a lot of downloadable holds. Playability of this game is huge. Especially compared to many "modern" games that offer 8-10 hours gameplay.
- I'm stuck on the third level. Does anyone know a cheatcode to walk through force arrows?
- ANY AND ALL GAME MUST SUPPORT MOUSE CONTROL
......

Having read that review now again, I see that it is fair. It gives an overview of game principles and feeling of an interesting puzzle-with-a-story. Without messing with fine details that aren't important to a first-time DROD player.
01-06-2007 at 12:31 AM
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zex20913
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Is there an English translation of the review? I'd like to see it, and I'm no good with anything Cyrillic, including possibly the spelling of that word.

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01-06-2007 at 12:41 AM
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igusarov
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zex20913 wrote:
Is there an English translation of the review? I'd like to see it, and I'm no good with anything Cyrillic, including possibly the spelling of that word.
No, that is a local site for Russian players. They don't write reviews in English.

I can easily push the article through an auto-translator, however be warned about low quality of auto-translation... If you're really interested, I can translate the review for you.

As far as I see, you've spelled "Cyrillic" correct.
01-06-2007 at 12:54 AM
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NiroZ
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  
igusarov wrote:
Ahem... Am I the only Russian here who read this post? :-0

I learnt about DROD from this review at Absolute Games.
Sorry, I just have to point out my opinion on some of these points.

igusarov wrote:
- See, AG rate terrible games high. How much have you been paid to promote such crap? Just look at the screenshots, it's not even 3D...
What the hell is it with people complaining about games not being in 3D? I have seen multiple reviews where DROD has been marked down because of 'crappy graphics'. Can't people appreciate art over polygons? :ranting
igusarov wrote:
- I'm stuck on the third level. Does anyone know a cheatcode to walk through force arrows?
:rolleyes
:lmao
01-06-2007 at 04:28 AM
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AtkinsSJ
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  
Google translated version link: (Copy all and paste. The forum doesn't like the link.)
EDIT: Oh, I give up with the silly thing! Just go to Google Translate, plop the link ( http://www.ag.ru/reviews/deadly_rooms_of_death_journey_to_rooted_hold ) into the 'Translate a webpage' box and select 'Russian to English BETA'.
Note that this is a Beta translation. Most of it is half-formed gibberish, only barely recognizable to people who know how drod plays.

[Last edited by AtkinsSJ at 01-06-2007 12:22 PM]
01-06-2007 at 12:16 PM
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igusarov
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (+1)  
Silly me... There is an autotranslator embedded in the review page. Just search for the word "translation" - and you'll find a small box in the right column where you can click on a flag and get the page translated automatically.

Here's the link to English translation of the review in question: translation

After following the link, select a translator from the list. "Altavista" option worked best to my taste.

EDIT: "translate.ru" option also produced something nearly readable. And it highlighted unknown words instead of silently spelling them in English letters (which is how Google and Altavista did).

[Last edited by igusarov at 01-06-2007 06:30 PM]
01-06-2007 at 06:25 PM
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mrimer
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icon Re: drod all over the world! (0)  
I remember reading this review way back when (my Russian fluency is coming in handy!). They do an accurate job of describing DROD and the writer even goes into the fun back story. I'm glad to read their praise of the game. I remember going through all those funny comments afterwards, too. Seems like there's two camps represented here: one who likes logic/puzzle games and thinks DROD is cool, and another who only cares about graphics, but never questions why it would have to rant about a logic game just because that's what they do best. :lol

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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

[Last edited by mrimer at 01-06-2007 10:07 PM]
01-06-2007 at 10:06 PM
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malkav11
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igusarov wrote:
Ahem... Am I the only Russian here who read this post? :-0

I learnt about DROD from this review at Absolute Games.

Actually, AG assigned DROD exceptionally high rating. See this "gold pantheon" page - DROD is rated 97%, which makes it number 10 game in the list of best games ever. Personally I respect AG's opinion as very authoritative, and it's reviews almost always tell truth about games. In plain words it means that reviewers would rather write about what's bad in the game, instead of praising it. The game must be really good to get a positive review. Hence, I remember myself very surprised to see a game rated that high and receiving "our choice" award. Needless to say that such review made me immediately download Architect's Edition (since it was free) and solve it.

Reading AG's forum after such review has been published was like watching a little war :-) 140+ posts from variously biased users. To name a few trends in those posts: (not a precise translation - that would be too long - but the spirit of posts)

- Hey? Is it really that good? I'm going to download it.
- See, AG rate terrible games high. How much have you been paid to promote such crap? Just look at the screenshots, it's not even 3D...
- And you'd play chess only if it is 3D with shader materials and surround sound, right? And boy, you must've been shocked by Championship Manager, which doesn't have any graphic to talk about. This is a logic game, not a HL2. It has a lot beyond graphics.
- None of my friends had ever heard about it. Someone who downloaded it, post your opinion.
- I'm on the second level. There are queens that lay three eggs every several turns. It's becoming more and more interesting.
- What if the next day there will be a better logic game with incredible graphics. How would you rate it then?
- This game is not about dumb finding the only possible solution. It's about thinking and I like it. Thanks AG for discovering this game!
- Calling this game terrible means that you was unable to solve the first level, dumb.
- What's the difference between its freeware and shareware versions? Post a direct link to downloads.
- Why is player's rating so low? You should listen to people and lower your rating.
- Rotating sword could make for a good multiplayer TBS, but this game is primitive. There isn't even a multiplayer mode.
- Could be. But in logic game genre, this one is really good.
- If you rate a game above 85%, it must be a game which everyone would like, not just adepts of a given genre. Like HoMM3 and Fallout.
- DROD distributive has over 350 rooms, and the official site has a lot of downloadable holds. Playability of this game is huge. Especially compared to many "modern" games that offer 8-10 hours gameplay.
- I'm stuck on the third level. Does anyone know a cheatcode to walk through force arrows?
- ANY AND ALL GAME MUST SUPPORT MOUSE CONTROL
......

Having read that review now again, I see that it is fair. It gives an overview of game principles and feeling of an interesting puzzle-with-a-story. Without messing with fine details that aren't important to a first-time DROD player.

I guess this proves that gamers and user comments are the same the world over.
01-07-2007 at 08:23 AM
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