AEHD Suggestion Thread

[Varrok]

I think that new guy instantly assimilated and the post was filled with our usual sarcasm.

...well, at least I *hope* that's the case.

[TheWanderingWonderer]

Overall less cartoony visuals, more dark, scary, and realistic

More fidelity to the original: Shrykull's blue ripples and blue curved lightning instead of yellow jagged lightning, removal of the new 'chant chakra' thing - or at least dial it back so it's not just a bright blur of light, less goofy shock-gate death animation, if it's absolutely necessary to show the bird halo when chanting - only show it when you've taken damage - and don't show it at all on hard mode, don't include warning signs over every possible pit you can fall into - or at least don't include them in hard mode.

Shadows instead of steam vents!!!

Controls that move more realistically and feel more responsive - less beta-ish

Scrolling text signs that are black with color text like they were in the original, not orange with black text

Way more variety of idle dialog for NPCs, don't rely quite as much on jokes and try to get at least some serious dialog in there, and use it all less frequently so it doesn't get annoying or repetitive

Cutscenes that look and animate much more like the original, more realistic and immersive than NnT's were:

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...1nn1CdiJRsjRaM

I know Abe's Exoddus had some silly jokes in its cutscenes like Abe painfully landing on his crotch in Necrum (even though slaves don't have any genitalia?), but they should probably cut back on some of that in my opinion.

I'm probably forgetting something but there's a couple of things that weren't in the original that would be cool to see in the remake:

Actual co-op with two players collaborating on the same screen - and put this in NnT as well. It would attract so many more people to the games.

Variety in the scrabs and paramites, maybe slight variances in size, or slightly different breeds native to the vaults of Necrum

Maybe an added Elum sequence in Necrum?

An easter egg - blowing up the sealed-off door in FeeCo depot to RuptureFarms lets you go inside and see a rusty dilapidated version of what used to be there ... maybe something similar for the door to Vykker's labs, like a glimpse at some Vykkers

[FrustratedAssassin]

Hey look, another new member! Welcome! Also your ideas are actually good. I like you.

[Varrok]

I'm pretty sure Mudokons have genitalia, they just don't sex each other in a traditional human way.

[Oddey]

I don't really mind so much if they keep the brewery as big as it used to be, even if it is a bit empty. I replayed it recently and while it doesn't contribute to story, the puzzles in the brewery are fun enough to make up for it.

I'll agree, they could tone up the animations though. It's probably difficult, but the weight and feeling of Abe's movement is almost always off in them, which is a shame, because the original had such crisp (in terms of gameplay) yet flowing (in terms of graphics) movement, whereas New N' Tasty has much less of each.

I'd be fine with the tone of New N' Tasty, but I would like it if they tone it down a bit. My issue with New N' Tasty isn't really the animations or the visuals, but it's the sound of the game. The chatter problem is only half of it, I think; the music is the other. For some reason, and I don't know why, but the music in New N' Tasty always seems too quiet and too subdued. The chase music is either undetectable in between all the other noises or flat out doesn't play during a chase section. The fact that no matter what, if you were in a chase in AE or AO, that tense music would always play was a pretty big contribution to the tone of the game. Also the other sounds, like scrab howling and paramite screeches have been discussed already and I agree on those points as well. Even Abe's chanting sounds strangely mundane in New N' Tasty. I suspect the audio levels aren't properly balanced either; some unimportant sounds seem too loud, while others are just way too quiet.

For me, New N' Tasty is pretty good on a visual level and enjoyable to play, for the most part. But every time I pick it up, I feel so let down when I start a slog chase and just barely hear this:

when I'm expecting this at full volume:

[Varrok]

This is one of my favorite AO tracks. It so feels like chase music.

[Vlam]

You guys want a darker tone, it's totally understandable. Unfortunately, Lanning doesn't want to. NnT lesson is this: you must lower your expectations for what is coming next.

[STM]

It sounds like they forgot to add the bang bit...I always thought it sounded like slogs slamming their jaws shut or something. See, I knew I thought something was missing from the chases but never put my finger on what until now.

[OANST]

You guys want a darker tone, it's totally understandable. Unfortunately, Lanning doesn't want to. NnT lesson is this: you must lower your expectations for what is coming next.

Hey, man. Don't be so negative. They're working their asses off.

[Vlam]

Hey, man. Don't be so negative. They're working their asses off.

I agree but some here are asking for the moon.

[Crashpunk]

Most of the stuff suggested doesn't seem so over the top to me. A lot of it actually pretty obvious after playing New 'N' Tasty.

[FrustratedAssassin]

Oh my god vlam's obliviousness is almost adorable.

[Scrabaniac]

I think it's all pretty valid. The chase music from the original has quality of music in games today. why couldn't they just reuse it?

As for TheWanderingWonderer's (I'm gonna call you TWW for short) suggestion about the electric gates death animation.. I hate it in New n Tasty. I miss the 'oops'.. as a Mudokon dissolves. THAT's just the right amount of humour added to a death, not flailing around and exploding. Also welcome to the forums

edit: Happy 420th Post Frustrated Assassin! Wanna get high?

[Vlam]

Most of the stuff suggested doesn't seem so over the top to me. A lot of it actually pretty obvious after playing New 'N' Tasty.

I have read your christmas wish list: "fix all the issues that were in NnT". You're not reasonable. Unless you don't want the game to be release before 2026.

[Crashpunk]

You don't have to take "all" so literal. I was meaning just the main issues with NnT which many people complained about.

If that's unclear, I'll edit it.

Also. This is just a suggestions thread. It's not like OWI are going to read this and make sure everything is met.

[Varrok]

I suppose they do have a higher budget this time. With all the NnT copies being sold. Higher budget -> Bigger team -> Faster launch and (Hopefuly) Better product

[Scrabaniac]

I want Sligs to gag or say 'somethin' smells!' when Abe's Possessed fart floats past.

[Vlam]

Also. This is just a suggestions thread. It's not like OWI are going to read this and make sure everything is met.

Yes, of course, but let's avoid the fanfiction territory.

[Scrabaniac]

I want fire breathing Scrabs, and Meeches to make an appearance.

Edit: Sorry. That was fan fiction.

[Vlam]

I want fire breathing Scrabs, and Meeches to make an appearance.

Edit: Sorry. That was fan fiction.

Too late: you're the one seriously asking for new content as if it's going to happen.

By the way, Crashpunk, I just saw your twitter: you want OWI to read this thread.

[Phylum]

Overall less cartoony visuals, more dark, scary, and realistic

...

I know Abe's Exoddus had some silly jokes in its cutscenes like Abe painfully landing on his crotch in Necrum (even though slaves don't have any genitalia?), but they should probably cut back on some of that in my opinion.

AO had that joke too. At the end of the day dark, scary and realistic just isn't Oddworld. AO was dark and tense, but I wouldn't call it particularly scary, or realistic. Ever since then the tone set down has been really different, and that's just what the vision for Oddworld is now.

[Shade667]

So, Im gonna be the nerd and talk about mechanics.

I want an option for a transparent In game timer somewhere on the screen to track my progress for each level. Sick of spending 12 minutes in a level thinking it was okay, and have to go all the way back to the chapter select to see if my time improved or not. And if it didnt I dont know how close I got, where I made mistakes etc.


Unlike AO, which i never beat, Ive never even touched AE. So I have ZERO expectations for it. Its all gonna be a suprise. So I cant say what Id like them to keep and whatnot, cuz I dont know whats in the game.


i also just want sligs to be more consistent. Theyre the closest thing to RNG in the game currently.

[Nepsotic]

A timer? Yes, they're going to ruin the aesthetic just for speedrunners. Do you want a health bar and ammo count as well?

i also just want sligs to be more consistent. Theyre the closest thing to RNG in the game currently.

They basically are RNG, I'm pretty sure.

AO had that joke too. At the end of the day dark, scary and realistic just isn't Oddworld. AO was dark and tense, but I wouldn't call it particularly scary, or realistic. Ever since then the tone set down has been really different, and that's just what the vision for Oddworld is now.

But our point is that AO clearly has the best atmosphere out of all of them, which is why so many people are asking for it back.

Too late: you're the one seriously asking for new content as if it's going to happen.

Alf's Escape was new content, and it was pretty good, too.

I want Sligs to gag or say 'somethin' smells!' when Abe's Possessed fart floats past.

Do you now.

I have read your christmas wish list: "fix all the issues that were in NnT". You're not reasonable. Unless you don't want the game to be release before 2026.

Actually, it totally is reasonable. Besides from maybe the return of the grid based movement system.

Varrok, my point about that was that it isn't going to feel consistent through AOHD to AEHD. Not only that, it's something that hasn't been used in games for years. It gives players a slightly less amount of freedom and I think it would be criticised.

[Oddey]

A timer? Yes, they're going to ruin the aesthetic just for speedrunners. Do you want a health bar and ammo count as well?

Isn't that a little bit harsh? Speedrunning in Abe's Oddysee isn't exactly unusual; they even encourage it with the scoreboards at the end, showing different times of everyone; I can't imagine Abe's Exoddus would be that different, except that it's longer. If they did add it, don't you think that would also have an option to disable it or enable it anyway?

Come to think of it, I'd kind of like it if they took out the bottle cap throwing ability. I don't really get its purpose; I tried to use in New N' Tasty and found it just a way to bypass most slig-based puzzles or make them impossible by constantly resetting their walk patterns.

[STM]

I didn't get the point of the bottle caps either. I can only guess it was a hang over from when slig AI worked differently.

I think I'd like to see the AEHD aesthetic kept close to the original, it'd be great to see some new areas too, give whomever develops it a chance to throw in some new screens whilst keeping the original tone. That way you get some creativity in there without ruining the strong homogeneous aesthetic of the originals.

[Shade667]

yeah I said the option to have an on screen timer. Having the option for a HUD wont take away from the aesthetic or feel or whatever it is you want from the game, cuz you dont have to use it.

And I quite like the bottlecaps. believe it or not but sligs arent RNG. They behave exactly as they should 99% of the time. (That 1% of the time them being inconsistent, like when theyll insta wakeup and shoot when they usually dont in that area etc.) The bottlecaps allow us to manipulate them in certain ways, so that as long as our movement prior is perfect (aka the same) each time sligs will always be in the same spot each time. The only slig that I can 99% say is RNG is the first slig in Alfs escape. Ive never gotten that one consistent.

[Scrabaniac]

I only ever used the bottle caps once. To change the walking direction of a scrab. Apart from that they are only good for teaching new players how to throw

Vlam. Had you been here in the AOHD thread you would notice that some of our suggestions actually happened. Pretty sure someone suggested idle conversations between NPCs, as well as a bunch of other stuff too. Me and others are not asking for 'way too much'.. We are stating things we think would be nice to see. How about you actually join in on the suggestions rather than just criticising everyone and their ideas.

[Crashpunk]

By the way, Crashpunk, I just saw your twitter: you want OWI to read this thread.

They read the last one. And anyway, it wasn't even directed at them. I was just advertising it.

[Paul]

Most of what I would like to happen has already been suggested:

-Grid system/tighter controls.
-Rupture farms ruins (from the demo this was certainly going to be a thing, must have got cut for some reason).
-Shadow zones.
-Less slap stick alike stuff and more overall dark and disturbing environment/design.

[Varrok]

I don't really think OWI have any other point of refference if they want honest fan feedback. Even though we're mean people.