Sign In
Register
Help
Fans of the classic Mac game Daleks will appreciate the appealing puzzle game DROD. [more]
Page 1 of 1
Game Room Weblog: DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold
#1
Macworld.com 
- Veteran
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 1,900
- Joined: 06-February 04
Posted 18 April 2006 - 10:50 AM
MultiQuote
#2
Nobody
- Power User
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 58,347
- Joined: 18-October 07
Posted 01 May 2006 - 09:43 PM
THis game looks SWEET! I'm not into the RPG games, but this looks comparably awesome!!!
I like going back to the eighties too! i.e. I play Activision Anthology too!
Too bad there aren't 48 hours in a day, huh?
Peter, does DROD have an ESRB rating though? My little ones love games too?
x, Yo
I like going back to the eighties too! i.e. I play Activision Anthology too!
Too bad there aren't 48 hours in a day, huh?
Peter, does DROD have an ESRB rating though? My little ones love games too?
x, Yo
#3
Peter Cohen
- Advanced Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 4,646
- Joined: 05-February 03
Posted 02 May 2006 - 02:54 AM
No, there's no ESRB rating -- DROD isn't sold commercially, it's available for download only.
#5
Peter Cohen
- Advanced Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 4,646
- Joined: 05-February 03
Posted 02 May 2006 - 03:01 PM
I don't remember seeing anything that would really make me blush in front of my kids, but without an ESRB rating, I'm reluctant to say unequivocally that it's kid-safe or kid-friendly.
#6
Nobody
- Power User
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 58,347
- Joined: 18-October 07
Posted 22 June 2006 - 02:34 PM
Yeah, Peter is right that we don't have an ESRB rating. It's honestly too expensive for the amount of money we make from DROD. ESRB ratings are really geared towards products which are sold in retail stores--not smaller shareware companies like Caravel, unfortunately. I'm looking into a voluntary rating system called "TIGRS" that we may apply to our games later.
If we did receive an ESRB rating, I imagine it would be "T for Teen". Although DROD does not set out to be particularly violent, we do show some animated blood when the main character hits monsters with his sword. The monsters are merely removed from the screen when they are killed--no corpses or gory stuff. But some dialogue in the game does make it clear that they are in fact being killed. There is an optional modification that can be applied to the game that will remove the blood spattering if that is objectionable. Please e-mail me (erikh@caravelgames.com) and I can help you with that.
There is no swearing in the game other than Beethro (the main character) saying silly curses like "Holy Hoobuffins!". There are no sexual themes. Beethro does kill humans later in the game, and there is actually some discussion in the story of the ethics involved. One sympathetic character has the viewpoint that no creature should ever be killed and he finds himself at odds with Beethro. Beethro's deathdealing is a necessary element of the game, but we try to handle it intelligently and show consequences and context.
This summer we plan to release an expansion pack called "Smitemastery 101" with some levels especially designed with easier difficulty for children in the 7-11 year old range. I know of a number of families where both parents and kids play DROD. The game licensing and feature of using separate accounts allows for it to be shared easily with multiple people in the same household.
Much thanks to Peter for the DROD review and his great coverage of independent games in MacWorld. (Avernum and Lux, yay!) Finally the July issue hit the shelves at my local newstand and I picked up a copy. I'm cutting out the DROD review for my trophy case. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
-Erik Hermansen
Partner, Caravel Games LLC
erikh@caravelgames.com
If we did receive an ESRB rating, I imagine it would be "T for Teen". Although DROD does not set out to be particularly violent, we do show some animated blood when the main character hits monsters with his sword. The monsters are merely removed from the screen when they are killed--no corpses or gory stuff. But some dialogue in the game does make it clear that they are in fact being killed. There is an optional modification that can be applied to the game that will remove the blood spattering if that is objectionable. Please e-mail me (erikh@caravelgames.com) and I can help you with that.
There is no swearing in the game other than Beethro (the main character) saying silly curses like "Holy Hoobuffins!". There are no sexual themes. Beethro does kill humans later in the game, and there is actually some discussion in the story of the ethics involved. One sympathetic character has the viewpoint that no creature should ever be killed and he finds himself at odds with Beethro. Beethro's deathdealing is a necessary element of the game, but we try to handle it intelligently and show consequences and context.
This summer we plan to release an expansion pack called "Smitemastery 101" with some levels especially designed with easier difficulty for children in the 7-11 year old range. I know of a number of families where both parents and kids play DROD. The game licensing and feature of using separate accounts allows for it to be shared easily with multiple people in the same household.
Much thanks to Peter for the DROD review and his great coverage of independent games in MacWorld. (Avernum and Lux, yay!) Finally the July issue hit the shelves at my local newstand and I picked up a copy. I'm cutting out the DROD review for my trophy case. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
-Erik Hermansen
Partner, Caravel Games LLC
erikh@caravelgames.com
#7
Nobody
- Power User
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 58,347
- Joined: 18-October 07
Posted 23 June 2006 - 06:49 PM
Welcome to the macworld forums, Erik!
Yes, I understand through and through that ESRB game ratings are for mass marketed console games etc.
I only mean to say; why not just insert a "For ages ?-? (8 to adult) or whatever you deem appropriate on a game's web page add, CD-ROM box or whatever along with all the other info. given with a review etc..
So people can get an understanding of the game's given maturity level. And if that seems too presumptuous or might not float, why not at least a recommended an appropriate age group?
I just tonight down loaded the demo DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, and played it for a while.
With that said, I would say you are correct in recommending this game for teens. Especially teens who like to smart off.
In the game you play Beethro "clownish madman" chasing his "troublesome" nephew Halph. (As described on the caravelgames.com website) Beethro calling his nephew a "punk" of some sort. Halph, taunting his uncle all through the chase. Along with this renaissance music playing in a main page.
I don't really know what to think. I was kind of broad-sided while playing it with my 6 year old getting a little frightened. This DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, (to me) is a cross between the benedictine monks and the Simpson's SlapStick cartoons.
Now, the sound effects are nice, very nice.
I'm not trying to imply that this game is not worth one's money. Or that my opinion is your opinion (forum members/readers) If you like the game, play it. Support the developers for our platform. I do.
On a more upbeat note though, I do highly respect developers work. Computer games no less. They have got to put a intense amount of time into their work. It's really art. And I view it with an art appreciating viewpoint.
So, when I look for Mac games, I either A.) know I want it pretty quickly after trying a demo, or carefully reading and reviewing specifics and what I look up on the Web. Or B.) Think about it for a spell and consider the pro's and con's and what not. And finally make my final decision.
And yes, I thank you too Peter for your many reviews. There's always something you're writing about that's of interest to me and many readers.
That's all for my review. Hope you all got something useful. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Yes, I understand through and through that ESRB game ratings are for mass marketed console games etc.
I only mean to say; why not just insert a "For ages ?-? (8 to adult) or whatever you deem appropriate on a game's web page add, CD-ROM box or whatever along with all the other info. given with a review etc..
So people can get an understanding of the game's given maturity level. And if that seems too presumptuous or might not float, why not at least a recommended an appropriate age group?
I just tonight down loaded the demo DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, and played it for a while.
With that said, I would say you are correct in recommending this game for teens. Especially teens who like to smart off.
In the game you play Beethro "clownish madman" chasing his "troublesome" nephew Halph. (As described on the caravelgames.com website) Beethro calling his nephew a "punk" of some sort. Halph, taunting his uncle all through the chase. Along with this renaissance music playing in a main page.
I don't really know what to think. I was kind of broad-sided while playing it with my 6 year old getting a little frightened. This DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, (to me) is a cross between the benedictine monks and the Simpson's SlapStick cartoons.
Now, the sound effects are nice, very nice.
I'm not trying to imply that this game is not worth one's money. Or that my opinion is your opinion (forum members/readers) If you like the game, play it. Support the developers for our platform. I do.
On a more upbeat note though, I do highly respect developers work. Computer games no less. They have got to put a intense amount of time into their work. It's really art. And I view it with an art appreciating viewpoint.
So, when I look for Mac games, I either A.) know I want it pretty quickly after trying a demo, or carefully reading and reviewing specifics and what I look up on the Web. Or B.) Think about it for a spell and consider the pro's and con's and what not. And finally make my final decision.
And yes, I thank you too Peter for your many reviews. There's always something you're writing about that's of interest to me and many readers.
That's all for my review. Hope you all got something useful. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
#8
Nobody
- Power User
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 58,347
- Joined: 18-October 07
Posted 24 June 2006 - 09:43 AM
But, DROD is a fun game! The special effects are pretty cool! I like it, and I may yet purchase it. I'll be test driving DROD, and I might even download the Castle DROD too and try that one out, to compare.
Keep up the nice work Caravel Games! I'm sure a lot of people will like it too.
Thanks again,
-Mike
Keep up the nice work Caravel Games! I'm sure a lot of people will like it too.
Thanks again,
-Mike
#9
Nobody
- Power User
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 58,347
- Joined: 18-October 07
Posted 07 July 2006 - 10:09 PM
Sorry for the late reply, Mike. I'm not on this forum too often. I just now changed my account to get e-mail post notifications, so maybe I'll see them in the future and reply back more promptly.
Yeah, I was waiting for another guy to put some finishing touches on the TIGRS (www.tigrs.org) rating system and was going to use that. But I'm not sure if I should wait for him.
Heh heh. I'm sorry your kid got frightened. I think the Slayer (main villain) is pretty creepy and even freaks me out a little. And if Beethro dies, he will make a terrible howl, so yeah, the voices in particular are probably enough to frighten young children.
I don't feel particularly comfortable suggesting a specific age group that should or shouldn't play the game. Different parents have different values and will view content differently. I don't even have a kid myself, so what could I tell you about what a 6-year-old should or shouldn't see? What I can do is say what is in the game and let you make your own decisions. And I agree that our website should have some more information for parents. I'll put it on the list of things to do.
-Erik
In reply to:
Yes, I understand through and through that ESRB game ratings are for mass marketed console games etc.
I only mean to say; why not just insert a "For ages ?-? (8 to adult) or whatever you deem appropriate on a game's web page add, CD-ROM box or whatever along with all the other info. given with a review etc..
Yes, I understand through and through that ESRB game ratings are for mass marketed console games etc.
I only mean to say; why not just insert a "For ages ?-? (8 to adult) or whatever you deem appropriate on a game's web page add, CD-ROM box or whatever along with all the other info. given with a review etc..
Yeah, I was waiting for another guy to put some finishing touches on the TIGRS (www.tigrs.org) rating system and was going to use that. But I'm not sure if I should wait for him.
In reply to:
I was kind of broad-sided while playing it with my 6 year old getting a little frightened. This DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, (to me) is a cross between the benedictine monks and the Simpson's SlapStick cartoons.
I was kind of broad-sided while playing it with my 6 year old getting a little frightened. This DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, (to me) is a cross between the benedictine monks and the Simpson's SlapStick cartoons.
Heh heh. I'm sorry your kid got frightened. I think the Slayer (main villain) is pretty creepy and even freaks me out a little. And if Beethro dies, he will make a terrible howl, so yeah, the voices in particular are probably enough to frighten young children.
I don't feel particularly comfortable suggesting a specific age group that should or shouldn't play the game. Different parents have different values and will view content differently. I don't even have a kid myself, so what could I tell you about what a 6-year-old should or shouldn't see? What I can do is say what is in the game and let you make your own decisions. And I agree that our website should have some more information for parents. I'll put it on the list of things to do.
-Erik
#10
Nobody
- Power User
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 58,347
- Joined: 18-October 07
Posted 08 July 2006 - 01:22 PM
Thanks for replying, Erik.
No problem with the later reply.
I surely agree. I'm not trying to be hyper-sensitive to the DROD game; actually my 6 year old likes the game better than me now. He's actually turning into somewhat of a bona fide gamer! He especially is getting to like the free web games @ macgamestore.com.
I work with him to help create a balanced computer experience by getting him to work on his creativity and learning software too.
The DROD experience is a pretty MILD rating so far in my view. It's actually really logical/calculation based. Very helpful to a strong degree for kids. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thanks again,
No problem with the later reply.
In reply to:
I don't feel particularly comfortable suggesting a specific age group that should or shouldn't play the game. Different parents have different values and will view content differently. I don't even have a kid myself, so what could I tell you about what a 6-year-old should or shouldn't see? What I can do is say what is in the game and let you make your own decisions. And I agree that our website should have some more information for parents. I'll put it on the list of things to do.
I don't feel particularly comfortable suggesting a specific age group that should or shouldn't play the game. Different parents have different values and will view content differently. I don't even have a kid myself, so what could I tell you about what a 6-year-old should or shouldn't see? What I can do is say what is in the game and let you make your own decisions. And I agree that our website should have some more information for parents. I'll put it on the list of things to do.
I surely agree. I'm not trying to be hyper-sensitive to the DROD game; actually my 6 year old likes the game better than me now. He's actually turning into somewhat of a bona fide gamer! He especially is getting to like the free web games @ macgamestore.com.
I work with him to help create a balanced computer experience by getting him to work on his creativity and learning software too.
The DROD experience is a pretty MILD rating so far in my view. It's actually really logical/calculation based. Very helpful to a strong degree for kids. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thanks again,
Page 1 of 1
