Ultimate Newcomer - A C64 RPG

Now for something completely different. There is a new verision of Enhanced Newcomer going to be released in the near future. If no one has heard of Newcomer before I don't blame you, neither had I. TheGameSquid brought this game to my attention in the RPGWatch forums. It's a new game on a very old platform, the Commodore 64.
Before you crucify me for announcing an RPG on one of the oldest platforms out there just take a look at what Ultimate Newcomer has to offer:

Features:
* 180+ characters you can interact with, each with his/her own portrait graphic
* 10+ people who may join you, to make a team of up to 6 members
* …or try it on your own, in the extra challenging Solo game mode…
* 50+ different areas to explore, created with 30+ different graphic sets
* 100+ cutscenes/situational graphics in-game, that make you feel like you are there
* 180,000+ words of ingame text, mostly interactive conversations
* No random encounters
* Thousands of puzzles and situations to encounter and solve
* Complex, non-linear gameplay with multiple levels of endings
* Months or weeks of immersive gaming until you "complete" the game…
* …but there will still be a thousand situations, resolutions and encounters you have not seen yet, and 2 more game modes to complete!
* Animated intro and outro sequences
* Game controls changed for more comfort for emulator users on PC/Mac keyboards

This game is twenty years in the making with a boasted 70 - 280 gaming hours for the first playthrough.
There is more information on the game at Protovision's website and there are a few linked articles over at Newcomer's homepage. The homepage doesn't give a specific release date, but it says they're fixing the last known issues and preparing for Gold Master.
So there you have it. A huge roleplaying experience on a platform almost as old as I am. It's going to be released as Donationware. Basically you can get it for free and can make a donation if you would like. If not then just enjoy the game. There will also be boxed versions of the game available for purchase.
I realize this game will not interest many people, but it at least deserved to be mentioned once.
Thanks again to TheGameSquid.
More information.

Sounds good..no random encounters is a plus for me too..time to go up in the loft and look for my C64..(under the Spectrum i think it is).

You could just use an emulator. It's not exactly the same thing as playing on the old C64, but I've played Archon and a few other C64 games using an emulator without much hassle.

Originally Posted by skavenhorde
You could just use an emulator. It's not exactly the same thing as playing on the old C64, but I've played Archon and a few other C64 games using an emulator without much hassle.

Very good idea..cheers.

Wow, I never ceases to amaze me what C64-sceners still come up with. I'll definately be playing this, if only for old times sake. Still should have a working set-up in my attic…

Originally Posted by skavenhorde
You could just use an emulator.

If I might make a suggestion: VICE is a very good emulator.

Cool didnt someone make guitar hero on the c64 too hehe.. gotta love how creative some people are.

Thanks, Zerotown. I'll give it a shot. I always used CCS64, but it's been at least 3 years since I went super retro and played a C64 game. The Bards Tale just doesn't feel right being played in Dos.

Although developed for the C64, the game has been optimized for Linux/PC use, for instance the different the keyboard layout.

"Newcomer?" Shouldn't it be entitled, "Latecomer?"

If it will play on CCS-64, I'm totally playing this game. It looks very cool. And on top of that, it makes me feel not so bad about how long it's taking Frayed Knights to get out the door.

Kudos to Protovision. And wasn't that the name of the fictional video game company in the movie Wargames that Matthew Broderick was trying to hack when he stumbled across the military AI? If so, they get DOUBLE POINTS just for their company name.

I would love if the release was announced here, since I tend to forget titles like this one.

Amazing. I hardly ever played an RPG when I had a C64 (or adventure games, for that matter--Manic Mansion, where the hell were you?!), but I would've enjoyed having this back then! I wonder if it comes on ten floppy disks, though…

I might have to install an emulator when this comes out.

very interesting.

I wonder if the authors or someone nice could zip up an automated package with built in emulation. Some of us were Apple // users and can't remember their way around CDOS and its <64k of memory we were allowed to work with .

I wonder if its possible to port this to Amiga.

That would be a smart way to handle the distribution - just like GOG.COM distributes games with DOSBox packaged in.

I'll have to use an emulator for this one. I was one of the stupid guys that went with the TI 99 instead of the C64. So much gaming I missed out on . . . :-(

and yes please keep us appraised. I don't see too much down the horizon after Deus Ex and Witcher.

Another interesting independent. Count me in!

I still have a functioning Commodore 64 …

Originally Posted by RampantCoyote
Kudos to Protovision. And wasn't that the name of the fictional video game company in the movie Wargames that Matthew Broderick was trying to hack when he stumbled across the military AI? If so, they get DOUBLE POINTS just for their company name.

Heh, yes it was. Nice name for the developers of a game for the Commodore 64. I got a kick out of it, anyway.

Not one for replaying the "pre-90's" games but this looks really good!
Congrats to the designer!

Donationware sounds like a neat gimmick as well

It seems like Zoltán Gonda aka SubBassman aka Bassmann was/is(?) the guy behind Newcomer.
His Neverwinter Nights mods Tortured Hearts 1 & 2 are two of the best mods I have ever played. (very big, very good, very hardcore )

I've been talking to the project lead of Ultimate Newcomer, Istvan Belanszky, about this game. I don't think I'm allowed to say when they're going to release it, but I can say it won't be that long of a wait. They're working hard to squash the final few bugs in the game.

Thanks for the heads up on the Neverwinter Nights mods.