Kingdom of Keflings: First XBLA Title to Use Avatars

[DoctorFinger]

XBL Avatars. They're arguably the most controversial part of the New Xbox Experience. But Microsoft really wants you to embrace these little big head versions of yourself, and they're serious about integrating them into titles. So, launching alongside the NXE will be Kingdom of Keflings. Developed by NinjaBee, this city builder will task your avatar with the task of creating a bustling metropolis out of the little Kefling village.The Xbox LIVE Arcade game, launching on Nov. 19 with the New Xbox Experience, is the first Xbox 360 title to ship with playable, in-game Avatars. “A Kingdom for Keflings” also comes packed with custom animations tailored for Avatars and player-controlled social emotes. The game supports 4-player Xbox LIVE multiplayer with each friend using a custom Avatar, and works perfectly with Xbox LIVE Party.Kingdom of Keflings will be available November 19th, and cost 800 MS points ($10).

Source - Gamerscore Blog (http://gamerscoreblog.com/press/archive/2008/11/06/562254.aspx).

[DoctorFinger]

And I have assurances from Kefkataran that these Keflings are not named after him, as far as he knows.

[Variable Gear]

I am looking forward to Kingdom for Keflings, and I'm happy that avatar integration is optional.

[SPBTooL]

Things like this are what casual gamers want. My wife loves how the avatars work in the new Scene-It.

[Spigot]

I don't care if it uses Avatars or not. I just want the game. Nice to see it shall be in my hands in a little less than 2 weeks.

[Sl1pstream]

I really like NinjaBee and I probably would've picked this up, even without avatar integration. This is just a nice little bonus.

[biosc1]

This actually looks like fun...may be a nice game for me to play with my gf.

[MagGnome]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't give a rat's behind about the avatars, but this is my most hotly anticipated title of the fall season, and I am not joking.

I'm really hoping this title lives up to my expectations, and I also hope that avatars are entirely optional.

[Spigot]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't give a rat's behind about the avatars, but this is my most hotly anticipated title of the fall season, and I am not joking.

I'm really hoping this title lives up to my expectations, and I also hope that avatars are entirely optional.Me too. It's funny though. The only exposure I've had to the game was the interview Kef gave on 1UpFM with the Ninjabee guys and that alone has stoked my interest in the game. I'm trying to keep myself in the dark as much as possible so that I can be surprised with even the look of the game when it goes live in a couple weeks. I haven't seen a single screenshot and I don't want to.

[MagGnome]

Me too. It's funny though. The only exposure I've had to the game was the interview Kef gave on 1UpFM with the Ninjabee guys and that alone has stoked my interest in the game. I'm trying to keep myself in the dark as much as possible so that I can be surprised with even the look of the game when it goes live in a couple weeks. I haven't seen a single screenshot and I don't want to.

I actually saw a video of the title, so I know a bit more about it.

Still, I'm excited. I just hope it lives up to my expectations, which I am trying to keep low. :p

[Norse]

And I have assurances from Kefkataran that these Keflings are not named after him, as far as he knows.

I would buy a game called Kingdom of Kefkatarans.

[Spigot]

So, did everyone go out and snag this last night? I did and it is quite enjoyable, especially if you just want a relaxing game to zone out to.

Plus the music is fantastic.

[Sl1pstream]

I tried the demo and wasn't convinced. I'll play around with it some more before I either buy or delete it.

[Squidbot]

The music is the most non offensive game music I've heard in a while, if that makes sense.
There's something horribly addictive about this game.

[BLeeP]

The music is the most non offensive game music I've heard in a while, if that makes sense.
There's something horribly addictive about this game.

I tried the demo and it sort of weirded it me out to see this cartoon version of myself picking up David the Gnome's wife and making her mine rocks.

Not sure if I will buy this just yet.

[Nura]

I picked it up yesterday, BAM! 6 hours of my life gone.. i have no idea what happened.

[Spigot]

I picked it up yesterday, BAM! 6 hours of my life gone.. i have no idea what happened.Yeah. I have a copy of Mirror's Edge and L4D sitting here waiting to be played but whenever I was playing one of the other games, I'd get this itch to go and work on my town.

All my gaming time last night was pretty much 10-15 minute chunks of "Real Game X" surrounded by creamy hours of AK4K.

[MagGnome]

So, did everyone go out and snag this last night? I did and it is quite enjoyable, especially if you just want a relaxing game to zone out to.

Plus the music is fantastic.

I really want to play this. Hopefully my 360 comes back to me soon. :(


I tried the demo and it sort of weirded it me out to see this cartoon version of myself picking up David the Gnome's wife and making her mine rocks.

You leave those gnomes alone! :mad:

[Spigot]

Oh yeah. That's why you weren't all a-buzz with glee when this game came out. I hope your 360 comes home soon, Maggie!

[MagGnome]

Oh yeah. That's why you weren't all a-buzz with glee when this game came out. I hope your 360 comes home soon, Maggie!

You know I would have been all over this game if my 360 hadn't died. I've been meaning to PM you for your thoughts, so I'm glad I saw this thread.

[Spigot]

You know I would have been all over this game if my 360 hadn't died. I've been meaning to PM you for your thoughts, so I'm glad I saw this thread.Let's just say that I have Left 4 Dead, Mirror's Edge and Valkyria Chronicles all begging to be played (amongst others) and all I've been able to do today is play AK4K. I want to stop, but I can't!

[MagGnome]

Let's just say that I have Left 4 Dead, Mirror's Edge and Valkyria Chronicles all begging to be played (amongst others) and all I've been able to do today is play AK4K. I want to stop, but I can't!

I'm envious of you. Hopefully I'll be playing it soon.

In the meantime I'm going to spend a lot of time playing Left 4 Dead and Eets, which I am somewhat addicted to.

[OldJadedGamer]

I bought this game and it's actually very fun so far. Looking forward to playing it online.

[Murtaug]

I have been playing it the past couple of days and find it quite relaxing.

If you do not like micromanaging things, this is probably not for you, though it really is not that bad if you lay your town out right and find the right groove for your Keflings.

The game is so simple, you really can not screw anything up, if you do not like where something is placed, bash it back to its parts and move it. It's just a fun time (consuming) waster.

[Spigot]

I have been playing it the past couple of days and find it quite relaxing.

If you do not like micromanaging things, this is probably not for you, though it really is not that bad if you lay your town out right and find the right groove for your Keflings.

The game is so simple, you really can not screw anything up, if you do not like where something is placed, bash it back to its parts and move it. It's just a fun time (consuming) waster.Yeah. I've seen you playing it when I've gone online. I just built my keep and factory and am busy working on some more goodies.

The fact that there is no conflict and no way to screw up is just lovely for me. My biggest challenge is trying to find the best place to put my various buildings so my Keflings don't have to walk so far. Heck, now that I have my magic belt, I feel useful when I lug giant piles of rocks and bricks from place to place.

[pomeroy]

Isn't this thread title wrong? I thought Uno used the avatars...

[Spigot]

Isn't this thread title wrong? I thought Uno used the avatars...I think AK4K was the first to be announced as using it. There are about 4 on the list (Uno, AK4K and Hardwood Hearts for sure... I think there was one more, but I forget what).

This was the first NEW game to use Avatars!

[pomeroy]

I think AK4K was the first to be announced as using it. There are about 4 on the list (Uno, AK4K and Hardwood Hearts for sure... I think there was one more, but I forget what).

This was the first NEW game to use Avatars!

Ah. Awesome.

[n3rdXcore]

I really liked Cloning Clyde (first game I got 100% gamerscore on!), Outpost Kaloki X, and Band of Bugs, so I will definitely check this out on Monday.

[OldJadedGamer]

I really liked Cloning Clyde (first game I got 100% gamerscore on!), Outpost Kaloki X, and Band of Bugs, so I will definitely check this out on Monday.

Cloning Clyde was great. I love NinjaBee, my favorite XBL developer.

[Wilkz07]

i am addicted to this game. at one point i knew i had to stop so I did what i used to when i was little and told to 'turn it off'... i just set keflings to harvest and deliver resources to the buildings they were supposed to and turned off the tv... came back a few hours later to stockpiles... working on building the Keep now.

[MagGnome]

I really liked Cloning Clyde (first game I got 100% gamerscore on!), Outpost Kaloki X, and Band of Bugs, so I will definitely check this out on Monday.

I've played and loved the demos for all of those. I've been meaning to pick them all up at some point. It's a shame that Ninja Bee doesn't have a big fan following yet. Hopefully they will soon. Band of Bugs alone should have developed a nice online following, what with the map editor and all, but it seems like building that sort of community isn't as easy in the console space.

I'd really like to see their games come to the PC.

[OldJadedGamer]

i am addicted to this game. at one point i knew i had to stop so I did what i used to when i was little and told to 'turn it off'... i just set keflings to harvest and deliver resources to the buildings they were supposed to and turned off the tv... came back a few hours later to stockpiles... working on building the Keep now.

Ohhhh, I didn't think to make them stock pile stuff when I wasn't playing.

[biosc1]

Dangit...I played the demo last night...then ended up buying it. I then proceeded to waste about 2 hours just running through the demo :)

I think I like this game :o

[Squidbot]

This game is a shining example of why shiny graphics can go suck on a big fat one.

[Spigot]

This game is a shining example of why shiny graphics can go suck on a big fat one.I do wish you could rotate the camera and not have it snap back. That's and being able to zoom in a tiny bit more so I could easily see my Keflings would be about the only changes I'd ask for.

[Squidbot]

You're going to burn at the stake, Spigot! My keflings will gather around you, and swarm over you. It will be like Gulliver's worst nightmare!

[KamaItachi]

I've played and loved the demos for all of those. I've been meaning to pick them all up at some point. It's a shame that Ninja Bee doesn't have a big fan following yet. Hopefully they will soon. Band of Bugs alone should have developed a nice online following, what with the map editor and all, but it seems like building that sort of community isn't as easy in the console space.

I'd really like to see their games come to the PC.

They won me over with Outpost Kaloki waaay back when and I've been a fan of Ninja Bee ever since. Cloning Clyde is the only game of theirs I haven't bought outright, but I had good fun with the demo.

I will be picking up Kingdom as well when I grab some points.

[Rakael]

I actually like the avatars. They are a nice touch IMO, though that touch did come a little late. I may snag this game though, just for shits and giggles.

[Spigot]

I didn't think I'd use my Avatar until I saw the default choices for Giant. I don't know why, but I was thinking that the Giant would be some kind of strange animesque creature like the robots in Laputa: Castle In The Sky or the Night Walker from Mononoke.

[Inverarity]

Okay, this game is just ridiculously addictive. I just got Fallout 3 in from GameFly yesterday, and yet I spent the evening playing A Kingdom for Keflings. And my wife was upstairs on the other 360, also playing A Kingdom for Keflings. Someone upthread mentioned that it's oddly relaxing...I think that's a big part of the appeal. The limitations on how quickly you can gather and process resources, and the fact that you have to physically move things to their build sites, make everything happen at a pace which is just about right - slow enough to be pleasant, but fast enough (and with enough going on) to be absorbing.

Has anyone else noticed that if you step away from the controller for more than a couple of minutes, your Keflings stop working? I was a little annoyed at not being able to let my automated workers stockpile things while I was idle, but I think it suits the game's atmosphere.

[Spigot]

This is the perfect tonic to the rage that builds, say, when you've just spent upwards of 15 minutes repeating the same segment of Mirror's Edge (stupid blues) or had your head chewed off by a horde of zombies in L4D.

Whenever I start to get mad at Mirror's Edge for whatever reason, I just fire up AK4K and the tension just melts away. I didn't notice that the Keflings stop working when you put the controller down, but I figured they would if the controller turned itself off.

I'm having fun painting the village in a rainbow of colours. It's a great way to help differentiate the different types of workshops or material places if things get a little crowded.

[Inverarity]

I was thinking the same thing last night - I started a game from scratch with an eye towards creating the most efficient possible flow of goods through the town, and it occurred to me that it might help to color-code the roofs of the buildings.

Is there any way to boost the number of Keflings other than missions from the mayor? I always seem to be a few short, and I tend to have to take staff away from buildings to keep resources moving...

[Spigot]

It's pretty much tied to the Mayor and whatever hearts you might find in the wild.

I'll assume that's a way of limiting the amount of stockpiling you can do. I've started to take people off of transport duty and just have them harvest stuff now that I have the belt that lets me carry 25 of whatever resource I need. It's quicker to just grab a pile and lug it to the Contractor's Office or wherever than to wait for the Keflings to saunter by.

[Inverarity]

That's pretty much what I'm doing as well. The way my workflow is set up, it only takes about ten seconds to move 100 items from one station to the next. It's about ten times faster than having Keflings do it.

I'm about to build the Castle Workshop, so I suspect I'm entering a whole new world of "you need HOW MANY pieces to build that?".

[Spigot]

I'm about to build the Castle Workshop, so I suspect I'm entering a whole new world of "you need HOW MANY pieces to build that?".Yeah. I'm right on the verge of that. I'm kind of hesitant to do that build just yet until I finish making everything else in the list of blueprints.

Did you go the trader route or fortune teller?

[Rakael]

I'm probably going to snag this on Friday. You guys have me itching for it now.

[Spigot]

I just noticed that the title of the thread is wrong too. Man. It's A Kingdom For Keflings, not Kingdom Of Keflings. I already had to fix that on Co-Optimus :)

[MachEnergy]

I want to play this game more and more after reading all your posts. Must find way to introduce yet another game into schedule...

[Inverarity]

Try the demo. It will displace whatever you've been planning on playing. I haven't started on GoW2, Fable 2, or Fallout 3 yet thanks to CivRev and AKfK...

[n3rdXcore]

Holy crap so addictive. It's just a very relaxing city builder. Thank god for a 4 day weekend!

[Gerbs]

Great game, check it out if you haven't yet. As others have said it is so relaxing, and time will just melt by. I also use it to check out my Avatar's bald spot.