Work In Progress / - Acythian -

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DVader
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Posted: 6th Dec 2016 17:16 Edited at: 6th Dec 2016 17:17
Voted with pleasure. Great to see such a tremendous looking GG game! I know what you mean about standard assets, I'm as guilty of it as anyone. I do try however, to choose well suited models for a game and I occasionally make my own as well, but I normally have to force myself to do that, as it's not my favourite aspect of game making. I made a lift for level one of New Beginnings, but have still to get around to texturing it :p

My WIP project for instance is full of DLC and purchased media, not much stock as such, but still recognisable to a few people I imagine (if only GG devs). I have edited nearly all of them in my quest for performance though and ones that still stick out will be replaced or re-textured if I can. I must admit though to be champing at the bit to get people in and have a little life injected. The main map is now getting there, but I know it will be still an age before I can start the meat and potatoes of the game. If I keep at it as I have been, I reckon I'll have it finished by 2020, lol.


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Saintyboy
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Posted: 6th Dec 2016 17:34
Looks great Wolf - you would never know it was GG - what kinda framerates are you getting?
Wolf
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Posted: 6th Dec 2016 19:40
@Synchromesh: Thank you buddy!! And yes, its only 2 levels and ...again...its mostly a glorified "tech demo"...where I demo the tech to myself and see how well things work for me.

If this works well I can see myself make an ultra low budget shooter with a similar tone but up to 8 levels during 2017.

I know that integrity might be a word too big for my silly video game hobby but I do feel it lacking in a lot of greenlight titles that plague us. I'd never sell a game with AI as stupid as this game currently has. (Which is also what I am trying to solve right now...they all run towards me but only shoot at me when they are directly in front of me... the way the enemies behave in the current iteration of this game would be well suited for a sudden play in of the bennie hill theme.)

Quote: "Are you nuts?!"


Oh yes! Very much so! Mweehehehe!

@DVader: Thank you!! I liked your game visually. 'a pity that you didn't keep at it from my POV but I do understand the frustration with GG
I found it interesting and atmospheric and my quip at lazy devs was certainly not aimed at you!

Quote: "If I keep at it as I have been, I reckon I'll have it finished by 2020, lol."


Ah! Maybe we get that illusive performance and AI update and you'll be so motivated you'll have 5 games out by that time. 2020 will be in 3 years...it feels alien to me.

@Sainty Boy:
Quote: "Looks great Wolf - you would never know it was GG - what kinda framerates are you getting?"


Thank you! I always took proud in my work when people didn't immediately recognize the engine
It runs very good now but it strongly depends on your system. Sadly I still run a potato with an AMD R7 240... but even I get frames around the 30s during most gameplay. I talk about what I learned about GG optimisation in THIS THREAD HERE.
How this runs on different rigs will be another thingie this test is for. I'd be happy if you too could test it later and tell me how it ran and what specs you have.



-Wolf

Emrys
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Posted: 7th Dec 2016 12:00 Edited at: 14th Dec 2016 19:25
Amazing, that's how it done !

This should be used to promote what can be done with GG, so many great projects on here at the moment.

Great work Wolf
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Ertlov
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Posted: 7th Dec 2016 14:45
If you need a helping hand for the custom shader tuning, shoot me on Skype.

Also if you need a tester...
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DVader
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Posted: 7th Dec 2016 15:22
Quote: " I liked your game visually. 'a pity that you didn't keep at it from my POV but I do understand the frustration with GG"


I haven't stopped working on it, I took a break for awhile is all Sometimes it's best to just leave it alone for a week or two. I've updated my WIP since with a couple more screenshots, but most work has not been to alter the levels look, it has been to speed it up. I've pretty much managed that now. I think people will be impressed when they see it in action more so than in screenshots My main gripe now is the lighting. Even when I bake it, the lights still pop in and out horribly at times. Right now, a light update would be just great


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Bugsy
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Posted: 8th Dec 2016 01:36
i'm also over here waiting for something playable but i'm still excited

still think you should have gone with "REDACTED: also redacted" for the indieDB
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Wolf
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Posted: 9th Dec 2016 23:42
@Emrys:

Quote: "Amazing, that's how it done !

This should be used to promote what can be done with GG, so many great projects on here at the moment.

Great work Wolf"


Thank you!! I would not mind this being used as promotional material.

Quote: "If you need a helping hand for the custom shader tuning, shoot me on Skype.

Also if you need a tester..."


Thanks! You are already on my list of victims for the beta

@DVader:
Quote: "Right now, a light update would be just great"


While I've gotten used to it and grew somewhat fond of it...I do agree

@Bugsy:
Quote: "i'm also over here waiting for something playable"


Dated post is dated!! Next step should be getting it on youtube.

Quote: "still think you should have gone with "REDACTED: also redacted" for the indieDB "


That joke is so good, I doubt anyone would have gotten it, they'd just be confused.

*****


Hey gang!

I must admit that I'm a little excited about this. Simply because A) it looks very statisfying to me and B ) the terrible horrors that have been reported to me have not occured.
The first beta is now out as a built game and Bugsy already had time to play it. There are, of course, plenty of things in it that don't work at all but all of those are things I can repair. The game itself has saved as standalone without any errors! No black textures, missing sounds, runtime errors. Nothing. This is such a good sign to me!
With gameplay that i have set up wrong and the AI being unresponsive, I still have quite some fixing to do before I can finally post that download button.
But at least I should be able to share a video soon.

The framerates are quite good and the game is very scaleable without losing much definition. Not to be compared to something like UE4 but I think that it is now very possible to craft a good looking game in GG and have it run on lower specs. Not that I think Lee souldn't look into that more or anything, I am merely stating: Its not as bad as it was before.

While it still has glaring faults, there is a lot more right with this than I expected from the first standalone built.

I have also added external anti aliasing and post processing! Take a look:





















-Wolf
Johno 15
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Posted: 12th Dec 2016 20:22
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful scenes wolf. Bravo! Can't wait to sink my teeth into this
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Bolt Action Gaming
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Posted: 12th Dec 2016 21:00
Looks wicked so far. Really liking how this is turning out.
synchromesh
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Posted: 12th Dec 2016 22:40
Quote: "Looks wicked so far. Really liking how this is turning out."

Ye Wolf is turning out to be a great Pupil ......

LOL ... Ye right ..
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SpaceWurm
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Posted: 13th Dec 2016 00:40
I don't know what you've done but compared to your previous screenshots there's a nice bit of vibrance/richness in the colors in these latest screenshots. Daaaaamn sexeeeeh! Nicely done sir.

If I may be anal, on the second last screenshot with the sand it's quite obvious with the tiling of the sand texture on the terrain. Otherwise you may keep your GG God status.
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cybernescence
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Posted: 13th Dec 2016 10:30
Amazing stuff. Looks like Ertlov has you covered but if I can be any help with shaders or scripts let me know.

Cheers.
Wolf
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Posted: 14th Dec 2016 19:20 Edited at: 14th Dec 2016 19:23
Hey everyone!!

@Johnno15:
Quote: " Bravo! Can't wait to sink my teeth into this"


Currently, the enemies only attack once every blue moon. Once this issue has been ironed out, this game is on the forums.

@Bolt Action:
Quote: "Looks wicked so far. Really liking how this is turning out."


Thanks! 'been convinced to use reshade after all

@Synchromesh:
Quote: "Ye Wolf is turning out to be a great Pupil ...... "


Thanks Master!

@Landman:
Quote: "I don't know what you've done but compared to your previous screenshots there's a nice bit of vibrance/richness in the colors in these latest screenshots. Daaaaamn sexeeeeh! Nicely done sir."


Added an external postprocessing thingie. Mainly for the SMAA and bloom that does not entirely ruin the performance. And thanks mate!

Quote: "on the second last screenshot with the sand it's quite obvious with the tiling of the sand texture on the terrain. "


Oh! Don't get me started on that. I was browsing all my sand textures until I found one that had the right colour and feel and DIDN'T tile entirely attrociously. I'm afraid this one is the best beach texture I currently got!

@cybernescence:
Quote: "Amazing stuff. Looks like Ertlov has you covered but if I can be any help with shaders or scripts let me know. "


Oh thanks!! I'll probably need your advice quite a lot when I really get to sink my teeth into Shavra This game here is a pretty simple shooter.



-Wolf
Wolf
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 12:00
Finalizing! Going to be later today!



Ertlov
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 12:09
Hitting F5 every 30 seconds ^^
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granada
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 17:01
Great news Wolf,glad you got your problems sorted.

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Belidos
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 17:23
I'm still waiting ....


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Wolf
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 17:31


I'm writing the thread right now.



-Wolf
Belidos
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 17:35 Edited at: 23rd Dec 2016 17:37
I guess you are working hard to get it done and uploaded ...


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Ertlov
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 18:08
*heavybreathingintensifies*
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Wolf
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Posted: 23rd Dec 2016 18:28 Edited at: 23rd Dec 2016 19:37
You bet I do! But I also gotta make sure that I provide all the necessary info and documentation!



And the upload is taking as long as this games loading screen

[ R E D A C T E D] - Hired Gun Full Release!


I suppose I finally uploaded all the Data! groan!



-Wolf
Wolf
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2017 16:43


With test game and review released as well as game guru more evolved than when I started this project I have now written a comprehensive game design document for Acythian. Meaning that I picked a vision and will now stick with it. When you browse the pages of this project you'll see a lot of plot and tonal shifts as well as a "branch off" into a totally different project. I'll update the first post as well as this thread with new material when its done. But why bump this now you may ask? Well! I'd like to leave a list with the features I work towards that I find very achievable. This might have been part of former Acythian versions but was not achievable for me back then. I have a better understanding of what I can do with GG and, more importantly, what not.

* Greater Attention to detail and style
* An emotionally compelling storyline
* A deep lore
* Complex environments and architecture that is interconnected and makes sense
* Interactive and animated environments
* Destroyable items
* Using all of GG's FPS mechanics to my best knowledge
* atmospheric soundtrack
* Branching level three for varying gameplay experiences (parts of the game will branch out into 2 different levels and later link back together)
* Voiceacting



-Wolf
Wolf
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Posted: 8th Feb 2017 16:22


Hello!! The first post has been updated and after a lot of messing around this game now has a concrete direction and plot line its being developed to.

The first post has also been updated


Introductory text


What drives you, stranger?
And don't give me some trite answer I might find on a calendar or on the label of some ayurvedic teabag. A little respect would be in order, you are talking to a moribund man.
Do you ever take a moment during your pointless daily races to wonder why you even bother?
I did!
Countless times.
Whenever I stood, dressed in full combat gear, under the shower trying to wash off the blood, never feeling quite clean.
Whenever everyone I was getting to know died around me just to ward off yet another wave in an endless sequence of enemy waves or to hold a few pointless compounds in an utterly pointless war.
You may find my words to be ...trivial. The musings of yet another drunk ...or perhaps you can relate. This world is so far gone that there is a good chance that you are not so different from me.
I pulled through and what drove me after the war was simple. To give back. To save a couple of lives for a change,... rather than extinguishing them.
It might surprise you which was far harder to achieve.
I've founded the Lazareth in this part of town and as soon as the Neurophage took Acythia we where swamped with patients. We did our best to prevent the unavoidable. At least we managed to prolong the lives of a couple dozen souls. The successes tasted stale in the face of the mass extinction the phage caused.
And for all the bravado and the medals I received for killing in the war, the pharmaceutical companies scolded and ridiculed me for my attempts to treat subculture scum. They didn't use these exact words but it was the sentiment.
They insisted that people rather supported their charities than our unsanitary lazareth, spreaded lies about my organisation, ordered hits on 2 of my nurses....I can't link anything substantial back to them, of course, but come on! We are all adults here.
I grew pretty cynical. More so than I was before if you can believe that.

But then...they brought in this girl. Must've been 16 when they carried her in. Prostitute overdosed on pink dust, no blight spores in her as far as we could tell. I fell in love. Don't give me that look...not in a sexual way, ...you degenerate.
You see, in the eugenics war I led a special forces group. We where highly augmented. They took us and turned us into weapons. I must have been in my mid 20's then.
There it is, that look again.
You don't believe a single word I'm saying, do you? The reconstructive nanites in my bloodstream prevented my remaining tissue from aging. I'm 85 years old, son.
I'm more machine than I am human. They didn't take my humanity, the war took care of that, they took my ability to ...reproduce and seeing this fragile body on the gurney reminded me of something. Something ancient, older than all this cybernetic heresy around us. I felt the need to protect her. I wanted to be her ...father.

If that doesn't sound too crazy for you. Tracking down her pimp and human trafficking network was easier than I expected. I had to call in a few favours but...nonetheless...took me only a couple of weeks. You see, I once swore to never kill a human being again but these people...they've chosen not to be human. Killed 'em all. Not even felt anything but relief. Kept an eye on law enforcement communication. They noted where they found the bodies but didn't even bother with an investigation. What kind of cop would cuff me for taking out a pedophile ring? None rotten enough, not even in these troubled time.

We almost lost her, I paid for a new liver myself as well as a pair of cybernetic legs. Necrosis took them, too much dust can do this to you, you know.

You are still here? Admirable! So few people seem to have the ...attention span to take all of this in nowadays. At least so it seems. May I buy you a drink?

Anyway, the years it took me to educate and raise her where the best times I've had. Of course I've also taught her how to protect herself. We almost managed to forget about all the decay around us at times. But she became a young woman and although the scars of her past have healed, at least so it felt, she became increasingly altruistic. And I don't mean in a healthy way. She felt like my work in the lazareth, was a waste of time. Only a droplet on a hot stone as she'd say and that the cancerous systems that took hold after the war had to go. She eventually joined this resistance movement. You've heard of it, even though you'll probably won't admit it.

One of their fences got wind that this new holier-than-thou religious cult, the Kyanic Order, has an experimental cure for the Neurophage stashed away. Apparently they wanted to wait for the city to be on the brink of extinction. And when there was nothing left but desperation they'd swoop in like big divine saviours, assuring the legitimation of their cult and thus ultimately gain sovereign power over the city. My little girl was the prodigy of the rebel network and they've sent her in to steal the antidote. It went about as well as you could expect.

She got caught and they sentenced her to death. I was present during that hearing. The order voted against the courts ruling, claiming they'd want to spare her soul and wanted to cleanse her on their sacred grounds.The citadel is what they called it, an enormous compound on an island a couple kilometers south of Acythia. Since she stole from the cult and would be out of the city this way the court agreed to them taking her to their property. They claim it to be a retreat for their higher ranking members, their little “Vatican” so to speak but... the myths and legends surrounding that facility are probably more numerous than those surrounding that cult itself. I don't know what they plan to do to her there but I do know that she's likely not intended to survive the process. What choice do I have? I know there is nothing but a fools hope, but as long as there is any hope to get her out of there alive, I'll have to try.
Tomorrow I'll call in my last favours, dust off my old gear and get myself killed. Ha!
The sea leading to their damned island are littered with cliffs and rock formations. Remnants of the heavy artillery fire that shaped this coast back during the war. If I keep my most of my non-essential augs in standby and take a small boat...or raft... keep the sun in my back and approach through these formations they'd only pick up my signal if they'd actively look for me. Here's to hoping that they won't!
Its a chance... however slim. And there you have it....that is what drives me. My daughter. The last remaining flower for me in this vineyard of rust and corrosion.
I'll get her out of there..., any means necessary … and if I die trying at least I make sure I've given their false prophets. with their grandiose messianic delusions something to mourn and preach about. ...by the break of dawn!



If you have been following my progress so far you've likely seen a lot of these scenes already. Those that repeat are here as they have been updated and are rendered differently. (also to provide you with more than a massive wall of text ) Note that due to the previous iterations of this game frequently changing, that some scenes will appear differently or not at all in the final product. Not unusual to a work-in-progress title...I just figured I'd let you know.


























SpaceWurm
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Posted: 8th Feb 2017 20:17 Edited at: 8th Feb 2017 20:18
I loooooooooooove the first person narrative storyline!! This could unfold into a beautiful game Wolf! Pour your heart into it man because this could seriously be one of your best masterpieces.

I didn't bother looking back at the old threads but are those new weapons in the screenshots?

My only critiques are:

1. GG is doing that funky light desaturation thing again where you've placed dim lights in corners near objects. I know those lights are placed to enhance the projection of the shadows during the baking process. But that's not really your doing, it's the engine. Unless you utilize a sliiiiightly warmer color for those lights. (screenshots 4 and 8. Next to the barrels)

2. There were a few grammatical errors in the text of the story BUT if you read it as a German or Austrian it works perfectly.

Rock on man! Can't wait to see more!
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Gtox
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Posted: 9th Feb 2017 04:13
Compelling narrative and visuals. The story is a variation on the standard post apocalyptic world ravaged by disease + save the girl theme, but it really grabbed my attention. Look forward to seeing more as it gets fleshed out.
Wolf
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Posted: 9th Feb 2017 13:56
Hey!!

Thank both of you for reading. I know it turned out to be quite a wall of text.

@Landman:
Quote: "are those new weapons in the screenshots?"


Jupp!! Some at least. EAI's famous designs

Quote: "GG is doing that funky light desaturation thing again where you've placed dim lights in corners near objects. "


Oh! To be honest, that does not bother me. I guess I've gotten used to it through the years using TGC software.

Quote: " There were a few grammatical errors in the text of the story"


I bet!! I'll have it being prove read by someone who speaks english natively before I put it on anything final. Was there something that stood out to you or just oddly worded phrases?

Quote: "Rock on man! Can't wait to see more!"


Thank you!! Will do

@Gtox:
Quote: " The story is a variation on the standard post apocalyptic world ravaged by disease + save the girl theme, but it really grabbed my attention."


Absolutely! Its not post-apocalyptic but very "run down". I kept the core narrative archetypal and simple on purpose because I have such limited ways of narrating a story. I figured that if I tell a simple story but set it in a complex environment it'll work far better than trying to cramp some humongous plot into a GG game. I hope it works as a narrative this way.



-Wolf
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Posted: 14th Feb 2017 03:01
I can't believe I haven't commented on this already. the new shader update really does a number on your work. i like in in some of the pics, I don't so much in others, but these appear to be more akin to atmos tests than game, especially considering what you showed me on skype. I really like the cities, and the first pic, although I think the last one could use some kind of railing by the sea. gameguru also seems to be able to handle a few more characters now so I hope to see some population on street level.

you don't know how excited i am to see something I animated in here. Get back on skype and i'll send the gunspec for the agram. thanks for the help btw!
Wolf
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Posted: 15th Feb 2017 22:53
Yes, thats exactly it! Its still hit and miss but I'm getting there.
Railings on that harbour area are a terrific idea! Its not done otherwise either...I just have to pace myself to not litter that city with too many entities. You know how I can get when the coffee was too good.

Characters is a good keyword. I've gotten around developing a decent texture style and look for them very different from earlier versions of the project. Simpler in some way and more diverse in others. I might be able to post some pics this weekend, just don't expect anything huge.

I'll most likely use your grenades and the Agram in this project. Thanks for that!

Quote: "thanks for the help btw!"


Likewise! ...and always!



-Wolf

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Posted: 16th Feb 2017 01:46
wolf wrote: "I'll most likely use your grenades and the Agram in this project. Thanks for that!"


now thats what I like to hear!!
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Posted: 19th Feb 2017 20:00 Edited at: 19th Feb 2017 20:05



Start up from a solitary planet; again
but there's a language that I never spoke
And it's clogging up inside my throat

Electric connections
that were dormant now ingite
It's like another part of sight
A second eyelid that was closed before

What did I say?
I never felt this way before
Is that what they say?
It's a defect in my core


Developing a game is a very slow process but it speeds up as you go along. There is a certain groundwork that'll really tie you down but once you're over that hill you can really steam roll ahead. I'm not over that hill just yet but at least I can show you some screenshots from the air filtration area.
This is a string of very maintenance/industrial looking places connected through vent shafts. One of the beautiful things about Acythian is that this level is entirely skip-able. They way I see it only about 50% of the players will see it as the other half will likely use a different point of entry for the citadel. (An overgrown sewer level)

As this game requires a lot of custom models and media to really sell the rusty, gloomy cyberpunk atmosphere I'll also make a lot of more simple stuff.
I've decided to give a set of fuse boxes away for free. You can download these here.

I've had a few set backs with this levels as a lot of my older, animated models use vertex animations and I didn't get these to play in-game. This means that I'll have to rig and animate a bunch of machinery. I suppose thats also interesting about this level, it has quite a lot of more dynamic, moving parts. This does of course require some more finesse when it comes to lighting the scene.





If you could give me feedback on what you like and dislike about this level I'd really appreciate it. Especially since its much easier to respond to criticism before I'll do the 2nd detail make over. (Animated rats, bugs, dirt decals, the soundscape.)
This game has very little backtracking to hunt a key or activate a switch to progress, I'll try to reduce tedious gameplay that is only there to artificially lengthen gameplay as much as possible. If you need an item or a key its always in a somewhat near and logical location for it to be.





I know that this is all looking similar to work I've shown before. I want the citadel to be consistent in look and tone and...as you know...making a game takes a lot longer than playing it











I've been settling on using the "stock" characters for this game and I'm pleasantly surprised that just by applying a little tinkering, they look enjoyably shady. They really fit the setting and I like the quality on them. I've just thrown a few into the map to test them. Face textures aren't yet 100% aligned and you don't actually meet these folks in these locations. I'm pretty sure fine tuning and texturing all the chars for this will be a long venture.









A ventshaft entry point: There used to be a time where this kind of screenshot was quality material in indie fps developing. That seems so distant now.



If you made it this far, please drop me a line here Thanks for checking out my game and happy developing!



-Wolf
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Posted: 20th Feb 2017 09:59 Edited at: 20th Feb 2017 10:01
it looks awesome Wolf the scenery reminds me of Fallout 4 especially vault 81 try adding some fog to this pic guru-mapeditor-2017-02-17-23-41-101.jpg
I know it is indoors but I think it might look cool with slight touch of fog/mist.

you are much better than I am at these things its just an idea pic of V81 attached
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Wolf
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Posted: 20th Feb 2017 19:33
I'm glad to hear you like it Graphix! Its also always a pleasure to have your work compared to a AAA game

Quote: "I know it is indoors but I think it might look cool with slight touch of fog/mist."


It uses a little bit of fog. I think boosting it would be a good idea though, unifies the look more. Ha! I'll probably play with the settings a lot before deciding on how I'll release this. Same with the post processing.

Quote: "you are much better than I am at these things its just an idea "


Thanks!! Thats why I post here, to get fellow developers perspective on my game and ideas such as this.



-Wolf
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Posted: 22nd Feb 2017 06:16
Hey Wolf, I'm just going to sit here and eat my jelly (jealous) sandwiches.

I don't know how you've done it but I love what you've done here in these latest shots. There's softness to the lighting that look quite realistic. Through the softness in the lighting it creates a really "easy on the eye" color pallet.

Rock and roll man! Looking forward to seeing more as always.
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Wolf
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Posted: 22nd Feb 2017 16:59
Hey Landman! Always nice to read from you.

Thank you, I must admit I'm a little proud of how I blended my rough style with a more "modern", clean aesthetic. Its way easier on the eye than a lot of grainy, earlier games I've made and I welcome that change.

Currently working on the sewer level. I'll try to make it interesting with lots of branching paths and foliage. I hope you will like it!



-Wolf

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Posted: 25th Feb 2017 14:45
Truly and utterly awesome scenery Wolf, how on Earth you get your visuals to look like that is just beyond me.
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I only smile because i have absolutely no idea whats going on
Pain
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Posted: 28th Feb 2017 01:55 Edited at: 28th Feb 2017 01:57
Wolf,
You really have out done yourself this time. Very impressive level design, flow and feel.

Absolutely amazing. Stunning. Beautiful. Inspiring.

I must add. Drop Dead Hot. I will now be following this to its end. Completed or not. (Hoping for completion)

Edit:
I was not done as I reviewed more, more thoughts came rushing to my troubled mind. You truly have been gifted by the gods from the heavens above.

PAIN!
Me = noob



and i love The TGC : )
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Posted: 28th Feb 2017 16:42
Quote: "I'll try to make it interesting with lots of branching paths and foliage. "


Foliage in the sewer? You got my attention!
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granada
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Posted: 1st Mar 2017 09:49
I am realy liking the tall roomy look and the lighting.not looking like a GG made game from those screen shots.no home broadband until it gets fixed ,so looking on my phone at the moment. Looking forward to looking at them on my computer.

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Ertlov
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Posted: 1st Mar 2017 11:33 Edited at: 1st Mar 2017 11:34
Quote: "There used to be a time where this kind of screenshot was quality material in indie fps developing. That seems so distant now."


Well, but it still looks unique. And the polished stuff in other Indie FPS nowadays is in 6 / 10 cases a best of Unreal Marketplace with all shiny Unreal 4.XX shaders turned max and in 3 / 10 cases a best of Unity Assetstore with all shiny Unity 5 shaders turned max.

But I am so bold to attach you a screenshot with a suggestion. Try and tell me if it turns out even better
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Wolf
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Posted: 5th Mar 2017 15:31
Sorry for the late reply! I was hoping I could come back strong with new content but I had too much other stuff going on to get behind GG.
I did however post and Art Asset Overview in the 3D board!

@Honkeyboy: I'm mostly working off a mental image for my levels. What does it feel like, sound like, smell like, look like. Then I see what models I have and try to replicate that. Since GG is a WYSIWYG editor I can also screw around with stuff when I dont have a clear idea on how to proceed.
The final level is, of course, always a far cry from what I wanted it to be but I still strive to have them feel lived in and semi-believable. Also trying to make it work and not settle for too many compromises. EH! IDK to be honest! But I'm glad you find it appealing

@PAIN: Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it!

@Granada:
Thank you!
Quote: "not looking like a GG made game from those screen shots"


That is very important to me! I find it very off putting when you can just tell the engine right away as it displays a lack of personalization from the creator.
I take a certain pride in the fact that most of my releases had an own look to them. Sometimes resulting from doing things right, often from doing them wrong but never directly showing what engine powers them.

And hey! What happened to your avatar?

@Ertlov:
Quote: "And the polished stuff in other Indie FPS nowadays is in 6 / 10 cases a best of Unreal Marketplace with all shiny Unreal 4.XX shaders turned max and in 3 / 10 cases a best of Unity Assetstore with all shiny Unity 5 shaders turned max. "


I like to think that this is not always true but it certainly is true for a lot of titles in development. The low-priced assets these days really cheapened the overall respect of game artists lately. I must say I'm not the biggest fan of where its heading with all this oversaturation. But hey! What can ya do, ey?

Quote: "But I am so bold to attach you a screenshot with a suggestion. "


I agree completely. Very good observation!
I'm kinda surprised that you didn't mention the horrific texture on that ...errr... das englische Wort ist mir doch glatt entfallen! Gitter Ah! yes! Iron bars. You see, I could just correct this before I post but I won't...because I'm a rebel...yeeeeeah!



-Wolf
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Posted: 10th Mar 2017 11:07


"What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain."


Heyho Hello!

A lot of progress on this project I have 2 maps halfway done and 2 more that are slowly getting to that point.
I'm far enough with this project to works towards finer gameplay elements such as items. I want this game to have a lot of adventure elements and gathering items is part of that. Plus, having loot that the player can find and use makes the levels more engaging and the game more attractive.
I don't aim to make this an RPG hybrid akin to Deus Ex, the game will be too short to really benefit from that and I dont want it to have any clunky interfaces or micromanaging. If there'll be an inventory in this game it'll be very simplistic. I have a few ideas on how to approach this.

Neurotoxicity

An element I really want to have in this game are several cyberdrugs that enhance your character. There should be a variety of those with different effects. For example: Your health regenerates in this game due to the reconstructive nanites in your blood stream, however, I want you to be able to boost your health above 100% if you find power-up items. Here I'll have to look into getting the health to only regenerate up to 100% again once you lose that boost. I'm not explaining it well, but I hope it makes sense!

However! All power-ups add to your characters neurotoxicity level. The higher this value, the more impaired your character. If it reaches a certain point you'll die. There will of course be other collectables to decrease that value. If you spin the idea a little further you can also have contaminated areas or weapons that would increase that value. So many things you could do!

All of this is still in early stages. I did however model such a power up item: Check it out:



There has been a lot of sarcasm on the internet about how so many FPS games tend to send you into the sewers at some point. Me however, I've always enjoyed the sewer level ... and I'm usually including it in my projects ever since.
The sewers are your second option to infiltrate the compound. This is a large, maze like level. While its pretty derelict and partially overgrown, you'll still find operational maintenance areas. Plus it has a crossing where the level branches out in 2 different paths. Its designed in a way that you can either go left or right but not backtrack and go both.



When polishing this level I'll add rats and bugs that crawl around in certain areas! I'm pretty happy with how this early version looks and plays.



I've been debating wether or not I should throw mutant rats into the mix as enemies. they could rush out of these overgrown areas. I'll have to see if thats cool or silly during the beta test. Thats when you get a better picture of the general mood and atmosphere of a game.



The G36 here is the heavy weapon of the kyanic orders security forces. You won't have it in this level though. Acythian won't have too many weapons despite being a longer game. I aim for it to have less than 9, but those'd be rather diverse in how they play. I'm not dead set on this yet though.



Early version of the female lead.



A lot of this level are ghostly, dingy branching corridors.







I'm fond of the normal mapping on this floor.














This is all I got for you today! Next step will be spreading the game on the usual plattforms, let people know it exists (indiedb, itch.io and what not)
I think I've made enough progress to show it to a general audience.

But I'm as always way more interested in hearing what my fellow devs think about it! Please drop me a line and thanks for visiting!



-Wolf
granada
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Posted: 10th Mar 2017 11:19
I could spend a lot of time just exploring the sewers,one thing I like to do if I manage to kill all the enemies is to go exploring the levels looking at how they are made.lighting looks realy nice,sort of reminds me of half life.rats would be cool,would be great if you could get them walking up and along the pipe work.looking forward to walking around this level.
Quote: "And hey! What happened to your avatar? "


Loged on one day and it was gone .


Dave
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Wolf
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Posted: 11th Mar 2017 12:35
Hey granada!
(Have I ever mentioned that I prefer older car models myself? Newer models seem so overdesigned to me. The automatic gearshift, the space shuttle interfaces... not for me.)

Quote: "lighting looks realy nice,sort of reminds me of half life"


Thank you! I take this as a huge compliment.

Quote: "would be great if you could get them walking up and along the pipe work"


I'd have to get Bugsy on that but its very possible. Not sure if I do it though, I was more thinking along the occasional rat running around the floor. I like the idea though. 'd have to gather some rat shreeking sounds to really "sell it" though.

Quote: "exploring the levels looking at how they are made"


Me too. You could say "professional curiosity". ...don't you just hate it when they make you rush through the level for some timed event? (diffuse a bomb or similar.)



-Wolf
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Posted: 11th Mar 2017 18:08
Kick-ass lighting. No suggestions this time.

And of course we love sewers!
Because that's one of the few ways we can show the basically really good reflections GG is theoretically capable of
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Posted: 18th Mar 2017 11:52
Ha! Thanks!

And I agree! I never thought that this could easily be added to other shaders as well...form real time mirrors and so forth.

A C Y T H I A N is now on indieDB, please drop by if you like



-Wolf
Tarkus1971
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2017 14:22
Absolutely amazing Wolf. This really does show what GameGuru, some good ideas and great level design can achieve.

I wish you the best of luck with this. Awesome stuff.
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Posted: 28th Mar 2017 23:36
Thank you Tarkus! I wish you the same!



-Wolf
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Posted: 2nd Apr 2017 22:12
I'm amazed. Inspiring work
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2017 20:33 Edited at: 3rd Apr 2017 20:35
Thank you Ranzo!


all the lights came
down
long ways from machine towns,
high wire put me down
the sky is on fire
oh the oceans yet to cross
i'm so tired i'm so tired,so tired
of waiting wait for the bomb to drop



Hello all! I'm proud to say that I made quite a bit of headway in developing this game. If I can keep this up I'll easily make the deadline (christmas day.)


My girlfriend enjoys making puzzles and I find making videogames to be simply an elaborate puzzle as well. The kind where you have to craft most pieces yourself. I was facing quite a few problems, lots of them performance related but I think its time to present some of the levels I have been working on:



This is a generator room in level 4. I'm quite happy with how it looks but its not quite there yet, the entire level is still lacking some spark and I'm still trying to add the gameplay a bit more smooth. Its a rather packed level. Lots of narration, a friendly NPC and a puzzle.
NPC's are voiced, except for the multiple choice dialogue if you activate them, this is text similar to the dialogue system in Morrowind or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
I think this is the best compromise between immersion, story and technical possibilities.

The protagonist is having quite a bit of banter over the radio. All of this is going to be voice acted. I've also had voice actors send me mails about contributing to the game and if you too enjoy recording yourself narrating feel free to send me a line or add me in skype



Rocky coast vista!
I have to say that this level was quite some work. Not only is it huge and very interactive, it also plagued me with performance problems and visual glitches. (Working with dynamic lighting is quite effective if you know how to handle it... I had to find out how to handle it first )

As this is the first level, it has to engage the player. While I clearly used a lot of work I've done for Shavra I did give most of it a strong make over to look more appealing an immersive.





Here you can see the Kyanic Citadel. That is the place you'll have to infiltrate. While scouting the coast you'll find 2 ways to do so. The sewers and the ventilation shafts. Depending on which way you'll choose you will spawn in one of 2 entirely different following levels.







Not only is the citadel a gigantic complex, its also ancient. The grounds have been used by various groups throughout the centuries with the cult being only its most recent residents. This results in a maze like complex where old and new architecture and machinery collide.



The citadel island is surrounded by remnants of the sunken city. A nameless metropolis that is sunken after heavy bombardment in the third world war.







More material from level 4! Nevermind the dead guy



A little playing around and planning and your In-Outdoor transitions using dynamic light will look more seemless and less forced





Once you leave the coast you'll find yourself in a small yet lush forrested area.
This path will lead you to a hermit! He has a small shop set up where you can trade in valuables you might find on the island.
He is an elderly fellow and quite possibly insane. I hope y'all be entertained by this encounter (He and his quest are also entirely optional)















Being able to do levels like this is why I really don't miss FPSC! This is the citadel from the other side.

Thank you for paying my project a visit! Please leave me some feedback, I'm always interested in your thoughts.
You can also add me on skype if you wanna chat game design.

'till next time.


-Wolf

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