Hey Guys,

for months I had this idea for a game like this but never had the energy or the inspiration to start.
Now a few days ago, my energy went back and I started creating this new game. I already spent many hours in it- doing the sounds and adding stuff, building levels... Messing around with scripts and gameguru files.
Here is what I can show right now - the first level of "Zone Raider". Not sure if the name of the game is final, but I think it's okay for now.

What's in the game yet?

- Money system - get a "bounty" for each kill or get money by finding it.

- Trading - Buy weapons and armor at the merchants place.

- Survival needs - eating and drinking needed in order to stay alive.

- Radiation - Well, it's basically a damage zone with a soundareazone but I think it's cool

I am working on the 2nd level right now. Wich will be a dark and creepy underground area.
I think I said everything interesting for now.

You can watch the result below. I am open to any suggestions and hints !


And in case you wonder, yes. I am a huge S.t.a.l.k.e.r. fan.

31.01.2017 - CURRENT STATE OF LVL 1 - Improved performance

If you're trying to replicate the actual pripyat "zone" I'd go with some more depressing eastern european block tower architecture, or at least some in the background as stark verticals to contrast the otherwise largely flat area. I'm impressed that you've made an entire 10 minute level full of characters of filmable gameplay. I'd also try to make sure that you don't have a gloved hand change to a non-gloved hand at random in the finished product. The sound effects of the birds and occasional musical punches make for a really nice effect.

I'd like to see your favourite screenshots of this project please!!!
I hope they are not all on this level. I get tired of the same colour ambience the whole game through

Looks good, but maybe think about the sky again...
There's a lot of red in your scenery....

Thanks guys ! Will see what I can do with the sky. I will post more media soon. And no, the game does not play in the Pripyat area.

Being a huge fan of STALKER myself I applaud your game idea! (Zone Raider kinda sounds like a toon plattformer though...sorry )

However, I'll be the meanie here: This does not look good.
I'm telling you this because I have seen far superior work from you.

The whole map just looks a tiny bit more competent than an average game guru level. There is not much interesting about it and the zombies do not fit the setting at all. STALKER and its Xray engine, while clunky to some, are a legend of uniform art design and delivering atmosphere....this has absolutely none.

The orange tint, the lush forest (with foliage variants in different quality), the bland level. I don't see this working.

I hope you don't have it up on greenlight yet because I feel like this is your least appealing work so far. You'll have to learn basic modeling and especially texturing. That store makes it really obvious that you just threw in a bunch of premade assets and currently gamers react hostile to that.
And then you are using different hand rigs and guns that obviously have a very different modeling style. This is a mortal sin for developers.
You also have more reds and oranges than fathers island and, to me, its absolutely not working.

My advise is to get a bunch of rock items, to hide the generic look of the terrain a bit more, unify your assets and try to get some atmosphere going. this kind of game lives off of that.

I hope I didn't anger or disencourage you, I'm only telling you this because I don't view you as some noob but a talented bloke and have a feeling that this work is beneath previous stuff from you.
I'm happy to see that you go for something more interactive than "Hunted" with guns and the features you got planned and hope that this turns out to be a great game!

Looking forward for more!



-Wolf

Thanks wolf for your feedback ! No, I am not mad AT ALL, nor am I disencouraged. I will do my best to create something unique, and hell no I dont even think about greenlight haha

This project is going to get as much attention as it needs. That being said: No rushed release.
I want to learn from Hunted and I wanna go bigger this time. I already changed some stuff and this is not even CLOSE to the final state^^

That's why I am posting this here - useful feedback and helpful hints. THANKS wolf

Okay... So I changed all foliage and the map itself... Am I on the right track with this ? please let me know... Can't tell, it's kinda hard for me at this point.

Already vastly superior!!

great Will continue on!

edit: meanwhile, I can show you something of the underground level. It's not finished but it shows pretty good how it should be in terms of atmosphere and look.



28.01.2017:

new video. level 1 showcase. (again) added some stuff including new HUDs ! also disabled all gg vanilla guns, so the "hand" problem is gone for now.

New logo and new name: Zone Hunter: Man-Made Wasteland

New video. New grass ! Overall more detail and new stuff.

This is among the best outdoor games i seen in GG with good lighting (no lights exagerations or rainbow colors).
But the vendor looks too low poly.

ah yes, I'm starting to like the looks of this much more now. The exterior SCREAMS irradiation and the interiors, although they could have some less rudimentary light colours, are also pretty enticing. I too really liked stalker and am glad to see this going a good direction.

This is looking good so far. Congrats on what you've achieved so far Duchenkuke!

My only peeve is that weapon pack always seems a bit off, it appears that all of the weapons don't align with the cross hair.

Thanks guys for the great feedback, it really helps and it's encouraging that I am on the right track

@mouaa I will change him, I agree.

Thanks @bugsy, I work in gg every day to improve the look and the performance. The current version has reduced camera distance but more effects (DOF)
It runs about 30fps in each scene wich is unbelievable for gg. I will make a new video soon.

@Landman, thanks And you're right. Only fix is to lower the weapon fov, but i dont want it too narrow..

This is the current state of level 1. Improved performance and enhanced visuals. I will focus on adding new levels now.

playable version online: http://gamejolt.com/games/zone-hunter/232656

I'll give it a whirl when I get around to it.

Could you be so kind to add a set of screenshots to the first post?



-Wolf

oh yes sure !

"Alright, I guess these are the badies then. Lemme just....okay gotcha! And there is another one in the tower. I'm gonna getcha, climbin up tha ladder!
Oh! Is that? Is that a rocketlauncher?! .... "

I've completed your alpha and see some potential in it... here are a few things that I noticed:

*Collecting stuff is cool! There should be more of it.
*Its not visually coherent, a lot of objects seem misplaced, especially crates and boxes you find outside look too old. I'm only saying it because STALKER itself really nailed that...back in 06. Creepy how time flies! I remember buying it boxed. Had that awful yellow cover with the torn face on it.
* You have proven that you got it with hunted! You can make a game! However, FPS design is something that needs some thought and is a handicraft on its own. You see: Zone Hunter falls completely flat here.
The first real shoot out you have in Stalker is in this farm outside of cordon (is it cordon where sidorovichs lair is?) That was a suspenseful and masterful display of pseudorealist shooter mechanics.
In Hunted, enemies just wander around the forest waiting for you to pick them off...there is no sense of fighting a human enemie...they remind me more of MOBAs placed in an MMORPG rather than enemies in a shooter game. Once you get a rifle, they are entirely defenseless too. I think this is the most important area that has to be entirely revised.
* 2nd level seems chaotic. There is a bunch of stuff and machinery scattered around but it really feels like its just that... a bunch of models you had placed randomly in a map. I think interiors need a drastic design overhaul.
* People who like STALKER already have Stalker! I'd rather have you "lean" on to GSC Gameworlds franchise rather than directly recreate so much of it. Give it some of your own juice

It has potential but is still a very rough thingie. These are just my 2 cents haven't heard from you in a while! Anything new?



-Wolf

Thanks wolf !

You haven't heard anything new because I did not continue. Yes i know, another project I am dropping, but I am no longer motivated to continue it. I think I should be making another game wich does not have so many flaws.

And now, that you point out the things about this game, I can really let it go^^ Also continuing this would be very much work because most of my scipts got overwritten during an update. yes- make a backup and stuff but... naahh..

So, I will not continue this, and probably it's not a shame. Rather I want to create some more special than ripping off from a game series I totally worship.
Maybe I just should stick to the Horror genre. I have something in my mind. (as always.....)

I thought about it again, and I think I am in a creative crisis. Can't seem to get anything done in gameguru the last months. I definitely wanna do a shooter but it has to be good. I dont wanna make crapy games, there are enough of them already. I see what I can do. Don't write this project off entirely. Maybe I got something up my sleeve.

Hey! You can add me on skype if you like, maybe we can brainstorm something up together? I got lots of experience with trying to make a good game using limited time and tools.



-Wolf