V_K
Arcane
Finally some real
I just shelled out $60 for the game, which includes the Artbook, Soundtrack, digital yearbook, and beta access to the game. Admittedly I only made the purchase because I just received a check for my birthday, loved all the Quest for Glory games the Coles created in the past, feel that the collapse of Sierra was a horrible thing to have happened, and I appreciate all the Coles still do for the industry and for indie games (such as their support for Heroine's Quest). Take one of those away and I wouldn't have spent so much. I don't expect this to be the game of the year for 2015 or 2016 or whenever it is released, but I do hope for at least a very good adventure-CRPG hybrid and something that will get enough traction to keep the two in the black and out of bankruptcy.
Anyway, I'll share my impressions as time moves closer to the official release date. Downloading the demo now.
Edit: Loading up the intro and I find it pretty.
Demo Arigato
In May, Transolar Games will start another Kickstarter to raise money to finish the Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption project with extra flair and pizzazz. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will send two demos out to our Kickstarter Backers who wanted to Beta test our game. After initial testing and feedback, we will make both demos available to other backers and the public.
The Break-In House, Redux
Why two demos? The first demo is the opening scene of the game – the Break-in House. We released this same scene originally with different artwork. Now we’ve revamped the artwork and redesigned the interactions in the room to make it more interesting and exciting.
That was then:
BIH Original Trek
This is now:
BIH Next Generation
Shawn and the room are now rendered in 3D. We updated many of the original props for the new version, but they are now 3D rather than the 2-1/2 D of the original Demo.
The new Break-in House Demo doesn’t look like some bright and cheery, bland scene with cutout cartoon characters pasted over it. Now we have a mysterious darkened room full of unknown obstacles and puzzles. The emotional appeal of the room has changed dramatically. We’ve gone from an imitation 90’s Sierra wannabe game to something with its own unique style.
Why is this important? This scene is not just for the demo – It is the opening scene that sets the tone for the rest of the game. And Shawn will return later as part of a critical plot revelation. So “ok” wasn’t good enough for this scene… or the rest of Hero-U.
The Combat Prototype
We originally planned to release a combat demo a few months after the adventure game demo. However, as we began work on it, we discovered that this was a much more complicated exercise. To really show off our combat features, we needed 3D monsters, a much more complex 3D environment, and most of the behind-the-scenes RPG features.
Shawn sneaks quietly through the wine cellar
When you play a game, you see the end result of the coordinated effort of all the team members. To make the combat prototype, we needed:
This was not something we could put together in a month. In fact, we had to put it on hold for many more months until we received character art, hired 3D environment artists, and hired a programmer who understood all the aspects of creating an RPG.
- The combat system, including effects of skills, abilities, and equipment
- The inventory system with the ability to collect and use items
- Animation for doors, Shawn, and monsters
- The environment, including lighting, obstacles, and special areas
- What happens when Shawn moves behind a wall? How do you see him?
- Messages reflecting combat and other actions
- Music and sound effects
- Much, much more
Shawn encounters two Dire Rats and fights for his life
We didn’t want to waste any of this art or programming, so we created an important section of the game – the wine cellar – and populated it with monsters and treasure for the prototype. The specifics will change in the game, but everything we built for the prototype will be used somewhere in the game.
We’re calling this a “prototype” rather than a “demo”, as we plan to refine many aspects of the combat system before we release them as part of Hero-U. Your feedback will be very important to us as we create the game you want to play.
So we say, “Demo Arigato” – Thank you for checking out these demonstrations of our ongoing work on the Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption project!
+1
The Coles seem like nice people. But to me the entire development of this game seems like a mess. What makes you guys feel confident they can pull it off even with another kickstarter?
by Corey » Mon May 04, 2015 12:57 am
Where's my "Like" button?We're glad you like the music as much as we do, and you're going to see some cool new stuff on May 12 in the new Kickstarter.
Even Better the Second Time Around
Starting May 12, we are taking a very unusual step - Two and one-half years after successfully completing the Hero-U Kickstarter, we are coming back to ask for more funding and more support.
We will need your help to succeed, and I want to show you here why supporting our second Kickstarter is both the right thing to do, and why you will benefit from supporting us.
It won’t take much - If every backer from our first Kickstarter pledges just $10, we will be more than halfway to our $100,000 goal. If you all pledge $20, we can reach our goal on the first day.
This game will be amazing! Thanks to you, we’ve made amazing progress over the last two years. Here is an example of what we showed you in late 2012 compared to what the game looks like now:
We are putting in the time, effort, creativity, and expense to bring this level of quality to every scene and every aspect of Hero-U. This will be a game that each of us - backers and developers - can look on with pride and say, “I helped make that!” Thanks to your support, you are part of our team.
Check Out the New Game Play Demo
We have a great new version of the playable demo for you with all-new art, programming, interface, and dialogue. If you log on to your Humble Bundle account, you will find WIndows, Macintosh, and Linux versions waiting for you to download and enjoy.
We have also just completed our first combat prototype, a playable experience that lets you explore a section of the cellars underneath Hero-U, fight monsters, and collect incredible treasure. We plan to release that to Insider and Beta Test backers today to get their feedback, and to everyone next week.
The rest of the game is also progressing well. We recently added Aaron Martin to the team to work on 3D environments. Most of the castle is now explorable, and we are steadily filling out the text and dialogue. With the demos complete, we expect to make rapid progress on other areas.
There is still a long way to go. Each scene is like a rough gem that needs to be refined, cut, and polished before becoming a jewel worthy of adding to the Hero-U treasure chest.
How You Can Help, and What You Will Get
Every dollar contributed the new Kickstarter campaign will make a big difference to the quality of Hero-U.
For those of you who backed us at the $20 level in 2012, we’ve created a special $20 pledge level just for you. For that second $20, you will receive all the benefits of our new $50 tier. That will include a hint book with tips and strategies for reaching different goals in Hero-U. We will give you the complete soundtrack with all of Ryan Grogan’s stunning musical compositions along with any music we add to the game in the coming months.
You will also get the “Making of Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption Art Book”, highlighting many of the stunning portraits, paintings, and background art from the game. It also includes an insider look at the process our artists went through to complete the game art, including the original design notes, early sketches, and “color comps”. It’s a pretty awesome reward level!
More than half of you (3300 of 6100 total) backed at the original $20 level. Check out the math - As a numbers guy, I think it’s pretty cool. 3300 x $20 = $66,000. That leaves about 2800 backers. Each of you kick in just $10, for 2800 x $10 = 28,000. Add those together and you get $94,000, and the new campaign is nearly funded. It doesn’t take a painful amount from anyone - All it takes is a community and a commitment to this game.
Would you like to help more? We have added some great new rewards at the higher levels including a new t-shirt design depicting all of the types of Heroes at Hero-U. A new hat design will feature the awesomely cute Hero-Unicorn.
Then there is the mysterious Rogues Gallery deep in the catacombs beneath Hero-U. If you are one of our Most Wanted Backers, your picture could appear on a Wanted Poster in the Gallery.
Is there a reward you would treasure more than anything else? Contact us at support@hero-u.net with your ideas.
What’s New At Hero-U?
We’ve simplified our main www.hero-u.com web site and made it mobile-device-friendly. The latter is important for Google’s changes to search priority. From the main page, you can get to the Kickstarter, the What’s New blog, our stores, and the discussion forum. The latter are still onhero-u.net for now. Here are the main links:
Let’s Make This Happen Together
- www.hero-u.com Main page and navigation to everything else
- www.hero-u.com/kickstarter Countdown timer and link to the new Kickstarter
- http://hero-u.com/category/hero-u/ The “What’s New at Hero-U?” blog articles
- http://hero-u.com/stores/ Pre-order, collectible, and Cafe Press stores
- http://hero-u.com/about/ Information about the game, project, and team
- http://hero-u.net/forum/ Discussion forum
- http://www.hero-u.net/hero_u_alumni.html Thank you to our backers
We’ve had an amazing and exciting time developing Hero-U so far, full of ups, downs, and sideways. For all the challenges, we wouldn’t trade the experience. We have been thrilled, delighted, and relieved by your continuing support, confidence, and encouragement for this most difficult project.
Check back on Kickstarter on May 12 for the start of “Hero-U Adventure Role-playing Computer Game” by Corey Cole. www.hero-u.com/kickstarter will count down the time left, and then link to the Kickstarter page once it goes live.
Be sure to share the good news with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and real life. We’ll see you there!
The demo is an improvement from the last one, graphics-wise, though I did run into a small inventory bug that didn't impede me. Basically the bug created mirror images of a letter cutter I had picked up. The demo is as tough as some of the older Quest for Glory experiences. What I mean is that you really have to try everything in order to advance and it will pleasingly challenge or frustrate you depending on how you feel about adventure games in general. I've found a few nifty things in the demo, but haven't beaten it yet, though I have gotten myself thrown into prison.
You make good points, but we did feel we had much choice in any of the changes we've made to Hero-U.
Step 1: Decide to work with experienced developer's code base (but developer is very expensive).
Step 2: Said developer quits because our budget won't cover his consulting rate for a year.
Step 3: Art director refuses to make the game like the original concept because it "looks like shit". We happen to agree, and go with it.
Step 4: After six months of work, the team can't get a single scene to look good in 2D. We make the expensive decision to switch to 3D. Lori and I stop paying ourselves and put all the money back into the budget.
Step 5: Two team members come down with debilitating diseases and have to leave the team. The art director burns out and quits. Now Lori Cole is art director as well as lead writer and designer.
Step 6: We find several fabulous new developers and begin to turn around the project... But see steps 1-5 to find out how much is left to pay them.
Step 7: We regroup and do a second Kickstarter.
Every step pretty much inevitable, but also most of them add quality to the game. We did not "decide" to switch from the 2D top-down Rogue-like to a full 3D adventure game. It was forced on us step by step either by team changes or lack of quality in the previous iteration.
This is, by the way, a normal and typical process for most big games: Warcraft Adventures - cancelled. Wildstar: Years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget. Blizzard's "Titan" - Tens of millions of dollars spent, years late, finally cancelled.
Quest for Glory V - Budget reduced from $900K to $600K before we started production. We refused to make a bad game (as it would have been with that budget), and Sierra cancels it. Later fan email causes Sierra to reconsider. They start over with a 1.5 year schedule and $2M budget. By the time the game launched, it actually took 3.5 years and $4.5M. (And it still looked pretty bad, because in the intervening five years, 3D just started being used.)
So yeah, we make mistakes constantly, but the most serious mistake I made on this project was setting the Estimated Delivery date based on the Kickstarter dollar goal and not on how long it would take to make a game, knowing that we would need additional funding to make a strong game. The estimated delivery should have been Oct. 2014, not 2013, and yes we would still be running a year late.
**From Facebook post above**
So yeah, we make mistakes constantly, but the most serious mistake I made on this project was setting the Estimated Delivery date based on the Kickstarter dollar goal and not on how long it would take to make a game, knowing that we would need additional funding to make a strong game. The estimated delivery should have been Oct. 2014, not 2013, and yes we would still be running a year late.