Project status

Gwendo · Jan 30, 2006

So, how's the game status? Can you give an aproximate percentage of the game's development?

Vault Dweller · Jan 30, 2006

Well, the story, dialogues, area & NPCs design, game mechanics are done. We are still tweaking things, like that AP/MP split discussed in another thread; I've added more quests & dialogues, etc.

We're about 70% done with character animations (we have more than 100 unique animations), they should be finished in about a month.

We're about 40% done with buildings & interiors. It would probably take us another 2-3 months to finish them all.

Map design is done, so once we have all the objects, it would be easy to re-create them. Currently we have about 20% maps completed.

We've registered a business, a domain name, and now we are working on a site which should be ready within a month and would provide more information and screens.

We've got a new artist who is busy making cool art for the game. We plan to have 20-30 art concepts in-game.

That's about it. At this point the mid-summer release date looks reasonable.

Astromarine · Jan 30, 2006

re you planning on writing a kind of Post Mortem once the initial publicity and sales drive is done, talking about the costs, etc of the whole thing? I'm curious about the business side of things.

Vault Dweller · Jan 30, 2006

Sure. I'm a big fan and supporter of indie developers, so regardless of the results, I'll share my experience fully, either to learn and follow or know what not to do

Jason · Jan 30, 2006

Do the post mortem Behind The Music style.

Announcer: "They were meeting milestone after milestone. The game was looking great. That's when everything went terribly wrong...."
VD's Mom: "He was such a happy boy. Always going on about his puter games and whatnot. And then he discovered the cocaine. Lord, give me back my boy!"

Vault Dweller · Jan 30, 2006

FrancoTAU · Jan 30, 2006

Are you going to be open the whole Alpha/Beta testing to some of us mooks or are you doing QA all inhouse? If so, when are you looking to start that around.

Gwendo · Jan 30, 2006

Just for curiousity:

Is the map making process hard coded, or did you develop an utility to do that (hint: maybe future map editors?

)

Whipporowill · Jan 30, 2006

Yeah, we'll look forward to hearing how many games you sell as opposed to guessing as we usually do.

Vault Dweller · Jan 30, 2006

Gwendo said:
Just for curiousity:

Is the map making process hard coded, or did you develop an utility to do that (hint: maybe future map editors? )

It's a part of the Torque Engine. Here is a nice overview:
http://www.devmaster.net/engines/engine ... s.php?id=3

corvax · Feb 2, 2006

How about system requirements?

Vault Dweller · Feb 2, 2006

Recommended:

Overclocked Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor
RAM in every slot, if there are not enough slots, tape it to the motherboard
The most expensive video card (you'll need it to play the game with all the settings maxed out!)
Windows 3.11 or higher, with Intarnet options

Required:

Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP
Pentium III 500, 128 MB RAM
OpenGL or DirectX Compatible 3D Graphics Accelerator, DirectX compatible Soundcard

Section8 · Feb 2, 2006

It should also be noted that "keyboard + mouse" is not an omission, you don't actually require them to play the game.

Vault Dweller · Feb 2, 2006

It's a role-playing game. Duh! All you need is the Wizzard Lord hat and some imagination.

Kraszu · Feb 2, 2006

You are not going for retail? (i guess not. but game like space rangers 2 don't really have a much beter grafix)

But whot about the magizines, maybe some in country like Poland would be intrested in publishing your game whit mag insted of some old game. I don't cnow haw it could work in practise becose of the distance. From commercial standpoint it could work becose in Poland fallout like game would be popular + suport of the mag as cnow mark.

Vault Dweller · Feb 2, 2006

I don't know at this point. So far, step 1 - finish the game, step 2 - start selling it online, step 3 - consider other distribution methods.

I did notice that eastern european sites have much stronger interests and there is a lot more coverage happening over there, so if I can reach more people via magazines and offer a better price in those regions, I certainly wouldn't mind.

Funny thing is, I've already been approached by a NA publisher, who kindly offered to take me and my team "under his wing", and spare no "professional" resources in exchange for the rights, most of the revenues, and much needed marketing input. Surprisingly, they didn't mind TB combat, but they wanted me to add some idiotic things that were "proven to work". I made some semi-offensive comments and suggestions, and never heard from them again. Oh well...

aweigh · Feb 2, 2006

Are there boobies? CHOICHES!!!!!1

callehe · Feb 2, 2006

Surprisingly, they didn't mind TB combat, but they wanted me to add some idiotic things that were "proven to work"

really? what was it then? hot lizard biatches? lololol

Atrokkus · Feb 2, 2006

I did notice that eastern european sites have much stronger interests and there is a lot more coverage happening over there,

Keep one thing in mind, though: eastern europe, post-Soviet bloc especially, will not really express much interest in a game that is english-only. Moreover, be prepared for piracy: if the interest is high enough, noone would really bother buying your game, for two reasons: some people will just not bother because they are used to piracy, and second being that most people here don't have the ability to pay online (even if they sufficient funds), which will lead them to pirating the game.
Hence, it would be very wise of you to think of the most convenient way of buying it. Because really I would love to pay for your game, but if I have no way of doing it, how am I supposed to play it?

Vault Dweller · Feb 2, 2006

metallix said:
I did notice that eastern european sites have much stronger interests and there is a lot more coverage happening over there,

Click to expand...

Keep one thing in mind, though: eastern europe, post-Soviet bloc especially, will not really express much interest in a game that is english-only.

I didn't say they are crazy about it, I said " much stronger interest"

Moreover, be prepared for piracy:

Sure. I agree with Jeff Vogel here: people who pirate games have no intentions of paying anyway, so I don't lose any sales, but more people playing the game is the best advertisement.

Hence, it would be very wise of you to think of the most convenient way of buying it. Because really I would love to pay for your game, but if I have no way of doing it, how am I supposed to play it?

It's understandable. You have my blessing to pirate it.

Atrokkus · Feb 2, 2006

So you think I won't pay you, huh? WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT, CHUM!

Whipporowill · Feb 2, 2006

I won't defend piracy in any way, but an indie is way less likely to be pirated than a big brand game. Mount & Blade for instance has a lot of self-proclaimed software pirates gladly forking up dough.

Vault Dweller · Feb 2, 2006

callehe said:
Surprisingly, they didn't mind TB combat, but they wanted me to add some idiotic things that were "proven to work"

Click to expand...

really? what was it then? hot lizard biatches? lololol

I'm too lazy to look for the email, but it was something like: friendly NPCs guiding your character*, clearly established "good side"**, and - you'll love this - getting magical items as quests rewards ("you must motivate players to complete quests"- Duh!)

* It would take too long to explain what they objected too, so I'll just quote Section8 here, because that's what they thought was too much:
"It lets the player know early on that that the men in charge aren't benevolent, and you don't want to fuck with anyone who has more sway than you. The fact that the whole mini-story revolves around the killing of a man posing a minor economic threat is a great way to illustrate that this isn't fantasy where knights and paladins ponce about on the side of good. "

** They felt that it's unclear which ones are the good options, and most people, according to some marketing crap, prefer to make positive decisions, so having a seemingly good option that may backfire and bite you in the ass was a very bad idea.

Something like that.

Vault Dweller · Feb 2, 2006

Whipporowill said:
I won't defend piracy in any way, but an indie is way less likely to be pirated than a big brand game. Mount & Blade for instance has a lot of self-proclaimed software pirates gladly forking up dough.

That's true too. I see it more as supporting than actually paying for the game.

spacemoose · Feb 2, 2006

Don't you goddamn commies have credit cards over in bizzaro-land?

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