Following up on the not so popular poll (it isn’t too late though ;)) inviting players to weigh in on GUI design decisions, as well as a lengthier discussion on this subject on RPGCodex, here is the current state of affairs concerning the traditional version of the GUI.
And a big revelation on just how open the world will be 😉
The debate has raged on for days… Weeks even.
Should niche games be priced higher to compensate low, but presumably motivated demand? Or should they be priced lower to entice a less familiar audience to give them a try? This question I explicitly asked in an RPGCodex poll thread. Seven pages of debate later, the poll numbers were the following (as I am writing this):
Indie “niche” RPGs should be priced
High. There’s little demand but the demand is motivated. >$20 15 vote(s) 14.3%
Above average. Don’t be too elitist, you’ll miss out on reasonably interested folks. $15-20 43 vote(s) 41.0%
Just below average. Compete with price, but not too hard. $10-15 45 vote(s) 42.9%
Low. Indie RPGs aren’t worth more than $10. <$10 10 vote(s) 9.5%
Aggressive. Go for the impulse buy. People will buy anything for <$5 7 vote(s) 7.6%
(Multiple votes are allowed.)
Note that the wording I chose for this poll does direct answers a little bit. It is only as scientific as Inxile’s new recruits will allow Wasteland 2 to be. In short, it is also, and especially, for entertainment. To be taken with a grain of salt.
What this suggests is that a solid majority favors higher pricing, but not over the top. Also this implies that the niche game in question be worthy of appeal, which is quite a subjective requirement. Whether or not it applies to Swords and Sorcery Underworld Gold is for you to decide.
So pricing aggressively is not believed by most to benefit from any kind of curiosity that making the game accessible could bring to an actual purchase. The majority does not believe that demand for a specific product can be motivated enough to justify pricing far beyond the accepted market range. The idea that the target audience be in favor of contributing 20-30% more than the estimated market norm ($15) is largely favored. The idea that it should stay in the range, or a 20-30% below, is doing just as well.
In short, this poll is a bust. Not only are the numbers not really high enough to be statistically viable, but nothing clear-cut really stands out.
To add further input to this debate and possibly close it forever, I decided to put S&S Underworld on sale for the weekend, at $9.95. For the sake of science, of course. It was previously priced at $19.99.
While I am still tweaking Underworld a tiny bit to address final requests and fix a couple minor glitches, I think it is time to seriously start talking about the sequel.
The menace has past. Unbeknownst to the larger population, the cause of undead uprisings and vicious dragon attacks was sought out and vanquished by a band of six adventurers that vowed that they would not stay and await certain death as the world around them fell prey to rising pestilence and unchecked violence.
Citadels throughout the realm opened at last, to a world in ruin but transcended by the promise of life that was considered lost only moments before.
Families torn by loss and separation reunited as best as circumstances would allow. Toil started heartily after just days of mixed celebrations and mourning. Burnt villages and cities were rebuilt in weeks and trade routes reestablished with realms spared or less affected by the plague. Plague was the word adopted by many, to describe the inexplicable darkness that covered so much in ruin. Few attempted to understand it better, with more immediate priorities to attend to. But as these necessities subsided, questions arose.
The ancients spoke of a first coming. This had happened before and was likely to happen again. After years of peace disturbed by growing doubt and quiet rumors, subversity set in. The official response to the people’s demands for disclosure, as to the identity and whereabouts of the heroes that had once saved the realm, as to the nature of the evil they engaged and defeated, was continuously one of denial of any form of subsiding danger.
Then the dead started rising again. Albeit in small, easily manageable numbers, they were enough to turn subversity into rebellion. And rebellion was met with ruthless repression.
Baronies and Duchies seceded. While some renewed their oaths to the Crown, claims arose of the King’s madness and unfittedness to rule, followed by claims to the Crown itself. Others still crafted Royal Circlets of their own and war banners floated to the high winds. Winds that carried a renewed hint of the pestilence past, but few took notice. The scent of blood spilt on fields of agony grew to such strengths as to make the subtle smell of ancient death next to unnoticeable.
Swords and Sorcery – Sovereign will be a continuation of its predecessor , while expanding on its foundation in many ways.
Sovereign will take place in a large, open world that includes cities, villages, citadels, forests, mountain chains, glaciers, swamps, desert, caverns and dungeons… Your party of adventurers will deal with friends and foes as they had previously, but also with factions, political forces and alliances they can weigh into, or try to break. But they can also ignore them and choose to focus on other, perhaps more urgent preoccupations.
Sovereign will introduce two new classes, druid and hunter.
An extended set of spells and abilities.
Active character creation and development.
Crafting and factions…
Much more will be announced and discussed. Stay in touch for a first video introducing the GUI and some of the game’s future environments. You can join the monthly newsletter on the top right of the page.
Join the community forums to discuss development and take part in shaping the game. Note however that while many things will be open for discussion, some will not.
You can support development by purchasing Swords and Sorcery – Underworld and enjoy a solid 30 hours of dungeonning and adventuring!
It’s been almost three weeks now since release and I’ve had tons of great conversations with many of you on how to improve the sequel. Once again I couldn’t resist the urge to implement some of these things to make Underworld better. While some things will indeed have to wait for the next Swords and Sorcery installment, a good deal of these are now in Underworld.
First and foremost, several of the game’s mechanics dwelled too hard on the old-school factor with little real benefit to the gameplay. These primarily include inventory and ressource management (trading, stores, food, water, gold). These are the most visible updates for v2.0.4:
Trading between characters: Two characters are represented in trade. F1 swaps focus from one character to the other. F2 toggles the part of the focused character’s inventory that is represented from packed to equipped and vice-versa. Arrow keys switch characters on the focused side (Trade can be used to equip or unequip if the same character is on both sides). A-I and 1-9 instantly transfers the given item from one side to the next. The usual constraints for equipping items apply. F3 switches to description mode and any item selected while in that mode triggers a popup with a description, as it still does in each character’s individual status screens. Using the mouse makes focusing unnecessary
Gold, food and water are now party ressources. The figures are global. (G)athering and (S)haring have been removed from the game entirely.
Stores have been overhauled as well. Characters and store “aisles” can now be changed without stepping out. Buying weapons (now “Arms”), armor, imported and miscellaneous items can be accessed via function keys (F6-F10) while F11 switches to selling mode. F12 switches to description mode, no matter what part of the store you are in. Arrow keys and 1-6 switch characters while staying in the same mode.
Other improvements:
– SP (blue), Holy Water and Runes (purple) meters added to character list in world view and combat.
– Increased mouse and keyboard responsiveness.
– Popup info screens explaining when Ste(a)lth is disabled and why (Rogues need full HP) and other less than evident restrictions.
– Added clues for some of the game’s more cryptic situations.
– Options accessible from the intro screen.
– Skill descriptions accessible in character status screens while in combat.
– Attributes described in game (accessible in character creation and status screens).
– Offensive spells no longer require selecting that last enemy.
– Ammended AI for shooters.
– Fixed several incomplete item descriptions.
– Added entries to Quest Log.
Bug fixes:
– An important item drop not occuring in certain circumstances.
– Seeing rebels before seeing the king caused improper response.
– Fixed “entangled”.
– Fixed “Silenced” on Fire Spirits and enemy healers.
– Fixed “Stun”.
– Fixed items wrongly flagged useable that caused a freeze when used.
– Fixed damage and distance calculations.
– Fixed missing walls in River of Fire.
– Fixed “A”ttack Necromancer causing the Rogue to enter ste(a)lth if first up.
– Fixed World Map (Now hotkeyed ‘W’) that made the goblin realm selectable when it shouldn’t have been.
– Fixed menu hotzones for mouse (that were too low).
My initial plan was to release a bug fix update but the other changes caused a considerable delay in its release. My apologies and thanks to all of those who have been patiently waiting for it.
Big, big thanks to players that have reported bugs and suggestions in the forums! Please check your emails for the update link. If for some reason you didn’t get it, don’t hesitate to ask for it at charles at this-website-url (olderbytes) dot com.
Next up, the sequel announcement. Just a few days now!
So here it is at last. After a ridiculous amount of Alpha releases, Swords and Sorcery – Underworld Gold is available… Here… Now. In short…
I’m a bit sad. Like Junior going off to college. But happy because I’ll get more sleep at night and… Oh stop it.
I’ll spare you the long, boring bullet list. It’s awsum and you’ve gotta try the demo! And possibly even buy the full game and help fund the sequel I’ll be officially announcing in a couple weeks, on this very Dev Blog 😉 But just in case you need to know a bit more, here’s the trailer again.
Happy adventuring!
I can finally say with confidence what day Swords and Sorcery – Underworld Gold, my kickback to the late 80s 1st person party role-playing game, will not be postponed again.
Thursday September 20th.
It is ready. This final week is to allow me to focus on promoting it a bit and other related activities. I am still unsure how much interest remains for this kind of game other than my own and that of a few hundred motivated enough to disregard the previous version’s visuals. If you are one of those, many thanks for your support. If, on the other hand, you are one of those that would not put up with it and bashed and dared me into creating a real game, many thanks for your support. Both groups were paramount in finally achieving completion (for real this time). I needed both the carrot and the stick. Talk about high maintenance.
If you aren’t part of one of these groups, many thanks for your interest! I’ll try to bring you up to speed with the following list of features. Underworld Gold aims at being much more than a graphics update so some of these will be new to past players as well.
1 minute trailer
Feature List
– An actual introduction. Five slides depicting the setting and context at the start of the game. I hope you like it.
– A pre-built party (you can still build your own).
– Mouse support.
– Enhanced combat: Distance and timing management in a set of tactical options. Enemies have and use them as well.
– 8 new maps (20 total). 5 previously existing maps were redrawn and 3 entirely new areas.
– Hundreds of new items, including new item types.
– New item attributes (charged, enchantments, some specifically scripted).
– Many new NPCs.
– Interactive and dynamic “World Map”.
– Puzzles. Some span entire maps and others are of lesser scope.
– 115 monsters, each illustrated. Some scantily but tastefully clad of the female gender (be forewarned).
– Monster specials: many have one to better pounce on your characters. Some have two.
– New environments.
– New skills (active and passive).
Thanks again to everyone and please do drop by again next Thursday 😉
I noticed a sharp decrease in RSS readership just recently. Of course I am entirely to blame for this, and the title of this post probably explains it for the most part. Add to that a less than prolific dev blog and there you have it. Changing the URL from www.classicgamesremade.com to www.olderbytes.com, therefore breaking previous feed links, probably didn’t help either.
My initial estimate for releasing Underworld Gold was March 2012. That was a while ago. I think all this deserves a little explanation.
Underworld Gold now has loads more content than its preceding version (v1.06). New NPCs, 150 new items, some of which stackable and charged and with a wide array of useability, five existing maps redrawn and three new ones, a couple dozen more monsters (needed to maintain balance with the new levels), some of which with brand new abilities, and others of which with two different abilities that contribute to making combat less than predictable. Content-wise I’m just a few short hours away from beta.
I’ll post a more exhaustive feature list in a later entry and you’ll find there’s quite a bit. There are also a couple I’m looking into but am not sure I’ll be able to provide yet (animated transitions for movement as an option being the toughest request I’ve had recently).
All the new content brought forth new challenges. In the game’s current state it triggers Window’s security, forcing the player to Run as Administrator. I have a good idea how to fix it but it isn’t a small task. Also the new content and higher resolution graphics have kept me struggling to optimize performance. I believe I’ve reached a satisfactory level now, but the game not being quite finished yet, I’ll reserve further comments at this point.
Naturally, all the fixes and additions have brought forth slews of bugs that have required lots of squashing.
Work on the sequel has taken great strides as well. The foremost reason I am doing this alongside finishing Underworld is that I prefer to keep the artists working. This is necessary to not risk losing them, which in turn could harm the quality and cohesiveness of the final game. At this stage I have all planned outdoor environments, including roads, forests, desert, mountains… New monsters (mostly outdoor mobs to populate the gestating world), several cutscenes, new stores and art for two new classes. About half of the GUI is done as well, which will allow me to post a video announcement shortly after releasing Underworld.
And of course real life. Things tend to get in the way like they always do but I do find time each day to at least inch closer to a final release.
The knight leads the party, alone but closely followed by the paladin, ready to reinforce the front line. The two are ready to take the bulk of the wrath of incoming oponents ahead. But sometimes they can be overrrun. Sometimes, a third party member needs to step up to divert some of the enemy’s blows and give the priest time to intervene. Other times, things get so bad that they will need to step away from melee altogether.
The rogue is patient, but his time has come. Lost to the enemy’s eye, in the shadows, he steps in, bluesteel dagger drawn for a lethal assassination. It is so much more effective than his blowpipe that it is worth the risk of exposure. That blow to the vigilante’s jugular will turn the tide of battle. Then he can choose to fall out of sight again, then strike once more with vicious effectiveness. If the battle has truly turned to his party’s advantage, he may also choose to remain in sight and fight… fair.
Hordes of enemies are massed behind the melee, dealing damage with crudely fabricated but nonetheless efficient arrows. The party leader orders his companions to press forward, overtaking a few of the shooters, forcing them to drop their bows. Now the rogue is within distance and eagerly takes part in the hacking…
Underworld Gold has new combat rules that involve distance management, adding both realism and tactical depth. In previous versions only monsters were marked in or out of melee (a + indicated that they were in). Now the same goes for characters. This opened the door to a few extra tactical options.
– Any character can rush to the front.
– Characters in melee can choose to step back.
– Those behind the lines can choose to step in.
– Characters in melee can attempt to shove enemies out of melee.
– Party leader can order the party to press forward. This only uses up the leader’s turn and causes both monsters and characters to enter melee.
– Party leader can order the party to fall back. This only uses up the leader’s turn and causes both monsters and characters to leave melee.
They each have their advantages and drawbacks. A character that leaves melee avoids exposure from blades, but increases it for those left in. He can no longer use his melee weapon but can now use his ranged weapon (only available out of melee, except for archers). That can be a downside however because bows, crossbows and slings are typically less effective than swords and hammers. Previously, all characters were considered in melee, exposed to the monsters that were as well. Also, these actions use up a battle round for the character.
The first three can affect the order. If there are four characters in melee and the second leaves the pack, he finds himself leaving that second slot and taking the fourth. The third and fourth move up a notch and there are only three left in melee. If a character rushes to the front, all the others fall back a notch, but none leave the melee even if that character comes from behind the lines.
Enemies also have the option to join (this isn’t new) or leave (but this is) melee. Shooters and casters using the leave melee option, as well as melee fighters being able to join the meatgrinder, will make some battles more difficult and engaging. This affects their order as well. One consequence is that they are almost never left with no other choice but to wait. Previously monsters could only enter melee if the monster just ahead of them was already in. Now any of them can, anytime.
Note: These aren’t in the game, just here for illustrative purposes.
The above illustrates a combat situation similar to the one in the screenshot, only with a few more bandits.
The Knight, Paladin, Archer and Rogue are in melee . If the party formation was a little less neat one could imagine the rogue being just out of the melee but in this situation all four are marked with a +. The Grounded buccaneer and the first bandit are also in melee. The following four are not.
Now let’s see the options again in this context:
– Any character can rush to the front. Anyone but the knight will have this option. If the Rogue chose to do this the diagram would become something like:
Some shuffling occurs for the sake of keeping the three rows but it isn’t entirely necessary. I could also have kept the paladin close to the bandit and messed up the three rows but those are convenient for picturing and it doesn’t hurt.
– Characters in melee can choose to step back. If the knight steps out of melee at this stage there are only three left:
– Those behind the lines can choose to step in. Three may not be enough so the Sorcerer decides to step in front of the Knight (bad idea in most cases, unless looking for the Paladin’s (P)rotection perhaps):
– Characters in melee can attempt to shove enemies out of melee. Â A good way to isolate someone, or take some pressure off the front line. There are still 4 characters in melee (and 1 mob)..
– Party leader can order the party to press forward. This only uses up the leader’s turn and causes both monsters and characters to enter melee.
– Party leader can order the party to fall back. This only uses up the leader’s turn and causes both monsters and characters to leave melee.
This makes combat a little less orderly. Monsters and characters alike can get all mixed up. It also opens the door to new spells and special attacks… 😉  Ultimately it makes combat more difficult, as monsters will have more opportunities to inflict damage. But the increased difficulty is compensated by new skills for the knight, rogue and archer, as well as a more favorable loot system. I may actually need to increase difficulty a bit more. More on those on the next post!
Also a lot of testing is in order to make sure the monster AI uses the new options coherently, and that I haven’t broken anything.
Any thoughts on this? Is the tradeoff between simplicity and tactical depth good or bad in your opinion? Discuss!
First things first: A great and happy new year to everyone! Ignore the harbingers of doom and believe in 2012 being the best year ever, premisce to many more great years to come!
It’s been nearly 2 months since my video update, so this post is quite overdue.
Sadly there aren’t any great breakthroughs to announce. Image assets are being completed slowly due to events in the Philippines (location of the art studio I’m working with on this project). Washi, a ruptured dam in the Manila area and the end-of-year festivities have slowed them down. On my end the family situation I mentionned about a year ago came to a tragic end in November. I moved back home and am slowly settling in again, and will be working pretty much full time on Underworld and the sequel over the next few months. Â Then, decisions will have to be made.
Nevertherless, the prolonged development time has given me the opportunity to nicely enhance Underworld. Three new maps, 10 new monsters, many moar lewts, a double special attack for some mobs (greatly adding to the technical challenge of many encounters), new special attacks for others, much better end of game balance, new features enhancing gameplay (like setting game speed, (P)rotect replaces (B)lock…).
The images that have been done look pretty sweet! Phantoms, wraiths (both new mobs) and a few others have transparency effects that I personally can’t stop gawking over and some of the still cutscenes are absolutely awesome 🙂
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Also you might have noticed that the first monster in line is illustrated as before, but in a reproduction of the encounter’s environment.
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To summarize I must confess that my early 2012 release goal will not be met. I’d rather not set a date that may not be met either at this point, but it shouldn’t be long. The bright side of things is that Underworld Gold will be all the better for it.
Underworld Gold is still work in progress, but the last remaining images, mostly the full screen storyline illustrations, are coming in at a good pace. The following video shows a couple, and hints at a few more changes. There are still a few glitches that need fixing, but nothing of much consequence.
I’m looking at an early 2012 release at the moment, which should allow for some more polish, new levels and “puzzles” (a term I use loosely to define any kind of obstacle that requires some thought to get accross).