#hopefully will be able to get back to game dev in the next couple weeks

[jarkonian]

Hey y’all wanna see that time in BG3 when I accidentally triggered a cutscene with my necromancers skeleton minion

[tricitymonsters]

How is the game development going. Doing good?

whew yes! Thank you for the check in! Sorry for the hermitude, going quiet when I'm focused or a little stressed is kind of a bad habit of mine orz orz!

Let me give you a status report of where things have been at:

Programmer and UI/UX designer have been hard at work overhauling the game's look and implementing all the UI features I want to include. This is an intense task that originally, I thought I would be able to implement on my own but I overestimated my coding skills. Passing this task off to two experts will result in a much higher-quality experience and right now, I'm kind of giving them space to do their thing.

I have mostly written the intro chapter that will serve as the "hub" from which you choose which RO route you'll be going down. This chapter has a strong focus on opening up more of the setting and its mysteries to the player as well so that a full story can be told through each route as it unfolds.

I am currently working on packing as much polish into this chapter as humanly possible. Visual effects, more backgrounds, more music, more sfx, Steam achievements, etc. I've implemented a CG gallery where you can view your unlocked CGs as well as a music room where you can listen to the OST. I really want the intro to shine.

Atlas is currently working on sprite pieces for the Enforcer monsters and then will be moving on to the intro's unlockable CG.

I've also done some work on upcoming chapter releases. Once the intro chapter releases, I want to do VASTLY quicker updates to add story chapters in rotation so I'm trying to get the jump on a lot of the writing and coding that needs to be done for those.

All three routes have been outlined/mapped out.

Still waiting on 2 sexy pinups from the Kickstarter rewards to wrap up. Once I have all three complete I'll begin distributing them to backers.

The Kickstarter character Q&A is mostly complete, the text has all been written and I'm laying it out in a visually impactful PDF as we speak. This will be distributed as soon as I'm finished, hopefully early next week.

As of right now, the intro chapter is still on track for an early Q1 release on Steam (Itch.io will follow shortly thereafter), though if things start to look like they need to be pushed back a little or something, I'll be super proactive in communicating that to yall (just like when the Amir concept chapter was pushed back, I'll make sure yall know what's going on). But yeah! As of now its a lot of business as usual/ no real hiccups to report, I've just kinda had my head buried in the meat of the project for a couple months now.

OH LEST I FORGET. Kickstarter merch will begin manufacturing at the end of 2023, meaning that I hope to start shipping rewards in early Q1 as well. I plan to send out backer surveys for shipping addresses as close to fulfillment as possible to minimize the need for corrections. >:3

Manufacturing will take several weeks to a couple months depending on various factors, one of which is that I will be reviewing samples to check for quality and between production and shipping, that will probably eat up several weeks on its own.

SO yeah, I've kinda been working at this stage for the last few months and it feels like there's less to report as I've got my fingers in about 20 pies right now instead of focusing on and then completing one task at a time. But game dev is kind of the practice of wearing many hats and sometimes I have to split my focus in funky ways. But we're still on schedule, which is one of my highest priorities!

[thesteadydietofeverything]

Top 10 Games of 2019

This was an extremely good year for games. I don’t know if I played as many that will stick with me as I did last year, but the ones on the bottom half of this list in particular constitute some of my favorite games of the decade, and probably all-time. If I’ve got a gaming-related resolution for next year, it’s to put my playtime into supporting even smaller indie devs. My absolute favorite experiences in games this year came from seemingly out of nowhere games from teams I’ve previously never heard of before. That said, there are some big games coming up in spring I doubt I’ll be able to keep myself away from. Some quick notes/shoutouts before I get started:

-The game I put maybe the most time into this year was Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I finally made the plunge into neverending FF MMO content, and I’m as happy as I am overwhelmed. This was a big year for the game, between the release of the Shadowbringers expansion and the Nier: Automata raid, and it very well may have made it onto my list if I had managed to actually get to any of it. At the time of this writing, though, I’ve only just finished 2015’s Heavensward, so I’ve got...a long way to go. 

-One quick shoutout to the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy that came out on Switch this year, a remaster of some DS classics I never played. An absolutely delightful visual novel series that I fell in love with throughout this year.

-I originally included a couple games currently in early access that I’ve enjoyed immensely. I removed them not because of arbitrary rules about what technically “came out” this year, but just to make room for some other games I liked, out of the assumption that I’ll still love these games in their 1.0 formats when they’re released next year to include them on my 2020 list. So shoutout to Hades, probably the best rogue-like/lite/whatever I’ve ever played, and Spin Rhythm XD, which reignited my love for rhythm games.

-Disco Elysium isn’t on this list, because I’ve played about an hour of it and haven’t yet been hooked by it. But I’ve heard enough about it to be convinced that it is 1000% a game for me and something I need to get to immediately. They shouted out Marx and Engels at the Game Awards! They look so cool! I want to be their friend! And hopefully, a few weeks from now, I’ll desperately want to redact this list to squeeze this game somewhere in here.

Alright, he’s the actual list:

10. Amid Evil

The 90’s FPS renaissance continues! As opposed to last year’s Dusk, a game I adored, this one takes its cues less from Quake and more from Heretic/Hexen, placing a greater emphasis on melee combat and magic-fuelled projectiles than more traditional weapons. Also, rather than that game’s intentionally ugly aesthetic, this one opts for graphics that at times feel lush, detailed, and pretty, while still probably mostly fitting the description of lo-fi. In fact, they just added RTX to the game, something I’m extremely curious to check out. This game continued to fuel my excitement about the possibilities of embracing out-of-style gameplay mechanics to discover new and fresh possibilities from a genre I’ve never been able to stop yearning for more of.

9. Ape Out

If this were a “coolest games” list, Ape Out would win it, easily. It’s a simple game whose mechanics don’t particularly evolve throughout the course of its handful of hours, but it leaves a hell of an impression with its minimalist cut-out graphics, stylish title cards, and percussive soundtrack. Smashing guards into each other and walls and causing them to shoot each other in a mad-dash for the exit is a fun as hell take on Hotline Miami-esque top down hyper violence, even if it’s a thin enough concept that it starts to feel a bit old before the end of the game.

8. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

I had a lot of problems with this game, probably most stemming from just how damn long it is - I still haven’t finished my first, and likely only, playthrough. This length seems to have motivated the developers to make battles more simple and easy, and to be fair, I would get frustrated if I were getting stuck on individual battles if I couldn’t stop thinking about how much longer I have to go, but as it is, I’ve just found them to be mostly boring. This is particularly problematic for a game that seems to require you to play through it at least...three times to really get the full picture? I couldn’t help but admire everything this game got right, though, and that mostly comes down to building a massive cast of extremely well realized and likable characters whose complex relationships with each other and with the structures they pledge loyalty to fuels harrowing drama once the plot really sets into motion. There’s a reason no other game inspired such a deluge of memes and fan fiction and art into my Twitter feed this year. It’s an impressive feat to convince every player they’ve unquestionably picked the right house and defend their problem children till the bitter end. After the success of this game, I’d love to see what this team can do next with a narrower focus and a bigger budget.

7. Resident Evil 2

It’s been a long time since I played the original Resident Evil 2, but I still consider it to be one of my favorite games of all time. I was highly skeptical of this remake at first, holding my stubborn ground that changing the fixed camera to a RE4-style behind the back perspective would turn this game more into an action game and less of a survival horror game where feeling a lack of control is part of the experience. I was pleasantly surprised to find how much they were able to modernize this game while maintaining its original feel and atmosphere. The fumbly, drifting aim-down sights effectively sell the feeling of being a rookie scared out of your wits. Being chased by Mr. X is wildly anxiety-inducing. But even more surprisingly, perhaps the greatest upgrade this game received was its map, which does you the generous service of actually marking down automatically where puzzles and items are, which rooms you’ve yet to enter, which ones you’ve searched entirely, and which ones still have more to discover. Arguably, this disrupts the feeling of being lost in a labyrinthine space that the original inspired, but in practice, it’s a remarkably satisfying and addicting video game system to engage with.

6. Judgment

No big surprise here - Ryu ga Gotoku put out another Yakuza-style game set in Kamurocho, and once again, it’s sitting somewhere on my top 10. This time, they finally put Kazuma Kiryu’s story to bed and focused on a new protagonist, down on his luck lawyer-turned-detective Takayuki Yagami. The new direction doesn’t always pay off - the added mechanics of following and chasing suspects gets a bit tedious. The game makes up for it, though, by absolutely nailing a fun, engrossing J-Drama of a plot entirely divorced from the Yakuza lore. The narrative takes several head-spinning turns through its several dozen hours, and they all feel earned, with a fresh sense of focus. The side stories in this one do even more to make you feel connected to the community of Kamurocho by befriending people from across the neighborhood. I’d love to see this team take even bigger swings in the future - and from what I’ve seen from Yakuza 7, that seems exactly like what they’re doing - but even if this game shares maybe a bit too much DNA with its predecessors, it’s hard to complain when the writing and acting are this enjoyable.

5. Control

Control feels like the kind of game that almost never gets made anymore. It’s a AAA game that isn’t connected to any larger franchises and doesn’t demand your attention for longer than a dozen hours. It doesn’t shoehorn needless RPG or MMO mechanics into its third-person action game formula to hold your attention. It introduces a wildly clever idea, tells a concise story with it, and then its over. And there’s something so refreshing about all of that. The setting of The Oldest House has a lot to do with it. I think it stands toe-to-toe with Rapture or Black Mesa as an instantly iconic game world. Its aesthetic blend of paranormal horror and banal government bureaucracy gripped my inner X-Files fan instantly, and kept him satisfied not only with its central characters and mystery but with a generous bounty of redacted documents full of worldbuilding both spine-tingling and hilarious. More will undoubtedly come from this game, in the form of DLC and possibly even more, with the way it ties itself into other Remedy universes, and as much as I expect I will love it, the refreshing experience this base game offered me likely can’t be beat.

4. Anodyne 2

I awaited Sean Han Tani and Marina Kittaka’s new game more anxiously than almost any game that came out this year, despite never having played the first one, exclusively on my love for last year’s singular All Our Asias and the promise that this game would greatly expand on that one’s Saturn/PS1-esque early 3D graphics and personal, heartfelt storytelling. Not only was I not disappointed, I was regularly pleasantly surprised by the depth of narrative and themes the game navigates. This game takes the ‘legendary hero’ tropes of a Zelda game and flips them to tell a story about the importance of community and taking care of loved ones over duty to governments or organizations. The dungeons that similarly reflect a Link to the Past-era Zelda game reduce the maps to bite-sized, funny, clever designs that ask you to internalize unique mechanics that result in affecting conclusions. Plus, it’s gorgeously idiosyncratic in its blend of 3D and 2D environments and its pretty but off-kilter score. It’s hard to believe something this full and well realized came from two people. 

3. Eliza

Eliza is a work of dystopian fiction so closely resembling the state of the world in 2019 it’s hard to even want to call it sci-fi. As a proxy for the Eliza app, you speak the words of an AI therapist that offers meager, generic suggestions as a catch-all for desperate people facing any number of the nightmares of our time. The first session you get is a man reckoning with the state the world is in - we’ve only got a few more years left to save ourselves from impending climate crisis, destructive development is rendering cities unlivable for anyone but the super-rich, and the people who hold all the power are just making it all worse. The only thing you offer to him is to use a meditation app and take some medication. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that this whole structure is much less about helping struggling people and more about mining personal data.

There’s much more to this story than the grim state of mental health under late capitalism, though. It’s revealed that Evelyn, the character you play as, has a much closer history with Eliza than initially evident. Throughout the game, she’ll reacquaint herself with old coworkers, including her two former bosses who have recently split and run different companies over their differing frightening visions for the future. The game offers a biting critique of the kind of tech company optimism that brings rich, eccentric men to believe they can solve the world’s problems within the hyper-capitalist structure they’ve thrived under, and how quickly this mindset gives way to techno-fascism. There’s also Evelyn’s former team member, Nora, who has quit the tech world in favor of being a DJ “activist,” and her current lead Rae, a compassionate person who genuinely believes in the power of Eliza to better people’s lives. The writing does an excellent job of justifying everyone’s points of view and highlighting the limits of their ideology without simplifying their sense of morality.

Why this game works so well isn’t just its willingness to stare in the face of uncomfortably relevant subject matter, but its ultimately empathetic message. It offers no simple solutions to the world’s problems, but also avoids falling into utter despair. Instead, it places measured but inspiring faith in the power of making small, meaningful impacts on the people around you, and simply trying to put some good into your world. It’s a game both terrifying and comforting in its frank conclusions.

2. Death Stranding

For a game as willfully dumb as this one often is - that, for example, insists on giving all of its characters with self-explanatory names long monologues about how they got that name - Death Stranding was one of the most thought provoking games I’ve played in a while. Outside of its indulgent, awkwardly paced narrative, the game offers plenty of reflection on the impact the internet has had on our lives. As Sam Porter Bridges, you’re hiking across a post-apocalyptic America, reconnecting isolated cities by delivering supplies, building infrastructure, and, probably most importantly, connecting them to the Chiral Network, an internet of sorts constructed of supernatural material of nebulous origin. Through this structure, the game offers surprisingly insightful commentary about the necessity for communication, cooperation, and genuine love and care within a community.

The lonely world you’re tasked to explore, and the way you’re given blips of encouragement within the solitude through the structures and “likes” you give and receive through the game’s asynchronous multiplayer system, offers some striking parallels for those of us particularly “online” people who feel simultaneous desperation for human contact and aversion to social pressures. I’ve heard the themes of this game described as “incoherent” due to the way it seems to view the internet both as a powerful tool to connect people and a means by which people become isolated and alienated, but are both of these statements not completely true to reality? The game simplifies some of its conclusions - Kojima seems particularly ignorant of America’s deep structural inequities and abuses that lead to a culture of isolation and alienation. And yet, the questions it asks are provocative enough that they compelled me to keep thinking about them far longer than the answers it offers.

Beyond the surprisingly rich thematic content, this game is mostly just a joy to play. Death Stranding builds kinetic drama out of the typically rote parts of games. Moving from point A to point B has become an increasingly tedious chore in the majority of AAA open world games, but this is a game built almost entirely out of moving from point A to point B, and it makes it thrilling. The simple act of walking down a hill while trying to balance a heavy load on your back and avoiding rocks and other obstacles fulfills the promise of the term ‘walking simulator’ in a far more interesting way than most games given that descriptor. The game consistently doles out new ways to navigate terrain, which peaked for me about two thirds of the way through the game when, after spending hours setting up a network of zip lines, a delivery offered me the opportunity to utilize the entire thing in a wildly satisfying journey from one end of the map to another. It was the gaming moment of the year.

1. Outer Wilds

The first time the sun exploded in my Outer Wilds playthrough, I was probably about to die anyway. I had fallen through a black hole, and had yet to figure out how to recover from that, so I was drifting listlessly through space with diminishing oxygen as the synths started to pick up and I watched the sun fall in on itself and then expand throughout the solar system as my vision went went. The moment gave me chills, not because I wasn’t already doomed anyway, but because I couldn’t help but think about my neighbors that I had left behind to explore space. I hadn’t known that mere minutes after I left the atmosphere the solar system would be obliterated, but I was at least able to watch as it happened. They probably had no idea what happened. Suddenly their lives and their planet and everything they had known were just...gone. And then I woke up, with the campfire burning in front of me, and everyone looking just as I had left it. And I became obsessed with figuring out how to stop that from happening again. 

What surprised me is that every time the sun exploded, it never failed to produce those chills I felt the first time. This game is masterful in its art, sound, and music design that manages to produce feelings so intense from an aesthetic so quaint. Tracking down fellow explorers by following the sound of their harmonica or acoustic guitar. Exploring space in a rickety vessel held together by wood and tape. Translating logs of conversations of an ancient alien race and finding the subject matter of discussion to be about small interpersonal drama as often as it is revelatory secrets of the universe. All of the potentially twee aspects of the game are balanced out by an innate sense of danger and terror that comes from exploring space and strange worlds alone. At times, the game dips into pure horror, making other aspects of the presentation all the more charming by comparison. And then there’s the clockwork machinations of the 22-minute loop you explore within, rewarding exploration and experimentation with reveals that make you feel like a genius for figuring out the puzzle at the same time that you’re stunned by the divulgence of a new piece of information.

The last few hours of the game contained a couple puzzles so obfuscated that I had to consult a guide, which admittedly lessened the impact of those reveals, but it all led to one of the most equally devastating and satisfying endings I’ve experienced in a video game recently. I really can’t say enough good things about this game. It’s not only my favorite game this year, but easily one of my favorite games of the decade, and really, of all-time, when it comes down to it.

[steamberrystudio]

13/09/2019

Hey everyone - Esh here, with the weekly dev update! So lately I've been struggling to remember to post the update because I keep waking up on Friday and thinking it's Thursday.

Update nearly was posted yesterday because I woke up Thursday morning and very strongly believed it to be Friday. 

What the heck, me?

Anyway, here we go!

Writing: 

This week I finished writing Chapter Five of Ari's route and got started on Chapter Six. Ari's route is now well over 40,000 words, which put us at over 50% of the target word count. I finally gave in and adjusted the targets upward by 10,000 words per route. 

This puts Ari's route back down at 46% complete (though I'm still dubious about the target word counts) and the overall game - which is over 115,000 words - at just under 20%.

Coding:

I worked on coding Common, Chapter Two again for a bit. I have the sprites and BGs done up until a major, pivotal moment in the story. I am going to go back and start putting music into that section before doing the rest of the sprites. 

Made a couple of small fixes/additions to the demo. The CGs were not currently coded to go into the galleries when the player encountered them. I fixed that. I also added a credits screen.

I also found a bug with one of the wiki links and fixed that. INTERESTING STUFF. LoL

Arting:

This week, I completed the two CGs that we needed environment art for, and got those placed in the game.  So now all four CGs that will appear in the first part of the demo are completed and coded! OwO

I’m not showing those off but...have some lips!

On another art related note, I reached out to someone about doing a short teaser/trailer for GS. We'll probably have to wait to do a full trailer later on, but I do want a teaser to use for the time being. I’m not sure it’ll be ready at the time we release the trailer, by hopefully by the middle of next month.

Demo:

Still waiting on one BG. I do expect to get it soon (hopefully within the next couple of days.)

The Upcoming Week:

This upcoming week, I want to finish Ari Chapter Six, and start on Chapter Seven.

I am hoping to be able to send an updated alpha demo to all patrons (only the top two tiers had access previously)

I feel like the heavily writing focused weeks make for boring updates because even when I write over 10,000 words, there’s nothing interesting to show for that. Even my progress graphs barely budge with just that much addition to the WC total. LoL

But things are moving forward toward a demo release....slooowly but surely. And other aspects are progressing as well.

That’s the important thing.

Anyway, that’s all for this week. See you next time!

[the-colony-roleplay]

OCS, SKELETONS & AN ALL NEW NWRF EXTRAVAGANZA

Okay guys! We come to you with another really exciting announcement! 

As you probably know, Lottie and I are always working hard behind the scenes coming up with ideas for future plots, and potential changes/expansions that will help ensure the longevity of the Colony’s life. And we have lots in store for you guys, things that we hope to release or expand over the next year, but our current project and focus, especially since we’re not able to get into the next Games Live Play until Game season is back upon us in the verse, is to do with helping to foster an actively played, NWRF presence at the Colony. 

After some discussion about the current environment of the game, and the kinds of things that might help to make it continue to prosper as well as it has been these past couple years, we’d like to help strengthen the active conflict dynamic within the RP. As of now, the verse has plenty to work with, which has helped us immensely in the last three years, since the drop of the NWRF plot. However, we’ve been thinking that since we’re all one big happy family just trying to play a cool game, what kinds of tools can we introduce to help make the game even better and more accessible for everyone? So....

Introducing ‘Plot Device’ Skeleton bios! 

Starting now, we’re going to start working on and rolling out skeleton bios specifically designed for characters that will help move the plot forward, and open doors for new and exciting tension and content! For the time being, since this is essentially an NWRF themed promotional festival (lol, the irony is obscene), all of these skeletons will be NWRF, with potential for other roles and bio types in the future. 

These skeletons, however, will come with their own parameters for activity and play, which will hopefully help make filling these roles more feasible, and make the gameplay more exciting and fun for the whole group! The parameters will be as follows: 

Skeletons (or ‘skeles’ as I’ve taken to calling them) will be designed in such a way that they can be temporary, if need be.  That is to say, if we’re in need of someone on a temporary basis to help make a certain plot more interesting or dynamic, these characters can be played on a temporary basis. Of course, hanging onto them is always encouraged too! If you fall in love, who are we to take them away from you! :) 

Picking up a skeleton will not count towards your character count. 

Muns will not be specifically required to write paras on skeletons, UNLESS it’s for a big/action heavy plot, etc.  Essentially, we will always encourage paras, especially since half of y’alls chats are basically long enough to be paras—but with these skeles, you will not be expected to para in the same way you are with regular bios. The exception to this will be applied when you’re participating in a plot where the content sort of demands para format anyway. 

Skeleton bios will have an extended activity limit of TEN days.  We know that NWRF type characters can be a heavier load sometimes, in terms of muse, and the weightiness of threads. But these skeletons are designed more to be sort of part-time characters, whose appearances on the dash will really help shake things up, but don’t necessarily have to be as present. That being said, goodness gracious, if you can be as active on them as your other characters please do so. We are not suggesting you can’t dedicate as much time to these guys. Just that they are designed to be more flexible, so more people feel they have the time to pick them up, which will help add cool versatility to the active player plotting opportunities. 

Similarly, Skeles will not be expected to have as many on going interactions at one given time.  So, yes, we still want people to RP with a variety of characters and members, and try to experience plotting and threading with everyone eventually. But you will not be under the same expectations to have that many threads going at one given time, or to reply to as many starters, etc. We still hope for diversity, but as ‘plot-device’ characters, our goal for them is to add range to the dash that will be beneficial to the plot and for people’s muse, while not bogging down our muns or be quite as large of a commitment.  (We may set a minimum number of 3, but these rules will be solidified in the future). 

Skeles will only have suggested FCs (some requirements accordingly, like POC, etc) age ranges, +/- traits, and general summaries.  Like most skeletons, these will be character guides that we would like the muns to get creative with and flesh out in their own way. We will provide character labels, (rather than full names), job titles, a small summary of the character, and some general aesthetic/moods. From there, you will be free to do the rest. This also means that the application will be different for these bios, and that will be released at a later date. 

Skeletons that are dropped will be handled on a case by case basis much like any other bio. They’ll either be closed and written out of the story, reopened to be played again in the future, or potentially reopened as a full bio, if the mun decides to release it as such. 

Skeleton bios will only be available to current members.  This is strictly because if you are going to be a member of this RP, you should start with a fully committed character, with regular activity requirements and participation. We want new members to get the most out of their time here and to really be a part of this community, and these particular skeletons are fashioned in such a way that the requirements wouldn’t be beneficial to you as a new member. However, if you are a new member and you’re interested in NWRF roles, keep in mind there will always be the full NWRF bios, as found on on our open masterlist, as well as the possibility of writing OCs! And finally, if you’ve absolutely fallen in love with a skeleton, and want to apply for it as a full character with normal activity requirements, that’s certainly something that could be discussed, and we encourage you to come to us about that if you’d like! 

NWRF OOC Blog

One of the challenging things about playing NWRF characters is their connection to the main plot, which is largely executed and controlled by the admins, so communication is essential, and across so many players in so many different timezones, it can sometimes be confusing. So, starting this week, we’re going to be introducing a secondary OOC, that will be specifically reserved for plotting and sharing information between NWRF reps, guards, lab techs, etc etc etc, with regards to the goings on in the Colony. It will be where you can easily plot and drop notes and ideas, so you all have one place to communicate together where timezones won’t be an issue, and things won’t get too cluttered like they might in a group chat. 

The separation of this is only to be able to retain a bit of fun and mystery when it comes to Lottie and I not wanting to spoil event ideas and plot drops for everyone, but needing to loop in some of the NWRF for their own character dev or what have you, etc. This OOC, however, will never be for socializing, because we have no intention of splitting up the family in anyway.  It’ll exclusively be for plotting and the sharing of NWRF related info, etc. We’re hoping this method will help facilitate an easier and more cohesive system to playing an NWRF character. 

 Opening NWRF OCs

We’ve been on OC ban for some time now, and we had planned to do another stint of opening them up for a limited time. We have decided, however, to simply fully open NWRF OCs. (Not to worry, there will be more opportunities to apply for non-NWRF OCs in the future, but if anyone is interested in that, come chat with us about it off anon!) For now, however, since our current goal is to focus on getting more NWRF up and running in the game play, and we didn’t necessarily want to go on an NWRF exclusive ban, we figured this was a great alternative! 

The NWRF Incentive! (Better than it sounds!!) 

So, in the interest of boosting our NWRF presence here at Col22, we’re sort of rolling out a Bay-Day-Sale type promotion (haha). So, for a limited time only, anyone who applies for a FULL NWRF OPEN BIO (as in not a skeleton) will get to enjoy an extended activity limit of 9 DAYS for the first 3 MONTHS after their application. This is purely promotional, and will not be offered forever, but for the time being, it’s a little extra incentive for you guys to get your bums in gear! We also figured since the Skeleton bios will have a more lax activity limit, we may as well boost our full NWRF bios as well! The more the merrier, right!?

In Closing...

Obviously, the roll out of the skeletons themselves will take some time, and will be gradual. Lottie is about to go on a hiatus for about a week, and obviously I’m working stupid film hours, but hopefully we’ll get some posted for you next weekend! We just really wanted to give everyone the news now, so people can start thinking about it. 

If you have any ideas of things you’d like to see as skeletons, definitely let us know, and feel free to pitch us your ideas! And as always, if you have any questions at all or things you want clarified about this, don’t be afraid to hit us up here on the main blog! Please refer to the Ask Box so we can reply publicly and benefit everyone! 

Okay, that’s all for now folks! So much love to you all from the both of us,  and so very proud!!!

xoxo

Col!Mods

[theonyxpath]

This little fellow pictured above is Sabian Sphynx von Angora, one of the iconic characters in Monarchies of Mau. He’s a necromancer, because, as Eddy Webb says: “Cats like to play with dead things.”

Sabian is featured prominently on the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter page, helping to explain just what Monarchies of Mau is and why backing it is a good idea. He must be pretty persuasive, as the MoM KS funded last Tuesday in just a minute under an hour and has been rolling along happily since then.

And besides being something like “The Three Musketeers meets Planet of the Apes, but with cats”, Monarchies of Mau is also a completely standalone game. You don’t need Pugmire to play it, although having both books does mean you have the rules for mixed cat and dog groups. Mass hysteria!

    New art for Beckett’s Jyhad Diary by Michael Gaydos

    Like I mentioned last week, our Operations Manager, Mighty Matt McElroy, traveled to World of Darkness: Berlin a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic time connecting with the gang from the new White Wolf, as well as the convention crew, attendees, and fellow licensees of the WW intellectual properties.

That’s right: fellow licensees. Which was absolutely great for us here at Onyx Path, because Mighty Matt got the chance to hobnob, trade stories, and talk with them about the potential projects we could do together that they approached him about. (Hopefully a tenth of the discussed projects actually happen, because even that much would be some amazing opportunities for Onyx Path).

But that whole set-up of licensees visiting each other at a WW convention might sound strange to a bunch of you. Particularly if you are used to a White Wolf that makes most of what you are interested in, with a couple of licenses for things that aren’t tabletop RPGs.

In fact, I wonder if some of the upset that has occurred with each of the new WW‘s announcements is not partly because folks aren’t used to how they are moving forward.

Yes, the new White Wolf is working on Vampire 5th Edition, and revealed staff (Hi, Ken!) and some planned formats, as well as doing some very, very, early playtesting. But rather than being the start an ongoing game line that they create, they are looking at V5 as the hub of a many, many licenses. Onyx Path will be in that line-up, creating new tabletop RPGs, but so will other folks, and with the creation of WW‘s community content plans as talked about at the con, maybe some of those creators will be you.

And then, outside of tabletop RPGs, will be licenses to other media. There’s really no limit here as they move through the expected like bringing back VTES or working with our friends at By Night Studios on LARPing, and then into computer games, other sorts of games, and even TV and movies.

What the new White Wolf is doing is more what, let’s say, is done with Star Wars, with a central core “property” and lots and lots of licenses to media that can feature that property. So when you see a new project announced, it is very likely a new project and a new licensing partner, and if that project doesn’t float your boat, just give WW time and you’ll see another launched that will fit your interests better.

      Mage20 Book of Shadows illustration by Andrew Trabbold

    Or as another example, you might see a licensed board game with art pulled from the illustrations we commissioned for one of our books. The new WW can give that art to another licensee, because even though we commissioned it originally, the art ultimately belongs to WW and they can use it as they think best.

Onyx Path is one of these licensing partners, and one of many for V5 and the new iteration of World of Darkness. With the idea of the new WW as a hub with lots of spokes, we don’t get to choose, and often no knowledge of, other licensees until their projects are announced, because they are another spoke over or even on the other side of the hub from us.

Mighty Matt tells me that the WW crew took great pains to talk up in glowing terms our Beckett’s Jyhad Diary project (that we have worked on with them) as a gateway, or even bridge, from Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition to V5. Which was great to hear, and the compliments were very appreciated!

      Beast: Building A Legend illustration by Andrew Trabbold

      They also talked up, Martin in particular, the idea that Chronicles of Darkness is pretty much going to continue as Onyx Path‘s exclusive playground. They didn’t mention it, as far as I’ve heard, but we are also rolling full steam ahead with Exalted 3rd.

Mighty Matt also took along a hefty box full of our brochures which was scarfed up in a single day, so hopefully a bunch of our community that never even realized all the game lines we are working on now can see the full range of all that Onyx is doing!

So, all in all a very good event for us, and for the WoD community as a whole!

      Thousand Years of Night art by Sam Araya

      Meanwhile, here at home. Rollickin’ Rose and I talked to Dapper Dave Brookshaw about his outline for Deviant last week, and went over our notes. Dave is making some changes and we’ll be presenting that to WW, and then he’ll finally be able to hire writers. Meanwhile, he is dedicated to getting caught up on Mage2 releases. Dapper Dave has had a bunch of challenges thrown at him this last year or so, but things are looking good moving forward, and we’re glad we could work with him on that.

Similarly, Rollickin’ Rose has been working with our Exalted 3rd team in order to get the new devs acclimated to our procedures, and our monthly projects folks working hand-in-hand with the devs so there’s a consistency of vision as well as teamwork. We’ll be putting the next installments of our monthly EX3 releases on sale this Wednesday, and to tide you over, here’s some of the art as a teaser!

  BLURBS!

  KICKSTARTER!

We went live with the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter last Tuesday and funded in 59 minutes – just under an hour! We’ve already shot past Stretch Goals for an exclusive t-shirt, an Intro adventure, and the first three Mau stories in a fiction anthology, with plenty more to come! If you get a chance, here’s the link: http://ift.tt/2rmHhAG

  ON SALE!

ON AMAZON:

We’re delighted to announce the opening of our ebook store on Amazon! You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle. Our initial selection includes these fiction anthologies: Vampire: the Masquerade‘s Endless Ages, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage 2, Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Truth Beyond Paradox, Chronicles of Darkness‘ God Machine Chronicle, Mummy: The Curse‘s Curse of the Blue Nile, and Beast: The Primordial‘s The Primordial Feast!

And this week, we’re releasing another six fiction books: Songs of Sun and Moon (W20), Poison Tree (W20), Of Predators & Prey (V20), Fallen World Anthology (Mage), Idigam Anthology (WtF2), Strix Anthology (VtR2)!

        Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages!

        Starting this Wednesday on DTRPG, the EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart PDF/PoD jumps up for sale!

Plus, we’ll be releasing the next sections of Adversaries of the Righteous and the first section of Hundred Devils Night Parade this week as well!

    Sailing out of the dark, the V20 Dark Ages Companion Advance PDF is now on sale on DriveThruRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2pX42dq

Travel the long roads and deep seas in search of power and experience danger, or tackle the wilderness to hunt monsters and face death. Settlements large and small dot the black expanse with the promise of sanctuary, life, and community. These bastions of civilization present cold comfort, when playing host to vampire warlords and sadistic Cainite faiths. Whether led by a Prince, a coordinated belief, or hounded by monsters from without and within — no domain is truly the same as another.

Dark Ages Companion includes:

• Domains scattered across the world, from small fiefdoms to massive cities. Bath, Bjarkarey, Constantinople, Rome, Mogadishu, and Mangaluru each receive coverage.

• Apocrypha including plot hooks, new Paths, and mysteries to explore in your games.

• A how-to guide on building a domain within your chronicle, including events and servants necessary to make a domain as functional or dysfunctional as you wish.

• A study on warfare in the Dark Ages period, so combat in your chronicles can gain authenticity and lethality.

        Bill Bridge’s new W20 novel, The Song of Unmaking, is on sale in PDF/ePub/PoD versions on DriveThruRPG.com: http://ift.tt/2qXQH9f and in ebook form on Amazon: http://ift.tt/2qpQM2V !

The fabric of reality is cracking. Fissures appear in thin air, glowing with balefire. Something is scratching on the other side, pressing, beginning to break through….

The Wyrm’s corruption finds its way into the hearts of humans and Garou alike. Even an ultra-rational techno-cratic scientist can fall sway to its lies. Channeling his hate and resentment through the most sophisticated machine ever created, Basil Czajka has turned a tool designed to peer deep into the heart of the quantum universe into a nursery for the hatching of a horror — a creature whose birth cry is destined to unmake Gaia’s Song of Creation.

The only ones standing in his way are One-Song, a broken-down old Theurge, and Lord Albrecht, whose heed-less anger might be the very weapon the enemy needs to crack the egg and free the Unmaker.

    The Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Companion has arrived in PDF and PoD physical book versions at DriveThruRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2pygIL7

The Dark Eras Companion presents eleven new Eras for the Chronicles of Darkness. Stretching from Ancient Rome and Egypt through the Black Death, the Thirty Years War, the Reconstruction, and the Russian Revolution, the Companion showcases even more of the secret history of this eldritch world. Included in each era are “snapshots” of the various supernatural creatures, including vampires, changelings, mummies, and demons. Also included are lists of inspirational media to help you put these Eras in context for your troupe.

Open the Dark Eras Companion and take another look back in time.

    V20 Lore of the Bloodlines awaits in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DriveThruRPG.com!

http://ift.tt/2pj8UuA

Lore of the Bloodlines is a single volume (created via Kickstarter) that revisits some of the bloodlines in Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, providing story hooks, character concepts, history, and bloodline-specific rules. The secrets of the Baali, Daughters of Cacophony, Gargoyles, Harbingers of Skulls, Kiasyd, Salubri, Samedi, and True Brujah are now yours.

Lore of the Bloodlines includes:

• The history, lore, and nightly practices of nine bloodlines, told from the perspective of the Kindred themselves.

• New combo Disciplines, powers, Merits, Flaws, and other rules specific to each bloodline.

• Revisions and updates of more classic Vampire: The Masquerade material to V20.

      Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial, PoD and PDF versions is now on sale on DTRPG.com!

http://ift.tt/2j7p7lO

This book includes: 

An in-depth look at how Heroes hunt and what makes a Hero, with eleven new Heroes to drop into any chronicle.

A brief look at why Beasts may antagonize one another, with seven new Beasts to drop into any chronicle.

Rules for Insatiables, ancient creatures born of the Primordial Dream intent on hunting down Beasts to fill a hunger without end, featuring six examples ready to use in any chronicle.

    From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin (Demon and Skinchangers 1486-1502 Aztec Empire). Ahuitzotl sits on the throne at the height of the Aztec Empire, overseeing his sorcerer-priests’ sacrifices and the endless flower wars his jaguar and eagle warriors carry out in his name to keep the altars well-supplied with victims. The gears of the Aztec Empire turn smoothly and inexorably, but not everything is what it pretends to be. Skinchangers take the shapes of animals to run the wilds or bring down human prey, the Unchained cobble together identities from stolen lives, and stranger things still lurk in the deserts and jungles beyond the walls of Tenochtitlan.

On sale in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2p79i1O

  From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Into the Cold (Demon: the Descent 1961 Berlin). East Germany erects a wall against its Western counterpart, turning West Berlin into an island within its own country. As the Cold War heats up, demons find themselves the targets of increasing human scrutiny, and begin to realize that the God-Machine’s plans didn’t end with the War.

On sale now in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2p70sBl

      CONVENTIONS!

Discussing GenCon plans. August 17th – 20th, Indianapolis. Every chance the booth will actually be 20? x 30? this year that we’ll be sharing with friends. We’re looking at new displays this year, like a back drop and magazine racks for the brochure(s).

In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. More news as we have it, and here’s their website: http://ift.tt/RIm6qP

Monica Valentinelli will be on four panels, including “Why is Casual Still a Dirty Word in Gaming?” at WisCon http://wiscon.net/ this Thursday through Monday! Stop by and say hi!

    And now, the new project status updates!

    DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Redlines

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

  Second Draft

V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

  Development

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)

M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

  WW Manuscript Approval:

Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

    Editing:

Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)

  Post-Editing Development:

      Indexing:

      ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary 

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – AD’d

Cavaliers of Mars

Wraith 20

W20Changing Ways

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

Storypath Brochure

VDA Jumpstart

Scion Origins

C20 Jumpstart

Ring of Spiragos 

Ex 3 Arms of the Chosen – Sorting through the artnotes and getting them out this week.

  Marketing Stuff

  In Layout

M20 Art Book – In progress…

Prince’s Gambit

Gen Con Stuff

Proofing

CtL Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology

M20 Book of Secrets – 2nd Proof.

VTR: Thousand Years of Night

  At Press

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Dark Eras: To the Strongest – PoD proof on the way.

EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – Going on sale on DTRPG.com this week.

C20 Anthology – PoD proof on the way.

C20 – McF getting errata together.

Pugmire – At Press… looking at cover corrections Monday.

Pugmire Screen – At Press

Pugmire Cards & Dice – At Press… looking at proofs of those this week.

Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – At Press

Dark Eras: The Wolf & Raven– PoD proof on the way.

Dark Eras: Three Kingdoms of Darkness – PoD proof on the way.

Dagger of Spiragos (5e) – Out to backers.

Dagger of Spiragos (PF) – Out to backers.

V20 Dark Ages Companion – Advance PDF is out, gathering errata.

BtP Building a Legend – Going out to backers this week.

      TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: Memorial Day Weekend is coming this week, and that means the start of Summer! Also, my oldest finishes medical school and she’s officially a doctor this weekend. Very proud Dad, here!

[animerrillproductions]

That Awkward Moment When...

In the course of human events, you accidentally write a pop song. And then another. And you’ve pretty much got a queue of lyrics and musical backlog to the point you might as well be making an album. Yeah, that’s right... turns out I accidentally started making an album which is something I never thought I’d say or do.

So earlier this week I shared with a video with Jimmy about how every Chainsmokers song is written and we had a good laugh about it and everything. Then the next day I was just joking around and said we should actually try to write a pop song for shits and giggles. Less than an hour later we had a back track. And by the end of the night... we accidentally made something pretty decent. We’d always kind of joked of starting a band, but after the first couple songs started taking shape and we realized we could probably make a funny/serious commentary on how shitty pop music, pop culture, etc is while exploiting the formula to make super catchy songs, we decided to go for it. Luckily we already had a joke band name on deck for it: “Medicinal Kazoo.” And well... as they say, here we are now.

For full clarification, Medicinal Kazoo is a name I came up with after watching the now legendary and extremely memable You On Kazoo video, after which I started using “kazoo” as a euphemism for drugs because... well watch the video, it isn’t exactly a ground breaking conclusion. Although we’ve spitballed different ideas for music we could write in the past, it never really came to fruition because in the short term it was more important to focus on our game work. But we’re kinda in the lull between Ludem Dare now and really chugging away at our big project (work has been done mind you, just nothing yet worth sharing... mostly technical stuff, more on that later). More or less, Medicinal Kazoo was gonna be our planned dev cameo in games that allowed it, where we would be an actual band in universe trying to get gigs and such and make it big. But it seems that pop music is so easy to write and sing lyrics for, even a talentless hack fraud like me can do it with a little assistance from an actual musician!

So what now? Well probably not much actually, not for a while anyway. We’ve got rough takes of a couple of songs but this has actually motivated me to quit smoking so my voice can heal up and I can actually sing a little better. In the longer term we’ll probably take a while just to write a full track list and get everything polished up, and I have a couple music videos in mind I wanted to try to actually animate so I can cross that off my bucket list on top of literally becoming a rock star. Really that’s mostly what this is about: how many people can actually say they made a pop album who aren’t in the industry? Like just decided one day to sit down and record some stuff as a joke and have it accidentally come out pretty decent? Not many. And it’s been a really good creative outlet for when I’d probably be too zonked to do much else in the interim between transferring positions at work.

But of course, get hyped, cuz that shit’s coming. #MEDICINALKAZOO #SHITPOST2017 ... or 18 idk.

“BUT ETHAN, WHADDABOUT THE GAME?”

Good question, single person who reads this. Things are also going very well for the game too, although after the 72 hour crunch of LD I did need to kind of step back and plan to pace myself over the long term. Last weekend I finally got together a decent level editor, both so I don’t have to use Game Maker’s broken level editor but also so Jimmy could help with level design as well (not to mention, I’d like to add a way for fans to add custom levels as well once the game releases). That kind of consumed my entire last weekend though because... well, mostly file parsing stuff. Which is why it’s not really anything worth posting. I’m in the process of adding enemies and collectables to the game soon though so hopefully by next weekend I can at least get a new screenshot of that.

Jimmy also has a lot of the sound effects and music already written, we just have to design some stuff so it works a little more like an old NES game would. Which is really the theme of this game: to make an NES game that never was. From an art perspective, I’ve been trying to follow all the rules (as best as I can understand them) to make sure I’m not using too many colors and the screen resolution is perfect... I might even add a CRT filter by the end if it’s possible. For the music and sfx though, it’s a bit tricky. Because of course now you can just load all the mp3s and wavs you want into Game Maker and play them back on the fly with little to no consequence. But in the NES days you only had four channels for ALL music and sound effects: two wave channels, a saw wave channel for mostly drum sounds, and a “noise” channel that gave us some glorious bitcrushed voice and sound samples back in the day. So basically we need to figure out a way to divide the music in game and make sure the music temporarily stops playing for a sfx occupying that channel to play and then start again.

Also on the subject of samples and sfx, this game is actually going to be voice acted. Again, with GLORIOUS bitcrushing and probably earbleeding results. But we think it will add to the comedy/charm of the game.

I’m not sure when I’ll have the next update ready, but hopefully something soon. I’ve been able to post one of these a week so far and I would like to keep up that pace though. Site updates will be coming early June most likely along with some light rebranding (I relearned vector art so I can update my logo and the site graphics). More will be coming soon though, and thank you for reading as always! :3

~AniMerrill, a.k.a. Ethan Merrill

[gavinbowman]

February?

Ok, well I’ve been off, so I don’t have any progress to share for February. I found a little time to play some games... but I didn’t finish anything. Lots of Fire Emblem Heroes because I had it on hand and I couldn’t sleep or was holding a baby or whatever. I like it, but I’m kind of done and I’m struggling to shake it off. It’s very compelling and sticky. I’d been playing Megaman X and Mighty Switch Force before the baby came along, but I haven’t really been able to return to them yet, my head is too out of it. And just this week I finally managed to grab an NES Classic, so I’d like to make my way through some games on that in the coming months. So expect a few #playmore posts in the next few months as things normalize for me here.

I’m trying to feel my way back into work and I haven’t figured out what I’m going to focus on immediately yet. So that’s a big vague blergh. I think I know, but I have to try, and my sleep deprived brain might not be in the mood.

So what else? We had a baby. She’s fine and great. Struggling to manage both of them though, but getting there slowly. 2 kids is definitely not just a bump up to hard mode me, it’s skip the tutorial and start on insanity mode. It must vary wildly on the age and acclimatization of the first kid though, and the temperament of the second.

Everyone is at GDC this week (and yes, I’m missing it like crazy, but I feel sick and tired so it’s almost like I was there), so nobody will read this. So I’ll probably post it next week, when just almost nobody will read it.

So, I said I’d do a recap on Zombie Free Throw at some point. It’s been a long time since I did one of these, there’s a lot of people doing better ones for more relevant or sexier games, so I’ll keep it pretty brief anyway.

iOS version launched on Jan 18/19th. It fortunately got a little bit of featuring in parts of europe and the rest of the world, so it got some downloads in that first week. Total downloads to date are around 86k, with a couple of hundred dollars in revenue from IAP, plus about $3,400 in ad revenue. The download graph looks like this:-

So yeah. Feature or die is the new normal. (Like I said in my last post, it’s been like that for a while, but it’s taken me a while to really embrace the fact that I need to make games that might get featured - or move on to other platforms already). This is the best launch I’ve had for a mobile game in a couple of years, since SBACEBALL, which also got a bit of featuring in Europe and the rest of the world, and had very similar results. It’s something to build on, it gives me hope for the future for us doing mobile games and fighting for feature spots, even if it doesn’t do much materially to keep us afloat as a full time studio. It’s just very nice to make something. Last years releases from my dept brought in about $15 max, so if I could drink without collapsing from exhaustion I’d probably break out some very cheap fizzy wine.

Three little things I’m happy about, I went for a launch night pizza with my daughter, it probably cost $30-40 (worth it, best launch celebration ever), I didn’t expect the game to pay that back (it probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t featured), so that felt like a win. I also met some dev friends for coffee on launch day, I guess that cost about $4, and I wasn’t sure I’d make that back based on recent form, so that felt like a win too. And finally, after the feature hit, and there were some downloads, I tweeted that maybe it’d pay for my Nintendo Switch, and it’s even managed to do that. So hurrah for Zombie Free Throw, and hurrah for spending a bit more time on my games and trying to let some of the clearly doomed half built ideas stay on the shelf.

The other thing I said in my last post was that I was going to focus on iOS games and not do Android for now. Both strategically and motivationally, and psychologically, it felt like the right move.

After I launched Zombie Free Throw, I was expecting a baby to drop, but she came a little late, so after the apple feature was dead I added an android version to Google Play, it helped me use up a little bit of that waiting for baby time (I should have used it to sleep, I know, I’m a fucking moron), and I thought maybe there was a chance that if there was any organic word of mouth out there from the feature, maybe it’d get some downloads.

Well it didn’t, to date it’s had under 300 downloads, and total revenue is around $5 (seems high, given the download numbers, so I guess a few of those people really liked it, so that makes me happy at least), with a 5 star rating from 4 reviews. So I’m not changing my plans there. On the plus side though, Android versions from Unity are technically fairly painless.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, it’s customary in these things to either explain how I achieved such ridiculous heights with some vague speculation about the things I think I do well, or to try to explain away why I failed so badly with some vague speculation about the things I think I didn’t do well. I mean, we’re kind of in the middle here, so I’m not really sure what to highlight, but here are some things I’d like to have done, or done better, or not done:-

1. I’m still trying to adapt to making games over the course of multiple months, rather than on a jammy or 1GAM kind of schedule. I wish I’d been able to apply that throughout here. I still tried to crunch a couple of times to hit deadlines, like halloween or basketball season, or the holidays, (and ultimately the hard deadline was my baby break!). I feel like I could have done more with the game if I was able to apply myself more consistently over a few months and not sweat the impending launch target I’ve inevitably hung over my head.

2. But I’m still very happy with how it turned out, and it’s a bigger “product” than anything I’ve done in Unity before, more assets, more graphics and sound, game modes, menus, UI, and platform stuff, so there’s a lot I’m happy to have pulled off and learned.

3. Some PR or marketing would probably be a good idea. There are people who do this for a living, and there are publishers who do a much better job of launching games than I could ever do. So I have all these things in my pocket to try this year if I feel good about my games... which I intend to! 

4. It’s nice to have that little nut of optimism for this to carry around with me. I really have been running on the fumes of despair for far too long, I’m trying to stop that from bleeding out everywhere, and I think I’m still getting on top of it. It’s why I posted my outline plan for the year last month, it’s why I’m taking the time to post this mini-mortem. I probably won’t stop with the honest and often depressing monthly progress posts, those can be cathartic too, but it’s good to share some happy thoughts.

Finally, if I’m posting this after GDC, I should have a Switch by now. So umm, yeah, either I love the Switch, or I’m really tired and sick still and it’s still in the box, or I got screwed on the pre-order. See you next month... hopefully march is the start of a return to the new normality for me.

[thomasroach]

Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!)

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Check out the video above and read on for the text!

Monster Hunter World

Capcom currently have a free trial available for a limited time only which is now available on Playstation 4.

The trial is only available on Playstation 4 and lets you experience Monster Hunter World up to the Tobi-Kadachi assignment quest at Hunter Rank 4. You can create your own Hunter and Palico companion and play up until this part. The free trial will run until May 20th.

If you decided after the trial you wish to continue your adventure by purchasing the title, your progress carries over to the full version. You can pick up Monster Hunter World for $20 on Playstation 4.

If you missed the livestream of the Spring Update or want a recap of everything that was covered you can read (and watch the video) about it here MHW Iceborne: Everything We Know, New Monsters, New Locale, New Elements!

For more about this news find it here in Monster Hunter World PS4 Free Trial Available Now.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has gone live now for Xbox Insiders in of a form beta.

Microsoft previously unveiled their new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription last month which puts together Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass into a single subscription, available for $14.99 a month.

This saves current Xbox players about $5 a month if they were to pay for both services separately ($19.98). During the beta the service will be available at an introductory price of $1 per month.

This allows players to access Xbox exclusive games through Xbox Game Pass on day one of launch. Choosing to buy a game in Game Pass allows you a 10 percent discount to members. Current titles include Mutant Year Zero, For the King, Operencia the Stolen Sun, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Black Desert, The Surge and more.

At the moment the new service is available through beta for Xbox Insiders, who will test out the service and help to provide feedback.

For more about this news find it here in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Is Now Available For Preview Beta Xbox Insiders.

Warhammer Chaosbane

Getting a closer look at the beasts chosen for the upcoming action RPG Warhammer Chaosbane, Bigben and Eko Software highlight the monsters that made it into the title ranging over 70 different types.

Warhammer: Chaosbane is the first action-RPG that focuses on the fantasy universe. A Diablo-inspired title where you’ll not meet strong abilities but plenty of foes to battle through.

It was up to the devs to find a good balance between combat prowess and enemy abilities that fit into the world. Bigben and Eko paid close attention to the design of well-known monsters such as Nurglings that like to swarm and use their numbers to fight you.

Warhammer Chaosbane releases on June 4th on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. If you want to know what we thought of the game be sure to read our Warhammer Chaosbane Preview – Venturing Into The Fantasy Universe.

For more about this news find it here in War hammer Chaosbane Latest Video Focuses On Bestiary.

World of Warcraft Classic

Blizzard announced the release date for World of Warcraft Classic which releases on August 27th. Those who have a current World of Warcraft subscription will be able to play Classic once it releases in August as part of their subscription.

Classic is the closest thing to vanilla, based on the Drums of War Patch 1.12 but comes with modern support and dedicated servers.

If you’re hoping to reserve your character name in WoW Classic, you will be able to start character creation on August 13th. Those who have an active subscription or game time can create up to three characters per account. So far realm names have not been released but Blizzard assures these will come later, closer to launch.

For more about this news find it here in World Of Warcraft Classic Releases August 27th; Beta Goes Live May 15th.

Project Prelude Rune

The game Project Prelude Rune was originally announced back in 2017 by Square Enix under the developer Studio Istolia.

On May 14th, Square Enix has officially announced the project cancellation and the developer studio has now shut down with the employees being transferred to Square Enix.

The announcement was made after the website was taken down as well as social media accounts related to the game, as well as the news of the departure of the director Hideo Baba earlier this month. Hideo Baba the ex-Tales producer was originally working on the Playstation 4 RPG title.

For more about this news find it here in Project Prelude Rune Cancelled Confirmed By Square Enix.

Vampire The Masquerade

A brand new title being worked on by the developers of The Council, Big Bad Wolf are developing a new narrative driven RPG set in the world of the Vampire: The Masquerade.

With news of the second entry Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 being announced to be in the works not long ago under Paradox Interactive, it looks like another title will be expanding the Vampire universe. So far only gaining the title Vampire: The Masquerade.

At a Bigben Interactive event in Paris, the developer Big Bad Wolf shared that story driven RPG was in production in partnership with White Wolf and Paradox Interactive, being worked on for the past three to four months.

While information on the title is still quite scarce, but what they did reveal was that is would not be an episodic game, unlike their The Council. Set to be a large full scale RPG with “large narrative, with branching dialogues”.

But fans will have to wait a couple of years before getting to see the new Vampire: The Masquerade title released. Hopefully this will give enough time for the developer to flesh out the RPG. Big Bad Wolf will be sharing more information about the title at Gamescom in August this year.

For more about this news find it here in A Narrative Driven RPG Set In The Vampire The Masquerade Universe Developed By Big Bad Wolf.

The Witcher

If you’re looking to pick up The Witcher, you can now grab it for free from GOG. You will need to have Gwent the Witcher the free-to-play card game downloaded first.

The original The Witcher game based on the novels by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski got its release in 2007 on PC. Set in a dark fantasy world featuring Geralt of Rivia. While combat was a bit rough around the edges, it introduced an inspiring RPG world with a well built group of characters.

If you want to see how this franchise got its start, you can gain The Witcher: Enhanced Edition for free by picking it up on GOG. You will however, need to download Gwent first, the Witcher based card game but this title is also free.  In the process you will be requested to sign up for GOG’s newsletter and will be given a free card keg according to the official GOG website.

For more about this news find it here in The Witcher Is Now Free On GOG After Downloading The Card Game Gwent.

Epic Mega Sale

Epic Games store drops a massive sale which includes pre-purchases of upcoming titles yet to be released.

The sale that starts May 16th will run until June 13th has been dubbed the “Epic Mega Sale” and it stands true to its name. The Epic Games Store which opened around six months ago, is offering up to 75% off titles as well as $10 off games that cost $14.99 or more. This sale causes no additional cost to the publisher or developer according to Epic.

You can even snap up games that are available for pre-purchase these include Quantic Dream’s titles that are coming to PC for the first time Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls for $4.99, and Detroit Become Human for $19.99. This also includes upcoming Borderlands 3 all editions with a $10 price cut, standard edition is now $49.99, Deluxe Edition is now $69.99 and Super Deluxe Edition is now $89.99.

But if you’ve recently purchased a game that just went on sale, threat not as Epic games are willing to refund you the difference in price as long as you purchased them between May 2nd and May 15th of this year.

For more about this news find it here in Epic Games Store Mega Sale Launches.

Code Vein

Bandai Namco have announced the closed network test dates and times for upcoming action-RPG Code Vein.

The network test dates will start for US on May 30th at 8PM PST until June 3rd 12 AM PST.

For those in EU this will start on May 31st 5 AM CEST ending on June 3rd at 9 AM CEST.

A registration page is now up on their website for those who wish to sign up to take part this May which includes multiplayer experience and select quests according to the Bandai Namco’s  Twitter account.

The network test will be available for both Playstation 4 and Xbox One with codes going out on May 29th.

For more about this news find it here in Code Vein Closed Network Test Starts May 30th.

Well, that’s it for the Week in Wikis. Please join us next week for yet another great week of gaming! Remember to check out our VIP program for some exclusive supporter benefits, and budding writers should take advantage of our Become an Author initiative! Thanks again for being a part of this great community. Keep checking in with us for news, reviews, YouTube streams and vids, and general wiki goodness!

Follow us on social media for all the latest and greatest. The more followers we get, the larger the army of the Fexus grows:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!) published first on https://juanaframi.tumblr.com/

[gosatsuvns]

Weekly Update #229 - A Fresh Start Into A New Year

So here we are with the first weekly blog post of 2019! Hopefully, all of you had a great start into the new year and find yourselves brimming with the energy and determination needed to turn it into a very productive and successful one! I for one am certainly feeling motivated as heck to make this a year I can fondly look back on!

Last week, I talked a bit about 2018 and the things we have worked on and accomplished (or not). Today, I want to take a look ahead at 2019 and tell you a little about our plans for the upcoming months. So without further ado, let's jump right into it!

As mentioned before, our main focus for now remains on the completion of the extended GENBA no Kizuna demo.

It's hard to say when exactly we will be able to finish it. There is quite a bit of work left to be done and you have to keep in mind that we're still just two people working on this project. I mean, sure, we have a composer and a proofreader, but literally everything else (writing, coding, GUI, sprites, backgrounds, CGs, etc.) needs to be done by Natsu and me. So it can take a while, especially when you're working a part-time job as well (which is the main reason my VN dev time was significantly reduced throughout December, but I'll get into that a little more further down below).

In any case, since I cannot give you a release date yet, I'm going to give you a list of all the things that still need to be worked on instead. So, what exactly is still missing in terms of assets in order to fully code the second half of the extended demo's content?

Various sprites and sprite variations (Himatsu, Amber, Ryuunosuke, Shiku, Terano)

1 background artwork

2 CGs

Various little art pieces to be used in the DPA

Everything has already been worked on to some degree. The background has been sketched, for instance, and I have started outlining it. One CG is about 40% done. Himatsu already got her base sprite as well as a couple of variations, but will require a few more poses/expressions. The sprites for the suspect characters actually pose the biggest workload. I've started working on those as well, but it's four characters that all need a handful of sprite variations, so it's going to take a while until all of them are done.

Hopefully, we will be able to finish the demo within the first two or three months of the year. Of course, patrons will once again be able to check it out first and help us prepare everything for the subsequent public release. So if you're interested in this project and want to support us, or even help out with bug-testing or by making suggestions, please consider checking out our Patreon!

Not only will you get early access to the first half of the extended demo right away, you can also download the full versions of the BGMs, check out script excerpts or even read special blog posts, the most recent of which is giving you an early peek at the location where SHINRAI's sequel, Withering Without Hope (WWH) is set!

Really, even if it's just the 1$ tier or only for a month, every little bit of support is greatly appreciated! It's only thanks to our current patrons that we were even able to hire a composer and proofreader for GENBA. So seriously, to everyone who's supported us financially in the past or even continues to do so to this day, thank you so much!

But yeah, that's the current situation and the plan for at least the next couple of months. Although, there are actually a few more things outside of the demo itself, which we want to tackle as well. Along with its public release, we are planning to open up a Discord server and launch a Steam page after we've already launched one on itch.io a while ago. Furthermore, I'm planning to make some updates to the website and Patreon as well. All of these may sound like minor things, but will require some preparation time as well.

The good thing is that, once the extended demo is done, development for the rest of the game should go a lot faster and smoother. Because at that point, all the major characters will finally have their sprites with a good amount of variation. And there is a big difference between having to create sprites for 5 different characters from scratch for a single scene... versus just one or two new variations every now and then.

Anyway, that's more or less everything in regards to GENBA. Now for those of you wondering about WWH...

As I have mentioned before, it's not dead and hasn't entirely been put on the back burner, but GENBA's completion certainly takes priority for now. Also, I've been thinking about WWH's development a lot in general. At the current rate and pace, releasing a project of that size with only two people is just taking way too long. So once GENBA is completed, I really want to expand and get more people involved in our projects. Otherwise, it's going to take forever to release all the stories I still have in the back of my mind!

Whether it's going to be self-funded or through the help of Patreon or even Kickstarter, we will see. But in order to get faster at releasing projects and increasing the level of quality as well, there is no other way (even though I really enjoy doing all these things (mostly) by myself, haha).

So yeah, I'm not even sure if there's a point in working on any assets for WWH when I'm likely going to hire someone else to take care of it in the future. So instead, I'll just focus on its writing. This year, I want to focus on writing a lot in general. Once the extended demo is done, I'm going to finish writing the remaining chapters for GENBA no Kizuna. Even if the game itself might not be completed this year, I'm dead set on at least turning all those notes into a fully written story.

I have a lot of personal goals regarding my private life as well, so it's definitely going to be a work-intensive year. One that will require saving up a lot of money, too. It was nice being a full-time dev for so long, and I hope I can go back to that ASAP. But as I mentioned in the beginning, I was working a part-time job last month and I need to continue doing so from here on out. Not just for my private goals, but also for my future projects. Again, as of right now, Patreon allows us to pay our composer and our proofreader, but in order to actually get more people on board in the future, we need to save up even more funds. But I guess I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself just yet. For now, the goals for the immediate future are clear and I'm going to work hard on accomplishing them.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you will stick with us for another year and be a witness to not only GENBA's development, but even our personal growth. Now please enjoy the rest of your weekend and, until next Saturday, take care! :3

[thomasroach]

Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!)

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Check out the video above and read on for the text!

Monster Hunter World

Capcom currently have a free trial available for a limited time only which is now available on Playstation 4.

The trial is only available on Playstation 4 and lets you experience Monster Hunter World up to the Tobi-Kadachi assignment quest at Hunter Rank 4. You can create your own Hunter and Palico companion and play up until this part. The free trial will run until May 20th.

If you decided after the trial you wish to continue your adventure by purchasing the title, your progress carries over to the full version. You can pick up Monster Hunter World for $20 on Playstation 4.

If you missed the livestream of the Spring Update or want a recap of everything that was covered you can read (and watch the video) about it here MHW Iceborne: Everything We Know, New Monsters, New Locale, New Elements!

For more about this news find it here in Monster Hunter World PS4 Free Trial Available Now.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has gone live now for Xbox Insiders in of a form beta.

Microsoft previously unveiled their new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription last month which puts together Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass into a single subscription, available for $14.99 a month.

This saves current Xbox players about $5 a month if they were to pay for both services separately ($19.98). During the beta the service will be available at an introductory price of $1 per month.

This allows players to access Xbox exclusive games through Xbox Game Pass on day one of launch. Choosing to buy a game in Game Pass allows you a 10 percent discount to members. Current titles include Mutant Year Zero, For the King, Operencia the Stolen Sun, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Fallout 4, Black Desert, The Surge and more.

At the moment the new service is available through beta for Xbox Insiders, who will test out the service and help to provide feedback.

For more about this news find it here in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Is Now Available For Preview Beta Xbox Insiders.

Warhammer Chaosbane

Getting a closer look at the beasts chosen for the upcoming action RPG Warhammer Chaosbane, Bigben and Eko Software highlight the monsters that made it into the title ranging over 70 different types.

Warhammer: Chaosbane is the first action-RPG that focuses on the fantasy universe. A Diablo-inspired title where you’ll not meet strong abilities but plenty of foes to battle through.

It was up to the devs to find a good balance between combat prowess and enemy abilities that fit into the world. Bigben and Eko paid close attention to the design of well-known monsters such as Nurglings that like to swarm and use their numbers to fight you.

Warhammer Chaosbane releases on June 4th on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. If you want to know what we thought of the game be sure to read our Warhammer Chaosbane Preview – Venturing Into The Fantasy Universe.

For more about this news find it here in War hammer Chaosbane Latest Video Focuses On Bestiary.

World of Warcraft Classic

Blizzard announced the release date for World of Warcraft Classic which releases on August 27th. Those who have a current World of Warcraft subscription will be able to play Classic once it releases in August as part of their subscription.

Classic is the closest thing to vanilla, based on the Drums of War Patch 1.12 but comes with modern support and dedicated servers.

If you’re hoping to reserve your character name in WoW Classic, you will be able to start character creation on August 13th. Those who have an active subscription or game time can create up to three characters per account. So far realm names have not been released but Blizzard assures these will come later, closer to launch.

For more about this news find it here in World Of Warcraft Classic Releases August 27th; Beta Goes Live May 15th.

Project Prelude Rune

The game Project Prelude Rune was originally announced back in 2017 by Square Enix under the developer Studio Istolia.

On May 14th, Square Enix has officially announced the project cancellation and the developer studio has now shut down with the employees being transferred to Square Enix.

The announcement was made after the website was taken down as well as social media accounts related to the game, as well as the news of the departure of the director Hideo Baba earlier this month. Hideo Baba the ex-Tales producer was originally working on the Playstation 4 RPG title.

For more about this news find it here in Project Prelude Rune Cancelled Confirmed By Square Enix.

Vampire The Masquerade

A brand new title being worked on by the developers of The Council, Big Bad Wolf are developing a new narrative driven RPG set in the world of the Vampire: The Masquerade.

With news of the second entry Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 being announced to be in the works not long ago under Paradox Interactive, it looks like another title will be expanding the Vampire universe. So far only gaining the title Vampire: The Masquerade.

At a Bigben Interactive event in Paris, the developer Big Bad Wolf shared that story driven RPG was in production in partnership with White Wolf and Paradox Interactive, being worked on for the past three to four months.

While information on the title is still quite scarce, but what they did reveal was that is would not be an episodic game, unlike their The Council. Set to be a large full scale RPG with “large narrative, with branching dialogues”.

But fans will have to wait a couple of years before getting to see the new Vampire: The Masquerade title released. Hopefully this will give enough time for the developer to flesh out the RPG. Big Bad Wolf will be sharing more information about the title at Gamescom in August this year.

For more about this news find it here in A Narrative Driven RPG Set In The Vampire The Masquerade Universe Developed By Big Bad Wolf.

The Witcher

If you’re looking to pick up The Witcher, you can now grab it for free from GOG. You will need to have Gwent the Witcher the free-to-play card game downloaded first.

The original The Witcher game based on the novels by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski got its release in 2007 on PC. Set in a dark fantasy world featuring Geralt of Rivia. While combat was a bit rough around the edges, it introduced an inspiring RPG world with a well built group of characters.

If you want to see how this franchise got its start, you can gain The Witcher: Enhanced Edition for free by picking it up on GOG. You will however, need to download Gwent first, the Witcher based card game but this title is also free.  In the process you will be requested to sign up for GOG’s newsletter and will be given a free card keg according to the official GOG website.

For more about this news find it here in The Witcher Is Now Free On GOG After Downloading The Card Game Gwent.

Epic Mega Sale

Epic Games store drops a massive sale which includes pre-purchases of upcoming titles yet to be released.

The sale that starts May 16th will run until June 13th has been dubbed the “Epic Mega Sale” and it stands true to its name. The Epic Games Store which opened around six months ago, is offering up to 75% off titles as well as $10 off games that cost $14.99 or more. This sale causes no additional cost to the publisher or developer according to Epic.

You can even snap up games that are available for pre-purchase these include Quantic Dream’s titles that are coming to PC for the first time Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls for $4.99, and Detroit Become Human for $19.99. This also includes upcoming Borderlands 3 all editions with a $10 price cut, standard edition is now $49.99, Deluxe Edition is now $69.99 and Super Deluxe Edition is now $89.99.

But if you’ve recently purchased a game that just went on sale, threat not as Epic games are willing to refund you the difference in price as long as you purchased them between May 2nd and May 15th of this year.

For more about this news find it here in Epic Games Store Mega Sale Launches.

Code Vein

Bandai Namco have announced the closed network test dates and times for upcoming action-RPG Code Vein.

The network test dates will start for US on May 30th at 8PM PST until June 3rd 12 AM PST.

For those in EU this will start on May 31st 5 AM CEST ending on June 3rd at 9 AM CEST.

A registration page is now up on their website for those who wish to sign up to take part this May which includes multiplayer experience and select quests according to the Bandai Namco’s  Twitter account.

The network test will be available for both Playstation 4 and Xbox One with codes going out on May 29th.

For more about this news find it here in Code Vein Closed Network Test Starts May 30th.

Well, that’s it for the Week in Wikis. Please join us next week for yet another great week of gaming! Remember to check out our VIP program for some exclusive supporter benefits, and budding writers should take advantage of our Become an Author initiative! Thanks again for being a part of this great community. Keep checking in with us for news, reviews, YouTube streams and vids, and general wiki goodness!

Follow us on social media for all the latest and greatest. The more followers we get, the larger the army of the Fexus grows:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

The post Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Top RPG News Of The Week: May 19th (Code Vein, MHW, Epic Sale and More!) published first on https://juanaframi.tumblr.com/