Some of you already know I am working on a computer game but I havn't said much here about what that game is. So I thought it might be time to reveal a little more.

Those who've known me since the CTRA days know that I love multiplayer games and I love roleplaying, but I hate MMO's (despite being an avid consumer of many of them).

So I've been working on a role playing game, based upon 1st Edition rules and being released under the OSRIC license the game is intended to recapture the spirit of old-school style roleplaying in multiplayer, but not in the style of those bland MMO's.

Here's some snippets from the pre-production prototype to wet your taste buds:



You Tube Video Preview

This weekend work started on the production version of the game code and art assets and as part of the development process I wanted to open up and include as many interested people as possible both with the latest news but more importantly to hear your thoughts and comments as the project develops.

To make this happen I have started a Facebook Group where I shall post to you regular updates of what is happening inside the studio.

The OSRIC PC game represents a significant part of my life spent planning, commissioning work, designing and building prototypes until the concept was fined tuned to something that not only was a good game to play but was also was true to the original 1st edition rules, which is something that was very dear to my heart.

The game design introduces very few "computer" style elements and stays as close as possible to the foundation of OSRIC with as few "digital" compromises as I could make.

If you are interested in the project please come and join the Facebook Group, the more people who join in (and spread the word) then the better this game will become through your involvement and interest.

Thank you
Becky Rose

So its an rpg? k

is this the same one you were working on a while back?

Quote from Bmxtwins :

So its an rpg? k

Yes, but i'm trying to avoid some of the pitfalls that commercial online rpg's fall into and giving the game an old school atmosphere.

Quote from Mustangman759 :

is this the same one you were working on a while back?

Sort'of, probably, maybe not. I've worked on lots of game concepts since the CTRA, but nothing solid. In the last couple of years I have focused my efforts on the high fantasy genre and built a number of prototypes testing out different ideas.

The evolution of this game has taken several forms whilst I've been playing around with prototypes and test projects, I just knew I was going to make a game with the OSRIC game mechanics but for a long time I didn't know exactly what that game would be. Having recently finalised my plan and put the last pieces into place with regards the art assets I began work on the game proper this weekend.

So whilst I don't recall specifically which project or design idea you are referring too as there's been many, the last few years hobby/work has all been very much headed to this point.

I'm not familiar with OSRIC or really RPGs in general but it's good to read your project is making good progress.

Is this a team effort or are you doing all the art yourself too?

With reference to the video, are the fights going to become more dynamic, rather than stationary characters stood slashing at one another? And what's the visual effecting continuously floating out from the character with the wooden cape supposed to represent?

Thanks for your interest in my project Bob.

Quote from Bob Smith :

I'm not familiar with OSRIC or really RPGs in general but it's good to read your project is making good progress.

6 steps forward 7 steps back as usual :P. I'm about to switch 3D engine to one with less bugs that will hopefully allow me to move forward at my own pace, rather than that of a lethargic slug on cannabis - luckily I had not got far with the production version so I have only lost a few days of dev time. The prototypes where all done in the Xors engine and at the 11th hour I found a show stopping issue with it.

Quote :

Is this a team effort or are you doing all the art yourself too?

I'm working on the game myself, but I am commissioning and buying media to fill the shortfall in my own talent. I'll get a few bits from my brother too who is a next gen standard game asset artist... who builds cars for a living. Go figure?

I've got a budget of $8000 for art and audio assets over the 4 year development of the project, we're in year 2.5 and I hope to finish early

Quote :

With reference to the video, are the fights going to become more dynamic, rather than stationary characters stood slashing at one another? And what's the visual effecting continuously floating out from the character with the wooden cape supposed to represent?

Oh dear, I guess that effect is too 90's if you can't even recognise what it is! The character is holding a flaming torch to provide light.

I should probably try and make it a shader in the production version but I'm still a beginner at coding those, I've done a couple, results where reasonable but not professional. There's still a few things my head isn't wrapped around with regards to making them. Although I've a fantastic idea for a post processing shader that I would like to code one day...

As somebody with some experience of swordplay the fight animations do lack a certain dynamicism - but I think that of most games tbh. I think the fight animations are reasonably good overall, the contenders do parry, dodge and block each others blows - but their feet aren't mobile enough for my taste.

I can't do much about it either as I've spent $800 on animations already and out of that I do have a lot of social and utility animations. But I just can't afford to get what I would have really wanted which would have been some mocap myself with some old sword fighting friends. There are limits when you are a bedroom coder! Especially as this would involve getting the monsters re-rigged to a common biped too - which I can't afford.

In it's defence the fight you are seeing in that video is 1v1 and doesn't really demonstrate good gameplay or interactive elements. I certainly would not release a game that didn't have good gameplay, I have standards!

Do keep abrest of the latest news on the facebook page, I'm sure you'll get some laughts at my expense when you compare notes to your day job and the stupidity with which I go about it