Garage menu and more tank customization!

Hi!

Today, I want to show you some progress on new garage submenu. This new menu gives me much more space and allows me to introduce a copule of new crazy ideas! 

Here you will be able to customize almost every part of your tank! Starting with well known chassis and turret and finishing with lamps, antennas and utilities. I am currently working at system that allows you to add tactical numbers, change lamps, antennas, misc objects like picks, shovels, boxes, maybe engine parts and hopefully - track models! Some of this parts will also add a bonus to your tank. You will also be able to choose secondary weapons here (like well known mines) and this secondary weapons will also affects how your tank looks like.

Back in the saddle

Hi everyone!

I haven't been here for a while, but I am at least back in buisness! And I am comming back with good news! Let me begin with a copule of screenshots showing new features:

Heavy chassis is almost complete! I am going to add some small addons (such as ropes, hooks and iron plates on back) and create normal map for the model. I have also reworked tank turret spawn mechanism. Now it places turret exactly where I want to place it for every chassis. So now, I can create chassis with different height and shape and the turret will be placed on the right spot!

New roads! Background won't be so flat and empty anymore. I have made already two types of roads. They are fully configurable and can be choosen for every ground type.

I am also working on some minor elements, such as reflectors, antennas, etc.

Stay tuned for more news soon!

My fight with the Titans - Risen review

Hi!
This time I would like to tell you about the wonderful, in my opinion, RPG production by German Piranha Bythes  - Risen - a game, which is the spiritual heir of the Gothic series. Personally, I love "Gothic" series. Graphics was ugly and clumsy controls could easily compete with the work of the camera in Silent Hill 2 for the title of the worst interface of all time, but Gothic and Gothic 2 have a great story, which compensated for any shortcomings in graphic design and controls. Epic music composed by Kai Rozenkratz was one of the reasons for my interest in instrumental music. But let's back to topic, shall we.

Difficult beginnings
Risen starts with a flourish. In the intro, we are witnessing a mysterious inquisitor fighting with a sea monster. As a result, our ship has sunk and we - hungry and ragged have landed on the beach. And here comes the first of the classic "Gothic" characteristics. We only rely on ourself and our wooden staff. The opponents are very difficult. Very, very difficult. For the first few hours (!) of game we are weakling, which is easily killed by a common rat. We get a thrashing so often, that the only way to not to fall into a rage and throw a game out of the window, is to love to two options - quick save and quick load - and prepare to use them really often.

From zero hero
When our hero, after receiving countless blows, gain experience, strength and better weapons game is getting more and more fun. Here shows up  another of the features of Gothic - once our hero begins to be "respected on district" fight begins to make a great joy. Opponents, against which we have escaped with tears a copule of hours ago, disappear after two or three blows. Warriors, undefeated at the beginning of the game, now have at least as many chance as we have. What about the rest? They flee in panic before our power. In Risen, there is no difficulty level scaling known from The Elder Scrolls - if we get enough experience, we will become a real killing machine.
 

 
Become my Padawan
Risen, like the other Gothic-like games, is based on the skill points, aquired after getting enough expirience to level-up and teachers. Before I get to them, the word about "leveling." We gain experience through killing monsters / enemies, beating human opponents, as well as finishing the quests and tasks. Importantly, we get sometimes more experience due to the fight, than through tasks. Therefore, it's highly reccomended to explore the island and "clean" it from all the available opponents. We gain also lot of treasures too. Returning to the teachers - the system is really cool, but it has one drawback - if our faction has no teacher of the skill we want to learn - we can forget about its possession. What often hurts - a lot. Moreover, especially in the beginning, our growth may be limited by lack of knowledge of the world and knowledge, which the teacher teaches certain skills.

Game of Thrones
In Risen, there are three factions fighting factions, which we can join - swamp bandits, inquisition and mages. Choosing one of them (significantly) reduces interactions with other factions and indicates further development of events in the game. Unfortunately, the opportunities available to the player after joining the different fractions are heavily unbalanced. While joining the magicians, or the Inquisition allows as to comfortable play the game, playing as a bandit warrior from the swamps, makes game somewhere in the middle, unplayable nightmare. Bandits do not have access to magic (there are maigc scrolls, of course, but this is a drop in the ocean of needs) and must rely only on melee combat (or at a distance, using an average useful bows and crossbows). Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle of the game we are attecked by groups of opponents, who even alone are very difficult to overcome. On the other hand magicians and inquisitors, armed with magic stones, they can shoot missiles to wave of enemies like a machine gun. It is unfortunate, because from all factions, bandits are the most interesting and have the deepest plot from all factions in the game.

Smithing simulator
What else can I say about Risen? It is worth to invest a copule of skill points to crafting skills. While brewing potions may not be very useful, but certainly partially satisfies our need for potions, you might be interested in blacksmithing. Weapons forged by us are, by the majority of the game, much better than what we can find, or buy from merchants and even a few more points of attack may be important in a challenge with some opponents. We can also create magical scrolls, collect ore and cook meals, that gives certain bonuses.

Summa sumarum
I think, I said everything important about the game. Graphically, even today, it pleases the eye, though the animations are a little lame (which is probably a tradition ingames of Piranha Bythes). Generally game, despite its flaws, is a really good piece of RPG worthy of play. Tasks are not weary and curiosity and stubbornness of the player is rewarded fairly well. The game gives you satisfaction both during game and at the end, but playing can hurt for the first few hours.

Special abilities

Hello!

I have been thinking lately about adding special player abilities system. Player will be given a possibility to choose one of the special abilities at the beginning, or pick up new ability in a bonus. The first ability that comes to my mind is temporary impenetrable shield. That shield will also bounce every bullet, that hit a player.

The second ability would be of course a speed boost. I still think about player tank turret rotation. I am unsure, that this change would make the game too easy. Thats, why I think about enabling turret rotation as an abillity.

Another abillity will be temporary fire rate boost, that will increase fire rate and recoil for multiple times.

All boost abillities will be collected as pick-up bonuses. I think about two systems - one that allows players to collect the abillities (charges) and use them on demand and second, that will activate when player picks up a bonus - it's simpler but gives players less possibilities.

Break

Hi!

I have taken a copule of days off. I was really tired after 2 months of continous work. But now is time to slowly back to buisness. Yesterday, I have reworked some logic systems and today I am going to work at player nickname system.

I have also recorded some gameplay footages. A trailer should be released soon. 

So don't worry, I am back in the saddle now and you should hear some news tomorrow.