Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

KickStarter Underworld Ascendant Pre-Prototype Thread

Doctor Sbaitso

SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS.
Patron
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
3,348
Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Grab the Codex by the pussy Serpent in the Staglands
I am a firm believer; I hope the intangibles work out for them. Teams headed by this man have created some extremely compelling games bourne from a very deep understanding of player agency and emergent play. The pedigree is there nd Paul sounds like he still has the chops.
 

The Great Deceiver

Trickster
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2012
Messages
249
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2
Said all the right things in the interview and I think we can trust a team of (mostly) Looking Glass veterans to deliver an excellent gameplay and sound design.

Just please don't have a shitty, overdesigned art style.

Glad we're gonna see more interesting Kickstarters this years, I missed the thrill.

:happytrollboy:

I'm also definitely naming my avatar John Crichton.
 

Echo Mirage

Arcane
Joined
Aug 19, 2013
Messages
1,560
Location
Tirra Lirra by the River
There has been some more artwork released on twitter.

B8hxUkaCcAA8vhL.jpg


B8dmwyyCAAA6E-b.jpg
 

Jaesun

Fabulous Ex-Moderator
Patron
Joined
May 14, 2004
Messages
37,241
Location
Seattle, WA USA
MCA
It's official... the new Underworld is "connected" to Garriott's SotA world by a portal:
Raise the Underworld
7cc4e2e0-135f-4800-bcdc-8f548f48e967.png

We are pleased to announce that our long-time friend and former Origin protégé, Paul Neurath, is launching a Kickstarter campaign on February 4th to reboot the legendary Ultima Underworld games.

It has been more than a decade long wait, but the stars have aligned and Paul has long last freed the rights to move forward with the franchise, sans only the “Ultima” brand itself. He is joined by some of his Looking Glass colleagues who worked on the original franchise, as well as on System Shock and Thief, in the newly formed company, OtherSide Entertainment. The team has vowed to stay true to the spirit of the original Underworld, while at the same time innovating in all new ways. And they want you to be a part of it.

We're especially excited to reveal that, just as the original Ultima and Underworld shared a connection on backstory and fictional elements, so too will Shroud of the Avatar and Underworld Ascendant. There is a portal between the two worlds, which over the ages travelers have crossed, some bringing with them artifacts and arcane lore.

Our partnership, forged in the bonds of creativity, inspires us to continue the legacy. As backers of Shroud of the Avatar, you know how pivotal you are in the development of the game. No longer is there a wall between the fans and the developers. Through the magic of crowdfunding, we can develop the game and check in with fans along the way. We can get a reality check at each step so we’re truly making the game you, the player want. Not only are we sharing storyline elements with Underworld Ascendant, but we share this philosophy of collaborative development. It is a powerful time in game design, where game creators can connect directly to you, the community.

So as you have shown your allegiance to Shroud of the Avatar, bring forth that same spirit and make your pledge to raise the Underworld on February 4th.

For more information on Underworld Ascendant, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Richard Garriott (Ultima, Shroud of the Avatar) – “For those of us lifelong gamers that go back to the early days of the Underworld franchise, created by Paul Neurath, it represented a watershed event on what an immersive 3D true role-playing game could be. Personally I am as excited about Underworld returning as any game I can imagine.”

Chris Roberts (Star Citizen, Wing Commander) – “Underworld was the first truly 3D textured first-person game… it influenced pretty much all first person 3D games that came afterwards.”

“Most modern gamers probably don’t realize how much their favorite games owe to classic first-person RPG Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, which laid the foundations back in 1992 for games as diverse as Deus Ex, Bioshock and the Elder Scrolls series." – GameWatcher, January 2015

“But to cast the game as a distant godfather of modern gaming is to misunderstand it: Underworld isn’t done. Looking Glass’ first series was ended prematurely - and Paul Neurath intends to finish it.” – PCGamesN, January 2015

“After 20 years of trying –– and finally succeeding –– to acquire the franchise rights from Electronic Arts, Neurath said the decision to fund the project through Kickstarter has a number of appealing possibilities for the team –– artistic independence, creative leeway and transparency for backers”. – IGN, January 2015

At least it's not a shared world... right?
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,228
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Yeah, it sounds kind of like General MIDI on a Sound Blaster AWE64. Very nostalgic.
 
Last edited:

The Great Deceiver

Trickster
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2012
Messages
249
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2
Some tidbits from the official forum:

On MMO elements:

Other-Jeff said:
Thanks for letting us know your thoughts on that.

I don't think there is much danger of this project becoming MMORPG-like. Although we do continue to discuss potential multi-player features, everything we talk about is in service of and secondary to the core gameplay which is focused on the Underworld, living dungeon, exploratory and scary gameplay.

Im pretty positive I can promise there will be no rat quests or heavy rails if we can at all help it. And we are definitely not targeted at the "one big shared world" idea.


Other-Jeff said:
I think the MMO signal is very strongly received as no
smiley.gif

The mirror idea above was the sort of thing I think we might consider.

I think any multiplayer features we might attempt would be oriented around your circle of friends, not the whole game owner community. Thats certainly been the direction of discussion so far and you guys are definitely adding weight to that. And I also think we are hearing loud and clear that even those should not compromise the single player experience
smiley.gif

On DRM:

Other-Jeff said:
Keep in mind that, if the Kickstarter works, our risk of piracy is seriously reduced since we effectively have a paying customer base already. (And you can stand assured that I personally will argue against intrusive copy protection of any kind cause I *hate* it and honestly believe it does more harm then good.)
 

Abelian

Somebody's Alt
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
2,289
The background music hits all the right notes for me, so to speak.
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
3,438
Location
Lost Hills bunker
If only they don't devote money and resources to multiplayer implementation, I would rather they give it all to single player, really can't wait to see what they will pitch 4th - it will depend on weather I will pledge. I am hyped (and probably shouldn't be, since I'll be pretty dissapointed either with the pitch or with low budget they will receive that's probably insufficient for a game I would like it to be). I mean I have nothing against Exploding Kitten card game, and guys that are making it, but seriously, 5 million dollars for that? And all they asked was 10 K? And it will be great if these guys manage a million... :decline: On the other hand, only big names like Obsidian, inXile etc. manage to attract a more serious investment, and as we have seen, even that king of money is not sufficent for a "big buck" crpg and creative freedom. Why can't guys that are serious in trying to make a great and "magical" crpg attract huge funding, while some hipster shit gets money thrown at it? Fuck this gay world. :negative:
 
Unwanted

CyberP

Unwanted
Joined
Aug 2, 2013
Messages
1,711
I mean I have nothing against Exploding Kitten card game, and guys that are making it, but seriously, 5 million dollars for that?

This makes me want to cry.
Please don't link it here or speak of it ever again. If it is mentioned, it is promoted. Instead just do your best for Underworld Ascendant.

Fucking retarded gamers. It is shit like this why the Codex disappoints me for not really taking a stand, just acting the fool, labeling incline supporters & producers such as myself as retarded, and all the other idiocy going on around here on the regular.
This place is probably the old school enthusiast's last hope, and it is a shit hole.
 
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
3,438
Location
Lost Hills bunker
I mean I have nothing against Exploding Kitten card game, and guys that are making it, but seriously, 5 million dollars for that?

This makes me want to cry.
Please don't link it here or speak of it ever again. If it is mentioned, it is promoted. Instead just do your best for Underworld Ascendant.

Fucking retarded gamers. It is shit like this why the Codex disappoints me for not really taking a stand, just acting the fool, labeling incline supporters & producers such as myself as retarded, and all the other idiocy going on around here on the regular.
This place is probably the old school enthusiast's last hope, and it is a shit hole.

C'mon man, even on their forums - i.e. forums of an oldschool game, whose KS hasn't even begun, there are posts "Yeah, it would be cool if I could play this co-op with my bros, like Diablo or Torchlight" etc. :roll: World has gone to shit. But I still have a glimmer of hope for this, we'll see in about 3 days, I guess...
 

TheGreatOne

Arcane
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
1,214
And the music from the official site is awesome 90's glory. :d1p:
How the fuck is that music even remotely 90s? It's orchestral stuff, it doesn't sound even very dungeon like. Even the mid/late 90s PC games that did have orchestral music didn't sound like that.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom