Development Info Omega Syndrome sneaks up to 2.0

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Omega Syndrome

<a href="http://www.ausgamedev.com/index.html">Omega Syndrome</a> has been updated to a bigger, better version now with:
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<blockquote><b>25TH FEBRUARY 2005
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THE OMEGA SYNDROME UPDATED TO VER 2.00!
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Changes To Skills!</b>
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Thief skills have been added including Steal, Lock Pick, Sneak, Disarm Traps and Detect Traps!
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<b>Guarded Containers and Traps!</b>
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You can trade with and steal from containers that are owned by shop keepers and other people in the game. Also traps have been to added to some containers and some nasty proximity traps have been sprinkled throughout the game.
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<b>Doors!</b>
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Locked doors have been added to hinder access to some very interesting areas.
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<b>Note:</b>
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If you already own OS and want to play VER 2.00, you need to download the latest versions of the demo and Add On 1. </blockquote>
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Oh yeah, I'm a little late on this news, but there you go. I figure the news of the new skills is worth posting about even if I am 11 days late with it.
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[EEVIAC]

I'd be more interested in this game if I didn't have to play as a character named Max Power. Its up there with Abraham Strong and Ban Dana for bad game names.

 

[chaedwards]

‘There’s three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way.'
‘Isn’t that the wrong way?’
‘Yeah, but faster!’

 

[space captain]

"You don't snuggle with Max Power, you strap yourself in and feel the G's!"

"Max Power, he has the name that you want to touch,
but you musn't touch!
His name sounds good in your ear,
but when you hear it, you musn't fear.
Cause his name can be said,
in many different ways..."

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Actually, if you create a character, you can name the character anything you want now.

There's been a lot of improvement in the character creation since the last time I posted about the game. There's a lot more skills, for example. About the only thing you can't do in character creation is select a gender or a portrait.

 

[Fez]

Sounds like he should have finished the game before releasing it. It'd have made a better first impression at least. Not that continuing support for it is a bad thing, mind.

 

[Davaris]

"Sounds like he should have finished the game before releasing it. It'd have made a better first impression at least. Not that continuing support for it is a bad thing, mind."

Its always been finished with every release. But each time I learn something new and can't help going back and improving it.

In case you're interested there are more changes on the way.

1) The stats system is going to be changed (for obvious reasons).

2) The damage system is going to change as I want to force the player to use different weapon types depending on the creature they are facing (this will be similar to the guns aren't useful against Vampires rule).

3) A Perks style sytem is being considered.

4) There are 10 new monsters in the works now.

 

[Fez]

I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that the game would make a better first impression if they had all these great features when you released it, rather than trickling them in afterwards. It gives the impression that the first people who get the game have been tricked into beta testing it for you, similar (to a lesser extent) to what some less well-loved publishing houses have been doing over the years. In your game's case it's probably closer to how an MMOG develops after release.

There's the chance it might tempt a few people into getting it afterwards, I suppose. Perhaps some sort of beta testing would have helped you get it more polished and closer to your vision before release?

I can't fault you for adding content though, so feel free to mould it into an awesome game and you might end up with as many people masturbating over your name as Vogel. The game managed to interest me story-wise and is fairly original.

Welcome to the Codex.

 

[PennyAnte]

Vogel + masturbation = not the thought I want to wake up to in the morning.

 

[Fez]

It'll give you something to do with any morning glory going spare. Go on. You know you want to.

 

[EEVIAC]

I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that the game would make a better first impression if they had all these great features when you released it, rather than trickling them in afterwards.

That's going to be a lot harder when you're an indepenent developer with a small fan base. There's only so much feedback friends and relatives can give, and that pales into comparison to the things you only realize as flawed when the game's actual audience complains about them.

Although your MMO analogy is probably close, think of it as an investment in a happy RPG future. If AGD really do have a commitment to CRPG's, I'd rather they make and fix as many mistakes as possible with OS so that future games can hit the market as they should.

By the bye, Davaris, have you tried to get the game on the cover disks of PC Powerplay or Atomic? Both magazines seem pretty keen to support the local game industry.

 

[NeutralMilkHotel]

PC Gamer US has had little bits about geneforge before, I'd think they might do that for your game too.

 

[Davaris]

"By the bye, Davaris, have you tried to get the game on the cover disks of PC Powerplay or Atomic?"

I haven't pushed it marketing wise, as I can still see improvements that can be made. These aren't bugs mind you. There are no bugs in it that I know of on all the machines I've tested it on.

What I want to do is make a game that is every bit as good an experience as the original Fallout was. It's one thing to know a game you've played is great, but it's another thing entirely to make one that has that same magic. This is why I'm always adding and changing things in OS, because I'm trying to make the best CRPG possible.

You never know, I could still be making improvements to OS in a years time.

 

[Fez]

You really should push it for inclusion on magazine covers. PC Gamer might include it if you offer, I know they like other indie games.

 

[Davaris]

I might submit OS to those magazines after I add the things I mentioned above. Hopefully I won't think of anything new to add or it could take longer.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

You know, that's one thing that's always bothered me about this game. Every time you abbreviate it "OS", I think "Operating System." It drives me NUTS!

 

[Fez]

Same here. OS doesn't make me think of Omega Syndrome straight away. Maybe you should add in an extra word or title to help distinguish it?

"Omega Syndrome: Conspiracy!", etc. It'd be worth your while just to please us, I am sure.

 

[Kamaz]

I suggest using abbreviation OSyn. Sounds cool.

 

[Sol Invictus]

OSC! would be much better.