Indie Swords and Sorcery - Underworld: Definitive Edition

[Charles-cgr]

Yes, Gog turned it down (politely commie, they did it politely ) saying they had their plate full for 2012. I haven't contacted Steam yet because that demo I put up has too many bugs. I'm uploading a fix this weekend and then contacting them.

I'm very wary of these platforms though. The only guarantee is that they'll force me to lower the price, then take 30%. But there is no guarantee the game will be visible on their catalog (UW is on GG, but they stayed very silent about it). Success stories on Steam / Gog (Dredmoor, Vogel, Grimrock) may not be due to Steam or Gog, but the game press hyping them before release. One might argue that these games helped the platforms more than the platforms helped them.

I'll base my positionning on RPS and the like's responses, or lack thereof, to my emails which I'll send once the fixed demo is up. If I can count on some noise I don't mind lowering the price & going on steam (if they'll have it). If no one answers, I'd rather advertise & keep a price that'll make that possible.

 

[Jaesun]

OK thanks for the info Charles.

 

[Jack]

Any updates on the optimization front, Charles-cgr?

 

[Peter]

- Grid based movement, although mine isn't an animated transition (some people complained about that, while others actually expressed a preference for it).

Please please change this if you can. This is the reason I get can't go back and play classic blobbers, but can play, say, Grimrock. Navigation is very disorientating without the transition, as you don't have a point of reference when you're turning. This might not be something most people on the 'Dex are asking for or anything too important from a gameplay perspective, but it's little touches like these that net developers more sales, press attention, a spot on Steam etc.

 

[Jack]

I would prefer that the current way of transition stayed, but yeah, I understand that it must be disorienting for some. A togglable setting if it's not too much effort and time involved maybe?

 

[Charles-cgr]

Any updates on the optimization front, Charles-cgr?

Do you mean you're having performance problems too? I just cracked something which might be interesting but don't have my old xp here to test the impact. Hopefully it'll be significant enough.

- Grid based movement, although mine isn't an animated transition (some people complained about that, while others actually expressed a preference for it).

Please please change this if you can. This is the reason I get can't go back and play classic blobbers, but can play, say, Grimrock. Navigation is very disorientating without the transition, as you don't have a point of reference when you're turning. This might not be something most people on the 'Dex are asking for or anything too important from a gameplay perspective, but it's little touches like these that net developers more sales, press attention, a spot on Steam etc.

Ohhh this so isn't the right time to be reading this. 6AM, just finished optimizing... (I hope). It is probably possible. I just don't know how to do it yet. I'd have to study the problem and see, like I just finished doing for optimizing. I'll take a deep breath first though

I still don't see how orientation is affected by this when you're playing though. Watching a gameplay video, I definitely get it. But playing and controlling the turns...

I'll try to figure something out, but I feel kind of out of my league at this point.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Yeah it would be a miracle if you were accepted on Steam Charles, sadly. They refuse a lot of truly great indie games from decent indie developers for obscure reasons, so a 3D blobber with simple graphics like Underworld stands little chance.

Don't hesitate to keep the price high and sell it on your website if necessary. Like Jeff Vogel said, the people you're catering to will be glad you're catering to them in the first place, and will be willing to pay more.

 

[SuicideBunny]

Any updates on the optimization front, Charles-cgr?

Do you mean you're having performance problems too? I just cracked something which might be interesting but don't have my old xp here to test the impact. Hopefully it'll be significant enough.

- Grid based movement, although mine isn't an animated transition (some people complained about that, while others actually expressed a preference for it).

Please please change this if you can. This is the reason I get can't go back and play classic blobbers, but can play, say, Grimrock. Navigation is very disorientating without the transition, as you don't have a point of reference when you're turning. This might not be something most people on the 'Dex are asking for or anything too important from a gameplay perspective, but it's little touches like these that net developers more sales, press attention, a spot on Steam etc.

Ohhh this so isn't the right time to be reading this. 6AM, just finished optimizing... (I hope). It is probably possible. I just don't know how to do it yet. I'd have to study the problem and see, like I just finished doing for optimizing. I'll take a deep breath first though

I still don't see how orientation is affected by this when you're playing though. Watching a gameplay video, I definitely get it. But playing and controlling the turns...

I'll try to figure something out, but I feel kind of out of my league at this point.

having two or three versions of each floor (or wall if floor is barely visible) texture that are mirrored or colored slightly differently and have them alternate when a larger area is filled with the same kind of tile generally achieves the same effect as far as orientation goes without being annoying to people who dislike animated transitions for the huge waste of time that they are.

 

[Jack]

Any updates on the optimization front, Charles-cgr?

Do you mean you're having performance problems too? I just cracked something which might be interesting but don't have my old xp here to test the impact. Hopefully it'll be significant enough.

Yepperoni, it's not gamebreaking or anything but it's kinda annoying. Glad to hear that you're working on it. :D

I also have to echo what others have said about the UI, the text on the buttons would look much better if it were centred and stuff like that. Other than that the game is great, especially the visuals after the facelift you've given it.

 

[Charles-cgr]

Almost three more months and still not done. I wrote a blog entry to summarize the situation. Basically I addressed everything in this thread except the animated transitions (leaving that for last, and still not making promises).

http://www.olderbytes.com/bombed-deadline-and-new-url.html

Other than that it has more content & features. I thought some might like to know. No demo update yet because I have to finish all engine related stuff to then strip down and this time I'll be testing it more first.

Oh and I changed the URL.

 

[commie]

Yeah was wondering where the fuck you had gotten to Charles...Was about to send some funds your way as I thought the game was long finished and imagine my surprise when checking out your webpage, finding you had changed the URL and seeing the same old shit. I began to think you had committed suicide after you realised what you did with the Wasteland pledge.

 

[Zed]

Eh, what's a deadline. Keep at it!

 

[Charles-cgr]

I promise not to commit suicide until this dam thing's released

 

[Morkar Left]

Yeah, better polishing than rushing. And more gameplay sounds always nice

 

[commie]

Yeah, better polishing than rushing. And more gameplay sounds always nice

This is like that thing Cleve was/is always talking about...

 

[Charles-cgr]

Yeah, better polishing than rushing. And more gameplay sounds always nice

This is like that thing Cleve was/is always talking about...

And always will be? Nah that's mean

 

[commie]

11/7/2015

Charles-cgr said:
Just letting you know that I've polished the tavern screen and the serving wench's speech finally doesn't sound awkward. I've also identified 99.6% of the missing apostrophes so I'll soon be able to start on the animations, right after I re-check the enemy retreat algorithm for the city sewer area as it's still not quite working as well as I'd like it to with a 3.2% chance of not triggering correctly. At the moment though the game is still heading for a Christmas release but I've got to be on top of all these things ASAP.

 

[Charles-cgr]

Forgery! there are no sewers

 

[Charles-cgr]

New trailer!

http://youtu.be/Fva490LpVJo

Short & nice music. Other than that, real close to Beta but lots to do still. Looking at september. Maybe late august.

 

[commie]

Well better be at the start of September. Going back to Australia on the 16th so would like something to play on the plane.

 

[Charles-cgr]

Oh the pressure... Unbearable! o_O

 

[Charles-cgr]

About Steam I'll be able to demonstrate how their new policy works out (starts end of August, so I'll be among the first to try it). If you don't know what I mean this should be an interesting read (and probably worth a newsbit if there hasn't been one that I missed).

http://steamcommunity.com/greenlight

Edit - Oh and also I'm really starting to like Facebook. It's kind of going viral and everything and that's pretty exciting.

http://www.facebook.com/OlderBytes

 

[commie]

Charles...bubi...listen to me: YOU NEED ACHIEVEMENTS!!! Think of some weird and wacky ones like going through the game with just spellcasters or killing everything that can be killed. Steam junkies need ACHIEVEMENTS!!!!

 

[Charles-cgr]

Charles...bubi...listen to me: YOU NEED ACHIEVEMENTS!!! Think of some weird and wacky ones like going through the game with just spellcasters or killing everything that can be killed. Steam junkies need ACHIEVEMENTS!!!!

Oh geez, now this :p

 

[Charles-cgr]

No achievements yet, but going for the greenlight.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=93144364

All votes greatly appreciated and all that