About the Project
Why make a demo?
I grew up playing computer games in the 1980’s. I started with text-based games such as Scott Adam’s Adventure and Zork. CRPGs became my favorite genre, with Richard Garriot’s incredible Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar being my favorite game in the series. In time I would go on to work in the video games industry, contributing art to some of the best CRPG’s of the late 1990’s/early 200o’s. I left that industry nearly 10 years ago. Given the advancements in game technology, I thought I would create an RPG demo as a bit of an homage to the genre, using old-school techniques to create an engaging experience.
What is with the old-school techniques?
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s games couldn’t rely on incredible graphics – the technology wasn’t there. They had to be fun. Now with the latest PC hardware and current-generation consoles, (with few exceptions) graphics seem to be the focus over gameplay and story. This demo will feature –
–2D Graphics: Before there was real-time game graphics there were pre-rendered sprites. Characters, environments, and effects will be 2d sprites rendered from 3d models.
–Click to move, and point and click interface: Used in games such as Curse of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, and Baldur’s Gate.
–Isometric view and turn-based gameplay: Like the original Fallout.
–Animation and story-heavy: Generally, I am not a fan of motion-capture animation. All character animation will be keyframed by-hand. There will be quite a bit of dialogue used to create an immersive demo.
Old-school tools and techniques, too, huh?
The engine will be Unity 3d. I am in the process of assessing tools for the project, but the primary 3d packages will likely be student versions of 3dsmax, Maya, and Mudbox. I have an old copy of Adobe CS3 Professional that includes Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects among others. This is not a commercial product, so I should be compliant with the EULAS for my toolset.
Who else is working on this?
Just me, except for the music. I will be purchasing royalty-free commercially available music for this demo.
What will it look like? How would you describe the art style?
The background image in the header of the site is taken from an early version of the demo level environment. No anime. It will be an old art style consistent with classic Interplay CRPG titles. Characters will be semi-realistic with functional armor types. There are currently no plans to have bikini armor, oversized 15-foot swords, androgenous spikey-haired heroes, or big pointy-hat mages.
What will combat be like?
Turn-based, logical combat. I’d like to incorporate a Fallout-like VATS system. a cover system, injuries, first-aid, and a knockout/recovery system. I can’t forget the kitchen sink.
How often will the site be updated?
As often as possible. Much of this demo will be a learning experience for me. It has been a long time since I have created a significant amount of 3d artwork by hand, and I am not a programmer. I will be learning as I go and documenting my mistakes and successes as a game developer in this one-man show.
I’d like to talk to you about this little project of yours. How do I get in touch?
Email me at wolf@nvrmor.com.