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Impalpable Eidolon (Version 0.9 Under Development)

HarmlessHermit 19 years ago

Will Quis be able to use morphing as a dynamic part of fighting or is it more of a situational thing where different shapes are better for different situations? *Me imagines flying Quis suddenly turn into a fast Quis to kill weaker enemies before becoming a blob and beating up a tougher enemy*

Quanrian 19 years ago

"Marevix" said:
Can I call it Chocolate Pudding until you tell us it's real name?

I'd rather you not

"HarmlessHermit" said:
Will Quis be able to use morphing as a dynamic part of fighting or is it more of a situational thing where different shapes are better for different situations? *Me imagines flying Quis suddenly turn into a fast Quis to kill weaker enemies before becoming a blob and beating up a tougher enemy*

Actually I should of been clearer about that when I lead on that he would change shape

Quis does not change into anything else, actually that isn't planned at least. Quis, instead can do things that aren't possible or at least weren't implemented yet, like ducking and jumping and more importantly that some things can be changed based on these things. This 'may' lead to similar things being added to the Expansion for Notrium, however they will be done for top-down view.

So in a sense what you're saying is on the right track, Quis will be able to duck and roll to avoid certain obstacles, but he wont actually change in the sense that an amorphous blob would. Sorry to disappoint you on that one, but it's a little late at this point for me to re-gear all my renderings in that direction, although it probably would be possible. As far as the platforming potential goes, there really is ALOT I have not tried, but the demo you'll see will be dealing with the short one on one battles with the enemy AI and more than likely(there is always the chance I'll change my mind) will not involve any platforming aspects.

I'll certainly keep in mind what you mentioned though, incase I do get a bit more ambitious with what I want to do. I do really want to finish it at some point though

The best way for me to do that is to make sure as much of it works and works well first. So once I feel I've got a really good structuring, I probably will be more willing to mess with it

You'll see alot of what I mean when you see the scripts and such, it's really easy to mess things up.

Incase anyone is wondering though, as far as pure platformers go, a game like Mario should be very possible. I am not making that type of game though, so you'll have to figure out all that on your own

The main thing to understand is, you're not just creating the phsyics for your mod, but you're also instructing everything else on how to react to your physics and that is where it can become very tedious because usually Notrium takes care of all that on it's own.

So far the closest I've seen to what I'm doing now has been done by Casanova with his dual pistols. So alot of what you see in the mod is going to be brand new. This means I'll probably be making up catchy terms for things because I'm weird like that

[quote="Marevix"]Can I call it Chocolate Pudding until you tell us it's real name?[/quote] I'd rather you not :P [quote="HarmlessHermit"]Will Quis be able to use morphing as a dynamic part of fighting or is it more of a situational thing where different shapes are better for different situations? *Me imagines flying Quis suddenly turn into a fast Quis to kill weaker enemies before becoming a blob and beating up a tougher enemy*[/quote] Actually I should of been clearer about that when I lead on that he would change shape :P Quis does not change into anything else, actually that isn't planned at least. Quis, instead can do things that aren't possible or at least weren't implemented yet, like ducking and jumping and more importantly that some things can be changed based on these things. This 'may' lead to similar things being added to the Expansion for Notrium, however they will be done for top-down view. So in a sense what you're saying is on the right track, Quis will be able to duck and roll to avoid certain obstacles, but he wont actually change in the sense that an amorphous blob would. Sorry to disappoint you on that one, but it's a little late at this point for me to re-gear all my renderings in that direction, although it probably would be possible. As far as the platforming potential goes, there really is ALOT I have not tried, but the demo you'll see will be dealing with the short one on one battles with the enemy AI and more than likely(there is always the chance I'll change my mind) will not involve any platforming aspects. I'll certainly keep in mind what you mentioned though, incase I do get a bit more ambitious with what I want to do. I do really want to finish it at some point though ;) The best way for me to do that is to make sure as much of it works and works well first. So once I feel I've got a really good structuring, I probably will be more willing to mess with it ;) You'll see alot of what I mean when you see the scripts and such, it's really easy to mess things up. Incase anyone is wondering though, as far as pure platformers go, a game like Mario should be very possible. I am not making that type of game though, so you'll have to figure out all that on your own ;) The main thing to understand is, you're not just creating the phsyics for your mod, but you're also instructing everything else on how to react to your physics and that is where it can become very tedious because usually Notrium takes care of all that on it's own. So far the closest I've seen to what I'm doing now has been done by Casanova with his dual pistols. So alot of what you see in the mod is going to be brand new. This means I'll probably be making up catchy terms for things because I'm weird like that :P

HarmlessHermit 19 years ago

"Quanrian" said:

Actually I should of been clearer about that when I lead on that he would change shape Quis does not change into anything else, actually that isn't planned at least. Quis, instead can do things that aren't possible or at least weren't implemented yet, like ducking and jumping and more importantly that some things can be changed based on these things. This 'may' lead to similar things being added to the Expansion for Notrium, however they will be done for top-down view.

So in a sense what you're saying is on the right track, Quis will be able to duck and roll to avoid certain obstacles, but he wont actually change in the sense that an amorphous blob would. Sorry to disappoint you on that one, but it's a little late at this point for me to re-gear all my renderings in that direction, although it probably would be possible. As far as the platforming potential goes, there really is ALOT I have not tried, but the demo you'll see will be dealing with the short one on one battles with the enemy AI and more than likely(there is always the chance I'll change my mind) will not involve any platforming aspects.

but..but... doesn't quis mean "who?" in latin? I assumed that you wouldn't know "who" he is because of his many shapes.

Quanrian 19 years ago

"HarmlessHermit" said:
but..but... doesn't quis mean "who?" in latin? I assumed that you wouldn't know "who" he is because of his many shapes.

I wasn't aware of that, but wow is that fitting... I actually created the name from scratch through a very odd process I've used many times in the past. I suppose it would of helped if I checked to make sure it wasn't an actual word. I really appreciate your breakdown of the name and I'll certainly use it, you earned yourself a credit on that one for some nifty research

. Even without him being to change shapes Quis is still fairly versatile and there will still be that question lingering in your mind of who he is

.

I'm working on finalizing the current build for demo status. It's going to be setup very much like a challenge rather than a full blown game. Regardless it will give you a fair idea of the progress I've made and you'll see just how untraditional the mod is in nearly every way. I appreciate all the feedback I've gotten as it is always my prime motivator.

Crazy 19 years ago

"what" would've been more suitable...

Quanrian 19 years ago

"Crazy" said:
"what" would've been more suitable...

Nothing actually, I simply have a very chaotic way of having things fall into place that defies logic

I wasn't going to change the name and I'm glad it fits in with my original framework that much better. So had I done it in a more structured way, chances are I would come up with a name that has meaning similar to Quis anyways

This is more difficult to grasp since I've not told anyone even the slightest gist of what I plan to do with the storyline, but it will make alot more sense when you finally do see some of it. A reminder however, the demo will more than likely not include any plot at all.

MageKing17 19 years ago

Will the player have more than one attack in the demo?

Quanrian 19 years ago

"MageKing17" said:
Will the player have more than one attack in the demo?

No, probably not to be honest. That would just hold me back on releasing the demo if I added any more attacks right now. I'm probably going to add an enemy or two more however so there is some variety as you can imagine it does get a little dull fighting the same enemy over and over again. Despite only having just one enemy at this point though, his AI is fairly tough and unforgiving and provides a fair challenge, so things shouldn't be 'that' dull even just fighting him.

Here's a breakdown on what the demo will have.

Three sub-areas which I'm going to try and vary up so there is at least a change of scenery.

Three difficulty variations. You will only get to play the first sub-area in easy, two in normal and you'll get to fight 3 which ends in a boss if you play in hard.

4 different reward based endings; Trophies.

At least one enemy, and I plan on having a boss of some type as well.

It's own song which I composed myself. I may make others for the different sub-areas but this is not a definite thing.

I want to make it clear that the demo does not represent the final mod and it may and probably will change very drastically. The demo is going to be laid out simply as a challenge and will not pertain any plot line. I hope you all feel the wait was worth it and can realize I've only worked maybe a little over a month on the mod.

Quanrian 19 years ago

This is simply an update of my progress. I got all characters for the demo designed and one of the new ones is rendered and is in the game already. The new enemy will have two attacks, one high, and one low and will not block. You'll be able to block the low attacks by either backing off or ducking to absorb the hit the same as you would a normal attack with block. If you block high you'll still be hit by low attacks. This character will help mix things up a bit.

I've put together the first of the three planned sub-levels. It doesn't have a ton of graphics, but it still isn't completely bare. The first sub-level will be all you'll see if you play the mod on Easy. Below you'll find a link to a new screenshot and a look at the first sub-level.

Sub-level 1A for Impalpable Eidolon Demo

To cover some things in the screenshot. Yes, you do earn points, per hit actually. Those two bars at the very top are from top to bottom, health and stamina. The bar below the pair is the enemy's health. Those odd looking things in the background are animated in the mod, so they'll look even more strange as they pulse with life

Idiota 19 years ago

This is getting really amazing, really nice with the background and stuff.

Quanrian 19 years ago

I've set up some more AI tweaks/interactions. Now when an enemy is hit they sort of flash for a moment. During the flash they are more likely to take a swing at you and also cannot be hit. So you can't just punch, punch, punch. This isn't as much of an issue with the first enemy I made since he only attacks high, so you just block or back off.

The second one I made has a low attack and a high attack. The thing is you are vulnerable to it's high attack when ducking and vulnerable to it's low when standing, even if blocking. Luckily that enemy has less health, but is still more challenging because it does not block, it only fights and I've even seen the AI chain it's two attacks together

I had thought I would actually the demo done by now, but that was when I simply going to release a single sub-section and just the single enemy type. The plus side is you'll see alot more of what is possible as the demo should have at least 3 different enemy types for you to face off against instead of the original one I had planned.

The trickiest thing for most people with the demo will probably be simply playing on hard to see the whole thing. You'll really have to master the timing to do so. With half the health and stamina to do so it'll definately be something worth bragging about if you manage it

Doogsy 19 years ago

whoo, this is looking really interesting. I think it would be cool if it had lots of obsticles like you've already mentioned. Will any areas have more than one level of platforms?

Quanrian 19 years ago

"Doogsy" said:
whoo, this is looking really interesting. I think it would be cool if it had lots of obsticles like you've already mentioned. Will any areas have more than one level of platforms?

No, unfortunately there wont be any platforming in the demo. The only obstacles you'll face will be in the form of enemies. I've only got 3 planned for the demo and I'm trying to design the levels a bit so they don't look like complete crud. It is already very hard to even get through the first two sub-levels, but I'm going to change them up a bit so that will probably change. I may end up scaling back some of my ideas just so I can get the demo out

Click 19 years ago

Amazing graphics and it's looking good, but the screenshot hurt my eyes.

Marevix 19 years ago

These screens keep getting weirder and weirder. While I would like to know what techniques you used to make these graphics, as I have difficulty making a graphic that turns out how I want it to look, they're incredibly trippy. Where does this mod take place? It seems so far as if it takes place in some sort of acid-induced dreamworld.

In case anyone's wondering, I will not stop relating how this mod looks to acid highs anytime soon.

Quanrian 19 years ago

Making graphics is a real trial and error. I'll make something, think it looks good and than put it in the game and it doesn't fit at all. I've remade some of the graphics at least half a dozen times

I'll let you come to your own conclusions about where everything takes place

Sorry the screenshot hurt your eyes Click ?? What exactly about it ?

Marevix 19 years ago

For the most part, however, I just want to know how you get the video game graphic effect. I guess what I want to ask is how do you get all of the detail and such? For me, the fill and gradient tools don't cut it, and I'm very sure you don't use those two tools to make Quis look as he does in the screenshots. Do you use brushes? Filters? Blending modes? A combination of the two? All three? All three and more? I must know!

Quanrian 19 years ago

Well for starters Quis is 3d rendered. As with most renderings you always have the choice to save the alpha channel (It'll usually either ask or ask for bit depth 32 bit depth = alpha channel, 24 bit = no alpha channel). So once I've got the 3d graphic I do ALOT of post editing till I get the final effect I'm looking for.

Either way however it is still alot of trial and error since it's hard to guess how something will look. Nothing I've made so far is really passable in my opinion as a professional graphic, but they're about as good as I am capable of at this point. I've made a few individual graphics I'm particularily proud of, but they're not the norm.

I'm mostly done with the second area by the way. I've got some weird bugs to fix and than I'll work on the third area which will mean I can finish it and put out the demo. Hopefully in a week or so you'll see it up, but at this point I can't be sure. It really depends on how much I can get done and how many snags I run into along the way. Chances are good though that a glitch or two will end up in the demo and I apologize for that ahead of time.

Quanrian 19 years ago

I'm going through a bit of a testing phase right now. My beta testers seem a bit... errant so it may be a while. I'm hoping to get the last section of the demo done within a week or less. Once I've gotten the section done I'll primarily focus on adding and improving on what is there. I may add more moves for Quis and there certainly are at least a couple planned that I'm going to try squeezing in to vary. As it stands the majority of the variety will come in the 3 enemy types and one boss. There is also a fair amount of randomization within the game.

I added in a health bonus to make the game not such a crunch when you've lost health. However this health bonus must be rolled into and does not stick around very long, so you've got to be quick. This should allow a better chance to reach the end. The health bonus is random in it's appearance, but the tougher the enemy the more likely they will drop it.

On an off note, someone adamantly thought my avatar was too cheery or something and I'm supposed to be a depressed sod all the time, so there is a new avatar. It may interest some to know that it is taken from the mod. So in that manner it's not entirely unrelated

Click 19 years ago

It's too...shiny...to colorful.

Quanrian 19 years ago

"Click" said:
It's too...shiny...to colorful.

The palette is actually getting more and more centralized and less colorful. However I don't expect everyone to like the palette as not everyone likes the same colors. I'd go into more depth on this, but it's not something I plan on changing from input

Quanrian 19 years ago

Well I've been getting some real good feedback from my beta testers so I'm gonna try and plow ahead again. The demo is not too far off now! After the demo I 'may' periodically release builds for the larger, full version of the mod I'll be working on, however this is going to based on interest. In any event I may just drop a build or two just to get a larger base of feedback.

Quanrian 19 years ago

I haven't really gotten any feedback... well for a long time lol. So I've neglected posting anything here lately. It may interest 'some' to know that I actually have more or less publically released a build. Did I post the link for this build ? I most certainly did not, but those who showed some interest in my past projects may have somehow stumbled upon it

So for those who have stumbled upon it, there will continue to be builds there but the finished demo is being sent straight to Ville.

As far as actual progress goes I've got the third enemy done and he rocks ! Well he rocks to me

He had not only the ability to block and attack but he also sends out a whirlwind after you so you have to watch out for that as you close in on him. The third section is also essentially done and I'm fairly proud of how it turned out.

I'm especially interested to know if you guys really want a boss fight or not as that will take more time indefinately to setup.

Marevix 19 years ago

I know what you mean, Quanrian. I don't get how to attack, though. I figured out how to move and block. Pretty cool.

Quanrian 19 years ago

I just uploaded a new build a short while ago. So for those who have tried the last build you might want to get the newest one. You'll only see the whole thing if you play on Hard however. There is a readme file in the root file of Notrium. It will explain everything you need to know about playing the build. The mod is not finished, not even for demo status. There is probably going to be more in the demo, but it is definately playable. If you got the build a very short while ago there is a possibility you got the old version where I forgot to change the player_races.dat file. To make sure you got the newest version make sure it says area 0 for the start area. If it doesn't than set it to 0 and save.

Doogsy 19 years ago

i think its important to have a boss. It would be the only thing that would motivate me to play through on hard.

Quanrian 19 years ago

Does anyone else have an opinion on whether they'd like to fight a boss or not ? Do you think there should a boss for Normal as well ? The boss for Normal would be sort of like a sub-boss and probably just a normal enemy with more health and 'maybe' one extra attack. I've sort of got a new character in the works so maybe I'll use that for the boss on Hard.

Penta 19 years ago

If the boss isn't just a enemy with more health but also has different attacks than normal enemy's it's worth it.

Toko 19 years ago

"Penta" said:
If the boss isn't just a enemy with more health but also has different attacks than normal enemy's it's worth it.

totely agree, but its gets boring that the boss is ALWAYS in the end....

Quanrian 19 years ago

"Toko" said:
"Penta" said:
If the boss isn't just a enemy with more health but also has different attacks than normal enemy's it's worth it.
totely agree, but its gets boring that the boss is ALWAYS in the end....

Where else do you suggest a boss go ? Now if you're playing Hard and I do end up doing two bosses you actually have one somewhere in the middle, hence calling it a sub-boss. Don't forget this is just a demo, not a full mod, and it already has ALOT more than I was originally going to do.

Toko 19 years ago

"Quanrian" said:
"Toko" said:
"Penta" said:
If the boss isn't just a enemy with more health but also has different attacks than normal enemy's it's worth it.
totely agree, but its gets boring that the boss is ALWAYS in the end....

Where else do you suggest a boss go ? Now if you're playing Hard and I do end up doing two bosses you actually have one somewhere in the middle, hence calling it a sub-boss. Don't forget this is just a demo, not a full mod, and it already has ALOT more than I was originally going to do.

in the beginig....that would be fun: first you kill the boss. then u finish the level..advance to level 2 and so on and so on

Quanrian 19 years ago

Well because I set it up as a challenge, so it makes sense for it to get increasingly more difficult. I'll take what you said into consideration, but for now I can't see the merit in changing the setup I've already got. I strongly believe getting creamed by a boss too early is just going to be too discouraging.

Toko 19 years ago

"Quanrian" said:
Well because I set it up as a challenge, so it makes sense for it to get increasingly more difficult. I'll take what you said into consideration, but for now I can't see the merit in changing the setup I've already got. I strongly believe getting creamed by a boss too early is just going to be too discouraging.

well i got that but it would be fun....like in hard or somthing
easy....medium...hard.....kamikaze.....

Quanrian 19 years ago

Well see easy is setup purely as an introduction. Allows you to get used to the gameplay. Normal is a good challenge. Hard is supposed to be a very good challenge. There is no fourth difficulty because only 3 are supported. I could always script a fourth difficulty, but that is just alot of work when I really would rather just finish demo lol. So while there certainly is a degree I'm willing to change things based on input, I'm largely keeping things how I originally wanted them so I don't have to restructure the whole thing.

I expect when the demo is done people will have lots of ideas for what 'could' have been done, and that's fine, they can do it

There is just enough there to serve as a template, I only ask that anyone who uses my mod as a basis for their own credits me, because I spent alot of time setting up everything so it actually works.

Toko 19 years ago

whene is the demo relesed?

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