0.0.6 list of changes

Maybe you noticed, that 0.0.6 has been released without "list of changes".
I found, that didn't write down lot of them and forget them, of course.
Here is the list of major changes I remembered ^_^

Inventory Patch

Let me share some information about upcoming patch.
Our current inventory is a bit too hardcore, well, it is really flexible, but to hard to understand if you are not the person who coded it -_-.
I was planning to make "everything in one screen" inventory, but, well, failed. It looks like useless feature, but too annoying to code and use.
So, right now, we have two screens - equipment screen with big pictures of items and full item description with easy understandable, and second one, container screen. Lists of icon based inventory.
Who said, we don't care about game issues ^_^.

Right now we have finished,
equipment screen programming finished and few annoying bugs,
new art and container screen are coming.

0.0.6a "Inventory Patch"

Well, 0.0.6 "ARRP 2011" in a free flight now and now you can see all issues of FFHtR. Franky, It is a bit unplayable now. Yes, there were tons of changes between 0.0.5 and 0.0.6, but it nearly same in field of fun.
Lets think this realize as new "Zero" point for our game and rearrange development managing.


So, as I wrote beforehand, we start series of patches for FFHtR with small schedule, about week or two.
It must quickly bring FFHtR on tracks.

First patch would be name "Inventory patch".
If you played FFHtR you may found its interface "a bit" tricky. It must be fixed soon.

0.0.6 ARRP 2011

Finally done!

We are really happy to present you our ARRP realize of Fall From Heaven the Roguelike version 0.0.6.
Some planned features missed this realize, but some other tool there place, but one thing is for sure, this is one more step to our goal to major roguelikedome.

Download link (try it first)


Download link(mirror).


Fell free to participate and comment here, in this blog.
If you want to help with bug-hunting, you can report any at our Mantis bug tracker:
(just select Fall From Heaven the Rogueline as project).

Bug tracker link.

Psiweapon:
I've been doin most of the graphics for this project (but not all of them) and I've had a lot of fun.
I've been pixelling stuff for this since... February? March? It's been the first game I've collaborated with, and I've always tried to give it a creative approach (sometimes I've had more success, sometimes less)

JollyRoger has given me a lot of room for creativity, save for very few particular cases, and I owe him big time thanks for the chance to train my pixel skills. Usually, gave me broad concepts of what he needed - these and those professions for dwarves and humans; these kinds of undead monsters - and then I started making little doodles while at the university, and turn them into pixels when I got back home.

I'm now doing some freelance pixel jobs, so I don't have as much time as I had some months ago, but I still look forward to keep working on this and other free projects Smiley.

Im in ur rougeliekz, pizelin ur tielz! Grin

GoodSir
I have done some graphics for FFHtR (for example most of GUI). I don't have much to say since my involvement in this version development was less than desired, but I hope that i'll be able to do much more for the next version 8)
Have fun playing!

Jolly Roger
You may find FFHtR too incomplete right now, full of features, but somewhat boring, because of incompleteness. It is OK!
You know, it is impossible to build Empire State Building from LEGO part, if you don't have one. The same is for roguelikes, of course, except, maybe for coffee breaks, so, all previous development was concentrated of adding features, we need really big box of LEGO ^_^!
Meanwhile, 0.0.6 can be turning point of development, we now have tons of features, and future realizes would be named ones, with more gameplay changes!

Day Zero. Pre build.

Whats done is done.
Some features, again, would miss current realize, but it looks like solid enough to be presented at ARRP 2011.
Today, we would make build "OK, it is final 0.0.6, but lets have last look." and tomorrow It would be official realize.

Final step

Last day is today!
Finalizing, closing unfinished, making last build. It doesn't look like something we really expect from this version, but it is not the last one of realizes!

3 days left.

I am sorry for forgetting blog updates, but some really, really big shit happens.
But, FFHtR is almost done and it isn't only my project, so realize would not be canceled, but participate ARRP 2011 at 16-17.09.11.

6 days left.

So, last week are less interesting part of development. Parching, bug fixing (there are two crash bugs right now, one deactivated, but not fixed and one for hunting). Few interface issues etc
I think that "last day" world updates would be more interesting.

08 days left.

Say hello to Zazolal, five headed demonic infernal reaper!
This is new work of Psiweapon, artist of 99% of our creatures. Infernals would march nearly unstoppable march on Erebus, or not. It is up to you.
 
So, today is last day of feature adding and we can conclude losers of 0.0.6 realize.
Alchemy, sane magic system, smithing and crafting, this half done features would miss 0.0.6 for good.
Let say them: "see you later", because they would rise and shine, but later on, maybe in 0.0.7 or some intermediate realize, between 0.0.6 and 0.0.7.
What about features, participating 0.0.6? Well, we wish, that you would find there list satisfying enough. It would be revealed with realize.

So, whats now?
Right now, our team working like mad on 0.0.6 unfinished parts:
Psiweapon summoning pixelart demons and hell to Erebus :+_+, making cool icons, describing player state etc.
GoodSir polishing new interface panels and icons, and filling world with content.
Jolly Roger (well, it is me) has final schedule of patching and bugfixing, also I'll join GoodSir at world content building.

09 days left.

Armageddon is coming.
Right now our target is to create small, but fulfilled world, where you can travel, adventure and explore. Towns, hamlets, caves and dungeons, treasures, monsters and damsels in distress. To my mind, the most important part of every roguelike is interesting sandbox gameplay. YES, of course, good and tragic storyline is really important, but, you know, if game is simply uninteresting in field of "bashing monsters, gaining exp and loot", there is no need for the story.
So, don't expect much of a story from FFHtR, we must create strong and health sandbox roguelike first.

10 days left.

So, what aspect of FFH captures the attention? It is the way FFH team solved problem with powergaming, boredom of super powerful endgame. Yes, I am also talking about Armageddon, interesting part of the game, breaking done "ash breeze" of gameplay.

Usually, we traveling in the worlds, which already survived Apocalypse/  Armageddon or it can change, but in really limited manner.
Frankly speaking, I always want to play or create and then play ^_^ game with changing world, seriously changing, forming new landscape, land sites  etc.
And, second important note, it shouldn't be player triggered changes (like in ElderScrolls, until player starts storyline demons would be waiting). Of course, player must have ability to influences such epic changes of game world, otherwise it would be unfair and not interesting and some of them may be triggered by player, but it doesn't and most of the time shouldn't be activated by player.

One of "big goal" plans, "hatched" all this years, was "Armageddon today" gameplay, Game would not take place in the world after Armageddon or Armageddon wouldn't be in "game over" score lines, it would be now.
Player would start in calm (as Erebus can be named "calm") world, but later different global events would occur, changing game and forcing powerful and bored player to act. 

Armageddon would come in 0.0.6 version. It wouldn't to come final stage, of course and would stop at moment of infernal invasion to Erebus. It would be fair, because player wouldn't have real instruments to prevent (or speed it up!) Armageddon , so advent of Harbingers and other Armageddon events would be game breaking. Also, there would not be (in 0.0.6 of course!) different events increasing or slowing/ preventing Armageddon, just constant increasing Armageddon counter.

Later on, there would be more global events, affecting world, as Armageddon (like Mercurians arrival) and players intervention into this process. Every ideas welcome.

11 days left.

Four days left for feature development itself. I am not sure, but Alchemy would miss the realize, again -_-.
Puppeteers finalization gone fine, but, there are some issues to finish. I'll found a bit of time for this later on the week.
Todays plan is to rebalance leveling system, experience points and perk (if possible). Currently, player gain level up to 4-5 without problems and then troubles begins. Also, there is no perks to select and stat gains.
You know, there is no feeling that your hero becomes powerful, stronger etc. Thats should be fixed!

During the development of FFHtR, we found that FFH mana system completely inappropriate for roguelike. It is cool to have two dozens of mana as global resource in strategic game, but it is a bit tricky to manipulate that selection of mana types as single spellcaster. Even more, this micro-mana-managent was really annoying. 
So, FFH manas were united to groups and single manas become effects. It is really comfortable then before.
For example fireball spell using Elemental mana and has fire effect, Death vortex uses Excruciation mana, dealing death damage and leaving poison base trail with confusing effect (Undead magician choice! Udead heals by death effects and immune to poison ).
Now, we have Elemental, Excruciation, Divine and Metamagic manas for use.
Divine and Metamagic would not be in use at 0.0.6. Divine mana needs "divine chapter" and metamagic is blanc space right now, with no spells available.

12 days left.

Five days left and tons of unfinished business are ahead.
New addition to sweet company of heroes would be Balseraph Puppeteer, combination of magician and "pet-lord" adventure. Except, he wouldn't be summoning or taming his pet, but making them from different materials, from pathetic wood to legendary mithril.
Also, Bapseraph puppets aren't like Luchuirp golems, formidable creature of great size, puppets are small jumping and giggling noisy pets. Surprisingly useful in combat and easily expendable.
They are almost done, but some interface part are still missing, and that the plan for the day. 

Speaking about development of FFHtR, you can ask, why this game has bodyparts? Is it some sort of modern roguelike fashion? Nope, never. As I wrote below, first name of game was "Robots" and it should be (surprise!) about robots. And what is the main feature of every robot? Changeable bodyparts, of course!
Well, frankly  speaking, it doesn't worth the efforts. All this can be imitated by some other way and coding bodyparts interaction is realy pain, I wouldn't do again, well, until paid in good cash per line ^_^.
So, FFHtR has it and it wouldn't be wise to dispose lots of work.
Who knows, maybe creatures in fantasy universe should be able to change there part for something else? Starting from simple pirate hook, up to horrible results of necromantic fleshcraft?
 

13 days left.

Six days left for global game development.
Todays development topic is magical consumable items like scrolls.
You know, cursed items had been added and it would be unfunny prank to let them be without scrolls of identify and remove curse!
Potions wouldn't be like "drinkable scrolls", they should have different mechanics and not just copy there brethren. I am not sure, would Alchemy catch this realize or not, it is a bit too complicated.

Well, today I want to post a bit of FFHtR history, when it has been started and so on.
Development of this roguelike, it wasn't FFHtR at all(!), began at September-October of 2008.
It was hundred percents "death march project", lack of coding skills with combination of sky-high plans failed lot of roguelike. Robots (older name of FFHtR) wasn't an exception from this rule.
So, I have surrender at February  of 2009 and didn't remember about this until end of 2009.
One day, after gooood session of my favorite FFH game, I remembered about pile of code on my hard drive.
And asked myself, why not? FFH universe is great! Fantasy roguelike style are well known and successfully used in many roguelikes!
Results of next attempt you can see here. Sky-high plans were returned to the mother Earth (still, there enough for many ears of development), bought and learned books about coding and, the most important, really cool guys joined the development!
Could we do this roguelike? You will judge.

14 days left.

What is Fall From Heaven itself?
To say in short  - it is CIV4 game mod, but not "just" game modification.
It is one of the most elaborate and mature mod as for CIV4 as for all game moding world.
FFH universe are really thought-out with wast lore and legend.
If you never tried it, but really like Civilization series, then give a chance: Fall From Heaven official.
And, if you already know what FFH is, you are more interested what part of  FFH we have in FFHtR.

Well, as you can understand, looking at upcoming version number (0.0.6), there isn't FFH epic amplitude... Yet. Of course, we are not planning to make a copy of FFH at roguelike. It is impossible and stupid, roguelikes have different scale.

Do you wonder, whats really happens to single adventure, who enters Broken Sepulcher? or whats happens in Balpseraph circus tents or Khazad mining towns? Travel to pestilential fields, touched by Armageddon, fight Buboes or ally with him?
But not as godlike ruler, but simple mortal adventurer?


Thats our big goal, of course. 
Right now, FFHtR is merely  immature puny rogulike. Of course, we are realistic and don't want to do this in one moment, but "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

Two weeks! Procrastination is the thief of time!

I didn't plan to update FFHtR devblog, before ARRP realize.
Maybe, because our roguelike isn't really mature and I can hardly imagine someone, who would be eager to check devblog of it.
But at the second though, you know, ARRP is coming and official deadline 18.09.2011.
Last weeks devblog can be "tool" of real motivation and, maybe, you would find it funny.

So, without further ado. 
For FFHtR, deadline would be 14-16 of September. About two week, as you can see.
First week deadline 07.09.11 would be "last feature" deadline. No more features after this date in 0.0.6!
If some nice feature wouldn't work well until this date, it would be turned off and would wait for patches or next version. Cheers!
And second one would be "test and polishing" week.
Bugs and sharp edges, you name it.

I'll try to update devblog nearly every day of this last week stand and will try to tell you about world of Fall From Heaven, game creation and our team.
Let do this!