Updates: By the Numbers

By: Derek Yu

On: December 9th, 2011

Screenshot and texture pack by Leostereo of the Minecraft forums.

A number of alphas/betas I follow have had significant updates, so I thought I’d mention them together. Also, I’m updating the neglected “Dev Roll” on the sidebar to feature games that are in long-term development.

The first update is from Minecraft, which finally reached v1.0 last month, during the two-day Minecon that was held in Las Vegas. The update adds a proper ending and “hardcore mode” to the game, among other things (full changelog). After the release, Notch announced that he is relinquishing duties as lead developer to Jens Bergensten, who was originally hired to do back-end programming.

It’s worth noting that Minecraft made its public debut on TIGForums on May 17th, 2009. Check out the thread for a “Before They Were Stars”-style stroll down memory lane!

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KAG 70 and the End of Link-Dead

By: Derek Yu

On: June 27th, 2011

The development of the team-based multiplayer platformer King Arthur’s Gold continues at a fast clip, with builds 67 and 70 offering all kinds of new changes and features, like a capture-the-flag mode (now the default mode), an in-game map editor, and the addition of collapsible walls with improved physics (no more sky bridges!). What I only found out recently, however, is that the game rose quietly from the ashes of Link-Dead, Michał Marcinkowski’s dark and brutal sci-fi shooter. I had no idea!

Anyway, Michał goes into great depth explaining his reasons for dropping Link-Dead to work on King Arthur’s Gold, and as much as I enjoyed LD, it’s hard to argue against the success of KAG. The explanation is worth a read, if only for all of the insights into game design and development.

Link-Dead Build 1969

By: Derek Yu

On: March 2nd, 2011

There’s a new build of Link-Dead out that adds a lot of new features, including improvements to the movement system and interface, melee weapons, new player customizations, and “humiliations” that let you behead your opponents or piss on them.

Link-Dead Public Alpha

By: Derek Yu

On: November 13th, 2010

A public alpha of Michał Marcinkowski’s team-based multiplayer shooter, Link-Dead, was released a few days ago, as donationware. You can pay any price for access to the alpha, although the payment only counts towards alpha builds (beta and final releases will use a different payment system). Currently, the game comes with one map and the game’s map editor.

I’ve never played Soldat, Michał’s previous title, but the combat in Link-Dead appears to bemuch more methodical, with higher priority given to stealth and positioning. There are two teams that you can choose from: Ubermen rely on their heavy firepower and tech gadgets like heartbeat monitors to hunt down the Mutants, who are much weaker but can use cloaking devices and speed to get the edge on their opponents. In “Chemical Factory”, which comes with the alpha, the Mutants will favor the sewers in the lower part of the map, where they can hide easily in the dark crawlspaces and steamy tunnels.

The alpha is buggy and underpopulated, but a lot of fun. Given the slower pacing of the game, combat tends to alternate between periods of tense cat-and-mouse games and explosive firefights. I’m particularly impressed with how important audio is in the game – many times you’ll have to listen to the footsteps of your opponent to determine their location (this is especially true if you’re hunting a cloaked Mutant). Switching the speed of your character using the Shift key will change how loud your steps are. Really cool stuff.

Each match supports up to 32 players, but the biggest group I saw today was 4. Perhaps not surprising, considering the stability of this early build – server disconnections were regular and some players are experiencing graphical issues (older ATI video cards, in particular, seem to have problems displaying the game correctly). That said, Michał seems intent on getting these issues fixed as quickly as possible, and they probably won’t keep me from playing in the meantime. Hope to see you in-game!

Michał Marcinkowski: Why We Need Emotions

By: Derek Yu

On: June 6th, 2010

I’ll be honest, when I read the title I thought Michał was trolling art games again, but it’s a real talk! The talk is about having the right motivations to carry out your dreams and move the world. It was given at TEDxWulkan (Polish for “Volcano”), where the theme was “It’s impossible. But it’s doable.” There are no big secrets revealed here, but I always enjoy Michał’s colorful analogies. Developers who are in a rut may find this inspiring!

Michał is the creator of Soldat and is currently working on a new game called Link-Dead (which, by the way, has a new artist, Victor Rojo).

Videos: Muted

By: Derek Yu

On: March 22nd, 2010

Here’s an interview with Mads Wibroe, the Producer of Limbo, that also features footage from the game. Limbo won both the Excellence in Visual Art and Technical Excellence Awards at the IGF this year. According to Wibroe, the game is slated for a summer XBLA release.

Michal Marcinkowski explaining how his bot AI works during a one-on-one deathmatch of Link-Dead. Looks great, and Michal can rest easy knowing that he will always have a backup career as an action movie villain waiting for him. “Pitiful attempt.”

Finally, here’s some footage from Alex Austin’s Pontifex 3, the third game in the popular bridge-building simulation series. (Source: Michael Rose, via IndieGames.com)

Previews!

By: Derek Yu

On: February 9th, 2010

The Behemoth’s “Game 3” is now officially called BattleBlock Theater (website under construction).

On the Super Meat Boy front, here’s a sneak peek at Chapter 2, which takes place in a haunted hospital. Lots of hypodermic needles abound! Possibly inspired by Edmund’s gruesome surgery? More videos of this chapter can be found at IGN.

Notch has been hard at work on Minecraft. This fan-made video shows off some of the new additions to the game, including crafting, farming, and DYYY-NO-MITE!

Sky Invader is a really nice-looking MMF2 game that’s in early development. In the game you control a giant alien spaceship against an army of Earth defenders. Clement, the creator, promises in the YouTube comments that the final game will be “more tactical than shooter”. Thanks to the Pixel Prospector for prospecting this one!

Lots of progress on Michal “Soldat” Marcinkowski’s Link-Dead. Michal’s been working hard on AI lately – the above video shows him fighting one of his new bots, which has pathfinding and cover/reload logic. (The graphics are still procedurally generated.)

Also, no videos but… fans of Gesundheit! and Cortex Command will be happy to know that their creators are updating once again.

Thanks for tuning in!

Holiday Vidyas

By: Derek Yu

On: December 26th, 2009

I hope everyone’s enjoying the holidays! Here are some videos for you:

Here’s a great “making of” video for Anthony Flack’s Cletus Clay. The development looks like it’s going strong – check out the website for more updates, including a new action-packed trailer.

I was definitely surprised and excited to hear that Andy Schatz is working on Monaco, a 4-player co-op stealth game! Andy, who’s best known for his “Venture” series of educational wildlife games, discusses his creative shift on his blog.

Here’s a new La Mulana Wii video from NIGORO.

There’s a single-stage demo for Locomalito’s Hydorah out. Thanks to Pixel Prospector for the news and video.

I check out Michal Marcinkowski’s blog pretty regularly. If you’re wondering how Link Dead is going – Michal and Sigvatr parted ways and Michal is using procedural graphics now. And actually, I think it looks pretty great!

Berserker: How to Paint a Wall Mural

By: Derek Yu

On: February 26th, 2008

After a handful of posts about his philosophies regarding manliness and the Universe, Michal Marcinkowski has finally put up some new info about Berserker, his hand-to-hand physics-based deathmatch game that takes place in an abandoned prison. This step-by-step guide will show you how to paint a cell block in a delightful crimson red… just in time for Spring! Martha Stewart approves.

In the comments, Michal reveals in the comments that:

Let’s hope for a soon release!

Berserker

By: Derek Yu

On: January 9th, 2008

Michal Marcinkowski, Sigvatr (aka Eric Vaughn), and Hamish McLeod have teamed up with two other talented artists to form Transhuman Design. You might recall that MM and Sigvatr were already collaborating on Link Dead, a spiritual sequel of sorts to the ever-popular Soldat. Now they are planning a new online game that will use the Link Dead engine:

MM is saying the game will be much simpler than Link Dead and will be released before the latter as a test of the new engine.

I have to say, with the amount of indie strength on board, I have high hopes for this one. And I do enjoy a bit of the ultra-violence now and again.

(Thanks to BMcC, Terry, Tim, Xander, and ithamore for keeping things going while I was away. It’s good to be back!)