I was going to start by confessing that I didn't get any game development done this week. I've been trying to decrease my pile of unplayed Steam games and writing recommendations on those I've completed to feign usefulness.
Then I noticed a giant sale starting. Believe it or not, my first urge wasn't to state the multiple opportunities to gift me for lifetime Fooldom Come subscriptions... Though they can be had for cheap! ;)
Instead, I'd like to point out that Inventive Dingo's Mayhem Intergalactic is available for 75% off. Those of you who have been on BYOND a while may know the developer as Crispy and the game as Yet Another Generic Space-Age Conquest Game. It was a BYOND favorite and its spiritual successor was a 2008 Independent Games Festival Games: Student Showcase winner. Go get it on Steam or give Crispy his full share on his own site.
Within BYOND
Silk Games are organizing a 4th of July event for their retro MORPG NEStalgia. Battle system and hotkey updates are on the way. Listen to the 7th episode of the official podcast, read their experience with BYOND's upcoming Flash client and learn the secrets of the fan site.
Forum_account's digging platformer, A Miner Adventure, has been updated with bug fixes and performance improvements. A new adventure mode is still on the way. For now, check out the class details from his upcoming platformer RPG, Tiny Heroes, and his progressing development tools (including performance tweaks for Pixel Movement).
There's no server or download as I type this, but Makeii has allegedly released a simple two-player game called Arrow Soccer. Screenshots have also been released of a pipe-laying puzzle game. A library called ZNDev intended for the creation of single-player 16-bit games is in progress.
F0lak and Kaiochao have been improving their player-run MORPG Hazordhu II. Permanent death is a possibility, but characters age more slowly with seasons each lasting a real day. Roleplay depth has been added to combat, subscribers can form groups and characters can now brew alcoholic beverages.
Robertbanks2 has made two updates to his tactical RPG Imperatorum. Pathfinding and AI have been improved. The event and dialogue system is functioning. The bear-wrestling chicken is watching us... No longer watching over? Well this got creepy.
Acebloke has released a new version of his economic/military sim Wargames. Tanks have been divided into three types. Names can be searched for. Three new buildings, two new missiles and one new unit have been added.
Gooseheaded has been improving the graphics and interface of his cooperative roguelike Deep Dungeon. From the screenshot, it appears lighting is taking a greater role. Having fun with flavor text, Gooseheaded warns that a large, unstoppable update on the way.
Finished with his procedural generation efforts, Jittai offered details of the combination system for his MORPG Stranded. More recently, methods were added to lock creations away from those who would destroy them. The guide and audio have been improved. Corpses can soon be stripped for resources. The game should be available for download again shortly.
With a growing team, I-Aryn-I has resumed work on the steampunk MORPG Lost Worlds. Graphics are being refined with inventory changes and character styles to fit the theme. A screenshot of the new interface has been posted.
Magicbeast20 has announced and progressed on an untitled PvP game for two to four teams of players Portals, movable objects and various types of equipment will be available. Each team will have their own supply deposit to guard from thieves, store loot collections and make new purchases.
Inspired by the Fallout series, Boxcar has posted early artwork for a post-apocalyptic, story-driven RPG called Post-Humanity. Class details have been included. Any early alpha is expected in late July.
Seemingly inspired by the previous version of the PopLava challenge, Tsfreaks has been playing around with a hexagon strategy game. Two to four player games might be available soon, but Tsfreaks is most excited about extending the features once the core engine is complete.
Remember that PopLava Challenge #1.5 ends on August 28th.
Speaking of which, ShadeCyberPlatinum has announced a challenge entry called AM Knight. Thus far, only story details and a video of the title screen have been released. Players will assume the role of a specific character, but some form of online mode is planned.
Beyond BYOND
- The 5 for $5 Bundle offers the indie games Delve Deeper, Digitanks, Mactabilis, Spring Up Harmony, Star-Twine and Steel Storm: Burning Retribution. Their own file servers might not be up long, but Delve Deeper includes a Steam code and the rest are available on Desura. Note that the recently added sixth game, Star-Twine, might not show up as subscribed on Desura yet, but the team is in negotiations to get it done. Previous customers without a direct download link to hold them over can email support[at]lunarworkshop.com.
- Too many indie games for you? How about just one? Pay what you want for the abstract racing game Proun.
- Early bird registration for PAX Dev ends this week. The event itself takes place on August 24th and 25th at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel in Seattle, WA. "With no press access and space for only 750, developers can speak freely and focus entirely on their trade."
- Game Play 2011 runs from July 7th to July 31st at The Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The festival merges technology, theater, performance art and video game culture.
- The Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball will be held on July 1st and 2nd at The Historic Park Plaza in Los Angeles, CA. Honestly, I don't remember if there's a video game connection. I just find it strange that, despite the promise of women in cosplay, what the name fuels is my continued desire for a decent Ludo plushie. ;)
- Gamebit Game Lab has been providing a rare amount of transparency with their research. Check out their YouTube channel for lectures on a variety of topics.
- Prefer your education with less formal instruction? GET LAMP: The Text Adventure Documentary is available on YouTube. So is the chip music documentary Reformat The Planet.
- The cult favorite Retro Game Master can now be found streaming on Kotaku. You may also know it GameCenter CX. I now know it as that curious decision to start with a 4th season episode of a 15-season show when there are already fansubs.
- Get well wishes go to Extra Credits artist Allison Theus who recently discovered that she requires major shoulder surgery if she is to continue her work. I was going to pretend my little column could help the donation drive, but it's currently over three times what was asked! =)
- 7-2. Prepare for the next battle with a free ECA membership sponsored by Red Bull.
Here's another documentary, but this one was created as a student project. And it's short. ;)
This is pretty big news