Dwelvers Journal - 2013.12.26 - The surface world! Make Suggestions all in one thread :)

[Rasmus]

Reddit competition (win a free copy of Dwelvers)

The reddit competition has ended!

The lucky winners are..

(How won was decided by number of point the suggestion had and if it were approved and how early in the contest they were suggested, also one person can't win twice.)

GotaGreatStory
How about a derelict windmill or two? The signs of industry means there was some sort of advanced civilization aboveground.

ReLiC71
The ruins of ancient and elaborate structures Giant skeletons Cave networks Ashpiles/Remains of fires Carvings/'Graffiti' Statues or sculptures

bladgrim
How about mysterious totems that would hint at some older civilizations?

Excess
Random buried artifacts marked by some rubble?

Xiemas
mushroom patches

DwarvesAtWork
How about some dead adventurers? Something like a skeleton with few things lying next to them? Things such as a leather backpack, a torch, and a crude iron sword and shield. Perhaps later they could be made to be loot-able.

Congratulations

(I will send out a message to the lucky winners later today)

Link to the contest: http://www.reddit.com/r/IndieGaming/comm...free_copy/

The winners will be announced at 2 pm, Dec 29 (forum time).

Currently added


Camp-fire and swamp-like fog

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/Campfire.png[/IMG]


Arc Bridge

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/Arcbridge.png[/IMG]


Mountains and waterfalls

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/Waterfall-3.png[/IMG]


Graveyard

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/Graveyard.png[/IMG]


Bushes

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/Bushes.png[/IMG]


Rock-piles / boulders

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/SurfaceBoulders.png[/IMG]


This is just a very early look at the surface world, just got it implemented.

[IMG]replace_photbucket_link/FirstLookSurface.png[/IMG]


Suggestions?

- I will post several updates a day on this thread, showing the visual progress on the surface world, each new stone I add will require a screen-shot so to say.

- These screenshots will be added to this post, everything below this post is reserved for discussions about the surface world and suggestions on what visual aspects should be in it.

- So if you want to add a suggestion on what you would like to see in the surface world this is the place to post it.

- I will only accept suggestions that are purely visual, nothing that requires any deeper game mechanics (they goes here). This thread is all about making the surface world look as alive as possible. For example, now we have added grass and trees. What have been suggested is rock piles and bushes.

- We are going to add some huts and a castle. So if you have an idea on what design you would like to see them in, then put the screenshots or explanation here.

To summarize, this thread is breaking some of the rules, but I think we can do an exception and try it out to see how it goes because right now I need feedback and ideas coming to me in a fast phase as I'm currently in the middle of the surface development

Suggestions suggested

- Graveyard (done)
- Rock-piles (done)
- Bushes (done)
- Mountains and waterfalls (done)
- Castle
- Camp-fires (in progress)
- Tent
- Roads
- Mountains with rivers flowing down and a arced stone bridges crossing them (in progress)
- Remnants of a tower on top of some mountains.
- Mushroom patches
- Pebbles and flowers to add more variation to the ground.
- Confined areas on the map where it is possible to see fossils, bones sticking out of the ground.
- Swamps
- Remnants of huts and villages
- Tree trunks floating in the water.
- Carvings / graffiti on cliff walls. (in progress)
- Totems of cyclotaurs that shows that here lies a cyclotaur civilization buried. (in progress)
- Remnants of ancient civilizations.
- Huge bones.
- Statues (Piles of rocks that were clearly placed by someone, wooden carvings or stone shapes).
- Derelict windmills.
- Broken pots and other objects that have been used for storage once which still can have treasures in them.

[Xiemas]

Yea, go for it! Pretty Nice!

[Rasmus]

Thanks

The fishman got in the picture also, wasn't my meaning that he would be on the surface world at all.. It is just that he loves water so much..

Any ideas on what to implement except trees and rocks? Now is your chance

[Xiemas]

Bushes and some gravel pads

And a big caste for the knights off course

[Rasmus]

Hmm, the castle would need to have a open roof. Not totally open, we can cover half a tile and so on.. But I think we could have a courtyard and then maybe a closed castle in the center that will work as their headquarter just as the dark mother works for us.

[Xiemas]

Yea with like the doors spawns knights and you need to destroy it. Like it is a boss.

Ok I know so many thinks... Sebt isn't going to like it that suggestions are purt here he just cleaned suggestion so I think we need to make the suggestion in the Suggestions & Feedback forum.. Omg I know a lot that can be added Tomorrow, suggestion time

Question: so the surfaceworld is a different word? You can't dig into the underground world?

[Rasmus]

At the moment I can switch between the two different worlds by just pressing the return key.
My idea is that the portals that the knights enters through will work both ways, that you will be able to venture out of the dungeon through them and go up to the surface world and pay the knights a visit It is payback time from DK so to say

Hmm, maybe we can keep the suggestions loosely and post ideas back and forth. I don't think it is a good idea to start putting suggestions in the suggestion thread just yet, because I really think that we first should have a finished concept before we start building on it.

So for the next days I will use this thread and post the updates I make in the surface world (these will only be visual updates), and then you guys could come with ideas meanwhile on what would fit into the world..

Remember to keep it purely visual, nothing that requires any game mechanics. Because then we would need a whole thread for each suggestion.

[Xiemas]

Ok so a lot suggestions need to wait I was thinking about some small farms (already there) with patatoes ore wathever te things are. Also some fireplaces with some chairs around it and maybe a tent next to it, like a camp with knights.

[Rasmus]

I can add farm lands around the castle, I already got half the work done with that one you know

I like camps, they could be added next to the portals that the knights enters through when entering the dungeon-

Good ideas! Keep them coming

[Sebt]

As more frequent will be new features presented (in separate threads the best ) as it would be more interesting, what do you think? So I'm for yes don't know if I have a choice :>

Anyway if Rasmus said post your suggestions about only visual aspect here, so put it in this thread. Of course you can talk about mechanics, but then only in general, then go to the Ideas and Suggestions category and using proper template(s) post your amazing idea, yea, a!

I like this picture, shrouded unexplored by human or dark mother legions area awaiting for your first step... and maybe... the last. :}

P.S. +2 has been given to Rasmus, as I promised!

[Xiemas]

A other building you can add is a church with a graveyard around it. Also like the castle only the front. And there can spawn skeletion. Those come from te ground and then on the same place in underground so the other world a place where the graves are. With a little bit of skeletions, maybe lock this so you cant enter from the underworld but you need to go to the surface to enter like another boss. I know this is more like u suggestion and also for a new creature so I'll make a suggestion thread for this if needed

[Rasmus]

The church is a really good idea, but will not be implemented during this topic discussion because it would require at least a days work, and we already have the castle to work on. But feel free to add it to the suggestion topic.

Hmm, graveyards on the other hand could maybe be put behind the main castle building..

[Rasmus]

Okey, I will be back in 9 hours and start working on the suggestions already suggested. Until then, feel free to keep on posting

[Xiemas]

Ok, I don't know this is the correct translation from my language but maybe put some molehills in the grond a some places to give it some relieft. I'm out of idees for today, same time here rasmus so I'm also back in 9 maybe 10 hours to start thinking of more suggestions

[Seriously Unserious]

I have suggestions for a surface world:

1- Temples/Churches that can eventually be used to spawn something like Paladins and/or Priests. The mechanics of these creatures can be discussed in the proper format when you're ready to start implementing surface world mechanics.

2- Bandit camps: These could spawn creatures that could either be hired for gold to work for you for as long as you can pay them, otherwise what is spawned from here would be thieves seeking your stores to rob them. Again the details of the mechanics should be discussed in the appropriate place.

3- Wizard's tower: A tower belonging to a powerful wizard and his/her apprentices and servants, would spawn powerful spell casters that attack your dungeon and like the above 3 would function as boss bases that would have to be destroyed.

4- huts: homes of the common peasants. you could be able to rob them for a few resources and the peasants can't fight back effectively, if at all, but robbing them would make a castle, wizard's tower or other boss base they're attached to more likely to spawn enemies, and make enemies spawned from the hut's boss base more aggressive towards you, will seek out and attack your monsters and rooms more aggressively. Again details would need to be discussed in the proper forum and in the proper formant.

5- watch towers: belongs to another base and could be used to spawn soldiers, a weaker form of fighter then the knights, but in greater numbers perhaps.

6- roads: dirt paths that connect surface buildings. Could later be used to enhance speed of anything traveling along them.

7- caravans - merchants traveling along the roads on the surface. Have many items available for loot but are well guarded.

For the above suggestions, I'm more concerned with developing the visual appearance atm, I'll post any significant game mechanics in the proper forum and in the proper format later on, for now I just wanted to get some ideas out there for Rasmus to work on and see if any of them are feasible.