Ecco's Legacy - In development

[Horn]

Name is not final.

Olof, Mecheon and I have started work on an Ecco inspired map.

Yes, that's Ecco the dolphin, savior of the Universe woo'ooo. Or was that Flash?

Anyway, a few specs followed by some alpha shots:

• It's underwater, albeit faked underwater using some cunning fog, doodad and ambience effects.
• It will be multiplayer. Right now you can only play as a dolphin, but that may expand. I particularly like the idea of playable bad guys.
• We will be as faithful to the Ecco series as we can, but this is a translation into Warcraft, so expect a lot of changes.
• There's 2 'heights' of gameplay. One for sea bed, one for midwater level.
• Many enemy units are invisible. Yuo have to use sonar to reveal the units (unless they attack you anyway)

Cam locks to your dolphin by default, but you can turn that on and off through tying keywords.

Seabed level lets you pick up items, attack/feed on critters, and perform actions in deep water. You cannot attack units that are in higher water.
Midwater level lets you interact with units on that level. You cannot pick up items, or attack units on the seabed.

Changing depth costs 25 stamina but does not have a cooldown.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Wauw I really like the terrain, who of you made that?

 

[Blade.dk2]

It looks very nice. With the current staff it can only end up as a succes.

 

[olofmoleman]

Whitehorn has done all the terrain in those screenies, but in the newer version I have done some aswell, and the models are made by me, exept that WoW Orca.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Well it sure does look very nice, also Whitehorn's idea about being able to play the bad guys sounds great to me! Gonna be good for a change being the big evil shark tearing up the cute little dolphin

 

[Metal_Sonic]

Looks interesting, I remember Ecco quite fondly. What sort of gamepaly will it be? I think an attempt at a side scroller of sorts would be pretty neat. (Keep the camera angle, but lock it and move it as the player goes in a linear-ish path with the odd secret along the way.)

 

[Horn]

Updated ^

 

[Metal_Sonic]

Our first look at Ecco? Stamina is mana I'm assuming. The point of the game is to kill off your enemies then? Oh, and it looks like you're using dirt in the screenshots, some sand would look good. (Vice versa if I'm wrong.)

 

[Horn]

Not that worried about terrain just yet. Updated features.

 

[Metal_Sonic]

Well, if you're looknig for some underwater tips, I'll give them. I worked a lot with it when I was doing my old Naga Campaign...

 

[Horn]

All tips are welcome.

We just haven't put much effort into terrain yet as we don't have a layout plan.

Once we do have something to work on, we'll regard those tips and ask for more

Right now questions and ideas are priority

*continues pondering a mating system*

 

[Metal_Sonic]

Baby dolphins are cute, go for it

Now, where di I put my underwater adventure map...

 

[Horn]

Baby dolphins are cute, go for it

Now, where di I put my underwater adventure map...

Check.

 

[VGsatomi]

Well, I've played through all the Genesis/Sega CD Ecco games, I can help out with anything if you'd like, as I've pondered making an Ecco map myself once upon a time. Will this be another Hubb exclusive?
-VGsatomi

 

[Horn]

Well, I've played through all the Genesis/Sega CD Ecco games, I can help out with anything if you'd like, as I've pondered making an Ecco map myself once upon a time. Will this be another Hubb exclusive?
-VGsatomi

Another? What else is exclusive to the Hubb?

 

[VGsatomi]

Blades & Billits?

And the mods that are being developed there?

 

[Horn]

The whole point of making a map/mod is for people to play it. I cant see how any such thing can be exclusive.

 

[olofmoleman]

Hmm, I didn't expect so much reactions...
anyway, we still don't realy have an idea for what kind of map it should be, so any idea is most welcome, personally I was thinking of something that somehow relates to the story of the Ecco game.

 

[Horn]

Some initial ideas include:

Regions - ideally each would represent a timezone, but we cant afford to add alternative models. Each region will be connected by a portal (waygate system) and only a portal.

Multiplayer adds extra diversity. I've hinted on babies and bad guys. I think a sort of replayable task system, including overcoming bad guys, bosses, collecting items, gathering resources and even establishing a colony.

 

[DarkShadow]

Although I did never play the game, I really like the idea for the map, something new.
To the terrain:
Looking at the staff, I see you should have no big problems there. I'm sure I DID do some nice underwater terrains, just don't know where I put 'em. If I find them, I'll post them here. Perhaps you'll see something you could use.

 

[VGsatomi]

The whole point of making a map/mod is for people to play it. I cant see how any such thing can be exclusive.

If that is the case, then why has the map(s) not officially been submitted here by the developers? are they not interested in getting the map spread across the commiunity? I would figure anyone wanting their work downloaded would get it uploaded on as many sites as possible. After all, this is one of the largest map downloading sites...

Anyway, back on topic. I'm willing to help if you want any. How will that map be laid out? An FFA of some sort, or a collection of baddies controlled by players who are all out to stop the Ecco player from completing a certain objective? The original games revolved around puzzles and traps...will those be a primary factor in this?
-VGsatomi

 

[olofmoleman]

Well, we really don't know what type of map it's going to be, so any ideas are helpfull.

All we have right now are a few cool abiliteis imported models and a theme.

oh, and btw, it take place in the prehistory.

 

[Horn]

If that is the case, then why has the map(s) not officially been submitted here by the developers? are they not interested in getting the map spread across the commiunity?

Why are you asking me?

 

[VGsatomi]

Which goes all the way back to my first question that was ignored; will it be submitted here or kept exclusivly on the hubb?

As for map ideas, I remember one prominant part of Ecco 2 was the sort-of-racing portions where you had to swim through the odd looking hoops to get a boost to make it through the 3rd-person view areas. I'm thinking a surivial map where you got to get to point A to oint B, making sure you his all the checkpoints in the way (kind of like those loops in the original) in an environment where the traps, obstacles are completely randomized (to keep replay value and so people cant "memorize" the map), And then there's the shark player who activly tries to hinder the rest of the players. Maybe if a player gets bit by a shark, they are stunned for a few seconds, but then immune to bites for a few seconds afterward to give incentive fot the shark to chase after another player (he may be immune to obstacles and the such). And every one in a while the players are seperated and must complete a puzzle of some sort (again, something similar to the original).

Basically a checkpoint race with tons of obstacles and traps and seperate puzzle areas. If a player dies, they simply respwn at the last checkpoint. This is all stuff I know how to do, so I can assist with making these if you so desite.

Well, thats my first idea.

p.s. Ecco was an (unwilling) time travaler, so its easy to make it set in pre-history.
-VGsatomi

 

[Metal_Sonic]

Wel, I suggested to Whitehorn that maybe it should be the prehistroic animals that come to our time period, and he thought the opposite might be good. I'm just brainstorming now, if I hit some munumental I'll tell either one of you.

 

[olofmoleman]

I think it would be a bit weird fi the prehistoric creatures came to the present, they have no reason to, Ecco is the time traveler here.

 

[Horn]

Word.

 

[Metal_Sonic]

I thought it might be interesting if someone (or something...) built a time portal, and they unwillingly travelled to the present, but maybe some stuff comes with Ecco when he goes back or something.

 

[olofmoleman]

We need help people! Whitehorn and me still haven't got the faintest idea for a main quest and what kind of map it should be.

Btw, VG, I kinda liked your idea, but it's no fun if you have to hurry though the map all the time, so it should'nt really be based on time I think, more on skills.