[ORPG] Shadows of Everwood

[Adiktuz]

You guys are all studying? I am in an apprenticeship.

I'm on my fourth year but still a long way to graduation... ^^... 5yr course + the fact that I'm already delayed...

 

[Anachron]

How old are you?

 

[Adiktuz]

How old are you?

just turned 19 last week...

 

[SanD3R]

Very intersting maps.
Release in 2010?

 

[TsunamiV]

Yeah I'd suggest more creative terraining it seems like there's so many plains in the map. But the gameplay i'm sure will overcome the terrain. By a LONG shot.

 

[Oziris]

Yeah I'd suggest more creative terraining it seems like there's so many plains in the map. But the gameplay i'm sure will overcome the terrain. By a LONG shot.

Akhammmm.....I'm annoyed with this comment. What's the problem with the terrain? -.- Easy to say it isn't good but giving good feedback nooooooo. Also not my fault Tukki cant take good screenshots . Creativity into the map? you sir have no idea how much effort I've put into this. Some parts do lack in detail which I'm still going to add. In the end, you cant really tell because you haven't played the demo. But now seeing this comment you and the rest of the people are going to wait for the demo twice as long because I'm going to work on the terrain twice as long. I like challenges and I ain't going to stop until your satisfied. Also, I'm doing the terrain by Wolfe's orders and creativity, it isn't mine creativity 100%
And I'm working on 2 maps which size is going over 400x400. It isn't easy you know.

 

[Goolygot]

Oziris I think you do a splendid work

 

[Tukki]

Yeah, definitely! *cough*

On a more serious note:

The gameplay and camera system are both much better enjoyed if the terrain is simple and open.
Also notice that I haven't show the cool parts (which are to be kept hidden until demo release!!!)

While increasing the amount of detail in the terrain would probably look nicer, it would force the user to
do various camera setting adjustments. Or, in some cases, result in heavy lag.

 

[TsunamiV]

Akhammmm.....I'm annoyed with this comment. What's the problem with the terrain? -.- Easy to say it isn't good but giving good feedback nooooooo. Also not my fault Tukki cant take good screenshots . Creativity into the map? you sir have no idea how much effort I've put into this. Some parts do lack in detail which I'm still going to add. In the end, you cant really tell because you haven't played the demo. But now seeing this comment you and the rest of the people are going to wait for the demo twice as long because I'm going to work on the terrain twice as long. I like challenges and I ain't going to stop until your satisfied. Also, I'm doing the terrain by Wolfe's orders and creativity, it isn't mine creativity 100%
And I'm working on 2 maps which size is going over 400x400. It isn't easy you know.

Relax relax buddy. I'm only saying. Some of the areas from screenshots look plain and not much detail. It's supposed to be constructive criticism. Don't take it the wrong way.

 

[Oziris]

Can you point out exactly what screenshots? It isn't really a criticism, the map is really big and how should I know on what parts were you thinking. =P

 

[TsunamiV]

I was lookinga t the ones on page two, but I take it back. I re-checked it and.. Holy shit! I like the stump-bridge. especially cave. I take back my critism lol

 

[Dragonson]

Even though i strongly disagree with the terrain being bad or bland in anyway, i have to say Oz: Even though his criticism isnt helping much, it's still criticism.

 

[Oziris]

I was lookinga t the ones on page two, but I take it back. I re-checked it and.. Holy shit! I like the stump-bridge. especially cave. I take back my critism lol

Those are all old screenshots and everything has been re-made. Wolfe is just lazy to upload new pictures.

 

[Goolygot]

Those are all old screenshots and everything has been re-made. Wolfe is just lazy to upload new pictures.

Well he have a reason now. And we can ask him if he can ulpoad new pictures when he come home tomorrow (I think it is tomorrow).

 

[Davesanz]

Im just impacient......
You said demo would be ready today, is it?
Please tell me it is!

 

[Tukki]

Of course it is!!

But please don't tell anyone! (It's supposed to be a secret!!)

*cough* *cough*

the horrible truth

It'll be ready whenever I stop getting large debates in school and can finish the remaining systems.. :>

 

[Davesanz]

Sorry, its just i think this is the best map ever, so i want to have it soon.

 

[TsunamiV]

For every day this isn't released, (Along with Ozi's "Perfect terraining") You all on the team, will lose a toe. Then I'll start on fingers after 10 days :}

 

[Dragonson]

Fear not, Valiant SoE team members!
For i, Dragonson, the Art Guy of Doom, will protect you from this vile toe/finger snatcher!

Now, with your minds at peace, go back to your works and bring us all to glory!

[TRANSLATION]
Stop bothering them, seriously.
How do you suppose they're gonna' finish it without toes? :O

 

[Railto]

mm dragonson is right and i wanna know if i can be a beta tester (not b.net instead garena with my friends)

 

[Wolfe]

More importantly, without fingers?

But yes, please do be patient. A lot of my team are going through exams and tests and whatnot, and I'd really like them to focus on their education before they focus on this project. I, however, am on holidays, and thus am still working!

 

[Oziris]

Here's some terrain from the Nordean Clan map! Enjoy
-The ruined village is not completed.
-A lot more details will be added.
-Forgot to crop the last pic. Too lazy now x)

 

[Davesanz]

Those wonderful pictures make me more eager to have the map!
The icy ones remind me of spellforce.

 

[Railto]

the number 5 lacks of something.. doesnt look cool or lively but the Cave and the Stalagmite(dunno how to spell it) looks cool but the cementery...

 

[TsunamiV]

very nice! I take back all "Criticism" :}

 

[Gladius_Tito]

Good luck with the frozen terraining. It always seems awkward to me, since there aren't that many good transition tiles.

 

[momcilo94]

loadsreen haz an oblivion feeling but with better taste xD good job till now i hope u finish it already GL & HF !!!

 

[Tukki]

AWWRIGHT!

The first round of multiplayer testing has been done! While Wolfe disconnected (and got Fatal Error), me and Oziris and a nice time running around - testing out the various camera settings and bashing on each other.

So for the time being, I'm currently bug-proofing the code - trying to find that Fatal Error bug. Some screenshots may appear later today, however, it's not a promise

EDIT:

Yarrr! It seems like Wolfe wants to keep my beautiful screenshots hidden until the progress report, which is due this Wednesday. I've just finished adding custom stats to the game, creep experience and another quest! No DC or Fatal Error during our latest test run!

 

[Elfangor]

Yay good job guys. Hope the demo gets released soon. XD.

 

[TsunamiV]

Cmon! Don't tell me all this great news or you'll make me impatient again! lol

 

[CyberDuelX16]

Ahh, progress seems to be going along nicely, very impressive =D

 

[Oziris]

The report progress has been moved for tomorrow! Hold on and be patient !!

 

[CyberDuelX16]

You can never satisfy the ongoing hordes of the Legion of the Fans. Resistance.Is.Futile

 

[Wolfe]

... Everwood Entertainment ...

Progress Report IV

Hey guys,

We have yet again come to the fortnightly report. Time goes too quickly, especially when you're on holidays. Progress has slowed yet again with tests and exams and whatnot looming on the horizon for most of our team. Due to this, there will be a delay on the demo, but we promise that it will be worth the wait. As always, we appreciate your patience and hope that you don't work up a fuss about the delays as this isn't a full-time commitment, and I do value education over this project, so I encourage the team to focus on their studies.

Despite all of this, there is still progress!

Covered in this report are the following:

• Recruitment: Coders, Modelers and Artists
• Design: Storylines & The Nahijan Tribes
• Terrain: Post Demo
• Lore: Geography

I'd also like to take the time to introduce you to our new, upcoming website: http://soe.forum-free.net/. We hope you register and pay attention to it, as we will announce different things there, such as a complete list of spells, classes, etc.

Sit back, read and enjoy!

Regards,


Everwood Entertainment

---

Recruitment

Hello again. ^.^

With these new delays, more demands are being made. We need to expand our team even more to help lift the burden off of our team's shoulders so that they can focus on their studies. We need the following:

• Coder
• Artists
• Modelers

To be a member of this team, you need to be enthusiastic, creative and passionate. If you are given a task to do, don't just follow instructions. Put your own creativity into it. For modelers and artists particularly, you are given full creative license. For coders, you are constantly being vibrant in your thinking, adding code that will increase efficiency or decrease lag. Not only that, but all of you will be in a constant cycle, working and also offering input to the efforts of other members of the team.

To summarize what you will be doing as a coder, read the following:

• coding quests, spells and systems as well as offering criticism to any flaws you may see in code or in the design
• following our Lead Coder, Tukki's, instructions and hopefully gaining an experience from reading the code of our systems and other code

To summarize what you will be doing as an artist, read the following:

• drawing realistic concept art to help modelers visualize what they are modeling and adding your own creative license and flare
• create icons and textures for abilities, items and models

To summarize what you will be doing as a modeler, read the following:

• creating realistically shaped models and animating them
• weapon attachments, animations, class models, NPC models, creep models, doodads, armour attachments are all required for you to do

Wolfe
Project Leader

---

Storylines

This report, I will be revealing to you the storylines of both demonstrations. It will be divided into three parts: Prelude, Chapter I and Chapter II.

Chapter	Storyline
Imperial Prelude	Imperial Crown players begin as lowly members of a Gorashi merchant caravan. As you enter the imperial state of Vinosca, the caravan is pulled over by the White Lions, the elite guardians of the empire, and accused of smuggling necromantic relics from the desert. The caravan chieftain, Ahriman, asks you to see the White Lion Captain Lars and straighten this out. You arrive, only to witness the captain being assassinated by a being of pure shadow...
Shadows Descend	After saving White Lion Captain Handuros, you are enrolled into the Academy of War by him. The headmistress, Moran Kale, is not impressed with you at first, however after a few lessons with the faculty of her institution, you prove yourself to her. Here, players are able to explore some of our core systems, such as combat and buying/selling, spell selection, etc. However, shadows descend over the academy, and odd happenings begin to occur all around southern Vinosca. It is revealed that the assassin from the Prelude was an agent of the Death God, Mortombra, to weaken the empire's defenses and steal back his most precious relic...
The Forbidden Forest	After thwarting the Lich Prince and his necromancers, you are confronted by an army wife named Hazel. She informs you of a rabid gnoll in her trash and asks you to deal with it. You approach the gnoll, and rather than fighting it, it is revealed that the gnoll is a seer and a member of an expedition that went out over a month ago. After hearing tales of chilling nights and corpses appearing everywhere from surviving members of the expedition into Morgash Forest, you confront White Lion Captain Handuros again. He links your concerns, the tales of the expedition members and the recent happenings at the academy. He is not convinced that the Red Hand has been dealt with fully. You are asked to venture into the Morgash Forest and uncover what activities the Red Hand are conducting there and thwart their plans.

Chapter	Storyline
Nahijan Prelude	Nahijan Tribes players start at the bottom of the chain as mere hunters for a small tribe of primitive nahij. With heightened rage, quickness, strength and only a small bit of magic, you begin to prove yourself to unseen forces who take you up as their own...
Rebirth	After being possessed by a dark elven spirit, you are reborn. Your skin goes from a tranquil green to a bloody red and horns begin to protrude through your skin. Your savage rage and strength is greater than before and a surge of magical impulses courses through your veins. The dark elven spirits, awakened by the Red Hand, have overthrown their necromantic masters and have taken charge of themselves. Now, they own you, and use your corporeal form to re-establish their fallen kingdom... now one of the outer lying states of the Imperial Crown.
Destruction	After gaining a foothold in the imperial kingdom, it falls upon you to secure the position of the nahij and overcome the next obstacle: the Twin Monasteries. However, the monasteries cannot be entered without devotion to one of the deities of the world. To gain access, you must prove yourself to either Demetta or Nadis. After becoming zealots of either Demetta or Nadis, you can enter the monasteries and destroy the priestesses of Marielle and the monks of Urdem. Once done, you are one step closer to reclaiming the kingdom of the dark elves.

I'd also like to take the time to introduce you to the Nahijan Tribes, the new faction that will replace the Nordean Clans. As we expand more on this race, we will be updating the thread and storyline to accommodate this race. We have determined the "look" and "theme" of this race and look forward to introducing them to you.

Wolfe
Lead Designer

---

Post Demo

So, yeah. We've got some nice looking screenshots from in-game taken by Tukki, but we've also included some screenshots of the zone after the imperial demo, the Gorashi Desert. These screenshots are far from perfect, but hopefully give you a good feel of the region.

Oziris
Lead Terrainer

---

Geography

For the Lore Section, I have compiled a list of areas that will be featured in some part of the three maps and added a little description of them for you. I know not a lot of you would read this part of the report, but it gives me a chance to show off a little of the world in case you're bored and stumble upon the report.

Vinosca

Location	Description
Sandwatch Tower	A small outpost filled with White Lion Guardians whose sole purpose is to guard the fertile plains of Vinosca from any enemies of the empire.
Academy of War	One of the empire's largest military establishments, built during the conquest of the northern Gorashi Desert to keep refueling the army with soldiers.
Catrine	Often described to be the "Jewel of Vinos", this stalwart port city watches over both the River Vinos and the state of Vinosca. It is a chance for worshippers of Illythis to stop and gaze upon her gardens and seamen to stop for a pint.
Morgash Forest	Shadow often creeps over this swampland and bloodthirsty spiders often stalk those who venture into this realm, yet the serpentine marg'ol and the shamanistic ogres call this place a sanctuary.
Sylvanwood	North of the Morgash Forest, this ancient woodland was once home to Sylvanos Lightbringer, one of the nine elven princes. It is now a staging area for bandits.

Shadowsea

Location	Description
Nahij Village	A tiny nahij community, nameless due to the nahij's illiteracy.
Hand of Morag	A fortress of immense dark magic, named after the Sorceress Queen of the dark elves. This is the staging ground for the reborn nahij.
Gardens of Marielle	A beautiful, wild garden maintained by the priestesses of the goddess Marielle and guarded by a force of rangers. It is believed to be the hiding place of the Bear King.
Mariellen Monastery	The monastery of the goddess Marielle, situated on a plateau overlooking the gardens.
Urdeman Monastery	A large, stone vanguard that houses the proud Order of Justice and decorated by statues and paintings of legendary bringers of justice.

Wolfe
Lead Designer

Hope you enjoyed that report, guys. Remember to keep checking the progress of the entire game in my signature! Next progress report will be on Wednesday the 13/10/2010.

Until then,



Everwood Entertainment

 

[Adiktuz]

still have 2 to 3 more weeks before classes end... sorry for not being able to help for weeks now... I'll be back after my exams are finished... (If I get lucky and gets exemption on 3 of my subjects, I think I can work again by 2nd week of october...)

 

[CyberDuelX16]

-devours progress report- YUMMY!
I could help with concept art & icon drawing! =D

 

[Marsal]

"eye orgasm" the only negative thing i can say is the low polygon rocks in this screen

 

[CyberDuelX16]

But nice view =)

 

[Wolfe]

For those of you who wish to check out the rest of the terrain pictures, please visit: Shadows of Everwood Gallery.

And, on behalf of the team, we'd like to thank you all for your support. It really is rewarding.

 

[CyberDuelX16]

Indeed, the Brainwash Syndicate pays them 0.01 Euros per supporter

 

[TsunamiV]

This pictures give my eyes, an erection. The terraining is exquisite A+.

 

[CyberDuelX16]

God. Two Eyegasms...that'll be hell to clean T_T

 

[Dragonson]

Pfft. Fear not!
The Art Guy of Doom has ofcourse brought his Doomy Floor-Cleaning Broom!

Sorry guys, i'l stop now.

 

[CyberDuelX16]

Roflz. No, please, continue

 

[Wolfe]

Off-topic much?

 

[CyberDuelX16]

Shhhhh, the murlocks might hear you

 

[DamneDD]

Waiting for it to finish

 

[Davesanz]

Geev me moar Shadows of Everwood!!

 

[White-Lion]

Awesome
really looking forward for this
progress reports are indeed sweet, and i like how the story develops.

Btw i like the name of thoose elite guards xD

 

[Tukki]

Thanks for the support folks!

I'd dare to say that every core-system is coded and that most of the minor scripts are finished. So my and Adiktuz current job is to code all quests/a few spells/boss AI and setup all objects (units, items, regions etc..).

Once we've done that, it's polishing time! Then, maybe, it's time for a public demo