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View Full Version : My Indie Game - Fimbulvetr: War of the Great Winter



ShadowHare
2012-01-30, 09:17 PM
Hello everyone! For a while now, I've been working on a video game project that I've been showing off and getting criticism for in the Gaming forum, which felt was most appropriate for a non-pen-and-paper game. Yet at the same time, I am also looking for serious feedback, critique, and review, which I feel is more in line with this Homebrew board, which also has far many more people and far longer-lasting threads. I therefore hope it is acceptable to post it here.

On to the game...

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss46/SouthpawHare/screen1-1-1.pnghttp://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss46/SouthpawHare/temp.png
http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss46/SouthpawHare/screen5-1.pnghttp://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss46/SouthpawHare/screen2-1.png



The game is Fimbulvetr: War of the Great Winter. It is a hybrid of a lite Real-Time Strategy Game merged with a Fighting Game, in a setting featuring anthro animal characters warring in an only vaguely Norse Mythology-inspired world. The fighting system is inspired by many other games of the same genre, but most primarily from Smash Bros., with it's simple, no-nonsense controls and two-dimensional spatial strategy elements. The map portion of the game encompasses the grand scale of the overarching battle, with teams of several characters fighting smaller skirmishes across the landscape.

You can check out several of my videos discussing and showing the game here:

Gameplay Demonstration 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90R-yCy14
Gameplay Demonstration 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMBndxdyABU
Gameplay Demonstration 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ejei3hhpz4

Weekly Update #9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfIPXjOBP4
Weekly Update #8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-uoYogEnaw
Weekly Update #5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAoTtbZeopM
Weekly Update #4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmxLJ2DTvZE
Weekly Update #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLyZ50jNHso&feature=youtu.be

Preview 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPdXMu-EEHQ
Preview 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLd5vltQ_nU
Preview 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhkrmLgEYgs
Preview 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5zvbpmpAe4

And the list of downloadable releases here:
http://code.google.com/p/fimbulvetr/downloads/list


If you want the most robust summary, you should watch the first video I made, the Preview 1 video. For the most up-to-date, which will have a sharp contrast to the first, watch the Gameplay Demonstrations.

I am hoping for criticism and feedback of all variety, please note the early, pre-alpha, work-in-progress nature of the game. Much of the art is intentionally "filler", audio is completely missing, and many gameplay elements are simply not finished (or started!) yet.

ShadowHare
2012-02-06, 09:25 PM
New weekly update video, this time showing off the Cat. He has some functional hitboxes now, as well as some basic components such as dashing/running and getting hit and stunned in various ways. Still yet to come are the abilities to be grabbed, defeated, knocked down, and the ability to block.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLyZ50jNHso&feature=youtu.be

As always, I am constantly looking for feedback and advice on pretty much anything - current character movesets, linking between the two game modes, and concepts for the future are all welcome topics.

Grinner
2012-02-06, 10:11 PM
The video link is incorrect.

Also, I haven't actually played it, but I'm getting some horror vacui from the fighting game screenshots. You might want to try zooming in on the characters. It might be cool if you implemented the zooming like the latest Mortal Kombat title does.

ShadowHare
2012-02-06, 10:30 PM
The video link is incorrect.

Whoop! I see what you mean....


Also, I haven't actually played it, but I'm getting some horror vacui from the fighting game screenshots. You might want to try zooming in on the characters. It might be cool if you implemented the zooming like the latest Mortal Kombat title does.

Since the movement is designed with Super Smash Bros in mind, the characters are smaller than your typical fighting game out of necessity. Zooming in much closer would make your field of vision rather short. Dynamic zooming is definitely a decent consideration for the future, though.

ShadowHare
2012-02-27, 02:23 AM
Hello again everyone!

I have a blog you can visit at http://fimbuldev.blogspot.com/ . I am continuing to update every week there, although I am not necessarily making a video each week to go along with it. This week, however, there is one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... mxLJ2DTvZE

The Cat is now capable of falling, rolling, teching, being grabbed, and being defeated. He's in a state where he can start to be integrated in with the non-combat portions of the game. This, as well as continuing to build his moveset, are the plans for the immediate future.


As always, I am looking for any sort of feedback, suggestions, or discussion at all from a game design perspective. It does not necessarily have to be on just the recent video either - the entire game is open for discussion.

The Zoat
2012-02-27, 03:28 AM
I suppose this game will have an AI feature?

Maryring
2012-02-27, 03:38 AM
It does look kinda interesting. Regarding art, you are planning on differentiating the sprites between players I hope? I often lost track of who belonged to which side during the fight itself.

Also, perhaps consider eventually making it so that depending on where the two sides meet, the arena is altered somehow? Could even design the stages so certain character types fare better than others at specific stages.

ShadowHare
2012-02-27, 08:15 PM
I suppose this game will have an AI feature?

Although single-player capabilities are theoretically planned, I am postponing any development toward that end indefinitely. As with most games of both genres that this game fits into, the focus is on competitive multiplayer and the interaction between human opponents, which I find to be much more interesting than the almost guaranteed fumblings of AI opponents. Perhaps in the far-flung future, AI might be considered.


It does look kinda interesting. Regarding art, you are planning on differentiating the sprites between players I hope? I often lost track of who belonged to which side during the fight itself.

Yes, color-swapping the characters is already planned. I'm waiting on that merely because the new art that will replace the current filler sprites is under development, and they will be both much easier and much nicer to palette-swap.


Also, perhaps consider eventually making it so that depending on where the two sides meet, the arena is altered somehow? Could even design the stages so certain character types fare better than others at specific stages.

Indeed, this too is underway. The stage will be based off of the terrains in which the characters begin combat upon, and there will be some tactical choices on which ones to engage on.

ShadowHare
2012-03-27, 01:14 AM
Hey everyone. For those of you who have yet to start following my blog, I've been making regular updates there each week. The blog can be found at http://fimbuldev.blogspot.com/ , and the latest video from tonight can be found right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-uoYogEnaw

As always, feedback and comments are encouraged and very much appreciated. I look forward to discussing all manner of game development topics with you all.

Grinner
2012-03-27, 01:41 AM
It's coming together nicely. :smallsmile:

The altars kind of worry me, since the players that take them early in a session will have a definite advantage over the competition, leading to a short and frenetic games. Though if that's what you're going for, well done.

ShadowHare
2012-03-27, 11:41 AM
It's coming together nicely. :smallsmile:

The altars kind of worry me, since the players that take them early in a session will have a definite advantage over the competition, leading to a short and frenetic games. Though if that's what you're going for, well done.

I think that in the early game, the altars will cancel each other out, as both players will be able to get them equally quickly. It will become more of a threat of trying to steal and defend them during the midgame.

Grinner
2012-03-28, 08:55 PM
I think that in the early game, the altars will cancel each other out, as both players will be able to get them equally quickly. It will become more of a threat of trying to steal and defend them during the midgame.

Depends on how well the map is designed.

Also, have you written a mapping program?

ShadowHare
2012-04-04, 12:49 AM
Depends on how well the map is designed.

Also, have you written a mapping program?

I do have a limited map editor tool that I designed, allowing me to create new maps or alter old ones fairly easily. Having multiple maps to choose from is very much intended.

ShadowHare
2012-04-04, 12:52 AM
Hey everyone. I have a new video, and this one introduces a couple of new and fairly critical gameplay mechanics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfIPXjOBP4

Please tell me your thoughts on these additions if you wish - all feedback is very much encouraged and appreciated.

ShadowHare
2012-04-24, 12:44 AM
New update video! Have a look, all =)


http://youtu.be/OwZJDH0tNgs

ShadowHare
2012-05-16, 12:38 AM
Here it is, as promised; a new Gameplay Demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90R-yCy14

This is the longest and most involved demo thus far. Hopefully it will prove interesting and insightful, showing what a real match looks like and what you can expect from the game in its current form. My talking in the video is not as significant as it usually is - to be honest, I had to find things to ramble about to fill the entire video. Regardless, enjoy, and please give me any and all feedback you might have!

ShadowHare
2012-06-11, 10:42 PM
Hello everyone. I have an update to report. You can check out the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhev5qUDuEc


This weekly update actually has some rather big news. As it stands, I am going to be putting work on Fimbulvetr on a bit of a hiatus for a few months. The reasoning for this is not because I have lost motivation, or because I need any sort of break mentally; it is actually because I am going to be working on a separate project for another person. This project has a finite schedule, and once it ends, I will be returning to work on Fimbulvetr. So don't worry, I will be back! =)

I'd really like to thank everyone for all the great support and feedback I've gotten on this project so far. It means a huge amount to me. I hope you will all continue to follow the project when I return to it. Thanks again, everyone!