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Hey Guys! I've been keeping up with the thread, but it's been a while since I posted, so I figured I'd chime in. First of all, big thanks to Xik for keeping this thread up-to-date! And no worries about sounding like you're speaking for me. You're doing as good a job explaining myself as I could ever do  Re: the choices in resolution, the links Xik and Orthogonalus cite go into details on the decision, but it's pretty much summed up as Orthogonalus says: pixel art really only looks good at whole number zoom levels. So 2x and 3x the normal size are the only choices that don't get ugly aliasing. I also put together a 1360x768 as a sort of middle ground between 800 and 1600, since that was the smallest size I could double artwork at, and it was a common monitor manufacturer choice. This link, in particular, goes into detail on my decision of 1360 over 1280: http://bluebottlegames.com/main/node/1365 All of the prescribed resolutions will letterbox by default, but you can also choose the "Stretch" option if you don't mind the jaggies. There's a filter, too. But the prettiest (imo) options are whole zoom levels with no stretching nor filtering. Re: moving away from Flash, I like the idea, but I'm not sure I can pull it off in this version. Porting it to another platform pretty much means a total rewrite of the game, including finding new kludges for all the Flash-specific kludges I used. That said, I've started running into deal-breakers with Flash, so I've been eyeing up new tech for future projects. Haxe NME is probably my next choice, since it deploys to pretty much everything from PCs to Tamagotchis*. (* doesn't actually deploy to Tamagotchis) Regarding the mouse seeming choppy in Flash, is that still the case? I switched to hardware cursors a while back, and I thought that helped. Dragging items is still choppy, since the game only moves the item each frame, but the cursor itself should be a windows mouse cursor, so no lag. (In theory) Re: HoMM hex battles, I actually picked up HoMM3 from GoG over Xmas due to that comment, just so I could see what you meant I think you're right that it opens up a lot of tactical maneuvering, but it sacrifices a bit of detail per-unit. Ideally, there would be a way to communicate things like fallen/bleeding/stunned/current armament/etc. per unit on the field, and still have room for the other UI (message log, stat bars, inventory buttons).I think there's a way to do it, using more detailed sprites, animations, and things like that. Those are a pretty big jump in art budget (either time or money) though. Still, I see what you mean. If there's room in the schedule for another battle overhaul, I've now got these suggestions in mind! Re: more guns and skill love, nothing yet. There are a few new encounters which accept underutilized skills as action choices, but there is still balancing needed. I think whichever feature I tackle next (more plot or crafting/more items) will probably help in this regard. Re: not wanting to play the game as it's being developed, for fear of burning out, I totally get it. I never sat down to play through DA:O for that reason. Re: when will NEO Scavenger be done? I keep saying "in three months," but I was wrong the last three times I did so I feel like I'm approaching a point where the features are nearly done, though, which is a new milestone. Plot is one of the last outstanding "must haves." There's also crafting. A crafting overhaul isn't strictly necessary to complete the game at this point. However, it would make new recipes much easier to manage/build, which in turn, makes new items and skill-uses easier to develop. And that, in turn, affects plot encounters since it means more tools would be available to players. As such, I'm leaning towards a crafting overhaul plus a batch of new items and recipes first, and then adding more plot which takes advantage. The jury's still out on that, though. Whew! That was a bit longer than planned. Hopefully, there was some useful info in there! And thanks again for all the feedback and support!
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Feb 23, 2013 18:28
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Xik posted:
A new gun!? 
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Feb 23, 2013 19:40
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Galaga Galaxian posted:A new gun!? Um, hm, well...that's an item in the game, but not yet available. Whoops! 
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Feb 23, 2013 19:53
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Xik posted:
 The changes over the last two builds make me so happy. Thank you BBG for your work and for listening to the thread. And, of course, Xik for keeping us in the loop.
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Feb 24, 2013 07:36
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 New Build There has been another little build update pushed out to fix a few bugs in that last major one:
Daniel also did another interview which has been posted on youtube. If you've been following this thread and have read the other interviews that have been posted there really isn't anything new, so it's probably safe to skip it. If you are new to NEO and/or have just stumbled into this thread, you should definitely check it out though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j46Wi29T9E BlueBottleGames posted:Hey Guys! I've been keeping up with the thread, but it's been a while since I posted, so I figured I'd chime in. Awesome, thanks for keeping tabs on us Neo fans here on SA!
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Feb 24, 2013 11:20
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Xik posted:
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Feb 24, 2013 14:23
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New Build Demo and Beta Update:
Beta Only Update:
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Mar 1, 2013 12:17
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The new random encounters are pretty rad. So far I haven't accomplished much in them (tried to rescue some slave and she freaked the hell out so I booked it, tried to give food to an incredibly sick woman and she just wandered around coughing so I left), but it's pretty cool being able to encounter things besides "more boots to sell (boots may currently be worn by I really like how the NPC AI has developed. I encountered a Dogman while tired and hypothermic, and while fleeing from it I came across a looter. I beat him up a bit and then ran off, and the Dogman immediately beelined for the injured looter and commenced murdering the poo poo out of him while I ran as far away as I could. It was a pretty neat post-apocalyptic take on the old "I don't have to outrun the lion, I just have to outrun you" story.
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Mar 1, 2013 18:47
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Another build you say? Demo and Beta Update:
The regional creatures thing sounds cool: quote:With the regional monster update, different monster types are more common depending on the area of the map. So looters tend to hang out around the DMC, bandits and raiders in the SW map, and dogmen to the north. It's still possible to find each anywhere on the map, but the probabilities have been adjusted. Also, some creature now appear in small groups, instead of solo. The idea of groups of dogmen roaming around is pretty loving terrifying though, hopefully they aren't social creatures and we only see looters in groups.
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Mar 2, 2013 17:41
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So I'm doing another run after a few months off, and I just took a trip down to Zom Zom's... Really, really liking how this is shaping up. Edit: Also, Dan, bless you for adding stuff to do in the city. I've yet to actually get to it, but last time I played, I remember being pretty turned off by the idea of reaching town and...not being able to do much beyond staring at it from the poochy, besquirreled woods. Soup du Journey fucked around with this message at 23:01 on Mar 2, 2013 |
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Mar 2, 2013 20:28
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Wow, I threw $10 at this project blind, and I'm glad I did - it's scratching an itch I haven't thought about in a long time. I took shelter in a small town for the night, and woke up to another scavenger who had the same idea. He comes at me with a crowbar, but trips and I kick his head in a few times until he manages to crawl away and disappear into the night. I check back at the camp, and he left his sleeping bag! Of course, I proceed to go right to sleep again, and wake up to the scavenger, freshly not-bleeding, smashing my head with a crowbar. I'm liking it a lot. I look forward to seeing this continue to grow!
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Mar 3, 2013 00:02
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New Build
Boosh:  Also, if you have purchased the "Yukon" Edition in the past (the $25 version), the exclusive item now works. I'm not exactly sure what it does, I'll have to try it out next time I play, this is what the site says about it: quote:Start the game with the "Jar of Screaming Eyes" artifact. It's power will protect you while you sleep, but beware of using it for too long!
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Mar 6, 2013 15:12
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Oh drat I need to update my "Yukon" edition and see what the jar does, for science. Plus I miss this game, I need to wander the wilderness pantsless and with a abckpack full of sticks and string with only one shoe on. EDIT: Sweet googly moogly, this works at work! TRIP REPORT: My latest brief foray into the Neo Scavenger wilderness was sadly brief. I found piles of stuff everywhere, which seemed a bit odd. Sadly, I forgot how to make fire like an idiot, and discovered that crowbar =/= bandit with a rifle. Dreadwroth fucked around with this message at 12:24 on Mar 7, 2013 |
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Mar 6, 2013 15:28
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Whoops, seems I'm a day or so late with this one but: New Build
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Mar 9, 2013 04:53
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Welp, late again. New Build
quote:..hammered out about 1400 words of encounter structure (roughly 3 pages, single-spaced). It's enough to broadly outline an encounter (or two), and get into detail on some parts that required more research. I think I still have at least as much writing left to do before the overall structure and options are done, and then I'll have to start fleshing it out with final text.
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Mar 15, 2013 06:30
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Dan has been working on plot/encounters the last little while and the last news update had him post about some new encounter related artwork which includes this clown head thing: quote:I won't provide any explanation for that. I'm sure your imagination will produce much more entertaining explanations Creepy. Abandoned playground/theme park maybe? Any ideas?
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Mar 23, 2013 02:19
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If the answer isn't "lunatic psycho killer" I'm going to be a little disappointed.
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Mar 23, 2013 02:23
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He'll be a boss that chases you from the cabin by the lake all the way to the city, unkillable but possible to temporarily deter him, disappearing permanently once you reach the inner walls.
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Mar 23, 2013 02:24
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Xik posted:Dan has been working on plot/encounters the last little while and the last news update had him post about some new encounter related artwork which includes this clown head thing: Side quest where the Scavenger becomes a fry cook, serving up squirrel nuggets and whiskey shakes, then murders his manager with a crowbar for his boots?
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Mar 23, 2013 08:23
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Sorry for the dumb question, but I bought this back in September. Do I need to do something to update it to the newest build or is it automatic?
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Mar 25, 2013 18:09
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Zoe posted:Sorry for the dumb question, but I bought this back in September. Do I need to do something to update it to the newest build or is it automatic? Just head on over to the blue bottle site and login with the account that you purchased NEO on with. There is an option to play the latest version right in the browser or download the latest version for whatever OS you use. There is currently no update mechanism with the downloadable builds. I don't think I've ever seen Dan mention anything about ever implementing one. In my opinion, being DRM free is quite a selling point for indie devs and I'm not sure how an update mechanism would work without it.
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Mar 26, 2013 00:28
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I haven't actually made it to DMC for . . . quite a long time. I only recently came back to the game. Is the city accessible now? Are there any uses for Mechanical/Electrical yet besides the upgradable exam room?
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Mar 26, 2013 17:58
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You can go into the city and visit a couple of places like a diner and a futuristic medical clinic, but you can't randomly wander its streets since it's presented in kind of a menu format rather than as a hex map. Electrical and Mechanical still don't do much of anything outside of a few encounters, unfortunately.
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Mar 26, 2013 18:06
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Angry Diplomat posted:You can go into the city and visit a couple of places like a diner and a futuristic medical clinic, but you can't randomly wander its streets since it's presented in kind of a menu format rather than as a hex map. Electrical and Mechanical still don't do much of anything outside of a few encounters, unfortunately. Ah, OK. I made it to the DMC, used tracking to get the DMC bracelet from Hatter, then derped around a bit. I take it the augmentations aren't yet available, because the game told me I was a "bad candidate" for those surgeries. The diner is also cool. It made me hungry. Don't forget to pay your bill. The consequences if you come back are . . . unfortunate. Doctor Schnabel posted:So I'm doing another run after a few months off, and I just took a trip down to Zom Zom's... What where huh? Is this another encounter I don't know about, or an obscure reference to another game? Myoclonic Jerk fucked around with this message at 22:57 on Mar 26, 2013 |
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Mar 26, 2013 22:43
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Myoclonic Jerk posted:What where huh? Is this another encounter I don't know about, or an obscure reference to another game? If you're asking about that specific picture it's Octotron from Wasteland.
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Mar 28, 2013 12:53
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Myoclonic Jerk posted:What where huh? Is this another encounter I don't know about, or an obscure reference to another game? The picture is from Wasteland, but there's a random encounter (a big warehouse called Zom Zom's...uh, something-or-other) which features a robot (described, not shown) that made me think of that critter.
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Mar 28, 2013 19:10
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I've started playing again, and verified my initial impression that I am very, very bad at this game. I never get to play around with fun things like squirrel trapping or treating injuries because I always seem to attract looters before I can find any actual loot and then I get chased barefoot across the country, gradually succumbing to hypothermia until they catch up and cave my chest in. Seriously every single one of my attempts last night died of bleeding in the lungs. I mean come on guys give me a break, what kind of loot do you think I'm hiding under this hospital gown 
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Mar 30, 2013 19:39
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Zoe posted:I've started playing again, and verified my initial impression that I am very, very bad at this game. Delicious longpig.  Recent updates have looked pretty shiny. Especially being able to empty containers. I managed to dumbly destroy a tin can full of string and salted crackers once while trying to r-click my way to getting at the goodies I'd stashed in it. I really should play more NEO Scav again soon, now I'm done with Far Cry 3. But Dungeons of Dredmor sucked me in again.
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Mar 31, 2013 17:46
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New Build Demo and Beta Builds:
Regarding the retreat mechanic change: quote:Now, retreat works against all opponents simultaneously (like Athletic's "sprint away from the fray" used to). This way, retreating from a group in battle should be challenging, but far from impossible. The creatures added in this build have been mentioned in a previous news post, here is a glimpse at their artwork:  Encounter mechanic change: quote:"Allegan" is the newest major encounter to be added to the game. Three other major encounters have been upgraded from occasional status to always available, so each game can now see all three. And changes have been made such that those locations persist after the initial encounters, to help lend an air of permanence to the map. Could this "Allegan" encounter be the one that has that creepy looking clown head artwork? Post about it if you come across it!
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Apr 4, 2013 03:06
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Yessss, this game's been needing some more post-apocalyptic mutant horrors. Looking forward to seeing those new encounters, too. Maybe it's time to start up a new dude and see what there is to see.
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Apr 4, 2013 11:38
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Man. I love all the new additions but I've yet to actually encounter any of it since I suck so badly at surviving ever since the more detailed wound and combat system went in. Which is kind of ironic since I was one of the people asking for those features! One if these days I'll figure out the trick to not dying. I think my problem is I'm way too territorial about scavenging. Any time I attract a bandit when looting I always have this pathological need to get the stuff I found, so I'll fight pretty much every time, and even if I do smarten up and run away, I tend to stick around the area to try to get back to the looted hex, which usually just leads to more fights with the same bandit.
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Apr 4, 2013 16:02
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The Cheshire Cat posted:Man. I love all the new additions but I've yet to actually encounter any of it since I suck so badly at surviving ever since the more detailed wound and combat system went in. Which is kind of ironic since I was one of the people asking for those features! If you have Strong and/or Tough you basically don't have to fight anything except Dogmen and the occasional gutsy Bandit. Have a good weapon in your hand and use the threaten option at every opportunity and 90% of enemies will run away from you immediately since Strong/Tough seem to make you more intimidating. Be aware that if a Dogman runs away it's not retreating, it's getting to the proper range for a charging tackle which will allow it to kill the gently caress out of you; those assholes never retreat unless they're pretty badly hurt. Tough is extremely good to have in general, to be honest. It makes you way more resistant to injury and pain, seems to let you heal more easily on your own, and it gives you the headbutt attack, which is basically the best and raddest attack in the game  edit: my current character managed to win a nasty fight with a dogman by headbutting it in the chest so hard that it started coughing blood. Take Tough, shrug off injuries, survive nasty fights, 420 headbutt everything everyday. Angry Diplomat fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Apr 4, 2013 |
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Apr 4, 2013 16:47
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drat this game is way different to what it was when I last played it! Headbutting a dogman in the chest until it coughs blood? Sign me the gently caress up
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Apr 4, 2013 17:40
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redweird posted:drat this game is way different to what it was when I last played it! Headbutting a dogman in the chest until it coughs blood? Yes, play this game. The last Bandit I fought almost killed me until I drank a bunch of whiskey and beat him with a crowbar so savagely in my drunken rage that he simultaneously died of brain haemorrhaging and acute bleeding in the lungs while also passing out from unbearable pain. Later, after administering the ribcage-shattering headbutt to the dogman, I noticed that I was bleeding internally and in severe pain. I rectified this by popping some off-the-shelf painkillers and walking around until I got better. I suffered internal bleeding from a fight with a werewolf and walked it off. x1000Edit: This game is seriously amazing for absurd post-apocalyptic badassery. I'm presently running around dual-wielding scoped hunting rifles, each loaded with a different kind of bullet, with a third rifle slung over my back. I don't actually shoot anything with the rifles, I just use them to beat everything to death. But if I ever need to shoot a motherfucker, Jesus Christ is he ever going to get shot like loving whoa. BlueBottleGames please put spiked patchwork Mad Max raider armour in the game. In fact just put a variety of post-apocalyptic defensive gear in. Beat-up sports padding, leather jackets, firefighter helmets, welding masks, hell even gardening gloves. They could all basically do exactly the same thing (mildly increase resistance to injury) to varying degrees, and it would still be fun as hell to cobble together a crazy mismatched adventurer suit. Ballistic vests and riot armour would be a great insanely expensive one-day-this-will-be-mine objective to work towards, much like the eye implants. Angry Diplomat fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Apr 4, 2013 |
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Apr 4, 2013 18:32
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Angry Diplomat posted:BlueBottleGames please put spiked patchwork Mad Max raider armour in the game. In fact just put a variety of post-apocalyptic defensive gear in. Beat-up sports padding, leather jackets, firefighter helmets, welding masks, hell even gardening gloves. They could all basically do exactly the same thing (mildly increase resistance to injury) to varying degrees, and it would still be fun as hell to cobble together a crazy mismatched adventurer suit. Ballistic vests and riot armour would be a great insanely expensive one-day-this-will-be-mine objective to work towards, much like the eye implants. Yes please! The combat can be utterly badass, but I'd like to add one little tiny thing for atmosphere: after you kill an opponent, show a shot of their pixellated corpse. Not for the factor, but because if I just beat someone to death for their shoes, that would add some more emotional impact.
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Apr 5, 2013 01:00
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man, how do I find branches now? Last time i played you could get em off forest tiles. Either I'm real unlucky or it has changed? Where do I find branches I'm so thirsty edit: NM, I figured it out. You gotta put the trees into your crafting table to get all the branches and stuff. Ain't nothing gonna stop me now Schneider Inside Her fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Apr 5, 2013 |
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Apr 5, 2013 08:22
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You can also do the same thing with rivers/lakes and water, which is super nice since it was bizarrely difficult to find unbottled water before, except for just after it rained.
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Apr 5, 2013 08:26
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Yeah I used to die of thirst while walking around with 15 empty bottles in my backpack, but now I never ever ever die of thirst since I can just carry around three bottles, a lighter, and a pot and never worry about water again.
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Apr 5, 2013 10:41
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Myoclonic Jerk posted:Yes please! It should show up as loot in the tile, X-Com style. I don't know why you'd want to pick up a dead body and take it with you mind, but who knows? I'm sure someone will be able to think of a use for them in the post-apocalyptic wasteland .
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Apr 6, 2013 20:37
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Clearly dead bodies are used in the spiked skull armour recipe that turns you into the bloodsoaked warrior demon-king of the ruins  Well, dead human bodies, anyway. Dead dogman bodies are used in the recipe for a rad werewolf fur hat and cloak that keep you warm and make you look like a badass.
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Apr 7, 2013 00:10
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