Dwelvers (former Dungeon Dwellers)

[Rasmus]

How about this then?
http://www.rasmus-dev.com/rljdev/DarkMo ... easer).png
So what do you guys think? Is this creature worthy an update image on the indiegogo site?

@Ameena: I was thinking that the imps will throw up items that she will capture in the air, and that she will puke out the creature into the tile in front of her. Yeah, I try not to overcomplicate things in this stage, better get it done and show it of as an update..

@Beo: Now that is one ugly creature

@SU, I just see tocks and something slimy underneath it. Maybe need a bigger picture But I get the idea.. The thing is that I want fast results, as soon as she eats, she can puke.. So that the player can assemble an army quickly if necessary. But then again, I may have to put a time limit there to so that the player just doesn't spam it when in need, the player are suppose to think ahead

[RAF68]

On February 9, 2012, Schafer launched a crowdfunded project for an unnamed adventure game via Kickstarter.com. The game and accompanying documentary were projected to cost US$400,000. Contributions exceeded that amount by more than three times in less than 24 hours, making it the first Kickstarter project to reach a $2 million figure, and the second most successful project on the website thus far.
When the project ended on March 13, funding reached a level of $3,336,371 in Kickstarter with an additional $110,000 from premium pledges.

when you have a known name

This is not to discourage you rasmus

good luck

[Seriously Unserious]

How about this then?
http://www.rasmus-dev.com/rljdev/DarkMo ... easer).png
So what do you guys think? Is this creature worthy an update image on the indiegogo site?

that's definitely looking evil enough for this game

@SU, I just see tocks and something slimy underneath it. Maybe need a bigger picture But I get the idea..

unfortunately that doesn't seem to be one of the series' most famous bosses and it only appears in the 1 episode, and not for long, most of the time berried under that concrete so chances of finding a better shot are small, I'd say. You're best bet would be to watch a video of the full episode to get the best idea of that creature. That whole series is all about vampires, demons and evil things that Buffy must fight, so if you were to watch the series, paying particular attention to the villains, you may get some good ideas and inspiration for evil things that you could add to your game.

The thing is that I want fast results, as soon as she eats, she can puke.. So that the player can assemble an army quickly if necessary. But then again, I may have to put a time limit there to so that the player just doesn't spam it when in need, the player are suppose to think ahead

That's why I thought the egg-delay thing might be a good addition to your game, it imposes a delay in getting your creatures so you can't just spam your dungeon with them when in danger, and you can't just save up your resources to spam up on the most powerful options either, if you want the biggest and badest there is an element of risk involved, if you don't plan ahead with them. If you wait too long, or try to spam one out in a pinch, you may just end up with a smashed egg and losing the materials you used to spawn it. Thus the planning ahead element. So the weaker creatures like imps (or goblins if there included?) could have short incubation times and be able to spawn them relatively fast, but for the more powerful ones, like golems or vampires, you'd need to wait for a while and set aside valuable minions to care for and protect these valuable eggs until they hatch, and plan ahead due to their long incubation times, so you have them hatched and ready by the time you need them.

[Bit]

On February 9, 2012, Schafer launched a crowdfunded project for an unnamed adventure game via Kickstarter.com. The game and accompanying documentary were projected to cost US$400,000. Contributions exceeded that amount by more than three times in less than 24 hours, making it the first Kickstarter project to reach a $2 million figure, and the second most successful project on the website thus far.
When the project ended on March 13, funding reached a level of $3,336,371 in Kickstarter with an additional $110,000 from premium pledges.

when you have a known name

This is not to discourage you rasmus

good luck

about 40 days left to write the imp-song and let them dance in a you-tube-video...
smth like that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a30tg02JwDc (***runs&hides***)

[Seriously Unserious]

oh, Bit, Bit, BIt, you're sure in a funny mood today...

[Rasmus]

Bit is always in a funny mode
Okey, I just an half hour long interview with IndieGamePod, but I have a feeling it didn't went as expected, I got nervous like ***, and it is not funny getting nervous at the same time as you have to speak in another language and searching for the right words.. So we will see if I post the link to the interview when it comes up

[Seriously Unserious]

perhaps, but yesterday was more then usual I think.

About bit's idea for an Imp Music Video, how about it, c'mon, you can do it ... Go Rasmus, Go Rasmus, ...?

[Seriously Unserious]

Hey Rasmus, I posted a link to your website and latest youtube video on another forum I'm a member of.

Here's the thread: http://z11.invisionfree.com/VelociGames ... getnewpost

Hope you get some more hits from that. When I'm done with some alpha testing I'll also post a review there as well.

[Rasmus]

I have been so busy I can't even remember if I answered your last mail Thanks a lot for helping me with the campaign I am hoping to get the next alpha version out there tomorrow night (GMT+1). I have gotten answers from various people around the globe, all wanting to help me out with everything from reviewing the game to 3D modelling and design. Right now I have a guy making evil dungeon music for me, so I really hope that my release will get the ball rolling.

Here are some of the reviews I found on Google at the first three pages:
http://indiegamehq.com/dungeon-dwellers ... indiegogo/
http://indiestatik.com/2013/05/15/dunge ... -settlers/
http://www.indieretronews.com/2013/05/d ... ngeon.html
http://rawketlawncher.tumblr.com/post/5 ... n-dwellers
http://abandongames.ru/article/80-dunge ... -settlers/

I have also found a blog post, and some forum discussions.. So I really think there is an interest, just hoping that it will reach out to enough people before the end..

[Ameena]

Hey, that's cool that you seem to be attracting so much attention - and it all looks positive, too . Well, I didn't read that last article as I don't understand Russian, but I'm sure it was along the lines of all the others .

[Sophia]

I checked in and there was $1337 raised.

A good omen...

[Rasmus]

Yeah, but then again, if they didn't like it they wouldn't do a review, and I have mailed so many I took a chance with that Russian article, maybe it is all bad and I ignorant as I am started to advertise it
I never understood why my friends posted "Rasmus Ljunggren is really L33t today!", but now I get it. You know, I don't want to ask and look like a fool

Anyway, Dungeon Dwellers alpha demo is now available for download at my Indiegogo page
http://igg.me/at/dwellers/

[Seriously Unserious]

I checked the reviews, looks like you're getting good reviews so far, a good sign that you're on the right track with this.

[Rasmus]

I've got two guys helping me creating a forum at http://forum.dungeondwellers.net/. You are all welcome to stop by and say hello

[Rasmus]

Yeah, and also, my new video is out on the Indiegogo site.

[Seriously Unserious]

I've got two guys helping me creating a forum at http://forum.dungeondwellers.net/. You are all welcome to stop by and say hello

I'll definitely check it out. I have to go to college now but I'll take a look when I get home.

[Rasmus]

You are very welcome

[Ameena]

Just watched the latest vid, so have some more feedback for you .
I noticed that when you're selecting areas of earth for excavation, the selected areas are hidden beneath the fog of war if it's too far away from your dungeon. This would make it hard to see where you've tagged if you've tagged a lot of areas or if you tag an area and then move away and come back and can't remember where you were. Maybe make tagged land visible no matter where it is (like in the DK games), so you can be sure as to the size of your future rooms before the imps dig that far and you find you made the area the wrong shape or whatever .
I was gonna mention that it isn't obvious what all the icons are and suggest adding in tooltips...but then I noticed toward the end of the video that there are tooltips, and it looks like they're toggled by holding down a particular key or something (since they don't always appear). So never mind that .
The game is looking very cool so far!

[Rasmus]

Thanks for the feedback, the more problems you find the better
I know about the fog of war, I just released the demo a little bit to quick. It would have taken an hour at most to fix it, but I thought that as it is an alpha-demo it is expectable, now I don't think so when watching the video, because the tagged tiles gives a better control-feeling for the player.. But will be fixed in the next release I will send you all a notice when I get the next video out, it will contain drunken, singing Dark Dwarfs that either are dancing on the bar tables or walking in line singing and digging gold

Yeah, I have tool tips on every button, just have to hold the mouse over them for half a second
What I am most worried about is not what I can or can't do in the game, it is the feeling when playing it. I am going in the direction of giving the player feedback in everything he does so that he feels that he is having full control, but there are still some things that needs improvement. Have already been experiencing problems with the imps priority-system (that we was talking about before), I thought I wouldn't have to worry about it yet, but if there are to few imps out there, some actions will get neglected for a long time.. Think I will make an automatic system for now, one of three will either: Dig, handle transports, or clean. And also that the jobs has a timer connected to them so that it will be in a queue instead of just what is closest.

Btw. I was searching google on Dungeon Dwellers and found a lot of forums you have advertised Dungeon Dwellers in, thanks a lot I have tried doing it myself but have gotten very little response, I think the best thing for me is to get reviewers on YouTube to talk about the game, but as all eyes are facing the E3 2013 now I will have to wait :/

[Rasmus]

There is a Swedish cult movie called "Ronia the robber's daughter" from 1981 based on a fairy tale written by Astrid Lindgren, there is a song there called "The robber's song", and now when I was talking about drunken singers I thought about this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C13oL-z4jno

[Seriously Unserious]

When I'm thinking of a bunch of drunken dark dwarves singing I think of something more like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fudwJZhiYxk. In other words, a Gaelic style drinking song.

[Rasmus]

That one would be great But I don't think I have it in me to create something that good Maybe I will be able to throw together some verses and loop them in all simplicity

[Seriously Unserious]

I was more thinking of the style of music then the actual song, which is copyrighted material anyways, so you'd need licensing to use that particular song, and I'm thinking a band as high profile as Great Big Sea wouldn't come cheap.

In other words, something with a Gaelic sound to it, even if it is very simplified.

[Rasmus]

Well, there will be only singing because they won't have any instruments. So it is actually the lyrics I am interested in, a nice verse to repeat.. I will start throwing something together in the next day or two, so we will see

[Ameena]

You could have them improvising instruments by banging their mugs on the table, or stamping their feet (on the floor/bar/table) or something. Hey, if a Dark Dwarf pisses off another Dark Dwarf while they're in the pub (maybe when their drunkenness level gets too high or something), maybe it'd turn into a bar brawl, an all-out punch-up between all the Dwarves, throwing mugs and furniture and imps at each other and stuff, and ending with them all passed out on the floor - they'd take a while to recover from it but they'd have slightly improved combat skills after doing so .

[Bit]

They don't have instruments, but their axes to hit something
And maybe a caught beast could be kicked to make 'Aaaah'
And the whips of the mistresses make the percussion solo

If I only could remember which game it was where all the creatures had a party in the end - was it warcraft? Very funny!

[Seriously Unserious]

@Ameena: I love your idea about drunken brawls being a risk of too many dwarves hanging around the tavern for too long. I'd also add that if a dwarf brawl does happen, there could also be some added risks with it as well, such as it spilling out into the nearby sections of dungeon and turning into a full blown riot, with other creatures being drawn in. If it gets out of hand it can also have a chance of damaging your tavern and then it'll be out of commission until it's fixed, which takes time and a small amount of resources. Also, if the brawl sparks a riot, any room in the area of the riot would be at risk of damage. This could also be an option for spying if that's included in the game, an enemy spy is sent into your dungeon and when the time is right starts a brawl and attempts to spread and prolong it as much as possible, moving about and agitating wherever it seems to be winding down or the spread stalling. The agitator could also be at risk of being caught and thrown in the dungeon, or killed in the fighting as well. This would also give you a reason to keep your most sensitive rooms and taverns separated as much as possible, and to keep some creatures around your tavern on guard duty, to try and stamp out any brawling that starts to get out of hand, either by lasting too long, getting too fierce, or spilling outside of the tavern. They would also give you an improved chance of catching any spies that are inciting any brawls or rioting in addition to putting them down.

Another possible source of brawls could be if you have creature types that don't like each other stationed too close together, where each interaction has the risk of turning into a fight, that can escalate into a brawl, that can in turn escalate into a riot. Again, spies can work in such areas to agitate problems, causing an additional source of risk, or even using this as a cover for other actions, such as theft, gathering info about you or even an attack, as the rioting could pull guards out of their regular duties to put down the rioting, and the rioters would be too busy rioting to be seeing to their regular duties, creating openings your enemies can take advantage of. Again, guards have the chance of catching them in the act and throwing the spy(s) in the dungeon, where you can use them for whatever purposes prisoners are used for. If there is no dungeons available then the spy is just killed on the spot, or another room could be used as an improvised dungeon, but with the risk of the spy escaping to wreck more havoc.

[Ameena]

Another downside to in-fighting, then, in that case, would be the possibility of creatures being actually killed, rather than just beaten up and put out of action for a short time. Maybe a certain type of creature, like a huge ogre or golem, could serve as bouncers in the tavern, and if there's one or two of them around they have some kind of "Intimidation" effect, lessening the chances that there'll be a punch-up. And if one does still happen, they can just wade in and throw the perpetrator(s) out of the tavern. Literally, of course . Maybe there could be a large muddy area nearby for them to land in .

[Rasmus]

Hehe, you are all filled with ideas I have thought about letting the axes work as drums, but I want to keep it simple now in the beginning. Because if there is something I have learned, it is that if I am not familiar with what I am doing I should take it slow, otherwise it will become crappy. I will probably start of with some unrecognisable gruffing sounds from the Dwarfs in a certain rhythm, and if that feel right I may improve it later on

I have also thought about bar brawls, but I haven't thought about that it could give the creatures experience, I really like that idea But I want it to be voluntary, if a creature have had enough he will run away. The real fights will appear when they are out of beer, or whatever a creature demands to be happy. Then I want it to be really out of control, rooms will be destroyed, allies will be killed, creatures joining forces with the enemy and so on.. But of course it would be real fun to have a bouncer in the tavern keeping things in order

[Bit]

or whatever a creature demands to be happy

All that they want is to dig out crystals to form spheres... to watch football