So what are we making?

so hurry up and tell us what you're maekin'

Around here? Babies I think. Kinda like that nutrigrain commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rE0EakhG8

I think FPS or maybe an action RPG.
One question you guys probably can answer tough:
At what stage in development decides a developer to release info about current projects to the public? Obviously there are different strategies, some devs try to build up a hype (Blizzard!) while others wait until they can really show something. You said you wanted to keep the development costs down by planning ahead, so I guess you will release information with screenshots and trailers late in the development?

What are the ups and downs from your point of view to release infos and screenshots of the WIP. IIRC they reworked the graphic engine of STALKER 3 times or something to keep up with the created hype and the technology. Is it hype vs dev costs, is there a sweet spot?

It's usually the publisher that decides when to reveal everything. We've thought about doing more, that's why we started the blog, but in the end, we don't want to hurt any relationships with publishing entities by usurping their marketing department. So, we're waiting.
Plus the game is still mostly white box art. It doesn't look very pretty... yet. It's hard to get people excited about a game if it doesn't look good, even people in the industry.

A German gaming magazine published a screenshot of the white box version of Demigod. The Demigods all made from boxes, one for each bone I guess, all yellow and purple. Looked pretty cool to me. But then again, if you have to do a lot with modding and mapping those things are nothing unusual. Might be different for the 'normal' customers...

But maybe you can save a few screenshots from now for later and show how things developed over the month? I think it would be interesting for everybody to see how artwork and a few brightly colored boxes turn into a high poly model and eventually the final ingame model. Even the customers complaining that the beta is too buggy (yup, they had people complainign about the 'buggy' Demigod beta - LOL) might find that cool. But only if you guys feel it doesnt give away any trade secrets of course.

Oh, and maybe a few pics of the high poly meshes for normal mapping and stuff? I think they look really nice. Most people never realize how much of the details are really done with textures until they have seen it.

Yeah, I remember that article in the german mag. Showing white box only works after it's pretty. It's neat to see where it came from but if that's all you have, no one wants thinks it's good.

I bet you guys are making a:

Massively Multiplayer Online Real Time Strategy First Person Shooter 4X Flight Simulator Role Playing Game

Or MMORTSFPS4XFSRPG

Or MortsFupsForksOrPerGer.

ZOMG how did you guessz0rz?!

The game probably has at least some of those elements, so he is probably at least partly right

Go Go Gadget Thread-Necromancy!

Just going from the background images and what's been on the blog, I think a class-based FPS is a good guess. There was that whole blog post about balancing rifle damage, so that was a nice tip-off.

Hint-time?

That blog was about balance theory... not necessarily indicative of what we're making.

well that it is class based combat is confirmed on your start page

combat happens in a lot of genres though. And it takes place in a nice world because its an utopia and not a dystopia.

PS: Utopia is a nice short book you should read if you haven't before.

re: utopia

I would say its not a strict utopia. It's more of a science and technological utopia mixed with some social and political dystopian bits sprinkled in for a nice and crunchy outer layer.

http://twitpic.com/oirxf

model for a 3d sculpture of PitGirl. We're getting a bunch of our characters made into statues and Pitgirl's our first one.

well, i totally can't see why...

Oh sweet, good job Eka!
I figure you will be putting the statues in your office?
You guys won't mind if I post that picture on the German SupCom forum later, would you?

Stature complete with removable clothing!.....oh wait