Oct 22, 2023

Reina and Jericho - Reclamation Games

This was a tough one to write.

On September 11 we received the final asset for Reina & Jericho: a redesign of the 3d mesh for the last boss fight in the game. Less than 24 hours later, on September 12, we received news that Unity, the provider of the engine that Reina is built in, was making significant changes to their revenue model. There has been plenty written about the Unity issues online, and Unity has walked back some of their changes, but I’ll focus on the result of it all here.

One of the main challenges has been that the online discourse centered largely around an installation fee, which was a pain, but not the main impediment to smaller developers. I don’t want to get into a long conversation about the specifics, but the ultimate result is that free projects are largely unaffected, but smaller projects designed to be sold (like Reina & Jericho) aren’t super viable over the medium or long term. Now that the dust has settled, we are at a point where we can’t release Reina for business reasons (we will lose more money than we gain in the long term).

From the outside you might think “But the game is practically done, isn’t it?” and the answer would be “Yes.”

You might ask “Why not just release it? I have patiently waited and now I want to play it.” Fair point, but releasing a game is not a small task, and it comes with tremendous risk, responsibility, long-term obligations, and as of the last month or two, potentially long-term financial liability due to changes in the Unity’s licensing system. If you are wondering why games that look great get cancelled this is one of the main reasons why: once the game comes out the developer is on the hook for quite a bit, but if the game isn’t out, then there are no liabilities. This aspect is what makes Unity’s business model change incredibly challenging to work with. Yes, it is less punitive than it originally seemed, but that is an incredibly low bar, and for point of comparison, our fees with Unreal Engine would only go above $0 if we became millionaires.

Where does this leave Reina & Jericho? Well, we have a few things working in our favor and a few cards left to play:

We still own the IP and everything within the game, and this effectively saves the game. We don’t lose the game to a publisher if we pull back on this deadline. It hurts us, and it hurts the people who wanted to play the game, and it hurts the people who artistically contributed to it, but we still own the game.
We never had a publisher. Every penny was self-funded. This means we can go get one if we want, and we can get the funding we need. And we will need it, because we don't have enough money to build the game again in a new engine or withstand the long term liabilities within the current engine. We are in a good place for getting a publisher if we want one though. The fact is, we have a pretty good prototype – it’s pretty much an entire game, and that makes for a good demo.
Our core mechanics and components aren’t dependent on anything. In other words: we have room to pivot, scale up, change engines… whatever. We have a huge amount of freedom while still maintaining everything that made Reina unique.

So… for now, Reina is not cancelled, but it is on hold. We are going to wrap up our other ongoing projects and then we will circle back and work on a scaled-up incarnation – we are sitting on a goldmine of assets that we still own, and that’s a wonderful thing. Porting and expanding Reina is not next on the to-do list, however. We have a larger team we could dedicate to this in the future, higher standards, and more expertise, and so that is what we plan on doing, but we have to wrap up our existing game projects first.

All of this is very “glass half full” and is full of promise for the future, but the truth is ever since the announcement it’s been an unpleasant process trying to figure out what we can do. We’ve had a lot of support from people throughout the development process that we don’t take for granted, and it’s very disappointing to be in this situation. I’d rather take the long road than the one that leads to a bad game, though, so in a way there is only one decision that can be made.

Oct 22, 2023

"Unveiling ' Western Chronicles ': Prepare for Epic Adventures in Hero of Fate!

Hero of Fate - steam

Dear beloved warriors, my heart is filled with gratitude and warmth as I address you today. I am Xianxun Liang, the proud producer of Hero of Fate. It has been a month since our game was released, and I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest appreciation for your unwavering support. Every comment, message, and word of encouragement has touched me deeply and motivated me to work even harder. As a small indie game developer, your support means the world to me. I will do my best to read and reply to each and every message, but please forgive me if I am not able to respond as quickly as I would like due to my busy schedule. I encourage all of you to join our Discord channel, where our team is always ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Thank you again for being a part of the Hero of Fate community.

Recently, I learned that some warriors are hoping for new content in the game, and some have even completed all the achievements. Do you remember the simple game trailer I made last time? Behold! Prepare yourselves for an epic journey filled with new heights to conquer, new adversaries to vanquish, and new heroes to unlock. Brace yourselves for the ultimate challenge with new levels to explore, new bosses to face, and new characters to unlock and master. The fate of the realm lies in your hands, will you rise to the occasion?" Our new and free DLC, " Western Chronicles," is coming soon, and the release date has been confirmed: it will be officially launched on October 26th! New content and achievements are on the way, are you excited? Let me provide a detailed preview:

1. Unleash New Levels,

"Western Chronicles" will be the fifth level of the game, with difficulty levels ranging from normal to endless mode.

2. Conquer Fierce Bosses

Have the previous bosses lost their edge against the mightiest warriors like you? We will introduce new boss types, such as the Evil Eye, pumpkin monster, mummy, giant mushroom, etc., to fight against the exclusive big boss of "Western Chronicles" and make Halloween more realistic!

3. Unlock Mighty Characters

(1) New character 1: Dancer
Exciting news, warriors! Brace yourselves, for a new player has entered the game! The enigmatic dancer has graced the world of fate with her stunning moves and flawless physique, setting hearts racing and tongues wagging. But be warned, claiming her as your own will require more than just skill and strength, for she is a prize coveted by many. Are you up for the challenge, warriors?

(2) New character 2: Druid
The old family of "Druids" in the world of fate has finally appeared. What kind of ability does this historic old family have? According to their family tradition, warriors will need to earn a lot of Rainbow Crystal to unlock their secrets!

Get ready for the ultimate adventure with the upcoming "Western Chronicles" DLC! This thrilling and free addition to our world of fate is packed with new fate events that will take your breath away. Brace yourself for an immersive experience that will bring you closer to real life than ever before. And that's not all - to show my appreciation to all warriors, "Hero of Fate" will be available on all platforms with a 25% discount on October 26th! So if you're ready to embark on a journey like no other, join us now and get your hands on "Hero of Fate" to play the new DLC right away! Don't miss out on this epic adventure - the countdown to "Western Chronicles" starts now!

Oct 22, 2023

Dev Blog 07 - Musings on Legions & Their Origins

Solium Infernum - Chan

"The Devil himself, which is the author of confusion and lies."
Robert Burton

Musings on Legions and their Origins

It is not enough to comprehend those depraved enough to be cast down from the Tyrant’s Realm, or even the abominations that have unearthed themselves here. One must document these things – these musings – or be lost completely from infernal history.

I have taken it upon myself to consolidate some of the scrawlings of my fellow archivists. It is a daunting thought to consider how few and far between we are. Many things that linger in these shadows are consumed whole by their lust for power and only leave recollections of their glorious pursuits and bloodied victories.

Worse off – perhaps – are those things that care not at all for power, eaten alive by the abyssal maw of Pandaemonium, leaving not even ambition in their wake. For to linger down here is to lose sense of time, place, and finally: self. It is to rot unburied, and to walk in a limbo slumber alongside death but never embraced with it.

It is well known that if you cannot rule Hell, you will serve. Your servitude does not end with your demise, for many know of the Necromantic Arts. So long as your bones hold form, and perhaps not even then, you will march on.

The Chthonian Crawlers

The Chthonian Crawlers are such creatures that linger between places. For a thing to be Chthonic, it is of earth or soil. Etymologically “in, under, or beneath the earth”. Perhaps these things have always existed here, then.

“They have burrowed holes through my cellar and the beams supporting my chamber. I have seen two of them in the dark: small shiny eyes; long, fleshy torsos; tentacled, or wired with the legs of a spider. Their skin shimmers from the light of my study. They click some with their mouths, and I hear the sound of earth rubbing itself. My liege, grant me the manpower to exterminate these beasts before they grow too numerous.”

-- A private letter from Cleric Maximus to his Lord Patron, the Baron Sitri

Hell Spawn

Likewise, in the same pile of tomes, I uncovered mentions of similar creatures in Warchief Bhelplenar’s “A Step Towards Infernal Order”. Spurious rumors suggest that these pests of Pandaemonium were once Mortal, who thought themselves bold enough to engage in a deal with a devil for some irreverent benefit.

“When I could see my enemy’s wings, I bellowed. It was one of my best: coarse and guttural; and it shook the specks of ground floating in the light escaping the gaps in the sky. A wave of javelins rose from our arms then some of those beasts fell. They turned, tumbled, plowed Hell’s brown crust as their bodies stopped. But most of them didn’t. Most took our saddened weapons from the air and turned their tips down.”

-- From Warchief Bhelplenar’s “A Step Towards Infernal Order”

Legion of Lemures

A flurry of creatures that I have only had the displeasure of seeing once – from a great, safe distance, mind you – was the Legion of Lemures, under the relentless whippings of the Dragon Knight himself, Archfiend Astaroth.

“From their many mouths spread words of disinformation and discontent. They are the lords of the lowest class, considered much like swine to other demons. Unhappiness emotes from their mouths in broken, irresolute speech. And it is their inability to communicate all they gather with their eyes which keeps them so.”

-- From an unspecified human author, whose works are collected under the title “Inquiry of the Unknown”

Plague Bearers

Some archival texts suggest that, on some rare occasions, the Dark Majesty might orchestrate the release of Hell-bound creatures of blight and sickness to infest the mortal world. Plague Bearers, they are called. They are the Priest-Lords of the scourge, the demonic underlings bred in a lung’s final death rattle.

"Let us pepper the earth with these bearers of sickness, these priest-lords of disease. Let us divide the humans between those ascending and the rest. Petty battles between wings and horns no longer excite me. Let us hasten the formal event."

-- A private letter from Cleric Dorev to Lord Lucifer

Ten Thousand Screaming Bastards
While the Lemures appear in droves, the only way to describe Ten Thousand Screaming Bastards is by likening their arrival to a natural disaster. They are a screeching, wailing tidal wave upon the horizon – small figures only barely distinguishable among a simple, terrifying palette of red. To fall beneath their approach is to be dashed upon a thousand sharp, screaming rocks.

" In my visions, I witnessed a battle in which we were washed away by the rising tide of red flesh. I was lifted atop the pricking nails of a thousand hands, and you, my lord, were being torn apart at the mouth and neck. These visions bode not well, my lord. I have troubled sleep. "

-- A private letter from Suffragan Letor to Bishop Maddox of the First Level before their untimely departures during the Stix Incursion

There is much more to document. Many legions are vastly more powerful than those captured above. I am restless in my pursuit of knowledge, or to understand what maybe was never meant to be captured.

Perhaps these infernal ramblings are the first sign of insanity. Is that what they say? To talk to yourself i the first sign? With that in mind, perhaps attempting to make documents and compile information on these abhorrent creatures is the last sign of sanity.

Until Next Time,

X

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If you've made it this far, thanks for following along. I intend to share more posts like this, detailing the development process as it unfolds and exploring the unique challenges the privilege of re-imagining a cult classic like Solium Infernum for new (and old!) audiences holds.

For now, you can join the {LINK REMOVED}League of Geeks Discord community for all the infernal news and discussion.

We're currently LIVE with a Next Fest Demo! You can actually play Solium Infernum for a short time! If you're reading this post-mortem and you wanted to be the first to know about any updates, we definitely encourage you to hop in the Discord. More information will come soon!

P.S. You can support us and our re-imagining of Vic's "diamond in the dark" by downloading the Demo and/or Wishlisting Solium Infernum on Steam, if you haven't already. Both downloading the Demo and Wishlisting tells the all-great Steam algorithm that people like what they’re seeing and gets us in front of more eyes.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1893810/Solium_Infernum/