A surprising number of you were wondering about the stuff that almost made it into BUCKSHOT ROULETTE and was scrapped for one reason or another. Some of you even went as far as to datamine and dig through the game files to find out.
Well, today we asked Mike Klubnika to share some of his unused ideas for BUCKSHOT ROULETTE, so you can take a peek behind the development curtain and see what could have been. Maybe some of you would even go as far as to mod some of these in. Just kidding, haha. Unless..?
Let’s get started with a fairly known one: BUCKSHOT ROULETTE was called ‘Shotgun Roulette’ up until just days before release. What is lesser known is the fact that this was an homage to swiftor’s Call of Duty video series of the same name which Mike used to watch and love growing up.
BUCKSHOT ROULETTE was also originally planned to be a part of a bigger horror game, where the player would go to various locations in a small bleak town and complete objectives. One of these objectives was to beat an underground arcade owner in a game of shotgun roulette. The player would then use the tickets earned to purchase the grand prize, which was a piece of hardware for a device. Will that bigger horror game ever come to be? Guess, we’ll have to wait and see…
The original room BUCKSHOT ROULETTE took place was wayyy darker in the prototype
Moving on to the game itself. The nightclub was supposed to feature a view of a large crowd dancing below, but this idea was scrapped to save time and besides — isn’t a hollow metal husk of a club with only you, The Dealer, and the Smoking Guy a more suitable place for what’s about to happen?
Speaking of the Smoking Guy, for the initial itch.io release it was planned that he would follow the player into the room, before sitting on the chair and observing the game. Every time the player would die, the smoker dude could be seen sitting down again after reviving the player. However, once the final showdown arrived, the smoker dude would leave. This was also scrapped to save time.
In earlier prototypes The Dealer also had a monologue where he explains the rules of the game. He also mentioned the prize money, and that if the player loses, their corpse will be sold for profit. This monologue was removed so that there was less friction in getting into the game, since the rules of the game could easily be explained through short item descriptions and player interactions. Show, don’t tell, you know.
The Player always getting to go first also wasn’t always the case. The first turn of the game was originally supposed to be decided by The Dealer spinning the shotgun, spin-the-bottle style The starting turn would go to whoever the barrel is pointing at. (Comment below if this is something you want to happen for Multiplayer mode, wink-wink.)
We don’t have the animation for it, so we’ll leave it to your imagination
Speaking of game mechanics, there was one planned where the player could stack hand saws. Meaning they could saw off the barrel once, and then saw off the rest of the shotgun with a different hand saw, leaving only the receiver. This was scrapped mainly due to balance, but also to save time.
And the hand saw itself used to have a much different look and animation. One key part of the first vision for the game was the player struggling to saw off the barrel with a large rusty hacksaw. The hacksaw was replaced with a foldable hand saw later in development so that all items could fit on the same grid. We’ll leave the possible animation for The Dealer to your imagination.
Original items line-up from the older prototype with the old hacksaw model
The idea for heaven in the game was originally much more peaceful and less visceral. The player would have to interact with a person in the booth next to golden gates surrounded by clouds. The person would then ask the player whether or not he wants to try again, or go through the gates. This entire sequence felt very out of place when it came time to actually develop the scene, so it was changed to something that had more shock value and was a better fit to the rest of the game’s subtle lore.
Subtle lore in question
The device that cuts the cables in the final showdown was planned to be a guillotine. The design was later changed though, since a guillotine seemed too simple and predictable.
The ending of the game was originally planned to be an extended cutscene where the player would book it out of the club with the briefcase, enter their car, then look up to the rearview mirror and reveal only a blown-off head with a bit of spine sticking out - before it cut to black. This was also scrapped mainly to save time.
And let’s top it off with a couple of ideas that were considered for post-itch.io launch but didn’t make it into Buckshot. One of the features that was planned was an unlockable small synthesizer that could be found in the restroom’s trash can. The synthesizer would have something like a 16-step sequencer that the player could program, and the melody would play after a round was won. This ended up not being developed as post-release needed features that were (and still are) more high priority. Please let us know if that’s something you want to see, though.
For the Steam release, initially an actual ‘Double or Nothing unlocked’ cutscene was planned, that would show an engineer working on the disassembled table, with the new items being in a pile ready to be stocked inside the table.
That’s all we have for today. We’re planning to have a Q&A session with Mike sometime in the future, so stay tuned for that, and now… back to the multiplayer grind!
Wishing you the best of luck, High Rollers, Mike Klubnika, CR Channel & V̶̺̋Ǫ̶͒L̴͉̂T̶̺̈À̸̤ ̴̫̉Ś̴̱ţ̵͗ạ̷̄ñ̶͉d̴̋ͅa̶̩͝r̵̯͛d̴͙̓ ̶̖̎E̵͈͆l̵͍̐e̵̺͠c̴̟̄t̶̜̒r̸̪͠o̶͎͘n̶̰̄ị̵͑ç̷̄s̶̩͝
Today is the day - Tell Me Your Story is now available on Steam and Nintendo Switch!
To those who waited and observed the game’s growth for the past few months, as well as new people who just found TMYS – thank you for joining all of us on this adventure ✨
A word from our Game Designer / Producer at the end of our journey together:
– I'm glad that small, unique productions are still being created, even though the industry itself is going through many difficulties. I'm grateful that games like this one can still find their place on gamers' shelves. So check out "Tell Me Your Story" for yourself and see what this game gives you. Whether it's a peaceful, enjoyable Friday evening or a moment of peace somewhere between your duties, it's up to you. – Inez Górska-Brzezińska, Tell Me Your Story’s Game Designer and Producer.
As for what is coming next for Tell Me Your Story? Well…
While I also can’t say much, know that there’s deliciousness coming 🍳
The magical journeys of Grandma Rose and Amelia are only beginning! Here’s to hoping that a part of your heart will enjoy its stay in the old, memory-filled cottage and settle in for good, just like Rose.
Now, let the fun begin, dear TMYS log readers!
Remember to stay creative, spend time with your loved ones, and reach for the stars no matter how far they might seem 🐶🐾
As part of our ongoing efforts to make our game more inclusive and accessible to players worldwide, we're considering expanding our language options for translation.
But here's the thing: we want to hear from YOU! We're eager to know which languages you would like to see our game translated into.
So, don't be shy! Drop your suggestions using the comments below and let us know which languages you'd love to see in our game.
Your input matters, and your active participation in this vote will directly influence the future development of our game.
Remember: YOU are the ones shaping the future of the game.
As part of our ongoing efforts to make our game more inclusive and accessible to players worldwide, we're considering expanding our language options for translation.
But here's the thing: we want to hear from YOU! We're eager to know which languages you would like to see our game translated into.
So, don't be shy! Drop your suggestions using the comments below and let us know which languages you'd love to see in our game.
Your input matters, and your active participation in this vote will directly influence the future development of our game.
Remember: YOU are the ones shaping the future of the game.
⚡️Rogue Voltage is launching into Early Access on May 10th!⚡️
Dear modular heads,
we are very excited to finally bring Rogue Voltage Early Access to you in exactly two weeks, on May 10th 2024 at 11:00 (CEST, Berlin) / 17:00 (CST, Shanghai).
Rogue Voltage will be available for 15,99 EUR/USD featuring a 7-day long -10% discount and it will be available in English, German, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Russian, Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Korean.
Rogue Voltage will stay in Early Access for around 12 months while we continually add new content in regular updates and patches in close development with the community. The Early Access version will contain over 90 unique modules and 9 characters with a very different playstyle, already allowing a lot of replayability and modular tinkering.
We want to thank our publisher IndieArk for working with us in bringing new players from the Asian region. IndieArk is the publisher of some of our favorite games Backpack Battles, Backpack Hero and Peglin, it’s been a pleasure working together. We can’t wait to show everyone the latest state of the game very very soon!
Don’t forget to wishlist and follow Rogue Voltage if you haven’t done so yet! Join our Discord/QQ to be part of the community and help shaping the game, coming up with new ideas for new modules or characters, show off your craziest racks and nerd out about game mechanics with us!
This weekend you have more to do than ever! Hurry up and take the long-awaited level 220 to enter the Twilight Underworld, and upgrade your armor to Twilight armor!
On the way to greatness, as always, good magic will help you.
🌸"gold medal" server buff
Saturday: 🍃x2 drop 🍃x3 varnish
Sunday: 🍃x3 experience 🍃x3 varnish
Don’t be distracted by unnecessary things and grab the rates before they run away!
As part of our ongoing efforts to make our game more inclusive and accessible to players worldwide, we're considering expanding our language options for translation.
But here's the thing: we want to hear from YOU! We're eager to know which languages you would like to see our game translated into.
So, don't be shy! Drop your suggestions using the comments below and let us know which languages you'd love to see in our game.
Your input matters, and your active participation in this vote will directly influence the future development of our game.
Remember: YOU are the ones shaping the future of the game.
“The DCS: Kola map by Orbx will be released into early access on the 3rd of May 2024 bringing a new and engaging region to DCS. Based on the current day, with allowances for Cold War scenarios, the map covers more than 575,000 sq km of land and large areas of the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. The early access release will feature summer textures with the highest detail area stretching along the Russian/Finnish border from the Murmansk region of the Kola peninsula in the north to the shores of the Baltic Sea in the south. This area is home to the Russian Northern Fleet, the submarine pens of Polyarny, strategic air bases such as Severomorsk and Olegnegorsk, and several Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian air bases, and road runways!
We at Orbx are delighted to collaborate with experienced campaign creators including Baltic Dragon and Reflected Simulations to bring exciting campaigns to this map.
Following the early access release, we will deliver major updates starting in June 2024. This includes winter textures and additional airbases such as Andoya, Bardufoss, Evenes, Vidsel, Kilpyavr, Alakkurti, and others. Many military installations and training areas across the Kola map will be further developed with improvements added to terrain detail based on high-resolution aerial orthoimagery. New cities and towns, more custom POIs and vertical obstructions, and complex industrial sites will also be added.
We have recruited a large team of active DCS players to help with all aspects of testing, optimization, and prioritisation to help tune and improve the map.”
– Orbx
Please check out the Development Screenshots. Stay tuned for the early access launch of DCS: Kola.
Flaming Cliffs 2024
Announcement
Coming Soon! Flaming Cliffs (FC) 2024 is the next chapter of the popular Flaming Cliffs series that features an expanded list of aircraft: The FC: F-5E, FC: F-86F, and FC: MiG-15bis. As with all FC aircraft, these additions are easy-to-learn, with less complex controls, and includes their DCS Professional Flight Models. The more accessible FC-style concept allows new and existing players to quickly jump into the action and have fun at an exceptionally advantageous price point.
Flaming Cliffs 2024 provides an unrivalled sense of flight that only DCS can offer. With impressive and highly realistic 3D modelling, powerful authentic weapons and ease of use, Flaming Cliffs is specifically designed for those of you looking for an unbeatable combat experience, without having to learn all the systems and a very large number of cockpit inputs typical of the full fidelity aircraft in DCS.
Existing Flaming Cliffs Aircraft:
F-15C
A-10A
Su-27
J-11
Su-33
Su-25
MiG-29
MiG-29S
Three New Flaming Cliffs Aircraft:
F-5E for Flaming Cliffs 2024
F-86F for Flaming Cliffs 2024
MiG-15bis for Flaming Cliffs 2024
All aircraft will be available both as part of the Flaming Cliffs 2024, as well as individual FC dedicated modules for those of you who wish to purchase a single fighter from the pack.
Virtual Carrier Wing 17
Multiplayer Server
The Virtual Carrier Wing 17 operates in the Central EU time zone. Throughout the year, vCVW-17 alternates between training and deployment periods. New student pilots and RIOs are trained by experienced air wing members and human LSOs / AICs are available during missions to add extra realism.
The vCVW-17 strives to mimic real CVW operations in the early 2000s, with every bit of the naval aviation experience imaginable. They take a realistic approach to their operations that covers Cyclic Ops, Close Air Support, Strike Packages, and more. Briefings and kneeboard pages are provided before each mission or training sortie and debriefings are used to provide post-mission evaluation that results in better virtual naval aviators. What are you waiting for? Join Virtual CVW-17 Discord.
