From: Rémi Verschelde Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2016 20:49:29 +0000 (+0100) Subject: Add The Seven Tasks campaign by Philtron R./skraeling X-Git-Url: https://git.jsancho.org/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=ee7c612b1ec8c5000d90a53dc2e5ab76f367d5cf;p=lugaru.git Add The Seven Tasks campaign by Philtron R./skraeling It is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 International with attribution to Philtron R., as mentioned on the Lugaru forums: > *Note:** This mod (campaign, maps and custom textures) is licensed under > the Creative Commons Attribution - Share Alike license, version 4.0 > International (CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) > Attributions can be made to "Philtron R.". Permalink: https://web.archive.org/web/20161214063840/http://forums.wolfire.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4633 --- diff --git a/CONTENT-LICENSE.txt b/CONTENT-LICENSE.txt index 6ad0164..e83717b 100644 --- a/CONTENT-LICENSE.txt +++ b/CONTENT-LICENSE.txt @@ -1,3 +1,5 @@ +# Lugaru assets licenses + ## Wolfire assets (CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported) All assets from the original Lugaru game (including Lugaru HD assets) @@ -10,6 +12,7 @@ Attribution to Wolfire Games: http://www.wolfire.com Those assets are all the files in the `Data` folder, except from the ones listed below with different licenses or credits. + ## OSS Lugaru assets (CC-BY-SA 4.0 International) Data/Textures/ClFeng.png @@ -18,6 +21,7 @@ Data/Textures/ClShan.png Data/Textures/ClShui.png Data/Textures/FurBW.jpg + ## Slib assets (CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported) https://web.archive.org/web/20161213062413/http://forums.wolfire.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1066 @@ -35,6 +39,7 @@ Data/Textures/GiBottom.png Data/Textures/Mask.png Data/Textures/temple/World.png + ## Jendraz assets (CC-BY-SA 4.0 International) https://web.archive.org/web/20161213062036/http://forums.wolfire.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3797 @@ -45,3 +50,15 @@ These assets are from the Empire campaign by Jendraz, licensed under CC-BY-SA Data/Campaigns/empire.txt Data/Maps/jendraz* + + +## Philtron R. assets (CC-BY-SA 4.0 International) + +https://web.archive.org/web/20161214063840/http://forums.wolfire.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4633 + +These assets are from the Seven Tasks campaign by Philtron R., licensed under +CC-BY-SA 4.0 International: + +Data/Campaign/seventasks.txt + +Data/Maps/task* diff --git a/Data/Campaigns/seventasks.txt b/Data/Campaigns/seventasks.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..00d7619 --- /dev/null +++ b/Data/Campaigns/seventasks.txt @@ -0,0 +1,164 @@ +Campaign Levels: 27 + +Level 1: +Name: task1 +Description: The_Last_Castle_-_start_campaign +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 2 +LocationX: 264 +LocationY: 310 + +Level 2: +Name: task2 +Description: Desert_Village +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 3 +LocationX: 200 +LocationY: 230 + +Level 3: +Name: task3 +Description: Desert_Village_-_evening +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 4 +LocationX: 200 +LocationY: 230 + +Level 4: +Name: task4 +Description: The_Last_Castle +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 5 +LocationX: 264 +LocationY: 310 + +Level 5: +Name: task5 +Description: The_Smithy +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 6 +LocationX: 312 +LocationY: 189 + +Level 6: +Name: task6 +Description: Theatre +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 7 +LocationX: 335 +LocationY: 380 + +Level 7: +Name: task7 +Description: The_Last_Castle +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 8 +LocationX: 264 +LocationY: 310 + +Level 8: +Name: task8 +Description: Desert_-_sandstorm +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 9 +LocationX: 153 +LocationY: 210 + + +Level 9: +Name: task9 +Description: Desert_-_camp +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 10 +LocationX: 153 +LocationY: 210 + +Level 10: +Name: task10 +Description: The_Last_Castle +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 11 +LocationX: 264 +LocationY: 310 + +Level 11: +Name: task11 +Description: City_-_outside +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 12 +LocationX: 211 +LocationY: 170 + +Level 12: +Name: task12 +Description: City_-_inside +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 13 +LocationX: 211 +LocationY: 170 + +Level 13: +Name: task13 +Description: City_-_the_general +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 14 +LocationX: 211 +LocationY: 170 + +Level 14: +Name: task14 +Description: The_Last_Castle +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 15 +LocationX: 264 +LocationY: 310 + +Level 15: +Name: task15 +Description: Anshan_Forest +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 16 +LocationX: 93 +LocationY: 375 + +Level 16: +Name: task16 +Description: Monastery +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 17 +LocationX: 345 +LocationY: 246 + +Level 17: +Name: task17 +Description: The_Last_Castle +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 1 +NextLevel: 18 +LocationX: 264 +LocationY: 310 + +Level 18: +Name: task18 +Description: Bonus_Level_-_ZOMBIES! +ChooseNext: 1 +NumNext: 0 +NextLevel: 19 +LocationX: 400 +LocationY: 400 \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/Data/Maps/task1 b/Data/Maps/task1 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3a8ef60 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task1 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task10 b/Data/Maps/task10 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c8f5a31 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task10 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task11 b/Data/Maps/task11 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8b888ec Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task11 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task12 b/Data/Maps/task12 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3138eb7 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task12 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task13 b/Data/Maps/task13 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62f2cce Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task13 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task14 b/Data/Maps/task14 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f653e21 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task14 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task15 b/Data/Maps/task15 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..18329d5 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task15 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task16 b/Data/Maps/task16 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..123e4d3 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task16 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task17 b/Data/Maps/task17 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8a8cc1f Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task17 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task18 b/Data/Maps/task18 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a10e05f Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task18 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task2 b/Data/Maps/task2 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0e445a8 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task2 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task3 b/Data/Maps/task3 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a1132a6 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task3 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task4 b/Data/Maps/task4 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5c8ead4 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task4 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task5 b/Data/Maps/task5 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8cfd27a Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task5 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task6 b/Data/Maps/task6 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c85c2eb Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task6 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task7 b/Data/Maps/task7 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e5e1822 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task7 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task8 b/Data/Maps/task8 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1648829 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task8 differ diff --git a/Data/Maps/task9 b/Data/Maps/task9 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f2839e1 Binary files /dev/null and b/Data/Maps/task9 differ diff --git a/Docs/README.SevenTasks.txt b/Docs/README.SevenTasks.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e0f0d49 --- /dev/null +++ b/Docs/README.SevenTasks.txt @@ -0,0 +1,454 @@ +The Seven Tasks +=============== + +A mini-campaign made with Wolfire's "Lugaru." + +My thanks to Wolfire for making a cool game like Lugaru. I also thank the +Wolfire fan community; although I didn't post much in the forums, I relied +heavily on the posts of others to help me make these maps. + +About this read me: + +I have always been a fan of finding out how games, books, paintings, movies, +etc. were made; what went into the creative process. Since I enjoy it I thought +others might enjoy it as well and have written up a "Making of the Seven Tasks." +If you're interested in what I was thinking or where I was going with the maps I +designed read on. +If not, that's okay, I hope you enjoy the mini-campaign anyway. + + +The Design of the Seven Tasks +----------------------------- + +The Sleuthing +~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Because I wasn't making a lot of fighting levels I felt I should add something +else to engage the player to make up for the short length. I came up with the +idea that the main character was something akin to a hired assassin. The +secondary goal for the player would be to figure out who hired the assassin and +why they hired him. Clues would be provided through conversations with Sage and +the design of each map. + +This was the birth of the relationship between the mendicants and the order of +the Seneschals. But because of the struggles I had with the map editor I ended +up giving up on much of this simply out of frustration. + +I also had wanted to place a shapeshifting Secret Rabbit somewhere in each of +the dialogue levels. If the player wanted they could hunt for and find this +rabbit in its various forms (very tiny, very large, invisible, as a wolf) and +then listen to it tell a joke or something. This idea was scratched completely +because I just wanted to finish the campaign and I was tired of dealing with the +bugginess of the map editor. + +For those still interested in sleuthing here are the areas where you can still +solve the mystery. They are organized from easiest to hardest to solve (in my +opinion, anyway): + + Desert Village + Mountain City + Monastery + Theatre (maybe) + Desert sandstorm (probably not but maybe. hint: it's not the obvious answer) + +For those interesting in solving those mysteries, don't read what I've written +about those individual levels because of spoilers. + +Elegance through simplicity +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Many modern games, in an attempt to be visually realistic or to make use of +modern graphics capabilities, have excessive and hyper detailed visuals that +just result in a cluttered visual space and game space. + +One of the things I liked about Lugaru was that the simplicity of the design +created an uncluttered environment to play in. Looking at Turner's village, the +raider base, or Jack's camp we see very simple blocks. This, in my mind, makes +sense since we don't actually need a functioning village or camp to let us know +that we are in those locations. The simple blocks, while not an actual village, +represent a village; they are symbolic of a village; they form an abstract +village. However, looking at the Wolfire blog entries "The ruins of Lugaru" and +"Designing Cultures" it seems the intent of these simple blocks was different +from my interpretation, nevertheless my interpretation is what shaped my +creative process in the Seven Tasks. + +The general idea I had was that if there were many buildings, such as in a +village or city, each individual structure was not very important and thus +didn't need a lot of detail; it was the village or city as a general whole that +needed detail by having many structures; it only needed to be a silhouette of a +city. If, however, the level consisted of only one structure, such as a smithy +or a monastery, then because of its individuality that building was that much +more important and needed that much more detail. + +A Living World is an Interesting One +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +I have always felt that the most interesting games to play are ones that seem to +take place in a real world, where characters move with some purpose and do +things that make sense to some degree. + +There wasn't much room for that in a mod of Lugaru but this idea did shape what +clothes rabbits wore or where they patrolled. It also shaped the placement of +some of the structures in some of the maps. + +The Kinds of Levels +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +In the beginning I was having trouble brainstorming ideas for what the maps +should be. I came up with a general process I used early on, of placing each map +in some sphere of rabbit/human life. This helped me brainstorm a lot of the +early map ideas. For example, the maps would take place in the sphere of family +life (village), professional life (smithy), religious life (monastery), social +life (city), artistic life (theatre), etc. + +I also considered that the reason the mendicants ask for aid in each tasks is +because they lost something we all fear to lose in that sphere of life (e.g.: we +fear losing our families in family life, we fear losing our business in +professional life, we fear losing our status in artistic life). This idea was +scrapped early on though and didn't really affect the plot. + +The Design of the Maps +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Bonus Zombie Level +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +This was originally going to be one of the seven tasks wherein Yew has to save +the graveyard's groundskeeper from the undead who is hiding in his hut in the +center of the graveyard. They were going to be ghosts at first but I didn't know +how to get the ghostly tutorial level rabbit so I just changed it to zombies. As +such, they had to be slow and so to counter this I made them strong and +powerful. + +I made this a bonus level because it was one of the first levels I made but I +couldn't think of a satisfactory "who" and "why". I thought of young rabbits +meddling with necromancy to resurrect one of their fabled heroes, but I decided +it just wasn't good enough. + +I really had fun with this level and I'm happy with the way it turned out. The +first moments of the map, when the zombies swarm onto the box, really bring up +imagery for me of zombie movie heroes trapped on top of a truck fending off the +monsters. Also, when you get surrounded by eight rabbit zombies and are able to +fend off all of them, that is a tremendously powerful feeling. + +The Last Castle +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +Originally this was going to be the monastery but I felt that it would be more +appropriate if this map was the headquarters of the Seneschals. I deleted some +of the platforms and the belfry, added the apprentice huts, the Seneschal homes, +and the sparring rink. + +The original idea for this map came from looking at the lookout ruins in +Turner's village in Lugaru, and trying to imagine what the original structure +might have looked like. The wall closest to the sparring rink is still the +original intact wall from the Turner's village map. + +The player spends little time in this map but I still felt I should flesh out +the world of the Seneschals as best I could. I wanted to make sure the player +would see the uniform of the Seneschals in training, since this was a clue for +solving the mystery in the Mountain City, and I wanted to make sure the player +knew that Sage was not the only master in the Last Castle. + +So, we see another master giving a lecture on sparring to some apprentices. We +see several masters with Sage, discussing what to do about the murder of an +apprentice. During sunset we see some apprentices resting among their huts, +while a couple spar in the rink, and one wanders in the hills. We see some +masters and apprentices meditating inside the Castle. All of this is meant to +help give the player a sense of what kind of life is lived here, if the player +cares to look. This is a place of training; a place of self improvement; but it +is not a cruel place either. + +The Desert Village +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +I spent so much time on those chimneys. I spent an arduous time positioning +fires in the air and then chimneys around them so that all you could see was the +smoke. But, then on reloads the fires or chimneys had repositioned themselves. +The reason I had done it in the first place was because it was a clue in the +mystery. There are five huts but only four of them have active chimneys which +means one of the families is missing. This, combined with the clue of the two +sacrifices in front of three spikes, was meant to lead the player to realize +that one of the families was sacrificed but one of the parents escaped and she +or her was the mendicant, begging for revenge. The villagers who are out hunting +are hunting this escaped victim, a plot point which allowed me to create a +village larger than the eight rabbit limit, by splitting the village populace +into two maps. + +But if this village believes in rabbit sacrifices, how have they done this for +any length of time without killing off their population? To answer this I +created, nearby, the ruins of another village, implying that this village's +sacrificial rituals originally extended to their neighbors but now they have +begun to turn on themselves. + +During the day we see something of village life. A mother walks among the huts, +as her daughter trails after her. Some children play in the orchard as their +friend watches. A mother tends to the cabbage (or something) patch. During the +evening we see the rest of the adults shadow the behavior of the day. One rabbit +patrols, spending a long time in the cabbage patch looking for signs of his wife +who was working there. A couple searches the orchard for their child. Another +rabbit searches the hut for his wife. One rabbit pauses as he wanders in a large +aimless circle, numb from the shock. + +I changed the children rabbits' power and strength and armor and protection, so +I don't know why they can take such punishment before dying. + +The Smithy +^^^^^^^^^^ + +I spent a good amount of time creating a chimney through which the player could +jump down and surprise the smith. It doesn't work that well in practice. Oh +well. + +Here again the patrol paths are representative of the behavior of the rabbits. +One apprentice gathers wood for the fire (although I'm not sure wood fires can +get hot enough for a smithy), one apprentice gathers water at the well and +brings it to the smith's water bucket, and another gathers ore in the cave (not +really how things are done, but I liked the idea). The smith, more thoughtful +than his apprentices, pauses at each station. He goes to the fire to heat the +metal, then to the anvil (box) to shape it, and then to the water bucket to cool +the metal. + +The idea I had for the mystery in this level was that the smith worked far from +the city in order to be near a magical cave which gave him ore for his superior +weapons. The mendicant was going to be a spirit that lived in the cave, angry +over the theft of its property. There was going to be a clue in the cave near +the smithy, where Yew would hear the spirit speak, but I couldn't get the +hotspot to work right, even with hex edit. + +Theatre +^^^^^^^ + +What does an artist fear most? There can be many answers to this, but the answer +I was thinking of was, "Being forgotten." Thus, the mystery in this task was +that the aging thespian Commedus never wants to be forgotten, and so he is the +mendicant asking for his own death. For his last performance he wants to be +mysteriously killed on stage so everyone will talk about it for years. But it +can't look like he let someone kill him, because that would make him seem a +hack, so he has to fight back to make the death look like a murder. His rival +thespians, two prima donnas and a starving artist, don't know the specifics of +his plan but don't want to be outstaged either. I added them not only to add +extra fighting but also to provide the clue that the answer to the mystery of +"who is the mendicant" wasn't one of Commedus' rivals. + +I wondered about the behavior of rabbits in Lugaru to run for help if injured +and then run with their help back towards you. Should I make two maps, one for +the rivals and one for the thespian? I decided to justify the behavior this way: +after seeing he or she is being beaten, a rival races to kill Commedus, but upon +arriving either Commedus terrifies them and chases them back (if he's behind), +or he dodges them and runs to you to finish what he wants you to do (if he's in +front). + +Artists strive for originality and uniqueness, as a general thing. So I made +every character unique. Commedus is a tiny bit fatter due to his age and he +wears somber colors in anticipation of his death. One prima donna is shorter +than the others and wears darker colors to complement her dark fur. The male +rival is taller and slightly thinner, and he wears drab pants, since he is a +poor, starving artist. The Green and yellow prima donna I increased the size of +her legs and lowered the size of her torso to give her a more curvy appearance, +to represent her obsession with physical looks. I also made the dialogue boxes +very bright and had the rivals speak in a theatrical manner. + +Originally I planned on having a large indoor theatre, modeled off of the Globe +Theatre in which Shakespeare performed, with benches and balconies. But, I +instead decided this would be too cluttered and went with the current, simpler +design, based off of the ancient Greek amphitheatres. + +The placard at the start of the map was supposed to have a hotspot advertising +the final performance but I just couldn't get a hotspot to place. + +Desert Sandstorm +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +This level was the fusion of two ideas. One was an idea of having a giant +rabbit that grants wishes. The other one was of the player having to hunt down +some bandits in the middle of a sandstorm. So, I just put them together and +decided that the reason Yew is chasing this group of rabbits is because they +want to sacrifice someone to the giant, but the giant is tired of being bothered +so he asks the Seneshcals to take care of it for him. + +I had a lot of fun making this level. I had to keep trying to think of +different things that could exist along this desert path: ruined villages, +ancient statues, crumbling oasis, a canyon. I also had to pay attention to make +sure that if the player followed a sign at a slightly wrong angle, they would +still find what they were looking for. So, I'd have to go back and increase the +circumference of ruins or increase the width of the front of the canyon, so the +player could bump into something rather than running forever through the desert, +having not noticed the next location. Originally, I wanted it to be that the +player would find some area and then have to search in a circle for the next +area, but I realized this was too sadistic and resorted to using mainly road +signs. I also decided to use dead bodies, rabbits who questioned their leader's +decision, to let the player know they were on the right track. + +I also wanted to give the sense of history in the desert, as though these +things had been around for a while. Aside from the typical cubes that form ruins +I also added roads buried in sand, walls and pillars being knocked over by +growing trees, and the old statue was one of my favorite touches, giving the +idea that something truly epic had once been built in this desert. + +The Mountain City +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +I wanted a city level where the player could wander through, either avoiding +guards through stealth, fighting them in alleys, or urban running past the +opposition. I had a lot of fun making both parts of the city inside the walls +and out. The placement of buildings also came naturally, by following the +natural shape of the terrain. Although if you really think about it, it doesn't +really look like a city, I think it succeeds as the silhouette of a city; a +symbolic city. + +But I also wanted to give a sense of the city having just been +sacked by an opposing army. I thought of having buildings knocked over or +lopsided but couldn't, at first, think of a good reason for this, so I settled +on having fires interspersed among the buildings (from the pillaging). Once I +worked on the city inside the walls I needed some way for the player to get back +in if they fell over the wall. I decided to use a natural bit of scenery, a +siege tower, and once that idea was in place, the idea of a catapult which +launched stones to knock over buildings followed instantly. + +I also wanted to make a distinction between the inner city and the outer city. +You can see that outside the walls the buildings are spaced further apart, while +inside the walls they are packed closely together. Within the walls there is +greater distinction between the poor houses (at the bottom of the hill) and the +wealthier ones (top of the hill, nearer the royal house). The soldiers outside +the walls are more poorly armed and some of them are even tired and resting. +This is because they are the dregs of General Vine's army and were used to take +on the brunt of the defense. The more elite soldiers are inside, being the most +trusted by the General and the Major to search for the missing Queen Dowager. +You can see the suspicions of the General as to where the Queen Dowager may be +hiding by noticing that the majority of the elite soldiers are searching the +wealthy houses, while only one is searching among the poor houses. + +I thought a lot about what the mystery could be in this one. I wondered perhaps +whether the Queen could be the mendicant and whether the sewer exit from which +she escaped (outside the walls) could play some role, but I decided this was too +easy. I finally came up with the idea that the General/Warlord would be a former +Seneschal who ran from his duties to gain glory. You can tell from Sage's +"mission briefing" that there is no mendicant, necessarily. Sage normally says +things like "you WILL do this" but this time he says "I WANT you to do this". +Also you can see that the Warlord is wearing the uniform of a Seneschal in +training. It is no accident that he is as strong as he is either. + +Alternate answers to "what's the difference between a general and a warlord": a +scary hat; three flagons of ale; a superego. + +Forest of Anshan +^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ + +Tree houses are cool. Tree house villages are even cooler. + +I am also a big fan of the Epic of Gilgamesh (wikipedia it if you don't know +what it is) so when I decided I wanted to do a forest level I began to think of +the Forest of Anshan where Gilgamesh and Enkidu have to face the monstrous +Humbaba. At first Humbaba was going to be a clan of wolves but then I came up +with a different idea. What if the wolves were hunting the monster Humbaba, and +IT was the mendicant asking for help because it was cunning enough not to face +the wolves by itself (because of this the wolves generally patrol the entrances +to the tree houses hoping to see Humbaba emerge). Thus the reason for Sage's +cryptic comment "What is scarier, a monster or a monster... the monster that +survives." I was going to have a dialogue map, after victory, in which we see +Yew being watched from the trees by a lizard, but I couldn't get the lizard +texture to appear on every load, so I scrapped the idea. + +As for the tree houses, aside from my above reasons, it just seemed right to +put them in. I made the trees very big to give a sense of grandeur to the +forest, and once I saw what it looked like, I immediately thought I should +attach platforms and boxes to the trunks. It was meant as a network of platforms +and tunnels by which the player could follow the wolves and then leap down. In +practice this doesn't work that well, at least for me, but I'm still fond of it. +I thought of having a battle on one of the tree platforms, but I felt this would +be a fiasco; the player and/or opponent would most likely end up falling down to +the ground anyway. + +The wolves patrol paths often intersect or even go alongside each other. I did +this to encourage the use of the tree houses as means of escape and espionage, +as opposed to purely ground based tactics. + +The totem at the start was supposed to have a hotspot that warned of the +monster Humbaba, but the hotspot wouldn't work. + +This was one of the levels that for some reason the enemies became super +strong. All the wolves are as strong as the Alpha wolf from Lugaru, so I gave +the wolves weapons. Although, if I had been really nice I would have just given +the player a weapon. + +Monastery +^^^^^^^^^ + +The plot is that this Monastery is a rival order to that of the Seneschals and +your mission is revenge for the murder of one of your own. + +When it came to designing the map I wanted to try something different. Rather +than designing the monastery based on aesthetic appeal (like the forest), or +based on plot (like the desert village), or to create a sense of bygone history +(the sandstorm), I wanted to try symbolism. + +I decided that there would be rising levels, and as the player climbed higher +he would encounter stronger and stronger opponents, representing their +increasing rank. + +The ground, because it is snow, is white and therefore white represents the +earthly. The sky is black and therefore represents the heavenly. So the main +character is traveling from the earthly to the heavenly; it is symbolic of his +rising skill and wisdom throughout his training. The sky light is tinted +slightly red to represent the blood the character has spilt in order to rise +from the earthly to the heavenly. + +The enemies also show this symbolic shift in enlightenment. The enemies at the +lowest level wear white as the enemies that are located higher and higher wear +increasingly dark clothes, symbolic of how close they have come to the heavenly. +Along with this, enemies at the lowest ranks wear heavy armor and unbreakable +weapons. As enemies get higher they rely on impermanent weapons and less and +less armor and clothes. This was to be symbolic of their leaving the earthly; +their decreasing reliance on earthly objects as they rely more on their inner +strength which grows due to their increasing enlightenment. This symbolism also +is meant to explain why Yew never carries a weapon from mission to mission and +only uses what he finds. + +In the end this didn't work out that well because this was another level where +the enemies were all equally super-strong. I was also having terrible problems +with entire platforms and boxes shifting positions on loads. So, I gave up on +the full scale symbolism of this map, but much of the initial intention can +still be seen. + +I was also going to have a second map where the player fought the High Templar +in a duplicate of the room Neo and Morpheus fought in the movie "the Matrix". By +this time though I was exhausted from wrestling with the map editor and scrapped +the idea. + +Some ideas that didn't make it +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +In between levels: I had thought of doing some levels where the player actually +travels the distance from the Last Castle to his next mission, encountering +story elements on the way. One idea was of bumping into the Queen Dowager and +her guard, as she flees the city, who briefly reveal some of the plot. Another +was that the woman who escaped the desert village was captured by bandits and +you run into them and save her. Ultimately though I felt this was really +unnecessary and simply increased the number of levels without necessarily +increasing the amount of fighting. One good thing was that the desert sandstorm +idea came out of brainstorming for these inbetween levels. + +The Vault of Voices: The Seneschals obviously get requests from mendicants +across vast distances. My answer to how this was possible was the Vault of +Voices. It was meant to be a series of rocks floating in a black expanse. As the +player traveled forward he saw in the distance people on platforms, floating. +These were to be the mendicants. One platform would have a lizard among some +trees, another a woman, another would be empty (since the old thespian was +dead), and so on. The final platform would be a new mendicant and there was to +be a conversation between her and Yew, where he takes on a task personally, +rather than through Sage, to show that Yew is no longer an apprentice. This idea +didn't seem crucial however and so it didn't seem like it was worth the time. + +A miniature level: The first time I changed my size to 0.1 and ran around I +burst into laughter. I thought of having a map where the world gets "shrunk." +There would be one map where everything is normal sized, and then through magic +or something Yew would get shrunken, and there would be a second map duplicated +in a smaller size. Although cool, it isn't easy to fight when that small, and +the objects don't shrink as much as the player can. The idea was then scrapped. + +Valley of the giants: The idea for a giant originally came when I thought of a +stealth level where the player has to sneak through a valley of sleeping giants. +If a giant wakes up he would kill Yew instantly with his immense power. I +dropped this idea though because although it sounds cool, it seemed that in +execution it would probably be really boring. diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES.md b/RELEASE-NOTES.md index f8467f4..8e5d010 100644 --- a/RELEASE-NOTES.md +++ b/RELEASE-NOTES.md @@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ therefore more advanced than the preceding Lugaru HD release by Wolfire. official campaign: * Temple, by Silb * Empire, by Jendraz + * The Seven Tasks, by Philtron R. - All assets (animations, textures, models, maps, sounds, etc.) of Lugaru HD by Wolfire are under a free and open source license (CC-BY-SA 3.0)! - Window and input management ported from SDL 1.2 to SDL 2.0, improving the