[MrFlibble]

Micky C, on 29 July 2015 - 09:03 PM, said:

Does it actually say anywhere that it's being sold? Seeing as it's essentially meant to be advertising for Bombshell, it's likely it may be released for free.

Lunick, on 29 July 2015 - 09:19 PM, said:

It's going to be included in the Digital Deluxe version of Bombshell, as it is shown in the picture.

I've just realised that with all the DOS vs. retro discussion (which, admittedly, I took part in starting), my question remained unanswered:

MrFlibble, on 26 July 2015 - 10:40 AM, said:

I did not understand from the advertisement if this will be an exclusive extra bundled with that gaming PC, or constitute part of the regular game offer? Maybe it will be a promotional freebie? Or at least there will be a shareware version?

Personally I would very much appreciate if not a complete stand-alone free promotional release, but at least a shareware version comparable to that of Duke Nukem 3D*. Otherwise it would not be as much a promotion but an additional incentive to buy the deluxe version?

*That is, I'm confident that the Build mapper professionals who are working on this will provide a substantial set of quality maps for the game.

[MetHy]

Micky C, on 29 July 2015 - 09:03 PM, said:

Does it actually say anywhere that it's being sold? Seeing as it's essentially meant to be advertising for Bombshell, it's likely it may be released for free. That'd also avoid the mess of sorting out having to pay all the people who contributed I eduke32 over the years and all the liscences and everything.

That's funny because I heard a rumour saying some people were working on this game for free. Which also led me to think it might be a (short) free game. This is just an anonymous tip though, nothing I can confirm or we should take as solid truth.

However I think that ,even if the game is free, and whether it is long or not, it's still a marketing product advertising the other Bombshell game.
So imo there is no reason people working on this game, or the people who made the engine the game is using, should not be paid.

That'd be like telling an advert agency they won't be paid because customers don't have to pay to look at the ad they made.

This is very different from a mod or a TC. It's still something that will bring publicity and recognition to 3DR/Interceptor, and that will led to financial revenues for the company, even if not directly with this game itself.
For instance people will discover Bombshell thanks to the prequel and then will buy the other Bombshell game, and may check any other game 3DR/Interceptor made, etc

[MrFlibble]

MetHy, on 30 July 2015 - 05:18 AM, said:

For instance people will discover Bombshell thanks to the prequel and then will buy the other Bombshell game, and may check any other game 3DR/Interceptor made, etc

This is exactly the reason why I'm asking if there's going to be some stand-alone (whether free, shareware or otherwise) release of this game, because in the stand-alone form it can really be a promotional product. Otherwise it's just an "extra", an additional incentive to buy the game for those who already know about it, not a way to bring it to a wider audience.

MetHy, on 30 July 2015 - 05:18 AM, said:

That's funny because I heard a rumour saying some people were working on this game for free. Which also led me to think it might be a (short) free game.

If a product is freeware it does not necessarily entail that the developers were not paid.

BTW, I hope this is not under NDA, but may I ask whose idea was it to create this Build prequel? Was that Scott Miller, Frederik Schreiber or TerminX and Hendricks266 (or someone else)?

[Frederik Schreiber]

It's stand-alone, first episode shareware (Classic Duke 3D Model). Exclusive first access to the beta comes with pre-ordering Bombshell.
I came up with the idea with Scott Miller early this year, and reached out to Richard and Evan. We have assembled a dream team working on it.
Actually a few of the posters in this thread are active developers on the project.

Thats it for now - You'll have to wait for the OFFICIAL reveal for more info

[MrFlibble]

Thank you Mr. Schreiber! That is excellent news

[Radar]

Frederik Schreiber, on 30 July 2015 - 11:37 AM, said:

and reached out to Richard

You mean Richard, as in Richard Bailey Gray, the Level Lord?

AWWWW YEEAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!


EDIT:

Chill out Hendricks. I was excited and didn't know he was talking about TerminX. I was trying to think who was Evan from the old days. Just remembered that's actually you.

[PsychoGoatee]

Grooovy news!

[zwieback]

wow that's great news

[DukeNukem64]

And when can you pre order bombshell?

[Mr. Tibbs]

Interceptor are considering adding a multiplayer component to the expansion they're working on. Campaign is around 14-16 hours. There's a new game plus mode, where you get to carry over you're upgrades from your previous playthrough. This will grant you access to previously inaccessible areas.

[MrFlibble]

Mr. Tibbs, on 01 August 2015 - 01:00 PM, said:

There's a new game plus mode, where you get to carry over you're upgrades from your previous playthrough. This will grant you access to previously inaccessible areas.

That reminds me of Tyrian. Actually I don't remember any other game that has such a feature.

[DukeNukem64]

Also release is Fall now no date or month. Smart choice:)

[DavoX]

Mr. Tibbs, on 01 August 2015 - 01:00 PM, said:

Interceptor are considering adding a multiplayer component to the expansion they're working on. Campaign is around 14-16 hours. There's a new game plus mode, where you get to carry over you're upgrades from your previous playthrough. This will grant you access to previously inaccessible areas.

What does it have to do with the prequel though?

[Mr. Tibbs]

DavoX, on 01 August 2015 - 04:10 PM, said:

What does it have to do with the prequel though?

Are you working on the prequel, DavoX? I loved your work on the DNF 2013 DLC.

[DavoX]

Mr. Tibbs, on 01 August 2015 - 06:10 PM, said:

Are you working on the prequel, DavoX? I loved your work on the DNF 2013 DLC.

Yes . I'm glad you liked the DNF 2013 DLC man. Micky C and I worked really hard on it .

[Benjamin Foley]

Kind of expected this when I saw they were hiring for the build engine! what a great idea.

Really wondering what this will mean for the Build Engine, which version they will be using and what kind of quality we can expect from the textures etc.

really wondering if we are going to be able to crack this open and edit/build new levels or even go as far as to do full mods.

[Duke of Hazzard]

That's pretty interesting, I hope the guys Fresch hired do a great job.

Also, PLEASE no "classic executable" or any bullshit that requires DOSBox. DOSBox itself isn't all that wonderful, and runs like shit on weaker hardware. Ideally, the game should at the very least have native support for widescreen. If based on a new version of the engine it would run blindingly fast on all modern machines, including Android smartphones and the like, if ported to those.

[brullov]

Duke of Hazzard, on 05 August 2015 - 10:36 PM, said:

That's pretty interesting, I hope the guys Fresch hired do a great job.

Also, PLEASE no "classic executable" or any bullshit that requires DOSBox. DOSBox itself isn't all that wonderful, and runs like shit on weaker hardware. Ideally, the game should at the very least have native support for widescreen. If based on a new version of the engine it would run blindingly fast on all modern machines, including Android smartphones and the like, if ported to those.

TerminX, on 26 July 2015 - 10:18 AM, said:

It doesn't run in DOS.

TerminX, on 27 July 2015 - 11:54 AM, said:

It runs on EDuke32. Just because somebody wants to paint a piece in the style of the masters of the renaissance doesn't mean they need to produce historically accurate paints and an antique canvas to do so.

[Player Lin]

Looks like someone didn't read this whole thread.

I can't think if 3DR guys will doing that stupid shit by using original BUILD/Duke3D engine for the new Bombshell prequel, it's just pointless and won't works fine.

OK, I got hyped, I really want to try that shit.

[MetHy]

Does this mean they're basing all their progamming on the already existing DN3D (with EDuke32 possibilities) or did they start from scratch ?
My question is, is this more like NAM (or rather, AMC TC or WGRealms 2 except with unique assets), or more like every other Build game ?

Would the version of EDuke32 used be "unique" to Bombshell or would it be the same EDuke32 as we can all download?

Also EDuke32 has no multiplayer atm. What about it? Are they investing to make that work?
Multiplayer is a big part of Build engine games, so big that the fact that every map can be played in co-op and DM influences level design for Singleplayer an awful lot. For example it forces a certain sense of size and scale to respect, and it also forces some areas to be interconnected.
It's part of what you expect from Build era FPS level design, if there is no multiplayer, levels might end up very different from what people expect to see.

Just some random thoughts.

[Fox]

Sgt. Rarity, on 29 July 2015 - 09:56 PM, said:

How so? If you're just playing the original game (8-bit renderer, no TROR, no polymer), what does EDuke32 do to provide evidence of an unpolished product?

Maybe it's just me. As I said, I don't think Megaton is anywhere close to being a polished product. Eduke32 is way better, but still got issues.

[Radar]

Fox, on 06 August 2015 - 10:19 AM, said:

Maybe it's just me. As I said, I don't think Megaton is anywhere close to being a polished product. Eduke32 is way better, but still got issues.

What are those issues, assuming somebody is just playing the original game in 8-bit? I'm assuming if this is a retro project, it won't deviate too much from the complexity of the original game. Playing the original game in EDuke32 is darn near perfect, or at least better than DOS or any other source port. As for not being "polished", I don't think EDuke32 will ever be a finished product.

[TerminX]

This isn't anything like NAM or anything else directly based on the Duke3D art assets--nothing is being reused from Duke3D but the code. Think of it more like Redneck Rampage in that regard; an entirely different game but based on existing code to save years of programming work.

There's likely not going to be multiplayer, for the reasons you mentioned, but the levels are still being made with interconnecting areas in mind. It's kind of a hallmark of classic shooters.

The binary the game will come with will be a little bit different from regular EDuke32 builds. It won't detect Duke3D installations, will be compiled without Polymer, and of course the startup image and other branding will be changed. We're actually hoping to do this in a way that modders can exploit, so that people making Duke mods can benefit from any improvements as well.

[Mark]

Excuse my ignorance because I'm not an 8bit classic user for the most part . I'm not sure what is still missing in Eduke32 to make it look polished. I have seen lots of work go into getting colors, shading, visibility distance, etc... to get it very close to original. Other than multiplayer, what is still an issue that needs to be polished?

[Corvin]

So

-new 8-bit palette, with RR-like increased sized .ART?
-Classic and Polymost (both optimize from the android port code...)
-?


Bombshell prequel code to be ingratiated into EDuke32 at a later time?

[TerminX]

Corvin, on 06 August 2015 - 07:42 PM, said:

So

-new 8-bit palette, with RR-like increased sized .ART?
-Classic and Polymost (both optimize from the android port code...)
-?


Bombshell prequel code to be ingratiated into EDuke32 at a later time?

Yes to all of that. The textures are somewhere in between SW and RR in terms of size, and the resolution we're targeting for sprites is about 80x160 for a human sized character. We're very much trying to make the best classic Build game that never was.

[DustFalcon85]

Tell me if this Bombshell prequel has keycards, mazey levels, secrets, hold-a-lot of weapons, mod and level editor, health and armor pickups, swimming underwater, powerups (ex. atomic health-like, invisibility, invernability,) inventory system, monster infighting and last but not least: cheats!

[MetHy]

TerminX, on 06 August 2015 - 11:44 AM, said:

This isn't anything like NAM or anything else directly based on the Duke3D art assets--nothing is being reused from Duke3D but the code. Think of it more like Redneck Rampage in that regard; an entirely different game but based on existing code to save years of programming work.

There's likely not going to be multiplayer, for the reasons you mentioned, but the levels are still being made with interconnecting areas in mind. It's kind of a hallmark of classic shooters.

The binary the game will come with will be a little bit different from regular EDuke32 builds. It won't detect Duke3D installations, will be compiled without Polymer, and of course the startup image and other branding will be changed. We're actually hoping to do this in a way that modders can exploit, so that people making Duke mods can benefit from any improvements as well.

Well okay, this sounds cool and gives me a better idea of what it's like and what's going on.

DustFalcon85, on 07 August 2015 - 05:01 AM, said:

Tell me if this Bombshell prequel has keycards, mazey levels, secrets, hold-a-lot of weapons, mod and level editor, health and armor pickups, swimming underwater, powerups (ex. atomic health-like, invisibility, invernability,) inventory system, monster infighting and last but not least: cheats!

secret places, humour and easter eggs, fun unrealistic weapons, enemies with simple AI, difficulty levels that increase the number of enemies, no continue and you can save anytime, if you die you start the map from scratch with just your basic weapon, midi musics, voxels, tons of new cool Build effects and moving sectors

[Micky C]

TerminX, on 06 August 2015 - 08:15 PM, said:

We're very much trying to make the best classic Build game that never was.

But you chose Davox as the mapper






I kid

[brullov]

Easter eggs must be for sure in this game I think.