Greenlit & Presentation in Paris

Hello,

Here's a quick post to tell you about 2 things.

I - Greenlit

First, I've recently been greenlit on Steam! This is a very recomforting news for me, as it provides me a great online platform to distribute my game. For the record, I submitted my game to Steam Greenlight one year ago, and, after 1300 positive votes from the 9000 players who checked out my game, Steam accepted to distribute it.

This is a huge chance for me, because Steam is THE leader in online PC game distribution, reaching more than 30 millions gamers. It's the equivalent of the AppStore for PC. Now... I have to finish the game :)

II - Presentation in Paris

And more recently, I've been kindly invited in Paris by my old school friend Jesse to talk about my job at the Gamelier, a weekly meeting about video game creation. So I made a little talk session about being an indie, and how my everyday life is. So, for the curious people, here's the video IN FRENCH:

I hope you'll find something interesting in there!

        

Game Demo & Info: www.oneiricworlds.com
Follow me: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, IndieDB, Steam Greenlight, Mail, RSS

May 2015 New Demo

And here is the last demo of A Thief Melody, a 3D cartoon adventure/stealth game with a contemplative atmosphere, somewhere between "Zelda" and "Beyond Good and Evil". Don't hesitate to test/share/reblog/comment/like if you want to help me!

Download for Windows

Download for Linux

Download for Mac OS X

Survey: Don't forget to complete the online survey after playing the game!
Bug hunt: As usual, contact me for bugs or any feedback.
Get all the news: if you don't want to miss anything, subscribe, or follow me on facebook!

What's new since the last demo?

You have to know the demo quests are more or less final at the moment. The next official demos (including this one) will only provide bug fixes and graphics/sound/music enhancement. I now focus my work on adding levels and quests for the final release, which won't be visible in this demo (especially new content).

The main new things I've done since December are:

Content

• 3 new levels: Desert pagoda, Aqualums counsellor villa, Water Dojo, and a prototype for the slingshot Dojo.
• 2 new bosses + physics optimisation: Sand and Water guardians
• new items: rocks, plants/vegetation, doors, windows, kitchen items, stained glass, ramps, lights...
• new title and logo
• updated design of the robots and the guild guys
• light rigs for new levels
• new climbing moves and new item: the magnetic gauntlet
• update of climbing tutorial
• update of vegetation shader for a better wind effect
• update of Zephyr Island
• update of the main character: assymetric hair, holster for the bo, magnetic gauntlet and graple armlet
• mini cutscenes for some of the switch mechanics
• music selection menu for the flute item

Code & optimisation

• upgrade to Unity 5
• upgrade to DirectX 11
• upgrade to deferred shading, which enables lots of active lights at the same time
• shader bug fixes among which reflected fog in water
• physics and clothes bug fixes
• creation of 2D and 3D noise texture for various effects (vegetation, smart auto uv mapping, ...)
• better cutscene and dialogs coding
• big physics collision matrix optimisation
• big reflection optimisation by disabling shadows and point lights with forward rendering
• animation optimization for lianas, ropes and chains
• gameplay mechanics code factorisation 
• update of all mechanics in Blender levels to take into account the code refactorisation
• draw call optimisation for new levels
• armature animation optimisation for pirates and guards
• new official landing page for the game
• lots lots lots of minor bug fixes.

What's broken ?

You didn't expect everything to work perfectly, did you? I'm aware of a few bugs/regressions:

• Environments are still a bit empty
• Some sounds must be re-designed  
• The game lacks some music/sounds 
• Some camera moves are a bit harsh

 

Controls

• ZQSD or WASD: move the character. It's both AZERTY and QWERTY compatible
• Space: jump and climb
• Shift: crouch, fall and block
• Mouse move: move the camera
• E: weapon selection menu
• Left click: main weapon (Bo) or contextual action
• Right click: secondary weapon
• Tab: inventory/map/missions

Have fun! Peace!

        

Game Demo & Info: www.oneiricworlds.com
Follow me: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, IndieDB, Steam Greenlight, Mail, RSS

"World of Thieves" becomes "A Thief Melody"

Hi there!

It's been a while since the last post... I must post more often!

I - New Name

OK so the first and main news is that World of Thieves (which was a temporary name... ) will now be known as

Yes! This will be the new official logo/title of the game.

I spent quite sometime thinking whether I should change the name or not... And finally I thought that "World of Thieves" might not be very well suited for a game where you don't see that many thieves. Plus, I wanted something that conveyed the idea of music, because I like it, and moreover because it will be a part of the gameplay, and maybe of the story too.

I wanted an efficient and simple visual, and I hope this one is clear enough. And as you might get it from the picture, yes, the hero will be able to play the flute.

II - New Site

Well... not a whole new site! I can't afford to make a new site for each post ;)
I recently watched a conference about "marketing for indies with 0$ budget" from Emmy Jonassen (aka Indie Game Girl). Here, for the curious guys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkEQtMP2CuA


I already read a lot about the subject, but having a new name and new screenshots, it motivated me to create a real "official" landing page for "A Thief Melody" (Yes, get used to it). From now on, it will be the default page for the "Oneiric Worlds" website:

http://www.oneiricworlds.com/aThiefMelody/

Or you can use the "A Thief Melody" menu on the header. (Don't worry you can still get to the dev blog from this new homepage).

Basically, there are dowload links to get the latest demo (which is always the same by the way), social network links and a few screenshots and info about the game. I also plan to add a trailer, but I still have to create it, so this will be for later.

Until now, the Dev Blog was the homepage, and the somehow chaotic and numerous information might have got most of the visitors confused about the game, especially if their are not into tech stuff.

So, I hope this page is clear enough to get a good overview of the game. Tell me what you think about it!

III - New Networks

If you watched the above web page, you might have noticed new icons for social networks if you want to get the latest news: Twitter and Google +.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to post everything on all the communities, but I'll give it a try, see how many people respond to it/are interested, and see what I can handle.

The thing is, old school RSS and mail subscriptions are not that many (but a big thanks to you guys, who were the first followers!), and I reach more people through sites like Facebook or IndieDB, which are easier for people to follow.

And of course, these accounts are new, so there is not much to read at the moment, but I will repost at least every blog article and new demos on these sites.


OK so this was a post mostly centered on communication and marketing stuff, but don't worry, I still work on the tech and artistic side and the game is slowy improving. Check out the last screenshots on the new homepage! More on that on another post!

Peace, and thanks for your support.

        

Game Demo & Info: www.oneiricworlds.com
Follow me: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, IndieDB, Steam Greenlight, Mail, RSS

Christmas Demo

And here is the last demo of World of Thieves, a 3D adventure/stealth game between "Zelda" and "Beyond Good and Evil". Don't hesitate to test/share/reblog/comment/like if you want to help me!

Download for Windows
Download for Linux
Download for MacOSX

All downloads are 32-bits 

Survey: Don't forget to complete the online survey after playing the game!
Bug hunt: As usual, contact me for bugs or any feedback.
Get all the news: if you don't want to miss anything, subscribe, or follow me on facebook!

MAC OS X and Linux are back

It's been a while since I haven't posted a release for MacOS and Linux, so here they are! I recently optimized the demo filesize, so I can post 3 downloads again.

• Linux

Under Linux, you have to change the execution rights on the game file:
chmod +x worldOfThieves.x86

If you use this 32-bit version of the game on a 64-bit operating system,
you may also have to install 32-bit libraries.
I was successful with the following commands:
On Ubuntu:
sudo apt-get install ia-libs
On Fedora:
yum install libstdc++.x86
... which doesn't seem to be the exact same thing. But it did the trick for me.

By the way, I noticed the game is really slow on my Linux systems. It was only playable with the lowest quality settings possible. Maybe this is due to my graphic drivers, but I'll have to test further. It even crashed at the beginning of the pirate warehouse level. Don't hesitate to tell me if you experiment such problems.

• Mac OS

Haha... I didn't test on Mac, because I don't have a Mac. But the beauty of Unity is that I can release on Mac from a Windows system anyway.
So, if Mac users out there want to give it a try and tell me what's wrong (or what's right, hopefully ;) ), you're most welcome!

What's new since the last demo?

You have to know the demo quests are more or less final at the moment. The next official demos (including this one) will only provide bug fixes and graphics/sound/music enhancement. I now focus my work on adding levels and quests for the final release.

The main new things (most of which can't be seen in the demo) are:

• new animals: geckos and fennec fox
• new characters: Turtle Master on Aqualums, Rodrig the retired pirate on Zephyr Island, both with full dialog tree and quests.
• new enemies: guards and robots (still prototype)
• new flower: lilypads
• optimisation on my tools for level edition
• automatic tests on very usual mistakes I tend to repeat on each release (systematic non-regression tests)
• more avatars/images completed
• dialogs can now use a dynamic camera
• sun lens flares
• use of real-time clothe animation for pirates headbands and guards hat
• heavy optimisation on grass rendering, ia code, dynamic loading zones
• optimized texture sizes, resulting in 50% smaller game files
• use of deferred rendering which slightly boosts the framerate
• trails appear when the player falls for a long time
• saving the game now displays a screenshot
• whole new level: mines, with a bunch of new textures and props, effects and gameplay items...
• new island (quite empty at the moment) with its own dynamic skybox/light rig
• design and integration of the 1st boss!
• map display can now manage multiple floor levels
• a few more props: bed, various jars, metal crates, books, plants at Iris', 
• new gameplay items: mine trolleys, lasers, energy-based switches, energy capsules, ...
• bug fix on various shaders with depth-of-field effect
• bug fix on several enemy freezes
• various bug fixes on switchs/platforms dependency and state save (I bet there are still some of them in there...)
• lots lots lots of minor bug fixes.

I spent quite some time trying to port every shader to DirectX 11, but I still have graphical artifacts despite the better overall performances.

What's broken ?

You didn't expect everything to work perfectly, did you? I'm aware of a few bugs/regressions:

• Environments are still a bit empty
• Some sounds must be re-designed  
• The game lacks some music/sounds
• You won't always know what switches activate especially in the Bo Trial Dungeon)... Try to understand :) 
• Some pirates may not be as aggressive as before in the pirate warehouse level.

 

Controls

• ZQSD or WASD: move the character. It's both AZERTY and QWERTY compatible
• Space: jump and climb
• Shift: crouch, fall and block
• Mouse move: move the camera
• E: weapon selection menu
• Left click: main weapon (Bo) or contextual action
• Right click: secondary weapon
• Tab: inventory/map/missions

Have fun! Peace!

New Demo

And here is the last demo of World of Thieves, a 3D adventure/stealth game between "Zelda" and "Beyond Good and Evil". Don't hesitate to test/share/reblog/comment/like if you want to help me!

Download for Windows

All downloads are 32-bits 

Survey: Don't forget to complete the online survey after playing the game!
Bug hunt: As usual, contact me for bugs or any feedback.
Get all the news: if you don't want to miss anything, subscribe, or follow me on facebook!

No MAC OS or Linux ?

The demo filesize is getting bigger and bigger on every new release. That's why I only share the Windows demo on this post. If you're really interested in Linux/MacOS demos, send me a mail/comment/contact form/whatever to tell me. But the final release will be on Windows, MacOS and Linux.

What's new since the last demo?

The main new things are:

• A few concepts/tries for a villa design (new level) (not in the demo)
• Better HUD effects and lighting for pickable items
• 3 new aquatic animals (not in the demo)
• 1 "boss theme" music (not in the demo)
• 1 new level in the thief Guild (that was quite long...)
• New props: jars, rocks, decals, water particles ...
• Lia's quest is now only available after the pirate level
• Enemies and breakable items now generate power ups. 
• A few additional dialog lines
• Better map display with local and global/world view, taking into acount map items.
• Lots of bug fixes:input priority fix while on the turtle back, recoding of switch mechanics enabling the activation of various gameplay blocks (platforms, doors, ...) with multiple links, bug fix of annoying auto-slide when trying to climb on a wall edge, smoother transition from slide to jump, better scene bounds computation for nav graph generation, ...

What's broken ?

You didn't expect everything to work perfectly, did you? I'm aware of a few bugs/regressions:

• A little display bug when you get the package from Reno, near the end of the demo
• Some of the enemies might get "stuck" on a wall in the dungeon of the "Bo Trial"
• Environments are still a bit empty
• Some sounds must be re-designed 
• You won't always know what switches activate especially in the Bo Trial Dungeon)... Try to understand :)

 

Controls

• ZQSD or WASD: move the character. It's both AZERTY and QWERTY compatible
• Space: jump and climb
• Shift: crouch, fall and block
• Mouse move: move the camera
• E: weapon selection menu
• Left click: main weapon (Bo) or contextual action
• Right click: secondary weapon
• Tab: inventory/map/missions

Have fun! Peace!

New Demo

And here is the last demo of World of Thieves, a 3D adventure/stealth game between "Zelda" and "Beyond Good and Evil". Don't hesitate to test/share/reblog/comment/like if you want to help me!

Download for Windows

All downloads are 32-bits 

Survey: Don't forget to complete the online survey after playing the game!
Bug hunt: As usual, contact me for bugs or any feedback.
Get all the news: if you don't want to miss anything, subscribe, or follow me on facebook!

Beware!

If you complete Lia's quest, this will take you to the end of the demo. You may want to wander around and find other quests before completing this one.

Furthermore, demo filesize is getting bigger and bigger on every new release. That's why I only share the Windows demo on this post. If you're really interested in Linux/MacOS demos, send me a mail/comment/contact form/whatever to tell me.

What's new since the last demo?

The main new things are:

• New GUI/HUD design for the Link menu
• 3 new menu items for collectibles in the Link menu: flowers, animals and paintings (not all in the demo)
• 6 animals to cure (only 1 in the demo)
• Better weapon control explanation in the Link menu
• Better item pictures in the Link menu
• Apples can now be stored and used from the item wheel menu
• Better visual effects on bomb explosion (not in the demo)
• Better visual effects on Bo mega attack charge
• New item: magnetic arrow/bow
• Enemies sometimes drop items
• 3 new characters: Lia, Garnet and Iris
• 1 new place: Aqualums (not playable in the demo, but you can see it). See the dedicated post here.
• 1 place re-design: Zephyr Island (formerly Tera) including huge windmills, beaches and stone houses
• Skybox re-design with dawn and dusk variations and better clouds
• Sun and cloud color variations following day/night cycle
• New animated banner for the website
• New presentation cutscene on Eagle Islands
• New cutscene on Aqualums Island
• Most of the cutscenes can now be skipped (mouse click)
• 3 new musics: 2 for Aqualums, 1 for Eagle Islands
• Better audio mixing and mastering of musics
• New credits screen
• New sidequests: collecting flowers and curing animals (partially in the demo)
• Lots of bug fixes: character now disappears when the camera is too close, no aiming animation for range weapons if no ammo, swinging lanterns can now be parented to moving platforms, giant windmills still turn when looked at from far away, better scene structure for dynamic loading, and many other things you won't even notice ;)

What's broken ?

You didn't expect everything to work perfectly, did you? I'm aware of a few bugs/regressions:

• The color of the slingshot target is not always accurate depending on what you aim.
• Completing Lia's quest directly leads to the end of the demo. You may want to postpone this one. 
• Environments are still a bit empty.

 

Controls

• ZQSD or WASD: move the character. It's both AZERTY and QWERTY compatible
• Space: jump and climb
• Shift: crouch and block
• Mouse move: move the camera
• E: weapon selection menu
• Left click: main weapon (Bo) or contextual action
• Right click: secondary weapon
• Tab: inventory/map/missions

Have fun! Peace!

Aqualums, the main island

Hi there!

It's been a while since I haven't posted anything game-dev related. But, don't worry, I won't write a very technical article this time. I'll just speak about a new content in the game: Aqualums, the main island (which is NOT the hero home, on which I still have to work by the way...)

I - Concept

So, for this new island, I had a precise idea in mind. I made some concept works using any tool I thought was good for the job: this included a textual description (in a text document), a color scheme and a logical/quest plan (in Inkscape), a digital concept art and a few traditional paper sketches. This is all very rough, but I wanted to have some kind of basis to set the mood. The goal is not to be perfect at this stage.

So here are a few snapshots of my base material (in French for the text, sorry):

 

Of course, a real concept artist would be horrified by this... Everything is loose, perspective is off, and texts are full of mistakes. BUT, this gives me a good idea of the way I want to go. And I don't have the time to make it better anyways :p.

II - Prototyping

So right after this, I jumped into the "blocking" phase: the goal is simply to create ugly 3D blocks to check the dimensions and proportions of the island. Not very pretty, but very useful to make the first tests in the game and "feel" the level.

Here's how it looks in the game:

The block level. If you look carefully, you may spot 3D texts here and there. It's just a hint (for me) to know what I'll put there in the final graphics.

In this stage, I can also check the masses and forms of the buildings and see if there are mainly good visual compositions from the player point of view. The camera/player moves of course, but I just check that there aren't any ugly/unbalanced spots. I also tried to avoid a too square-y plan of the city.

III - Finalizing

And once everything seems OK, I start to create the final graphics, using textures, and finer 3D modelisation:

The island during the refining step: some blocks are still there, but I slowly replace them by cartoonish houses (with no windows at this point)

This process is very long! And lucky for me, I already had a lot of wood and stone textures as well as nice wood pontoons from the previous levels. Of course, I reused some of the items, but not all of them! I don't want this island to have the same look as the other ones. So I also had to create new items: bridges, carpets, a tree, small boats, paper lanterns... There are currently 1300 objets in this level... for now.

The thing is, creating a graphical appearance is good, but this is not enough for a game. I must specify other properties for some of the elements in there: Is it solid? Can the hero collide with it? Does it move? If yes, how?

And some elements have a complex appearance/rendering stage (the tree for example), so, in the end, I also had to code additionnal stuff to create a believable city in the game: flying leaves around the tree, occasional halo around swinging lanterns, and of course, I had to optimize everything to make it run smoothly enough. Because, I'll have to add characters on top of that.

And the final look is like this:

Soooo finally, this took me nearly a week of work (I only talk about blocking and finalizing; concepts were done long before and went through a lot of changes). But, at this point, you can't do anything in this city, except walk/climb around. And you can't go inside any of the buildings. Useless, isn't it?

IV - Other stuff

In addition to this new island, I also worked on various stuff, including (but not limited to):

• A redesign of the "Link" menu with a better inventory,  map navigation and other surprises
• A redesign of some weapons (slingshot and bow)
• New items: a magnetic bow and a flute
• A new character giving a "collecting" sidequest
• A very big ocean animal to track (more on that later)
• Better smoke effects on bombs, 
• 2 new musics for ocean exploration and for the Eagle Islands
• And more recently a new sky/cloud system. By the way, the city above looks like this now:

Yes you can ride a turtle in the canals of the city.

In the end, it's kinda cool to see that I started with a simple text paragraph describing the city and it's finally taking shape! But the work is not finished yet...

So that's all for today!
Peace :)