Short but sweet bulletin today! First up, a little glimpse at one of the things we’re working on.
[previewyoutube="guBTUNnKQRE;full"]
VR Game (+ Consortium: The Tower) update: Our new Universe Save/Load system is done. FX and combat feedback overhaul has made a big difference already, but is still not quite done. With the exception of one particular game mode, all that remains on our plate for the VR experience is bug fixes, minor features and additional polish. We are also now actively working on our marketing plan and materials.
Steve has just completed all meta-endings for https://store.steampowered.com/app/1099900/Whispers_From_The_Rift/ Among other things, we’re going to be working to get the Whispers App itself in shape for shipping out for our upcoming open public Free-To-Play Beta mobile release as well as Steam Playtest rounds. We’ll also be finding time to add some needed finishing touches to the interface, sound FX and some very minor features.
YOU are the glitch in the matrix! -- Rikka Zimmerman
21-21-21 iDGi Dev bull2t1n
Happy 21 day all!
This month, we have another glimpse of something we’re working on...
[previewyoutube="UN8wOqdB7j0;full"]
So we haven’t reached beta for our VR Game yet, but we are technically *really* close. The last big technical hurdle in the way of reaching Beta - our completely updated save/load system - has come a long way since since last month. Our UE4 projects (this includes Consortium: The Tower) are now utilizing the latest Unreal Engine release - 4.27. We’ve also started the process of updating all of our combat related particle FX, and this will continue throughout the next month.
For those desperate for any news about The Tower, know that the next big update (ETA unknown) will include this new save/load system, which means that the #1 complaint from folks about The Tower’s Alpha gameplay -- the “save spheres” used to save your universe state -- are going away. You will be able to save anywhere (with just a few limitations).
Steve is still cranking away on the final “Meta-Ending” for https://store.steampowered.com/app/1099900/Whispers_From_The_Rift/ ... and is now roughly 90% done with the meta-endings overall. Chances are extremely good that Whispers will finally make its initial, free-to-play mobile release via Google Play before the year is out!
Keep in mind that we’re also still working contract jobs to keep the lights on, which is really why it is quite challenging for us to determine exact dates for when our two new games will launch. However, rest assured that we’re getting closer to their completion every day.
Secondly, the VR project continues getting closer to Beta every day...
Right now, we’re:
-working on a fully updated universe save/load system -continuing to update and improve the combat balance and feedback systems. -bringing our project to the latest version of Unreal - v4.27!
“You want to play games?” ― Tony Montana (“Scarface”)
21-21-21 Day - iDGi Dev bull2t1n
Happy 21 day all!
Going to be a real simple one this week.
Here is a brief glimpse of a little something we’re working on at the moment.
[previewyoutube="A2fe-uYE34g;full"]
We’re still rocketing towards reaching an early beta of our first VR experience. We had hoped to show off some combat AI fun this month, but it’s still not quite ready.
Steve is now almost 50% done with the meta-endings for Whispers From The Rift.
“Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” ― George Lucas
21-21 Day - iDGi Summer 2o1stice Dev bull2t1n
Greetings everyone!
We’d like to start out today by informing you all that we are roughly only two months away from compiling the first BETA build of our first VR Game. This means it will be “story campaign complete”, and is when the final rounds of testing and polishing will begin. When this (internally) momentous event occurs, rest assured that the project will finally emerge from the shadows soon afterwards…
iDGi’s Greg MacMartin is on the first panel that opens a free two day online “fan con” called LockDownCon II. It’s all happening THIS Saturday, 10am Pacific, check it out!
If you join us, feel free to ask Greg any questions about the iDGi development process during the Q&A section.
Steve is now over ¼ done with the “meta-endings” for
The only answer we can offer is that if we told you what it was, it would spoil some aspects of the work that we would rather not spoil. So, let’s just say that meta-endings are basically the “cherry on top of the sundae” for this dense and multi-layered interactive work.
In other news, we’ve been making some major iDGi combat A.I. system improvements - potential combatants will now use cover intelligently, viscerally react much more to all incoming shots that damage them, intelligently run and hide, etc. We aim to hopefully SHOW you folks some of this in action, next month.
Here is a new in-progress shot from something we’re working on right now. iDGi-1 has uncovered new and additional details of the Virtual Trainer user panel.
From our analysis thus far, the updated Virtual Trainer is going to allow users to switch scenarios from within the Trainer, and possibly even browse and access additional scenarios.
Last but not least, we would like to make it very clear once again that much of our development work over the past year has been simultaneously both for our upcoming VR game AND for Consortium: The Tower. They now mostly share a common code-base, which means that any features implemented for one project can be automatically applied to the other project, when applicable.
All will be made more clear, soon...
May you all have a wonderfully happy, peaceful and healthy start to your summer!
Today, we wanted to share an image of the chapter files for Whispers From The Rift stored in our repository.
Each “tree” is a chapter, basically. The numbers beside the Trees? Those are how many revisions there have been to that chapter. For a grand total of 16,982 (as of May 21 2021) revisions…
We’re also working right now on updating and polishing the Consortium combat AI and the Virtual Trainer. This enables a few things, one of which is that the Virtual Trainer will finally be coming to The Tower.
As for the VR Project... we won’t have too much more to say about it until we announce, and then we’ll talk a LOT about it. We’re too busy working to finish it. Until we properly announce, we’re all...
When it comes to The Tower stream, iDGi-1 has been constantly shunting us to an unknown time when the Churchill Tower appears to be buried under a mountain of snow and presumably ice. Is this a glimpse at some possible future, or something else? We don't have the answers...
The final round of testing for Consortium and The Tower prequel Whispers From The Rift has been going great. Steve has been staying on top of all of the feedback and bug finds. We are super appreciative of all of the folks playing the latest and giving us great feedback. They are credits bound.
The first external testing round of our upcoming VR game by backers and patrons has mostly ended. With this in the bag, we've passed a major internal milestone and are now just keeping our heads down to complete the experience.
“An obstacle is often a stepping stone” ― William Prescott
21-21 Day - New screenshot, Whispers From The Rift reaches 0.999
Happy 21 day!
Three quick things for you all today.
1) An in-progress shot of something we're working on...
iDGi-1 is showing us much more detail of the environment surrounding Zenlil. This is a glimpse of the outskirts of Bulgaria, with Zenlil cruising approximately 50,000 feet high.
...reached v0.999 today. This means that all of the core interactive narrative content is 100% complete! Latest is live on Steam and Google Play. Folks that won a key on the iDGi Discord Server have now received their keys! The final round of closed testing has begun...
For folks waiting patiently (or otherwise) for any news or updates regarding The Tower: Whispers is meant for you! There is a ton of relevant narrative to be found within that ties directly into the events of Dec 21, 2042 in London.
3) Backers and patrons with VR gear have recently had access to the very first external playtest of our VR game, and the feedback has been invaluable to us for getting it in shape.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” ― Lao Tzu
21-21- iDGi Game development stream - starting 21 hours from now...
Happy 21 day to all!
We're even busier than last month, so for 21 today this month, we will be doing a game development steam on Twitch in precisely 21 hours as of this bulletin.
At exactly 21:00 PST, Feb 21st (9pm), we will be going live for an approximately 2 hour long stream to demonstrate for everyone our new custom choreography tools for Consortium!
We will also take on as many of your questions and concerns as we can.
