Stygian Sentinel 3

Issue #3, June 12th 2015

Enter the Lich

As many of you have likely noticed, fundraising for Underworld Ascendant is hovering just below the $900K mark. While language localization, the stretch goal at the $900k level, is important for our non-English speaking fans, it’s not a particularly “sexy” feature and seemingly not one to bring in new backers, or excite old ones.

So, we’re adding Liches to the $900K stretch goal. Sexy enough for ya?

Liches are one of the most feared adversaries one can encounter in the Underworld. Old, powerful and full of hate, liches were once powerful wizards who, in a desperate bid for immortality, have sacrificed their souls to gain forbidden knowledge and eternal life as an undead necromancer. Forever damned, liches sit on their thrones of bone awaiting the time when their powers are strong enough for them to rise up and dominate the living.

Soon these terrible beings will be in the game. Have fun with that!

In addition, not only will we add liches to the game as a creature type, but we will also add one particular lich to Underworld Ascendant with its own unique personality and motivations. Thought killed long ago by a great hero, the evil wizard Tyball survived his fate to become a being of even greater power.

Tyball, moments before his “death”

After a lifetime immersed in the primal forces of the universe, the skeletal remains of the sorcerer Tyball have held firm to the material plane, refusing to descend into nothingness. Where it steps, weeds wither and the bones of the fallen rise, full of malevolent intent. Does it recall the many acts of treachery and depravity in its past? Or is it simply a violent, hate-filled echo of its former consciousness? Whatever the case, the lich remains. A villain before, now… an abomination.

The Necropolis of the Ancients, an area of the Underworld that will unlock when we hit $950K in fundraising, would make a good stomping (haunting?) ground for Tyball, don’t you think? First let’s invite Tyball into our playground, then let’s give him a home!

Other Stuff

Next Wednesday, June 17th, OtherSide Entertainment will be conducting another game-play twitch session. This time, we’ll be playing Payday 2. Why Payday 2? Well, other than its more fun than a Stygian death trap, we specifically want to look at the game’s skill tree and advancement systems. And rob some banks. Mostly the bank bit.

So join Paul, Chris, Tim, and Will next week for all the fun!

A recent Kickstarter has caught our eyes here at OtherSide HQ, and we mean that literally. A visual feast, Shape of the World is a new entry in the burgeoning exploration genre, using procedurally generated environment to capture the player’s imagination. Head over to their Kickstarter and give them a look!

Our friends at inXile Entertainment are into the second week of their The Bard’s Tale IV Kickstarter and have less than $100K to reach their funding goal. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check them out and join us in backing this revival of a classic game and classic genre.

‘Till next week! The OtherSide Team

External Links

• Stygian Sentinel #3