Update 18
A Banner Update![edit]
Feb 23 2015
There has been a lot of chatter about the in-game visuals in the Underworld Ascendant early prototype. Some have called them downright homely. We take no insult.
As with the games we developed at LookingGlass, our philosophy is to avoid putting a lot of time into making pretty in-game visuals during early development. This enables us to iterate fast early on, rapidly improving game play. The tradeoff is having less impressive visuals to show off with a prototype. For fans who want to see gorgeous visuals upfront, this can be a hurdle.
Good news is that we can and will dramatically step up the visual bar. Not at the expense of gameplay, and not to try to chase AAA games that have tens-of-millions to throw at visuals, but we'll deliver a great-looking indie game.
Explaining some of the how:
Beyond tapping into the enthusiasm of Chris’ kids, our art team has track record of delivering games known for their wonderful art style and 3D visuals: BioShock, BioShock Infinite, Uncharted 2, The Last of Us, among others.
As for the software engine, we are currently using Unity 4.6 for the prototype. This version’s visual capabilities are dated. However, it's proven and robust, enabling fast prototyping.
This week we started doing test builds with a beta version of Unity 5. Its capabilities are hugely improved. Notable new features include physically-based shading, PhysX 3.3, and global illumination. Check out what Unity 5 promises to deliver when it is released for production use HERE.
When the Unity 5 beta becomes sufficiently stable that using it will not slow down our development, we will make the switch. We expect Unity 5 will be a good fit for the project’s needs. However, if we are surprised to learn it fails to deliver, we will switch to a more suitable engine.
Banners[edit]
Now you can get a set of Banners, one for each of the 3 factions in the Abyss. These digital Add-Ons are vibrant standards that, when raised by the player, help rally the enthusiasm of nearby members of that faction. Wielding the banner of your favorite faction can give your allies a slight edge in any contest of wills. Just remember not to raise the banner for the other side; unless you relish an extra dose of challenge.
Announcements[edit]
Underworld Ascendant has a spot in the Community Wishlist on GOG.com. Please head on over and give us a vote. Let's get the GOG community onboard with our game!
We reached just over 9,300 backers as of noon yesterday, so every one of our backers is being rewarded with a free Dark Elf Sling! Since we got 300 backers over 9,000, we'll also be giving every backer an extra 3 Kickstarter exclusive Purple Splatter Seeds, for a total of 8. How quickly will the halls of the Abyss glow purple like a Dark Elf rave gone wrong? Not quickly enough!
Last, we know we've got some of the most creative fans around. Any Underworld related art you want to draw, so long as it’s PG-13 appropriate, post HERE for the rest of us to admire!
The Team at OtherSide