Pre-pre-Alpha version of Machines, Anarchy and Destruction

[BS-er]

I've decided to release a Pre-pre-Alpha version of Machines, Anarchy and Destruction to the interested public by the end of the year.  While its often not a good idea for a major studio to do such a thing, I can see benefits for a small indie developer like me.  One benefit may be a project re-birth of sorts.  Like many projects, this one has had its ups and downs.  An indie project may need to make several rounds before it finds team members who are in sync and are a good match for the project.  I'm going to try and recruit an artist and possibly a programmer, but this time it will be a rigid selection process to make sure they are right for this project, and this project is right for them.

Although I should give a shout out to the past team members who have moved on.  Lizard was a major help and I owe him a debt of gratitude at the very least, and AcneVulgaris provided good feedback and concepts.

This Pre-pre-Alpha version will be far too early to give away the farm, but it will have scripted missions, music, some strategy and command aspects, and anything else I can manage.  Above all, I aim to make it fun, and maybe even to make you think it can rank up there close to the Battlezone series!

[OvermindDL1]

Cannot wait for it.

[Commando]

Lizard and Acne quit?

[BS-er]

Lizard left the project awhile ago.  I think he felt that the art and modelling world left him in the dust all these years while he devoted himself to BZ2 mods.  If this project goes remotely well though, it would be cool to see him make some addon missions.  He seems to prefer a smaller project.

Acne and I came to the conclusion that our concepts, ideas and goals are just too different.

What it really shows is how friggin' hard it is to develop a game.  Even simple 2D games are hard work, never mind and ambitious 3D game like this.  It took me a few years to grasp how difficult this would be, so I've mentally prepared myself.

[OvermindDL1]

Always is difficult.  I can get the code working quick enough, just lack of content makers is what keeps me from ever going further.

[Avatar]

Well, then, a suggestion...

Don't do the content.   

It's a catch-22 that the artistic types aren't always good at coding, and the coding types aren't always good at the art.  Do what you can do to put what you can do into the reach of those that can't do what you do...

See?

In the meantime BS-er, if there's anything I can do.  I'm not the greatest at deadlines as RL keeps getting in the way, but I'm VERY good at turning a sketch or description into an actual object.  It's sortof my thing...

-Av-

[Lizard]

I am back helping out with some of the more urgently needed assets but I'm nowhere near working at full capacity due to real life issues getting in my way, Avatar if you'd like to help with assets creation I'm sure there's lots of stuff you could do to pitch in, I'll have a chat with BS-er and see if we can draw up some kind of shortlist of the more urgently needed assets.

[OvermindDL1]

The people I've asked in the past either never completed their stuff or the work was so shoddy that it was unusable (like giving me a freakin 40k poly model, lacking a texture and so forth).  If you feel up to it, I may ask for the occasional thing Avatar, I may need one soon to test something I've been working on.

[Avatar]

I can throw placeholder concept pieces together very quickly, and work from that to a finished model.  I suck at texture making but am quick and decent at mapping, so the model is ready for an artist to make a decent texture for.

I work best when someone has a fairly detailed concept already in mind, and can describe it to me via sketch or description.  The more detailed the better IF you want exactly what you have in mind...

If left to my own I like to have examples of 'previous tech' to work from, to keep a consistent look and feel to the pieces.

As was stated, my RL obligations often get in the way but I'll do whatever I can to meet whatever deadlines come up...

-Av-