Demigod: end of July status report

By Frogboy on July 24, 2009 10:25:05 PM from

All this week I watched GPG and Stardock QA going back and forth on the demo build. Just little things.

We also went into great detail on the 2 new demigods that are in development. I am anticipating being able to go into significant detail on these in the next couple of weeks now that they’ve moved beyond a bunch of “assets” and are starting to come together.

Tentatively we are looking at one general and one assassin. One will be of the forces of light and the other the forces of darkness. One will be melee oriented, the other projectile oriented.

In addition, version 1.2 is the next major milestone GPG is working on. It’s due in August so that we can show it off at PAX where we also expect to be showing off the 2 new Demigods.

Prior to version 1.2 we are also very close to a post v1.1 update. I had hoped we were going to release it this week but there’s still a bit more to do. The post v1.1 update is expected to fix a LUA decompression crash that some people have run into (and by some people we mean those people get it a lot) as well as some fixes to stats. There may also be some balance tweaks to the bishops-related idols but not sure if they’ll make it in time.

For version 1.2 itself our list is:

Replays (managed)
Rematches
Additional items & balancing
New Demigod #1 (may be released separately)
New Demigod #2 (may be released separately)
Squelch (silence users in game) /squelch frogboy (right from SupCom)
Option to turn off Arena background
Various Bug fixes
More AI improvements (if anyone in the community wants to make LUA suggestions I’ll forward them on)
New AI options (on death)

1. Gold/ XP: High (= to what it is today)
2. Gold/ XP: Normal (= 50% what killing a human player would be worth) [default]
3. Gold/ XP: Low (=25% of what killing a human player would be worth)

New AI option:

1. Hitpoints: Very High (2X what they are today)
2. Hitpoints: High (1.5 what they are today) [Default]
3. Hitpoints: Normal (1.0 what they are today)
4. Hitpoints: Low (0.75 what they are today)

Modding Support:

1. Quickie SDK that explains how to make maps
2. Quickie SDK that explains how to make demigods
3. Quickie SDK that explains how to make items

New Option: Use Mods (allows mods to be used in single player)
Hosts would select which mods to use.
We would begin including mods submitted in updated builds.
If a player does not have a mod, then it’s not used.
More robust Pantheon and Skirmish handling (slot time to work with us to make this system work better).
Connection Info would display a player’s rank/experience to better balance custom games

Other things that are being discussed without a consensus yet:

Should custom games be ranked?
How do we make it easy for people to create team games (that doesn’t involve a lot of UI work)
How do we make pantheon/skirmish games more flexible (1 on 1, 2 on 2, etc.)
Ways of handling pre-made teams
Ways for hosts to ban people from joining their games. (personal ban lists)

Ironically, the biggest development resource limitation right now is in the area of UI. So solutions that require new screens and such are more problematic. In the long run, we’ll add as much as we can to Impulse’s overlay which is getting a significant revamp in August for better handling for friends and such.

Also high on our list but will probably not make it into v1.2 but likely v1.3 are the Clan Wars. It was decided that getting modding out earlier rather than later was important because in doing so, Stardock itself can start to create maps and demigods to release as well as let players create their own demigods if they want and in a pinch we can take care of the exporting for them.

So that’s where things stand as we start to near the end of July.

+901 Karma | 109 Replies

Frogboy, thanks for the continued commitment to Demigod. The community appreciates it.

Thanks again.

Replays (managed)
Rematches
Additional items & balancing
New Demigod #1 (may be released separately)
New Demigod #2 (may be released separately)
Squelch (silence users in game) /squelch frogboy (right from SupCom)
Option to turn off Arena background
Various Bug fixes
More AI improvements

Yay, woot, sweet, and great!

New AI option:
- 1. Hitpoints: Very High (2X what they are today)
- 2. Hitpoints: High (1.5 what they are today) [Default]
- 3. Hitpoints: Normal (1.0 what they are today)
- 4. Hitpoints: Low (0.75 what they are today)

Is this ontop of their current difficulty-based bonus? Or instead of?

New Option: Use Mods (allows mods to be used in single player)
Hosts would select which mods to use.
We would begin including mods submitted in updated builds.
If a player does not have a mod, then it’s not used.

The automatic retrieving of mods you don't have could be another possibility. One I'd personally recommend, easy mod distribution is a good thing. Unfortunately it wont be possible for things like maps due to their size, but smaller mods that change insignificant things could be sharable. Someone has suggested in the past also differentiating between mods that everyone would need to have (i.e. DG's or new items, or balance mods) and personal-ui mods like barmans ui mod, that players will hopefully be able to use at their discression regardless of the host's mod choices.

It was decided that getting modding out earlier rather than later was important because in doing so, Stardock itself can start to create maps and demigods to release as well as let players create their own demigods if they want and in a pinch we can take care of the exporting for them.

Sounds good, hoping you guys jump all over that stuff.

Wow this really sounds great!!! Looking forward to 1.11(?) and 1.2!!!

1.2 in August? Really?

Hot shit.

quoting post

New AI options (on death)
- 1. Gold/ XP: High (= to what it is today)
- 2. Gold/ XP: Normal (= 50% what killing a human player would be worth) [default]
- 3. Gold/ XP: Low (=25% of what killing a human player would be worth)
New AI option:
- 1. Hitpoints: Very High (2X what they are today)
- 2. Hitpoints: High (1.5 what they are today) [Default]
- 3. Hitpoints: Normal (1.0 what they are today)
- 4. Hitpoints: Low (0.75 what they are today)
Modding Support:
- 1. Quickie SDK that explains how to make maps
- 2. Quickie SDK that explains how to make demigods
- 3. Quickie SDK that explains how to make items

I am really hoping these will apply to ai who take over for dropped players. That is the intention, right?

In the long run, we’ll add as much as we can to Impulse’s overlay which is getting a significant revamp in August for better handling for friends and such.

Good to hear this is getting improved.

Wow, this is interesting news.

Looks good.

Wow, this patch looks great. This and New Demigods by the end of August was sooner than I expected. Excellent!

Awesome!

I've been a huge fan of your posts, and really enjoy the game. This is also my first post, because I really felt I had to say this: the more items, demigods, and mods that get created, it seems to me the harder it will be to keep the almost perfect balance that I believe the game currently has. It's one of the things that has impressed me most, and I realize that the game needs to keep growing and changing, but I am also sure that the balance will eventually be thrown off.

Also, if you cannot DL the mods live, then it will also split the community, since those that like certain mods will play them, while others will stick w/ the vanilla game, etc. Some people are also too lazy to manually DL mods, so you really would need to implement a DL system like Unreal Tournament, etc.

Thanks for all your hard work and devotion to the game.

thx for update. seems like a good list you got there for 1.2

This sounds excellent Frogboy. Like I have continued to say, GPG may have dropped the ball for their own product but Stardock is certainly putting the pieces back together and making the glue stronger. I love how Frogboy has to suggest Stardock makes new Demigods due to the fact that GPG is terrible at supporting their own game and giving us more then 2 new guarenteed DGs... No maps, no new items, but Frogboy has yet again taken that issue into consideration and will support their game and create these new items/maps/demigods themselves.

Good stuff Frogboy/Stardock, I look forward to hearing more as we get closer to 1.2!!!!

- Mord

Holy ****!

Some very good stuff there! I'm looking forward to replays and additional content. Displaying the ranks for custom games will make matchmaking so much easier and more enjoyable, I'm really looking for ward to that.

Looks like you guys have covered most of the important stuff and it will make the game more enjoyable.

As for custom games and ranking: we need some sort of ranking for custom games for matchmaking. If the custom games results should count towards the ladder ranking is debatable IMHO.

Thank you for the update Frogboy!

Quoting Colonel_Jessep,

reply 12

Holy ****!

Agreed.

I am very excited about everything I read. Thanks for sharing all of the details, Frogboy! There is alot more in 1.2 than I was expecting. New items to boot! Excellent. I'm glad you guys chose to get some modding support out ahead of clan wars.

Is there any way you could ellaborate just a little more on what we can expect from modding support, though? I believe I read that it would be really difficult to make maps... so this will be possible when 1.2 comes out? Or is it more of a tweaking assets on a map (like adding extra towers here and there, etc). Thanks if you read this and take the time to respond.

This community has been wrong. I've been wrong. We've all been wrong about GPG and Stardock.

This is insane. This is going to breathe new life into Demigod. Its more than we've been asking for in 1.2 (Impulse is probably responsible for the community stuff)

I too am glad mine and some other's argument prevailed in the clan vs mod priority. The fact you mention Stardock developing content is awesomeness.

Does that mean we (may) get the new demigods in August and then you're going to show it off at PAX in early September?

This is also my first post, because I really felt I had to say this: the more items, demigods, and mods that get created, it seems to me the harder it will be to keep the almost perfect balance that I believe the game currently has. It's one of the things that has impressed me most, and I realize that the game needs to keep growing and changing, but I am also sure that the balance will eventually be thrown off.

I thought mods will only be something you play in "Custom" games. While Pantheon/Skirimish will remain un-modded.

Does that mean we (may) get the new demigods in August and then you're going to show it off at PAX in early September?

That's what it sounded like to me Two new demigods being released the same time as a demo and new patch will defintiely give this game a boost. Give people a chance to look at this game anew who were turned off by the bad reviews/release.

I loved all that I heard, although not mentioning the auto-downloading is making me wonder if that idea isn't going to be implemented. It would be an awesome feature, so I totally hope it gets in there! Keep up the awesome work, Stardock and GPG!

Holy frack, this was way more than I was expecting. I wasn't expecting all of this, to be honest.

Keep up the good work.

I agree, there are definitely some good features in there. Thanks for the update... I get so lonely without them.

It is sad to me that UI changes are a limiting factor with the GPG and Stardock devs available. Especially, because the biggest changes I'd like to see are UI related. Maybe think of a UI SDK down the road, maybe in 1.3?

We could always make UI images for them, so long as it matches and fits in with the current UI.

lovely update!

Sweeeeet! I can't wait!

Wowzer.

Let the matchmaking system in pantehon and skrimish give the Demigod to the player, as a result matchmaking system avoids double or trible Demigods in one team!

At the being of a pantheon tourney u will choose your side and then the matchmaking system gives u one of 4 DGs (no doubles in teams).

In skrimish u will get one of 8 DGs, but it should be possible to make your choice between generals and assassins (no doubles).

One ranked ladder for skrimish and pantheon, when chosen pantheon -> won favor points are counting for the tourney

pls make the ladder transparent and up-to-date (refreshed every 5 mins), won favor points should not affect the amount of exp-points u get for a win!

I'll admit I was starting to lose faith, but my faith in SD and GPG has been restored. Definitely looking forward to the patch. Hopefully it will fix more connectivity issues so we can get bigger pantheon games.

That's an impressive patch listing, looking forward to it.

Great work as always.

Yay for upcoming modding support!

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Demigod: end of July status report