Plan for Ian 'Omroth' Hardingham

Determinance update

Hey everyone.

Work is continuing to hurtle along on Determinance. As is customary, I better start off with some pictures. And what better than to show the first level from our new level artist Nick Alger:





We are extremely pleased with Nick's work so far, I think this level in particular works very well within our aesthetic. Nick has managed to produce stunning results in Torque in a very short time.

In other areas, I have been working on and have almost finished the Determinance game modes:

What we have in Determinance is an extremely solid, original gameplay core in our freeform swordfighting. While Determinance is built around duelling, we want there to be plenty of ways for you to enjoy the swordfighting, so Determinance will ship with several alternate game modes. These are the kind of game modes you can start up at a lan party and just play for hours, really fun twists on the core concept which extend the longevity of the game hugely. Without further ado, here are descriptions of a couple:

King Of The Hill
Very simple, there is a randomly spawning artefact and the player who is closest to the artefact scores points. You have to battle your way up to the artefact, and while there throw your opponents off and brace yourself so you don't get thrown off yourself.

Shield Bearer
One player only has two shields, and must stay alive for as long as possible against his sword-wielding opponents, earning points for doing so. When one of the other players kills the shield bearer, he becomes the shield bearer and can start to earn points. This can be especially useful for training in the blocking aspect of the game.

Sword Ball
A flying game of basketball! Pick up and throw the ball, intercept passes and tackle the ball carrier by hitting his body with your sword. Score by throwing the ball through the goal. We're especially excited about this game mode because of the tackling mechanic: if the ball carrier can block your sword, he'll keep the ball.


After spending so long getting the freeform swordfighting in Determinance just right, it's great to be able to see it stand up in some different situations. Of course, duelling is the core of Determinance and always will be, but having extra game modes adds to the replayability hugely. We want a lan party of six people to be able to have fun for hours on end in Determinance.


In other news, we have had a *lot* of interest in the cloth code for Determinance, and I can confirm that we will be releasing a cloth code pack a couple of months after Determinance is released. Keep watching this space, and drop me a mail at ian@mode7games.com if you would like to be added to our mailing list. Don't worry, we don't spam often :)

Finally, a big shout out to Paul for his fantastic work on the Determinance soundtrack. This has received some outstanding reviews in the local music press around here. When you first hear our dynamic music you will be blown away.

Enough!

Determinance is big
Determinance is soon

Ian Hardingham
Mode 7 Games