still watching, protopop. the new build using unity 5 looks gorgeous. will definitely purchase when it goes on sale
Thanks Anonomation The current version of BrightRidge has a bug that appeared in IOS 8.4 (which broke a lot of games) so i have dug up my project file for it and will be releasing an update that fixes it - for now some of the Pine Trees on IOS 8.4 or higher have a blue flicker. When I release the new HD version I will make the old version free, as a kind of introductory entry into the world Ill post an announcement here when BrghtRidge HD is released and I appreciate any reviews pr stars, good or bad. I just like the feedback
Redribbon you were the first person to upload some gameplay and i have always been grateful for that. I dont know much about your background but im still amazed at how much gameplay you upload and have seen qute a few of your videos. I think they really help us see which games might be interesting and it looks like a lot of work Im really excited that the new BrightRidge is working on the new iPod 6 because it was the last piece in the update puzzle. Right now im rejigging the UI and controller code, so that i can use one code base for BrightRidge HD with iPhone, iPad, AppleTV and MAC/PC.
I really like what you are doing, so encouraging you is the least I can do Now that sounds really interesting. Really want to see what you'll come up with, if it works out. Quite sure they will. They created the AppleTV category on the forum already, and did that pretty fast. When you have Brightridge on the AppleTV, tell them; with Shaun Musgrave being your best address, I think.
Hey, Protopop! BrightRidge looks absolutely incredible, and I can't wait to play it at maxed settings on my iPhone 6s! I just tweeted a link to your update post to Shaun Musgrave too. I know he'll definitely be interested since he's the resident RPG aficionado.
Thanks Macatron The HD update will be ready shortly, it looks really good on iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, so on iPhone 6s you should be able to have it even more maxed out no problem I'm making sure to expose as many of the options as possible so you can really fine tune the visuals the way you want. Thanks for the tweet too. The more people i can reach about it the better, and i appreciate the help
You're welcome! Close communication with developers is one of the things I like most about iOS gaming.
Thanks for the tip BTW Apple TV is a really amazing upgrade. The voice activation works better than i imagined. I played a few games too and if you learn to use the remote well - like in Rayman Adventures - it works great for games.
I'm working on the BrightRidge update full time. Ive included a lot of new options to control the quality of the game. The first step was to write out and categorize all of the options that should be included. I am also thinking ahead for the PC release and for future more powerful mobile devices, so there are extra settings included above and beyond what you might be able to use on your current phone Thanks to the update to Unity 5 BrightRidge now uses animation targeting, allowing me to share animations between character models. One upside is that you can now shapechange between male and female forms
Nice work, Protopop! Trying my best to wait faster One suggestion: If you put the settings in as on the screenshot, you should include explanations. Either with a link to (a post on) your homepage, or directly ingame. While I do know quite a bit about graphics, I have no idea what e.g. "DOF, Pixelate, or SSAO" are (in general), and what they mean for NL:BR's graphics specifically.
Great advice as usual - thank you Nullzone BTW the pixelate is kind of cool - a bit of a throwaway effect but it pixelates the entire screen , so it kind of looks like youre playing an 8bit 80s game or Kings Quest or something There's a watercolor effect too but it only works on desktop, but im keeping it for the mac/pc version. It makes the game feel kind of like a watercolor painting
Pixelate I could guess (8bit eyecand...cancer, barf ) I'm more curious about the other ones, and unfortunately am so bloody busy at work with other stuff that I cannot dig into graphics right now (I can do things like that when we have downtime cycles, which is pretty nice; not that it happens too often, though). Something completely different: Do enough people play the Nimian Legends browsergame that you consider it worth improving it? I have quite a few things in my head, but it could be weeks till I can write it all down; and it'll be quite time-consuming. So I want to ask if you actually can/might make use of such feedback in the foreseeable future?
Brightridge environment quality You'll like this one: I just watched the Avalon:Forge&Flame trailer, here: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpost.php?p=3724650&postcount=355 Dave, it's full of... no, not stars. Nothing. The outside environments look empty, sterile, artifical, and lifeless. For some, like the mountain panoramas, I could even tell they are repeating patterns of the same "tilesets". Boring, uninteresting, and a bad development decision. Before I watched this, and for the first time consciously paid attention to the landscape, I did not consider Brightridge special. I pretty much took this detail level for granted, in a "looks like what I expect from something good, sure everybody is doing this?" Oh, was I wrong. Now, surprise: I realised I use Brightridge as my benchmark, when it comes to great, organic, believable landscape & environment design. Much I like use Bastion and Transistor as pinnacle yardstick to measure voiceacting and storytelling/narration against. Your stuff feels *alive*. In contrast, "clinical" landscapes like in Avalon:F&F are all too common still; like a lowest common denominator many developers adhere to. And cannot hold a candle against your work. I am convinced that you are really pushing the boundaries at least on iOS for what a truly exceptional outside can look and feel like. Much like some of the really outlandish stuff I've seen in this area over the years. I mentioned my favorite example way earlier in this thread: Organic landscape growing with complete plant and soil lifecycles, complex environment parameters to control resource availability, weather and climate, etc. Welcome to my personal Hall of Honors, officially
Pixel Filter Right now http://nimianlegends.com/empires gets about 1000plays a month. Its definitely something that i keep upgrading. The last big upgrade i just launched was really a rewrite of the engine. I introduced the procedural generation and object oriented design so now it is easier to make updates. And i plan to add them in as i go along, so i am very appreciative of any feedback i can get I think right now it is a great framework, but i need to work on making the 'user journey' through it more compelling with polish, design and good gameplay. I mean, the world is there - first in my head and then on html and in 3d - and now that i am focused only on BrightRidge and Nimian Legends Empires it helps me produce more. Anytime you have any advice, or anyone for that matter, on http://nimianlegends.com/empires please let me know
Thanks! I have to say Aralon does do things i could never - like have such a detailed world in terms of quests and scope. I think there's a LOT more depth and things going on under the surface of that game that just blow mine away, like AI and pathfinding and character progression and just an unbelieveably large scope. BrightRidge is pretty detailed in it's own way but there is a much smaller scope (like a fraction of what Aralon achieves to be honest I love what you said about BrightRidge's lifelikeness. Im from the school of Shadow of the Colossus - and the most important thing i learned from that game in terms of environment design is to keep it messy. Dust, dirt, scratches, weird angles, general mess - thats something that you find in nature, and i think hat approach has make BrightRidge feel somewhat believable as a place. I also feel like BrightRidge is a 'real place' in my head and i think some of that, transfers over - so im extra glad to hear you say that theres some (and i hate words like this but...) verisimilitude there. One more thing that helped me a lot was art direction. I took a long time to try and understand what flavors, colors, themes i was trying to uncover when making the game. Its funny because now if i Google "BrightRidge" and see all the images, i can see theres a coherent color palettes= and flavor that comes up, and i think the art direction investment was worth it. I have similar work done for my upcoming games set in DoonPillar, Residi Bay and GoldenWood - each one uses a distinct art direction that helps to differentiate it. Nimian Legends Art direction Document Aralon is a big inspiration to me in terms of structure. I would like to bring some of Aralon's breadth and scale into my games. I think it's amazing how they put together this hero's journey and so many different details. Right now BrightRidge is more of a wilderness Sim while Aralon is a true game. But that's why it's great to see what people are working on and draw inspiration from each other. Its funny because we are all kind of taking a different part of life and simulating it, and i think what im trying to simulate is maybe a feeling? like an experience of really being in another place that kind of really exists
iPad Air 2 Screenshots The update is going really well. Im more than half finished the options, and i thought id show some screenshots of me running around on an iPad Air 2. Brightridge HD (i still need a new name) runs on any A7 or higher device, and has more detail, new vegetation etc on all of them, but on an A8x like iPad Air 2 you can really put on all the detail at very high. This bodes well for BrightRidge on the inevitable iPad Air 3 and more future devices These screenshots are untouched, and don't have any of the extra effects turned on, ill post a few more in the next post that show BrightRidge with some of the new in game options on including Wide Angle camera, Bloom, and Vintage filter. The new camera options let you zoom out very far making some of these wide angle shots possible in game PS ive also been updating http://nimianlegends.com/empires - the setting for BrightRudge - check it out too - every hit helps
Nimian Legends BrightRidge HD Widescreen shots I really love designing nature worlds These in game screenshots are taken using the new Wide Angle game option and Far view camera distance, making some nice wide angle shots possible. The new dynamic lighting engine also makes scenes like the dark rain shrouded statue possible.
Nimian Legends BrightRidge on iPad Air 2 with new image options These are also in game screenshots using the new wide angle camera, vintage filter, bloom and depth of field on and the high vegetation setting. A big part of my philosophy is to give players as many options as possible to make the game look the way they want it to, and hopefully enjoy the beauty as they stroll through it (there is also a motion blur that is working really well). Theres also new spirit views and shapechanging powers in the upcoming update Im very excited for people to be able to explore BrightRidge in a whole new way. This one show the motion blur in action
WOW!! Those screenshots look incredible!! It's hard to believe that I would be able to play it on my phone. Keep up the excellent work!
