Development Blog for Project Vega

Well, just moments ago, they finally announced the registration details for QuakeCon. Turns out that after waiting and waiting so that I could get pre-registered quickly to avoid a day-long-waiting-in-line-fiasco like what happened last year, they’re not even having pre-registration this year! Apparently, you just show up at the hotel with your computer, equipment, and self and they’ll have room you. Assuming there’s enough capacity, this will hopefully make it easier for people to attend (can’t be any worse than last year, right?).

So what does this all mean? We’ll be at QuakeCon this year, and you should come see us! Come join some of the members of Project Vega as we all hang out, have a good time, play some games, eat some food, and of course, you will get to see and PLAY the latest version of Project Vega Last Bastion!

So come on out and join us! It was a blast year, and this year, it should be even more fun!

Now I realize this isn’t news about Project Vega/Last Bastion, but I think that given the magnitude of this announcement… maybe you’ll let this slide

After years of standing in the way of this, I have finally decided to allow for the release of the Skulltag source code. After all, let’s be honest: No longer running Skulltag has given me a different perspective on this issue.

The release of the source code is something that Torr has wanted to do for awhile now. For security reasons, we’re releasing the source to the older 97c2 first. I have given him permission to release any subsequent versions that he desires. After all, who am I now to stand in his way?

Some benefits to this are:

• Being open-source will eventually allow Skulltag to update the GZDoom renderer (provided Graf doesn’t modify the license again)
• Someone might fix Botscript
• Someone might implement a more centralized handling of the client/server code

It will be interesting to see what happens with this. Will a community of people all pitch it and help make Skulltag a better product? Or will other ports use this to bolster their products and erode Skulltag’s multiplayer Doom success? Time will tell!

Anyway, that’s enough from me. Here it is! Enjoy!

http://www.skulltag.com/download/97c2source.zip

So as I mentioned before, we’re proceeding with a different set of expectations. Rather than try to release a completed super-mega-ultra blockbuster game (hah, yeah right!) all at once, we have to build up to being capable of that. Obviously, we don’t have the budget to pull off something as vast as Borderlands. Creating the sheer amount of content a game like that has with our staff would take FOREVER! We also don’t have the luxury of being someone like Blizzard who, with their millions and millions in the bank, are able to take all the time in the world to get things perfect. By the time we do that, everyone will have moved onto other jobs already (since it would have taken us forever to release something and be able to pay them). So what’s the solution? Incremental releases!

What I want to do with Last Bastion is have at least three separate releases:

• A small demo release
• A full episode release on Steam/Desura
• And a completed game wide release (online, retail, etc.)

The proceeds from each release would be reinvested into the development of the next release (except for the last one, which would be invested into the next game). I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, so I’ll just discuss the demo release for now.

I’m aiming for allowing you to pre-purchase Last Bastion while it’s still in its alpha phase this fall. I’m aiming for three full maps of completed content (weapons, monsters, textures, sounds, music, etc.), and it would be pretty cheap. Now, maybe you’re thinking to yourself “He’s charging for a demo? That’s outrageous!” Easy there! First, the idea is that this would help raise money for the rest of the development. Just putting together enough art assets for this tiny demo is going to cost me over $6,000. Yeesh! Plus, Minecraft has done something similar, and it’s worked out very well over there. Second, I would only expect the really hardcore fans to get in on this. If Last Bastion doesn’t look like it’s your thing and you feel like being charged for a few maps is a ripoff, you can certainly wait until the full first episode release, or until the full game is out.

Anyway, I’m looking to have the alpha release done this fall. We should have something to show by QuakeCon.

Finally, as I mentioned… yeah… I’m opening my pockets and planning to spend at least $6,000 just on this three map demo alone. I’ve set up a Donations page for those of you who would like to help support this project! Things this money will go towards:

• Helping cover the existing costs of this project
• Finding additional people to work on this project
• Giving raises to those currently working on this project

Things this money will NOT go towards:

• Wild benders in Las Vegas
• Assembling the world’s largest collection of Faberge eggs
• Building a Death Ray

Anyway, if you’d like to donate, I would be extremely grateful! Any little bit helps!

Thank you!

That’s right! We’re back!

It seems that I may have been a little hasty in canceling the project outright more than a month ago. While the road ahead may be tough, you all have shown me that there are viable alternatives to getting this thing done, and that this project, even though nothing has been released yet, already has a lot of supportive fans who want to see Last Bastion released. For talking some sense into me and convincing me to keep this project going, you have my utmost thanks.

While I thought before that it was impossible to “go it alone” so to speak, I now see that is not the case. First of all, I plan to pay the contributors to this project. It will be expensive, but this will help keep everyone motivated, and allow me to bring in talented artists from outside the Doom community. Second, I plan to cut down the scope of the project for now. Rather than try to complete the entire game now, I plan to release a series of updates to help finance the completion of the game. More on this later. But between cutting down the scope of the project and paying people to work on this, I think we’ve got a shot at making it.

We have a lot more to discuss in the coming days and weeks. In the mean time, enjoy the new Wordpress theme

I am very, very sorry to have to say that I am canceling Project Vega.

The bottom line is this: In my search to find a publisher, I have discovered that it is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible to find one willing to team up with us. From what I’ve read, I would basically have to a nearly complete game and/or have an established game company to have any hope of landing a publishing deal – in other words, to get funding from a publisher, I would have to be in a position in which I don’t need their funding. At the very least, I would have to have something that looks much, much better than what we have right now.

So what’s to stop me from just finishing this up and self-publishing it over Steam? Unfortunately, I can only do so much. I can only program, do the game design, and make crappy levels. I can’t model, animate, texture, make HUD graphics, write music, create sound effects, etc., all of which are absolutely critical to making a quality game. Unfortunately, getting outside help has proven time and time again that it simply will not work. People simply have other priorities (work, school, social lives, etc.) and cannot devote the time necessary to a project of this magnitude. Either I’m the worst manager in the world, or this model is simply doomed to failure. Maybe both.

I knew this would be tough from the beginning. But, I thought that any obstacles could be overcome with hard work and passion. I was wrong.

So, it is with a heavy heart that I am canceling this project. I’d like to thank all of the fans of this project – it’s good to know that there are others out there who are as sick and tired of modern shooters as I am. I’d also like to thank everyone who’s been a part of this project over the past two years. Without your support, there’s no way I could have gotten this far. Finally, I’d like to give a big thanks to Mechadon for designing and setting up the blog, and to WastedYouth for being there in the very beginning to help get the initial technology off the ground.

It’s been a pleasure knowing all of you, and I wish you all the very best of luck – I certainly wish you more luck than I’ve had. Take care, everyone.

–  Brad Carney