This is my first post here so I thought it a good idea to say hi officialy and present myself. I've been actively reading this forum for the past two-three weeks, and am impressed with the great community you guys are building, and will be happy to be part of it. Too numerous to list here scripting threads have helped me a lot in understanding how modding Grimrock worked, many many thanks. (And I borrowed some cool assets, the Tome Library, impaled skeletons, all credit will be given upon release).
DM was one of the first computer games I ever played on an Atari ST (8-9y old) and it shaped my imagination durably. I think I can probably sketch CSB's maps by heart. The games finished, I spent hours drawing new maps, inventing stories, creating dungeons that I tought would never come to life. At 10-11, I couldn't even dream to program computer games this complex but the dungeons lived in my imagination. 2-3 years ago, I tried my hand at RTC, but didn't had the time to delve deep enough in it. Then Grimrock came, and not only captured the spirit of these old games (+EoB, LoL, etc.) so well, but also provided a super editor! Dream come true.
So......
I'm currently working on a dungeon called Grimrock Strikes Back. The objective is to pay an hommage to Chaos Strikes Back, create a high-level dungeon that would be like an expansion to Grimrock. It will be a highly complex, 10-level highly non-linear structure, featuring the same multi-level intricate mapping as the original. The dungeon will be shaped around three paths (Fighter, Rogue and Mage) featuring individual types of puzzles, decoration, new monsters & new items to give them identity and personnality, before joining on a final path/endgame (like the diabolical demon director). The idea however is to stick to core Grimrock mechanics so it really feels like a continuation for your party.
Apart from new assets - that I will all share with the community in neat packs once I release the dungeon (like a complete set of rusted items for ambiance, with textures, models & descriptions) -, the project will also feature a dynamic in-game cluebook system which I'm quite proud of. Stuck, or just checking if you missed something? Open and read! Not only will it make the game more accessible (remember I'm aiming for CSB-level of complexity/difficulty) for less hardcore players, but it's a throwback to CSB's own vintage hint system. (Open the pic below in a new tab to read a sample page). As I'm a composer, I'll probably do some original music as well.
I haven't been sleeping much in the last few weeks and coding this in all my free time. I'd say I'm about 35-40% done. As soon as I finish the dungeon I'll do a call for volunteers to test balancing issues before submitting to Nexus. Meanwhile, here's some teaser screenshots
.Georges
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