Favor The Gods

[Mikekan13]


OP updated somewhat on Jan 3 2012

I am looking for team members. If you feel inspired please send me a pm with some examples of your work.  (Sprite/Animation, Programmer (C,C++) maybe c#)

Interested in this game? Give us a like on [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/pages/Favor-The-Gods/143308545712373). It helps!

Will be re-writing engine In C or something else?
Stay tuned for information on the promo single player game set as a prequel for Favor the Gods.

**Pictures**

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Current look of game.
>! 
more progress
>! 
progress
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old grass.
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How do I get down?
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Login screen.
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Old concept art of the residents.
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Icon?
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In game pre dx8 conversion
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Old blocks
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Really old concept art

**History**

>! The seed for Favor the Gods was first planted nearly 7 years ago. It has gone through many different iterations; I have notebooks and computer documents full of ideas that changed and grew over the years. Attempts in the past have included a flash and browser based game–just to name a few. The dreams and ideas outgrew themselves though and FtG was left alone for awhile. We honed our skills on countless projects that we would start and drop on a whim. Finally we came back to FtG realizing we had the skills and the drive to make a true attempt. By random chance we found Eclipse. It was the first time I had used vb since high school but we jumped in and started making the game. But, we soon realized that EO was not suitable for what we wanted to do either. So I stripped the engine bare of everything but the packet system and started to write from the ground up. Now a year and some change later we must start another attempt at an engine. It gets easier each time though :)

**Team and Credits**

>! Michael (me) - Head developer, programmer, and artist
>! Eli - Developer, Support artist, programmer, musician
>! Zach - Helped in the early days with much of the ground work and ideas. Came up with the base setting and story. Maybe one day he will return to work on the project.
>! You? - I could always use a real coder who actually knows what the hell he is doing. Between me and Eli It can get done and will get done but who knows how long it will take. I am an artist at first and a coder second. If you want to be a part of something serious then send me a email at [email protected]

**Story**

>! After a man-made catastrophe rooted in power and pride, nature reclaims her future from humanity and grows over the smoldering wreckage of our folly.  Players take the role of Residents– the genetic legacy of mankind that crawls from the technological ruins to struggle for existence in a beautiful and dangerous world.
>! The Residents are free to live as they please, but to survive and thrive demands a great deal from them.  The future earth is surreal, bountiful, and nightmarish, and it sets trial after trial upon the Residents as they forge civilization in the wilderness.
>! Nothing is what it seems in this world and the players will uncover truths and myths from the past on their journey. What happen to the world? What exactly are the residents? Who are these gods and what are their agenda? Many secrets exist that is told not through strict narrative but lore and atmosphere.

**Game-play Features**

>! * Conventional 'quests' are replaced by players individual needs and wants such as: hunger, well-being, shelter, travel, wealth, power, and overall safety.  To facilitate community function and drive player experience: events will be injected into the game-world.  These events will be universal  and unique, happening only once, not instanced or repeating.
* The statistic driven game-play of many like-genre games does not exist here.  Simple functionality is the order of the day. ex: To discover the effects a particular food might have; a player could consume it or ask other players about its effects.
* There is no forced in-game currency to speak of.  Items are unique and functional as per a common game logic.  Players will have to give objects value according to personal need.  For instance, a player may trade an unmatched old-world technology for aid in constructing a certain structure that he/she is unable to build.
* Realistic resources and non-replinishable items.  Everything is made up of base elements which are never created or destroyed–only changed. Ex: Cut down a forest to build a fort and that forest is gone. (Perhaps even effecting the surrounding plant and wildlife.) The wood then becomes a part of the fort where it could be burned turning into gases and ash. Think periodic table with a dash of fantasy added to it.
* A realistic and dangerous world: Players are never really safe, death is around every corner and it is an impactful event that changes the way you will play. Dying completely removes a players inventory and skills and can happen anywhere. (There is no safe zones, and even if you log out your character will still remain in the game-world.)
* Carve out underground lairs or build up into the sky: Players can build and create anywhere. Every object in the game can be built or destroyed (Even the terrain itself). Walls, doors, generators, electrical systems, transportation systems, traps, tools, weapons, elevators, are just a few of the things you can build.
* True "Unique Items and Skills"  some items and skills will only be acquired once. No duplicates, period.
* Different planes of existence; each with  their own unique animals, plants, minerals, and more. Master one plane only to find different new challenges awaiting you in another. For people who play for the end game, this is what it's all about.
* Players must eat and take care of themselves to survive. The residents are a hardy bunch but they certainly are still vulnerable. Sickness, injury, and hunger are all things the player must conquer, and so what better way to survive than to grow your own crops, raise livestock and build your own protection.
* Pledge your allegiance to the God of order and technology, or honor the heathen God of old with your chaotic nature. Gods will shape and change the world around you. They may bless you with good fortune and protection or curse you with plagues and disaster. Perhaps one day you can rise above them and claim godhood yourself.

Specs:

* Original hand drawn art
* Original soundtrack
* 2d Engine with 3d aspects
* Isometric
* 100% true persistence
* Seamless world with layers (ie: underground; sky)
* Build or destroy anything in the game
* Plant and animal ecology systems
* Survival mechanics
* Hardcore game-play
* Pixel perfect movement with basic physics
* Full screen with support for 1024x768 And 800x600
* Real time shadows
* Day/night and weather system
* Particle system
* Whatever else I decide to add

EO was the starting engine for this game but it has been completely stripped and modified. The only thing I am really using at this point is the byte packet system. Still I have to throw a thanks to Robin who has definitely made one of the cleanest vb6 mmo engines.

[Jeff]

that looks pretty epic.  I would like to play the alpha if possible.  I hope it all turns out nicely.  the only thing i dont like is that you can die when your logged out.

[Havox]

Whoa this seems like a great potential game. In regards to the character remaining in the game even when you are logged out, there are certain places where you are safe right? Say if you log out inside your house, nothing can attack or kill you?

[DarkSpine]

@Havox:

> Whoa this seems like a great potential game. In regards to the character remaining in the game even when you are logged out, there are certain places where you are safe right? Say if you log out inside your house, nothing can attack or kill you?

> A realistic and dangerous world: Players are never really safe, death is around every corner and it is an impactful event that changes the way you will play. Dying completely removes a players inventory and skills and can happen anywhere. (**There is no safe zones**, and even if you log out your character will still remain in the game-world.)

Great looking game so far! I'll definitely play it when possible =D
Graphics are top-notch for an eclipse game, looks like some pretty advanced coding in it too! Everything is pretty unique…

Good luck with Favor the Gods! As it looks epic already ^^
~Urame

[Keebler Elf]

Sounds like haven and heart a bit. Which means if you succeed it will be a great game!

[Mulkaar]

It has come to notice many people have been thinking of many Haven and Hearth orientated games lately, but this looks very good, although I don't understand what is going on in the screenshot.

[Mikekan13]

> there are certain places where you are safe right? Say if you log out inside your house, nothing can attack or kill you?

No, there is no where truly "safe".
You can build a strong structure but there could always be a way inside. Players could tunnel up through your floor or blast away your roof. They could also smash (or lockpick) through your door or crash through a wall. There will be a large number of "Materials" to craft walls, floors, roofs, doors, etc. out of. Some materials are stronger than others and so therefore certain structures will be more resistant to damage. It will be a constant arm race against item strength and destructive devices versus build-able structures and defensive materials. There will also be ways to camouflage your sleeping character making it harder to find for a wandering "assassin". You could also booby trap your house making it even more of an obstacle to get through. This will give structures way more importance than just holding your loot. Plus imagine relying on a friend to protect your sleeping character while you go on vacation or maybe you could hire yourself out as a bodyguard and make a trustworthy name for yourself. The greatest defense is not the walls you build but the friends you make.

> I would like to play the alpha if possible.

Me and my partner are considering a limited closed alpha to test main features and stress test server. This would actually happen in about a week or 2 so if you are really interested then stay tuned to this thread and you might actually have a a chance at just that.

> Sounds like haven and heart a bit. Which means if you succeed it will be a great game!

Yes it has many similarities to H&H, but I have had this idea long before H&H has been around. I was actually disappointed to see H&H do some of the things it does because of the resemblance to my plans. However, thus is life and FTG is still vastly different enough to stand apart from H&H. Actually if you ever played "Dwarf Fortress" and "Shiren the Wander" (or any rougelike game) those are big inspirations for this.

> although I don't understand what is going on in the screenshot.

The character is picking a spot to build a rock wall.

This game will progress rather quickly. I am currently unemployed and this is not a weekend hobby project but more like a full time job. I plan on marketing this and turning it into some cash. With that said, I do love free to play games and I am a firm believer in freedom of the arts and entertainment. Micro transactions or donations is most likely the path we will choose to go with. I am sick of being poor and working for people, but certain situations in my life have allowed me to work on this game almost 24/7– So this will be as top notch as I can possibly make it. I have looked over these threads and it seems most games made with Eclipse are not serious or lack the skills required to make a good game. I wan't to assure you that is not the case with this game. I have been working on the actual engine for about 3 months now and been planning it for years. I have a set deadline and goal for this to be well into beta and hopefully close or into version 1 by December. Although It seems I am constantly deciding to expand on certain systems or add new ones; hopefully my partner will help me adhere to this time window. I am currently rewriting the way items are handled and changing how I wrote crafting, but other than that the bulk of the code is done. This is getting rather long so I will just stop here with a question for you guys. Considering the few things I have mentioned: Would you consider spending money on this game, and if so which model of payment would you most likely agree with: Donations, Pay once for client and have unlimited access to game, Micro transactions for things like hats; clothes and character customizations, small monthly fee, or other. Also if you have any questions regarding anything about FTG then please feel free to ask.

[Havox]

> Considering the few things I have mentioned: Would you consider spending money on this game, and if so which model of payment would you most likely agree with: Donations, Pay once for client and have unlimited access to game, Micro transactions for things like hats; clothes and character customizations, small monthly fee, or other.

Donations/micro transaction would probably be the best thing. However the incentives that players get when they donate must not cause a huge game play change in anyway, so basically the items would be vanity-based. The buy to play for the client is a bad idea, same with monthly fee (for now anyways).

[Mikekan13]

> Donations/micro transaction would probably be the best thing. However the incentives that players get when they donate must not cause a huge game play change in anyway, so basically the items would be vanity-based.

Indeed that is what we are leaning towards. Any micro transactions would be vanity based with maybe a small amount that add some functionality, but nothing that would give you a huge advantage over non-paying players.

[Havox]

That is enlightening to hear, I see you are one of those people who don't want to overload the game with powerful donation gear. That is very good  :P

[Jeff]

I'm assuming the tiles are still WIP?  because i dont see very good transitions in many cases and also some of the tiles dont tile perfectly.

[DarkSpine]

@Jeff:

> I'm assuming the tiles are still WIP?  because I dont see very good transitions in many cases and also some of the tiles dont tile **perfectly**.

o.o Perfectly…I don't think I've seen tiles that tile perfectly =P
Btw, what transitions are you talking about? I don't really see areas that need transitions or that have any. Although the tiles are _very_ squary, might wanna change that.

~Urame

[Mikekan13]

The tiles you can see in that screenshot are not done with the exception of  the auto tiles around the holes and some of the grass tiles the graphics are unfinished. Especially the dirt wall tiles… those look so horrid right now. heh

[Havox]

I got a question, will "Gods" be of any influence to the game?

[Mikekan13]

> I got a question, will "Gods" be of any influence to the game?

Yes, they will be. That is all I will say on that right now.  ;D

[VitinhooxD]

Sounds like a great project.keep the good work

[Jeff]

oh good.  I saw the dirt walls too, if thats what they were… i was like "... wtf is that?"

[Mikekan13]

Well I have been debating converting the engine over to Dx8 since the beginning. Started with a need for alpha blending. If that had been it, I would have probably left it alone, but also I need rotation, image mirror, hue shifting etc. I am sitting here with some crap tutorial about Dx8 and it looks very daunting. I have never worked with 3d before and that may be the only reason why I feel overwhelmed right now. It is something I have to do for FTG and I know the end result will be a much better game. If anyone has done this before or knows how to work with Dx8 and is willing to help me I would appreciate it greatly. I hope this only adds a week or two to the development but if it takes longer than oh well It has to be done.

[Jeff]

DX8?  Impressive.  It would be epic if u release'd an engine with DX8.

[Mikekan13]

*Added some really old concept pieces*

[Robin]

@Mikekan13:

> Well I have been debating converting the engine over to Dx8 since the beginning. Started with a need for alpha blending. If that had been it, I would have probably left it alone, but also I need rotation, image mirror, hue shifting etc. I am sitting here with some crap tutorial about Dx8 and it looks very daunting. I have never worked with 3d before and that may be the only reason why I feel overwhelmed right now. It is something I have to do for FTG and I know the end result will be a much better game. If anyone has done this before or knows how to work with Dx8 and is willing to help me I would appreciate it greatly. I hope this only adds a week or two to the development but if it takes longer than oh well It has to be done.

DX8 is easy. The reason I don't use it is because of texture size limitations (If any player is using a bad/old onboard graphics card, you're limited to 256x256 textures) and a really random bug regarding the width/height when using linked vertices.

[Mikekan13]

*Bump update to status of dx8 conversion

[Guest]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this project further into progression! Keep up the good work!

[Mikekan13]

The conversion to DX8 is almost done, Just working through some bugs mostly. After that is done I will begin working on the tiling system and the way maps are handled. Seamless maps look like they might be a must for the way we designed the game. The whole game will therefore scroll and will actually wrap back around on all sides so that essentially it is globe like.

Since I am gutting basically everything that is origins at this point, I am teetering on switching over to pixel based movement similar to Zelda. It just seems right when guns and projectiles are the main weapons used in FTG. This will obviously take some clever rewriting of our current systems but it shouldn't be too difficult. It is not in stone yet but I will most likely cave in and do it. Our website is now up and running and although it is rather crap right now it is merely serving as a development blog.

Also, we have applied to a website called Kickstarter so we can get some money to buy a server and perhaps help with advertisement cost; ect. I will post again when we have more info on that. Everything is running smoothly.

[Jeff]

Release…DX8...eclipse....please... 0_0