Underworld Ascendant

Andrey Lappo написал(а) к All в Oct 15 02:23:10 по местному времени:

История игр серии Ultima начинается в начале 80-х, когда Richard Garriott de
Cayeux aka Lord British и компания Origin Systems выпустила первую часть. В
дальнейшем, ставшие классикой однопользовательские игры той же студии с видом со стороны, выходили вплоть до конца 90-х, окончательно уступив многопользовательским сверхпопулярным за рубежом вариантам:

1981 Ultima 1: The First Age of Darkness
1982 Ultima 2: The Revenge of the Enchantress
1983 Ultima 3: Exodus
1985 Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar
1988 Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny
1990 Ultima 6: The False Prophet
1990 Ultima: Worlds of Adventure 2. Martian Dreams
1992 Ultima 7: The Black Gate
1992 Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
1994 Ultima 8: Pagan
1999 Ultima 9: Ascension

Несколько особняком стоят две игры с видом от первого лица, "Ultima Underworld:
The Stygian Abyss" от Blue Sky Productions (1992) и "Ultima Underworld 2:
Labyrinth of Worlds" от Looking Glass Studios (1993). Пусть различные имена
разработчиков не путают - это одна и та же компания. Дизайном обеих игр
занимался Paul Neurath. Второй - еще и Austin Grossman, писатель и
гейм-дизайнер. Как и вся команда, безумно устав от допиливания UV2, он и сам
надолго забросил фентези-тематику, долго работая над такими играми, как System
Shock, Deus Ex, Thief, Dishonored... В 2002-м году компания Arkane Studios,
заручившись поддержкой JoWood Productions и DreamCatcher Interactive, выпускает
неприкрытого духовного приемника Ultima Underworld, игру Arx Fatalis. Дизайн от
того-самого Paul Neurath. И вот, в начале прошлого года на
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...orld-ascendant
объявляется сбор средств на игру "Underworld Ascension", позже переименованную
в "Underworld Ascendant". 06.03.2014 г. проект утвержден, как набравший
$860,356 вместо минимальных $600,000. И хотя формально команды, работавшей над оригинальными двумя играми уже пятнадцать лет нет, в составе OtherSide Entertainment, занимаюшейся продолжением - все знакомые лица.

Первое видео геймплея, "New Underworld Ascendant gameplay footage" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLkX_s2euRk

Far more than a dungeon crawl, Underworld Ascendant is a next-generation sequel
to the legendary fantasy RPG's Ultima Underworld & Ultima Underworld 2. It not only modernizes the series' visuals and user interface to take full advantage of the today's powerful PC's, it innovates in bold new ways.

TНE UNDERWORLD AS A CНARACTER

No other game has such a vivid imagining of an underground fantasy realm as Underworld Ascendant. The Stygian Abyss is a vast world unto itself…
Plunder ancient temples, navigate subterranean rivers, gaze in wonder at the masterwork of jade dwarven halls, scale plunging ice caverns, trek through enchanted forests of giant mushrooms, dare shadowy tombs of the undead, and much more.
Alive with bustling underground societies: enclaves of human renegades scavenging for survival, villages of the mysterious shambler 'mushroom people' performing arcane rituals, dwarven factories producing the finest arms and armor.
Face monstrous creatures like the ripper, a vicious, ambulatory plant whose bark is prized by The Stygian Abyss' intelligent races; stay clear of mass migrations of ravenous rotworms; dodge the giant spider's sticky webs it casts through the air.
Alter the environment to your advantage. Flood an arid plain to help the
damp-loving shamblers expand their territory, gaining their favor.Changes you make can ripple across the game's reactive, ever-changing ecology, producing startlingly unpredictable results.

A DYNAMIC, PLAYER-DRIVEN NARRATIVE

Get drawn into an epic story with ties to the original Ultima Underworld games. Play as The Avatar, a human newly arrived from our earth through a mystical Rune Gate. As a "stranger in a strange land" you will…
Meet shrewd characters, with their own motivations and agendas. Some may be swayed to your cause, while others may manipulate you.
Encounter rugged dwarf frontiersmen, fierce dark elf renegades, and strangely alien shamblers. Each faction holds a valid claim to The Stygian Abyss. Which side will you join? Will you unite, or destroy?
Entangle yourself in a tale of intrigue and conflict as three fierce, rival factions struggle for control. Your choices will determine the ultimate fate of The Stygian Abyss.
Rune Gates connect to other worlds as well, including the lands of the Shroud
of the Avatar. Over the eons travelers have spanned these worlds, including a band of rogue dark elves who set themselves up in The Stygian Abyss. Discover how these worlds have intertwined over the ages.

TНE IMPROVISATION ENGINE

Do you enjoy the freedom of choice in sandbox games like Deus Ex or Elder Scrolls? The team at OtherSide in large part invented this style of experience with the original Ultima Underworld --- now they intend to take it to the next level.
At the heart of Underworld Ascendant's distinctive gameplay is the Improvisation Engine, which gives you an array of tools to think up your own ingenious solutions to challenges.
For instance, how to cross a subterranean river guarded by deadly lurker?
Underworld Ascendant's Improvisation Engine encourages you to experiment and unlock your creative potential. Devise clever techniques that even the game's designers haven't imagined yet!

INTENSE COMBAT & INVENTIVE MAGIC

Enjoy swordplay and spell casting that are distinctly dynamic and inventive….
Experience engaging first-person combat. Launch yourself into fluid, running battles where maneuvering and timing are everything. Utilize your environment to stack the odds in your favor.
Collect magical runes bristling with power. Learn to combine them to surprising effect. Discover potent spells like Charm Creature, Нailstones, and Clairvoyant Eye. Experiment to customize and improve their effects.
Obtain rare and powerful weapons and armor. Align with the dwarves to acquire masterfully-crafted plate mail. Trade with dark elves to gain access to an arsenal of enchanted weaponry.

CREATE YOUR OWN CНARACTER CLASS

Think outside the box of formalized character classes and concoct your own one-of-a-kind adventurer.
Jump right into the game choosing from a Fighter, Mage or Thief. But from there you are free to customize your Avatar to your individual play style.
Mix and match your favorite skills and perks. Create a mage skilled at stealth, a fighter who can summon spectral allies, or the ultimate thief.
Join a faction and gain special perks that improve your abilities to alter the environment, traverse obstacles, or craft traps.

STRETCН TRADITIONAL RPG BOUNDARIES

Stretch Goals will allow us innovate even further, adding companion creatures, co-op, user-crafted content, and more…
Crave the fellowship and a companion creature? Vote for the addition of a vorpal bunny or mini-brain.
Use the Underworld Builder Toolkit to craft your own corner of the Stygian Abyss, and share it with friends.
Need a fighter's prowess in combat, a mage's spell craft, or a thief's lock
pick skills? Invite a friend to join you online for a cut of the loot. All your
buddies' offline? Use a Doppelganger Gem to borrow a friend's character as an invulnerable ethereal companion AI. Afterward, your friend will receive a message, with video highlights and rewards.
Even more ambitious Stretch Goals will be revealed if our fans are up for taking the creative journey far.

Официальный сайт - https://www.underworldascendant.com

---
Regards,
Andrey Lappo
mailto:2:5020/2141.44@fidonet
--- wfido

Andrey Lappo написал(а) к All в Aug 16 23:08:07 по местному времени:

AL> История игр серии Ultima начинается в начале 80-х, когда Richard Garriott de Cayeux aka Lord British и компания Origin Systems выпустила первую часть. В дальнейшем, ставшие классикой однопользовательские игры той же студии с видом со стороны, выходили вплоть до конца 90-х, окончательно уступив многопользовательским сверхпопулярным за рубежом вариантам: (...)

На https://www.underworldascendant.com/news/index.php каждыйе несколько недель публикуются новости проекта. Например, о влиянии на сабж игр Ultima Underworld, Thief и System Shock (напомню - все они делались в т. ч. Warren Spector-ом), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StephenRussell (опять Thief, Fallout), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TerriBrosius (System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex) систему с неофициальным названием Looking Glass 2.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizardfolk, многовариантное выполнения квестов. Также можно ознакомиться с рассуждениями о творчестве, как риске, с одной стороны, и бизнесе, зарабатывании денег - с другой. И о частых перекосах в сфере создания игр в сторону последнего.

Единственное, что разработчики отметили в своих пабликах про эту страну, - "the Stygian Abyss. We looked at classical artists like Dore, 18th century impressionists, and even some surrealists out of Russia". На вопросы про локализацию на русский в обсуждениях на Steam и на официальном форуме ответов нет. Собственно, пока вообще ни о каких языках, кроме английского, конкретного ничего нет.

Заказать цифровую копию игры можно на https://underworldascendant.com/store/index.php или https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...rld-ascendant/ за $20 (~1300 р.).

---
Regards,
Andrey Lappo
mailto:2:5020/2141.44@fidonet
--- wfido