First, I am aware that there have already been multiple threads about Overgrowth, but very few of them contained a great deal of content in the OP and more often than not go months without any posts, resulting in yet another Overgrowth thread cropping up. My hope for this thread is to compile as much information about Overgrowth as is possible so as to avoid a new thread every few weeks. I will also update the OP with the newst alpha videos along with any notable development news.
[img]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r268/R-PUBGarabaldi/Overgrowth2011-10-1014-14-10-37.jpg[/img]
[b]Most Recent Alpha Video: a154[/b]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8tTVBXTzw0[/media]
[b]What is Overgrowth?[/b]
Overgrowth can be described most simply as ninja rabbit combat.. oh, and parkour - can't forget that. It is the spiritual successor to Lugaru, a game with the same basic premise released in 2005 that many people will have discovered through the Humble Indie bundle, which two of the guys at Wolfire helped organize. Lugaru was one of the first indie games to incorportate ragdoll physics and developed somewhat of a cult following - Overgrowth aims to expand and improve upon the fluid, deceptively-simple combat/parkour mechanics and scope of Lugaru.
[b]Who's developing it?[/b]
An independent studio called Wolfire comprised of only 4 guys -their website is [url=http://www.wolfire.com/]here[/url]. Most notably, Overgrowth is using a homebrewed engine (named Phoenix) and is being coded and maintained by essentially one person, a child prodigy of sorts named David Rosen. Apart from David, there's also Aubrey who does concept art and other art assets, including models and skins, Jeff, David's twin brother who works on the web development and the editor UI, (all the the editor pages are in fact web pages) and John who does PR.
After completing and releasing Lugaru, David was approached by companies like Crytek, Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Raven, none of which were aware he was only 16 at the time. He chose to decline those offers opting to go to college instead. There he coneived and began work on Lugaru 2, which would become the prototype for Overgrowth, but due to a large workload the project was scrapped before it was ever completed and released.
David was somewhat of a child prodigy, having developed his first basic 'game' when he was only 6.
[b]$30 seems like a lot to be charging for the game in its current state.[/b]
Wolfire doesn't want you to pay them $30 for an alpha - access to the alphas is simply an incentive to preorder, not the sole reason to. No, preorder if you like the work these guys are doing and want to support them. Remember, they're an indepdent company are are being completely funded by their fans - this allows them to work on the game full-time, much like a larger studio with infinitely more resources (a publisher, multiple departments, etc.), something WOlfire would not be able to do without the income afforded by preorders. Offering a preorder has allowed Overgrowth to become their full-time job, and if you like their vision, support them!
[b]Why rabbits?[/b]
Why not? John explains why they chose the aesthetic they did at around the 4-minute mark of the this video.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dHW5D-B97w[/media]
So, there are a number of reasons - namely novelty, avoiding the uncanny valley, having brutal and realistic depiction of violence against non-existing entities, and the ability to play off of the attributes we typically associate with animals (ie; rabbits most powerful move are their kicks, they can leap very high and have extremely good hearing - wolves on the other hand are extremely tough although not as agile - these expectations can be played with and refuted having some really cool gameplay implications.
Also, the world of Overgrowth is not only populated by rabbits! There are also wolves, dogs, cats, and rats, each with their own distinct culture, fighting style, and attributes.
[img]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r268/R-PUBGarabaldi/Overgrowth2011-10-1014-15-59-82.jpg[/img]
[b]Will there be multiplayer?[/b]
Almost certainly! The latest alpha video (posted ath the top of the OP) added splitscreen functionality, where one player uses the keyboard/mouse and the other uses the gamepad.
Dedicated multiplayer is in development, with co-op being the main focus, although PvP will of course be added as well if it is feasible to do so. [url=http://blog.wolfire.com/2009/01/multiplayer-news/]Initial multiplyer tests[/url] (without the combat engine) were successful. Given David's skill at coding, it certainly doesn't seem like it would be beyond his ability to add a functioning multiplayer component.
[b]Okay, but what will the gameplay of Overgrowth involve aside from beating the fuck out of rabbits? Why should I get excited?[/b]
Well, the hand-to-hand combat and parkour systems are the main attraction - it would be unfair to ask of Mount&Blade 'Well, what do I do besides going around cutting dudes down on my horse?'
Nothing, really, but that single gameplay element is what makes Mount&Blade - the dialogue, quest, and political systems are all very basic and exist simply as a means of placing the player in combat.
Similarly in Overgrowth, the main focus is the fluid and responsive combat system.
[quote][b]RPS: Tell me a bit more about what players will experience in Overgrowth? What will happen as I go around beating up dudebeasts?[/b]
Rosen: The game is generally broken down into missions, which usually involve beating up dudebeasts to some degree. For example, you might have to infiltrate a raider camp and retrieve something, and it’s up to you exactly how you’d like to do that. Usually there are a number of conflicting meta-objectives in action games, such as progressing the story, acquiring loot and upgrades, and getting achievements. In Overgrowth, we’re thinking of splitting these into different modes, so they don’t conflict. For example, the story mode would have series of missions with a continuous plot, the challenge mode would have missions that you need to beat in a specific way to demonstrate your skill, and the arena mode would have you fighting in matches as a gladiator, and acquiring new weapons, armor and skills.[/quote]
Overgrowth also comes with an editor much like Arma, but with even more fliexibility.
See some features here:
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taX4h3UajBc]Map Editor[/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RpqbC5-Z0E]Animation & Rigging Editor[/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kksmifosh0w]Sky Editor[/url]
[b]Mods?[/b]
The engine is incredibly flexible and easy to mod - that's been a priority since day 1 - Wolfire are excited to see how the community can add, expand, and reenvision their game, and people have already begun adding custom content early in the development cycle.
This WIP bear, for example.
[IMG]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r268/R-PUBGarabaldi/mdl_overgrowth_bear-01_anim_screenshot_15.png[/IMG]
Or this model of Konoko imported from Oni.
[IMG]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r268/R-PUBGarabaldi/OG_konoko1.jpg[/IMG]
[b]Alright, this game sounds at least [i]kind[/i] of cool, but.. but.. furries..[/b]
Yes, the characters are all anthropomorphic animals - that's all that needs to be said - unwad your panties from vag and realise there's no buttloving feature included or planned, so this shouldn't even be an issue. Did you ever worry about playing Banjo Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot, or Spyro as a kid? Would you purposely avoid reading Redwall or Maus? Yes, the animation editor WILL be abused by furries, and yes, this game will attract some, but who cares? I'll be doing crazy parkour and kung-fu shit on regular servers.
[b]Gameplay Videos:[/b]
[b]Overgrowth Combat (+Deus Ex OST)[/b]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKhPgABvjTM[/media]
[b]Parkour test course (made with the editor)[/b]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLeb-NWOrsQ[/media]
[b]Fighting 25 Bots (with a spear)[/b]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9RCSSWcR_o[/media]
Holy crap splitscreen. Always been interested in this game but now it looks great.
[QUOTE=iggy650;32837517]Holy crap splitscreen. Always been interested in this game but now it looks great.[/QUOTE]
It gets measurably better with each update - not only is the transparency of the development incredibly refreshing, but it's nice to be able to experience the changes David makes each week and see how they impact gameplay.
I know for me, one update had a hugely improved the overall quality and feel of the game, and it was only because it added two relatively small additions, those being gamepad support and procedual foot movement, which helps the characters stay in a fighting stance and makes the fights look more involved. Neither of those are enourmous or complicated features, but they had enourmous gameplay implications IMO, since the gamepad feels more natural for a fighting game like this than a keyboard/mouse combo (although the keyboard controls aren't at all awkward) and the fighting feels more fluid than ever.
I can't wait until dedicated multiplayer is added - that's when Overgrowth will really take off and start to appeal to more people - if Wolfire wants to see the same kind of success as companies like Mojang, Taleworlds, or Tripwire, they will need three things all of those companies flagship games featured, those being an interesting and unique multiplayer component, a flexible engine, and a community of people dedicated to creating custom content.
[QUOTE=Adam192;32838560]It gets measurably better with each update - not only is the transparency of the development incredibly refreshing, but it's nice to be able to experience the changes David makes each week and see how they impact gameplay. I know for me, one update had a hugely improved the overall quality and feel of the game, and it was only because it added two relatively small additions, those being gamepad support and procedual foot movement, which helps the characters stay in a fighting stance and makes the fights look more involved. Neither of those are enourmous or complicated features, but they had enourmous gameplay implications IMO, since the gamepad feels more natural for a fighting game like this than a keyboard/mouse combo (although the keyboard controls aren't at all awkward) and the fighting feels more fluid than ever. I can't wait until dedicated multiplayer is added - that's when Overgrowth will really take off and start to appeal to more people - if Wolfire wants to see the same kind of success as companies like Mojang, Taleworlds, or Tripwire, they will need three things all of those companies flagship games featured, those being an interesting and unique multiplayer component, a flexible engine, and a community of people dedicated to creating custom content.[/QUOTE] If they make all the races, "styles" and weapons available in MP, there's a very good chance they'll get a great following.
The combat looks amazing. And I like rabbits.
[QUOTE=27X;32840089]If they make all the races, "styles" and weapons available in MP, there's a very good chance they'll get a great following.[/QUOTE]
I'm sure that's a given - I can't think of any reason those things should be excluded, anyway. I would fully expect multiplayer to support custom scripts/objects/skins/models/animations/sounds etc. just like the singleplayer component.
That's just speculation at this point, of course, but like I said in my previous post, Overgrowth will have to follow the example of Minecraft and Mount & Blade by providing a unique multiplayer experience and a flexible engine that allows the community to expand upon the game with their own custom content if they want to experience the same kind of success - I'm sure Wolfire is fully aware of this, and they've already got the malleable engine, and it seems multiplayer implementation is getting closer and closer as this local multiplayer acts as a prototype.
I can see preorders skyrocketing once even a basic dedicated multiplayer framework is implemented.. but only time will tell how far in the future that will be.
Funfact: The lead programmer once had to turn down a job offer from a game company because he was only in the 5th grade.
[QUOTE=Cuon Alpinus;32851179]Funfact: The lead programmer once had to turn down a job offer from a game company because he was only in the 5th grade.[/QUOTE]
Almost. David got his start programming around the age of 6, but it wasn't until he was in high school that he started receiving offers from sutdios like Crytek and Blizzard.
[url]http://blog.wolfire.com/2008/09/team-introduction-david/[/url]
[quote]I remember when David and I were maybe six or seven, we really liked the game Monkey Island. We wrote a letter to LucasArts saying how much we loved their game and we really wanted to work for them. LucasArts of course said "thanks, but no thanks". I think that's what got us started in computer programming. Ironically, in high school and college, David started getting job offers from a number of companies: namely, Blizzard, Ubisoft, Raven, and Crytek. No LucasArts :(. Of course, they did not know that David was ~16 at the time.[/quote]
I'd say it's a good thing he didn't take those offers, too - otherwise his talent would be be wasted on somebody elses creative vision, which would almost certainly be 'generic FPS #3457'.
[QUOTE=Adam192;32852069]Almost. David got his start programming around the age of 6, but it wasn't until he was in high school that he started receiving offers from sutdios like Crytek and Blizzard.
[url]http://blog.wolfire.com/2008/09/team-introduction-david/[/url]
I'd say it's a good thing he didn't take those offers, too - otherwise his talent would be be wasted on somebody elses creative vision, which would almost certainly be 'generic FPS #3457'.[/QUOTE]
No, in one of the interviews he was in (it was posted in the other thread, I believe) he claimed to have had one job offer in the fifth grade.
Is the story going to play out like Lugaru? I didn't like the way it progressed, I'm hoping for a more open world.
I've had this game since the [url=http://www.wolfire.com/pack]Overgrowth / NS2 Bundle[/url] (Existing pre-orders (Either the special edition or normal can't remember) got both games when they made the bundle) but I haven't really touched it until yesterday.
It's an interesting and confusing game, but that's probably because of its different mechanics.
Though It's always priceless to do a front-flip then break your neck by mistake.
Hope they make a playable multiplayer function soon, would be awesome to play with others.
I love the ideas these guys have for every feature, like the blood system.
[QUOTE=Cuon Alpinus;32867254]No, in one of the interviews he was in (it was posted in the other thread, I believe) he claimed to have had one job offer in the fifth grade.[/QUOTE]
Interesting - if anybody could find that interview I'd love to read it. I wouldn't be that surprised either since he started programming when he was like 6. Dude is definitely a savant.
[QUOTE=Pat.Lithium;32867288]Is the story going to play out like Lugaru? I didn't like the way it progressed, I'm hoping for a more open world.[/QUOTE]
It will progress in a similar fashion to Lugaru. The aim is to have a ~10-hour singleplayer campaign, and then a challenge mode (like Lugaru) and an arena mode (like the one that was recently added to The Witcher 2.) plus the multiplayer component. Obviously the presentation in Lugaru was a little weak, but you can't expect much more from a game he developed completely by himself when he was like 15. Every other area of Overgrowth is an immense improvement over Lugaru and I would expect the storytelling and narrative progression and presentation to receive similar treatment.
[url]http://blog.wolfire.com/2009/02/overgrowth-faq/#q5[/url]
[quote][b]Will Overgrowth be an open world game?[/b]
Many people have asked this, and everyone seems to have a slightly different definition of what an "open world" is. You can expect the Overgrowth single-player campaign to be fairly linear like Lugaru with hopefully a few major decisions along the way to spice things up.[/quote]
The engine can render pretty large maps, but nothing large enough for an open-world game. Of course there are things that are sometimes initially thought to be too hard for an engine to do, but after years of development workarounds and opitmizations are sometimes found.
Complete modding kit AND multiplayer? I remember Lugaru was fun, definitely preordering this. Glad to see it's under the care of such a good indie developer.
Oh man, the game uses .obj files, I can save models in that format from any program I use.
No 500 different buggy conversion processes to get a single model in-game (Source).
Maybe I can finally "Mod" something.
Furries are people who dig animal human things, not the animals themselves. Just an FYI, I actually think the animal characteristics adds a lot to the game.
Still really looking forward to future updates, there hasn't been a single new update that I haven't enjoyed checking out.
[QUOTE=ZestyLemons;32886035]Furries are people who dig animal human things, not the animals themselves. Just an FYI, I actually think the animal characteristics adds a lot to the game.
Still really looking forward to future updates, there hasn't been a single new update that I haven't enjoyed checking out.[/QUOTE]
It just seems so ridiculous to me that this is even a point of contention and that it's impossible to mention Overgrowth without somebody talking about furries. I think it makes it easy to spot people that desperately need to spend less time on the Internet, because when I look at this game all I see is unique gameplay and interesting features - I also understand that it's a fantasy universe with it's own logic and aesthetic, so I have no fucking clue how people make the leap from 'there's humanoid animals in this game' to 'the developer wants to fuck animals and this game is an extension of that desire - this means I can't enjoy it.'
And yes, Overgrowth updates are the only redeeming quality of Monday's. Or is he releasing them on Sunday's now?
Anyway, here's a video I didn't link to in the OP - another nice showcase of the combat, this time against multiple enemies.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT3rD3JSFLc[/media]
And another.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w7lSEi1Z8o[/media]
Fighting multiple opponents is not as easy as that video makes it look btw - actually, even one opponent is quite difficult as of now - the AI are set to beat a good player about 50% of the time currently. Depending on how you get hit/what surface you fall on you can get killed with one hit.
[QUOTE=Adam192;32887068]
Fighting multiple opponents is not as easy as that video makes it look btw - actually, even one opponent is quite difficult as of now - the AI are set to beat a good player about 50% of the time currently. Depending on how you get hit/what surface you fall on you can get killed with one hit.[/QUOTE]
Fighting 1 is fairly easy, except for the occasional neck-snapping kick.
Fighting 2 is manageable, but you gotta be alert
Fighting 3 is nearly impossible. Everyone just kicks you at the same time, juggling your body between all the kicks breaking every bone possible.
[editline]Why are you reading this[/editline]
Also I made a pillar
[img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4249868/pillar.PNG[/img]
[QUOTE=afromana;32888178]Fighting 1 is fairly easy, except for the occasional neck-snapping kick.
Fighting 2 is manageable, but you gotta be alert
Fighting 3 is nearly impossible. Everyone just kicks you at the same time, juggling your body between all the kicks breaking every bone possible.
Also I made a pillar
[/QUOTE]
I find fighting even one fairly difficult - it seems like I can win roughly 50% of the time, but even then sometimes I'll have a terrible streak of getting my ass handed to me 4 or 5 times in a row. Those fucking legsweeps, man.. I can NEVER pull them off (always get blocked or hit mid-attack) but I get hit by them all the goddamn time. Can't figure out the timing, since they seem to be the slowest attack.
But fighting against multiple opponents has definitely improved with the last few releases - enemies used to group up and attack you at the same time, so fighting more than one was ridiculously hard - still difficult, but at least now they leave a little bit of space between each other instead of bunching up and trying to hit you from the same location.
Easiest way to fight multiple opponents is to just spam the legcannon attack - obviously that's an exploit, because as of now they have no counter for it. I wonder how that will be adressed? Either they'll be able to block it or perform it themselves. It's especially obvious in the video of the guy fighting the 25 bots with a spear.
Also you can change the settings/resolution in the config.txt in 'My Documents/Wolfire/Overgrowth/Data' - not sure if you knew that or if those are the only settings that are playable for you.
Either way, at least yours doesn't look like [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc2we1i5loo]this[/url] - it's funny because that guy has videos of GTA IV running on high but obviously didn't realise you could alter the settings in the config file.
What I love about this is how these guys manage to put so much goddamn stuff in one patch. Per week.
It's fucking insane.
I haven't bought this, but I love Lugaru, so Overgrowth is a sure purchase.
I am definitely going to buy this game, it looks so awesome
Ok, so I tried it out and did anyone else get the problem where you couldn't attack at all?
[QUOTE=doom1337;32901118]Ok, so I tried it out and did anyone else get the problem where you couldn't attack at all?[/QUOTE]
Make sure you spawned enemy rabbits
Yeah, you can't attak unless you're close enough to an enemy NPC.
Just spawn a rabbit guard, or, if your testicles are feeling especially large, a wolf - if you still can't attack, well, then that's weird - ask on the SPF.
Saw your post in the 'How did you find out about Overgrowth' thread btw. Looks like at least one other person from Facepunch also found out about Overgrowth through this thread as well - good stuff.
Also, only 2 more days until a new build. Every Monday is like Christmas morning - it's always exciting to see what new features he's implemented, and this will certainly a welcome addition - should expand upon the stealth a little bit more. Next thing we need are some dagger animations the the ability to slit somebody's throat from behind.
Also more than one walking speed for the NPC's - kind of like Arma's 'Safe/Aware/iforgetwhatelsethereis' waypoint options.
[IMG]http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r268/R-PUBGarabaldi/Untitled-1.jpg[/IMG]
I wonder if he'll give us any forewarning before actual multiplayer is implemented, or if suddenly one alpha just begins with something along the lines of 'This week I added functional dedicated multiplayer and...'
..then preorders increase tenfold before he's even finished the sentence.
I want this game inside me.
I am going to preorder this and Skyrim when I get more money.
"Yeah, the past week I've implemented multiplayer on over LAN, a new state of awareness for NPCs, but you know, whatever"
[sp]lol[/sp]
Downloading the alpha right now.. can't wait to play the shit out of it and probably not get a lot of sleep for work in the morning :)
i hope he adds coop
everything is better with coop
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