a good and a bad news

[jack1974]

Bad news first! After trying a bit, I realized I cannot find an easy way to transfer the characters from the first game to the second. Not really because the tool I'm using doesn't allow it, but because there was a big upgrade right when I was coding the game, so if I try to add new stuff now at the end of the game to do the transfer, when you load the savegame at the end of the game, doesn't work
I can rebuild the game so that NEW players can transfer the characters, but everyone who played the first versions would be left behind (unless someone is so brave to replay the game from scratch!). So at this point I am not sure is worth it (next games won't have this problem since I won't need to do a big engine upgrade WHILE coding it!).
So what will happen? at beginning of the expansion, you'll be automatically leveled up to level 25, the maximum you could reach in the old game, so you can assign several skills (could even be fun to reconfigure your party this way!).
The good news is that the artist finished the new characters hair-styles and is working on the CGs and soon on the new enemies. The background artist is also starting to work on new backgrounds and the battle map, so... yes things are finally moving!
Don't want to make any estimate releases but between Loren RPG, Undead Lily and Planet Stronghold: Warzone, one of those three will be out this fall!

[Carmentis]

As far as level transferring and such, I never really expect that to transfer. I'm used to that type of things not transferring like with Mass Effect. What's important to me is my decisions and love interest. I don't think anyone really minds the leveling thing as long as the enemies are still manageable. Love interest (in a continuing series) are a touchy subject cause that requires all that art. Yes, you get attached to a character (like Alistair & Fenris from Dragon Age, Garrus from Mass Effect) and wish to be with them in your continued adventure but.. on one hand I would love to have that love interest in at least another game along with the option to change but that requires a lot more plot/text and art to accompany that along with new love interests for people just coming in the series. I just wouldn't want to go the 'Conan' route and have a love interest in every town and not a permanent one. That's why if you continue a hero it should probably one be for one more game in the series the start with another hero. My goodness I really went on about that didn't I.

I'm very happy to hear about the artist! I had to gush to her on her deviant art account and seem some DIM art, I can't wait for that to! Did you decide if your going to have the risque art in it as well or at least the toggle option? She can do some very, very sexy art.

[jack1974]

I'm very happy to hear about the artist! I had to gush to her on her deviant art account and seem some DIM art, I can't wait for that to! Did you decide if your going to have the risque art in it as well or at least the toggle option? She can do some very, very sexy art.

Well I have a small poll on my FB page and so far most people seems to prefer more risque stuff, though as always the best is to make everything an option so everyone can decide based on his own tastes. And yes I know she can do some very sexy art

[Carmentis]

Indeed. Although a game without need that option you could focus on more pictures of that type but for the people playing the game if say, their child or company comes over and their not comfortable showing people that they play games like that or don't want to expose their children to that then I understand. I just don't get how they could let their children play a game where you kill things and you see blood and guts but the human form is 'horrible'.

[SpectralTime]

It's the American way. Just as most Europeans are much more relaxed about sex, but much more sensitive to violence, so the average American is much more okay with violence (to a point) and much more cautious about sexuality. Individual results may vary, but that's just the way it is.

[jack1974]

Yes exactly as SpectralTime said. I have a friend doing a zombie MMO that is total splatter, blood, etc and nobody bothers him, and many teenager play his game, mostly from US

[Carmentis]

I'm from America and actually work at a game store and it still amazes me what parents let their kids play. I mean, to paraphrase a customer 'So he doesn't kill people, just aliens? Oh, then that's okay, as long as their not people.' I'd feel sorry for ET if he ever met that kid.

Indeed, I could imagine fully the zombie gory MMO being a huge hit with teenagers. The more body parts flying around I be the more popular will become ..but add a kissing scene or something even 'more' risque and the parents would be all over him to shut it down or something.

[Jim1958]

Hello, I wonder if it would not be better to increase the size of "Planet Stronghold - Warzone" and make it a completely new game, not an add on. It looks to me like a continuation is an impossibility anyway. You could build on the success of Planet Stronghold and make some improvements

*Especially improve the story. during planet stronghold we never really found out anything about "Nelson the ancestor". We heard he was a hero but never about what he was a hero for. Nor did we ever find out what his morals were or what he stood for. I found that really not knowing anything about the great hero weakened the story telling, didn't have any effect on the gameplay though. I'm not trying to be overly critical but just thinking that you could really tie up some loose ends with a new release.*

If you are going to have to go to all kinds of work to balance the game from the beginning because the levels will be too high, then maybe just start over at level one and work from there. The character can be in a new situation which requires a new type of training or you could jump a little to the future and have the characters be the children of the heroes from the first game.

Best Regards
Jim

[jack1974]

Well, the game is actually going to be almost a stand-alone game. Indeed I could probably avoid saying "expansion", since it's nothing like a DLC or a short game, not really. The fact is that I want to make something a bit different: there will be a story, quests and so on, but the main gameplay will also involve a giant strategic map where you'll also need to take tactical decisions. I have yet to refine the gameplay, but I was thinking something like moving troops, building stuff, collecting resources. Then there would be of course the battles and a plot to follow.
I will probably make a full RPG sequel maybe next year, but as always depends mostly on the artist speed/availability. Right now she is working on stuff for the game but for example while I like the idea of controlling the children of the characters of the first game, I would need to ask artist redraw several more, and I think would take too much time, unless I change artist (but I really like her and I think is great for this kind of setting).

[pysali]

So will it be a hybrid dlc/expansion/stand alone? Will there still be a patch or DLC included so that people can replay the original game with the additional romances or will that have to be scrapped in favor of the expansion/stand alone? I'm not gonna lie I fangirl Joshua/Shiler to crazy degrees and am still holding some secret hopes for Jacob/Lisa, Lucille/Joshua, but I understand if retroactively adding them to the original isn't feasible any longer.