Castlevania Dungeon Forums

The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => Fan Stuff => Topic started by: piscesdreams on February 26, 2015, 03:59:02 PM

Title: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on February 26, 2015, 03:59:02 PM
UPDATED 7/15/2017:

The below info is outdated and a new version of Anathema is in development.  You will find this thread evolves over time into the new version, and it has been left intact so that the evolution of the game is documented.  You can grab the demo at any of the following links:

STEAM
http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/ (http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/)

INDIEDB
http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema/downloads (http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema/downloads)

ITCH.IO
https://esperware.itch.io/anathema (https://esperware.itch.io/anathema)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
https://www.anathemagame.com/ (https://www.anathemagame.com/)

NEW TRAILER


----OLD VERSION----

Hello everyone,

After working endlessly for the last 4 months, it is time to officially unveil what I have been working on.


(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathema%2520Graphic.jpg&hash=176af7cff7c2d0b9bc55b4371e53eec9)

---TRAILER---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4Rw7HxyEU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4Rw7HxyEU)

---OFFICIAL SITE---
http://www.anathemagame.com (http://www.anathemagame.com)

---STORY---
During the late 14th century, the angel of death, Azrael - fell out of favor with God and launched a campaign to create an army using the souls he was meant to deliver for judgement. He unleashed a terrible plague that devastated millions, giving him the souls he needed to wage war on humanity. During this time, a rancher and squire named Corbin Delacroix endeavored on a quest to slay the fallen angel. He was successful in his task, and with the angel of death destroyed, Corbin inherited the powers of Azrael. He journeyed throughout the continent, liberating the souls that were once under Azrael's dark spell.

Many years passed, and Corbin's divine task began to take a toll on his body. A cult led by a vampire sorceress named Aeron sought to restore power to Azrael saw their opportunity, and killed the weakened Corbin. However, Corbin's powers transferred into his next of blood - his daughter, Aurora.

Now, using the deathly angelic powers she has inherited, alongside the whip her father crafted from the bones of Azrael, she seeks out to avenge the death of her father - and slay the resurrected angel once and for all.



---GAMEPLAY---
Developed using a custom platform engine, players will use a gamepad (designed for Xbox 360 gamepads) to traverse stages in various settings, using multiple subweapons with special powers and her whip to swing across chasms and slay enemies. Players can expect classic platformer action with modern graphics and sound running at 1080p 60fps.



---SCREENSHOTS---
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot1.jpg&hash=3a798f27128e11e00b309a212b814bd1)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot2.jpg&hash=4991dd2638b086df4dc8149592ecb181)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot3.jpg&hash=c65ce4bcfc3b94037bf41f25453e306c)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot4.jpg&hash=0c72cc23b8d834b4445e0c5b515461aa)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot5.jpg&hash=d16a10afb92a75115e25196b2740a8b8)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot6.jpg&hash=3bd5be7078529184abadad905224f42e)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot7.jpg&hash=c14b7d41842355c4b5347186969940c1)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathemaScreenshot8.jpg&hash=b03b44dbe69ad2850730e2f60c539e58)


---THE BIG IDEA---
I have always loved the Castlevania series, in both the classicvania and metroidvania incarnations. The problem is, Konami has not issued a new Classicvania style game since 2009's Castlevania - The Adventure Rebirth. That was almost 6 years ago. Some may abhor the fact that I am trying to somewhat make it feel like Castlevania. I make no contest that this game is heavily inspired by the aforementioned title, but my whole heart is in the fact that Konami has left the Classic/Metroidvania styles out to dry for quite some time now. My hope is that fans of the series will enjoy this game, if nothing else, to tide us over until Konami issues an official 2D Castlevania.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FTeaser1.jpg&hash=b4276b53730e5f49e8deab9b2fac1621)

So there you have it. Anathema in a nutshell. I hope that you all will look forward to this project as it develops.
Presently, there is an alpha demo that is being polished, and will be at the 2015 GDC, but until it is further developed and I launch the Steam Greenlight campaign, it isn't available for download yet.

Thanks, everybody for reading!
If you want to keep up with the project, you can like my page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/esperware (http://www.facebook.com/esperware) and Twitter @esperware

-Matt
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on February 26, 2015, 04:07:40 PM
This looks phenomenal, pisces. I'll be Greenlighting and sharing the fuck out of this.

Happy belated birthday, by the way.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on February 26, 2015, 10:34:52 PM
Wow! This game looks beautiful!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Chernabogue on February 26, 2015, 11:14:27 PM
Looks very promising, nice job. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on February 27, 2015, 05:10:55 AM
Pisces,

Long time no hear! Didn't know you were into 3D?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: uzo on February 27, 2015, 06:26:17 AM
Going for the cheesy 90's look?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Donvermicelli on February 27, 2015, 07:26:00 AM
I love what I'm seeing, I will greenlight this for sure :)

One remark though: In screenshot two I notice how you used the classic 2D stairs scheme. While nothing is wrong with it I do find that for 'realism' sake the bottom sloped part underneath the stairs to be a bit thin.

Might just be me nitpicking at stuff though  :P
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on February 27, 2015, 09:46:21 AM
This game still has some time to be finalized. I definitely want to play this when it's available.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on February 27, 2015, 10:31:03 AM
Going for the cheesy 90's look?

You say that like it's a bad thing. ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: SabinFigaro on February 27, 2015, 05:45:26 PM
Quaaack! Wow..this looks freakin phenomenal. I can't wait to try this. I enjoyed bloodletting a lot. But this looks like it's in a whole different category.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on February 27, 2015, 07:32:45 PM
Hi everyone.

Thanks everybody for viewing, commenting and giving feedback. It is much appreciated.


@Dracula9
Thanks! Any help spreading the word is always much appreciated! Thanks for the birthday wishes! Long time no see, how have you been?

@Shiroi Koumori
Thanks a ton! I wanted to opt for a pixel art style, but I just can't get it down. There are some things I will improve on, as the game is still in alpha. For example, I am going to revamp the ascending stairs animation as it has always looked kind of stiff to me. Glad you dig it!

@Chernabogue
Thanks! It's still early, but it can only get better. :)

@darkmanx_429
How have ya been man!? Long time indeed. I've been getting into 3D for a while. It's really fun actually. A bit daunting at first, but after a while it starts to flow a bit. How's your game coming?

@uzo
The 90's was a great decade. I'll take that as a compliment. :)

@Donvermicelli
Thanks! Feedback is always welcome. I'm sure I'll be tweaking and polishing a lot to what you see since this is just the alpha that you are seeing. Nitpicking is always welcome. Sometimes people might see things that I don't, and as a fan, building a game for us fans to enjoy, things like this need to be said.

@X
Definitely some time for finalization. What you see here took about 4 months of animating, designing, programming, etc. The only thing I haven't been handling is the music, which a close friend of mine has been scoring the soundtrack.

@SabinFigaro
Ha! I kept thinking "what to put on the logo screen"...couldn't think of anything so I put a duck there in Bloodletting. Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad that you dig it!



Again, I appreciate everyone taking the time to view and comment. Feedback is always welcome, so feel free to message or e-mail your questions, thoughts and opinions. I'm always listening. Just bear in mind the game is in alpha and not everything is set in stone.

As a show of thanks for everyone's replies, here's an early render of Aurora!
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAuroraNewRender.png&hash=178bc28c30d9b4c47663a94be2e7216e)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: C Belmont on February 27, 2015, 07:47:03 PM
Looks promising, I like how you have used 3d models to create a lot of your artwork I plan on trying that out myself some day.
I do have a few constructive comments I'd like to make though.

At the moment it looks very cobbled together and inconsistent, my suggestion is that you should consider diving into texturing and shaders a little more so that you can make all your assets look like they belong together and maybe even consider going for a slightly more stylised look especially if you want to include stairs that look just like the classic games and that sort of thing because they will stick out a lot less if everything else is a bit stylised too. changing up your textures will also help to make it less obvious that your using Daz Studio/Poser models and give the game it it's own unique feel at the same time.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on February 27, 2015, 07:58:38 PM
The slightly plastic look and textures both on characters and on stage models are giving me a kickass Killer Instinct vibe.
I say this as a compliment.  Totally 90's.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.game-art-hq.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FB.-Orchid-Killer-Instinct-2.jpg&hash=aea4aff189aa5b86bcb8226891801c52)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on February 27, 2015, 09:25:04 PM
There better be a knight that looks like Fulgore.  8)

I've been good, brother. My long burnout on programming is finally starting to ease up, and productivity is looking to renew itself. So I'm excited to pick back up on projects that have sadly gathered dust the past year and a half.

Also, I can understand uzo's perspective, and I will say that generally some of the animations look a bit stiff. Obviously it's still early, so I won't make a big call just yet, but I do want to put that out there. However, I'm totally behind the 90s CG look. It's most definitely an outdated and largely obsolete look, but then again so are NES-styled games, and people still flock to 8-bit stuff like moths to a flame. It has its own magic, and since I grew up playing Killer Instinct and Blood Omen and watching shit like Cyberspace, I most definitely have an affinity for it and am behind it 100%.

The only gripe really is the stilted animation, that'd be the only thing I'd suggest to maybe work on. I already know the music will rock and gameplay will be stellar.  ;)

EDIT: One more thing, not a huge deal but I feel the need to mention it, I feel like the chainmail stockings could do with shading on the sides. With how good the rest of her looks, the sudden flatness feels a bit off.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on February 27, 2015, 09:26:06 PM
Visually the game reminds me of a one of those Sega CD games with the FMV models. Those visuals are a hit or miss for me, that and the animations look kinda stiff.

Gameplay on the other hand looks solid tho. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 03, 2015, 03:24:01 PM
Hello everyone,

Once again, thank you for all the feedback.

@C Belmont - The intention is to actually hire a highly capable 3d artist who will be able to model some original content for the game on an advanced level. Some things I have actually textured myself, but I would like to do more in personalizing. I'm no expert at Maya, so Daz was a very helpful tool in creating a lot of assets.

@Jorge D. Fuentes - Thanks for the compliment! I love me some Killer Instinct, and I have a special place in my heart for pre-rendered graphics. Though I wanted to originally use pixel art, I just can't cut it.

@Dracula9 - Ha! The last thing I need is for Microsoft to come at me for any Fulgorish similarities, but it's fun to think about. What engine(s) have you been working with? I've said it in another thread, but I agree on some of the stiff animations. Some animations were using motion capture, some were hand animated. Animations will be more fluid in the future. I had to put everything together to make the 2015 GDC. While the CG look is outdated, I think it has its own charm too. I agree, if 8 bit games are still around, why not pre-rendered? But I get that 8 bit is a larger nostalgia boner for most folks. But the 90s had some awesome pre-rendered games. The music is actually being scored by a close friend of mine and is all original. I think that it captures a small bit of the CV vibe, but is different enough. The chainmail is kind of a work in progress at the moment. To be honest, I'm not even fully sold on her overall design.

@Kingshango - Are you thinking like the Sega CD Dracula? I think the graphics and animations are all WIP's. The main focus has been the engine, gameplay and fun factor. I spend a lot of time working on level design, enemies and their abilities, player abilities and finetuning all kinds of things. When I made Bloodletting, I used a pre-made platformer function in MMF2 and it was a mistake, I should have used a custom platformer engine like I am now that I have built. The premade platformer engine led to all kinds of bugs that when working on fixing, I lost my source files (before the days of cloud services being popular), and being unemployed at the time I couldn't afford an external HD. Konami issued a cease and desist at the end of 2009 anyway. A big gripe (understandably) was also the backflip in Bloodletting. So I took what I heard from folks and have been really focusing on a solid, reliable engine that is fun and feels good to control.



If you are in the San Francisco area attending the 2015 Game Developers Conference, Anathema will be fully playable at booth #736. I won't be there myself, as much as I wanted to be, but if you're in the area, check it out!

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Here is a higher res look at the model used for the in-game sprites of Aurora. Again, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not fully sold on her design and it is subject to change.
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAurora%2520Concept%25201.jpg&hash=9dc462a8c92ad8228207d0a4da08595b)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on March 03, 2015, 04:04:41 PM
Props for going to GDC dude! You gotta tell me all about it!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on March 07, 2015, 06:55:44 AM
What engine don't I use at this point? I've got my own particular ones, but there's a lot of hodge-podge of stuff I've studied and learned techniques from other engines on that have all melded nicely. :)

I think the only part of her design that's irking me is what appears to be a platemail miniskirt. Can't say I'm a fan of that bit, it feels kinda like it's trying too hard to fit in with the rest of the outfit. Maybe a samurai-esque thighguard on one side and a longer dust skirt or something on the other?

I dunno, the miniskirt's aesthetically bugging the crap out of me for whatever reason. Can't really put my finger on it.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 07, 2015, 11:15:05 AM
Props for going to GDC dude! You gotta tell me all about it!

I'm wondering myself! I couldn't be there myself, but Clickteam had their booth and it was one of the games being shown. We shall see.


What engine don't I use at this point? I've got my own particular ones, but there's a lot of hodge-podge of stuff I've studied and learned techniques from other engines on that have all melded nicely. :)

I think the only part of her design that's irking me is what appears to be a platemail miniskirt. Can't say I'm a fan of that bit, it feels kinda like it's trying too hard to fit in with the rest of the outfit. Maybe a samurai-esque thighguard on one side and a longer dust skirt or something on the other?

I dunno, the miniskirt's aesthetically bugging the crap out of me for whatever reason. Can't really put my finger on it.

Fair enough. She originally wore pants, but I decided a skirt would pay a bit more homage to the ye old Belmonts.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on March 07, 2015, 06:49:40 PM
FWIW I love the miniskirt thingie. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on March 07, 2015, 08:52:30 PM
I'm not saying to put her in pants or anything, just that the existing thing is a bit TOO short IMO.

But like I said, I honestly can't pinpoint why exactly it bugs me, so take it with a grain of salt.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on March 07, 2015, 10:22:34 PM
Yeah, I like the miniskirt too :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 12, 2015, 05:40:27 PM
Before I fix her stiff walking up the stairs animation, everyone soak in that her rump is totally peeking through. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on March 12, 2015, 05:42:26 PM
Well she's in a very short skirt so that's to be expected.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on March 12, 2015, 07:23:12 PM
Before I fix her stiff walking up the stairs animation, everyone soak in that her rump is totally peeking through. :)

Your priorities are in the right places sir. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 16, 2015, 05:25:28 PM
Just an update that the official web site is now up for any that may want to check it out.

http://www.anathemagame.com (http://www.anathemagame.com)

Also, feel free to follow the game on Twitter @esperware
Some really cool stuff coming soon ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on March 17, 2015, 03:28:16 AM
There is nothing wrong with the skirt.
Try removing the extra light grey stocking thingy. Show more thigh.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 22, 2015, 03:57:13 PM
I just added a press kit to the official site at www.anathemagame.com (http://www.anathemagame.com).

It might be interesting to some, as it has a taste of some of the music, some unseen concept art, a better look at the sprites and more.



And for the sake of it (as sad as it is that I feel I have to do this), since it has seemingly been an issue for others, the content of the Anathema website (including music, sprites and all other content) is not for use except for the sake of press. Sprites and music may not be used for games, art or any other medium besides press.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on March 22, 2015, 04:50:33 PM

And for the sake of it (as sad as it is that I feel I have to do this), since it has seemingly been an issue for others, the content of the Anathema website (including music, sprites and all other content) is not for use except for the sake of press. Sprites and music may not be used for games, art or any other medium besides press.

Pretty good starter site.

Also on the side note, nothing wrong with that at all.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 22, 2015, 05:12:34 PM
It is all WIP, but I felt it needed to be added now. I can't wait to show what's next in the game. It's different, fresh, but about 18 years old ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on March 22, 2015, 11:56:50 PM
Quote
And for the sake of it (as sad as it is that I feel I have to do this), since it has seemingly been an issue for others, the content of the Anathema website (including music, sprites and all other content) is not for use except for the sake of press. Sprites and music may not be used for games, art or any other medium besides press.

You're absolutely entitled to this. This is your game, it's your idea, and the original assets are yours too. I understand completely so no worries here bro  :)

On a side-note I also see nothing wrong with your character's outfit. It kinda reminds me of this one. Just not as exposed;

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hardcoregaming101.net%2FJPNcomputers%2FRusty%2520PC98.jpg&hash=3af2e56b1fc34d62a067042b389238b2)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 23, 2015, 03:37:01 PM
On a side-note I also see nothing wrong with your character's outfit. It kinda reminds me of this one. Just not as exposed;

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hardcoregaming101.net%2FJPNcomputers%2FRusty%2520PC98.jpg&hash=3af2e56b1fc34d62a067042b389238b2)

Wow, that's pretty awesome. I just looked the game up, I might have to play this some time.

I was somewhat shooting for a bit of a Sonia Belmont vibe with her outfit. At times I've felt like it needs some color, but then there are times where I don't feel that way. It stands out nicely against the backdrops, which I feared it would blend in and be hard to see.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on March 23, 2015, 05:56:59 PM
Quote
Wow, that's pretty awesome. I just looked the game up, I might have to play this some time.

Well if you're ever up for a classicvania challenge, Rusty will give it to ya without fail.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 28, 2015, 06:31:34 PM
Well if you're ever up for a classicvania challenge, Rusty will give it to ya without fail.

I checked it out, it's actually pretty fun for what it is. I need to also check out the Lecarde Chronicles too it seems.


I have made a quick new video of some of the gameplay up to the sub-boss, some things are still needing to be revamped like the stairs animation, but the whip swing has been updated, as well as other minor things.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKZKhtawzeI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKZKhtawzeI)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on March 29, 2015, 10:35:55 AM
Awesome build! I'd say that's well past an alpha build. The whip swinging looks good. No issues there. However her body is still a bit stiff on the stair-climbing though it does look improved since the last vid you showed us. If you have her shoulders and arms move a bit more when she's ascending or descending it will look more natural. But it still looks impressive! Don't quite!  :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 29, 2015, 10:49:33 AM
Awesome build! I'd say that's well past an alpha build. The whip swinging looks good. No issues there. However her body is still a bit stiff on the stair-climbing though it does look improved since the last vid you showed us. If you have her shoulders and arms move a bit more when she's ascending or descending it will look more natural. But it still looks impressive! Don't quite!  :D

Thanks! I haven't actually revamped the stairs animation yet, it's coming though. I've just been focusing on engine stability, polish and what not. I did change the whip swinging though. I wish that I had a pc kinect to motion capture all my own animations, some of these have been hand animated and it is all trial and error. But glad you dig it!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on March 29, 2015, 10:51:49 AM
The new clip looks good, keep it up. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on March 29, 2015, 10:52:12 AM
Quote
But glad you dig it!

And why not? You're succeeding where Konami is failing.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 29, 2015, 11:36:58 AM
If people play it and say to themselves "finally, something like classic Castlevania" then it's all worth it. Though, I won't lie, I hope it passes Steam Greenlight.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 05, 2015, 08:20:29 PM
WIP concept. Still working on the lighting, poses, etc.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on April 05, 2015, 10:36:30 PM
Lookin' good  ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: TheCruelAngel on April 09, 2015, 05:12:59 PM
You have my vote for Greenlight, this looks pretty great and I love that throwback styling with the pre-rendered CGI sprites (like Rare/Blizzard used to do). Music was pretty jammin' in the trailer too. I'm also really diggin' the MC's design, you just can't go wrong with absolute (http://www.reddit.com/r/ZettaiRyouiki/) territory (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFZKgf5WG0g).
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on April 09, 2015, 08:44:00 PM
Can I share that video on the BookofFaces?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on April 09, 2015, 09:35:08 PM
Question, pisces.

Is there a purpose or in-universe reason for the bird swarms? I feel like they're a bit overdone, and the effect loses some of its charm.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 10, 2015, 05:48:10 AM
@TheCruelAngel - thanks! I wish I could share more of the soundtrack, what my friend has done actually has exceeded my expectations. I am at work but I will have to check that song out this afternoon! I read its description and lol'd

@Jorge - Please, by all means, share like no tomorrow!

@Dracula9 - Yes, there is. Since this game is all about the main villain being Azrael, the angel of death, crows represent death in several cultures. When you first play the game, Azrael is in command of them. After you play the prologue and it sets up the story, you learn that the main character you play as, Aurora has inherited the powers  of the angel of death and now you have command over the crows. The reason they are flocking everywhere is because Azrael has returned, and they are guiding the player to once again slay their former master.

Plus, bats would have been too on the nose. However, they will still play a role with the vampire sorceress that leads a cult that worships Azrael.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on April 10, 2015, 07:44:24 AM
Ah, that makes sense.

Even so, using the same set for every instance really does take away from it, IMO. Maybe have differently-sized flocks, some far off in the distance here and there?

Also, I didn't notice this until I watched the newest video and saw the stair climb, but damn man you think you gave her enough booty?  8)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 10, 2015, 08:32:19 AM
I considered adding more in the distance of concept arts but didnt. There are different size flocks in the first part of the game.

Ah yes...dat booty. It was actually unintentional for it to show so much, but since it is stairs and how the lega bend thats why. Though it may be less visible when I have a revamped animation I like.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on April 10, 2015, 10:04:57 AM
Nothing wrong with booty. Besides she's in a really short combat skirt so naturally when climbing we're going to be treated with said booty  8)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 10, 2015, 11:28:15 AM
The best part is her anatomically correct model when all the armor is removed.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on April 11, 2015, 06:36:02 AM
Whomever climbs stairs behind her would be in for a treat. XD
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Belmontoya on April 11, 2015, 07:45:18 AM
You should totally give her collectable costumes.

Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on April 11, 2015, 07:52:51 AM
You should totally give her collectable costumes.



The best part is her anatomically correct model when all the armor is removed.

Two plus two...?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 11, 2015, 08:42:15 AM
I would like to give her an alternate costume, however, the memory cost of prerendered graphics is immense. So I am opting for an alternate character that will be in the prologue and can be unlocked for the rest of the game too. It will be basically a male version of her.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 02, 2015, 05:48:29 PM
So, today I am checking the Google Analytics for the Anathema website, and apparently, the pornhub forums have been a traffic source.

I think this is the absolute most hilarious thing I've seen in months.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 05, 2015, 10:47:16 AM
OMG we're a f**kin' minority!  :o
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 05, 2015, 11:50:36 AM
I know right? I am wondering how the other sources come into play.

All that being said, we are working on the opening and stage 1 cutscenes, then we are hitting Steam Greenlight. If that does well then we will release the alpha demo to the public.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 07, 2015, 06:25:25 PM
Thought I might share this. A frame from the cutscene after clearing stage 1. This is the raw image before the dialogue, etc.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 07, 2015, 06:28:18 PM
Love it! keep going  8)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on May 07, 2015, 08:43:29 PM
Nice, keep it up.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Now on Steam Greenlight for voting
Post by: piscesdreams on May 11, 2015, 05:05:36 PM
Hey everyone!

With IGA's announcement today, I felt like it's time for this project to either swim on its own or sink. That said, I want to know if people are truly interested in this. Because if there isn't an audience I don't see a point wasting my time since the whole idea was to fill a void, and IGA's game will do that nicely. I was going to do a lot bigger videos and show off some of the cutscenes, but at this point, I need to know where the gaming community stands.

So, I'm giving this game a good shot and it is now up for voting on Steam Greenlight. If you are interested in voting, it can be found at http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441396045 (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441396045)

Thanks for all of the support! If it passes Greenlight then the project will press onward!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 11, 2015, 05:34:39 PM
Don't think for even a minute that this game of yours is useless due to IGA's game coming out and filling the "CV void" for us. You've already put way too much work into your project to simply throw it away. I my opinion, the more CV-like games we have, the better it will be. More variety, options, and all that jazz. I would love to give this game a play-through and I hope that IGA's project doesn't dissuade you from finishing it. It reminds me so much of our beloved classicvanias; specifically Super Castlevania IV. Don't quite this over concerns of another developer, please.  :'(
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on May 11, 2015, 05:34:52 PM
Bro, don't count yourself short. Just because everyone wants to play IGA's dream title, not everyone wants to JUST play that game. You still can get some that audience in your favor and you can make some side money too!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 11, 2015, 05:43:48 PM
Its not just IGAs game announcement today. I just want to find out if the game truly has an audience. I am all for options, Especially since this is a classicvania over metroidvania. But with about 7ish months of development, its time to get it out there and Steam Greenlight is a great way of guaging feedback and overall opinion.

And to be honest, with Castlevania on peoples tongues now is a good time to throw this game into the wild.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on May 11, 2015, 06:11:39 PM
You know, I was thinking it might be nice to see if IGA could give a shoutout to your game. A Not!Metroidvania (Bloodstained) and a Not!Classicvania (Anathema) might make a good pair on Steam :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 11, 2015, 06:19:21 PM
I would have swooned like a schoolgirl with the vapors
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 12, 2015, 03:54:33 PM
Anathema is currently #218 out of 26,540 games on Indie Database. Check it out!

http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema (http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema)


Also, if you havent yet, please stop by the Steam Greenlight page and cast your vote! Thanks everybody!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 14, 2015, 04:37:53 PM
Sorry for the multi-post, but this was too awesome to not share. This was sent to us today! The author requested to remain anonymous...mysterious :)

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2F98ab91_4fa4e941ca6a4af681cccd2b207af81c.gif&hash=ccc0f026df8789c4416b90a6208ba8a2)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 14, 2015, 05:23:57 PM
See? That shows you that there are people happily awaiting your game to be released  :D

That's an awesome sprite.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 14, 2015, 06:11:26 PM
It's kind of surreal to see Aurora in a sprite form.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on May 14, 2015, 06:38:09 PM
You knock that shit off and finish your game!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 14, 2015, 06:41:41 PM
You knock that shit off and finish your game!

Oh its still on track. Greenlight has given valuable feedback. Big announcement coming soonish.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theplottwist on May 14, 2015, 09:36:59 PM
Sorry for the multi-post, but this was too awesome to not share. This was sent to us today! The author requested to remain anonymous...mysterious :)

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2F98ab91_4fa4e941ca6a4af681cccd2b207af81c.gif&hash=ccc0f026df8789c4416b90a6208ba8a2)

Going by the style of this sprite I think I can tell the author. He did a really good job :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on May 14, 2015, 11:04:09 PM
Very cool :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gren4 on May 15, 2015, 06:38:40 PM
Hey, everybody! I'm the music/score composer and cutscene storyboardist for Anathema. I just wanted to drop by and say that we really appreciate all the support you've given us thus far, and we hope that you'll continue to do so as we move forward with the project.

We also appreciate your criticism. It really is helping us gauge what works and what doesn't. While I'm not involved much in terms of game design, I know that Pisces is taking all of your thoughts into consideration, and is attempting to make (and has made) great strides in improving the game overall.

As for me, I'm hoping to create a rockin', melodic, and catchy score for you guys by project's end! This is pretty much a “dream job” for me, as I've always wanted to write music for a video game, so I hope to not disappoint!

Thanks again, folks!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on May 15, 2015, 07:20:03 PM
Glad to see you here, Gren! :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 15, 2015, 11:03:59 PM
Welcome Gren4  :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 17, 2015, 01:07:06 PM
Hello everyone. So, here is the big announcement I was mentioning the other day...we are looking for sprite artists to join the project for 16/32 bit graphics styles.

After hearing the Steam Greenlight feedback, we have decided to revamp Anathema in a different art style. Anathema will be converted into a sprite based game, which is honestly how I wanted this game to be from the start. There are many reasons for this, and in the end, we think this will help cement this game better and give it a larger advantage on the playing field. I personally like the 3d sprites, but I am not an artist and was working with what I could do. But in the end, it is something that we feel needs to happen. The characters, story and idea remain the same.

The biggest reason for this is it takes so long to animate and render graphics that I cannot focus on the overall game design and coding in the way that I want to. Some animations take hours to render, and my pc is basically unusable in the meantime, slowing down progress.

The second reason is we want this game to be as accessible on as many pcs as possible. The demo alone is over 500mb for one stage! And while I load most graphics externally to cut down on file size, it is just huge. We want this game to run even on 32bit OS platforms and the file size limit will be a major problem for them. This will also allow even lower end pcs to play the game smoothly.

So all that being said, we are looking for sprite artists that are capable of human characters, monsters, backgrounds, etc. As of right now, this is an unpaid position until the game launches. However, once the game launches you will be paid from the sales based on how many artists join will determine exact percentages. It is possible we will launch a Kickstarter in the future to pay for artists work before the game launches.

This may come as a shock to some people, but unfortunately to make this game possible and more appealing to a wider audience, it seems it must be done. But that is fine with us because that was the original vision anyway.

So, if you are an experienced sprite artist and are interested, please message me here and we can work out the details. There must be a certain level of quality to the sprites and animations to really bring the game to life, and I just cannot bring that excellent animation quality myself with the art style as it is now.

Thanks everyone for reading! Please get in touch if interested!

Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on May 17, 2015, 03:44:56 PM
Hmm...well, I respect your decision. Still, this is a pretty jarring change, and has problems of its own; like I mentioned elsewhere, good sprite artists are hard to find, and harder still if they won't get paid until the game launches. A kickstarter might be nice, but you'll be in very stiff competition with Bloodstained! D: Since you've already got so much work done, I would honestly recommend, if not sticking with the rendered graphics, at least keeping them on hand in case you don't find spriters D:
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 17, 2015, 05:14:17 PM
I've tried converting the 3d graphics into sprites in Photoshop and it is just plain awful looking. I was hoping for a magic fix. :)

Maybe I can bribe PlotTwist and Jop somehow ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on May 17, 2015, 06:31:00 PM
I must say I was kinda disappointed in hearing this news bro. This is a HUGE change.

Using rendered graphics, your game definitely stood out from the crowds.

And yes, you have more than stiff competition if you change it to sprites! I don't even think you have the budgets, resources, or artists some of these other sprite based games have to compete.

Finally, I think you are being kinda jaded to your core fan-base that initially got behind your game as it was!

In my opinion you should just leave it as it is and if you wish to add to it in the future you can. (I.E. an updated build.)

If you are going to start a sprite based project, you should just do it completely from scratch as a separate title. (The more games you get out the better) It doesn't necessarily have to be this game.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jop on May 18, 2015, 08:39:21 AM
I've tried converting the 3d graphics into sprites in Photoshop and it is just plain awful looking. I was hoping for a magic fix. :)

Maybe I can bribe PlotTwist and Jop somehow ;)

I send you a pm.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: VladCT on May 18, 2015, 09:21:24 AM
If you're going the sprite route, don't forget to make the style distinct enough. Also, I think you can use the models for high-res sprites by drawing over them, like they did in KoF XIII and BlazBlue.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Lelygax on May 22, 2015, 03:23:39 AM
You really should continue with these pre-rendered 3D assets, you have something unique here that shouldn't be wasted IMO. Also it would be a lot easier to find people that can animate your models than people that can sprite everything, from characters and items to BG.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 22, 2015, 10:07:23 AM
You've come this far already. It would be best to continue your game as is. I'm all for a new sprite-based game but maybe you should reserve that for a sequel, or perhaps a mini-game within your game? Trust us you've got something good going right now and many here feel that redoing it in another format might ruin your project entirely. I've seen this happen several times already. Games that were nearing completion and the authors decide to change it because they feel it might be better in this format, or maybe that format. Then everything just falls apart and they're not sure how it happened, except that it has already happened and are left with nothing to show what they promised to their audiences. Stick with your current guns as they're already sounding off on quite a promising game.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 27, 2015, 12:06:36 PM
Anathema has been greenlit on Steam!

Thanks everyone for all of your encouragement and kind words. In light of Anathema being greenlit we will stick to our guns with the art style but expand on it to make it more unique and better presented overall.

When I wanted to revert to sprites it was my hope of just making a game that Castlevania fans wanted to play, but I was apparently wrong in thinking this was not the desired art style. I am happy to be wrong in this case.

Development will immediately progress forward and it we have been given crucial feedback that is graciously appreciated.

Thanks again everyone for having our back and being the voice of reason. Game development is very tough and sometimes the negativity can get to a man.

But what is a man...?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on May 27, 2015, 12:44:49 PM
Anathema has been greenlit on Steam!

Thanks everyone for all of your encouragement and kind words. In light of Anathema being greenlit we will stick to our guns with the art style but expand on it to make it more unique and better presented overall.

When I wanted to revert to sprites it was my hope of just making a game that Castlevania fans wanted to play, but I was apparently wrong in thinking this was not the desired art style. I am happy to be wrong in this case.

Development will immediately progress forward and it we have been given crucial feedback that is graciously appreciated.

Thanks again everyone for having our back and being the voice of reason. Game development is very tough and sometimes the negativity can get to a man.

But what is a man...?
Yep don't listen to that crap man!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 27, 2015, 05:42:36 PM
Quote
But what is a man...?

Only human. Glad that you're staying the course and looking forwards to your success  :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jop on May 28, 2015, 09:42:02 AM
This is good news, wish you all the luck in your project, since i made a lot of art for this project it will be a waste if i dont show so here is:

(click to show/hide)

 This help me a lot so thanks piscesdreams.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 28, 2015, 10:16:00 AM
Looks like you had fun Jop  :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 28, 2015, 10:34:37 AM
Jop did some great work on these and will definitely be in the special thanks!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jop on May 28, 2015, 01:19:18 PM
Looks like you had fun Jop  :D

A lot of fun, perhaps piscesdreams dont think this but he teach to me good things in some parts of the moves and that will help me in future projects.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 28, 2015, 01:47:46 PM
I dont remember suggesting much besides the arms in the idle, but... Glad to help! LoL

Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gren4 on May 29, 2015, 06:09:21 AM
I want to also extend my thanks to all you guys here on the forum who supported the Greenlight, as well as the overall development. In the coming weeks, I'll be working on something special for you guys as a way of showing Pisces' and my gratitude!  ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on May 29, 2015, 06:36:09 AM
I know im extra early on this news but congrats on getting the game Greenlit on Steam. :)

Hope to see more of the game soon.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on May 29, 2015, 10:52:20 AM
Pardon me for asking, but is there a demo out? :o
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 29, 2015, 11:03:34 AM
At the moment, no. We might possibly release the demo from the Game Developers Conference but have yet to discuss this. Part of the reason is it is presently only playable with Xbox 360 gamepads and is still very early. I would personally prefer to release a more well presented demo for that purpose versus how we had to grind to get the build ready for the GDC. A more complete demo I guess is what I am trying to say.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 29, 2015, 05:23:00 PM
Quote
Part of the reason is it is presently only playable with Xbox 360 gamepads and is still very early.

I would mind the 360 controllers so much but they have the worst D-pads I've ever experienced. It makes playing classic side-scroller games risky as you can easily make a directional mistake which is not the case with the traditional cross-shaped D-pad.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 29, 2015, 06:35:00 PM
I would mind the 360 controllers so much but they have the worst D-pads I've ever experienced. It makes playing classic side-scroller games risky as you can easily make a directional mistake which is not the case with the traditional cross-shaped D-pad.

Oh I definitely agree that they have the worst dpads. Support for other controllers will be implemented as time goes on, as well as keyboard support for those that do not have controllers. I have spent a LOT of time on the engine and have finetuned the controls quite a lot. It all flows rather nicely with the xbox dpad surprisingly.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gunlord on May 29, 2015, 10:57:01 PM
At the moment, no. We might possibly release the demo from the Game Developers Conference but have yet to discuss this. Part of the reason is it is presently only playable with Xbox 360 gamepads and is still very early. I would personally prefer to release a more well presented demo for that purpose versus how we had to grind to get the build ready for the GDC. A more complete demo I guess is what I am trying to say.

Okee, thats fine. No pressure, I was just wonderin :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on May 30, 2015, 06:48:17 AM
I will say this, I can 100% guarantee a demo long before release. I just want to be sure it is polished and polished again in every way. Our goal is to produce a title of professional quality that will be hard to believe such a small team made.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on May 30, 2015, 10:56:47 AM
I can definitely agree with you. Quality vs quantity is always the better option when making a product you wish to market. It's a shame many other companies don't see it that way anymore.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on June 19, 2015, 05:28:50 PM
Tomorrow, we ride! Err, I mean mocap!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: ProjectDread on June 19, 2015, 06:13:51 PM
Take pictures!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on June 19, 2015, 06:23:31 PM
Oh, good idea!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: ProjectDread on June 22, 2015, 03:05:45 PM
Another thing I'm curious about, are you able to tell us what programming language or software tool you're using to build this game?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on June 22, 2015, 03:26:48 PM
Another thing I'm curious about, are you able to tell us what programming language or software tool you're using to build this game?

It is being built in Clickteam Fusion 2.5 Developer.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gren4 on July 05, 2015, 03:41:03 PM
Hey guys!

As promised (although considerably late), here is a medley I composed of some of the themes I’ve written for Anathema. Hopefully you’ll get a decent idea of what the game will sound like musically.

While listening, you’ll hear a few arranged pieces of stage music - some of which can be found in the game’s trailer with different arrangements - as well as the themes of the main character and primary villain. My aim is to make the score as epic and memorable/catchy as possible, and hopefully this medley conveys that aim.

Hope you enjoy! Also, thanks again for supporting us with the Greenlight campaign and in general!

Btw, I saw some stuff last night that Pisces has been working on and… well… I don’t know when he’ll be ready to let everyone in on it, but start getting yourselves ready for some pretty major (and awesome) reveals!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI4eB2pxfns (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI4eB2pxfns)

-Gren
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on July 05, 2015, 04:52:13 PM
To be honest, those pre-rendered graphics would've looked nice... 20 years ago.  :-[

The poses are awkward and the animation looks stiff, as well as it not having many frames.

I'd suggest using nicer shaders, then looking at Maria's sprites, artwork, and stock photos of women in battle poses to get the posing down.

I hope I didn't come off as rude.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 05, 2015, 04:55:25 PM
To be honest, those pre-rendered graphics would've looked nice... 20 years ago.  :-[

The poses are awkward and the animation looks stiff, as well as it not having many frames.

I'd suggest using nicer shaders, then looking at Maria's sprites, artwork, and stock photos of women in battle poses to get the posing down.

I hope I didn't come off as rude.

Nah, it doesn't come off as rude. As a matter of fact, I definitely agree about the animations and poses. All I will say right now is stay tuned, things got a whole lot better. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on July 05, 2015, 05:02:29 PM
Nah, it doesn't come off as rude. As a matter of fact, I definitely agree about the animations and poses. All I will say right now is stay tuned, things got a whole lot better. :)

Alrighty, I will. You always seem to put out good work one way or another.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 05, 2015, 05:10:04 PM
Alrighty, I will. You always seem to put out good work one way or another.

Thanks very much!

I've implemented new rendering techniques, have been redoing graphics using new shaders and using motion captured animations (for the most part). The new graphics are still pre-rendered, but now they look modern and not like 1996. I guess I said more than I intended, but that gives you an idea.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 08, 2015, 11:10:16 AM
My apologies for the long silence. As previously mentioned, I am implementing new rendering techniques. Here is a render of Aurora's new outfit. We wanted her new outfit to be more functional. I love scantily clad ladies in video games, but I wanted her to be more practical than sexual.

Gone is the bone whip. Now players whip using a scythe on a chain. This gives more options for attacks besides just a whipping animation. Not only that, players can now use the scythe to stick into walls and slide down, while also allowing for wall (double) jumping. Notice the wrist mounted crossbow on her left arm. This is a permanent secondary weapon that shotgun blasts bolts in a huge spread, though ammo will be limited. More powerful than the knife subweapon, but doesn't use a subweapon slot.

Regarding the game itself, I am totally revamping the engine to make gameplay faster and more intense. I'll give a quick breakdown and touch on a few of the changes...

While this game started out as a Castlevania clone, it is our desire to make a game that stands on its own legs now. There are still many influences retained from Castlevania, such as the whipping, subweapon slots, item crashes, etc. Instead of the usual subweapons as you previously have seen; you now obtain interchangeable powers throughout the level that give players offensive and defensive abilities. Offensive subweapons (for lack of a better term presently) include swinging your whip around the player sprite in a circle, firing a projectile from your whip or adding extra hits to your attack, basically auto combos. Defensive subweapons include creating a shield to absorb projectiles and unleashing a horde of souls to possess enemies onscreen and freeze them in place. (instead of just copying the stopwatch)

Item crashes are now known as Deathbringers. They now act independently of your subweapon and are obtained in a different manner. These will have many new mechanics ranging from summoning the ye olde dragon as you've seen, to an auto-revive should your health be depleted if it is selected in your HUD. With the new method of obtaining Deathbringers, once a player obtains them, they always have them and can select from their inventory at will in real-time.

With all of the new changes you will soon see, I will be updating the website, trailer and everything related. The game now draws influence from not only Castlevania, but Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden to name a couple. Since the story names Aurora as the new angel of death, the intention is to make the player have a multitude of empowering abilities that, simply put, make you feel like a nearly unstoppable death machine.

Oh, and stairs are gone. Because they slowed the flow of gameplay down way too much.

The changes may come as a shock to many, and I understand completely. We no longer want people to look at Anathema and call it a copy-cat, even though that was the original intention. Now, we want people to play a game that is more like Shovel Knight; a game that obviously has its influences, but can 100% stand on its own without being called a rip-off.

Thanks everyone for reading! There won't be any updates for a while due to the revamp, but rest assured, the ante has been upped.

(and yes, the techniques used for the image you see are the same that are now used to render in-game graphics. Let me also say I realize the hood looks a bit large here, it is the angle and the in game sprite looks proportionate.)

EDIT: I am considering doing a devblog per DarkManX's suggestion. Let me know if that's something you guys and gals would like to see.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAurora%2520Promo%2520New.jpg&hash=c0e194485961aca5b9411eeb6cbcd3a3)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Claimh Solais on August 08, 2015, 11:27:07 AM
I've been only sorta following this since you first announced it, but I gotta say, it keeps looking better. I'm really digging the new outfit there. And while I thought it was cool for being a Castlevania clone before, I really do appreciate the fact that you're trying to make the game it's own entity, rather than a copy of something else. There are plenty of copies of Castlevania out there, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what you bring to the table with these revamps. :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on August 08, 2015, 11:44:42 AM
Ooooo another image  :D

Look 'n good! Although compared to her top she's lacking some armor for her pelvic region. That's just me of course, but you could add something of an armored skirt something like this;

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.darkknightarmoury.com%2Fimages%2FCategory%2Fmedium%2F116.png&hash=20c5cbd7c921dcf1cc374efc0f2bcc49)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theplottwist on August 08, 2015, 11:54:26 AM
This costume is muuuuuch more delicious than the last!

I also like very much the changes you added/plan to add! Castlevania clones are nice and all, but you're putting so much effort on this that I actually would like it to be its own thing, just like you said :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on August 08, 2015, 12:02:05 PM
I agree with Claimh and Plot about the originality of the game, but just don't stray too far from what you've already established. The game itself looks good already and I want to play it as I've seen it in your previews.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 08, 2015, 01:22:40 PM
I've been only sorta following this since you first announced it, but I gotta say, it keeps looking better. I'm really digging the new outfit there. And while I thought it was cool for being a Castlevania clone before, I really do appreciate the fact that you're trying to make the game it's own entity, rather than a copy of something else. There are plenty of copies of Castlevania out there, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what you bring to the table with these revamps. :D

Thanks very much! That was kind of the realization that we had too after the game was greenlit on Steam. Moreso, Gren brought it up and we spent weeks hashing out new designs and mechanics to make it stand out on its own.

Ooooo another image  :D

Look 'n good! Although compared to her top she's lacking some armor for her pelvic region. That's just me of course, but you could add something of an armored skirt something like this;

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.darkknightarmoury.com%2Fimages%2FCategory%2Fmedium%2F116.png&hash=20c5cbd7c921dcf1cc374efc0f2bcc49)

I considered giving her something feminine for her outfit such as the skirt, but when I tested it, it just looked too cobbled together and didn't belong. Another reason this design was chosen was so that a skirt doesn't have odd animations happening with its flow. The skirt Aurora had in the previous design had to be animated on each plate, and it was a major task to do and make it look right. So the shorts make animations look better without odd physics. This was an old test when I was tinkering around with a celshaded look that was ultimately scrapped because I didn't like the shading and colors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VreAL1h0sNo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VreAL1h0sNo)

This costume is muuuuuch more delicious than the last!

I also like very much the changes you added/plan to add! Castlevania clones are nice and all, but you're putting so much effort on this that I actually would like it to be its own thing, just like you said :)

:) Glad you like it! The more Gren and I talked about it, the more I realized the original version was basically a fangame with a new coat of paint. If I were going to do a fangame, I might as well just do a straight up Castlevania fangame. But since I'm out of that type of thing now, these changes are for the best.

I agree with Claimh and Plot about the originality of the game, but just don't stray too far from what you've already established. The game itself looks good already and I want to play it as I've seen it in your previews.

The biggest changes are the mechanics mentioned above, the new design and faster gameplay and that it will be a straight on 2D view instead of the angled view of the original game. That presented a lot of issues in level design and I had trouble getting a shadow to work the way I wanted it too. So without the angled view things look much, much more cohesive. The core is still the same, but with these changes it will be much more identifiable as Anathema, instead of a Castlevania ripoff. Don't worry, I'm a huge fan of old-school Castlevania and that influence will be felt throughout the game. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: ProjectDread on August 08, 2015, 05:35:04 PM
Update Stuff

A much welcome addition! The chain scythe seems like an interesting idea, I had always pondered using something like it on some of my own projects seeing as you can do some insane mobility related stuff with it in addition to offensive attacks. People will hate me for this but I seriously think removing the Castlevania-esque stairs was the best decision here. I totally agree that they slow the game down for no real reason and seem like an extremely antiquated design. After all, stairs are essentially just slopes so why does the player have to treat them like some sort of special interactive object in the ClassicVanias? It never made sense to me.

The character redesign is interesting, overall I'd say I like it more than the previous one you had but I do feel like the legs, thigh, and waist  can use a bit more.. flare, perhaps? I don't know, they just seem very plain compared to the more decorative hood, torso, and shoulder armor. I'm excited to see where this is headed, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 08, 2015, 06:36:44 PM
I do agree, the stairs are from decades ago game design and leave you vulnerable. As part of the method to get away from being called a copycat, and from all of the feedback we felt it best to remove stairs. They never really bothered me, but I can see where gamers today would hate them. Plus, double jump is in, so stairs are unnecessary.

Regarding the design, I can see why you feel that way. For us, it doesn't seem so drastic when in game. There were originally some knee and thigh guards but they looked too bulky and like they would bounce off of her every step she took.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 21, 2015, 10:02:20 PM
Slight tease with the website...http://www.anathemagame.com (http://www.anathemagame.com)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on August 22, 2015, 12:09:03 AM
Quote
I do agree, the stairs are from decades ago game design and leave you vulnerable.

That was one of the points to having stairs was to challenge the player in some other way. I personally would like to see them stay since having stairs function like ramps is somewhat cheap. But that's just me.

Quote
Slight tease with the website...http://www.anathemagame.com (http://www.anathemagame.com)

Nice tease  :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 22, 2015, 05:19:53 AM
Don't get me wrong, I like the good ole stairs in traditional Castlevania games. But with the change of making gameplay much faster and more acrobatic, the stairs create a really soul sucking break of pace. Additionally, they have been removed to help this game stand more on its own without having too many Castlevania tropes.

Yes, essentially Death is our big bad and a vampire is his minion, but we've fleshed out the back stories tremendously and neither operates like Death or Dracula in game. Originally the game was a shameless clone, but when we saw there was actual interest in the game and on Steam especially, we knew we needed to make it stand out to a point where it can't be called a blatant rip off.

I've been working on this revamp from the ground up since May, and will have some actual in game stuff to show off in a while. I'd just rather wait til it has more coats of polish for a demo.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on August 22, 2015, 11:09:24 AM
I agree that it's a good idea to take your time to deliver a product worth showing. Too many companies nowadays like to throw their stuff into the consumer market before it's finished and then release patches and DLCs after the fact  :P  If this were still the pre-internet days they would not be able to pull off such cheap stunts.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Belmontoya on August 22, 2015, 02:11:44 PM
love your designs but I gotta say I'm not a fan of the hood.

Wearing a hood isn't practical for battle. It blocks peripheral vision and hinders hearing. I get it if you want to turn down the sexual tones. But this is over kill IMO.

Your first costume wasn't overtly sexual btw. Simon in CV4 wears skimpy barbarian clothes and no one complained because it's a guy. I thought you were going for that look. Sexy can still be tasteful. I think your last costume had a perfect balance, but just needed color.



Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 26, 2015, 08:27:07 AM
The new design is also an attempt to also stray away from the stereotypes of Castlevania character design. There are plenty of games where a character wears a hood, even ye olden knights wore chain mail hoods at times. Another reason why I'm not as worried about complete and absolute realism is because this is a video game that deals with the subject of a human inheriting the powers of Death himself that involves magical abilities.

And finally, the MAIN reason, it's far easier to animate the bangs than long flowing hair.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gren4 on August 26, 2015, 09:20:24 AM
I apologize in advance for this long post, but if Pisces can do it, so can I. :P

I know I'm “just the composer,” but as someone who has been heavily involved with the revamp of Anathema through the idea process, I thought I'd offer my two cents worth on why we decided to revamp it in the first place.

The Greenlight campaign and the demo level that Pisces made really opened our eyes to a lot of what we were doing wrong. As we would play the demo with feedback in mind, we thought, “What can we take from this? Do we want to appeal to Castlevania fans, a wider player-base, or both?”

Ultimately, we chose both.

Not everyone is a Castlevania super-fan. I would argue that most gamers today don't even remember what Castlevania once was. Instead, they may only remember the series in its Metroid-vania or Lords of Shadow iterations. That's unfortunate (in Pisces and my opinions). Our intention was to bring the old-school, level-based design of CV back to the masses, all while giving Anathema its own identity.

The problem was, after that initial demo, we realized that it didn't inject nearly enough of its own identity. So in May, we started from the ground up with questions like, “What can we retain, what can we get rid of, and what can we add to make this its own thing?”

Pisces and I were both in rock bands several years ago. Usually when you start a band, you begin by playing covers, or other peoples' songs. The main purpose of this is to hone your skills – your ability to play. For two creative people like us, you eventually get bored with that; you want to create something that you can stand by and say, “I made that. It's mine.”

Analogous to that, Pisces has made some amazing fan games over the years. I beta tested “The Bloodletting,” as a matter of fact. As I was playing that game, I thought, “Dude, why don't you do your own thing? This is great, but you're having to live and create within the confines of something that's already been established.” Of course, I didn't say anything, because I didn't know where he wanted to take his developing skills at that point. All in all though, I'm personally glad that Anathema is branching out.

I don't say any of this to discourage anyone from making a fan game – quite the contrary. I encourage fan games. Like with playing covers, it helps in honing your skills. But at the same time, I also highly encourage the desire to make something your own. It's very well known to all of you, as well as the two of us, that Konami's ship is sinking fast, so fan games are something that could very well be the only thing which keeps Castlevania – at least in the traditional sense – alive. And again, this was the original intention behind Anathema. But at the end of the day, just like Pisces said, Anathema was simply becoming “Castlevania with a new coat of paint.” We wanted something more.

So with these things in mind, we began to rebuild and rethink the entire shebang. In the new version, you'll still see familiar things that are inspired by Castlevania – namely the gothic aesthetic and vibe, and the main character's primary weapon being “whip-like.” Beyond that, we drew inspiration from all sorts of games we loved from the past, all while putting our own stamp on it. In the end, however, Anathema is its own beast.

In the coming months, Pisces will probably begin trickling out a slow drip of information – probably some more screenshots, videos, (maybe) some music, etc. - all starting with his new design of the main character several posts above.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy what we're working on, as we're trying to do our dead-level best to deliver a game that strikes a balance between an homage to the games of our past, yet is still something that you've never played before. And again, we both appreciate the continued feedback and support!

-Gren
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Belmontoya on August 26, 2015, 02:18:24 PM
Hey Gren!

Nice post.

You and are not so different. I'm also the composer of a game: Migs sequel to the Lecarde Chronicles. I understand where you're coming from in every way as I also come from a rock band background!

Mig and I also have an original game in the works called Wallachia. It's based on the real history of Vlad the Implaer. But I digress.

My 2 cents is that a little practical sexiness with the costume is a good thing. More importantly I vote against the hood. It's a side scroller game, you'll basically be looking at the side of a hood the whole game. Plus it seems odd to have the protagonist and antagonist both in hoods.

I get the hair physics problem. My suggestion is to give her a short haircut. Think Olivia Wilde in tron with a Joan of arch twist. I was looking forward to the female protagonist in this game and it just looks like you guys are hiding her now.

I love the new weaponry and armor. But from the waste down I prefer the old costume.

I love your project and mean absolutely no offense. I'll be happy either way. I'm just throwing a suggestion out there.

I'll be keeping an eye on this! Keep fighting the good fight brothers!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Belmontoya on August 26, 2015, 03:41:39 PM
I forgot to mention that I know you want to avoid the Castlevania stereo type, and I totally get that. But with this design you'll just end up getting Assassin's Creed comparisons anyways. So it doesn't really solve that problem.

But something like short hair has never been done in CV to my knowledge. You could even go nuts and make her bald. lol... I think I was joking on that last part.

Sorry, I can sense myself getting annoying so I'll shut up about the hood.

Let me just say on another note that Death currently looks absolutely fabulous! I love the color you gave him. I've never seen him in color before with a clean ornate design like that. It's not very often that you see an original looking Death these days. :-)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on August 26, 2015, 05:37:49 PM
I agree with Belmontoya. In the attempt to make this game stand out more on its own you might be damaging it in ways not yet considered until it's too late to revert. With the hood and all that it does look more and more like assassin's creed territory. If it's inspired by Castlevania and that hype train has already left the station? Then let it be so. Otherwise you'll risk pulling off a J.J. Abrams stunt where the damage will be far worse then if you simply just stuck to your guns. There are ways of differentiating your game from Castlevania. It will just require a little more time for thought.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 26, 2015, 06:05:00 PM
Well, here's the thing, the game hasn't garnered press and while it is greenlit, I've seen better numbers. So at this stage it really isn't going to be damaging because it isn't exactly well known yet.

Regarding the short hair, I personally do not like short hair on women so this is a personal preference for me. However, this is the design that we have decided upon and will be maintaining this design throughout development. If we keep going back and redesigning things we will never make progress.

Just wait til you guys see the new stuff in action. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: eryson on August 27, 2015, 09:05:24 PM
....Or she can down the hood during the gameplay, i will like to see her beautiful face during the game! :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on August 28, 2015, 11:13:48 AM
That's where the cutscenes come in :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on September 09, 2015, 03:35:46 PM
We wanted to share a track from the Anathema OST while I continue working on things for the big slew of updates coming. Gren has been working incredibly hard on the OST and this one is too good to not share. Keep your eyes and ears peeled.

Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on September 10, 2015, 12:33:31 AM
Nice track!  :D  The main theme of the music is not overshadowed by the guitar in any way which works out very well.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Lelygax on September 10, 2015, 04:29:21 AM
You've hooded her so she resembles more Death? While I don't like it too much (more because it covers almost all her face and AC's vibe) I think that you will make something surprising in the end, just take care to doesn't forget what made Castlevania good, because if you ignore that too it will be difficult to notice the homages without being a CV fan.  ;D

I like how she reminds me of this enemy, Night Stalker/Zeldo:
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fvignette1.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fcastlevania%2Fimages%2F2%2F2f%2FTAR_NSK.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20111111083039&hash=ea874cbf46cdfaf15b005c4c6777fe58)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on January 04, 2016, 04:12:54 PM
So, it has been an extremely long time since I have shared anything straight out of the game besides concept renders.  Once we were greenlit on Steam in May last year, I spent about 5 months completely reworking the engine while Gren and I worked on the overall design.  I will share more soonish, but I mostly wanted to let everyone know the project isn't dead and has plenty coming soon.  I've kept it close to my chest for a while and if all goes smoothly over the next few months, I hope to have a public demo available around March or April.

I've mentioned some of these previously, but here are some tidbits regarding the revamp.  Most animations now are motion captures and as such are much more natural and fluid, stairs are gone completely and we now have ramps ala MegaMan X and SotN, gameplay is faster paced and more action oriented, hearts have been replaced by souls as a subweapon ammo, candles have been replaced by soul cages, you can double jump, wall slide and wall jump, subweapons are no longer clones of Castlevania subweapons and have their own unique properties, Item Crashes are called Deathbringers and you have a crossbow-shotgun (haven't actually named it yet) that is a permanent secondary weapon in addition to your whip-scythe. Haven't named this yet either.

Since there is tons of new info, when the time comes to really showcase the new version, I will be making a new thread since this thread will be old info.

In the meantime, here is your first glimpse (tease) of the revamp.  Hope you enjoy!

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FScreenshot1.png&hash=bb4f1d2eacb63c8edb981fe4130bf636)

And an animated gif for good measure.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FSequence%252001_1.gif&hash=6763998d040e83729934d849f0aeddaa)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jop on January 04, 2016, 05:54:47 PM
new look its great!!!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on January 04, 2016, 05:59:47 PM
I totally am digging the new style of gameplay. Way more action oriented. Very Ninja Gaiden-ish.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: AuraTeam on January 04, 2016, 08:38:55 PM
wow pretty nice gameplay can't wait to play it  ;D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on January 04, 2016, 11:39:10 PM
Quote
So, it has been an extremely long time since I have shared anything straight out of the game besides concept renders

I'll say! I feared this project might have been scrapped.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: VladCT on January 05, 2016, 04:25:46 AM
So... How does that crossbow-shotgun work, exactly? :V
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theplottwist on January 05, 2016, 04:54:56 AM
I must say I'm liking a lot what I'm seeing. There is no battle in that GIF, yet I can feel a lot of action going on.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: eryson on January 05, 2016, 06:30:21 AM
Very Beautiful Environment and Scenario!! i'm liking it much more than the Older Style!!  ;D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: zangetsu468 on January 05, 2016, 06:43:23 AM
This is actually how the Shadow of the Beast remake should be, and reminds me of the original game - not the PS4 remake, which is looking too MoF'y for my liking.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on January 05, 2016, 01:29:15 PM
Wow what a step up from the last update. Nice work.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: TheTextGuy on January 05, 2016, 02:13:33 PM
Wow
Love the new look of the game!  It's even better looking at it in motion since it's so fluid.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on January 05, 2016, 05:30:49 PM
Wow, thanks for the positive comments everyone.  I didn't really expect this positive of a response. :)

new look its great!!!

Thanks very much! It's been a very long work in progress to bring it to this level, especially with the new rendering techniques that I have learned.

I totally am digging the new style of gameplay. Way more action oriented. Very Ninja Gaiden-ish.

Ninja Gaiden (at least, OG NG on the NES) is a huge influence for Gren and myself.  While the games certainly had their flaws, they are definitely some of the best for their era.  We wanted to take a dash of NG as inspiration to bring some new flavor to the mix.

wow pretty nice gameplay can't wait to play it  ;D

A demo will be coming soon.  Hopefully around March or April.  I want to make sure that it is very well polished.  Maybe one day I'll release the original demo as well, I just don't really want it out in the open to be played and confused for this new version.

I'll say! I feared this project might have been scrapped.

Nope!  Delayed, but still very much alive.

So... How does that crossbow-shotgun work, exactly? :V

It goes boom, much destruction.  I kid.  It has a dedicated button and you have a finite amount of ammo that is much more scarce than your subweapon ammo (souls).  The idea is that Gren and I are huge fans of Evil Dead, and of course, fans of the boomstick.  We wanted to give Aurora a projectile based weapon that isn't a nuisance like the dagger, but doesn't copy other Castlevania weapons.  We came to the crossbow and I suggested making it fire multiple arrows at once, similar to a shotgun's spray.  When it is fired, there is a bit of a blowback as you can see in the gif after whipping the statue.  This is to somewhat compensate just how powerful it will be, but again, ammo will be VERY scarce.

I must say I'm liking a lot what I'm seeing. There is no battle in that GIF, yet I can feel a lot of action going on.

Thanks!  That's the goal.  The original demo felt about like what you would expect from a Classicvania.  It was a bit slow and overall felt very similar to the locomotion of Castlevania IV, but in the end it just felt too much like a copy.  So we are opting for a faster paced gameplay that will be much more intense.  A lot of care is being placed into the environments to bring them to life so that it isn't just run, kill, run, kill.  It is very important for the environments to be as intractable as possible.  We ultimately want the player to feel like a death machine.  We feel this will come from living environments and meaty yet swift combat.

Very Beautiful Environment and Scenario!! i'm liking it much more than the Older Style!!  ;D

When we decided to revamp the game, I learned a ton of new rendering techniques and practiced the craft as much as I could to really work on the lighting and presentation.  It looks like it is paying off!

This is actually how the Shadow of the Beast remake should be, and reminds me of the original game - not the PS4 remake, which is looking too MoF'y for my liking.

I've never played Shadow of the Beast, but I looked up the original and the PS4 remake and I can definitely see what you mean. 

Wow what a step up from the last update. Nice work.

Thanks!  The original version kind of makes me cringe in comparison, but it was a neat prototype.

Wow
Love the new look of the game!  It's even better looking at it in motion since it's so fluid.

The best part is the gif is only 30 FPS, the game actually runs at 60 FPS so it's even more fluid than what you see here.


Thanks for all the comments everyone, I hope I didn't miss responding to anyone.  If I did, call me out, I didn't intend to.  We look forward to sharing more soon.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: ProjectDread on January 08, 2016, 04:20:00 PM
I've always felt that your projects had their own personality which I've enjoyed, and I'm really excited to see you move away from the original Classicvania concept you had. The graphics fit in nicely and I particularly like how you put time into small, subtle things like the background trees moving in the wind. I'm eagerly awaiting to get my hands on the demo and see how it plays, but until then wonderful job Pisces. Your game has come a long way and your attention to detail has not gone unnoticed.  :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on January 08, 2016, 07:08:06 PM
Thanks very much! I wish I could stand back and see it from everyone else's perspective. I'm putting a lot of effort into the environments and overall atmosphere. Having grown up to enjoy the horror movies of the 80s I have come to value atmosphere very much. Having said that, this is just the first glimpse of much to come. I appreciate the kind words and look forward to showing more soon.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: zangetsu468 on January 10, 2016, 04:43:20 PM
@piscesdreams Is the main character's weapon a scythe?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on January 10, 2016, 05:07:24 PM
Yes, it is a scythe on a chain.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on February 18, 2016, 03:47:02 PM
Hello everyone.

We have received our new poster art for Anathema, and we wanted to share it with everyone here.  We were lucky enough to commission a talented artist that we really dug the style he brings for this "cover art".  Coincidentally, you will be able to hear some of the music I have composed in his game soon.  His game is on Steam in the Early Access program but it doesn't have any of my music yet.  Show some love at http://store.steampowered.com/app/386200/ (http://store.steampowered.com/app/386200/).  It's a very fun zombie tower defense game that is in its early stages.

I've shrunk the poster down to 1280x1920 as the original resolution of 7200x10800 is just WAY too much to post here.  The best part is this looks amazing framed on my wall.  ;)

Enjoy everyone!

EDIT: Fun fact, I should also say the reason we went this route with the cover art is my unending infatuation with the hand-drawn/hand-painted artwork of 80's horror movies and games.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathema%2520Cover%2520Revision%2520Smaller.png&hash=665c1999d6e470d60cd3c16ec8cffd86)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on February 18, 2016, 05:21:15 PM
Diggin' the art! I like how the artist made Anathema's body look. She's got them feminine curves while sporting a strong build. Perfect  8)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: zangetsu468 on February 18, 2016, 06:01:29 PM
#thighsneverlie
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Crying Freeman on February 18, 2016, 06:35:05 PM
Looks amazing!! Can't wait to hear some of the music soon!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on February 18, 2016, 07:38:27 PM
Hello everyone.

We have received our new poster art for Anathema, and we wanted to share it with everyone here.  We were lucky enough to commission a talented artist that we really dug the style he brings for this "cover art".  Coincidentally, you will be able to hear some of the music I have composed in his game soon.  His game is on Steam in the Early Access program but it doesn't have any of my music yet.  Show some love at http://store.steampowered.com/app/386200/ (http://store.steampowered.com/app/386200/).  It's a very fun zombie tower defense game that is in its early stages.

I've shrunk the poster down to 1280x1920 as the original resolution of 7200x10800 is just WAY too much to post here.  The best part is this looks amazing framed on my wall.  ;)

Enjoy everyone!

EDIT: Fun fact, I should also say the reason we went this route with the cover art is my unending infatuation with the hand-drawn/hand-painted artwork of 80's horror movies and games.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FAnathema%2520Cover%2520Revision%2520Smaller.png&hash=665c1999d6e470d60cd3c16ec8cffd86)
Yes that indeed looks badass!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Lelygax on February 18, 2016, 10:56:51 PM
Oh my god, it is gorgeous! You plan to release it as a bonus within the game folder when it releases on Steam?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on February 19, 2016, 04:14:00 AM
Hmm, we never considered that option. We may do that.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 22, 2016, 05:17:17 PM
Not much to say, just a very early WIP enemy - working on the armor below.  But I will share a new screenshot.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FNewScreen.jpg&hash=0e8a10730403c395531212f118d26b49)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Belmontoya on March 22, 2016, 05:57:15 PM
Looking awesome man!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 05, 2016, 04:25:24 PM
Looking awesome man!

Thanks very much man!

So, even though it may be against my better judgement, I figured I would show a glimpse of the game in motion using one of the earlier areas.  I want to save the newer areas for the trailer.  But anyway, not all environmental areas are finished, animations to refine and there are still places to insert enemies...blah blah...unfinished...disclaimers...be sure to watch in HD/60fps.

Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theplottwist on April 05, 2016, 04:58:40 PM
Damn dude, I can only get so erect.

Everything is spot-on. The sound effect of the attack, in special, gives me such a satisfactory feelling! The animations, of course, are perfect.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: KaZudra on April 05, 2016, 05:41:40 PM
It's like a love child of Bloodrayne betrayal and castlevania (OF COURSE!).
I wasn't too keen on the pre-renders, but in motion it looks pretty damn good.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 05, 2016, 06:35:24 PM
Damn dude, I can only get so erect.

Everything is spot-on. The sound effect of the attack, in special, gives me such a satisfactory feelling! The animations, of course, are perfect.

Haha, that means we haven't stepped it enough.  When erection thresholds are broken, THAT'S when we are making/have made a great game!  Thanks a lot, for real.  I've been wondering for a long time how the game as it is now would be received.  I've tried very hard to make sure that combat feels meaty, precise and responsive.  I've also put a lot of care into the sound effects to help bring everything through.


It's like a love child of Bloodrayne betrayal and castlevania (OF COURSE!).
I wasn't too keen on the pre-renders, but in motion it looks pretty damn good.

If we had the artists that worked on Bloodrayne Betrayal, I'd be a very happy man.  I've never wanted to do pre-rendered sprites, but it has been the only artistic route that was available to us.  Luckily, animations have significantly improved by going to a motion capture system.  I still see a lot of room for improvement, but that comes with time and polish.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dengo vlad tepes on April 06, 2016, 01:20:13 AM
Day 1 steam pre-purchase with the ost too! if possible
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Chernabogue on April 06, 2016, 02:13:22 AM
Really nice! I skipped a lot of the discussion, but that test footage really got me interested. Keep up the good work.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 10, 2016, 11:30:53 AM
Thanks very much everyone!  I debated about sharing the footage, but I was getting tired of keeping people totally in the dark, even though the official "reveal" is still down the road.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on April 10, 2016, 12:42:35 PM
You should put this on the Castlevania FB Group if you haven't already.
I can do it for ya if ya want.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 10, 2016, 12:51:54 PM
Thanks Jorge!  I'm going to wait until I have a more in-depth trailer that shows a lot more variety.  I want to make a good first (second) impression.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on April 10, 2016, 01:04:20 PM
In my opinion, you're already showing off great stuff, here... but ok.  I'll wait.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: darkmanx_429 on April 10, 2016, 01:55:43 PM
Thanks very much man!

So, even though it may be against my better judgement, I figured I would show a glimpse of the game in motion using one of the earlier areas.  I want to save the newer areas for the trailer.  But anyway, not all environmental areas are finished, animations to refine and there are still places to insert enemies...blah blah...unfinished...disclaimers...be sure to watch in HD/60fps.



Dude, this is ridiculous! You are doing this in 2.5 correct? Who did you soundtrack because that's some catchy tunes! I hope that you are releasing the OST as well. This is Early footage? The action is on point! I could go on an artist critique, but your presentation, models, and environments are all top notch! You've improved by leaps and bounds from your previous titles. Awesome sauce!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 10, 2016, 03:03:35 PM
In my opinion, you're already showing off great stuff, here... but ok.  I'll wait.

I appreciate the kind words!  If you want to share it I don't see where it would hurt I guess.  I just am eager to finish up some of the areas to show the new trailer.  Hopefully that will have more of a wow factor than just this one, unfinished area.

Dude, this is ridiculous! You are doing this in 2.5 correct? Who did you soundtrack because that's some catchy tunes! I hope that you are releasing the OST as well. This is Early footage? The action is on point! I could go on an artist critique, but your presentation, models, and environments are all top notch! You've improved by leaps and bounds from your previous titles. Awesome sauce!

Yep, still working in F2.5.  Gren4 is handling the OST for this game.  Matter of fact, he's got the greater majority of the OST written and mostly done.  Though I'm sure tweaks are going to be done here and there.  This is early test footage, as the area you see is an unfinished area.  I know what you mean, I go on a critique all the time with it.  I've wanted to do a pixel art style but that couldn't be arranged so we have what we have.  Though, the new rendering techniques I am doing area much better than the old and I feel a lot better about the "art style".  A whole helluva lot of work goes into the models, environments and overall presentation.  But it is all still a WIP so I will be improving as we go.  I really am trying to polish like crazy as I go along so that when I am done with the core and go back to polish, I can make it even better.  I think what I'm essentially the absolute most proud of is the overall efficiency of the code in comparison to any prior works of mine.  Granted we have not had widespread testing, but bugs are actually very, very minimal.  The engine and controls are, in my opinion, damn solid.  They better be, I've only been working on this new version for almost a year, not to mention the version before that...I'm not making the same mistakes I did with Bloodletting, by using internal, prebuilt movements within MMF2.  The entire engine is built from the ground up and in total, the engine has had somewhere in the area of 10 months worth of development time when counting the old version and the new.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on April 10, 2016, 03:14:25 PM
Yeah, thing looks pretty spectacular. Can't say much without repeating what's been said already.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Gren4 on April 11, 2016, 06:23:11 AM
Who did you soundtrack because that's some catchy tunes! I hope that you are releasing the OST as well.

Thank you, sir! I’m glad the music is catchy, as that’s what I’m aiming for.  I’m really trying to capture that aspect from the 8 and 16-bit eras. But rather than have to deal with the limited instrumentation that those composers had to deal with, I’m trying to keep the melodies rather simple, yet have them fully realized and orchestrated.

I should also say that I’ve pulled out all the stops for the OST. It’s not all orchestral; there are heavy guitars sometimes, synth, voices and choirs, etc. It’s a mash-up of anything that will serve the song I’m writing, and ultimately, the game itself.

To answer your question regarding the release of the soundtrack: Right now, the plan is to release it as part of a “deluxe edition,” or as a pre-order bonus, or as DLC when the game is released. It will probably also be available on iTunes. Of course, as development proceeds, any of that could change, but those are the rough plans, and what we’d like to do.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on April 11, 2016, 07:59:38 AM
I really can't wait for everyone to get their hands on the demo and play it, as well as hear some of the more recent tunes that are, in my opinion, much catchier than what you hear in the above video.

I'm actually quite surprised at the variety Gren has brought for the OST, and yet it all fits.  There are a lot of different moods which is great because a lot of the stages have different moods also.

I'm also planning on including something in the demo that Castlevania IV and Bloodlines should have done, but never did. ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: eryson on May 24, 2016, 10:05:48 AM
I was out for many months, and Im really Surprised with the way that this game took!!!
Now the this is so much fast-paced, dinamic and......BETTER!!!! щ(゜ロ゜щ)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theANdROId on May 31, 2016, 12:29:57 PM
I really hope this doesn't come across as an insult...this has really come a long way from your initial post!  It looked great then, and it looks incredible now!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Kingshango on June 02, 2016, 08:41:58 PM
Haven't checked this out in a while and you're making great progress since the last time I was here. Keep it up.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Claimh Solais on July 03, 2016, 10:46:40 PM
So it's been a month since anyone last talked about it, but I started following this thread again since my last post (last year... wow) and I wanna offer up my two cents, especially after watching the gameplay build.

I'm REALLY digging it. The fast-paced feel of it is really something. It looks like a solid mixture of Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, and Mega Man X. You put them together in a really solid way. Nice job!

I do wanna offer up a BIT of criticism, since I didn't see anyone else point it out. Don't know if you changed or not in the couple months since the video release, but... yeah. In the trailer, we see that the player can run up and down rubble as slopes. However, these pieces of rubble, visually, are no different from the non-interactive background images. While watching the video, some of these slopes confused me since I thought they'd simply be in the background. (I attached an image of what I mean, as well as the specific part that confused me)

So basically what I'm suggesting is maybe making them stand out a bit more? For example, the pillar itself looks to be in the background, while the ground itself appears in the foreground. I think that putting them on the same plane would be better, like having the pillar itself in the grass rather than behind it. Or even something simpler like brightening the graphics of the slopes.

Outside of that, though, there's nothing else I see wrong with it so far. As I said, it looks solid. Definitely gonna keep tabs on the project more. Keep up the good work!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 14, 2016, 03:57:25 PM
Hello everyone.  Sorry for the lack of updates.  I've been a recluse lately, work has been insane (someone got caught stealing so naturally I have to pick up the slack) and honestly, creator's block has been a major pain in my ass.  I assure you the project is still moving along, it's just moving slower than I'd like as I'm polishing as I go and really taking my time with this.  Plus, 3d graphics take a long time to animate and render.  As some of you know I use Daz Studio for this but I've been expanding into Blender and 3DS Max for certain things that Daz is just not capable of.  I'm running a GTX 760 right now and I really hope to make an upgrade soon that should decrease a lot of the render times.

I thought I might share a very early WIP of a new environment that you should be seeing more of sooner or later. This is not a concept, this is in-game before I am really adding in the platforming aspect.  I have mostly been focusing on the environment itself before building the playable area.  There are still some touches I need to add like the splashes of water against objects in the water.

Sorry it took so long to get back to here, but let me respond to everyone now!

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi347.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp473%2Fesperware%2FScreen%25208_zpsmlrafszw.jpg&hash=66af6529f3ff3dd5876bbdf8b89579eb)

I was out for many months, and Im really Surprised with the way that this game took!!!
Now the this is so much fast-paced, dinamic and......BETTER!!!! щ(゜ロ゜щ)

It's an awful lot of work, and progress is much slower than I'd like, but I think it's finally coming together and starting to show.  I promise to have a demo sooner or later, I just have been working to get it to where I think it is good.

I really hope this doesn't come across as an insult...this has really come a long way from your initial post!  It looked great then, and it looks incredible now!

Not at all taken as an insult!  All the early criticism has helped bring it to a higher quality.  We're always open to hearing the feedback, good and bad.  We just can't wait to get it out for you to play it. 

Haven't checked this out in a while and you're making great progress since the last time I was here. Keep it up.

Thanks very much!  I knew we would start to make a believer out of you sooner or later. ;)

So it's been a month since anyone last talked about it, but I started following this thread again since my last post (last year... wow) and I wanna offer up my two cents, especially after watching the gameplay build.

I'm REALLY digging it. The fast-paced feel of it is really something. It looks like a solid mixture of Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, and Mega Man X. You put them together in a really solid way. Nice job!

I do wanna offer up a BIT of criticism, since I didn't see anyone else point it out. Don't know if you changed or not in the couple months since the video release, but... yeah. In the trailer, we see that the player can run up and down rubble as slopes. However, these pieces of rubble, visually, are no different from the non-interactive background images. While watching the video, some of these slopes confused me since I thought they'd simply be in the background. (I attached an image of what I mean, as well as the specific part that confused me)

So basically what I'm suggesting is maybe making them stand out a bit more? For example, the pillar itself looks to be in the background, while the ground itself appears in the foreground. I think that putting them on the same plane would be better, like having the pillar itself in the grass rather than behind it. Or even something simpler like brightening the graphics of the slopes.

Outside of that, though, there's nothing else I see wrong with it so far. As I said, it looks solid. Definitely gonna keep tabs on the project more. Keep up the good work!

Those are the exact mixtures that we are shooting for!  Maybe I'm biased, but I feel it plays a bit better than I expected when mashing up those series.

This actually has not been changed since the video.  To be honest with you, this is the kind of stuff that I need to hear.  I spend an awful lot of time on level design and the overall aesthetic.  I want it to feel natural as much as I can make it, but it also needs to work from a gameplay perspective.  I will see what I can do to make this pop more.  I've placed a lot of worry into certain things not popping as much as they probably should to let the player know the interactive possibilities.  I think brightening the slops with a bit of the grass would probably do the trick.

Thanks for your comments everyone.  Please don't hesitate to drop us any feedback you may have.  I know it's hard to say based on the video and having not yet played it.  I feel like I'm breaking a bit of the creator's block and will be on vacation soon so I hope to make a lot of progress for that demo!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on October 01, 2016, 05:33:17 PM
New update, short and sweet.  The demo should be finished and out by the end of 2016 if all goes well.  I'd anticipated releasing it today originally but some personal issues arose that I had to attend to.  In the meantime, new WIP screenshots.  Everything following is still in the works and is not considered a "finished product."

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2F441396045_preview_09.png&hash=f0a2099f25d581dd85d1ecd365b7143d)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2Fdownload_1.jpg&hash=0fced6a06c96aed613616de0bc0fafc1)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2F441396045_preview_2.jpg&hash=4e5002db82512230a2e30b6dc7388b37)
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2F441396045_preview_1.jpg&hash=91a2cb837d7729e79e1d079121c5bc5b)

And, new wallpaper that I threw together because I felt like it.
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi25.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc90%2FPiscesDreams%2FTS.jpg&hash=7f587badbb969d717fc7f5729af95dad)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: TheTextGuy on October 02, 2016, 09:30:29 PM
Nice to see you're still making progress on it!  That full moon in the first screenshot is very striking. 
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on October 03, 2016, 03:19:51 PM
Nice to see you're still making progress on it!  That full moon in the first screenshot is very striking.

Thank you very much. :)

Things will get better as time goes, as these are not the finished environments for the demo.  I am constantly tweaking as we go.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on February 28, 2017, 05:36:28 PM
Sorry for the long delays and silence.  Lots has been going on and our demo is just about ready for public release.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share the news with everyone that Aimee Smith has joined the cast of Anathema as our heroine, Aurora Delacroix.  Aimee is best known for her work as Milla in Freedom Planet and its upcoming sequel.  Aimee has a broad range and is a very talented actress that we are very happy and excited to be working with.

More news to come soon...  ;)

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.indiedb.com%2Fimages%2Fmembers%2F4%2F3013%2F3012049%2Fprofileanathema%2FAuroraMilla.png&hash=5614c6476c15220926a42a89439fb001)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on February 28, 2017, 10:58:56 PM
It has been a while. Nice to know everything's coming along  :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: TheTextGuy on February 28, 2017, 11:25:18 PM
Congrats on having Aimee Smith voice the main character!  I recall liking Milla's voice in Freedom Planet (on a side note, she's a very fun character to play).
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 01, 2017, 03:57:44 AM
Aimee has a broad range and we quite like her approach to Aurora.  It's very different than Milla though.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: TheTextGuy on March 01, 2017, 02:17:07 PM
Aimee has a broad range and we quite like her approach to Aurora.  It's very different than Milla though.

Well I'd imagine so: it would be disorienting (but kinda funny) to hear Milla's voice come out of Aurora :P
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 01, 2017, 05:39:16 PM
Hehe, that crossed my mind too.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on March 18, 2017, 08:18:39 AM
Just another update everyone.  I'd like to announce that Duffy Weber and Kira Buckland has joined the cast of Anathema.

Kira will be the voice Aeron, the first vampyr.  Aeron leads the cult of the Black Dawn, a group of Azrael's followers that has resurrected the fallen Angel of Death.  Aeron is also the mother of all vampyrs and seeks to enslave those that Azrael doesn't pluck the very souls of for himself.  Kira is most known for her roles in the recent Nier: Automata for PS4 as 2B, as well as other games such as Skullgirls, Castle Crashers, Fire Emblem Heroes, Dead or Alive 5 and many more.

Duffy will be the voice of our antagonist, Azrael - the fallen Angel of Death.  Azrael has been resurrected by the hands of the cult, The Black Dawn.  He seeks to destroy the Delacroix lineage, regain his title as the Angel of Death and use the souls he was meant to ferry for judgement in his army to wage war on mankind.  Duffy has appeared in various video games such as The Fifth Expedition, Heroes of Newerth and Revived Legends: Titan's Revenge.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.indiedb.com%2Fimages%2Fmembers%2F4%2F3013%2F3012049%2Fprofileanathema%2FAeron2b2.png&hash=31e7748cf22df93707fba0a4a5f71bf2)(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.indiedb.com%2Fimages%2Fmembers%2F4%2F3013%2F3012049%2Fprofileanathema%2FAzraelAnnouncement2.png&hash=3f828630e04c98bbd18734c774056844)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theplottwist on March 18, 2017, 10:18:27 AM
That's why I love this forum.

People keep pulling this all-start stuff all the time making my hype jump :P
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Belmontoya on March 18, 2017, 01:27:33 PM
That's cool you got Kira! She's excellent to work with.

You forgot to mention Lecarde Chronicles 2 in her list of roles! ????

We actually casted her for a lead role in our next game too!

I haven't heard Duffy but I'll check him out!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Dracula9 on March 19, 2017, 06:46:03 AM
I can't even be mad. It's Duffy. Score!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: eryson on March 19, 2017, 11:56:32 AM
We're getting so great quality stuff in this forums!!  ;D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 01, 2017, 01:12:06 PM
Hello everyone!

First, I must apologize for the lack of updates lately. We've been working constantly under the radar to complete the upcoming demo and trailer. It gives us pleasure to finally say you will be able to play the Anathema demo on July 15th, 2017. You can download the demo from www.anathemagame.com (http://www.anathemagame.com) and it will be coming to Steam soon.

The demo will feature a total of 3 stages, complete with voice acted motion-comic style cutscenes. We will post another announcement once the demo is available. But for now, thank you for your patience and here, have a trailer!

Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: theplottwist on July 01, 2017, 01:25:25 PM
Still VERY interested on seeing the completion of this.

Also, great voice work.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 01, 2017, 01:26:58 PM
@theplottwist - Thank you!  We're getting there.  The revamp set us back a lot, but we're back on track now. :)

Aimee Smith and Duffy Weber are awesome.  We're VERY fortunate to be working with them.  The same goes for Kira Buckland, though she isn't featured in this trailer.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: X on July 02, 2017, 12:28:50 AM
Good to hear from you guys, and good to know this is still going on  ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Lelygax on July 02, 2017, 01:35:00 PM
That trailer is awesome, the main theme echoes perfectly with it.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 03, 2017, 06:29:52 PM
Glad you're liking what you see.  Hopefully you will like what you play.

I wonder if a different thread should be started since the info on the first page is obsolete.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: Lelygax on July 04, 2017, 01:35:52 AM
Glad you're liking what you see.  Hopefully you will like what you play.

I wonder if a different thread should be started since the info on the first page is obsolete.

I've three suggestions then:
1- Update the first post without deleting its content (put the original content inside a spoiler, it contains historical value IMO since its cool to see how your game evolved)
2- Create a new thread with a easy link pointing to this one in the first post, then put a link to the new thread at the end of this thread and lock it (so the two will be linked and easily found).
3- Continue using this thread as if nothing has happened.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: eryson on July 04, 2017, 01:05:42 PM
Im Really impressed, the gameplay seems frenetic and the voice work is superb!
To be honest, this revamp is one of the best things that could happen to your project; The old build, although had good music, was very clunky, and it seemed just like just another Castlevania clone.
Now your game is fast-paced and has its own identity, and is "Based on castlevania franchise, but not a mere clone".
keep great as aways! I'm very excited to see the demo!!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Official Announcement + Trailer (1080p)
Post by: piscesdreams on July 04, 2017, 03:16:52 PM
2- Create a new thread with a easy link pointing to this one in the first post, then put a link to the new thread at the end of this thread and lock it (so the two will be linked and easily found).

This would probably be the best option.

Im Really impressed, the gameplay seems frenetic and the voice work is superb!
To be honest, this revamp is one of the best things that could happen to your project; The old build, although had good music, was very clunky, and it seemed just like just another Castlevania clone.
Now your game is fast-paced and has its own identity, and is "Based on castlevania franchise, but not a mere clone".
keep great as aways! I'm very excited to see the demo!!

That was definitely our goal.  While the original Castlevania clone idea was fun and all, it just felt so stiff.  It's a bit of a pain for me to play Castlevania games now that I've gotten used to Anathema's controls and how much faster they are.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on July 15, 2017, 06:33:02 AM
Hello everyone.

The demo is now live for download.  You can grab it at any of the following:

STEAM
http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/ (http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/)

INDIEDB
http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema/downloads (http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema/downloads)

ITCH.IO
https://esperware.itch.io/anathema (https://esperware.itch.io/anathema)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
https://www.anathemagame.com/ (https://www.anathemagame.com/)

I want to give a very special shoutout to Lelygax for all of the testing done.  Lelygax helped tremendously with the bugtesting phase.  If you find bugs please let us know so they can be fixed.  If you know how to reproduce them, that is even better.  I hope everyone enjoys.

(If you run into any technical issues, there are helpful documents in the demo folder that may address some issues experienced.)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Jop on July 15, 2017, 03:29:32 PM
Well Damn!

Video:
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: theplottwist on July 15, 2017, 04:43:05 PM
Well Damn!

Video:
(click to show/hide)

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi0.kym-cdn.com%2Fentries%2Ficons%2Fmobile%2F000%2F023%2F386%2Fdonladboner.jpg&hash=e034ace14c5b4eefc89e2828801ac569)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: TatteredSeraph on July 15, 2017, 05:28:41 PM
Wow.  I've just had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  That looks fantastic.  I seriously love the introduction, the music, the storytelling, the voice acting.  Great stuff so far!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on July 15, 2017, 08:00:24 PM
Well Damn!

Video:
(click to show/hide)

Thanks for doing the video! It's great to finally see others get to play it.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi0.kym-cdn.com%2Fentries%2Ficons%2Fmobile%2F000%2F023%2F386%2Fdonladboner.jpg&hash=e034ace14c5b4eefc89e2828801ac569)

Oh man, I was crying laughing at this.  This made my day.

Wow.  I've just had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  That looks fantastic.  I seriously love the introduction, the music, the storytelling, the voice acting.  Great stuff so far!

Glad you like it!  We're definitely proud of it!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Lelygax on July 15, 2017, 10:43:04 PM
I want to give a very special shoutout to Lelygax for all of the testing done.  Lelygax helped tremendously with the bugtesting phase.  If you find bugs please let us know so they can be fixed.  If you know how to reproduce them, that is even better.  I hope everyone enjoys.

Hehe, thanks. Only trying to help at making a jewel shiny even more.

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi0.kym-cdn.com%2Fentries%2Ficons%2Fmobile%2F000%2F023%2F386%2Fdonladboner.jpg&hash=e034ace14c5b4eefc89e2828801ac569)

LOL that made my day.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on July 15, 2017, 11:09:20 PM
Good Demo! Very good  8)  I wasn't expecting three stages though, just one which is the norm for most other demos. The game was tough but not unreasonably so. I was able to complete it without much trouble. I did have some trouble in stage three as I was at first unable to tell where to go after all the water platforms stopped drifting. After dying I deduced the vines were the way to go. For others this little thing might be an issue. The story had started to get interesting, unfortunately the game ended  >:(  LOL! Please continue and finish the product. It would be a treat to play the completed version.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on July 16, 2017, 09:17:58 AM
Good Demo! Very good  8)  I wasn't expecting three stages though, just one which is the norm for most other demos. The game was tough but not unreasonably so. I was able to complete it without much trouble. I did have some trouble in stage three as I was at first unable to tell where to go after all the water platforms stopped drifting. After dying I deduced the vines were the way to go. For others this little thing might be an issue. The story had started to get interesting, unfortunately the game ended  >:(  LOL! Please continue and finish the product. It would be a treat to play the completed version.

Glad you like it.  I've been thinking on a way to make it more clear for the player to jump on the vines.  The most obvious way is to add an enemy attached to the vine, which I haven't ruled out yet.  It's got a ways to go, but we are most assuredly going to finish it.  Even if it's the death of me.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on July 16, 2017, 02:09:02 PM
The vines themselves could stand out a little more if they had some small animations to them. But I'm sure there are many tricks to getting these things to work out  :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Castle34hk on July 17, 2017, 01:04:15 AM
Thank you so much for the demo I will try it out soon, game looks amazing;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: eryson on July 17, 2017, 04:42:44 PM
Cold be a good idea if this game have a "stage clear bonus" ??
For example, the player will get a bonus score what is a sum of:
-the souls collected
-remaining time (a invisible time counter that will not kill you, but decreases , the quicker the gameplay, the bigger will be the bonus, encouraging the speedrun) Like the Koumajou Densetsu series.

I do not know if it could be a good idea, but who knows?  ;)

Also, great demo, very challenging and fun.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Chernabogue on July 18, 2017, 01:32:12 AM
That looks great! Looking forward to seeing more! :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Jop on July 18, 2017, 10:33:54 AM
Well I enjoyed a lot, I have one complain, I know my computer will not work with all the video configuration on, actualy it work slow so i turn off but when I open the game again the options are not saved so I need to go again and change that, its not a problem but it will be nice if you can save the configuration of that :)

if someone is interested to see the other areas:

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: TheFallenAlchemist on July 24, 2017, 02:53:59 AM
Hopefully, I'm not stating the obvious here, but the full version of this game will also be available on itch in addition to steam, correct? I don't support steam nor their DRM policy, so I try to stick with GOG, Itch Playism and Humble (DRM-Free) exclusively.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on July 24, 2017, 05:01:42 PM
The vines themselves could stand out a little more if they had some small animations to them. But I'm sure there are many tricks to getting these things to work out  :)

I'd like to try to animate the leaves at least, or add an enemy attached to them.  Unfortunately, due to the limitations of Daz, the former may not be possible.  This is something I've wanted to do for a while now though, to make them pop better.

Thank you so much for the demo I will try it out soon, game looks amazing;)

Hope you enjoy it!

Cold be a good idea if this game have a "stage clear bonus" ??
For example, the player will get a bonus score what is a sum of:
-the souls collected
-remaining time (a invisible time counter that will not kill you, but decreases , the quicker the gameplay, the bigger will be the bonus, encouraging the speedrun) Like the Koumajou Densetsu series.

I do not know if it could be a good idea, but who knows?  ;)

Also, great demo, very challenging and fun.

A stage clear bonus might be something we do in the final game - it certainly makes sense to do that.  We've had some requests for a speedrun mode so a timer bonus may be a good idea if we implement that.

That looks great! Looking forward to seeing more! :)

Thank you!  We're looking forward to showing more! :)

Well I enjoyed a lot, I have one complain, I know my computer will not work with all the video configuration on, actualy it work slow so i turn off but when I open the game again the options are not saved so I need to go again and change that, its not a problem but it will be nice if you can save the configuration of that :)

if someone is interested to see the other areas:

(click to show/hide)

I will see if I can get that implemented.  I've been focused on adding a few features, tweaking balancing and fixing bugs.  It will definitely be in the final game for sure.

Hopefully, I'm not stating the obvious here, but the full version of this game will also be available on itch in addition to steam, correct? I don't support steam nor their DRM policy, so I try to stick with GOG, Itch Playism and Humble (DRM-Free) exclusively.

Absolutely.  Right now, it's coming to Steam, Itch.io, GreenManGaming and Humble Bundle.  We're in talks with GoG but the game is rather early so they want to see it closer to the final version before deciding if it will be for sale there also.  I've honestly never heard of Playism until you mentioned it, so I will look into it there.  We want it available in as many places as possible since everyone has their preferred platforms.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on August 18, 2017, 07:37:41 PM
Hello Everyone!

Apologies for the delay in the patch. We had hoped to release it last week, but there were unforeseen delays with our group of external testers so we did as much internal testing as possible. Unfortunately, there are only so many bugs that we could squash in this patch and really wanted to get more external testing in. So please note that this patch has only been moderately tested and you may run into some bugs.

Please do not hesitate to forward any information on bugs you find as it will help us ensure a higher quality experience. Being that we're just a few guys and rely on the goodwill of outside testers when they can test, it's tough to catch everything. But please know that we do want to whip this into top shape, we just don't have many avenues to get the feedback needed before releasing to you publicly but this may be the best avenue. Below is a list of everything changed/updated/added in this patch. Thank you all so much for playing! Hopefully this will expand play for many more users that had issues with the prior version.

STEAM: http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/ (http://store.steampowered.com/app/375390/Anathema/)
INDIEDB: http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema/downloads/anathema-demo (http://www.indiedb.com/games/anathema/downloads/anathema-demo)
ITCH.IO: https://esperware.itch.io/anathema (https://esperware.itch.io/anathema)
DIRECT DOWNLOAD: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AoJhIhK7UI-mg5sXn0rREgXjIwKPVQ (https://1drv.ms/u/s!AoJhIhK7UI-mg5sXn0rREgXjIwKPVQ)

(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/98ab91_8db88782d46845c3bd2b41fa1c0d2387~mv2.gif)

DEMO VERSION 1.1 CHANGELOG

* Added launcher so players will be aware of what options can be adjusted.  Players seemingly overlooked these options in the pause menu.
* Added DirectInput Controller support.
* Added support to use the left analog stick on controllers for movement.
* Added keybinding for Xinput and DirectInput controllers.  (Keyboard keybinding already existent.)
* Refined "Controls" sub-menu.
* Improved video file compatibility so that cutscenes should play on all machines now.
* Darkened "Continue" on Title Screen to reduce confusion as this function isn't used in the demo.
* Fixed a bug where the crow placement in the Title Screen was not proper.
* Fixed a bug in the Options Menu where the sound volume could be set below 0.
* Fixed a bug where zombies didn't provide souls if killed using the crossbow.
* Removed controller rumble as it would cause certain controller types (such as the wired Xbox 360 controller) to become unresponsive and you must disconnect/reconnect the controller to regain input.
* Added controller refresh.  If controller becomes unresponsive, unplug, replug and press F5, wait 1-3 seconds and functionality should return.  NOTE: This is implemented in response to a rare issue we've heard about where a controller randomly stops responding that isn't related to the rumble bug listed above.  We've been unable to reproduce this to discern if it is a software issue or a hardware conflict on the user end.
* Discovered a conflict if you have multiple instances of controllers installed.  Open "Device Manager" and select View > Show Hidden Devices.  If you have multiple instances of the same controller, uninstall all of them and reconnect your controller to install the drivers.  You should then not have any further issues due to multiple driver installations.
* Deathbringers now operate on a recharge system, rather than using souls.  They will recharge automatically over time, although only the Bone Dragon is available in the demo.
* Changed the effects for the deathbringer power-up animation.  The prior effects were hitting the frame-rate hard.
* Revised Options menu UI text to make it cleaner and more legible.
* Revised boss name text to make cleaner and more legible.
* Added additional checkpoints before bosses.
* Added a soul font to power up players should they respawn at the boss.
* Buffed your main attack against the wood witch boss.
* Improved load time between opening cutscene and stage 1.
* Statue removed at the beginning of stage 1.  Players were confused by its purpose.
* Increased hitbox size on whip swing latches to make it easier for players to connect a hit.
* The game can now be exited using Alt+F4.
* Pause can now be activated via the "Escape" key.
* Added physics to the crates in the Stage 1 Lookout Tower...why not?  They also give souls.  Look for the secret.
* Reduced frequency of in-game vocal effects.
* Reduced volume of sound effect when player lands on the ground from higher falls.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on August 21, 2017, 10:03:06 AM
That's quite the list  ???
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on August 21, 2017, 10:41:24 AM
That's quite the list  ???

All for the better, we hope.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on March 15, 2018, 04:27:39 AM
Hello all.

I've been away for no other good reason than I've been a recluse, but here are two updates on the game. Hope you enjoy! :)

February 2018 Update
http://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1662261101843342914 (http://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1662261101843342914)

March 2018 Update
http://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1660013106948538721 (http://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1660013106948538721)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Castle34hk on March 15, 2018, 03:41:12 PM
Nice hope we will get this game soon;) God work;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on March 15, 2018, 05:30:41 PM
Can we play this yet? Jaysus I've been looking forward to this!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on March 15, 2018, 06:55:51 PM
Can we play this yet? Jaysus I've been looking forward to this!

The demo is available on Steam, IndieDB and Itch.io, but we're still churning away at the core game.  We had an extended period of indecisiveness in all that we wanted to do but we're wrapping up the planning and can finish the rest of the game soon. :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on April 29, 2018, 10:53:49 AM
Hello all.

A new development update has been posted to Steam. We've been working with a 3D artist for new assets for the game and here is a look at the first new enemy.

April 2018 Update
https://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1657765111846276915 (https://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1657765111846276915)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on April 29, 2018, 11:14:42 AM
Plan on adding sparse hair and such? If you're doing pre-rendered art, I don't see why you shouldn't go balls to the wall with detail
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on April 30, 2018, 12:07:56 PM
For this enemy, probably not. By the time the meshes are rendered into their sprite size, those kinds of details are unfortunately lost.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on May 01, 2018, 09:34:25 AM
There is that issue with size, yes. however by making the hair patches larger you should be able to get away with doing it. unless it is too much of a hassle though.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on May 01, 2018, 12:53:39 PM
Daz is a bit behind the times and doesn’t handle hair well. It only just recently got a physics engine for cloth. It could potentially be repurposed for hair but my tests so far don’t play so nicely. I’d like to see some hair on it myself, but due to technical limitations and the smaller sprite size, it would be more trouble than it’s worth.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: PyramidHead on May 01, 2018, 10:45:07 PM
Looks good. I'm buying.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on May 07, 2018, 04:17:38 AM
Looks good. I'm buying.

Thank you. We appreciate your support! :)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on May 30, 2018, 04:50:04 PM
Hello all.

A new development update has been posted to Steam. This time it is a look at a level you may have sneaked a peek at during the end credits of the demo.  ;)

May 2018 Update
https://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1657768283103421151 (https://steamcommunity.com/games/375390/announcements/detail/1657768283103421151)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: BMC_War Machine on May 30, 2018, 05:55:29 PM
Looks killer man!  ;D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: FanOfDracula on May 30, 2018, 06:43:05 PM
wow  :o  looks very beatiful this kind of art and graphics in games is great
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on May 31, 2018, 10:16:51 AM
does it support anything modern like subsurface scattering or full AO?
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on May 31, 2018, 11:35:02 AM
wow  :o  looks very beatiful this kind of art and graphics in games is great

Glad you like it! Prerendered sprites can be very polarizing for some.

does it support anything modern like subsurface scattering or full AO?

Yes, it supports both. I’m not sure what your definition of “full AO” would be compared to others, but Daz does support AO and I’ve begun using both much more. Though, you don’t really need normal maps too often in Daz because typically it is high res models, but they still can be useful in some scenarios regardless.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on May 31, 2018, 12:32:54 PM
Yes, it supports both. I’m not sure what your definition of “full AO” would be compared to others, but Daz does support AO and I’ve begun using both much more. Though, you don’t really need normal maps too often in Daz because typically it is high res models, but they still can be useful in some scenarios regardless.

I mean non-approximated AO. Most games and other 3d applications don't support it because it's insanely resource intensive, so instead opt for approximated or fake AO.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on May 31, 2018, 07:39:08 PM
I mean non-approximated AO. Most games and other 3d applications don't support it because it's insanely resource intensive, so instead opt for approximated or fake AO.

Gotcha. I believe (to the best of my knowledge) Daz is strictly approximated AO, whether using either the NVIDIA Iray or 3Delight render engine. You can use other render engines such as Octane, but I’m not sure what’s AO it uses. By then anyway, you wouldn’t be able to use any of the Iray shaders so it would rely on you texturing everything yourself and making your own shaders inside of Daz for Octane.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: PyramidHead on June 01, 2018, 11:38:41 AM
Quote
Prerendered sprites can be very polarizing for some.
But who cares? Very few developers are using this kind of graphics today. It deserves respect.
I miss that style. 
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on June 01, 2018, 04:30:18 PM
I miss that style.

I don't, but it fits and looks well with this game.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: FanOfDracula on June 01, 2018, 09:03:55 PM
yes youre right this style is great! wonderful! and beauty! :D ...the true jajaja
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on June 02, 2018, 07:58:51 AM
I don't, but it fits and looks well with this game.

Thank you. I wanted it to be either pixel art or hand drawn like Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2 originally, but pre-rendered was the best method available to us. If we ever do a sequel I highly doubt we would use pre-rendered sprites. We would most likely go full 2.5D like Bloodstained.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on June 02, 2018, 09:27:32 AM
Quote
I wanted it to be either pixel art or hand drawn like Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2 originally, but pre-rendered was the best method available to us.

SNK-style would have also been a good choice. The way they do their sprites is simplistic yet they pop out due to the method with which they colour them.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on June 02, 2018, 07:40:36 PM
SNK-style would have also been a good choice. The way they do their sprites is simplistic yet they pop out due to the method with which they colour them.

That would have been an excellent route also.  Me not having artistic skills greatly hampers things...
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on September 16, 2019, 05:37:12 PM
Happy September!

It has been an excruciatingly long time since our last update, but I assure you we have been hard at work! In this update we will go over the latest information about the status of development, showcase a brand new player sprite, new HUD and latest level!

There is a LOT to share below so let's get started!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/07c5f216b9576b51007c6293cf9b4d566ab30753.png)
We would like to start by unveiling the re-design of the sprite for Aurora Delacroix. When development of Anathema began in October 2014 we began using pre-made, royalty free assets available on the web to make pre-rendered sprites. As development has progressed we became disenchanted with the design currently in the demo. We knew that it was important to give Aurora some original flair of our own design.

Around May 2018 we reached out to our friend, Craig Daversa with Pyroklastic Games who has a great game that can be found on Steam as STLD. Ep 2 Redux, that has worked with us on prior artistic portions of Anathema and gave him a rough design sketch of what we wanted to do with Aurora's design. Craig began modeling the new design for us and we were off to the races. After many collective man-hours modeling, rigging, weight mapping, texturing and animating, we give you the new design of Aurora Delacroix. Many thanks to Craig for this as we could not have pulled this off without him.
(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Aurora.gif)
For good measure, here is a comparison of how Aurora's design has evolved throughout the years. As you can see, the design has changed almost entirely since the original concept in 2014, but some design elements were developed into the 2015 revision and maintained into the final design.

(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Aurora_Through_The_Years.jpg)

We have also redesigned the boss that challenged quite a few players we saw on YouTube Let's Play videos - Aeron, the First Vampyr. The original design was something that just no longer fit the vision for the game, so it needed to be updated as well! Gone is the silly purple/red hair color and odd body-wrap she once wore. This look is much more streamlined and in-line with the character's story.

(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Aeron2019.jpg)



(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/e8e8088e30cd52e5a5aea79cc258666f219a9120.png)
A proper development would be incomplete without a look at a brand new level you've not seen. There were a few glimpses of upcoming levels at the end of the demo, but this is the first time we've publicly showcased this new level we've been hard at work making.

This is the Ossuary - the level you will find yourself in immediately after the confrontation with Aeron as seen in the demo. When developing ideas for levels, we would always try to come up with elements that would help set it apart from prior levels. The graveyard is basically the training ground that lets players become accustomed to the game's mechanics. The forest begins to test those skills with some tight platforming in the treetops. The swamp slows the player down with jumping between vines and the log ride. What sets the Ossuary apart is it is a non-linear level, unlike the prior three stages.

(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Ossuary2.jpg)

Anathema is quite often mislabeled as a metroidvania because it is assumed since it has visual elements similar to Castlevania, it must be a metroidvania. In order to be such a game, it would have to be designed for the player to obtain new abilities to access areas they previously could not. Anathema is nothing like this - it is a classic style platformer that plays more like the NES and SNES Castlevania, Ghosts 'n Goblins, MegaMan and Ninja Gaiden games. There are no mechanics that require you to backtrack to access previously inaccessible areas. Players can return to previously completed levels to obtain powerups they previously missed if they wish, similar to Mega Man X, but it is not required for the progression of the game. However, in the Ossuary, players are free to take any of the multiple routes they wish in any order, but they must all be completed before the player can progress to the next area. Each route has a switch that will unlock the exit, guarded by a powerful Vampyr Elder. Throughout the Ossuary are new enemies the player has not previously encountered that we hope will challenge and keep the player's heart rate up. The Weeping Angel can be especially surprising...

(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Ossuary6.jpg)
(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Ossuary1.jpg)
(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Ossuary4.jpg)
(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Ossuary5.jpg)
(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Ossuary3.jpg)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/d7732fdde11e1a6c991051c336158ef2755d860d.png)
As you can see in the above screenshots, the player HUD has been completely redesigned as well. We gained some great feedback from the demo release and used that to make the HUD more intuitive and simplified. The HUD now maps the corresponding buttons the player designates in the controller setup to the corresponding mechanic.

The bottom box with the deathbringer will only be visible once the player obtains their first deathbringer powerup. As the player amasses more in their inventory they will be able to switch between them on the fly in-game. Deathbringers will still operate on a cool-down mechanic like in the current demo which was changed from the original release that consumed souls that were shared with subweapons.



(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/f4c7e3bf68dbb4ff625a096c7913198681b65f9c.png)
As we move into the five year anniversary when development began, it goes without saying that this game is taking quite a while to make. There are three main people working on this game consistently in our spare time outside of our day jobs and family lives. Game development is difficult and elongated, but it's fun and rewarding as well. We ask that you please be patient with us as we continue to hammer away at the game. We're making great progress and have even set an internal goal for a release date; but since that is an internal goal and not concrete we can't share that now. We don't want to make promises we can't keep (sometimes consistent development updates are hard enough to keep up with), but rest assured once we know a solid release window we're going to share it!

Currently we're dividing into different tasks to cover more ground. The voice-over for the script has been recorded and cutscenes are in their pre-visualization stage. There will be a Story Mode as well as an Arcade Mode that skips the story and focuses solely on the gameplay, but the story is quite hefty and was a monumental task in of itself to write, edit and direct the voice over. Just look at the size of the script with standard script formatting...

(https://media.indiedb.com/images/members/4/3013/3012049/profile/Script.jpg)

We appreciate all the feedback and anticipation Anathema is receiving. It's truly humbling and rewarding that people are interested in playing this game that we have devoted the last five years of our spare time making. Sometimes life gets in the way and makes it hard to make the progress we want to make, but in the end we think it will be worth the wait and hope you will too.

We have plans to release an updated demo in the future, but aren't quite certain exactly when that will be. Most of the update work has been completed, but there will be a new area added before where the demo currently starts which will be developed in the coming weeks along with updated cutscenes.

Thanks everyone for your support and engagement. We really do appreciate it and hope you stick with us the rest of the ride!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on September 17, 2019, 01:02:35 AM
The new character design (head-wise) is definitely improved over the originals. I also like the new designs of her weapon. Although I feel the armoured look of her second design seems to work best, but could go well with the short leather belt cape from the new look.
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: eryson on September 22, 2019, 04:07:12 PM
The only thing that I don't liked in this game so far is the role of Aeron, to someones as important as  "The first Vampyr" should be, She have a very lame role, much like a low-level minion, I'd love to see more of her in the full game :-/
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on September 24, 2019, 06:36:14 AM
The only thing that I don't liked in this game so far is the role of Aeron, to someones as important as  "The first Vampyr" should be, She have a very lame role, much like a low-level minion, I'd love to see more of her in the full game :-/

She’s a pretty important character overall. The story has changed significantly since the demo (it’s part of what led to some of the delays in development), and Aeron’s role is much larger. And, if people like Anathema enough for us to make a sequel at some point, she’s VERY important.  ;)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: piscesdreams on October 20, 2019, 01:20:09 PM
Happy October!

We don't have as much this time around to share with you as we did last month, but this time around we will show you some audio/visual goodies!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/03ab65ef4ba0c24c51c9fae05735a65dc180b25e.png)
In last month's update we shared images of the work-in-progress for the newest level we've been developing - The Ossuary.  In this video, we share a brief look of this level in motion, including one of three mini bosses you will encounter.  The player can progress through this level's three routes in any order they choose, but must defeat all guardians before they are allowed passage into the next area - the Vampyr Den.  Feast your eyes and let us know your thoughts!



(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/8a92f9d455fda286cc0cc6f0e995f87e9ecd83b2.png)
To change things up this month a little bit, our resident composer has whipped up a special remix just for you.  For those that have played the demo, you will be familiar with the tune this remix is an arrangement of - Gravekeeper's Hollow.  When thinking of games' stage 1 music, it's important to hook the player with a catchy, hummable melody that (hopefully) can get stuck in your head.  When Anathema releases, we definitely want to have a bundle that includes the OST for the game.  Whether or not it includes remixed versions of tunes from the game is up in the air as of now, but companion pieces are always great to have.  Let us know what you think.



(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/60298bf631e91901aadf86ed334b5e30ce30140b.png)
Quite a lot of progress has been made since the last update.  We've begun adding a new area that precedes the graveyard area of the first stage which will serve as the "tutorial area."  The video tutorials in the demo area merely placeholder just so the player has a basic understanding of the core fundamentals of gameplay.  Don't worry, we won't hold your hand, but it's important to know the basics so players can get the most out of the game.  Here is a very early look at how it is shaping up aesthetically.
(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29708983/b66e57bcb84c876d62df706347a012a63d891c08.jpg)
There will be more to show in future updates.  We will post them here but you can also follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/esperware (http://twitter.com/esperware) to be notified as we post.

We hope everyone has a fun and spooky rest of your October, and Happy Halloween!
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: X on October 20, 2019, 08:41:20 PM
Nice vid demo!  :D
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: FanOfDracula on October 20, 2019, 11:24:08 PM
It looks amazing picesdreams, wow there should be more games with that graphic and artistic style, I always thought it's a bit similar like Killer Instinct, but look great, I'm still waiting for its release eagerly  8)
Title: Re: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam
Post by: Dark Nemesis on October 21, 2019, 10:58:32 AM
Great work there, i really enjoyed the demo video. You have gone a long way, i will give it a try when it comes out for sure!!