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[Ultima Ratio Regum]

There's this thing about questing in adventure games now, where you're always going off to get stuff for other lazyasses, in return for some modest thing you could easily just buy with the cash you got for looting the place to begin with. But this beckons the question to me:

Why are you digging this stuff for other people, rather than simply going out to get something for yourself?

I totally agree. There aren't going to be any "Get item X from place Y" quests of the sort; they're all going to be much larger, and much more open, and involve changing nations, and rulers, and armies, and things of that sort. The kind of things these lazy people can't do themselves!

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

New blog entry on THE Z-AXIS!!!! http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2011/11/28/adventures-on-the-z-axis/ - I've also added some updates to the site, re-done the design slightly, and added Twitter & Facebook links to the right so they're easier to find. I'm also going to widen the comments area soon, I think. And thus we edge slowly closer to an alpha...

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Just a quick update to say that I've started what will hopefully be a series of entries about the many CREATURES in Ultima Ratio Regum, beginning with the not-so-humble Cyclops in today's devblog:

http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2011/12/05/polyphemus-and-friends/

[burning]

What you've shown so far looks very pretty and you've blogs are talking about some cool stuff. Definitely very interested and will keep checking back!

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

What you've shown so far looks very pretty and you've blogs are talking about some cool stuff. Definitely very interested and will keep checking back!

Thanks! I update this thread whenever I get a new devblog entry out, and there are probably going to be more creature profiles in the near future. Let me know if you have any thoughts on the aspects of the game I've written about so far

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

A quick update this week, but one with a RELEASE SCHEDULE in it! Excitement.

http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2011/12/12/mini-monday-post/

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

New devblog entry on the mysterious appearance of the Penrose River... or, more world gen stuff!

http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2011/12/19/the-case-of-the-penrose-river-2/

Here's how rivers look at the moment (without any current or indicator of flow shown, currently):

[JimmyJ]

The scale of this really appeals to me, I am very very interested in the game, it sounds most excellent. The world map is to be static, as I understand? Or is it going to be a randomly generated affair?

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

The scale of this really appeals to me, I am very very interested in the game, it sounds most excellent. The world map is to be static, as I understand? Or is it going to be a randomly generated affair?

Thanks for the feedback! The world is entirely randomly generated, from mountains, volcanoes, forests, rivers, gorges, cities, resources, whatever. The same goes for dungeons, the layout of cities, and everything else

[JimmyJ]

Ahh, ok, that sounds good. Somehow I'd picked up the idea that the world map was going to be fixed.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

I am pleased to say that's not the case! Totally random, even down to the materials used to construct cities (e.g. stone where available, wood otherwise, etc). Same goes, obviously, for the civilizations, their locations, and so on and so forth

I've gone back a bit and added a heightmap in, properly, to the world map. This is enabling hills, more interesting coastlines, and all kinds of other funky stuff.

For instance, a comparison of the same area on the minimap looks like this:



I've uploaded a load of new screenshots and looks at the world in today's devblog entry @ http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2011/12/26/winter-screenshot-update/ - how does everyone think it's looking?

[SP9000]

how does everyone think it's looking?

Very good! On your blog you said you are going to be working on combat soon.  Are you going to leverage these fine generated worlds to make combat more interesting?  It would add some neat tactical depth when deciding where to attack opposing forces if, for example, there was an elevation advantage. 

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

how does everyone think it's looking?

Very good! On your blog you said you are going to be working on combat soon.  Are you going to leverage these fine generated worlds to make combat more interesting?  It would add some neat tactical depth when deciding where to attack opposing forces if, for example, there was an elevation advantage. 

There's already quite a bit of combat in - a lot of limb detail, and quite a lot of AI - but it needs bringing together, clearing up, and adding to allowing creatures as well as you to move around the world map, not just the local map. Elevation does give a definite advantage in terms of attacking someone on a lower elevation; additionally, those below have trouble seeing those above, so you have an advantage there, as well. Similarly, fighting over rivers has obvious effects, and gaining extra height also makes projectile weapons like bows much more effective.

[SP9000]

Sounds cool! I figured you had some things in mind, just wanted to subtly coax them out of you.   I can't wait to see how big battles between armies will look. 

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Sounds cool! I figured you had some things in mind, just wanted to subtly coax them out of you.   I can't wait to see how big battles between armies will look. 

Haha, thanks! The initial alpha is going to focus on the world generation, the combat, and a lot of the wild creatures; after that, I'll be getting started properly on NPCs, armies, cities, and everything on that kind of scale

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Just uploaded this week's devblog entry - all about how 'realistic' I want URR to be, and how realism in fantasy settings ends up working out (for better or for worse). Check it out at http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2012/01/02/the-strange-marriage-of-fantasy-and-realism/

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

URR now has a sidebar! In-game, it looks like this:



and I've uploaded this week's devblog entry which discusses the UI, and the direction I'm moving in in terms of ease of use, the UI, and getting efficiently around the map

http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2012/01/09/sidebars-and-scrolling/

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

New screenshots in today's devblog! Oases, mountains, and magma. Three essential components of any gaming experience.



http://www.ultimaratioregum.co.uk/game/2012/01/17/the-end-of-the-world/

[laxwolf]

Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Thanks for the feedback!