Something Classic Games

‘Ello once again from Something Classic Headquarters–

We are still working hard on the demo, but a lot of personal obligations and responsibilities have been keeping us busy the past month and will be keeping some of us busy throughout October. That being said the demo is still making regular progress, and it’s been playable from start to finish for quite some time now. At this stage we’re just working on integrating all of our systems (fully designed and arted), and after that it’s just a matter of applying a final layer of polish and bug testing. Once the combat system is fully functional we will treat you with a trailer for the demo soon after.

Until then, however, here’s some box art I made for the game. It’s been posted here and there, but for those who have yet to see it, here’s your chance!

Stay tuned for next week’s post, as we’ll most likely be doing our final hero reveal.

Hi all, we’re still hard at work polishing the demo for Shadows of Adam. We’ve made some major changes to our battle system recently that should make the game much more interesting, and we’re excited to have them integrated.

Also, today is more or less the 2-year anniversary of the day Shadows of Adam began development. Things were different back then and the project is pushing forward with a level of polish I had never imagined possible when it was originally started back in 2013. So, to celebrate the occasion, here is the character teaser for Curtis. Curtis is my favorite character, from his appearance, to his abilities, and especially his deadpan sense of humor. Enjoy this brief look at the enigmatic brawler’s background:

 

Last article I talked about post-processing effects and how we are using them in Shadows of Adam. The past three out of the last four weeks have been spent sharing character teasers and I plan on continuing that trend for this week. It’s been a wild ride the past few weeks with a lot going on over at Something Classic land. Look at how our commit frequency has steadily grown over time!

So, let’s meet the cast!

KELLAN
Brash, rash, and sometimes crass, Kellan is the golden boy of Adam. Nevertheless, his father Orazio’s shadow falls hard upon him. A shadow filled with disappointment and even contempt. Beneath a veneer of invincible confidence, Kellan wonders whether he is truly ready to follow in the perilous steps of his legendary father.

ASRAEL
Strong-willed and no-nonsense, Asrael is the adopted daughter of Orazio, the village legend who disappeared ten years ago. Asrael’s origins are unknown. She was brought to Adam by Orazio when she was very small and with her she brought a secret that Orazio cautioned her to hide. The suspicious villagers never fully accepted her, and ever since she has been torn by conflicting desires. Should she continue to hide her secret in the alienating safety of Adam or forge a precarious new path in the world beyond?

CURTIS
A quiet, hulking, powerhouse. He is both the storm and the preceding calm. With unruffled, unwavering poise, he dispatches foes with an unworldly power as enigmatic and perplexing as the motives that drive him.

TALON
Always the underdog, he has struggled with incapacitating bouts of sickness since birth. Nonetheless, he is determined to overcome his weaknesses. He left his friends, Kellan and Asrael, behind in Adam to pursue this course years ago under tense circumstances. Resilient and highly intelligent, he will do whatever it takes to take control of his fate.

Finally, here are the four main heroes together!

I’ve been doing some caving recently. No, not caving into peer pressure or my desire for a huge bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! I’m talking about creating a cave dungeon for Shadows of Adam.

Caves are a mainstay of classic 16-bit JRPGs. They are basically omnipresent. Quick, in under 10 seconds, name a JRPG from the 90s without any caves! … Could you do it? If so, post the name of the game in the comments and color me impressed.

One thing that I’ve seen countless times when it comes to cave dungeons is a certain awkward boxiness. The graphics look like cave walls, but the environment is boxier than the breakfast cereal aisle at your grocery store.

To combat this, a variety of measures can be taken, but one of my favorites is the use of what I call “seams.” What’s a seam? A picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go.

The above could have easily been a flat wall. Notice the effect this creates. It broadens the extent of the cavern and gives it a more natural, gnarly form without increasing the playable area.

Using a system of seams can really enhance the look of cave level, and given the ubiquity of caves in RPGs, I want to do all I can to give such a level some extra flair.

See you next time!