Knuckle Cracker

Particle Fleet => Pre-release chatter => Topic started by: kwerle on November 09, 2014, 06:58:36 PM

Title: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: kwerle on November 09, 2014, 06:58:36 PM
It's been more than a year since CW3 has been released - and it is still one of my most often played games.

Still - I wonder what KnuckleCracker is up to.  It's been quite a while since we've heard anything.  Is there a CW4 in the works?  iOS port?  Something else?
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: kwinse on November 09, 2014, 07:02:42 PM
Last we heard (http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=17242.msg123419#msg123419), he's experimenting with something and hopes to have an announcement video up sometime this month or the next.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: knucracker on November 09, 2014, 07:35:48 PM
Yep... I've been quiet but I've been anything but idle.  I like to work, experiment, prototype... and only once I'm fairly certain talk about things publicly.  I can say I've been working on new RTS elements and game play.  The next game won't be CW4, but anybody playing the game will be able to tell it's one of mine.... and I hope fans of the CW series will like this one as well.

More details in the coming weeks...
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: stdout on November 09, 2014, 10:36:49 PM
My credit card is ready. :)
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Jacobkolstad on November 15, 2014, 07:05:07 AM
Quote from: virgilw on November 09, 2014, 07:35:48 PM
Yep... I've been quiet but I've been anything but idle.  I like to work, experiment, prototype... and only once I'm fairly certain talk about things publicly.  I can say I've been working on new RTS elements and game play.  The next game won't be CW4, but anybody playing the game will be able to tell it's one of mine.... and I hope fans of the CW series will like this one as well.

More details in the coming weeks...
At last a sequel to Whiteboard War Chopraider?
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: knucracker on November 15, 2014, 10:05:47 AM
Not ChopRaider...  something entirely new.

Here's a zoomed in teaser shot of some of the new experiments.  Note that the graphics are all stubs and many of them are borrowed from CW3.  So this is not representative of the final or intended graphics.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Mexxor on November 15, 2014, 10:11:13 AM
Quote from: virgilw on November 15, 2014, 10:05:47 AM
Not ChopRaider...  something entirely new.

Here's a zoomed in teaser shot of some of the new experiments.  Note that the graphics are all stubs and many of them are borrowed from CW3.  So this is not representative of the final or intended graphics.

Seems like you can customize spaceships? and fight something? looks cool :D
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Asbestos on November 15, 2014, 11:08:12 AM
It looks a lot like Upgrade Complete.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: planetfall on November 15, 2014, 01:57:49 PM
The Enterprise vs. Giant Proteins In Space?
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Cavemaniac on November 15, 2014, 02:57:19 PM
Quote from: planetfall on November 15, 2014, 01:57:49 PM
The Enterprise vs. Giant Proteins In Space?

With a side order of GSB (Gratuitous Space Battles).

Virgil looked at Thor, and saw that it was good....

Looks like the 'physics based game' genre is going to get a workout.

Sweet - this is what Virgil excels at.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Jacobkolstad on November 15, 2014, 05:49:02 PM
Quote from: virgilw on November 15, 2014, 10:05:47 AM
Not ChopRaider...  something entirely new.

Here's a zoomed in teaser shot of some of the new experiments.  Note that the graphics are all stubs and many of them are borrowed from CW3.  So this is not representative of the final or intended graphics.

Still into futuristic spaceship weaponry fighting organic masses? :P
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Lost in Nowhere on November 15, 2014, 06:53:50 PM
That looks amazing, whatever it is exactly.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Michionlion on November 15, 2014, 07:14:02 PM
Space??? Ships?? Stuff?  YAAAY.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Cavemaniac on November 15, 2014, 11:43:11 PM
A single image of what the game will definitely NOT look like.

Teaser?

Check.

Exhilaration levels barely contained?

Check.

Kirk out.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: pawel345 on November 16, 2014, 08:04:33 AM
Looks like some kind of bullet hell? Where do I sign up for the beta? or alpha? or anything? And just take my money already.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Jacobkolstad on November 16, 2014, 09:08:15 AM
From V's teaster picture I recognize the "forge" texture from CW3, along with the moon-like thing on CW3 Arc Eternal Frykt: Mistet.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: knucracker on November 16, 2014, 09:57:00 AM
For images during development I just grab the first thing handy that is roughly the right shape (that would be rectangular vs circular :) ).

Game wise, there is indeed a physics (kinematic, not thermodynamic like in the CW games) engine.  It isn't some off shelf thing for stacking up kindergarten blocks and knocking them over with irritated avians, though...  It's custom written to handle the nature of the 'enemy' I'm putting into the game.  I needed scale and certain types of interaction I couldn't so easily get from off the shelf kinematic simulators.

I also wanted to explore the idea of constructable and deconstructable units.  Many games have composite units that you can build.  But, like in the original CW1, I've been searching for the essence of this game play feature not some overly expanded smattering of features.

So some of the key properties I've looked for:
- Tactical decisions based on placement and orientation.
- Considerations for supply lines and delivery delays.
- Strategic decisions for asset allocation.
- Enemy A.I. based on emergent physical properties.
- An RTS/strategy game nobody has played before.

Most of those, in whole or part, could have applied to Creeper World.  But just like in math, sometimes there is more than one solution that satisfies the constraints :)
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Michionlion on November 16, 2014, 03:26:24 PM
That sounds really awesome.  Even more up my alley than CW was!
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: kwerle on November 20, 2014, 12:11:38 AM
Glad to hear there's something in the works.  Looking forward to hearing more.

Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: pawel345 on December 18, 2014, 03:07:22 AM
So can we expect a big reveal before Christmas? Or do we wait until after new year?  ;D
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: knucracker on December 18, 2014, 09:43:05 AM
I may release some more screen shots in the next few days... but a video likely won't come till after Christmas. Any video I do should probably be a decently well done 'teaser' video and part of a greenlight campaign.  So I can't just throw one together without some careful work.

But I've made a ton of progress... especially in the visual department, in the last few weeks.  Right now I'm working on some optimized serialization code (for saving and loading game).

Anyway, I'll figure out what I need to do for a video(s) in the coming week or two.  I could release one prior to the greenlight campaign launch as a way of getting the attention of the community.  But, even in that case the greenlight campaign has to follow quickly.

Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: pawel345 on December 18, 2014, 06:19:53 PM
So you are starting Greenlight before the game is completed? Will Steam be the only distribution method or like Cw3 both?
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: knucracker on December 18, 2014, 08:00:24 PM
Yeah, doing greenlight early is definitely the way to go.  Getting that out of the way early frees up cycles for me later on.

I do not plan on making a steam only release, though.  Anything could of course change at any point, but the plan is to make this game available via all the same channels (or more) that CW3 is available on.
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: Chimera27 on December 23, 2014, 07:32:07 PM
Dude, I noticed there weren't any main posts for a while, so I was slightly concerned, then I saw this and I was just like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ALwKeSEYs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ALwKeSEYs)


Needless to say, even from that screenshot it looks weird and interesting and like it's gonna be pretty awesome, can't wait for it to be video-worthy! :D
Title: Re: What is KnuckleCracker up to?
Post by: knucracker on January 19, 2015, 04:43:44 PM
The Game 4 Alpha gameplay teaser is now online!
http://knucklecracker.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/game-4-announcement/

And since the cat is out of the bag, I've create a new board for game 4.  We can continue discussions there:
http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?board=36.0