Our first Alpha run has been completed! The run lasted approximately 15 hours, not too far from our initial estimate. A huge thank you to our first group of testers, Hexicangunner, Sgt_Pr1vate and DesertsEskimo! We came across plenty of bugs to iron out, but fortunately most of them are very small changes that shouldn't take too long at all.
As always, if another brave group would like to test out the map, let us know!
In the meantime, here's a screenshot of the very beginning of the game, where Rauru summons the three Templars to the Chamber of Sages.
This map looks AMAZING! I can't wait for it to come out! I would love to be a tester, but I would need to partners to play it with me. If there is anything else needed to help get this map finished, let me know. I want to help in any way I can. : )
Thanks for getting in touch! We have a couple of alpha runs set up already, so we'll get in touch with testers once we move on to the next phase of testing.
In the meantime, here are a few screenshots from our most recent beta run. They look pretty cool, I think!
As always, we're very appreciative of your support and interest to date. The majority of corrections have already been made to the map, and there are just a few small non-essential sections to add in now. Stay tuned!
Much of today has been spent on the aesthetic areas of the game. We've been working on modifying skins to make our villagers a little more easily discernible from one another, and we've finally scattered all 32 collectible books throughout the land. Get hunting, adventurers!
What a bunch of lovable rogues! (Shoutouts to Burgy, curveleg, iilo, Spinjitsuninja and lunaeternal!)
In short, over the past few days we've completed:
Fire Temple entrance room
Designs for Jabu Jabu's boss remake
Initial draft for Shadow Temple boss
Speech for 22 NPCs
The Skulltula House
Starting outfits and each of the tunics that follow
The most significant update is the NPCs and the Skulltula House. The redstone for inputting Skulltula Tokens is all set up, the characters and their dialogue are put in (including transformations, sound effects and rewards) and the TPs in and out are also completed. In total we have implemented around 38 characters so far, and only 11 NPCs remain.
The beginning armour now more closely resembles the Goron, Zoran and Kokiri skins, and the coloured tunics are unlockable later on.
Here are the screenshots of Carles29 and co. from the playtest we ran this weekend. Check them out!
As you may have noticed, the base armour has changed. It now more closely reflects the skin of a Zora and a Goron, which are closer to white and yellow respectively. The tunics which are found later on still have their red/blue tint, as would be expected. What do you guys think of this? Does the red/blue/green colour scheme look nicer than yellow/white/green, even if it's not exactly accurate?
Unfortunately I was unable to get a screenshot of the Skulltula House because of a new block that's coming with the 1.8 update - yes, we're that ahead of the game! Here's hoping it comes out in the next week or so!
In other news, we continued with some voice acting yesterday, getting all the recordings for Violet, Lily, and the Potion Shop Lady. We've trimmed down the original 148 recordings to just 38. Very pleased with the results so far! Would anybody be interested in hearing a couple of teaser recordings before the official release? Let us know!
General update:
Fire Temple boss has been properly implemented
Fire Temple entrance room has been created
Yet more NPCs have been added to the world - just three remain out of a total of 50 or so!
Continuing playtests with DarkDengar's group and Carles29's group
Bug fixes from previous playtests have been made
More sounds and textures have been added to the resource pack
Mental Block Gaming's website has been updated
More recordings have been made
Work has begun on implementing voice-overs alongside their subtitles
Progress on the map is slowing down as the game reaches completion. We're currently waiting for news on an official release of 1.8, as the map requires several blocks only available in the newest snapshot. We will continue to investigate ways to set up a server in 1.8 - if this isn't possible, then releasing the map before the 1.8 update will be pointless, as it's a multiplayer map.
We're going to hold off on posting some of the voiceovers for now until we have a wider selection to choose from. The voiceovers will be released after the official release of the map to allow players to start the game as soon as physically possible, with those who choose to wait for the voiceovers able to do so. Look forward to the video preview over the next month or so!
As always, if you have any questions or would like to join our team or playtesters/voice actors, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
The problem with creating such a huge-scale map over a long period of time is that we sometimes look at the older creations and think 'We could do this a hundred times better...' So we did!
Here is a newer rendition of the Temple of Time puzzle. As it turned out, the unique mechanic we'd given the puzzle wasn't even required to complete the chambers, so we've reworked it. It has a completely new look and three sleek (fully-functional) puzzles!
We are continuing to work on the voiceacting of the project. Recordings have recently been made for the Skull Kid. It has been decided that the voiceovers will be released in a later version of the map as an optional add-on, since we don't want to have to wait until all the recording has been done to release the map and since it could also make the file size of the map a little too large for those who have limited bandwidth/patience. Win/win situation!
This still looks really fantastic, and i'm excited for it, I can't wait to do a Let's Play on it.
Also, just a bit of information for you guys, Dinnerbone says that 1.8 won't be coming out for a few months, so I would take your time on working on everything. Sadly though, that means another few months of waiting for this map to be fully playable.
We're just as excited to get the map released as you are. Thanks for the heads up Timber910, at least that gives us a little time to keep tweaking. I think it is possible to host a multiplayer 1.8 server of the latest snapshot, but of course there will be small bugs and such. We'll see how things progress in any case.
Thanks for your interest RitaKrueger! As it currently stands most of the map has been playtested - the bits that we need to check thoroughly are bosses that haven't quite been implemented yet (i.e. the Shadow Temple). The Lens of Truth mechanic has almost been completely implemented too, so that's another part of the Shadow Temple that will need testing. Once we're ready for more playtesters, we'll be in touch.
This map has been specifically designed for three players, and as such cannot be played alone. Similarly, it should not be played with more than 3 players. We have a Team Finder function on our website, so if you're looking for people to play with then head on over. Scroll to just below Templars of Hyrule on the download page to find it. http://mentalblockga...w.com/downloads
In the meantime, there have been yet more assessments and assignments for Duskreaper, so I've been working on voiceovers whilst waiting. We have recordings for the following characters so far:
Deku Tree, Dr. Puz, Elise, Heath, Happy Mask Salesman, Itsy, Lily, Lolt, King Hyrule, Meg, Mr. Know-It-All, Nicole, Phil Anjeez, Pycella, Rosy, Shelob, Skull Kid, Violet
They aren't all final, and we may re-record some of them, but those are only a few exceptional cases. Generally the recordings taken are the ones that will be used in the final version. I'm currently working on a video previewing some of the voices so far. (Not to blow my own horn, but I think they're sounding great!)
Given the delay with the 1.8 patch, we might even be able to release the voiceovers at the same time as the map! Only time will tell.
Hey it's me again (Voice for Happy Mask Salesman, Old Librarian, and The Party Planner). Just wanted to see how it was coming along. Looks great so far. I'd alpha test it too, if you're still looking for people.
Me and My siblings would love to beta test this map for you! Please except! We loved your "there is no learning curve" Map and we are so excited for this one too! Please reply soon!
With the summer well into the swing now, the map is still being added to and edited! Sorry for the large delay of pictures and updates, whilst we, as a team, have been busy with the map. Real life sometimes get's in the way!
The majority of the recent updates have been integral but not entirely visual. With the implementation of Voices into the game, the resource pack gets larger each day!
We are hoping to post some good news about updates and progress soon!
As always, your kind and supportive messages have been fantastic, and thank you for sticking with us during this long testing phase!
Unfortunately sof2er it is only for 3 players as that is the type of game we specialise in.
When the map is completed we will attempt to create a matching process on our website for those playing alone or in pairs so that as many people as possible can play.
I hope this answers your question.
So, after the long quiet stretch we have a few things to show from these past few days. The credits of the game take place in a graveyard, and those who helped to make the game will be credited on the gravestones. Take a look at these pictures!
The floating torches give the graveyard a feeling of eeriness. The music in the background will be the fairy fountain song as we thought it the most emotionally appropriate.
A special shout-out to all those who have contributed so far! I hope you enjoy finding your own personal gravestones. I'm expecting selfies.
The voiceacting clips that we have been working on in previous weeks are slowly getting implemented. I have a preview video of some of our favourite voice clips that I will be uploading hopefully some time tonight. I just need to get a couple more screenshots, then I'll get it online. I'm really excited to show you these - we currently have 229 voice files, and the number is only growing. I anticipate that there will be around 350 files in total once all recording is done. Sheik is currently proving the most problematic, but I'm confident we'll find a solution.
As always, if another brave group would like to test out the map, let us know!
In the meantime, here's a screenshot of the very beginning of the game, where Rauru summons the three Templars to the Chamber of Sages.
In the meantime, here are a few screenshots from our most recent beta run. They look pretty cool, I think!
As always, we're very appreciative of your support and interest to date. The majority of corrections have already been made to the map, and there are just a few small non-essential sections to add in now. Stay tuned!
What a bunch of lovable rogues! (Shoutouts to Burgy, curveleg, iilo, Spinjitsuninja and lunaeternal!)
In short, over the past few days we've completed:
Fire Temple entrance room
Designs for Jabu Jabu's boss remake
Initial draft for Shadow Temple boss
Speech for 22 NPCs
The Skulltula House
Starting outfits and each of the tunics that follow
The most significant update is the NPCs and the Skulltula House. The redstone for inputting Skulltula Tokens is all set up, the characters and their dialogue are put in (including transformations, sound effects and rewards) and the TPs in and out are also completed. In total we have implemented around 38 characters so far, and only 11 NPCs remain.
The beginning armour now more closely resembles the Goron, Zoran and Kokiri skins, and the coloured tunics are unlockable later on.
Pictures to follow!
As you may have noticed, the base armour has changed. It now more closely reflects the skin of a Zora and a Goron, which are closer to white and yellow respectively. The tunics which are found later on still have their red/blue tint, as would be expected. What do you guys think of this? Does the red/blue/green colour scheme look nicer than yellow/white/green, even if it's not exactly accurate?
Unfortunately I was unable to get a screenshot of the Skulltula House because of a new block that's coming with the 1.8 update - yes, we're that ahead of the game! Here's hoping it comes out in the next week or so!
In other news, we continued with some voice acting yesterday, getting all the recordings for Violet, Lily, and the Potion Shop Lady. We've trimmed down the original 148 recordings to just 38. Very pleased with the results so far! Would anybody be interested in hearing a couple of teaser recordings before the official release? Let us know!
Mental Block Gaming
Fire Temple boss has been properly implemented
Fire Temple entrance room has been created
Yet more NPCs have been added to the world - just three remain out of a total of 50 or so!
Continuing playtests with DarkDengar's group and Carles29's group
Bug fixes from previous playtests have been made
More sounds and textures have been added to the resource pack
Mental Block Gaming's website has been updated
More recordings have been made
Work has begun on implementing voice-overs alongside their subtitles
Progress on the map is slowing down as the game reaches completion. We're currently waiting for news on an official release of 1.8, as the map requires several blocks only available in the newest snapshot. We will continue to investigate ways to set up a server in 1.8 - if this isn't possible, then releasing the map before the 1.8 update will be pointless, as it's a multiplayer map.
We're going to hold off on posting some of the voiceovers for now until we have a wider selection to choose from. The voiceovers will be released after the official release of the map to allow players to start the game as soon as physically possible, with those who choose to wait for the voiceovers able to do so. Look forward to the video preview over the next month or so!
As always, if you have any questions or would like to join our team or playtesters/voice actors, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
Mental Block Gaming
Here is a newer rendition of the Temple of Time puzzle. As it turned out, the unique mechanic we'd given the puzzle wasn't even required to complete the chambers, so we've reworked it. It has a completely new look and three sleek (fully-functional) puzzles!
We are continuing to work on the voiceacting of the project. Recordings have recently been made for the Skull Kid. It has been decided that the voiceovers will be released in a later version of the map as an optional add-on, since we don't want to have to wait until all the recording has been done to release the map and since it could also make the file size of the map a little too large for those who have limited bandwidth/patience. Win/win situation!
Also, just a bit of information for you guys, Dinnerbone says that 1.8 won't be coming out for a few months, so I would take your time on working on everything. Sadly though, that means another few months of waiting for this map to be fully playable.
Thanks for your interest RitaKrueger! As it currently stands most of the map has been playtested - the bits that we need to check thoroughly are bosses that haven't quite been implemented yet (i.e. the Shadow Temple). The Lens of Truth mechanic has almost been completely implemented too, so that's another part of the Shadow Temple that will need testing. Once we're ready for more playtesters, we'll be in touch.
This map has been specifically designed for three players, and as such cannot be played alone. Similarly, it should not be played with more than 3 players. We have a Team Finder function on our website, so if you're looking for people to play with then head on over. Scroll to just below Templars of Hyrule on the download page to find it.
http://mentalblockga...w.com/downloads
In the meantime, there have been yet more assessments and assignments for Duskreaper, so I've been working on voiceovers whilst waiting. We have recordings for the following characters so far:
Deku Tree, Dr. Puz, Elise, Heath, Happy Mask Salesman, Itsy, Lily, Lolt, King Hyrule, Meg, Mr. Know-It-All, Nicole, Phil Anjeez, Pycella, Rosy, Shelob, Skull Kid, Violet
They aren't all final, and we may re-record some of them, but those are only a few exceptional cases. Generally the recordings taken are the ones that will be used in the final version. I'm currently working on a video previewing some of the voices so far. (Not to blow my own horn, but I think they're sounding great!)
Given the delay with the 1.8 patch, we might even be able to release the voiceovers at the same time as the map! Only time will tell.
1: When will this new Legend of Zelda map be released?
2: How many maps have you made?
(follow-up for #2) 3: If you could, can you link me to some of your other maps
With the summer well into the swing now, the map is still being added to and edited! Sorry for the large delay of pictures and updates, whilst we, as a team, have been busy with the map. Real life sometimes get's in the way!
The majority of the recent updates have been integral but not entirely visual. With the implementation of Voices into the game, the resource pack gets larger each day!
We are hoping to post some good news about updates and progress soon!
As always, your kind and supportive messages have been fantastic, and thank you for sticking with us during this long testing phase!
Duskreaper
Mental Block Gaming
When the map is completed we will attempt to create a matching process on our website for those playing alone or in pairs so that as many people as possible can play.
I hope this answers your question.
Duskreaper
Mental Block Gaming
The floating torches give the graveyard a feeling of eeriness. The music in the background will be the fairy fountain song as we thought it the most emotionally appropriate.
A special shout-out to all those who have contributed so far! I hope you enjoy finding your own personal gravestones. I'm expecting selfies.
The voiceacting clips that we have been working on in previous weeks are slowly getting implemented. I have a preview video of some of our favourite voice clips that I will be uploading hopefully some time tonight. I just need to get a couple more screenshots, then I'll get it online. I'm really excited to show you these - we currently have 229 voice files, and the number is only growing. I anticipate that there will be around 350 files in total once all recording is done. Sheik is currently proving the most problematic, but I'm confident we'll find a solution.
Mental Block Gaming