New monsters, complete with fresh new models.

[CallakDW]

You know what I think would freshen up Istaria a lot is some new monsters, with new art. Fresh new emote animations would be nice too. Seems like we have been fighting the same creatures for a very long time. Out of curiosity, does VI even make new art resources these days or just reuse the old ones? I also understand there are a lot of unused resources in the game that seem to be "discovered" from time to time, but I just wonder how much crisp new stuff gets designed these days?

[Zexoin]

Chests, mimics and scorpions ftw

[AmonGwareth]

Sure, but just plopping them in with no reason or underlying work isn't what we want to do. Mimics, Scorpions and Crabs were all slated for the labyrinth. Which is a "slightly" large project.

There's also a lot of other issues with making new monsters, from art time to the exporter, etc, etc. Its not something you can snap your fingers and have done I'm afraid.

[CallakDW]

My intention wasn't to just say "oh throw them in and we are good" . Every new creature that was added to WoW for isntance (sorry, the only other MMORPG I ever played) had a background behind them being there. This would all be part of the new material.

I know it takes time, but there has been quite a long period since I remember the last new mob being introduced to the game. Was wondering when we will see somthing else new. Glad to hear about the dungeon. Please take your time and make it good!

[Zexoin]

Sure, but just plopping them in with no reason or underlying work isn't what we want to do. Mimics, Scorpions and Crabs were all slated for the labyrinth. Which is a "slightly" large project.

Sure, but you're working on that, right ?
I am patient

[Takora Drakan]

Well the art is kind of done, but I don't know in which stage of developement the monsters are from the pictures.








And don't forget the welger.

[AmonGwareth]

The models and animations and textures on the crab, scorpion and mimic is done. What remains is:

1. Content (loot, school, abilities)
2. Particle effects / icons for the above
3. Sounds
4. Context in which to place them


We're making progress. We recently got someone who figured out particle effects (yay!) and we're working on the others. By the way, Takora, not sure about the first image, but the rest of them were taken in-game.

[Takora Drakan]

I think the first picture is just a pretty render stuff

[Deth]

Maybe we could get scorpions as primal crystal, I know sad I can not even remember the name of the one and only dragon only resource, Or crystal spiders or something to act as their guards. I just hope it is not another golem type once they are added.

[lightning claw]

what i think might liven things up is the return of raids (AKA Lo getting creative with his spawn engen in bristugo dralk and what not and if a portal should fall it would give us something to do


asks Laughing Otter to Pleas put the anchor in the veho fort and kill Nadia the community will chear when she is dead

[Zexoin]

The models and animations and textures on the crab, scorpion and mimic is done. What remains is:

1. Content (loot, school, abilities)
2. Particle effects / icons for the above
3. Sounds
4. Context in which to place them


We're making progress. We recently got someone who figured out particle effects (yay!) and we're working on the others.

One of the best posts I've read since the confectionner revamp. Thank you much for telling us what you're working on !!

[Fridlekh]

Istaria needs Salt golems.

[Shian]

Wowie those are cool! <3 Can't wait to fight these cool-looking creatures!

Every new creature that was added to WoW for isntance (sorry, the only other MMORPG I ever played) had a background behind them being there. This would all be part of the new material.

Apples and oranges my friend. Big games like WOW and EQ2 have so many devs that they can assign concentration on one area. Like one dev whose sole job is to make sure the lore is consistant, one dev for a particle effect specialist. Or one of EQ2's wierder titles "Intl. community relations manager" Thier sole job was to make sure the alternate modes (you could switch between an 'american' ogre and a 'japanese' ogre) look correct according to the lore of the country. Small game like this, you only have a handful of people and often everyone needs to triple up on duties/areas.

[Zexoin]

Istaria needs Salt golems.

And Banana treeants !

[Charys Stormchild]

I vote for coffee golems, that spawn early in the morning, hehe

[Veruliyam]

Well, along those lines...

A hot cocoa golem then.

[Hoberton]

Well, along those lines...

A hot cocoa golem then.

Even better: When they were thinking of putting in Angels and Vampires we could have had "Count Chocula"

[Guaran]

Toss some blighted anchors on lesser aradoth (in the blighted area) once in awhile too. I like the sound those t1 Specters make when they go "pop"! Could have them only spawn the specters, instead of the whole compliment of nasties typically associated with the higher tier anchors. (Have to save some of the mobs for further down the road in a characters progression).

[imaginary in character sound they would make if popped by claws or swords. They don't actually make a sound when they die]

[Favoran]

Takora, where did you get those pictures? Or does everyone have those in their Horizons folder and just has never found them?

[CallakDW]

Wowie those are cool! <3 Can't wait to fight these cool-looking creatures!



Apples and oranges my friend. Big games like WOW and EQ2 have so many devs that they can assign concentration on one area. Like one dev whose sole job is to make sure the lore is consistant, one dev for a particle effect specialist. Or one of EQ2's wierder titles "Intl. community relations manager" Thier sole job was to make sure the alternate modes (you could switch between an 'american' ogre and a 'japanese' ogre) look correct according to the lore of the country. Small game like this, you only have a handful of people and often everyone needs to triple up on duties/areas.

The point you are bringing up is a catch 22... if the game quality of HZ was better, there would be more subscribers and they could higher more devs, but because they don't have enough devs the game quality suffers and people get frusterated with the problems in the game and leave. Game quality- graphics flaws, engine flaws, and missing phisics elements and very very old bugs in the game have all combined to create a somewhat lackluster environment that fails to attract all but people looking for very specific elements. This has been a problem from the very beginning and what has hurt HZ the most IMO.

However, you are missing MY point. MY point is that I was saying that I agree with Amon that they shouldn't just plop new creatures in the game without there being a reason for them, so make a reason for them to exist, new events etc. That was assumed.

That said, those pictures are getting me more exited about HZ than I have been in a good long time.