Dragonfaith (Solipsism)

I'm very excited to announce my first Dragonfaith release in - what, eight years? I want to temper your expectations, though. It's not a full game. It's not even really a partial game. This is just the first step in the process of creating a fresh project, so I can tidy things up a bit, and eliminate some of the waste that's collected over the years. Think of it as a disk defrag for my project file. Anyway, as I slowly build my game back up from an empty file (by selectively copying all the work I've already done - not redoing it), I'm getting closer and closer to having a finished product. And that, alone, is exciting!

So, what this release is - it's an open world. All the maps in my game, freely explorable. No combat. No NPCs. Nothing really to interact with. You can just walk around and check out the world I've created. Now, there are a couple of maps that are partly or wholly inaccessible, just because they require functionality that I haven't added back in yet (e.g., the canoe). I'm going to work on doing that for the next release. Officially, I don't actually recommend you play this version of the game. I just want to make it available as a backup, in case I drop dead tomorrow. But I can't stop you from downloading it and taking a peek. :-p

Do look forward to the next release, though. It'll probably take a little longer, as the process becomes more complex. My vision is to add a lot of that functionality back in - like getting the canoe working, and activating all the atmospherics. Ultimately, I want to have a game that's otherwise complete, start to finish, minus all the combat mechanics - which is the next thing that I'll have to hammer out before the game is done. I've already got the enemies, troops, and equipment mostly worked out, so it'll be a lot of tweaking numbers. Oh, and also designing animations for the battle skills. Not looking forward to that, but it's gotta be done. Stay tuned!

Dragonfaith (Solipsism) 1.0
Download (426 MB): Windows

World Map Progress

Would you believe it if I said my New Year's resolution for 2025 was to finally finish my world map?

What if I told you I'd been working on it extensively over the past month, and that it's already finished? Would you believe it?

Well, it's true. I mean, I could still decide to make modifications in the future, but the important thing is that it's functional, it's complete, and it looks great!

Unfortunately, you'll have to take my word for it, because I don't want to spoil the sense of discovery you'll get from exploring it when you finally get to play my game.

So, what's next? Now that the mapping for my game is officially complete, the next step will be to start a fresh project (which I haven't done in five years) to clean things up - with the hope that this will be the last time.

I still have a lot of tinkering to do with the combat mechanics and mathematics, which will require a lot of testing. But I want to put out a combat-free version of my game, so that if I drop dead and never make it to the finish line, there will at least be a version of my game out there that people can play - to explore the extensive work I've put into mapping this game over the last too many years. So all that work won't have been for naught.

I'm looking forward to getting the combat functioning properly, but it's a big job, and even without it, I've created this exciting world that you can just get lost in. And I want to be able to feature that, regardless of what happens from here on out.

Update: It's only been two days, but now that I actually have a world map, I spent some time implementing a map function in my game. I added a compass and beacons that flash to show where you're at, and where all the important landmarks are - which I designed after the way the map functions in Final Fantasy 1 (Tceles B Hsup).

Except that my map is an item you can pick up and select from the inventory menu. The unique part is that it's modular. I split it up so that you can pick up pieces of the map to gradually fill in the whole picture. That way, the player still has the advantage of having a guide on where to go, without spoiling the entire adventure right from the start. It's working great, and I'm really excited about it!

Review: Tomb Raider III Remastered

Tomb Raider III is finished! I definitely was not expecting to spend most of the year playing these games - but I'm not complaining! It's been a lot of fun. Part of the reason there's so much time between reviews is that after I finish each game, I continue playing in order to pick up achievement badges. I paid attention this time, and I played an extra 40 hours across approximately five weeks, before moving on to the next game. (It's the curse of being a completionist).

Additionally, the reason this review is as late as it is, is partly because I spent more time than usual backtracking through the levels looking for secrets and missed pickups (in a few places it was a real headache, but I wanted the glory of accomplishing it without using a walkthrough), and partly because I was intending to wait until after I'd not only completed the full game plus the expansion levels, but also finished all my badge hunting so I could report my final progress, as this is the last game in the collection. But it turns out there were a bunch of hidden achievements that I missed, so now I have to go back through the games and play clean up - and I can't say how long that's gonna take.

What I remember most about my first time playing Tomb Raider 3 (circa 1998), is that it was the point in the series when I switched to playing these games on PlayStation, since the bugs on the PC version (which had always been an issue, since the very first game) finally got to the point where it actively prevented me from playing. It was also the last Tomb Raider game I played - until the release of Tomb Raider Anniversary in 2007 rekindled my interest in the series.

Lotta new stuff introduced in this game. The graphics are smoother than ever - with square blocks split into triangles, for better gradation of terrain (i.e., changing slopes). Lara's got some new moves - ducking and crawling, navigating monkey bars, and sprinting - which means new areas to explore, and more places to hide things! The secrets are back to being managed like in the first game, with a top secret level at the end of the game you can only play if you find every secret in the game. New vehicles are hit-and-miss - the quadbike handles better than the snowmobile, but the kayak, while a super cool idea, is a nightmare to paddle. New weapons are (mostly) a plus - the rocket launcher offers an improvement over the grenade launcher, while the MP5 shoots so sporadically it's almost not worth using. But the real MVP is the Desert Eagle, with its power-packed punch. Flares die out faster this time, but there's more than enough of them to last you through the game (dark as it is).

Following from the last game, the ratio between tomb-y and urban environments is fairly evenly mixed. What's exciting is that, excepting the opening and closing chapters, the middle three locations can be tackled in any order you like! And to further enhance this feeling of nonlinearity, some of the levels feature branching paths toward the exit. You start out in the dense jungle of the Indian rainforest, and it's a sight to behold. Cheeky monkeys will try to run off with your item pickups if you don't stop them first. Swarms of flesh-eating piranha will teach you to think twice before diving into the swift-flowing currents of the Ganges. And tread lightly through the underbrush, for you'll regret succumbing to the venomous bite of the cobra. New for this game, getting poisoned won't require a special antidote, but it will force you to use a medipack before your life slowly drains out. And watch out for the quicksand!

Although the dusty environs of the Nevada desert offer some novelty, the Area 51 levels are largely industrial, recalling a drier version of the Oil Rig from TR2. Still, infiltrating the military complex is fun - avoiding tripwires, sneaking past guards, and stealing access passes is a different sort of skillset for Lara - and who can forget the big climax in the flying saucer? The South Pacific Islands are a dream. Although dinosaurs were relegated to a short (but memorable) cameo in TR2, Crash Site is basically a whole level that feels like Jurassic Park. Now there are Compys, and you can distract the T-Rex with your flares! Madubu Gorge is truly spectacular. Populated by wicked gremlins, it is marred only by the aforementioned frustration of navigating the kayak. Meanwhile, the London levels play like a grittier Venice. To be fair, having Lara slink about in a leather catsuit will fulfill any cat burglar fantasies you may have. Running across rooftops is a thrill, and the underground subway station effectively evokes a liminal atmosphere. But the history museum is the closest this game comes to ransacking the pyramids of Egypt - and it's a pale substitute.

Finally we come to Antarctica, which offers a sci-fi/horror vibe straight out of John Carpenter's The Thing, with a hint of H.P. Lovecraft. Exercise caution while swimming in the ice cold water, for you'll freeze long before you run out of breath! After two games with really memorable climactic levels (Atlantis, and the Temple of Xian), I didn't even remember The Lost City of Tinnos until after I started playing through it (highlights include the fighting arena, and the elemental challenges - not so much the glowing wasps). Far more memorable were the ship and the abandoned camp from a previous level, and the eerie mood of the mines (minus the frustrating mine cart sequences). I did like the final boss encounter, though - featuring the creepiest monster yet, seemingly inspired by the nightmare creature from Stephen King's IT (and I don't mean its clown persona).

For the first time in three games, I beat the game using only pistols on my first playthrough! The secret bonus level was fantastic - relatively short, but definitely a highlight. And the expansion levels (once again, played for my first time ever), were quite remarkable. You get to infiltrate a Scottish castle - with architecture that recalls the Great Wall of China from TR2, peppered with some Indian jungle flare - haunted by the black dog of folklore (with glowing, red eyes). Afterward, the Chunnel channels a blend of the urban and underground environments from Nevada and London, with a touch of the Maria Doria sprinkled in. It's worth noting that one secret in each level really goes all out to impress the player. I don't want to spoil the discovery, but I will say there's a surprise cameo by a beloved cryptid (I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I gasped audibly when it popped out at me!). And the zoo level was very imaginative.

Though I was fully prepared to close the book on Tomb Raider Remastered at this time, I have recently learned that remastered versions of the next three games are scheduled for release next February! I've only ever played 4 and 5 once (during that period when the release of Tomb Raider Anniversary rekindled my interest in the series), and 6 I've never played before! So I'm excited. Looks like it's gonna be another year of playing classic Tomb Raider for me. :-p

Spaghetti

I find it interesting that when I was learning coding around the turn of the millennium, we were trained to avoid GOTO commands, because it contributed to what was referred to as "spaghetti code", where everything is a jumbled mess, with the execution jumping around back and forth through the code. But today, whenever I try to make sense of the code that powers RPG Maker (so I can modify it to do what I want), I'm hampered by "modular coding", where everything is broken up into tiny snippets almost to the point of looking like they do nothing, and the execution is constantly jumping around through thousands of lines of code, and you have to track down an issue like a hunter in the bush, and still can't figure out how the damn code is doing a thing, because there are references everywhere, and you can't make heads or tails of any of it. It's like when you look up a word in a dictionary, and it gives another word you don't know, so you look that word up, and end up going around in circles, without ever actually figuring anything out. I'd rather slurp on a single noodle until I reach the end, than try to match up a single strand from a plate of cut up spaghetti.

Review: Tomb Raider II Remastered

Logging upwards of a combined total of 160 hours of gameplay across two games over more than five months, it's taking me longer than I had anticipated (although that is by no means a bad thing), but I have finally completed the remastered version of Tomb Raider II!

While not as flawless a game from start to finish as Tomb Raider I, it's still an iconic classic, with a number of innovations (some that hit better than others). The traps are dialed up, Lara's got some new moves (including climbing ladders, wading in shallow water, riding ziplines, and launching precariously from springboards), as well as some new outfits (marvel at her wetsuit, and iconic bomber jacket). Flares are a welcome addition to light the many dark corners of this game (although I wish their light would show in camera mode), and I like the way secrets are newly implemented - three dragon statues (stone, jade, and gold) are located in every level; some of them are hard to find, while others lie in plain sight but require a mastery of Lara's agility to acquire. This time, I was able to find them all (AND collect every pickup in the game) on my first playthrough!

A valid criticism of this game is that it veers away from the dusty tombs Lara is known for raiding - it's less treasure hunting, and more infiltrating a secret society, with more urban environments, and a high encounter rate for goons and thugs. Aside from rats and dogs, there are long portions of this game where the only enemies you fight are human. Is it more difficult? Yeah. You're taking a lot more hits from long range gun damage, and sucking up a lot of health packs as a result. But I find I don't enjoy it as much. It's not as imaginative as the tigers and sharks and spiders (wait 'til you see the big one!) that attack you in the wild. However, I do like the addition of the harpoon gun - which you can shoot underwater. And using the grenade launcher to blow baddies into giblets may be gratuitous, but it's loads of fun!

To be fair, it's a novel experience careening through the canals of Venice in a motor boat (Lara's first vehicle!), and the Opera House is on par with (maybe even superior to) the Colosseum from Tomb Raider I. But my patience for vehicle travel began to wane when the snowmobile was introduced. Vehicles are reckless, and I tend to be methodical. You're blowing past a lot of scenery quickly, which is counterproductive to the aims of exploring your environment. Also, it tends to encourage long, simple passages instead of the intricate, criss-crossing architecture I like in these games.

On the other hand, the Maria Doria (an undersea shipwreck) is as cool as anything you can explore in any Tomb Raider game - the enormity of The Deck cannot be adequately conveyed by a screenshot. And the Tibetan levels return some of the atmosphere of Peru (while featuring the frightening introduction of the Yeti). I like how you can recruit the monks of Barkhang Monastery to help you fend off the mercenaries hunting you - but only if you aim your shots carefully!

Meanwhile, the run-up to the climax is truly unforgettable tomb raiding. The Temple of Xian is a sprawling underground fortress that feels suitably Indiana Jones-like, and is the epitome of what a great Tomb Raider level can be. The Floating Islands are wonderfully imaginative, leading to a spectacular final boss encounter. And as for the epilogue? Not to be crude, but (spoiler for the ending!) Lara wearing a bathrobe while defending herself during a home invasion fueled many an adolescent fantasy, once upon a time. Given how antagonistic Lara Croft's handlers are to the fabled nude code (for this game, they teased a button combination that, when entered, causes Lara to explode), you could almost forget that the character started out as a sex icon, back in the day when having a sex drive wasn't considered "problematic".

As a final note, the expansion levels (which I played for the first time) effectively combine industrial and snowy textures to construct a Russian outpost, although the atmosphere of these levels is (however appropriate) very bleak. The fun only really begins after you retrieve the Golden Mask. I appreciated the heavy touch of Midas, and the opportunity to explore Bigfoot's tree house. And the Vegas-themed secret bonus level was a hoot!

After I collect a few more badges, I'm looking forward to moving on to the exciting locations featured in Tomb Raider III - including jungles, tropical islands, Area 51, and Antarctica! I'll be sad when it's all done, though...