What I have been up to, and don't get excited
 

Over six months ago I started a project of my own. This project was intended to be a simple hobby of sorts to pass time and be a creative output.

This project spawned from my imagination as to what I could do with Classic if I had reworked it with my ideas. I am a very old player from Classic, who played the earlier versions(pre-P2P) of Classic, if it should even be called that. Thus, many of my ideas have grown from very old perspectives. For example, the layout of the overworld is structured after the very original layout, nostalgic areas returned, old names... These were all something I related to, so they had a big impact on the directions I took.

I spent a month or less offline working on the overworld and various graphics, fleshing out ideas. I took the original overworld and converted it to a gmap. Then I sat and took all those levels and updated and fixed them up into an original overworld. Then I took it online with a 6-month subscription and I worked on it when I had free time and felt like it. Like I said, this was to have fun, not to be stressed. I worked on scripts here and there, and my original ideas started to fall apart. See, I wanted to originally have everything work with default, I wanted things to be kept simple! But as I added on ideas I started to realize default, as it was, was too limited. I had to rescript EVERYTHING from scratch. Movement, hit detection, horses... everything. The more I worked on it, the more complicated things got. I had a full movement system with various functions interwoven with other various systems... it was much more of a mess than I had originally hoped.

Months passed as I worked on it here and there... but as time went I started working on it less. After a few months I started to realize I had learned a lot in terms of scripting and I wasn't happy with my scripts anymore. However, I didn't have the drive to rescript and restructure the whole server from the ground-up again and I started losing motivation. Six months are up and the server is about to go down and I have no desire to continue it.

Regardless of it all, I enjoyed my time I spent working on this server. I kept it underwraps through the months because I didn't take the server as seriously as a server deserves to be taken, and I didn't want it to get any hype that would eventually lead to disappointment. My hopes was to work on it for fun, and maybe, just maybe it would all piece together and I'd eventually have a server to release for the players. Of course it didn't work out like that, but I have learned a lot and it was a great experience.

Here is a crappy video of some various mechanics(it really IS a crappy video. I'm not good at video editing at all so I just slapped it in Windows Movie Maker and threw in a song), as well as some screenshots.

I'm not sure how many people are aware, but the image in my sig links to an image that I updated of the server every so often... sort of a subtle advertisement of sorts. The image represents a Pheonix rising from a Graal, representing the rebirth of Classic.

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To close, there is a lot I just can't put into words. The amount of planning I had put into, ideas that were never brought to live(thus screenshots or videos can never show). For example, I had planned to turn the quest for Graal's into a huge interactive quest for all players to get involved. It involved exploring and finding the four hard-to-find shrines. Each would have a large Guardian that you had to defeat to claim the Graal. Each color guard(for each color Graal) had various strengths and weaknesses. The Graal's weren't clientside. Only one person could hold a Graal at a time. Eventually after all four Graal's were claimed you could return them to a large Shrine that would make an island raise out of the ocean that lead to the Golden Realm. Any player could enter it then, and it would stay raised for a few hours, or days.

I wanted things like that to bring the community together. Either to fight together to all reap the benefits of the Golden Realm, or to fight and claim the Graal's for themselves. I also planned for a lot of random stat keeping for fun(how many bushes were slashed, chicken's killed, times you slashed your sword...). Also planned to introduce new content in an 'in-character' sort of way. For example, an earthquake would shake the screens of all the players, and a townsfolk NPC would run to populated areas, screaming of what she had seen. Players who missed it could go to the nearby Fortune Teller and have them recount recent events, which would tip them off as to where to go... various things like that. Like I said, many things I can't document, and really pointless to do so regardless.

Also, if you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask me. I can't really think of what I should talk about, but I'm still interested in making sure nothing is in the dark about this.

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Other things :)

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And lastly, I include the dump of all my work :)

Like I said in my original post, the scripting could probably use some heavy reworking(and is not cleaned up in the slightest), but I think some people might be able to learn/use it :)

Anyways, I'm tired as hell, so maybe I will add what I can find to this thread later, as the zip is just a dump of what was on the server... not necessarily everything that I made for it. I just don't like anything going to waste!

Oh yes, I may have forgot to mention it, but this project is dead for me, so I won't be revisiting it... hence why it is here. I may just eventually keep posting the ideas and such I had for this project in this thread, so they don't go to waste either.

Shame this didn't get finished. I love pretty much everything about it.

Wow... Just, wow! I love so much of this stuff. The cliff climbing, the enter/leaving level transitions, the (somewhat) realistic bombs, the new graphics, the holes in the walls. Wow. Too bad you won't finish this, as this looks more realistic and professional than anything I've seen in... ages(ever?) on graal.

:)

EDIT:

Hell, I could even pay for another 6 months on your server if that would motivate you to keep on working on it.

I have to agree with my fellow compatriot, this looks very nice! You've really put some effort into this, which you really can tell by looking at it!

Very nice work, too bad you won't finish it though :)

A+++
Umat summed up my thoughts exactly.

If somebody wants to pick this up and try to finish it I'd be willing to chip in some $ for a server as well.

Maybe get in contact with whoever is in charge of Classic at the moment and see if they want this?

I'm ready to mix everything with my own server to make it worthwhile :cool:

I love you Dusty.

Wow Dusty, simply amazing.

*speak-less* :megaeek:

wow.
awesome.

Hehe, I knew you did something ;) nice turnout!

Adore it!

Shame its a dead project because I would have happily lent my time to this.

Holy ****ing ****.

Dusty it's very upsetting that you gave up on this project. This is the best work I've ever seen.

Rep+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I just feel that this can't be said enough; awesome job. You should be proud :)

Awesome job man! Its really amazing. Everything. At least you know as releasing it, it wont go to waste. Although it would have been nice to see the finished product your own.

Omg, aLttP Nostalgia!

This was so awesome, my favorite was the bombs exploding. Great work!

Just looking at it, was wondering, where do the scripts in the scripts folder go? I dont even have a server so its not for that, was just curious. Im probably retarded because I just realized its probably classes.

Yeah, those are classes.

*sigh* Way to ignite my hopes and dreams... then CRUSH THEM mercilessly! also +rep if it would let me, darn you for needing so much rep.

Really nice work Dusty. I'm sure you're now an expert in the difficulties of remaking old to work in the new and still having it look like the past.

That's amazing.

Very very amazing, great work ++++rep

nice work :)

tl;dr crappy video crappy screenshots.


Really though, someone should get a team together on this. It's sad that Dusty couldn't finish it.

A Classic version that may have finally been worth playing.

Dang dude, it all looks good.

Thats exactly how any remake should be done.

Edit:
With re-imagining and not mimicry.

Dusty's is amazing. indeed. but I still feel the current classic will be worth playing soon. Although certainly they should jump on some of those tiles like, now.

I don't think it will compare. We'll see.

It's beautiful. As a chump who never cared about Classic, it's all pretty appealing.

It takes something already impressive on its own to make your own project simply "worthwhile"?

By worthwhile, I meant that I will try to use it so it's not going to waste.

It takes an ******* 3-4 people to try and bring me down with ridiculous threats? C'mon, don't play that game with me, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

You seem to think a lot of yourself, because there wasn't a single threat in there, and whatever silly fantasy you have where I live to upstage you doesn't exist.



But yeah, I still think you and the GDT are a total joke, and this proves it. On his own, offline, with little motivation, Dusty creates something beautiful. Meanwhile, the GDT (you) is (are) jumping around begging for attention.

That's an amazing offer, and I'm glad people like you would shell out the cash just to keep a project going, but sadly that wasn't the problem with this project.

Most things are not up to my own standard anymore, and I don't think I'd have the drive to start over from scratch... I got too deep in the complications of things and it ended up overwhelming me.

As if "worthwhile" has some sort of negative connotation...

And can this please not tangent off into "let's all flame GDT!" thread?


Great work Dusty.

That last screenshot in your first post reminds me of the second world in Super Mario Bros. 3

This is such an upset that this magnificent work is thrown away.
Whats worse is that Stefan will not even ease the process of scripting to aide the great work some people make. Everyone seems to be giving up on Graal or developing on Graal.

What will it take for people to actually learn?

edit: Okay Dusty, name the price of your motivation!

Dusty, may I present you with your crown as the most talented developer?

Agreed

Dusty have you ever played Shadow of the Colossus?