Updates from the Forge Issue 10: February 2017

[Jubal]

February 2017 Issue

EDITORIAL

February is often a quiet month - but despite that, there's been a surprising and exciting range of projects coming through across the site, especially with some new faces in the newly revamped Indie Alley forums as you'll no doubt see below. There's some exciting stuff coming up here, with tactical RPGs, tabletop RPGs, and puzzlers all making their appearances. As ever, let us know what you think about the format and do go and check out these great projects, many of which have free demos that you're welcome to download and check out.

Elsewhere in site news, we can announce that our Cyril & Methodius Day fundraising campaign raised over £150 for the wonderful Room to Read charity, who focus on supporting literacy teaching and skills in developing countries - that's nearly double last year's total, and a great improvement that will change the lives of people who really need it. For those who want to know more, check out our explanatory Cyril & Methodius Day thread to see what we were up to on Feb 14! We've also had some significant forum restructures, which we're hoping will make it easier for people to find what they want in a more compact setup. Let us know what you think by commenting here or using the Q&S forum!

And so, we're onto February's Updates from the Forge - this is now this newsletter's tenth monthly issue of letting people know what's going on across Exilian!

CONTENTS:

• The Spell is being cast...
• Into the depths of Norbayne's past!
• SpyDNA - have you got the genes for it?
• Into a wonderland of stars - Fireball XL5 Guide released!
• Mind Machine Interface - a mind-bending puzzler

The Spell is being cast...
The Spell is a top-down, high-powered, high destruction RPG where you take on the role of Arik, one of a small order of exceptionally powerful wizards capable of bending the world to their will who must face up to the unexpected return of his brethren after his long years in exile. The detailed combat mechanics require both reflexes and a fast battlefield intellect, hurling tables, rocks, and flames at your enemies but with limited reserves of precious magical power to spare. There are also puzzle areas where the different wizards have constructed fiendish mazes for you to navigate, including numerous alternate ways to use your magic and some hidden secrets here and there as well!

Check out The Spell, and play & discuss the game at the link below:

The Spell - Exilian Thread

Into the depths of Norbayne's past!
Phoenixguard's Norbayne tabletop RPG setting has yet more work continuing on it, including new combat tests and decisions over which races and classes to include. There are significant tweaks being made all the time, with recent announcements including the presence of the satyr-like Jeleni, agile and fast fighters and travellers from the Westrand archipelago. Huge amounts of new information have also been release on the timeline of Norbayne's past. New details include discussions of the Primordial Age, when god-like beings formed the world as it now exists, and the Mythic Age, when the first Stormlord came to power and the Roanfaille made their everlasting and accursed pact to save their lives...

Sound exciting? Take a look and find out more!

The Norbayne Forum

SpyDNA - have you got the genes for it?
This new tactical spying RPG is in early stages, but it's looking very promising. In an immersive, beautifully rendered setting, you are the captain of the SpyDNA program, cryogenically held in stasis between vital missions where you will be brought out to serve your country. These may be simple cases of eliminating a target or a rescue mission, or they may be far more complex tactical missions with firearms blazing and your team at your back. There's a good setting being built around it too, with an unusual and interesting character creation setup that works by quizzing you on situational responses, and detailed dialogue trees so you can start getting used to the world and its characters.

All in all this is looking very promising, and demo feedback is wanted, so do head on over and try it out!

SpyDNA thread

Into a wonderland of stars - Fireball XL5 Guide released!
Jubal's epic quest through the entirety of Gerry Anderson's puppet sci-fi classic has finally ended, resulting in a full episode guide with reviews of all thirty-nine episodes of Fireball XL5! With stories ranging from the star-trotting to the bizarre, Fireball XL5 - a precursor to the more famous Thunderbirds - used innovative puppetry techniques to portray the Space Patrol crew of Fireball XL5 as they went on many adventures and saved both themselves and the universe from numerous cackling villains. Jubal's reviews go through the ups and downs of the series, looking at how the show has dated and which bits of Anderson's work have stood the test of time.

From the beautiful planet Olympus, to the reaches far beyond known space, to the great spinning tower of Space City, there's a great deal to be found in the Fireball universe. Take a look and discover a whole new world - in fact, several!

Jubal's Fireball XL5 Review Index

Mind Machine Interface - a mind-bending puzzler

This mind-bending new game throws a set of fiendish puzzle challenges at the player. Not for the faint of mental strength, the flickering colours and numbers of the mind machine will have you gripped as you try to figure out the solution to each puzzle. The simple set of tools and options shouldn't fool you - there's a wide range of puzzles covering different themes including "data repair", "image rotation", and much more, all of which will require some very particular tricks to make work. The demo is already very well worth working through, with some extremely tough puzzles and good brainteasers to torture the mind of all but the very finest puzzle experts.

Mind Machine Interface's creator izark has asked for feedback on "graphics, bugs, difficulty, anything you want to talk about" - so do head on over and take a look at the demo (though beware, you may be there for a few hours longer than you expect! The game's also on Steam Greenlight right now and is looking very well worth an upvote.

Mind Machine Interface on Exilian

Greenlight Campaign

If you've got something in development or want to help write Updates, please do get in touch as usual! In the next month we have Exilian Day on the 18th - our ninth birthday - and no doubt many more new releases and other excitements besides. All that awaits - do join in, say hello, and become part of what we're doing, there are many great projects across the site and YOUR support could be crucial for them.

Hope to see you in a month, for the next issue of Updates from the Forge!