Updates from the Forge 14: June 2017

[Jubal]

Issue 14: June 2017

EDITORIAL

This Updates to be forever known as the "curses, 12 days late" issue thanks to your regular writer and editor being at a conference for much of the first part of July. We've nonetheless got plenty to talk about! We've got a full slate of in-dev PC games this month, plus another spotlight on an area of the forum you might want to visit, this time the Great Library where discussions on history, science, and other interesting information are always going on. There's lots of other news coming up from around the site, most of which we'll be able to announce by next time - so expect a fairly bumper editorial for the next issue and perhaps a fairly packed slate of newsposts in the next few weeks!

Until then, take a look at this great slate of games and enjoy issue 14 of Updates from the Forge...

CONTENTS:

• Township returns
• Update from the Undergrowth - Arctosa Littoralis
• Beta testing on LIFE gets underway
• Massive Galaxy keeps getting bigger
• New discussions in the Great Library

Township returns


Exilian's very own Son of the King is back with some previews of work on a new edition of his game Township. The new map generation system allows for huge and varied map types,
and work is about to head on to creating dropsites for resources and some of the other basics that a town will eventually need to survive. The whole system so far is freely available for download on Github for anyone who has PyGame and yamlui installed to have a play with - do take a look!

Discuss Township here

Updates from the Undergrowth - Arctosa Littoralis

There's some lovely stuff coming up from the Empires of the Undergrowth team building their ant colony real time strategy game, as this video neatly shows. Here we see the mighty Arctosa littoralis wolf spider as a deadly new threat to overland ant marches, and with new ant types with ranged attacks becoming available. These exciting improvements show the game really beginning to take shape, and we're hoping to see more content and new releases coming up soon. The developers are a lovely bunch and happy to discuss the invertebrates involved or answer questions about this scientifically-interested but wonderfully playable RTS, so come along to their thread and have a chat.

Head into the Undergrowth

Beta testing on LIFE gets underway

Jubal's game LIFE is currently in testing phases, and looking for additional testers to join the crew. In this Whovian text adventure, you play as a rebel against the Dalek empire and explore an open world planet-hopping environment. Including several minigames, puzzles to solve, a full achievements system, and multiple routes to eventual victory, this is one not to be missed. The game is being continually updated in response to feedback, with smoother functionality being implemented all the time and bugs fixed. Beta players can get early access to test-drive the Doctor Who world and help make it better. Please join in and help with the testing to make this freely available adventure game as good as it can be!

Beta Testing Thread

Massive Galaxy keeps getting bigger

Goncalom's "Massive Galaxy" recently released some new teaser screenshots of the graphics - take a look:

A retro point and click adventure focussing on trade and escort missions across a vast game world, Massive Galaxy looks set to be a feast for both the eyes and mouse-buttons of gamers. There looks like being a vast amount of content being prepared, with many alien races, worlds to explore, and a turn-based combat system in the works. Do head over to the thread and discuss what's been released so far!

Explore the Galaxy

New discussions in the Great Library

The Great Library is Exilian's area for discussing science, history, mythology, and other interesting information. We've got regular discussion topics opening there - recent ones include discussions of public medieval history and the media, how a Polynesian canoe circumnavigated the globe, and how ducks can change their sex. If any of that sounds of interest or if you have other things to discuss, the Great Library may well be the place for you. Anyone can post new topics on any aspect of interesting information, and we're always keen to see more going on. There's no better place to discover new things than a library, after all, and ours is no exception.

Visit the Great Library

Once again, another issue done! Please PM me (Jubal) or email megadux@exilian.co.uk to get in touch if you have any stories or academic & creative projects we ought to be covering - we'd love to hear from you. See you next time in just a few weeks for issue fifteen of Updates from the Forge!