The game has been released. See this thread:
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=181815&b=5
FYI, all copyrights are now under the name IndiMasters. All content in this thread is (c) IndiMasters 2010. All rights reserved. Just thought I'd clear that up, because some pictures still say (c) Epsilon Zero 2010. IndiMasters is now a registered business name in the United States.
Time Front: Battle of the Ages and all content, screenshots and ideas in this thread are (c) Epsilon Zero, 2008 - 2010. All rights reserved.
Beta: If you wish to sign up for the closed, online beta, drop me an email at unclesamtgc at gmail dot com (replace the "at" with "@" and "dot" with "." , of course). Please put the word "Beta" in the subject line.
I have more to say about the beta. Here's my post from page 5:
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As I've said before, I'm already lined up to buy server space for the server list, so that will work great.
The problem is, I won't be able to host an actual game on this server. Here's where you come in.
I was thinking that if 1 - 3 of any of you users out there have the means of hosting a server, I would be willing to give you a free copy. Of course, we'd need to discuss some things and test the speed and whatnot before deciding. Just let me know if anyone is interested. If not, I may have to spend $30 a month to permanently host a server, which may make the game cost just a little more.
Pretty much anyone actually will be able to host a server if they know how to, but I am asking someone to provide a more permanent server solution. It wouldn't necessarily be forever, because if you were to eventually change your mind, I could simply deactivate your product key so that the free copy will not function.
Let me know.
Furthermore, I've been thinking of giving out 1-3 copies to the most helpful beta-testers (more details on this later), providing I get enough people to sign up for it. Just drop me an email at
unclesamtgc (at) gmail (dot) com. As I've said before I'll need a decent number of people to get this game going because it is online only, so I'm willing to give out copies if you take the initiative. Just FYI, the beta will
most likely start in the middle of August.
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Hello all!
I'm sure (I hope) you remember my old Time Front thread. There are actually two of them. The first was when I was working with Agent Dink (miss working with ya Dink!), a long time ago. We both got busy with the real life (I stopped working too, which was the main problem) and now unfortunately we don't talk anymore. I decided, though, that the project was too good to pass up, but my code in the old version was not very good (I was not the best programmer at the time). About 1 to 1 + 1/2 years ago (I think...maybe it was actually 2 years ago...) I decided to start the project over completely on my own, from scratch, using newly acquired software. Now, I am continuing that second try this summer, but with my brother (known as Lemonade on these forums) making music and models for the game.
It's called Time Front: Battle of the Ages, because all ages will be mixed, allowing guns to mingle with swords, snipers with archers, and catapults with tanks.
The game is incredibly far along! Last summer I actually released a online beta, and tested the game with people probably all over the world. Since then, so much has been added.
LATEST VIDEO RELEASE (6/15/2010): Gun Fight
Here's a gun fight video for y'all to see. One bug is that it says the player got killed with an MP40 no matter what weapon you used, because I was too lazy to fix it when it came time to record.
Watch it anyways, and turn up your sound!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osJWIuSmnm4
NEW MAP, "THE BRIDGE":
NEW OASIS MAP, ALMOST COMPLETED:
NEW CHARACTER SHOT WITH IN-GAME HDR:
NEW SHOTS OF THE HIGHER QUALITY TERRAIN (this is the higher poly version not being used in the game, but looks virtually the same. The main difference here is the high resolution textures):
SIEGE TOWER SHOTS:
Climbing up from the inside:
As of today, this is what the game includes:
-Three working weapons
-One working tool (for the most part)
-Interface for choosing buildings to build
-Different roles (soldier/builder, captain, commander)
-Battle physics (swords, bows, animations, everything!)
-Full internet operation and a server list manager that I run at my present location when it goes online
Bah, I can't list it all, it's too hard to think of it all. Here are some screenshots with descriptions to better explain what I'm talking about.
Btw, what's below in this post are some really OLD shots. But I feel they explain how the game works really well, so I'll leave them for now. Just know that the graphics are a lot better now; you can see this on later pages.
Here you are in the empty castle. You are the commander (ignore the hammer, you shouldn't have one if you are the commander). If you die,
the game is over. That's right. So, what does the commander do? He can fight, sure, but he doesn't want to do that until technologies are researched that upgrade him to hero-like levels on the battlefield. Right now, he builds buildings and controls resources and gatherers...and watches out for assassins...all it takes is one fatal arrow...
If the commander holds down "t" it fades in a building panel interface. In the future there will be many more buildings (woodcutter's lodge, food gatherer, etc.). Right now, he will choose the archery supply building (it's actually not selected in this picture):
When placed, it appears as a see-through structure, being incomplete. Because this is my game, and because I need to test it, I magically give the commander a "soldier" status so that he can build this archery range:
When finished, this is what it looks like:
Now we have unlocked the archer. Pick up a bow by pressing "g":
Let's switch back to commander mode illegally and build a barracks. Now, however, our hammer is no longer available, so let's have another player join the server as a soldier:
It's done now, and we have unlocked the swordsman!
Let's kill the other guy so he can spawn as a builder:
Here we can choose to spawn at the barracks with a sword, at the archery supply with a bow, or just at the castle with a hammer. Just click on an icon (spawning is still a little buggy but will certainly be fixed soon; that is, you don't always spawn right where you click):
Let's explore a bit. Here's the edge of the cliff near where the castle sits. It is a great defensive position as you can have guards watching the valley below (just wait 'till you research snipers):
It's rather pretty down here, isn't it?
Very pretty indeed:
Let's have the builder (which would be another human player, of course) build a tower. But he can't build there:
He can, however, build here:
It's done! That should defend the valley:
Here's a path that will eventually lead into a new sector of the map. The maps will be very large, and games could take many hours to complete.
Those are the images. Pretty much, the game will work by having a commander build the important buildings. The captain actually builds (or places for others to build, rather) the towers, and in the future will be able to place sand bags and other defenses. It will work by having several squads lead by captains who build defenses throughout the map and give orders to their squads, trying to counter the forces of the enemy and conquering and disabling enemy towers and supply lines. Resources will be gathered by workers who carry it all back to the castle, and sieges will be possible, so resources must be stored up to prevent starvation and to allow training.
Well, that's all for now. The next beta will be released (the last one is no longer available) when all the features already in the game have been polished up, and when resource gathering and usage have been added. I have just purchased EZRotate so I will be able to have vehicles such as siege towers (which will be awesome to use) and carts adjust to the angel of the terrain, in addition to the grass. I will post videos possibly very soon.
I hope to get this to commercial quality and sell it for a very reasonable price, but don't worry! I will probably be releasing some free copies in a contest at release time to get the game going and players on the servers. Some of the users on these forums will likely (no guarantee, but most likely) be those people who get some free copies, as this is where my inspiration probably began!
Thanks for reading!