Post delay

Hey guys!

Apologies for delays in content for the blog. Life has been getting in the way due to various things, but some new content that I have been working on will be coming soon!

So keep checking back and I will post some new stuff soon.

--Andy

Equinox character overview #4 Gerald and Jessica

Character 7: Gerald Abus

A young and talented apprentice wizard from the Kingdom of Selvenei. During the events of chapter nine Gerald first appears to Clix and the current party as he rescues them from the monsters in the Margen Mansion. 

Gerald is a kind hearted young man with a dark and hidden past. He often goes off into his own head, leaving the group to ponder about what he could be thinking. As the story progresses the reader will learn the truth about this apprentice Wizard.

He carries a spell book into battle that allows him to blast the battlefield with a flurry of elemental magic as well as bludgeoning any enemies with it at close range.

When he first appears he recognises Clix straight away announcing that the young earthling is his cousin. Confused with this sudden confession, he asks the young Wizard what he means by this, how can they be related? It is up to the reader to discover the truth behind this series of events.

Character 8: Jessica Layens

A high spirited young woman and a childhood friend of Clix's. Jessica is a loving and caring girl that can get a bit hyperactive at times, she rushes into things before she thinks about them even if it puts her in danger.

Unlike Clix, Viktor and Ray. Jessica does not travel to Nyris at the same time, she eventually ends up there when the wormhole opens up once again and she is pulled through. Lost and confused, she is rescued by a knight of Selvenei named of Rydal, who protects her until she has recovered from her shock and helps her find Clix and the others.

Jessica carries a thorned whip into battle that she uses to great effect, it allows her to perform a series of skills that will devastate the enemy. Due to her loud personality, she is great at rallying the troops to the cause and will do anything for the people of Nyris.

Equinox novel segment #4

‘My lady, are you alright?’ Gerald asked, ‘Yes…I am fine Gerald, but I’ve told you before Gerald, we’ve known each other since we were little, you can call me Natalie’ Natalie said with a smile. ‘Ah forgive me my la……Natalie; it’s a force of habit with having to refer to everyone in a formal sense since our return. However Natalie, it is getting late, I must escort you back to the castle before the night rolls in, the King would throw a fit if you were still out in the wilderness once its dark’ Gerald stated, ‘Yes….you are right, forgive me Gerald the time escaped me; although I don’t know why father worries so much, I mean we were out in the wilderness for months as we traversed the lands’ Natalie said, ‘This is true Natalie, but I guess the king feels now that everything is back in order and the threat has dissipated; that a princess should not be out in the evenings’ Gerald stated. Natalie did not say a word and just gave a small smile as they walked towards the Sendonox’s to take them back to the castle.

As they road back to the Castle, the air grew heavy as the heavens opened and rain came flooding down. Natalie began to glow as she called out a protection spell ‘Obex Praesidium!’ as a brilliant light shot into the air and formed a protective bubble around Natalie and Gerald, the rain rolled off the barrier as if they were inside looking out of a window, ‘Incendia!’ Gerald called as he made a small flame float in between the two of them to keep them warm and dry them off, even though they were only caught in the rainstorm for small amount of time they were drenched right down to the skin. Natalie watched as she road as she saw the surroundings being pelted by rain, the tree’s dripped continuously, small animals ran for cover under bushes, it reminded her of the time Clix, herself, Ray, Viktor and Kimberly ran and took shelter from the rain in the abandoned mansion, the night was a tough one but she smiled to herself at the good times they had together on their journey.

They road up a large hill and saw the lights of the Kingdom shinning, ‘Not much longer now Natalie, we should be back within the next half an hour’ Gerald said as he led on, ‘Ah….yes thank you Gerald, this evening has been a long one indeed’ Natalie said with a hint of sadness in her voice, she knew once she got back to the castle, that the following morning would be another day of training and matters that her father thought would be beneficial to her rise to the throne. She however did not want this, her life was so turned upside down with the rise of the Reavers and she managed to have it all changed on her travels with her friends; she wasn’t sure how to cope with such demands anymore. As they got closer and closer to the castle, the rains began to stop, all around there were puddles and everything was dripping. Natalie removed the barrier, the fresh air felt so wonderful on her face, the clouds above began to recede revealing the moons and the stars; which glistened their light down onto the kingdom. 

Equinox character overview #3 Vikor and Ray

Character 5: Viktor Maicine

One of the first characters introduced in Equinox, Viktor is the best friend of Clix who was originates from Russia, he is an incredibly strong individual but he does struggle with the academic side of things.

Along with Clix he ends up travelling to the new land of 'Nyris' where he also dubbed a saviour of the world. To show his might he takes up a large Axe in battle where he is a force to be reckoned with, he uses this strength to protect his friends and save the people of Nyris.

Personality wise, he is a very outgoing person that makes friends easily, however he does have tendencies to become angry and needs to calmed down.

He will do what it takes to defeat the Reavers and return home.

Character 6: Ray Gates

A young and very talented young man. Ray is another of Clix's friends who is an incredibly smart individual, from a young age he has prided himself in his work and ability to play Chess to its greatest effect.

He is considered one of the saviours of 'Nyris' when he ends up travelling their with Clix and Viktor where he is unfortunately taken ill rather quickly. He is rescued by Kimberly who uses medicinal herbs on him and he soon recovers.

As an extremely academic person and a lover of chess, he has a mind for strategies and tactics that he displays with sheer prowess. During the many battles, Ray takes a role of being at the front and back of the fights so that his skills can take full effect.

He will protect Clix on his adventure no matter what the cost.

Game Concept #3 Anno del Serpente

'1400's, Horror, Pre-Columbian America, Serpentine, Regal, Cloaked, Collapsed, Central' 

Game title: Anno del Serpente
Genre: first person horror

Serpentine - Twisted, Crafty, Coiling, Snakelike
Regal - Imposing, Proud, Majestic,
Cloaked - Veiled, Occult, Arcane, Camouflage, Artful, Hidden
Collapsed - Disintegrate, Break, Weaken, Wilt, Exhaust
Central - Essential, Paramount, Pivotal, Significant

General Premise

During Columbus's first expedition, the Santa Maria was stranded on a coral reef where its crew spent a long time gathering up all the cargo that had strewn all over the water and the lands. Soon after, Columbus returned to Spain on the Nina leaving forty members of his crew behind to start the first European settlement in this new land. However this was a grave mistake....he would return to the settlement a year later to find that none had survived...Or is there?

Main Character

Crew member of Christopher Columbus's first expedition that was left behind after he returned to Spain. After Columbus vanished, a local tribe learned of this settlement and struck back against those that would defile their land. Many of the crew members were taken and sacrificed including the playable character who manages to escape. A large serpent like creature was summoned forth using the blood of the crew who goes forth to kill the rest of the settlers, it is up to you to survive this horror using the environment to your advantage.

Story Points

• Santa Maria is stranded at a Coral Reef 
• A crew of forty is left behind to create the first settlement 
• A local tribe is displeased their land is being defiled 
• Some crew members taken for sacrifice 
• One crew member manages to escape
• Blood of the crew is used in a ritual to bring forth a snake demon 
• The snake demon kills everyone bar the one crew member who escaped
• The crew member must use his wits and cunning to survive this predator 

Game Mechanics

The snake demon is on the lose and the player has no choice but to do their best and survive. They must use their environment in order to hide from this threat in hopes that someone will save him soon. 

Here are some of the mechanics that the player must master in order to survive. These skills are essential for survival.   

Sounds

There are many audio cues that the player must listen out for. These are helpful indicators as determining where the Snake demon is. 

• Hissing - the demon will hiss when it is extremely close and has your scent
• Slithering - a sound that can be heard from a medium distance to close range, the player needs to keep an ear out for this to see if it is getting louder or quieter 
• Tongue flair - listening out for the Snake demon tasting the air as it travels, this is an indicator that it has begun to catch your scent 
• Animal screeches - the snake demon has caught an animal, this can be heard from any distance but the louder the scream, the closer it is. 

Hiding

One of the main mechanics of the game, the player must use their wits to stay hidden from the Snake demon. As it is a snake, it has both the strengths and weaknesses of these slithering reptiles. 

• Covering yourself in mud and staying still will reduce your body heat and stop the snake from discovering you. Keep out of the way of the snake by standing against trees or crouching in tall grass.
• Hiding underwater will hide your scent, however make sure you have a reed available or you will run out of oxygen and drown. 
• Climbing trees will help you hide from the snake, make sure not to move as it goes passed as the noises of the shaking branches will draw it to you
• Creating a camp fire will increase the heat reducing your scent but it will draw the snake close. So using this in combination with other techniques is paramount at night. 
• Causing disturbance elsewhere can cause the Snake to go after that, allowing you to run away. 

Crafting

Using materials the player finds throughout the maps they are able to craft a variety of weapons and useful equipment. Although the weapons may not do much to the Snake demon as it can't truly be killed, it can however be driven off, the weapons and traps are also used to kill local wildlife that the player will need to do often. 

Some weapons include 

• Spear
• Bow and Arrow/Fire Arrow
• Flintlock
• Whip 

The player must use these to their advantage in order to survive 

Food and Drink

As mentioned above the player must kill local wild life in order to prepare and eat it. Not doing so will result in the character becoming tired, hungry and easier to catch, so the player must keep an eye out on the hunger gauge. 

Drinking is also important, they must find fresh water sources to quench their thirst. There are many salt water pools around, so the player will have to be careful to not drink too much of that as it will dehydrate the character and cause him to hallucinate and faint.  

Sleep

The player must find safe places to sleep, making sure they have plenty of wood for their fires to keep the snake away or making sure they are completely hidden and protected from this dangerous threat. Not sleeping will again cause the character to hallucinate and be easy prey for this slithering demon.

Exhaustion

It is a difficult task constantly running for your life, struggling to find food etc. During times of Exhaustion the player must rest out of the Sun. It is paramount to the characters sanity otherwise as mentioned above, they will start to hallucinate, seeing images of the snake that is not truly there but causing the player to panic and cause sounds that could bring the snake to them. 

Exploration

There is a whole world to discover, going through jungles, coastlines, cliff tops, the European settlement and also ancient temples. If the player discovers these, they can learn of ways to keep the beast at bay as well as learning truly how to defeat it.

Key Points

• Going back to true survival horror with a twist 
• Plenty of jump scares for adrenaline junkies 
• Extremely atmospheric 
• Brings a lot of audio elements into it 
• A story for the players making as they must survive the year 

Equinox character overview #2 Natalie and Maiyth

Character 3: Princess Natalie Feigh

The princess of Selvenei, she escapes her kingdom with Clix and the others after the Reavers come to take her away, it is unknown why they were after her but the King knows she will be in safe hands with the heroes protecting her. She is always desperate to help people, especially those within her kingdom who are suffering and in plight and will often run off in the face of danger to do so. Natalie has the ability to heal her allies as well as being able to strike from a distance with her archery skills. 

Natalie is first introduced in chapter four of Equinox and from that point on she is a prominent character throughout the story.

Character 4: Maiyth

An extremely powerful warrior who is under the Reavers control. Maiyth walks into battle with sheer strength and duty for his masters. He is tasked with bringing the princess of Selvenei to them although he does not understand as to why they would want this. 

The group encounter him many times along their journey as not only does he need to complete his task but from the first moment that he meets Clix, he feels something familiar about him. What that is he cannot fathom. 

He is first introduced in chapter three of Equinox but he is not truly revealed until the seventh chapter where he first meets Clix before he escapes.

Game Concept #2 Heroes of Antiquity

Game Title: Heroes of Antiquity  

Genre: Hack and Slash action

Story

On a distant planet within the promised system, a large scale war has been raging for centuries; the people of the planet battle it out against each other to unify the lands under their rule. It is unknown how the war first began, some say it was due to the power of a dark god intervening within the mortal realm for his enjoyment, others believe that some nations were becoming too powerful and must be dealt with swiftly. Some nations have become nothing more than rubble as they barely hang onto life; however ten nations are still going strong, as they battle for their lives and for control of the planet.

Characters

The characters for Heroes of Antiquity are split into the 10 nations that occupy the planet, each comes with a unique moveset, weapons and special skills. Only four characters are available from the start. 

Joan of Arc

Weapon: Rapier

Element: Light and Water

After the King of France unfortunately dies in an attack from the Japanese warlord Nobunaga Oda, a young maiden takes up to lead the people and avenge their fallen kind. Joan has a strong has a strong connection to the gods who watch over France, she uses this power to take up command of the forces even though she is only 17 years of age. Joan is an adept at sword play wielding a rapier and heavenly sword that was forged by the gods. She is a pure and honest soul as well as a devout believer in the Gods that watch over her. She feels that she will be able to reunite the lands under the French banner without much bloodshed, but only time will tell if this is the case.  

Alexander the Great

Weapon: Spear

Element: Electric and Earth

The third in line for the thrown of Greece, Alexander is a brave and adventurous young man but also cocky and fame hungry. Having recently become the ruler of Greece, he is still new to commanding an army. Alexander wants to protect his homeland from the threat of Nobunaga and from the minor threats of the England republic. He carries his spear into battle, determined to make sure that the lands bow to his rule and to once again bring peace to the people of the world.

Nobunaga Oda

Weapon: Katana

Element: Dark and Fire

The Demon king that watches over the harsh terrains in Japan, Nobunaga is a ruthless but ambitious leader that wants everyone to bow to his whim. He recently devastated China making the people run for their lives and has now turned his sites on the people of Mongolia. He will stop at nothing to gain control of the world, so that he can turn the lands into a hellish landscape filled with darkness. He once allied himself with the Saints of Spain and even converted to their beliefs but soon the darkness ebbed away at his heart and he gave into temptation. He rides from land to land, soaking his katana in the blood of his enemies.

Genghis Khan

Weapon: Bow

Element: Wind and Ice

Ruler of the Nomadic kingdom of Mongolia, Genghis is a stern yet fair leader respecting those who are honest and loyal to their leaders and not just his own army. He wants to change the way the world works, bringing all the lands back to Nomadic ways rather than surrounding themselves with wealth and pleasure. He is a brilliant tactician and always knows the outcome of a battle before it has even begun, using his archery skills, he rides into battle piercing his enemies with his arrows. He feels the change in the winds as darkness slowly encroaches on his homelands. 

Other characters include:

Edward the Black Prince

Cleopatra 

Julius Caesar 

El Cid

George Washington 

Erik the Red

Many other characters will appear within the game that the player must unlock in a variety of different ways. 

Game modes

Story mode: The main mode of the game, where the player will follow the story of each character. Originally the only characters stories available are Joan of Arc, Nobunaga Oda, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan but they will soon unlock more characters to use. Each story is different and allows for replayability with varying paths to unlock different outcomes and endings. 

Free battle: This mode allows the player to select any character and then select any stage they have unlocked. Allowing them to train in stages that are not in a characters story. This can be done to collect weapons, test out a characters moveset, level up characters and learn new skills, that the player may want to do before starting a characters story.

Online battle: This is similar to free battle, where the player selects one character and any level, however another player will play as the owner of the land that is being attacked in defence of their kingdom. If a player selects Joan of Arc and does a mission to attack Nobunaga another player must play as Nobunaga. Players can also team up together to do missions together using online features. This can be done with the 3 mini games listed below.

Mini-games: a selection of 3 mini games for the player to try out

1) duel: the player faces off against an opponent in a 1 and 1 fight, using the environment to their advantage 

2) skirmish: the players have to take as many bases from their opponent within a certain amount of time

3) treasure collect: collect as many treasures such as gold, items and weapons before the time runs out, collect the most to win. 

All 3 mini games will be able to be used online and in offline co-op play.

Gallery: the gallery mode allows players to look at different areas such as character biographies, a weapons gallery showing all weapons collected so far, story area to show the story paths taken so far, items showing all items collected so far, soundtrack so the player can listen to the music of the game, movie theatre so the player can view the different cut scenes from the games.

Options: the options menu allows the player to select different aspects such as sound, music, game volume, contrast and brightness. Difficulty is set when the players selects a character story or when selecting a quick battle stage.

Core game mechanics

Combat

Once the player has selected their character and the stage they want to undertake, they will be set into a battlefield. Similar to the Dynasty Warriors series, the player must run around the battlefield, defeating troops and generals in order to ultimately succeed that stage. Each character has an array of combos that can be performed, which the player will unlock as the character levels up. They must execute these combos in order to defeat enemies or they will be defeated. 

Win and Lose conditions

Each stage comes with conditions that will let the player succeed or fail. Some of these are universal, however some are unique to a specific stage. 

Here are some examples of both win and lose conditions

Win

Defeat the main general

Take the main camp 

Force the army to retreat

Succeed in the flood attack

Lose

Player character is defeated

Main camp lost 

Specific allied general is defeated 

Difficulty

The player can choose between four difficulties:

Easy: the lowest difficulty. Good to start out with as the enemies do not attack as much

Normal: the standard difficulty. Good for those who are used to these types of games, enemies attack frequently as well as having better stats

Hard: a more aggressive difficulty. For those who want a bit of a challenge, enemies will attack more and will take longer to kill. 

Nightmare: The hardest difficulty. For those with skill, the enemies will hit hard as well as have extremely high stats. It is difficult but rewarding if the player can beat the stage. 

Level up

As the player continues to fight the waves of troops and generals, they will level up their character. As they level up, they will increase their stats such as health, attack and defence as well as unlocking new combos and special skills. So it is important to level the characters up in order to unlock these and take on harder difficulties. 

Skills

Each character has an array of skills that they can unlock representing the two elements a character is bind to. The player can map out 8 skills, so they will be able to set and change these on their character to something that works for them. 

Historia

A special skill that requires the player to fight and fill a bar up, once this bar is full the player can launch a powerful attack that will damage and defeat enemies around them. Once this has been used, the bar will empty and the player will need to refill it, it is best for those tight situations where they feel they may lose. 

Key Features

• Unique playable characters based on some of history’s greatest heroes
• Hack and Slash style game play
• Unique weapons to collect for each character
• Unlockable skills and combos as characters level up
• Items to collect to boost the power of the characters
• Unique stories for each character with multiple paths to get different endings