Un-Wrath: Aeon of Fun mod

For the longest time i was wondering why a game that looks like a dream version of Hexen II with guns, and with texture-work that somehow perfectly reflects my own taste in art-direction - just isn't fun? Why a game that markets itself as a classic-age shooter - plays nothing like one? With each try to revisit it - i always came to the same disappointing conclusion: not all is gold that shines, even in the world of videogames. And just as i was ready to give up on this game once and for all, someone at Moddb had inadvertently hinted - that i can change all that. And once this spark was lit, the fire was not long to ignite. This time i went in focused on analysis: what went wrong? What stops such a great looking project from playing every bit as great?

As each major culprit was identified and corrected, the gameplay was transforming into something completely different. And that something different - played terrific. That gave me all the energy and inspiration i needed to keep digging deeper, and do as much as i can to improve the game to the level that its art-direction truly deserves. I put all my other projects aside, focusing just on this one. UN-Wrath: the Aeon of Fun - was born. And i am excited to share this experience with you.

The first key issue was the range mismatch. The game perhaps tries to put itself next to Quake, but there is really nothing in common. Aeon of Ruin has most of its combat starting at sniper rifle range, but your arsenal is strongly emphasizing specifically mid-range combat, which creates an impass, that the players find ways to circumvent however possible, sacrificing enjoyment in the process. So, the first directive was generally to revise the weapons of the game and make sure that you have proper tools for close combat, mid-range combat and long-range combat respectively; and even beyond that. To make sure that the arsenal is tailored to the way the combat encounters are structured in the game. In this video i go over all of the action changes that the mod does.

The second key issue, was the traversal/platforming. Overwhelmingly reliant on minute adjustments of fractions of an inch to make this or that jump, and then waste time going around and around to retry it when it fails. This blunder should've been nonexistent. It should've been as streamlined as Ezio Auditore's parkour skills - for the very least. If the devs never played AC, then there is always David Belle. This ties into combat movement: a lot of times the combat arena is built in ways that the player can't reach this and can't reach that, - resulting in a scenario where your movement options are severely limited. So, my second directive was to streamline this aspect of the game, and now - you can reach anywhere without much trouble. And i didn't forget to "unslide the roller-blades" either. Check out the fully revamped platforming, showcased in this video:

Levels that look like this - deserve a lot better gameplay.

This brings us to point number 3: sound design. Granted, the game has a few good sound effects: all 2.5 of them. The rest is, well...they leave a lot to be desired, that being generous. The only person in the audio department that i would commend, is Andrew Hulshult. He played a very smart move: realizing that with levels that are longer than some games, - no single composition would be enough, so he went for a replayable ambient soundscape with strategic use of atmospheric music interludes. This was a brilliant decision, as long as it remained intact... My contribution, is to take care of the rest of the soundscape: re-balance or remake all the glitchy fx, and redesign from scratch all of the game's action effects.

Lastly, there is also the game's balance. The action has been tilted to be faster, so that destroying 650+ enemies will not be like sawing through bricks with a bread knife. Having that said, while the optimized arsenal allows the player much more efficient combat against the heavier foes, the most basic enemies were given boosts to counter-balance that. Now they are more of a threat - similar to Brutal Doom, and will require a little bullet exchange every now and then, since they now have more HP. I am not in favor of one-shotting everything, neither do i stand by bullet-sponges. All within good reason.

The mod is currently released at the version 1.9. It is not the final version yet, as there are a few things i would like to take care of in the future, and i still have more testing to do. However, what i would like most, is to find people who could help me with the remaining issues and further polish/development of the game. Unfortunately, my own skills only go so far, and yet a hefty list of bugs, oversights, poorly designed and otherwise all kinds of abandoned and underdeveloped features - still remains. Here is a record of everything that keeps the game from realizing its full potential:

- Afflicted and Stricken enemies fail to target the player properly in over 50%
of cases. Particularly when elevation difference is involved.
- Heretic fails pathfinding in 100% cases when elevation change
is involved, or when it has to pass through a smaller opening - regardless of elevation.
- Impossible to use blade dash when falling from great heights.
- Impossible to dash during flight or underwater.
- Impossible to use several artifacts at once.
- Impossible to use artifacts when a sigil is in effect.
- Underwater visibility...or a lack thereof.
- Dynamic/colored atmospheric lighting for light sources
- Particle/light effects for crystals in the levels
- Additional level decoration, to improve by-landmark orientation
- Better texture choice, to avoid excessive blending and loss of detail
- Remove underwater time/air limit
- Remove artifact inventory limit
- Change Flight Sigil mechanics to a jetpack-style item mechanics
- Missing blood effects when enemies are getting shot
- Missing sound effects on Invader/Wretch gibbed deaths (not coded into the game)
- Mercenary AI (i think that's the Episode 3 creature with a rocket launcher instead a head)
- Only ONE save slot per game???
- MAP???

If all that would be there - boom, perfection. But even a fraction of this list - would be a great start. Any kind of help is very welcomed and appreciated.

May the Aeon of Fun begin!