Now that we’ve reached the Beta stage and are updating the game with new content regularly, we decided to use the development blog to keep players up-to-date on the latest changes to the game, as well as letting others know what’s in store when we finally launch.

This week, we’re updating Remnants of Skystone to version 0.7, which centers primarily around Floats.  The biggest change is the new “Float of the Week” voting, where each player gets a pool of votes to award towards others’ Floats when visiting.  If you really like someone’s Float, you can give up to 3 votes from your pool of 50 for the week.  You can keep awarding votes until you run out, and you can remove some of your previous votes if you find a new place that you think deserves them instead.  At the end of the week, the top three players with the most votes will be awarded plaques to hang on their wall, and the First Place winner will be featured as “Float of the Week” from the Rankings Board and from players’ maps.  Also, each player will also get 1 Nidarian Point for every vote they cast at the end of the week, as well as a new pool of votes for the next week.

Along with the new interface for casting votes, we’ve also adjusted the “Changing Floors” interface to move between Float floors quickly.  Along the side of the screen, numbered tabs will appear for each floor in the Float.  You can click on a tab to jump to that floor, and a tab will be colored green if other players are hanging out on that floor.

We’ve also added the rest of the bronze Extermination Duty missions for Admiral Stanton, so every enemy now has a mission and trophy for this level.  Maps have also been improved, with clusters and floats being able to sort by ranking, and floats able to sort by activity now.  You can also hit enter to search at the bottom of the map, instead of clicking the Search button.

For anyone interested in moving their Float to a new cluster, we now keep track of your original cluster — so even if it’s locked, you’ll be able to return later if you change your mind.

We’ve also launched a new line of furniture at the Furniture Outlet:  The Brass Lounge debuts with a variety of hardwood bar counters, tables, couches, and more.  This new line was designed to be modular, so players can create bars that stretch across an entire room, or create a mini bar in the corner.  Seating is also modular, letting players create their own type of couches, booths, and seating that wraps around walls and corners.

No lounge would be complete without food and drink, so we’ve added a few types of bottles, glasses, and snacks to the store as well, as well as a shiny brass cash register to ring up your patrons.

We’ve also added a handful of new quests for a variety of NPCs.  Be on the look-out for new quests from Lana Westwood, Rook Maxwell, Chief MacGregor, Admiral Stanton, Madam Bristlecone, Captain Meelie, Wystan, Otto von Tesla, and Hawthorn!All current beta testers should find the update on Kongregate today.  For everyone else that signed up for beta testing but haven’t gained access, we’ll be letting in more testers soon!

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Posted by Matt under Uncategorized | Comment » (1 comment) |

We’re getting closer to the Beta version of Remnants of Skystone, and the sign-ups have started for anyone interested in joining the group of testers.  You’ll need to have a Kongregate account to join in the action, and you can put your name on the list by posting on the Kong forums here:

Beta Testers Needed for Remnants of Skystone

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Posted by Matt under Game Design, Gameplay | Comment » (0 comments) |

We’ve been busy working on the new quest system for Skystone, and a handful of other updates and features for the Beta version of the game.  While we don’t have any major posts on the blog, you can get a glimpse into our day-to-day updates by following us on Twitter.  We’ll look for a good widget for the blog, but in the meantime you can follow these links:

Matt on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flipline_matt

Tony on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/capital555

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On your travels in Skystone, you’ll usually be in the company of Rooks trying to establish safe zones on the ground, as they build their network of Ether defenses and chip away at the local Mimic threat.  Areas like the Steam City Ruins have long since been completely abandoned, but in some places there are groups who choose to remain in strongholds on the ground rather than joining Nidaria in the sky.

Deep in the Ferric Forest, there is an isolated tribe of Ferric Warriors who have tried to defend their land, though the continued spread of haze has brought more powerful Mimics to roam the areas around their camp.

These Warriors are outfitted in the traditional Ferric clothing, traces of which are still occasionally worn by Nidarian Ferrics.  The sharp armor on their arms comes from the beak of the Ferron, a sacred bird revered for generations, and is still the standard equipment used by Ferrics when fighting.  The Warriors also garb themselves with its feathers, and wear the bird’s skull as a helmet when in battle.

While the Ferric Warriors are wary of outsiders in their lands, they will soon need your help in defending the camp, and may have some information on the wildfire that is causing trouble for your company of Rooks.

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Posted by Matt under Artwork, Characters | Comments » (4 comments) |

Now that we’ve completed our round of Alpha testing, we’ve been working hard towards our first Beta version of the game, which along with new and polished features includes more areas to explore beyond the Steam City Ruins.  To prove that we’re still alive and kicking, and to show some of what has been keeping us busy, here’s a sneak peak at the first area within the Ferric Forest and some of the Mimics and obstacles you’ll encounter.

Blowgrubs are curious Mimics that float towards you, wanting to see what you look like up close.  This breed of grub doesn’t attack you, though they do get in your way.  Attacking Blowgrubs sends them floating backwards for a moment, before pursuing you again.

Hexaboars lurk deeper in the forest, waiting for someone to cross its path before charging at full speed.  While looking mostly like a mammal, it has six legs like an insect, which gives it an extra boost of speed.  It’s best to jump out of the way before they overtake you, and wait for it to ram its head into a wall before attacking.

Further in the Forest you’ll find tree trunks engulfed in flames,  preventing you from passing.  You’ll have to look around your surroundings to find a way to extinguish the fire before continuing on.

When you make your way to the Rook Commander in the Forest, you’ll find your path is blocked by even stronger flames, as the center of the forest is ablaze with a wildfire.  In later Missions, you’ll work towards exploring alternate paths around the fire in the Forest, and help the Rooks solve the issue of the spreading wildfire.

There’s much more in the Ferric Forest beyond this, and as a whole the area is larger than the Steam City Ruins.  Expect tougher enemies, more difficult puzzles, and new missions once the Beta launches soon!

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Posted by Matt under Game Design | Comment » (0 comments) |

For the last week, we have been knee deep in Alpha testing. So far, Remnants of Skystone has been getting great feedback, and people are really enjoying themselves. Thanks to all of the alpha testers for their hard work, and to anyone who didn’t make it into the testing group, here’s a sample of training for the Ferrics:

Embedding the YouTube video wasn’t cooperating at first, but now it should be working!

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Posted by Tony under Gameplay | Comment » (0 comments) |

 We’re gradually getting closer to the Alpha release of Remnants of Skystone, where we’re hoping to get some testers in to hunt down the bugs and give us some feedback on how things are shaping up.  So to make sure the airships flying to Nidaria aren’t empty, we’ve started taking requests for testers on the Kongregate forums!

If you’re into finding bugs and playing an unfinished early build of the game, you can put your name on the list by clicking the link below:

Remnants of Skystone Alpha Testers Wanted
UPDATE: Alpha testing is now closed, check back soon when beta testing starts!

Thanks in advance to everyone that signs up!
FYI, if you don’t already have one, you’ll need a Kongregate account to join in the fun.

And here’s a preview of the “Team Up” screen, where you can start a co-op match with another player you find in town:

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Posted by Matt under Gameplay | Comments » (4 comments) |

Having a team of only two people working on a Flash-based MMO of this caliber, finding the time to work on all of the different aspects of the game is a daily challenge. You may have noticed the blog suffering a bit over the last few months, as we’ve been focusing all of our attention on Remnants of Skystone’s approaching “Alpha” phase.  In this upcoming alpha phase, the game will be released in partial form to a small group of testers, which will help us get a handle on people’s overall reaction and interaction with the game.  While we’ve been quiet on the blog for a while, here’s what we’ve been up to in Skystone:

The first world of the game is built, which has 10 distinct missions, two bosses, three unique environments, and a plethora of Mimics to encounter.  Progress-based mechanics including player stats, experience points, leveling, and Etherillium tubes are all working, as well as food items for on-the-spot health restoration.  We’re currently fine-tuning the Co-op aspect of the game that we are calling Trailblazing, which we’ll go into more detail about later on.

We’re not quite ready for user testing yet, but in the meantime we have some new screens posted in the slideshow below.

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Posted by Tony under Gameplay | Comments » (4 comments) |

We’ve been hard at work on the first world of Skystone, located in the ruins of the Aeronaut hometown of Steamcity.  When fungus and haze spread throughout the land, foul creatures were born in its wake, combining genetic material of native animals to quickly adapt to this new world.  The Steamcity Ruins are home to a diverse group of these Mimic creatures, created in the image of animals and insects that once inhabited the city.  Below is a small sample of Mimics that will be encountered in this first area:

Pidgebomber
Located in: Steamcity Ruins

These Mimic creatures resemble a cross between the pigeons and flies that once lived in Steamcity.  When Rooks first encountered this breed, they gave them the nickname “pidgebombers” because of their aggressive use of haze-infused excrement that they dropped from the sky.  When their wings are clipped, these creatures will drop to the ground and spew haze from both ends.

Pustosser
Located in: Abandoned Factory

Most closely resembling a dog, these hairy beasts are covered with haze-filled tumors that hang from their skin.  When a pustosser notices a human, they rip one of the tumors from their belly and hurl it towards their enemy.

Slugrat
Located in: Steamcity Sewers

With similarities to slugs and rats, these furry menaces cling to ceilings and walls in the ancient sewers, scurrying along all surfaces to attack any humans they can find.

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Posted by Matt under Artwork, Gameplay | Comments » (6 comments) |

Happy Memorial Day everyone! We thought it would be a fitting time to introduce you to another person you will find in Nidaria, Lieutenant Driscoll.

He is a veteran of the ongoing war with the Mimics. Lt. Driscoll was en route to a drop point, when the airship he was riding crashed into a Mimic-infested patch of forest. Unfortunately the pilot and Lt. Driscoll’s close friend, Captain Mick, didn’t make it. However, Lt. Driscoll survived the crash, and was rescued in the nick of time. It is said that during game-play, you might wander past the remains of that crash, hidden deep within the Ferric Forest.

When Driscoll recovered, he knew his days of service were over, but was offered a job running the Barracks and being head matchmaker for co-op missions. Wystan (whom we will discuss later) crafted a custom-made, steam-powered wheelchair for Driscoll, which could be propelled by traditional wheeling, or by channeling steam from his blaster cuffs to the axle of his chair.

Lieutenant Driscoll is an easy-going, well-liked guy around town, and always eager to tell you a few stories from his glory days.

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Posted by Tony under Characters | Comments » (4 comments) |