DILEMMA Introduction

[Sergey Shuklin]

Hello everyone, we at 4Reign Studios (www.4reign.com) are glad to bring you in near future a new adventure game we are currently working on.

The game named �Dilemma� is an adventure with imbued RPG elements. The player must survive in the post-apocalyptic world, deal with the Martian high-tech and comprehend the lore of an alien civilization. The RPG elements build up a unique playable character and make the plot non-linear. Moreover, the player should expect some alternative endings. The 3D animated characters alongside with an amazing 3D environment help a player to go deep inside the world of distant future.

To develop a really good adventure we try to use as much possibilities in improving our game as we can. This include the use of our newly developed graphics engine featuring various shader effects, dynamics, precomputed radiance transfer, animation blending, etc.

Alongside with a thoroughly devised plot and non linear variations of storyline and quests. The two major RPG parameters MATTER and SPIRIT make each gaming process unique and individual, for almost any of the puzzles and quests can be solved via different approaches.

PLOT RESUME

The human culture moved too far in mechanizing and rebuilding the society. Along with the real scientific breakthroughs, such as space exploration and exhaustive research of human mind and body, a lot of deviations could be seen in the society. While chasing the endless profits of the scientific and technical progress, people ceased to think about spiritual and moral aspects of life. The society �evolved� into a more advanced system, as people thought; this system was deprived of kindness, love, compassion and other feelings we believe to be common. Getting all the boons and conveniences and at an easy rate by means of new efficient technologies, people stopped considering it sensible to coexist peacefully. Yet, the wars were not the doom of the mankind. Having established the new order of one race, which was the product of assimilation, the human beings made up their minds to start a planned expansion into the Universe. That is when Mars was colonized. There were also those who opposed the new buttress of the society and wanted to move back to the starting point of history, to find the sources and roots. Those people had preserved only one human trait � faith mingled with fanaticism. The number of their sects was small, but the flow of the followers grew rapidly. And one day, the events, which changed the destiny of the whole mankind, happened.

None of the survivors can remember its causes or prerequisites, but everybody may witness its dreadful consequences. The majority of Earth�s population was destroyed. The few who remained, degraded quickly. The Martian colonies lost their contact with the mother planet and were isolated. They could not influence the situation in any way.

The story goes through with the depiction of a live of one man100 years after since the Cataclysm occurred. The Earth has started recovering from the injuries. The radiation level did not change much, and no significant mutations appeared on the surface of the planet. Obviously, the Cataclysm had not been connected with any sort of nuclear fallout. Still, it affected the ecosystems, as a lot of animal species had got extinct. Flora and fauna evolved, adapting to the new living conditions. New species appeared to replace those that had vanished. The life on the surface gradually started normalizing. The reestablished communities throve and provided development for new ideas and technologies. The new society at the same time denied ancient traditions (in fact, many of them were simply forgotten) and depended on the remnants of the old civilization, which were constant reminders of the catastrophe. The main cities and towns that had appeared on Earth were inhabited by various sorts of people, and something like an active social life was going on there. It was almost impossible to survive alone in the new world, and thus, a community proved to be a shelter everyone sought. Some cities acquired their former grace and could even be compared to the metropolises of the past. Other communities had a totally different fate.

One of such communities where the main hero used to live was KAMELOT. It was the place where he had to return several years after his departure, as he was summoned by one of the organizations (The Cult Of Transcendental Sight). He used to work for this group in the past, as he needed protection and sources to exist in this dreadful and violent world. But this time it wasn�t a simple volunteering job, it was a direct and harsh order he had no right to refuse. His heart was penetrated with a mysterious device, an implant, inevitably given to all servants of the cult, reinforcing their power and physical properties but making them puppets in the twisted hands of the cult masters. For this implant was simply a clock bomb ready to explode every moment when the servant was no longer needed.

But there was one thing that prevented our hero from simply committing suicide and finding the long lasting peace in the death�s cold embrace � his little sister, abducted by the mysterious people five years ago. It seemed that the cultists had some information on the matter, but as any information it had its own price.

If you'd like to know more, just ask whatever you want, we'll gladly answer...

[Sergey Shuklin]

Here are some Dilemma screenshots


full version: http://www.4reign.com/shots/dilemma_001_1024x768.jpg


full version: http://www.4reign.com/shots/dilemma_002_1024x768.jpg


full version: http://www.4reign.com/shots/dilemma_003_1024x768.jpg

[axelkothe]

These screens look very promising, I can't wait to see more of it. Only the thing about RPG element worries me a bit.

[Sergey Shuklin]

Thaks a lot, although these are very early previews and we have a big room to improve.. But never the less I hope you manged to feel a bit of atmosphere.. As for RPG elments, don't worry, we won't make it an RPG (we simply won't manage to cope with such a task ) And there are only two basic parameters Matter and Spirit, so you can think of it as two variants of quests to choose of ...

[axelkothe]

As for RPG elments, don't worry, we won't make it an RPG (we simply won't manage to cope with such a task ) And there are only two basic parameters Matter and Spirit, so you can think of it as two variants of quests to choose of ...

Well, this sounds fair enough. If it doesn't get too complex, thats fine with me.

What kind of action scenes do you have in mind. and what kind of minigames - can you give an example?

When the player dies, can you start again right from where you died, or you have to load a savegame (or are there chekpoints)?

[Sergey Shuklin]

Well, as for action, there will be some but It doesn�t mean that we�ll simply make it hack�n�slash�there will be always a way to avoid a fight (that is what distinguishes the approach also)..Besides the weapons will be treated as quest elements as well. Simply each weapon would be used like an item and like a weapon, for example the crowbar will give possibility to break the doors, the gun � to switch the levers, the katana to cut the wires and cords, etc.. it is not the weapon but how you use it that will define the outcome.

The mingames will vary from basic ones (like when operating the crane with grabber, you need to dump old cars into the waste to clear your way) up to time limited life threatening ones like (switching the valves on the tubes in special way, while the room is filled with overflowing water).

[Sergey Shuklin]

When the player dies, can you start again right from where you died, or you have to load a savegame (or are there chekpoints)?

As for death and saving, we've discussed this aspect on the forum and had a lot of various answers. Apparently we will let the player to save whenever he wants, but with some restriction. Not during the action scenes and some other "crucial" places (besides there would be not many of them)..

[axelkothe]

Sounds great so far.

What about the case you are not able to find a (western) publisher? Have you thought about the possibility of online distribution via download, for example via Telltale Now, Manifesto Games, Steam? Whats your opinion of that?

[Sergey Shuklin]

Well, we surely hope that it won't happen (I mean the variant we don't find the publisher), cause the new renowed (3D version) of project hasn't been evaluated by anyone yet... Besides we plan to visit a Game Developers Conference Russia in april 2006 and seek luck there. But if all the efforts will be useless, who knows... the time will show...

[axelkothe]

But if all the efforts will be useless, who knows... the time will show...

Actually, I don't see it as a kind of "last resort", but instead as a way to make this game available to as many people as possible. Even big name productions like "Runaway" are not available everywhere (in the UK for example)...

[Sergey Shuklin]

Well, surely you've got the point, and this is a valuable advice.. Simply we haven't made a research on this matter, but there is also a possibility that such distribution will cost us dearly in matter of illegal copies etc... (however the same thing goes for classic distribution anyway we'll consider this pooint more thoroughly, and then again thanks for advice...

[papapichu]

Sounds interesting.
What about some information about you?
How many people are involved? What city is 4reign based? Do you have experience as developers? What have you guys done bevore this?

[Sergey Shuklin]

That question we've been waiting from the start
We are situated in Kursk.. Russia..
Well, originally there were only four of us... (Pavel Lerner - the so called religious leader of our group... who stood in charge for the whole process of organization of the company and who was also good at programming.. (by the way he also studies martial arts like Wushu and knows Chinese), then Andrew Gritsenko, out fellow friend and follower who supplied us with feedback and was also interested in the new perspectives of game creation, then there was the one whom we call our Digital Mind - Andrew Panov - the real master of game programming, the one who knows almost everything and who produced the most essential feature for our game called - the game engine , and me an interpreter, (but my knowldedge of English allowed me to study 3D modelling and animation as well as 2D game graphics related programms, and I was also in charge for the script writing.. So from the begining it was such a nasty balanced company - 3 programmers vs 1artist and script writer... not much for such a genre like adventure don't you think... But as time flew, the number of our companions increased gradually, and the balance was restored

[papapichu]

It's always great to get some background information, thanks. (Although I know next to nothing about Kursk. Near the border to Ukraine, no? Some universities, I think.)
Didn't developing your own engine (3d) take a lot of time?

[Sergey Shuklin]

You are welcome. (And you're absolutely right about the geographical position, it's not relatively far from Ukraine ).. The point is that there are no developer companies in Kursk (although it's close to the capital) like in other cities like Voronez etc. So here we've got the posibility to show what we are made of .
As for the engine it took 3 years to develop our own one. But now I dare to say that it is rather powerful like the recent modern ones (also fetures PRT, Normal Maps, HDRI, Physics, BRDF (Bi-directional reflectance distribution function) for realistic materials, etc)