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[Talvieno]

I have no idea how the heck we don't have a topic for this game, but I've now rectified that issue. I present to you... Voxel Quest.

Spoiler: Shiny Graphics (click to show/hide)

In a fairly brilliant twist of engine design, solo developer Gavan Woolery has spent the past couple of years building an engine for a fantasy RPG. "Is it just voxels?" you ask? Not remotely. Rather, the entire map procedurally generates itself down to the smallest pebble from a set of simple algorithms - and the visuals are nothing short of fantastic. As to the gameplay, think of it as an RPG/roguelike/card game cross, if you will (with no limits on construction/destruction), but it's even more than that:

Voxel Quest is planned to be a game that creates a fully procedural, three-dimensional, infinite world with an emphasis on simulation and dynamic storytelling. Everything is done procedurally - no two worlds will ever be alike. Everything is driven by the AI - if the player can do it, the AI can do it too. The player is no god, but merely another cog in a great machine. While it won't have the depth and detail of Dwarf Fortress, it does focus heavily on storytelling and deterministic gameplay. The AI will do more than just try to kill you - you may have a character fall in love with you, ask to join your party only to betray you later on, or protect you for reasons of their own.

There will be three game modes:

• Sandbox: Plays through like a tabletop game.
• Roguelike: Plays through like a roguelike. Level fast, play hard, die fast.
• RPG: Plays through more like a traditional RPG. No permadeath here.

There will also be an editor, and everything will be moddable - you could even turn it into a sci-fi game instead of a fantasy game, if you so chose.

He's not asking for a whole lot of money, either - he plans to get money from other sources after it starts, but he's absolutely determined to release it open source, and make sure that it stays independent. He doesn't want to take offers from potential investors. (He actually turned down a big deal from Facebook, as I understand it. As you'll see he answered farther down, it was simply a job offer, though he's turned down deals from other potential investors.) While his jokes tend to fall flat (just watch the KS video if you don't believe me), he's a really nice guy, and very, very passionate about his game. I don't see much risk involved in rooting for him - he's actually being pretty careful.

I thought you guys might like a heads-up. I'm going to stop playing PR guy now and let you guys check it out.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavan/voxel-quest

[Rose]

This is... really pretty.

[a1s]

Hm... voxels and Procedurally Created Plot? Sign me up.
2017 delivery date, however, bites.

[Gigalith]

I was going to say "Not another voxel game," but those screenshots are gorgeous.

[Moghjubar]

Whaddaya know, actual use of voxels instead of things defined as voxels but not.

[Gigalith]

And then, I like, within ten minutes, end up backing it. It's so pretty!

[Rez]

Looks interesting.  It also looks like something that would be prone to overhype.

[Talvieno]

Looks interesting.  It also looks like something that would be prone to overhype.

That would be me and my showman's attitude, most likely. I actually tried to keep it brief, but I tend to ramble.

[ventuswings]

I adore the concept, always love game with complete AI autonomy that gives no special consideration to the player, but I'm sad that it will be yet another game I have to wait forever...

[Zireael]

Hm... voxels and Procedurally Created Plot? Sign me up.
2017 delivery date, however, bites.

Agreed.

[Salmeuk]

From the Kickstarter Features list:

"A fully functional ecosystem, government, economy, etc."

And later on, in his description of how the funding will be used:

"My fallback is to get the game as far as possible and then continue funding it with preorders and early access (via Steam or similar stores), if needed."

And further:

"The hard truth is that VQ is an ambitious project, and admittedly even I find myself doubting it sometimes. I believe in what I am working on (to the point where I have sacrificed the better part of my life on it), but I am not entirely naive and I know from experience that anything can fail."

Of course, these are just some pulled quotes from an overall description of the project, but I find them telling. Kickstarter is not always a success story, and there are plenty of examples of projects that almost-but-not-quite deliver what they promised. This one seems to echo those failed projects in it's pitch.

While the voxel engine he has created looks nice, it seems like the only thing that this guy has down. Where are the specifics regarding gameplay? He mentions falling in love, designing entire governments and ecosystems, and giving the A.I. characters free roam of the world but doesn't explain how this might be accomplished. And all by himself, and for only $30,000 (or more, assuming it doesn't go like spacebase DF-9 and run out of people willing to pay for early access). Did I mention it was procedural, as well? So not only does he have to program a series of complex, interlocking systems that the player can manipulate, he also has to program a program to recreate these systems differently every time. Getting even minor depth from procedural gameplay is difficult, but what this game is shooting for is absurd.

To me, it reads like a lot of grand concepts and fantasies that can't possibly be made reality. This project is the definition of the kickstarter gamble, and while you are welcome to throw the dice I would suggest otherwise. Put your money where the proof is - not some unknown dev who has zero released games.

EDIT: I also wanted to point you guys to an article from March of this year over at RPS:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/03/31/chip-off-the-old-blocks-voxel-quest/#more-198531

What exactly has been accomplished since then? More than half a year has gone by and all we see are some interesting voxel implementations but little else in the way of gameplay. The dev even answers a comment, "From here out I am focusing on gameplay primarily. "

Just be careful not to get bitten by the hype-mammoth.

[Meta]

I remember reading its KS page at the beginning of its campaign and not backing it. This project is far too nebulous for its own good. It's only the basis of an engine.

"The game will probably be very challenging, but not unfair."

Does he not even have a basic game design document

There are really too many things like this example that bother me for this KS project.

Edit: I agree with Salmeuk.

[Levi]

Those graphics are gorgeous.  Dumb name for a game though.   

[Talvieno]

Those graphics are gorgeous.  Dumb name for a game though.   

I have to agree with you there... Not sure what I would name it in its stead, though.

[Virtz]

I'm backing this on the basis that he managed to make a voxel engine with variable precision (so that you can zoom out and not have it run horrible), to procedurally generate great looking terrain, and to put skeletal rigging into it (that seems to be made of voxels on the fly rather than having them be polygons that rotate around).

I'm totally expecting him to come across an impassable hurdle with his gameplay ambitions eventually. Making an AI react to terrain deformation, particularly of buildings, seems like a monumental task by itself. But I still want to see him try. The engine shows he knows how to program.

It's kind of like with Sui Generis. It seems ambitious, but the guy's done something interesting looking and I want to see where he goes with it.

Also, the graphics kinda remind me of Little Big Adventure 1.