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[PC] [MAC] [PS4] [PSV] Iconoclasts

Unread postby Dolt » 20 Apr 2013 18:21

http://www.konjak.org/index.php?folder=4&file=30

The Iconoclasts is about Robin, a mechanic, in a world where her hobbies are considered illegal. Find out why as you traverse the world with the friends you meet, while coming across big battles and puzzles.

The goal of the game is to create a very fluent and exciting action adventure, with enemies that all require finesse and treasures that help build your character for playing again and again. And the game of course has and will have involved bosses.


ScreenHunter_06 Oct. 28 20.07.jpg

Iconoclasts_9dec2012-2013-01-08-08-32-32-59.jpg

Iconoclasts_9dec2012-2013-01-04-14-40-56-30.jpg

Iconoclasts_9dec2012-2013-01-04-21-31-48-57.jpg


IGF 2012 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv8-RZ3vljw

Later 2012 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZE7kGax7Ds
Last edited by Dolt on 21 Apr 2013 00:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Unread postby icycalm » 20 Apr 2013 18:42

Wow, that looks great. Even the character designs are merely mediocre instead of the usual ugliness.
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Unread postby Dolt » 21 Apr 2013 00:23

On his YouTube channel Konjak has a video of what seem like sensible if unconnected small ideas about accessibility and flow in Metroid-like games:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIWGjyfXF4

Mainly what I took away from the clips is that I prefer Metroid Fusion’s aesthetic. Look at those movement animations, and some of those backgrounds, and those boss sprites. To my eye, it has the edge in atmosphere and polish. I like The Iconoclasts's look, but it is a bit too cartoony, bright and unrestrained. Some of the perspective forms look a bit weird too. Still, overall nice to look at.

In the video he mentions using few buttons with multiple context sensitive uses, changing areas that are revisited, eschewing cutscenes, and he appreciates to some degree the importance of challenge (“the best parts are when I made it through something and only just survived”).

Here are some notes from his website from when he released a demo:

http://www.konjak.org/index.php?pagen=4

Hello, all you lovable nudists!

Swinging by to say I'm still working on the game, I just don't feel I have excuses often to make new posts on this site. But if you use Twitter I once again remind you all that I talk on there all the time, just click the blue "t" icon on the top of this website.

As for the game, I've had recent realisations lately of how much I feel I need this and that to be in the game for others to like it, or possibly to have them not complain. But it's all so much superficial things and features of a nostalgic past. If I can think of reasons I don't need something, I will embrace if from now on.

What I've decided on lately is fewer items in the game, because most of the ones I have are able to be dynamic enough to not warrant a large array of them, and I always thought this way, but felt "it's more fun to find new stuff". But that doesn't challenge me to be more clever with less. And having less makes a game much easier to understand, and fun. Quite a while ago (before the alpha) I even removed things like a dodge move, wall jumping and little hops when crouching because they didn't add anything I couldn't replace with other design elements.

iconocoral.png
iconocoral.png (83.42 KiB) Viewed 22167 times


Something I decided on just today was to remove all the ability to upgrade health and power. I can scale enemy challenge on my own (much easier), and without relying on players being a certain "level" toward the end, asking them to go find stuff they might not want. And the enemies are mostly based on tactic, and being able to kill a weak point faster when you still need the tactic before feels superficial and pointless. I will still have the hidden items, but think of a much more meaningful use for them.

Making The Iconoclasts is very much a self-indulgent and derivative venture though. It's a desire to make a game in a genre I always wanted to, but things like its looks and platforms is just for an ease of creation. I'd make the whole game hand-drawn art if I felt it was realistic for me. But my main point is also that I don't have to settle for what games like Metroid did and instead try to come up with new approaches too, which I felt I did in the alpha already, but I can streamline it even more to make it a completely unique game.

That's enough rambling! Have a nice day!


Considering the above, what I’m hoping for is this: some complex but elegant and creative items to discover, tactical fights that you can’t tank with upgrades, and at worst non-frustrating level design with some challenge. Those things, plus the spritework, should make for a really nice Metroidvania.

According to this PC Gamer preview, it also has “some surprisingly well-enunciated philosophies and a cast of caricatures that are more fully realised and intriguing than those of most RPGs” so, lol, we’ll see about that too.
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Unread postby icycalm » 24 Dec 2013 16:28

I just sent him this email:

I wrote:I am just writing this to urge you to consider getting your protagonist's face redone. Maybe ask a Japanese person to do it? Western videogame artists, and especially the "indie" ones, do not seem capable of making protagonists that are not ugly for some reason, and it really hurts their games' appeal with people who are aesthetically sensible. Your game is the first "indie" game I've seen that I can honestly call beautiful, but I would still have enormous trouble playing it with such an ugly protagonist.

Sincerely,

Alex Kierkegaard


I know he won't do anything about it, but it was worth a shot anyway.
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Unread postby icycalm » 24 Dec 2013 21:45

Joakim Sandberg wrote:I've heard this request a couple times before, but not this explicit, and I'm not sure why someone puts that much weight on the concept art of a female lead in regards to their enjoyment of a game. I designed the face to look unique, not pretty, and I like it.

Thanks for thinking the game's beautiful, though. But Robin will remain ugly, then.


I wrote:It's not "concept art" -- it's the actual face of your protagonist in the game's actual cutscenes. As for why someone who partakes in an artwork would have a problem about any ugliness contained therein, it's like wondering why someone would have a problem eating food that contains something inedible. The entire point of art is to give us something we can't get so easily in reality. After all, if we want to see ugly people all we have to do is take the bus. Uniqueness is worthless if it's ugly. Anyone can make unique ugliness, the point is to make unique beauty, and the reason Western videogame artists, and especially the "indie" variety, have such trouble with human faces, is because they are the hardest thing to draw. If you like your protagonist's face, you have bad taste in faces. If you are merely saying that because you can't draw anything prettier, you are bad at drawing faces and could use some help from people who know how (there are courses for that, for example here). Either way it's a shame to mar such a complex undertaking as an entire game because of petty concerns like your pride or whatever. There's no shame in bringing someone else in to help out with an area in which your skills might be deficient. That's how great games are made.

Anyway, I've said my part. I've never been able to convince the "indies" of anything, and it would be astonishing if I managed to do so now. An artist who wonders why art lovers dislike ugliness! What else are we going to hear...
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Unread postby icycalm » 24 Dec 2013 22:04

https://twitter.com/konjak/status/415578543486009344
https://twitter.com/konjak/status/415585280913965056

So he can make something decent, he just prefers the ugly one because he has bad taste... What a shame.
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Unread postby earthboundtrev » 08 Dec 2017 15:24

Release Date Announcement Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnUN19xGIzU

Coming out January 23.
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Unread postby icycalm » 09 Dec 2017 16:07

Title has been changed from The Iconoclasts to simply Iconoclasts, so I edited the thread title.

Also edited in the new formats (PS4 and PSV).
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Unread postby icycalm » 12 Dec 2017 23:03

Added to Most Wanted section:

I wrote:Lame SJW story, but the graphics look real good, so we'll see.


This is the story, by the way:

Steam wrote:Join renegade mechanic Robin and uncover the secrets of a dying planet. Explore a big world filled with intricate puzzles, interesting characters and menacing bosses in a beautiful platform adventure that tells a personal story about faith, purpose and the challenge of helping people.


I hope it won't force us to sit through a novel's worth of stupid text boxes from this lame Swedish nerd.
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Unread postby icycalm » 26 Jan 2018 15:30

From Discord:

I wrote:Don't buy Iconoclasts except on deep sale. It's bad. Review up soon.
I had ALMOST bought it, and then I thought "let's check some reviews first". Super glad I did.
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