Hey Everyone,
First, a few things about ourselves. We are a small company (a crew of 2, my wife and me), working at home in our office-livingroom hybrid, located in Budapest, Hungary. My name is Peter Hargitai, I’m the developer behind our games, and I will write most of the blog posts here.
It was more than a year ago when we released our last game, GemCraft chapter zero, and since then, we haven’t given any lifesign, except a few comments here and there, and replying to e-mails asking whether we’re still alive. Now it’s over, from now on, you can follow us here (put our RSS feed in your feed reader, like Thunderbird) or on Twitter, and you will get first hand info about the things going on here.
And so, what happened since last May? Why does making a new game take so long?
Our plans changed constantly, we spent months on planning a multiplayer game, then an other one, in the end abandoning those projects because they would have taken too much time to complete. In about November, we started working on a sci-fi themed base builder/shooter game, which is now on hold, but will be continued once we release our current project.
This March, frustrated for not being able to at last release a game, we switched to making a new chapter for the GemCraft series. I thought it would be done quickly, after all we have a working GC0 base, we don’t have to write all the game mechanics from scratch. But as the project progressed, it became more filled with new features, and now we can say it will be a full chapter (and major part of the storyline), not just a cheap repacking of GC0.
So now we have a project on hold, named “Terran Twilight episode I: New contact”, and an ongoing project, “GemCraft Lost chapter: Labyrinth”. (GemCraft chapter two: Chasing Shadows is still in our plans, we didn’t forget about it)
The events of GemCraft Labyrinth will happen after chapter 1 and at roughly the same time with chapter 2.
We’ll get back to telling you more about the delayed sci-fi game when it’s time, but for now let’s see some of the changes in GC Labyrinth:
- The game’s area will grow to 800×600 pixels (GC1 was 640×480, GC0 was 690×540), which means bigger stages.
- The game will take place in a labyrinth having 13×13 stages (1..13, A..M grid).
- Monsters can now roam freely in wide open areas (depends on stage layout), you can build towers and walls on the path tiles.
- You can pick what type of gem you want (each stage has its available gem types just as before, but now your success won’t depend on what random gems you get).
- You can create gems up to grade 12 without mass combining, gems from grade 1 to 12 have distinct looks.
- New summonable structures: walls (build a labyrinth cheap and fast) and amplifiers (use them to boost your other structures) – walls can be further upgraded to either tower or amplifier.
- Towers can attack enemy buildings now when no monster is around.
- Drop gem bombs on your structures to destroy them (it takes time until a structure disappears completely).
- Shrines can be built now; simplified shrine system (2 types left: charged bolts and beams); Shrine projectiles depend more on the gem inserted; Charged bolt shrines have a limited range; shrines, instead of having a use limit, recharge slowly after each use.
Coming next week with screenshots!
More GemCraft.Nice.
Dont make it too easy, all im asking đ
Hi Kake
Just started playing Gemcraft The Forgotten, How do you SAVE your progress!! I use Mozella for my browser. Can you give me any tips!! Jacques
I keep checking this site several times a day, just to make sure the game isn’t suddenly released. Or I might be longing too much for a new GemCraft-fix.
I’ not playing GC right now, and the reason that I got tired of the other two games:
-gc1: after getting all the skills, and glowing frames, there where really nothing more to do. Took me ~20 hour all-in-all, I think.
-gc0: Even after finishing the game, and getting all skills, I kept on playing for scores, and it didn’t get boring until buffed lvl16 gems weren’t enough to slay mobs before subsequent waves flooded the map. Even made a lvl17 gem(that’s combining of 2048 lvl6 gems, if I’m not wrong). It became obvious that gem-levels did not scale as well anymore. Took well over 70 hours before I got tired of it. Still comes back occasionally.
What I would like to see in the next game, in addition to the great mechanics from gc0 is:
-Something to make high-lvl gems more effective, or easier to make.
-Better saving. Maybe keep a central server for saves, so people can’t fake scores and such, but make it so that I don’t have to live at the mercy of “chat.kongregate.com”, where I once lost ALL my flash-game saves. Copy-paste-text-saves could not help me then. I went back to armorgames after that.
So as I nag for the promised screens, I hope you lay off fancy time-consuming features like AI or multiplayer, and get a game out already!
i agree
I’m just about to play GemCraft.I finally beat the first epic wave!
I could never believe that just two people work in this wonderfully structured game.
Good luck for you, and as some comments have asked, is there any date to release the game?
Hugs from Brazil =)
What happend to the arcade lounge?That was agreta place to goto,now its gone.
Peter has said that it was moved into another website or something like that. In the older comments there’s some answer for this question.
Fantastic! I’m so pleased that the next chapter of GC is on the way. GC0 is my favorite flash game and high on my list of favorite games ever (and I’m a pretty heavy gamer). Your design aesthetic is fantastic, your execution flawless and the game depth is impressive. I’m stunned that it is just two people creating all of these amazing games, you are easily the finest flash game producers and I think you are amazing! Thank you so much for providing me with many, many hours of fun (and a few of frustration).
Cheers!
I just can’t wait for the new gemcraft, I can’t wait for the pictures hope that they come sometime early tomorrow, I would be sooooooo happy
I just can’t wait for the pictures to come out!
Lenne egy ötletem: JĂł lenne, ha meg lehetne adni a köveknek, hogy melyik szörnyet lĆjĂ©k. pl.: a lila lehetĆleg azt lĆje, amelyiknek mĂ©g nem ment le 0-ra a pajzsa, vagy ha elkezdett lĆni egyet, akkor ne vĂĄltson, ha egy mĂĄsik elĆbbre megy, hanem lĆje azt amit elkezdett addig, amĂg ki nem Ă©r a hatĂłsugarĂĄbĂłl, vagy amĂg el nem pusztul. Lehetne mondjuk azt, hogy lĆjĂ©k a leggyengĂ©bb szörnyet, hogy fogyjanak vagy a legerĆsebbet. Ilyeneket ha meg lehetne adni nekik, az szerintem jĂł lenne. Persze minden kĆnek kĂŒlön. Ezt Ăgy ĂĄllĂtom, a mĂĄsikat meg Ășgy. pl. azokat, amikben nincs lila komponens, az lĆje a legkisebb armor-ral rendelkezĆ szörnyeket, mĂg a lilĂĄt tartalmazĂł meg pont fordĂtva. Vagy cĂ©lozzanak a gyorsabbakra, stb.
What I would like to see in future GemCraft games, are new gem colours with their associated effects.
Black gems could have instant kill, percentage-based damage related to monsters’ current HP, or a chance to increase attack damage each time the gem hits or kills a monster.
White gems could inflict monsters with an effect that makes them more susceptible to effects of other gems, boosting the power of those effects when applied to affected monsters.
There could be a gem that causes monsters to receive progressively more damage, the more they get attacked by the gem. This could make it useful in endurance and high-level waves, where monsters’ HP level get into the millions, or even billions.
“I keep checking this site several times a day, just to make sure the game isnât suddenly released.”
Same here !
However, I start to get bored after 10 days of waiting.
Release ASAP plz =D
are you still alive lol i am waiting for the screenshots!
“âI keep checking this site several times a day, just to make sure the game isnât suddenly released.â
Same here !””
Great, so long as I’m not the only one đ When I discovered the gemcraft games I stopped eating until I beat them. It isn’t healthy, but oh my is it fun! lol
please pictures come out!
na, persze… Fekete kĆ azonnali gyilkolĂĄssal. MĂ©g 1 szĂĄzalĂ©kos esĂ©llyel is pofĂĄtlansĂĄg lenne. Az sem lenne korrekt, hogy a szörny meglĂ©vĆ Ă©leterejĂ©hez viszonyĂtott valahĂĄny szĂĄzalĂ©kot sebezne rajta. Bele ne rakjĂĄtok!!! Mondjuk a szĂnel semmi bajom, csak az a speciĂĄlis kĂ©pessĂ©g, amit kitalĂĄlt hozzĂĄ… EgyĂ©bkĂ©nt Ă©n is örĂŒlnĂ©k, ha több szĂn is lehetne benne, de nincs ötletem, hogy mi lehetne mĂ©g. Ezen felĂŒl a prismatic gem fogalmĂĄt is Ășjra kĂ©ne akkor gondolni. -mĂ©g több hatĂĄssal mĂĄr lehet, hogy tĂșl erĆs lenne- Szerintem a következĆ gc. jöjjön ki a mĂĄr megszokott 8 szĂnnel, utĂĄna majd lehet több fĂ©le szĂnƱ gem-eken gondolkozni. HabĂĄr miközben Ărtam, eszembe jutott valami: Lehetne olyan, aminek önmagĂĄban semmifĂ©le speciĂĄlis hatĂĄsa sincs, viszont kombinĂĄlva mĂĄsokkal nem mĂłdosĂtana azok mĂĄr meglĂ©vĆ speciĂĄlis hatĂĄsĂĄn, Ă©s egy kicsivel – mondjuk 2szĂĄzalĂ©kkal- többet adna hozzĂĄ a tƱzerĆhöz. Egy jĂłl kijött prismatic gem- nĂ©l ez elĂ©g hasznos lehet. Vagy mĂ©g egyszerƱbb: nem erĆsĂt jobban, de “olcsĂłbb” a többinĂ©l. Dual gem-ek erĆsĂtĂ©sĂ©nĂ©l is jĂł lehet. Na persze nem mindnĂ©l. pl: az Ă©n kedvencem a kĂ©k-narancs kombinĂĄciĂł Ă©s ha erĆsĂteni akarom, kĂ©keket dobĂĄlok hozzĂĄ, mert Ăgy növekszik a lassĂtĂĄs idĆtartama Ă©s ha jĂłval kisebb szintƱeket keverek bele, a mĂĄsik Ă©rtĂ©k nem mĂłdosul. TehĂĄt elĆször belekeverek annyi narancsot, hogy kijöjjön a maximĂĄlis mana gain ĂŒtĂ©senkĂ©nt Ă©s utĂĄna mĂĄr csak kĂ©keket pakolok hozzĂĄ. Nagyon merem ajĂĄnlani a chapter0-hoz. CsinĂĄljatok egy 6-os szintƱt belĆle, aztĂĄn hozzĂĄtok ki neki a 8,4es mana gaint (annĂĄl fentebb nem megy) aztĂĄn pakoljatok hozzĂĄ kĂ©keket. TermĂ©szetesen 1es szintƱeket. Ezzel a mĂłdszerrel viszonylag olcsĂłn kijön egy “gĂ©pĂĄgyĂș”. VisszatĂ©rve az ötletemre mĂ©g csak annyi, hogy szerintem a fehĂ©r szĂn lenne neki az ideĂĄlis. Ja, ami viszont jĂł lenne, hogy ha a csapdĂĄk mellett visszajönne a vĂzzel megtöltött ĂĄrok, amihez nem szĂŒksĂ©ges köveket pakolni, Ă©s lassĂtja a szörnyeket, amĂg ĂĄtmennek fölötte. Kisebb pĂĄlyĂĄkra, ahol mĂ©g nem kapunk tĂșl sok manĂĄt, kifejezetten jĂłl jönne. Az viszont maradjon benne, hogy gem bombĂĄkkal több szörnyet idĂ©zhetĂŒnk be a pĂĄlyĂĄra. Ăs csatlakozom egy elĆttem felszĂłlalĂłhoz: Ne legyen könnyƱ. ElnĂ©zĂ©st kĂ©rek, nem akarok Ă©n dirigĂĄlni, csak elmondtam az elkĂ©pzelĂ©seimet. Ăs hosszĂș kommentĂ©rt is elnĂ©zĂ©st. Ădv mindenkinek.
Hi Peter! Glad to see you’ve come out of hibernation. đ Looking forward to the new Gemcraft!
Köszi a kĂ©peket. NĂ©zegetve Ćket elgondolkodtam valamin: Mi lenne, ha az egĂ©sz Ăștszakaszt lezĂĄrnĂĄm falakkal, Ă©s ezzel megakadĂĄlyoznĂĄm a szörnyeket, hogy elĂ©rhessĂ©k a hĂĄzamat. Lesz erre lehetĆsĂ©g, Ă©s ha igen, mit fognak akkor tenni a szörnyek???
Kicsi baratom, te sosem jatszodtal mas TD-t? Nem lehet lezarni az utat, a jatek nem engedi…omg 8-|
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME but if you can make the pictures from the story more grapical and good
I had to drop you a note. I’ve been enjoying the Gemcraft series and like how it’s evolving. GC0 has been quite a bit tougher but still very fun.
I’m counting my pennies but should things pick up, I’d definitely like to contribute.
I have loved all of the previous gemcraft games and i am eagerly waiting to play this one.
I liked the look of the new gems and the general atmos that the map pics seem to imply.
I for one will be happy to pay a paltry 5 dollars for this game and i hope that you guys can make some cash on this one as you deserve to be paid for your work as do all people who provide entertainment to the public.
Keep em coming and i will buy them!
Cheers
NatMoon
I have the solution with the method of payment. When you are from Hungary, from Budapest, simply said, same to Slovakia, create there account in some bank and then people can pass you euros. When you want to have your local money (forints) then you simply exchange euros. And the problem is trivially solved.
I think the difficulty is just at the right level in GC0, and please dont make a game where you just build towers and win. I like in GC0 how there is so much strategy involved in it, and would like to keep the difficulty. I disagree with the feature unlocking with money however. Unlocking extra skill points with money seems fair (since it only saves time), but not unlocking the full game. Almost all people who play don’t have credit cards or paypal accounts to pay the developers with, and people will spam the comments complaining about how much Kreds and money suck. That’s my opinion, and thanks for taking the time to make awesome games like gemcraft.
I love both gem craft games on armor games. I do not like paying for online games though. If i am going to pay I want a downloaded licensed copy of a full game; a good example of this would be creeper world. it is a great game that is smaller and less complex then gem craft and I was willing to pay $20 for it and I would defiantly pay $20-30 for a game like gem craft.
Creeper world is one of my big time favorites as well, and I gladly payed for the full version, but I guess the piracy rate must be very high. I think owning a downloaded copy of the game isn’t very different from an online license, it doesn’t grant you the safety that your bought game will be there for you and supported by the developer for eternity. A not so old game called Cossacks: European Wars, which was a real boxed reatil game, run on Windows XP, but doesn’t run anymore on Vista (might run on Windows 7 Ultimate, haven’t tried).
We will think about making it downloadable, but I can’t promise anything. (it would be so great to see how well Creeper world preformed… that way we could know if it’s a suicide to release a downloadable flash game or not.)
Peter,
Thanks for the quick reply, I think its great that you take the time to look at our comments and consider them all. as far as I know the only problem creeper world had was when air was upgraded, I still have to play with version 1.5 but I here a fix is coming along. In terms of success they are making a creeper world 2 but I’m sure piracy was an issue because just running the exe will install it on any computer. I think in most cases this would not be a problem if the cost included say 2 licenses so one buyer could put a copy on a laptop and a computer (I think people would do this any way and by allowing it you could charge a little more) but that clearly would not stop a large scale piracy attempt. The other benefit to a download version is the amount of management, all you would need is a blog spot and a score board page leaving lots of time to develop the next gem craft.
Thanks again for listening to my 2 cents
UdV! Valhallara elkeszul ez a jatek? đ
p.S.:Ha testerekre van szuksegetek szoljatok! Szivesen segitek!
Viszlat!
I have a question, could be possible to do one great feature to each Gemcracft game the possibility to slow down or “stop” the game for preparing actions? I am visually impaired and the speed of the game is high. When I move from one part of window to other one, create gem and move them to place it takes so time and game is moving fastly. Could be possible to stop the process, preparing all and then continue? Thanks. VZ
This idea was mentioned by a few players so far, and I planned to reserve this feature for chapter 2 in the haste, but you’re right, it would be critical for accessibility, so I’ll include it now.
Viewing the new in-game “stats” and “battle amulets” panels while the battle goes on, will be much less annoying this way too.
I have a lot of ideas for your game. I have played Gemcraft and zero a lot. Only tower defense games or puzzles are playing able for me. I am open for cooperation but this feature is very important for me. Several maps are hardly playing able. Could be possible to do update for zero? I think it is not difficult to program, one hot key and that’s all. Thanks. VZ
I’m sorry, but I’d leave GC0 as it is for these reasons:
-we are bound by contracts with many websites that if we release a new version of GC0, we have to do so to all these sites within 24 hours, each site having its own quality assurance process, which would last a long time taken away from the development of GCL.
-while many players would welcome the change, others would say it’s a cheating feature, and now they’d have to replay the game again or see their high scores tossed out from the leaderboard. I think it would be better to leave GC0, with the many flaw it has.
I hope the vast amount of new content and features in GCL will compensate for the flaws of GC0. đ
mz skzpe is zahoransky1 and facebook Vladimir Zahoransky
I got a nice idea for any gemcraft games you might make, maybe you can give the player the ability to split gems in different ways? For example, maybe I’d want to break down a dual gem of green-blue. Maybe you can let me break it down into the 2 pure gems it’s made of? Or what if I’d want to break down a grade 9 prismatic gem in 3, I could break it into 3 grade 3 prismatic gems, and maybe I could break these down into the gems they were made of? Antoher cool thing would be to break a grade 7 into a grade 4 gem and a grade 3 gem, or a grade 3 gem into grade 1 gem and a grade 2 gem and so on. I know this idea has some holes but I bet you can patch it up! I’d love it if I can break gems down into different grades or gems it’s made of! I look forward to chasing shadows and labyrinth!