A couple of weeks ago I was working on some of the replication functions needed for multiplayer in Elium - Aiove Defense. Turns out replicating all of the functions I’ve programmed for SinglePlayer started to prove complicated and tiresome. Therefore I’ve decided to cut down Elium into yet another sub-game, one without multiplayer. But the Aiove Defense concept wouldn’t really be the same without multiplayer so the new game will be somewhat different. And so Elium - Dungeon Escape has been born!

Elium – Dungeon Escape is a game with a single objective: the player starts in a prison dungeon and needs to find his way out, avoiding or eliminating guards and picking up items and equipment to make such a task easier. It will also include the following additional features:

• A medieval setting with 1stPerson/3rdPerson melee and ranged action combat.
• Random dungeon generation: a new level layout every time the game is played.
• Online highscores: an in-game uploading tool to compare the results of your game with other players, including goals such as time completed, enemies killed or health lost.

A number of the needed features are already present due to the previous development of Elium in general, but a few extra programming tasks (that were not entirely needed before, but are good to have) will also be required:

• Simplified AI: an AI system that does not extend from the complex and convoluted UTBot, increasing the game’s performance and giving me full control over all of the AI’s programming which should result in an increase of my own possibilities to create better AI. (In progress)
• Dynamic pathing: A system to allow AI characters to navigate through the dungeon without having to re-build paths or the navmesh, since it can’t be done at runtime. (In progress)
• Random dungeon generation: An algorithm implementation to spawn modular pieces of dungeon to assemble the full level. (Not started)
• A new and better HUD, item models, the actual dungeon art, improved character animations, and polish in general.

All in all the list isn’t too vast, and seeing how I already have two of the new features in progress and somewhat working this game has become more doable. Perhaps this year will see its release?