Project Van Buren

Thanks for the tip. Of the games you list, I heard only about the Underrail. Will check them.

I am currently playing Mutant Year Zero, Road to Eden, and the game definitely unique. The world looks wonderful, and the gameplay is quite nice. The game is semi-linear, but the story seems nice enough. The game is produced by Swedes according to in-game graphics. It is kind of weird that Scandinavians focus that much on plagues. I guess every area of the world have their own, specific themes that captivate them. Check this comic on that theme: http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=1

Kudos to @Hardboiled Wanderer! :-) I always wondered how it is possible that game producers simply ignored scenario that was so passionately developed. It is fantastic that we have someone doing this with such skill and persistence.
 
mrmutt said:
Fallout 1 never cut it for me really. I saw it as relatively simplistic, altho the setting and atmosphere were there. They were definitely on to something, but it needed some more work in my view.


Then, Fallout 2 happened. The setting, the atmosphere, graphics, gameplay, etc. - everything was phenomenally designed and conceived. For example - the viewport is not set as narrow for no reason; it helps with immersion of the character and makes the world feel bigger. And the story was truly stellar. It was a game, and yet it felt eerily real with its retrofuturism. I know that it is hard to talk about realism in a game like this, but Fallout 2 was something like a narrative agent, a carrier of the story that the player moulded as the game passed on. The inclusion of children, altho a problematic move today, helped to make the whole thing more real. All in all, Fallout 2 set the standard, and is the sole reason why this forum and many more exist.
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My view is actually pretty opposite, well, sort of. I've always prefered Fallout 1 over Fallout 2 myself. I stated this many times, and very few people agreed with me (which is fine :D), but Fallout 2 is way too "funny" and "scifi-ish" for me. While the latter is not that much of an issue in my view, the former is.

Fallout world is evidently heavily inspired by Mad Max world created by mastermind director Goerge Miller. In both Fallout and Fallout 2, you can see the resemblences everywhere you look. Of course, there are many more pop-culture references and/or inspirations that formed the artstyle, setting and lore of this world, but the way I see it, Mad Max is the most widely implemented one among them. It's not only leather jacket or Dogmeat, mind you.

Fallout 1 uses many themes from Mad Max 2 and partially Mad Max 3 to establish its own setting - raiders (Humungus' gang), The Hub (Barter Town), and so on. But the most important one (at least to me) is very general - it's a portrait of this wasted, harsh, ruthless and hopeless decayed world Miller mastered to portrait back in 80's. Fallout 1 has it all in it. I call it dystopia (even though it might not be the best term), and that's what I personally seek in every post-apocalyptic vision, whether is a book, film, or a video game.

Fallout 2, despite being much better in many ways and being very enjoyable in terms of general gaming experience, lacked this dystopian feeling for me. It enlarged and further developed some nicely fitting themes, but to this, it lost its focus on dystopia and decaying society, and instead focused on sort-of-rebuilt society (NCR, tribals) and how bizarre such world would be - literally making fun of it. I tend to think this was intentional for as we know, setting of Fallout 2 is very different from Fallout 1 - it's more of a post-post-apocalyptic world then pure dystopian post-apocalypse, and it works excelently in its own fashion.

I bear this huge love for Van Buren for I sense some sort of reincarnation of dystopian themes in the original design documents - mainly in decaying NCR (that's what you deserve, you salty bureaucrats!), massive tribal population, and the whole concept of Denver, its pre-war and post-war lore alike.

mrmutt said:
New renders are phenomenal and I hope you will find the time and persistence to finish it all!!
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Why, thank you. Some of the most recent visual changes:

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As for F1 vs F2, you might be right, the tone is different. I did like the gameplay much more in F2, but also some elements of the story; I liked interaction with the remnants of the world, that still perform, but which are going "mad" in a way. Sierra base is a great example, as that one was really a fantastic experience with the rogue and insane computer. The same goes with Toxic caves and killer robots.

One of the design decisions I liked the most, was the integration of atomic energy throughout the society. In a way bringing the "atomic dream" to the people.

Thanks for new renders! :-) - They look like you pulled them out from my head. Brilliant. The pespective seems changing as the player moves, which is swell, not the simple fixed isometry. The Van Buren, for me, has the missing dots from both F1 and F2. From what I know, there should have be an option to launch the shuttle into space (but the monks would burn).

What stage the project is currently at, if I may ask? I presume you would be doing a simple level maker first?

Here is something incomparably simple from myself :-) A very long time ago I made a background with the aforementioned shuttle for my then-screen.

Fallout-2---Shuttle-full--3.png
 
Matt Drax said:
@mrmutt:
While waiting you may want to take a look at ELEX (PA, RPG, Worldbuilding), Kenshi (PA, Open World, Hardcore Survival), This War of Mine (War, Survival, Athmosphere) and Underrail (Classic Fallout-ish Isometric Retro-Styled RPG) if you don't know them already.
Also Encased wich is stil in development, and ofc all the nice mods for the classic Fallout's that the Community put out over the years.^^

And also here is from me hoping that @Hardboiled Wanderer has the Endurance and Strength to get this project finished, Van Buren needs to rise from it's Ashes!
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I finished Mutants in the mean time, and the game is really nice. Graphics are demanding, but beautiful, only the story is a bit naive.

I tried Atom, but am not sure if I like it or not. This war of mine is hardcore. Been in a similar situation as a child (my country actually served as a template for this game) so I felt increasing discomfort playing the game, especially when you take into account that you are supposed to murder and steal.

Not sure about ELEX or Kenshi.

Of the lot, the Underrail seems the best. However, when I get back to comment and took a look at the new Buren graphics... Wow. This game might easily be magnificent.
 
mrmutt said:
This war of mine is hardcore. Been in a similar situation as a child (my country actually served as a template for this game) so I felt increasing discomfort playing the game, especially when you take into account that you are supposed to murder and steal.
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Yikes! Sorry, I didn't know you where from there.
Hope I haven't awoke some deep childhood traumas with that recommendation...
 
Matt Drax said:
Yikes! Sorry, I didn't know you where from there.
Hope I haven't awoke some deep childhood traumas with that recommendation...
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Don't worry, no traumas. :)

It is just that the level of connection with games or movies on that specific theme is quite high, because of an actual template one carries along. The game atmosphere is spot on, but the progression of the game seems deliberately more brutal than reality actually is. Normal people are basically good, and to get to the primal level, they have to be starving. Good part of people on edge decide simply to die, or they kill themselves.
 
This is very interesting, I have always been secretly hoping that near finished build of this game would leak but I have come to the conclusion that it probably does not exist, and if it does it's lost. Will be very interested to see your progress
 
Wow, this is progressing amazingly. Do you have any interest in including the original cooperative multiplayer functionality?
 
I’m very impressed and I really want to know how far you’ve come and what your have done on the project
 
FrRbvZi.jpg

Since I couldn't find anyone to help me with character art, I decided to learn the pipeline myself. After two weeks of intensive Zbrush and Maya training, this little thingie came out of it. It's still WIP, the collar lock is missing (that's why the zipper ends... nowhere :D). Thoughts?
 
Looks really good. Try not to focus too much on small details, this is a top down rpg you're working on and not first person, so most people won't notice things like the zipper ending no where.
 
Watched a video today on Fallout worlds and comparison between F1/F2 and the Bethesda stuff. Very well done! ->



Any news on the project?
 
Very well done! :cool:

*Two obvious (but very minor) mistakes that I picked up on. These were that Van Buren wasn't going to have a turn based combat mode—as I understood it, they were shopping this demo, and had not implemented a turn based system yet; and secondly, of course... assuming that the aimed shot option in Fallout, was the [silly] V.A.T.S. concept from FO3.
 
Hardboiled Wanderer said:
another wanna-be Van Buren remake that will die in next two months.
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Just for the record, my ancient Van Buren project isn't dead.
I sadly temporarily handed it over to some unmotivated people but I never had any intention to leave and abandon it for good.
On my own, I still work on the game when I feel like it :D

Good luck with your project!
 
hexer said:
Just for the record, my ancient Van Buren project isn't dead.
I sadly temporarily handed it over to some unmotivated people but I never had any intention to leave and abandon it for good.
On my own, I still work on the game when I feel like it :D

Good luck with your project!
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Hey, I know you! You're behind F3: Van Buren project, right? Pleased to finally make a contact with you
 
Hardboiled Wanderer said:
Hey, I know you! You're behind F3: Van Buren project, right? Pleased to finally make a contact with you
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Hi and pleased to meet you too!
Although we maybe met on Unity forums, I was active there from 2016. to 2019. :D

Yes, it's correct, I started the project in late 2013. on my own but was joined later by 75 developers with most of them contributing at least something. There were a few of the guys who just wanted to hang around.
And I believe we even got Fargo's attention as he trademarked "Van Buren" soon after seeing our progress. LOL!
 
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