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Vilehead
I made Antumbra. Sup?

Age 39, Male

Storyteller

of Rock

Sorma'Ksul

Joined on 9/6/13

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Vilehead's News

Posted by Vilehead - February 4th, 2016


In case you haven't had a lot of weird dreams lately...


Well! I might have just the thing! Some of you might remember that this whole Drone Locker-thing started as a music project. I had made a lot of music tracks, published couple of albums and then I've dropped the ball, seeing how little feedback it gets. That's when I've turned around and focus on Games Developing and left my musician roots behind.

Of course, I still am and I've been - making music. But now it was purely for my own or someone else games. The rest I happen to create never seen the light of the day, never got published.

If you are one of those old-timers who went after me for my music, or if you simply enjoy my audio creations - today you are in for a treat.

As always, because it was made by me - it had to be a bit creepy, eerie and otherworldly. Just as I am.

Tell me whatcha think.

Oh and please do also on YouTube. This way this thing might gain popularity. Which of course, as any other guy - I would be very glad about.

Cheers!


Posted by Vilehead - January 6th, 2016


Polished and upgraded the starship sprites a bit. I think this is as close as it gets to what I had in mind. And thats the last update for Stellar Flux for couple of days... I got food poisoned and I am barely seing what I type. Plus my kid got fever so we all be staying home for next couple of days.
[CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE FULL HD VERSION]

4780715_145209489231_Promoship2thumb.jpg


Posted by Vilehead - January 3rd, 2016


First footages. This really kicks ass in motion. Shame my PC is so old and weak. The game run on perma-60FPS ALWAYS. Its because of the video recording software the framerate droped :\
 

 


Posted by Vilehead - December 30th, 2015


UPDATE! :D
So I've added stray asteroids that fly here and there. But they are not just static decoration, oh no! They are quite interactive (I mean, for a fat chunks of space rocks. Its not like they talk or camp at Starbucks) which stands for hitting each other, colliding with suns, planets, being sucked into Black Holes if too close, or even your and enemy ships! That's right folks, better install couple of those Point Defense stations. Just in case. Otherwise you might find your hull covered with holes like a Swiss cheese. Not to spoil the fun but... With the right but quite rare tools - you might find a way to actually use those stray asteroids to your advantage... (wink wink)

Now, time for some long promised - MOVING PICTURES!!! :D
Sadly... I could not just record a video. The game is light-weight and nicely optimized but still... My workstation PC is around 7 years old with a lot of its hardware at the edge of expiration. Video recording, specially in high definition and 60FPS always rapes your PC, regardless do you record newest Far Cry or Windows Solitary. Sadly, My PC has proven to be unable to record a smooth and solid 60FPS in HD. So instead - I've made a animated GIFs.

The bad news? The quality suuuuuuuucks & swallows due to GIF 256 colors limitation, shitty framerate and big size of the images. But hey, that's all I could do for now. Do yourself a favor and after opening this page - just leave it for a while. The total size of all images is around 50 MB. So be patient young padawan - Its worth it. Anyway, lets take a tour, shall we?

Nasty Black Hole sucking in all those poor asteroids :(
4780715_145148911772_DtKCdpE.gif

Yellow Dwarf burning gloriously.
4780715_145148911692_oJOQMop.gif

An elder Red Dwarf.
4780715_145148911592_ufiGFxk.gif

Ancient Neutron Star brightening the eternal dark...
4780715_145148911473_M7j7A2F.gif

Raging Pulsar, bursting and turning faster then the human eye can see.
4780715_145148911371_Ib6e5lt.gif

Hungry for more info? Follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook! I am really not very active on Newgrounds those days.


Posted by Vilehead - November 17th, 2015


Drone Locker's Help

In this dark hour, my call to action.
If you ever want to play Antumbra 2 or...well, anything made by me - now is the time to act.
Our last stand. Will you join me?

Yes!     VS    No...


Posted by Vilehead - November 3rd, 2015


Well... And the world went away... My world. No more content from me. At least for while.

Readable/Text Version: LINK


Posted by Vilehead - October 4th, 2015


Ehhhh... GameDev feedback at its finest. Steam alone makes me want to quit deving.
http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/discussion/515370500/517141624285063085/?tscn=1443972333#c483366528916441992

In less then 2 days, I've been called all sort of names. Raging from fagots, to idiots, people telling me to die, people telling me that I am a disgrace to my family, people telling me that my 4yo son should commit suicide having a father like me.

So I started to delete those over-the-edge comments. Guess what? Apparently, I am forbidden from using the tools the Steam is providing me with. I am forbidden from deleting comments under my own Greenlight. At least that's what people on Steam said. And the outbreak started. So I started talking back.

And that was my next mistake.

Those people are like freaking sharks! The moment they get a smell of blood drop in the water they start swarming around you.

Never in my entire internet life I have encountered so much hostility and hate. Well actually I did. Once, on 4chan /r/. But that's a place you actually expect to boil with hatred. The worst part is that I am really not in a position to quit. But every particle of me wants to. But GameDev and GD related skills are all I have at this point. And I have a wife and 4yo son. Leaving the stage is not an option.

But bit by bit - I am starting to understand why Phil Fish (Being a total jerk he is) cashed and run after FEZ success. I am starting to hate what supposed to be my dream. I always wanted to make games, even as a kid. I've looked upon the game creators as they would be Gods. Ubersmiths of my dreams, which they weave into an interactive medium for me to play with. Being a betatester or getting an autograph was a privilege. And now... Its becoming the other way around.

The players feel like they are doing you a fucking favor that they'll play your game. Imagine that...

And some part of me really thinks this guy from the comment might be right. At this point, some part of me would actually enjoy a regular job. Even if it would be McDonald's. And believe me, if I would be alone and without a family - I think I would go for it. But at this moment of my life it can only be the Game Dev. Its the only way to fulfill the dreams of those I love and care for. My only ticket to a better future and a better life for my son. I life, I had no chance to experience. So I've came to you, to whine and cry. And after I am done here, writing this  - I will go back and take another gulp of this poisonous toxins.

Life sure is fun this day and age.
Isn't it?

BTW: No, I am not after your pity or advices. Just... wanted to vent. And maybe by doing so - warn people who are going Greenlight of what they might be dealing with.

Kudos


Posted by Vilehead - September 11th, 2015


The Evergiver

By request: Antumbra 1 & 2 OST added to Bandcamp.
https://dronelocker.bandcamp.com/

So from two days I am trying to catch up with you guys, your emails, messages, private messages, shouts and whatnot. And to my utmost surprise, many of you ask and request Soundtracks from Antumbra 1 & 2.

So - oh what the heck, I've just uploaded all of them to my Bandcamp page. I mean, they were sitting on my hard drive for months already so why not? I had to remix a few but beside that - I've left them untouched.

They are all in lossless .wav format. Not that compressed, shitty mp3 I was limited to, on Newgrounds, or that buffalo diarrhea 192kb/s .aac on YouTube (buffalo diarrhea... lol).
Long story short - you really can hear the difference.

Album "Antumbra 2 OST" is self-explanatory. As for its prequel - I took various tracks from my unpublished album "The Evergiver", and used them in game, to save time.
E.g. The music from A1 credits is there, called "God's Hidden Space". Its the 6th track.
So well - now its published. And you can buy/listen to the whole thing. Not just the bit I've used in game.

If anybody is interested - go on, knock yourself out. Money from those albums goes to my "Antumbra 2 Dev Funds" piggy bank. If not - that's also cool. Bandcamp doesn't cost me anything and all I did was upload what I've already made months ago.

Kudos!

BTW: "The Evergiver" album cover is actually how Evergiver NPC would look in game.


Posted by Vilehead - September 10th, 2015


To keep it short and simple.
For the time being, Antumbra 2 is officially on hold. But I am, officially "still alive" :D

The "On Hold" status is a direct result of the small popularity of the game. But also, if not mainly, due to IndieGoGo failure. At the moment - I cannot afford developing a game of this size. Sorry. Trust me - I am not a happy hippo neither.

Good news are:
Antumbra 2 being "On Hold" =/= "Canceled".
I still want to finish the game. I just have to wait till I'll manage to secure enough funding. And I actually already started. At the beginning of October 2015 (that's in 20 days) I will publish a new game. The game is something totally different and more "mainstream". The game is actually finished, I just have some serious problem with the Mobile platform. Because yes, the game will be played on Desktops(Win, Linux, Mac), Browsers(Chrome, FireFox, IE) and Mobiles (Android).

So yeah. That's that. Don't worry.
I might be an introvert sociopath - but I am not a quitter.
I neither have the luxury or mindset of one.
I just tend to vanish every now and then. ^_^

So stay tuned and Kudos!


Posted by Vilehead - July 15th, 2015


4780715_143694938322_nggfx.png

Someone left me a review. I've replied but the reply grew and became something bigger. Something very honest. Something I would like to share with the world. Both gamers and developers alike. I hope to inspire.

"You know, from the perspective of passed time, I must say - I am unable to produce a quality product if I don't make it personal. Took me a while to figure out. Years.

You know, any artist wants to produce stuff like that. But he also has to eat, has bills to pay, family to feed. And you know how the world is. Mainstream banks. Unique - do not. In many cases, a proper marketing and PR sells the product better then the content it was made out of. Its far easier to spend couple of days and make another Idle Game and make some quick cash, rather then pour your heart and soul into something for months. But the problem is - and this will be a confession - when this works on paper, it doesn't in field.
At least - not for me.

For years I've been struggling to create a game. Something that would put money on the table. And this rush and pressure - was like a poison, it was killing me from inside. I started something, then depression kicked in, I stopped, tried to make something else, failed again. Rise and repeat. Over and over. And suddenly - I discarded all that. I've opened my heart and made an interactive piece of art, out of what I've found inside of my ribcage. And it worked. Jesus it worked. And I've learned my lesson and came out wiser.

After Antumbra popularity - now I know that the only games I should make, are the game I love making. Developed without dollar bill in mind. Because to my utmost, but pleasant surprise - the world is looking for my passion. The world had enough. The people had enough. The world is changing. And when the change is subtle and hard to notice, its also steady and strong. The plastic construct is breaking and crumbling apart. People don't want yet another 5 minutes of entertainment. No. They want something bigger. Something meaningful. Something that will leave a mark. Something that echoes inside of them.

And now I am making something new. But made with the same love and care. A new beginning stands at the doorstep. I've finally managed to breach out of my cage. And I am not going back. I am here to stay.

Watch me bend and twist, as I start carving my name on top of the hill. Breaking my nails, crushing my fingers, bleeding and weeping. And refusing to stop. I, refuse to stop. As this is the dream, in which I chose to rise and fall. My morn and my dusk."

We are The Indies.
Forgers of the unreality.
The Mastersmiths of what cannot be.