Actually, the main theme of Amber Sun was meant to be friendship. :D You see, Janus isn't entirely selfish when he tries to cover up his past deeds. He also does it preserve his friendship with Henderson, which he knows will be over if the truth is discovered. Is that twisted? Absolutely, but it is the way Janus functions. He has painted himself into a corner, and he blows up the house to get out. Janus and Henderson has had a special connection ever since the beginning of CM. Henderson wasn't much respected among his miner peers, but Janus saw something in him. He knew there was more to him than what meets the eye (and he is right, as Henderson proves to be a great battle commander). While they spend a lot of time apart from each other in the story, they still have a strong bond. In fact, the lesson they learned in Alzadhar (when they're not fighting invisible ravagers, that is) was how stupid it was for them to argue and split up, which is why they make up again at the end of the mission.
As a sidenote: The scene in CM09 where Quarinius reveals that the soldiers he has taken control over are Amina soldiers, is one I now wish I had written differently. In the scene, Quarinius tries to bait Janus into sending Zerg against the dolfirtd, and the fact that Janus takes that bait is a bit out of character for him, I think. Yes, he is a trained assassin, not a priest, but it would have been more plausible if Quarinius had kept lying until after the Zerg had been unleashed. Janus may have desired Quarinius' death, but not to that extent. When he goes after the survivors in AS, he does it because he has to if he wants to survive. Maybe I'll go back and change it.
Your analysis is interesting, though. I like that you can put your own reading into it. I suppose with symbolism, there really is no clear answer, and yours can be as valid as mine.
(I updated my campaign tutorial thread. Check it out!)
Glad to get all this feedback, especially on the story, which I am proud of, especially because it felt like a knot for such a long time, before I finally figured out how to bring it all together. The Bayo story is one I am particularly proud of. For such a long time, you don't even know who he is. He's just an enigma. But then things slowly start to reveal themselves, and you start to realize what is going on, even if you can't necessarily pinpoint where it's all heading to. The ending scene of AS09 is probably my favorite in both campaigns. The look of it, its music, the dialogue, the way it ties so many plot threads together; I just love it.
For those interested in some of the deeper stuff in the story (hints, symbolism, callbacks, etc), I've written a little about it below). I've blacked it for spoilers, so don't read until you've finished Amber Sun.
One of the primary themes in CM was greed. The obvious example was Ghost Caine, who killed thousands just to earn money. However, the Roverville miners, who are less fortunate in their financial affairs, could also said to have been deceived by it. Blinded by greed, they travelled to the "rectal end of the universe" because they thought it would make them rich, which it obviously didn't. I intended the whole ordeal as an exaggerated caricature of the USA, as Americans often sees themselves not as "have-nots", but "soon-to-haves". And before anyone asks: no, I am not a socialist. I just find that sort of mindset interesting.
Tyrone's death scene: This was one of the first things I wrote. Originally, the miners weren't even in the campaign, but I had the idea of having two characters who bickered so much until one of them finally would have had enough, abandoning the other at the worst possible time. Those two characters turned out to be Henderson and Tyrone. All through the campaign, Tyrone berates and belittles Henderson, until Henderson finally has had enough in CM05, where he chooses to relieve himself instead of guarding Tyrone, which turns out to be a terrible mistake, seeing as Quarinius is coming to kill Tyrone. I still love that scene. It's where Henderson's journey to become a great military leader begins.
Janus' memory wipe: In CM07, we learn that Janus had his memories removed, and that he actually used to work for his own enemy, Ghost Caine. Quarinius told Janus that the lab where it happened was "the birthplace of the new you", implying that on a symbolic level, Janus was reborn as a new person. Later, we learn that Quarinius is actually Janus' brother, and that Corelia used the memory wipe to get revenge on Janus. In a way, one could say that Janus has to suffer in this life for a sin he committed in a previous life, which can be read as a metaphor for karma. After all, what was the name of the person Corelia killed before revealing her secret? Why, Colonel Buddha, of course.
I intended the importance of memories to be the central theme of CM. Corelia's revenge plan is meant to illustrate just how meaningless a brotherly bond is without memories to tie it together. Any bond between two people is built upon memories. Without memories, we can never get to know someone. By removing them, Janus severs every tie he has to his past (it is subtly implied that he does this because of a traumatized childhood). He even adopts Caine's mantra, "memories are the scars of the mind". This is an idea he tries to shove on Henderson, who ultimately rejects it, because he realizes that after his homeworld has been turned to ruins, he can still use his memories of how it used to be to comfort himself. So Janus is punished because he rejects the importance of memories, while Henderson is rewarded for embracing them.
Sidenote: I got the idea for the memory wipe from Ghost in the Shell, but I also got a lot of inspiration from Christopher Nolan's great Memento. Check it out!
Janus wasn't the only one who lost his memories. In fact, it is implied that Caine had many "Perfect Soldiers". His intention with them was to have them "start anew" by removing the sum of all they've learned through their lives (fully grown men obviously been shaped by a lot in their upbringing), so he could mould them in any way he'd chose. However, he disregarded an important factor: genes. Human beings are coded already at birth, and although a lot can happen after that, many of the pieces that is used to form us have already been placed by the time we take our first breath. Caine learned this the hard way when he failed to control his soldiers. Quarinius, for instance, stood out as someone who sought not only his indepedence, but also power, a trait that in his case was expressed through genes, not memes. Consider this my sci-fi entry in the nature vs. nurture debate.
Janus' change: In CM, Janus is portrayed as a very sympathetic figure. Yes, he kills, and he goes too far in his search for Quarinius, but he is also punished in a way that seems (at least to me) to be somewhat unfair, as he no idea of what he is actually doing. Yet, in Amber Sun, his true persona begins to reveal himself, and it is not a pretty thing to witness. We think that after having been punished so hard, he might actually become moral. Instead, at the end of AS, we see him murder Bayo to cover up his own sins (Bayo is like a ghost from the past that Janus refuses to atone for). Bayo's murder is in many ways intended to echo the death of Quarinius, only now, Janus is the bad guy. I used many small details to bind those two events together. For instance, Bayo's brother Miguel is a firebat, and therefore looks a lot like col. Buddha, whom Corelia killed before revealing herself to Janus (remember that Miguel is also brutally killed). Secondly, as a reward for helping the Khaal-Ro, Janus is even giving a new suit, one that looks more like Quarinius' ghost suit than Janus' spectre suit (which further signifies his change). Lastly, there is the fact that Janus killed Quarinius not knowing who he actually is, and now kills Bayo knowing exactly who he is. Quarinius' relation to Janus was hidden from Janus, because if he knew about it, he probably wouldn't have killed Quarinius. However, Bayo's relation to Janus was not only something Janus was fully aware of, but also the actual reason why Janus killed him. Whereas Quarinius was a terrorist, Bayo was an innocent; a person unfortunate enough to survive Janus' attack on Quarinius' HQ.
CM and AS connect in many small ways, as well. One example is a quote captain Ryan utters in CM01, "Let's show them some Roverville courtesy", which is echoed by Henderson in AS05, although he says "Let's show them some Amina courtesy". Ryan, of course, turned out to have a brother in AS. Both of them were more talented soldiers than talkers (Ryan says he "let his gun speak for him" while his brother struggles with his grammar). Another callback can be seen in AS04, where Tyrone turns up again, now as a priest in a hallucination. Lastly, there is an additional reference in AS04: the character of Mama Coyote, whose blond hair was chosen to echo Corelia (yes, I actually changed the frickin' portrait just for that little detail).
Thanks for playing the campaign, thanks for liking it, and thanks for giving constructive feedback! :D
The difficulty is just as intended. I want it to increase throughout, and I can tell I succeeded. I might add difficulties some time later, but not right now. I suppose I'd rather be creating new stuff. I know not everybody likes that, but that's the way it is. For now.
Seeing as I discuss spoilers for the rest of the post, I'm going to put it in black. It's not entirely optimal, but I don't know any other way. Highlight to read.
Bayo: In Crimson Moon, Janus travelled to northern Amina, where he released the Zerg on the Amina forces in order to get Quarinius. He believes he leaves no survivors. Then, in Amber Sun, we meet Bayo, a new character whose allegiance (and purpose) is not fully disclosed yet. However, there are some hints: His player color is white, he has the murlocalypse decal, and he fights orange Zerg. Not the easiest hints to pick up on, but hints nonetheless.
In AS03, Bayo fights the Khaal-Ro and defeats them. They swear revenge. In AS05 we finally learn that Bayo belongs to Amina, and that he is part of their military (this is how Henderson knows him). In a very short moment at the end of the mission, we see the eyes of him and Janus meet, as they recognize each other. Again, very subtle, and hard to pick up on, but it doesn't really matter, as we find out all we need to know in AS09. There, the Khaal-Ro returns, and they try to take down Bayo once more. Although he seems to initally be succesful, Bayo nonetheless is cornered when more Protoss arrive.
As it turns out, Janus has joined hands with the Protoss, as he also wants to take down Bayo. Why? Because Bayo saw Janus release the Zerg, and therefore can out him to the other Amina soldiers. Janus, thinking it is the only way he can keep his alliance with the Amina soldiers, kill Bayo. In turn, he gets powers from the Khaal-Ro.
The ending: I did intend it to set up the last part of the trilogy: Aureolin Eclipse. I have a set-up for the story, although a loooot of details are still missing, including the ending. So no, you didn't miss anything. Exactly where the story picks up after this is not something I will share, though you are free to guess.
The manmade platforms were pre-built. You were supposed to return there in a later mission and in a plot twist, it would turn out that Geraldus had taken up a secret installation below it. However, this was removed because of story space issues.
The bugs:
Odd about the goliath. Don't know why that happens. The other bugs are new to me (haven't appeared on my playthroughs). I think you just have to restart.
Glad you like mission 4. It's one of my favorites too.
I am, as you know, both a bit lazy and a tad conservative when it comes to difficulties, so I suppose there is little to do but practise the game. :D
I'm really happy about having a three-way conflict in AS03, and with all the three races as well. I should do that more. However, I try to let the story lead the way for the gameplay, and it's not always easy to shoehorn things in.
Of course, as it is, I'm already hard at work adjusting things here and there. That doesn't mean I'm cleaning out bugs, though, as most of them should be taken care of now. I'm just changing some details here and there. I'll probably brush some terrain, maybe change some dialogue, lengthen some cut scenes, etc. However, all of these changes won't have any effect on the plot, so playing through the thing should work fine now (although I expect reports of more bugs).
All right, this is from one of the boss fights in AS10. It's been both a joy and chore working on it, but I'm nearing completion on it now. Rose now fires banshee missiles that can be dodged, but it fires a laser that always hits if you get to close to its front. The nukes are obviously still a factor.
I have 3/4 of the terrain now, and about 1/2 of the gameplay.
EDIT: I've worked all day. Terrain-wise, I only lack the third boss arena (the last one). I have gameplay for part 1, part 2, and the first boss fight. Need to finish the other two fights. I expect to finish this sometime this week, and have the entire campaign available public before April 11th.
I updated my campagin tutorial with a focus on map structure. Check it out!
Progress on AS10 is slow. I have 1/4 of the terrain and some of the gameplay of the first part first, but it isn't very playable yet. It looks good so far, but I've been busy with school and watching TV shows (yes, I know).
AS09 is sent to the testers. They can struggle with that, while I will be taking a week's break before embarking on AS10. Going home to my parents, only bringing my laptop (which doesn't have SC2). I need some time to plan the mission, anyway, plus school needs some attention as well.
Actually, the main theme of Amber Sun was meant to be friendship. :D You see, Janus isn't entirely selfish when he tries to cover up his past deeds. He also does it preserve his friendship with Henderson, which he knows will be over if the truth is discovered. Is that twisted? Absolutely, but it is the way Janus functions. He has painted himself into a corner, and he blows up the house to get out. Janus and Henderson has had a special connection ever since the beginning of CM. Henderson wasn't much respected among his miner peers, but Janus saw something in him. He knew there was more to him than what meets the eye (and he is right, as Henderson proves to be a great battle commander). While they spend a lot of time apart from each other in the story, they still have a strong bond. In fact, the lesson they learned in Alzadhar (when they're not fighting invisible ravagers, that is) was how stupid it was for them to argue and split up, which is why they make up again at the end of the mission.
As a sidenote: The scene in CM09 where Quarinius reveals that the soldiers he has taken control over are Amina soldiers, is one I now wish I had written differently. In the scene, Quarinius tries to bait Janus into sending Zerg against the dolfirtd, and the fact that Janus takes that bait is a bit out of character for him, I think. Yes, he is a trained assassin, not a priest, but it would have been more plausible if Quarinius had kept lying until after the Zerg had been unleashed. Janus may have desired Quarinius' death, but not to that extent. When he goes after the survivors in AS, he does it because he has to if he wants to survive. Maybe I'll go back and change it.
Your analysis is interesting, though. I like that you can put your own reading into it. I suppose with symbolism, there really is no clear answer, and yours can be as valid as mine.
(I updated my campaign tutorial thread. Check it out!)
Glad to get all this feedback, especially on the story, which I am proud of, especially because it felt like a knot for such a long time, before I finally figured out how to bring it all together. The Bayo story is one I am particularly proud of. For such a long time, you don't even know who he is. He's just an enigma. But then things slowly start to reveal themselves, and you start to realize what is going on, even if you can't necessarily pinpoint where it's all heading to. The ending scene of AS09 is probably my favorite in both campaigns. The look of it, its music, the dialogue, the way it ties so many plot threads together; I just love it.
For those interested in some of the deeper stuff in the story (hints, symbolism, callbacks, etc), I've written a little about it below). I've blacked it for spoilers, so don't read until you've finished Amber Sun.
One of the primary themes in CM was greed. The obvious example was Ghost Caine, who killed thousands just to earn money. However, the Roverville miners, who are less fortunate in their financial affairs, could also said to have been deceived by it. Blinded by greed, they travelled to the "rectal end of the universe" because they thought it would make them rich, which it obviously didn't. I intended the whole ordeal as an exaggerated caricature of the USA, as Americans often sees themselves not as "have-nots", but "soon-to-haves". And before anyone asks: no, I am not a socialist. I just find that sort of mindset interesting.
Tyrone's death scene: This was one of the first things I wrote. Originally, the miners weren't even in the campaign, but I had the idea of having two characters who bickered so much until one of them finally would have had enough, abandoning the other at the worst possible time. Those two characters turned out to be Henderson and Tyrone. All through the campaign, Tyrone berates and belittles Henderson, until Henderson finally has had enough in CM05, where he chooses to relieve himself instead of guarding Tyrone, which turns out to be a terrible mistake, seeing as Quarinius is coming to kill Tyrone. I still love that scene. It's where Henderson's journey to become a great military leader begins.
Janus' memory wipe: In CM07, we learn that Janus had his memories removed, and that he actually used to work for his own enemy, Ghost Caine. Quarinius told Janus that the lab where it happened was "the birthplace of the new you", implying that on a symbolic level, Janus was reborn as a new person. Later, we learn that Quarinius is actually Janus' brother, and that Corelia used the memory wipe to get revenge on Janus. In a way, one could say that Janus has to suffer in this life for a sin he committed in a previous life, which can be read as a metaphor for karma. After all, what was the name of the person Corelia killed before revealing her secret? Why, Colonel Buddha, of course.
I intended the importance of memories to be the central theme of CM. Corelia's revenge plan is meant to illustrate just how meaningless a brotherly bond is without memories to tie it together. Any bond between two people is built upon memories. Without memories, we can never get to know someone. By removing them, Janus severs every tie he has to his past (it is subtly implied that he does this because of a traumatized childhood). He even adopts Caine's mantra, "memories are the scars of the mind". This is an idea he tries to shove on Henderson, who ultimately rejects it, because he realizes that after his homeworld has been turned to ruins, he can still use his memories of how it used to be to comfort himself. So Janus is punished because he rejects the importance of memories, while Henderson is rewarded for embracing them.
Sidenote: I got the idea for the memory wipe from Ghost in the Shell, but I also got a lot of inspiration from Christopher Nolan's great Memento. Check it out!
Janus wasn't the only one who lost his memories. In fact, it is implied that Caine had many "Perfect Soldiers". His intention with them was to have them "start anew" by removing the sum of all they've learned through their lives (fully grown men obviously been shaped by a lot in their upbringing), so he could mould them in any way he'd chose. However, he disregarded an important factor: genes. Human beings are coded already at birth, and although a lot can happen after that, many of the pieces that is used to form us have already been placed by the time we take our first breath. Caine learned this the hard way when he failed to control his soldiers. Quarinius, for instance, stood out as someone who sought not only his indepedence, but also power, a trait that in his case was expressed through genes, not memes. Consider this my sci-fi entry in the nature vs. nurture debate.
Janus' change: In CM, Janus is portrayed as a very sympathetic figure. Yes, he kills, and he goes too far in his search for Quarinius, but he is also punished in a way that seems (at least to me) to be somewhat unfair, as he no idea of what he is actually doing. Yet, in Amber Sun, his true persona begins to reveal himself, and it is not a pretty thing to witness. We think that after having been punished so hard, he might actually become moral. Instead, at the end of AS, we see him murder Bayo to cover up his own sins (Bayo is like a ghost from the past that Janus refuses to atone for). Bayo's murder is in many ways intended to echo the death of Quarinius, only now, Janus is the bad guy. I used many small details to bind those two events together. For instance, Bayo's brother Miguel is a firebat, and therefore looks a lot like col. Buddha, whom Corelia killed before revealing herself to Janus (remember that Miguel is also brutally killed). Secondly, as a reward for helping the Khaal-Ro, Janus is even giving a new suit, one that looks more like Quarinius' ghost suit than Janus' spectre suit (which further signifies his change). Lastly, there is the fact that Janus killed Quarinius not knowing who he actually is, and now kills Bayo knowing exactly who he is. Quarinius' relation to Janus was hidden from Janus, because if he knew about it, he probably wouldn't have killed Quarinius. However, Bayo's relation to Janus was not only something Janus was fully aware of, but also the actual reason why Janus killed him. Whereas Quarinius was a terrorist, Bayo was an innocent; a person unfortunate enough to survive Janus' attack on Quarinius' HQ.
CM and AS connect in many small ways, as well. One example is a quote captain Ryan utters in CM01, "Let's show them some Roverville courtesy", which is echoed by Henderson in AS05, although he says "Let's show them some Amina courtesy". Ryan, of course, turned out to have a brother in AS. Both of them were more talented soldiers than talkers (Ryan says he "let his gun speak for him" while his brother struggles with his grammar). Another callback can be seen in AS04, where Tyrone turns up again, now as a priest in a hallucination. Lastly, there is an additional reference in AS04: the character of Mama Coyote, whose blond hair was chosen to echo Corelia (yes, I actually changed the frickin' portrait just for that little detail).
Maybe, maybe not. Guess you'll have to find out.
They felt threatened by him, so they instigated the Zerg against him. He turned it against them, and so they swore revenge.
Most definitely. I'm kinda tired of Terran myself. Expect some Protoss missions!
@DudkiSC2: Go
Thanks for playing the campaign, thanks for liking it, and thanks for giving constructive feedback! :D
The difficulty is just as intended. I want it to increase throughout, and I can tell I succeeded. I might add difficulties some time later, but not right now. I suppose I'd rather be creating new stuff. I know not everybody likes that, but that's the way it is. For now.
Seeing as I discuss spoilers for the rest of the post, I'm going to put it in black. It's not entirely optimal, but I don't know any other way. Highlight to read.
Bayo: In Crimson Moon, Janus travelled to northern Amina, where he released the Zerg on the Amina forces in order to get Quarinius. He believes he leaves no survivors. Then, in Amber Sun, we meet Bayo, a new character whose allegiance (and purpose) is not fully disclosed yet. However, there are some hints: His player color is white, he has the murlocalypse decal, and he fights orange Zerg. Not the easiest hints to pick up on, but hints nonetheless.
In AS03, Bayo fights the Khaal-Ro and defeats them. They swear revenge. In AS05 we finally learn that Bayo belongs to Amina, and that he is part of their military (this is how Henderson knows him). In a very short moment at the end of the mission, we see the eyes of him and Janus meet, as they recognize each other. Again, very subtle, and hard to pick up on, but it doesn't really matter, as we find out all we need to know in AS09. There, the Khaal-Ro returns, and they try to take down Bayo once more. Although he seems to initally be succesful, Bayo nonetheless is cornered when more Protoss arrive.
As it turns out, Janus has joined hands with the Protoss, as he also wants to take down Bayo. Why? Because Bayo saw Janus release the Zerg, and therefore can out him to the other Amina soldiers. Janus, thinking it is the only way he can keep his alliance with the Amina soldiers, kill Bayo. In turn, he gets powers from the Khaal-Ro.
The ending: I did intend it to set up the last part of the trilogy: Aureolin Eclipse. I have a set-up for the story, although a loooot of details are still missing, including the ending. So no, you didn't miss anything. Exactly where the story picks up after this is not something I will share, though you are free to guess.
The manmade platforms were pre-built. You were supposed to return there in a later mission and in a plot twist, it would turn out that Geraldus had taken up a secret installation below it. However, this was removed because of story space issues.
The bugs: Odd about the goliath. Don't know why that happens. The other bugs are new to me (haven't appeared on my playthroughs). I think you just have to restart.
Glad you like mission 4. It's one of my favorites too.
Glad you like it.
I am, as you know, both a bit lazy and a tad conservative when it comes to difficulties, so I suppose there is little to do but practise the game. :D
I'm really happy about having a three-way conflict in AS03, and with all the three races as well. I should do that more. However, I try to let the story lead the way for the gameplay, and it's not always easy to shoehorn things in.
Thanks, guys.
Of course, as it is, I'm already hard at work adjusting things here and there. That doesn't mean I'm cleaning out bugs, though, as most of them should be taken care of now. I'm just changing some details here and there. I'll probably brush some terrain, maybe change some dialogue, lengthen some cut scenes, etc. However, all of these changes won't have any effect on the plot, so playing through the thing should work fine now (although I expect reports of more bugs).
That is indeed a bug. Fixed it now. Also added a new and better loading screen for the mission launcher, as well as changing the music.
The campaign is now released.
Download here.
Also, check out the mission launcher, which I've previewed below.
AS10 is sent to the testers. I hope to have the first draft of the campaign released for the public sometime this week.
"Phew", I say. That was exhausting.
All right, this is from one of the boss fights in AS10. It's been both a joy and chore working on it, but I'm nearing completion on it now. Rose now fires banshee missiles that can be dodged, but it fires a laser that always hits if you get to close to its front. The nukes are obviously still a factor.
A little teaser image of AS10.
I have 3/4 of the terrain now, and about 1/2 of the gameplay.
EDIT: I've worked all day. Terrain-wise, I only lack the third boss arena (the last one). I have gameplay for part 1, part 2, and the first boss fight. Need to finish the other two fights. I expect to finish this sometime this week, and have the entire campaign available public before April 11th.
I updated my campagin tutorial with a focus on map structure. Check it out!
Progress on AS10 is slow. I have 1/4 of the terrain and some of the gameplay of the first part first, but it isn't very playable yet. It looks good so far, but I've been busy with school and watching TV shows (yes, I know).
Yeah, sure. I'll send you AS07 through 09.
AS09 is sent to the testers. They can struggle with that, while I will be taking a week's break before embarking on AS10. Going home to my parents, only bringing my laptop (which doesn't have SC2). I need some time to plan the mission, anyway, plus school needs some attention as well.