New Elona open/rolling beta release(s).

[getter77]

http://homepage3.nifty.com/rfish/index_e.html

As per the most recent update the dev Noa is doing a public beta of sorts and one can find the latest couple builds there for, one hopes, very effective beta testing.  Also, there's an enhanced graphic pack that contains an impressive amount of custom extra-detailed/specific visuals.

There're varieties of new skin tones and race/age specific bodies as well as many new clothes and accessories to dress up your pc.

I like to see it as a very bizarre race between the ongoing development of this and ADOM lumbering back from its sleep to wreak havoc anew across the land.

[Etinarg]

For a roguelike project it seems to be odd to advertise purely graphical features? Usually roguelikes advertise with their ability to work on a very low level representation, and still be interesting.

But many of the MMO gamers will like such features, so it helps the project and is good for advertising in a more general scope.

[getter77]

Yep.  In a way, Crawl Stone Soup does this as well with things looking different upon use/identification/equipping.  Elona has a ton of potential armor slots and the like, so it adds to the depth to have a visual approximation of many, many words to an entity in the game.

Even moreso, if I read it right, this souped up pack is the work of a sole individual...the likes of which I suppose I'll have to endeavor to measure up to in terms of bulk and variety of graphical work as I finally reach out to such a stage in the next few weeks/months.

[Etinarg]

I'll have to endeavor to measure up to in terms of bulk and variety of graphical work as I finally reach out to such a stage in the next few weeks/months.

As a lone wolf developer you need good productions strategies, like deriving a lot of modifications from basic models, or similar, to create a lot of variety with relatively little work.

The tricky part is, to hide this from the viewer, so that each creation appears unique (enough).

[Skeletor]

Not my cup of tea, but I must admit I'm impressed to know this game is a single man project!

[getter77]

Not my cup of tea, but I must admit I'm impressed to know this game is a single man project!

Well, the game is pretty well the one guy, but this art pack is the work of another sole guy.

Yes Hajo, I agree.  I want to think I can come up with some tricks if I learn some scripting/screwing with geometrical shapes/to say nothing of what styles I'd be able to get the hang of.