I was playing some kind of combination of those Her Interactive Nancy Drew games and Choo Choo Charles. It was called Nancy Drew and the Haunted Train, and it was very difficult and incredibly cool. I wish I could own it in real life.
As I said on twitter, every time I see a whitewashed head preset or NPC on Nexus mods I want to tear my eyelashes out one by one. So i've released Maya & Talia on my patreon for free. I really love these two heads and think they're so so so beautiful. Available for all elven races, humans, and tieflings. Also available for vanilla bodies, UTAV, EOTB, and UTAV/EOTB.
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Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way whether in tutorials or on discord. I love you all very much!
** I am aware of a small neck seam on the elves & human version and am working to fix this eventually!
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PLEASE ask me if you want to use the mesh & textures to edit your own preset! If its for personal use I don't mind at all, but please ask permission if you intend on releasing whatever you edit. These mods take a long time to make. DO NOT upload to any other modding platforms or reupload on socials or other websites. Thank you!
I think a big part of the reason that efforts to redefine a "metroidvania" as any exploration driven semi-open-world game with ability-gated progression tend to implode is that they're not acknowledging the precision platforming side of the equation. A world navigated via precision platforming creates a very specific set of opportunities and constraints regarding the kinds of ability-gating a game can implement, and those opportunities and constraints are where a lot of the metroidvania "feel" comes from.
Like, there's a reason that "are the 3D Legend of Zelda games metroidvanias?" is treated as a controversial question, and then Psuedoregalia comes along and practically nobody questions its status as a metroidvania in spite of the fact that its actual gameplay resembles Super Mario 64 more than anything: Pseudoreglia is a precision platformer, and thus has the kind of ability-gating that metroidvanias – as conventionally described – have.
I suspect it's possible to construct a continuum of ability-gating paradigms in semi-open-world games with a pure focus on precision platforming on one end, and a pure focus on environmental puzzle-solving via the interactions of novel "gadgets" on the other end, but I'm not sure what you'd actually call those extremes; certainly, most conventional metroidvanias sit more toward the former end, and most "Zelda-likes" sit more toward the latter end, but pure examples of either pole are thin on the ground.
Indiepocalypse is a monthly anthology of indie games curated and delivered straight to you!
Each release features games from 10 developers (including a newly commissioned game!) and a companion zine. Focusing on smaller-scale/no-budget indie games, Indiepocalypse highlights games that are shorter, personal, experimental, and otherwise an alternative to AAA and mainstream indie space.
My goal is the help bring more attention to the indie game scene I love and support them however I can. Did you know that all contributors to Indiepocalypse are paid upon acceptance and are paid royalties? Because they are!
If you're looking to explore the exciting world of underground indie games, Indiepocalypse is a great entry point to this world and it's exciting creators! (also a great way to find creators you may have missed if you already explore said world)
You can buy it or check out the games here!
I also sell Indiepocalypse physically in a cool USB sticks inside cassette cases format! (tower of which is pictured below)
Lastly, (I promise) if you're an indie dev, submissions for Indiepocalypse are always open!
Splatoon 3 had a new stage based entirely off the strip Mall and parking lot that’s within walking distance of my house. And the stage had a day and night cycle???