I'm glad to announce I curently started to work on a unofficial expansion pack. It's to early to say anything more about since whole thing is in fancy and I also don't want to spoil your fun, anyhow the events will still take place in the world of Aquaria and it will have some minor (or maybe bigger, who knows?
) connections with original story (no expectations will be made, of course), but it will be a quite different tale at all. The story won't be about any of the characters from the original story, but a tale about quite different being, which was living on the verge of all of the world's last happenings.
To be more specific, the pack will contain:
- new main character
- new, vast region of Aquaria to explore
- new song system (or rather new songs to sing) and abilities
- new creatures and enemies to encounter, including final bosses
- new kinds of food to make,
- new costumes and treasures to find
All of this will be found, plus an unique, ancient race to encounter. You can also expect many puzzles and riddles to solve as well as big ammount of dynamic action. New adventure can be also somewhat more difficult than original story and it will contain a really twisted scenario, but I won't bother making easy stuff, because most of people enjoyed (as myself) high difficulty of this game. Receive this as a new challenge
. Hopefully, I'll try to manage with my spare time and do all this stuff. Of course, I'll try to hold to Derek's original drawing style as much as I can, so don't expect any crap
, but a well crafted, new adventure.
Any comments & suggestions are welcome.
I will post a new topic soon in the modding section, when there will be at least something to show and talk about, or post some new stuff here. Have patience guys and gals!
Cheers!
----== BEYOND ETERNITY FAQ ==----
Q: Who's the main character?
A: A rather young girl, named Hatete (pron. Hah-teh-teh) - member of an ancient and mysterious, distinct race called anumarians, who lived somewhere in the deeps, and which history of existence goes down far before the „flying city accident”.
Q: What's the story all about?
A: The story is set in the same world and time as in Aquaria just after Creators fall, and tells a tale about Hatete's voyage through waters of Aquaria, which had begun shortly after receiving a strange vision during one of the slepless nights. Hatete doesn't remember much from her past due to a tragic shock she sustained, and all she can bring back from past are single, vivid memories and the moment, when she was forced to escape from her city, which finally lead to current living place, which had become her new home, as the time passed by. Guided by a strange voice, which she heard in the dream, Hatete finally begins her perillious journey leaving all behind and making an ascend to reveal the hidden truth about herself, her lost race and this world.
Q: When it will be finished?
A: At this point it's to early to say, when the mod will be finally released . But as long as I can work on it, I'll try to keep with up-to-date news to show the progress going. But to be honest, I'll say: „when it's done”, so don't bully me with questions about this and wait patiently! xP
Q: What about the gameplay?
A: It will be quite similiar to the one from Aquaria, although it will be more focused on exploring and using brains "basis", than just shooting everything around. Propably there will be less action, but the true thing is, that if I'm not going to change everything in the process of creation, the final look will merely depend on the first concepts (which involves a lot of fighting in certain moments), and I want to ensure that the mod will bring loads of fun, when it will be finished, so possible changes can occur
----=====================----
EDIT 18/01/2008
So, I've got messed up a bit and didn't done much in last days, but the final storyline and most of the concepts are completed so all I have to do is to start working on the mod directly. I'll also put the FAQ table, so if you wan't to ask for something (other than spoiling), fell free to ask, and I post answer here. I'll be also posting some stuff for you to enjoy the waiting in the next days. I'll start with those two concepts (they
might include spoilers, so if you aren't impatient, don't look
)
Some early concept sketches of the main character, Hatete.
One of many concepts for the main area bosses.EDIT 14/01/2008:
I've finished the whole story. The project got also a final name. As I promised, now you can read about the prelude of "Beyond eternity".
---- .---- .--__ ..---- .---- ...__'------,.._
Universe is a one, great mystery.
My spirit had came from it's heart. I've seen all, I faced the truth and witnessed the glory of stars. Though my passion grew with their light, I was becoming more and more tired. Even the gods have to rest sometimes...
After so many eons of countless creations, I found a world for a place of my eternal rest. It's warm waters embraced me. Yet, through all these centuries I felt all alone, but this world seem much more strange and carried much more hopes than anything I've seen before. It attracted me, and it was bursting with life, unaided by anything. I've watched as the life grew and taken different shapes. I've never seen anything like this. So vivid. So full of colors. So full of timid life... Finally, I saw them. Those creatures I was able to encounter, though they didn't see me were made from the same elements. Tough, I didn't knew how it's possible, they were excellent reflections of my own entity. They lived and reacted in the same way, as I did. They felt the powers, flowing through the world and seem to understand the meaning of their existence. My curiosity grew, as their race evolved and shaped this world. I couldn't wait no longer. Though I didn't know how they will react, I've resolved to contact with them. I've chosen one being, which was especially intriguing me. She semt to be important in their society. It was the best way to create the bond beetwen us all. I didn't wanted to feel alone for the rest of eternity.
At first time when I decided to met her, she was very afraid. But as I was trying to get closer to her, she didn't run. Step by step, we finally get to know each other. She was magnificent. We spent many hours together, floating through crystal waters. That day, I've shown her everything I knew about. She was so full of this strange force, which I earlier discovered flowing through them and which I didn't understood. She also had a passion for knowledge. I've seen the same stars in her eyes, as I've seen eons ago in space. I wasn't alone anymore.
Soon I discovered far more than I'd wish to know. She learned me things I wouldn't understand without her. So many beautiful things. I've changed. I've become more powerful than ever, but this power was different from those I had. As I wanted, she bring me along to her bretheren. I couldn't resist my desire. Soon, I've taken their appearance and became one of them. They saw me as a personification of their own god, as a messiah of new hope. New promise shined through the dark waters, uniting us and this world.
This strange power I encountered was bursting inside me. I never felt anything before like this, when I was looking at her and her race. It's was a strange felling to be together with them all, but I knew they were cheerful. Their priests had hunger for knowledge, so I tought them almost everything they could understand. And I was recompensed with the same, though things I've known were nothing, compared to things shown by them. It was priceless. I knew our bond was fullfiled. I started to watch over them; I opened my arms wide and they saw my protection. I've seen how mortal life looks, I felt the pain. I've also saw what true love is, and I wanted to feel the same. That's why I asked her about "What is love?", because she semt to know. She just took my hand, and I followed her. We came to the top of a big structure, they called the "sanctuary". My sanctuary. She waved her hand above their cityscape, and then said: "That's what love is all about. It's about people, about the world, about ourselves... Love is creation. If you'll love, then you will create...". She cried then. I didn't know what I'm doing, but it was something deep within me, which urged me to embrace her. Stars were shining in her eyes once more. She made me soft and weak, but I loved to fell like this. And I "kissed" her, as I seen others do. I can't describe what happened that night. Now I know, it was the one and only moment in my whole eternity...
Days passed by, as we shared our love. I was able to do things I've never dreamt of, and their race has made me sense true necessity of this feeling to spread it all around. And then...
They had come. "White faces", "beings from above" and finally "humans", as all of my people used to call them. They were ingenious, wise and also seeked for knowledge, thus I reckognized them as far more simple creatures. But, they were good and their hearts were bright as the ones, beating in the chests of my mortal friends. The Great Council was amazed with them, so was I. It seemed, people from above found someone same as theirselves, anyhow different. Both of the races were from different worlds, humans used clever inventions made by their own hands to breathe and move underwater, and somehow they were able to communicate with us. Thus they were weak and didn't posed a threat, they had a one great gift. They believed in the power of their own minds and imagination. Soon, both of races established contact. They shared the same desires and hopes. They wanted to make this world a better world.
Humans exchanged the goods and knowledge. One day, some of my people decided to leave and go to see their city, which was somewhere far above all the waters. When they had come back, many tales were unfold. They spoke about the "blue celling" and a bright "light", which was shining on it. And an amazing story of a flying city... It seemed both of the races shared the same goal. And peace was all over us.
Yet, in all of this gladness I could sense something strange at the distance. Months, passed in happiness had blinded me. Terrible visions struck me, which I never had seen before. I spoke to my love, and she called them "nightmares". That day, I had to spoke about them. People were terrified - If I only could now what will be their reaction, I would leave those intentions. But I saw priests, giving no trust to my dreams, and it made me sad. We spent the rest of time, waiting in blissful unconsciousness, hoping this all was just a mere dream. But I was sensing it. There was an end... An end, coming towards us all.
Why? Why It had happened...
People from above still carried out their own actions. And one day they had dissapeard. No one from them ever came again to our city. We were worried. And my people followed the route back to the "surface", only to come back and tell about, that... Human city was destroyed. What happened to them? This question has made me anxious. But my taken form was weak. I couldn't use my old powers. I could only use what I've learned from my people. I've sensed a great danger.
And one day, humans had returned. But I wasn't felling the same, as from the poeple from the past days. Those beings were different. They spread through our waters. It seemed they were searching for something... and then I understood what happened. but it was too late. Those humans were evil. They also looked very different. They were hostile. And they started to kill. We had to defend ourselves. My people had to clash a couple of times with them. There it was, when I also saw another side of our own face. Darkness within us. We were killing them as they killed us. Finally, I had an opportunity to lurk into minds of our enemy, and though I saw it for only a short time, for the first time I understood how foolish I was to expect, that all those beings have only one side. I couldn't imagine how one race can vary. Those humans came from far more distant lands, "from the west" as I could read from their memories. They were the ones, who destroyed the city of our human friends. They minds were lying to me. I was shifted far beyond by this reality. But I couldn't recall the time. Were there any other gods upon this scape, as me? Only gods can control the time and history. I've started to doubt if all of this could be truth.
From now on, sadness grew in me, as did their strength and wickness. I felt their contaminating thoughts flowing through the waters, filled with glimmers of unimaginable power. They wanted to be the strongest beings from everyting created and their hearts were dark as the most twilight deeps of space. Their minds were also corrupted. Corrupted with pain and destruction, yet they fought and struggled with their own feelings, pushing them over the edge of their consicience. They were searching for our city. They were searching for me... Even if I knew what terrible mistakes underwater people of the past had made, It wouldn't changed anything. For the first time I was trapped within my own creation. Their thoughts were coming to me, bursting within my head. Evil. What they were capable of, only raised my own fears and I couldn't do nothing with it. It was not in my deed to oppose the destiny. I had to move out from their sight. I had to let them do what they wanted to do. I had to run. I had to leave my people....
And I've seen destruction, consuming it all.
I condemned them all... Condemned everything to death.
Yet... There was still a chance. I left something behind. A priceless treasure. A surprise, even I wouldn't fully know about. What shape it will take?
Time passed by again. I have hidden between the shadows. I see everything clearly now. My time is short. All I know, is that you are the Chosen One. You will be able to recreate the peace. You have a part of my powers and a part of my soul. Find them deep within yourself. Don't be afraid. Let it light the darkness around you and guide to safer places. Look into the future, but don't forget about the past. Listen to your heart. You will be the one, who will unite this world and it's beings. And there will be peace once again...
Don't forget about me, young one. For I am your father. Prehaps, you will understand everything soon but now you must face the chaos, rising from the world above. Go up with the tides, it is where you'll find your own destiny!
Now, go my child.
Go..._--- ..--- .--__ ..---- .---- ...__'------,..--
This is the longest post I ever created on any of the forums. Have fun reading! xP