http://projectmzero.blogspot.com/2018/09/it-starts-with-zero.html?m=1
This time around things are going to be full of original pixel art, story details and other goodness! So sit back, grab a bag of potato chips (or something healthy if that's your thing) and let your eyes do the reading thing.
When this project first began, my original intention was for Zero to be a comic series. I recently got into drawing pixel art and just for fun I translated some of my characters into 16 bit versions. I was actually surprised with how well they turned out so I continued to roll with it. From bosses, to items, to mobs and armor. Let me say I've made quite a lot. I animated some of the sprites I made by using an app that's basically the 'photoshop' of pixel art. Though I won't be revealing any sprite sheets to you guys today, I will be showing off a handful of character/mob designs below...
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| Zero's black smiths have developed new armor styles. One of the most infamous being the 'Obsidian set' which is a testament to your power and inspires a modicum of darkness within its wearer. |
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| Silver fish |
You probably cant help but to notice not one, but two different slime models. Well that is because one of these guys is simply a subspecies. Introducing the 'caustic slime' (right). The difference between the two is not only their appearance, but their traits as well. The caustic slime (hints the name) is a highly acidic foe that is easily under estimated due the reputation of it's less corrosive counterpart. Caustic slimes can melt straight through most armor and deal burn damage to their target(s). And to make things even "better", if this mob comes into contact with fire they will explode like TNT! Not exactly a foe you want to misjudge!
Meet one of the inhabitants of the Nether, the Lantoon! These shy little guys are distant cousins of the blaze. Lantoons are mostly docile creatures and can be found hanging from the ceilings of Nether fortresses like bats. They also provide a reliable source of light, but if provoked they will fly around dropping liquid flame upon those who disturbed them.
This mob hasnt agreed to have its physical identity revealed on any social platform yet but has agreed to allow it when the time is right. May I introduce one of the many new additions to the End, the Reaver! Reavers prefer to levitate rather than stand, as doing this makes them more agile. If not stopped from charging it up, they will fire a strong energy bolt from their hands quickly immobilizing their target for a brief period of time. Once their target is immobilized they summon smaller, faster reinforcements with a high pitched screech to outnumber and overwhelm their prey while they're down... Quite the cheap shot.
Another native to the hellish Nether, is the new soul shroom(above) which has one of the most interesting backgrounds of any of the designs I've made so far. Most noticeable about the soul shroom is its grotesque appearance, which resembles a bloody skeletal torso with multiple heads. But why does it look like it has a cluster of skulls for its cap? When a soul shroom begins its life cycle, it does not have these "skulls" but actually a small spikey red flower. This flower is said to absorb the souls of those that have met their end in the Nether. As each soul is absorbed, a new "head" appears from the flower, resembling the souls previous appearance. The flower will continue to collect these souls until a full cap has formed. Though, not technically considered a mob, this fungal-like organism can be very dangerous as it will release poisonous spores when disturbed. The materials collected from a soul shroom sell for a high price as they can only be collected from a fully matured specimen, and are a vital ingredient in brewing a 'Nether Potion'.
Zero's alchemists have discovered a breakthrough in potion brewing; the 'Nether Potion'. This potion is made by fermenting the muscle-like tissue that hangs from a mature soul shrooms skeletal stipe, and combining it with a long list of other ingredients that I'm going to hold off on for now. Once consumed, the potion allows one to travel to the Nether as if they used a Nether portal. The effects of a typical brew will last about 15 minutes while some higher grade brews have been known to last for a full hour. Once the effects of the potion ware off, its user will be returned to where they originally consumed the potion.
Seen above are two medals of the new medal system I would love to see implemented. Medals are earned by completing certain tasks and are a great way to earn a lot of coins fast. On the left is the 'Geologist' medal which can be earned by collecting one of every ore, while on the right is the 'Monster Hunter' medal which is rewarded for slaying 3 or more monsters in three seconds or under apart from each other. Medals are a good incentive for players to complete tasks, as the coins rewarded can be used at the tavern to purchase special weekly items.
The Lance(above) is just one of the new craftable weapons in //Zero. The lance is a great weapon that allows the user to wield a shield in one hand and the main weapon in the other hand and offers a greater range of combat than the sword. The shield cannot be used to block, but instead adds an extra notch to the players defense. The lance can be used by slashing and stabbing or by the player engaging sprint and driving the lance into an enemy. You can obviously see 2 different models for the lance. The model seen on the left is the render for //Zero and the model on the right is what the lance could look like if added to the main Minecraft game.
Towns and Villages
Yes, they are both very different from eachother. Villages are a familiar face to minecraft as they will practically remain the same as before. You can trade with villagers here, gather food from farms or grow your own food and even alter the village using some good ol' creativity. You cannot accept quests at villages but you can help establish trade routes in villages by leveling them up through a specific vendor.
Towns are much larger than villages and are the main hub for buying, selling, crafting and taking on quests. You can shop here at multiple shops and vendors, establish your own business, visit a pub, buy a home or maybe even join a guild. Multiple towns can generate in a world. Due to town laws, players are prohibited from placing any blocks inside the town as they believe in keeping things uniform, however, you can furnish any home that you have bought within a town. But why would you buy a house when you can just build one elsewhere, you ask? Because owning a house within a town gives you special skills that vary by town, that's why. Now if you plan on getting into any mischief you can expect guards to be suspicious of you. Get caught causing mayhem and they may attack you.
Quests and Adventures
Among the other cool new ideas, are Quests and Adventures! Both quests and adventures can be accepted by speaking to certain individuals at towns or by finding and speaking to travelers in the open world. Quests offer a story driven experience to the players world, while Adventures focus more on providing a treasure hunt that will lead to rare and Legendary items that can help you boost your arsenal and reputation. Consider yourself an entrepreneur? Take up a role as a shop owner! Shop owners unlock a new questline designed to help you maintain your new shop. So if you prefer unraveling a story woven with secrets or hunting for rare treasure, or even just running a shop or pub, theres something here for everyone!
That New, but Familiar feeling...
//Zero would stay true to the minecraft main game but would also offer new and exciting experiences. This time around, the game would take a more Elderscrolls open world approach while staying true to everything the main game was built upon. Creativity is Minecraft's most unique feature and //Zero would focus on creativity just as much as the first game. //Zero is essentially the same as the first Minecraft but with a more story driven and live environment approach and is an extension of everything I would have loved to see added into the main game.
Every time you create a new world you start off by waking up in the middle of no where (dont worry you'll get to choose why in later dialogue). You recieve your first main quest which will focus on getting new players adjusted to building a shelter and gathering materials. After you have completed your shelter, and gathered materials to start your exploration , your second main quest will appear which is where the story really kicks off, requiring you to find a town where you will eventually build a name for yourself and unravel the story through quests given to you.
Exploring a new world
Every world you create is still randomly generated but will always offer you the storyline (if you choose). Your world is YOURS, there are none like it. Everyone will always be able to experience the storyline regardless of how many worlds you make. But each time you create a new world your experiences do not have to be the same! The world will be so rich with quests and adventures that you could spend your entire time completing side quests without ever touching the mainline quests. Better yet, just like traditional minecraft you can tackle things in an open world with up to 16 of your buddies.
Team up to complete quests, explore dungeons, or just live out the classic minecraft experience. The shared world would be completely optional and not a required experience meaning that if you prefer the lone wolf route or teaming up to slay hordes of monsters, everybody has a home in //Zero!
Creative mode also takes a new spin as creating a world with creative mode active disables all quests permanently, but enables the player to create their own quests from scratch. Just like the main game you would have the option to make super flat or generated worlds and place blocks as you would before.
Experience points and perks
The experience that you gather throughout your journey no longer goes into brewing potions and enchanting items. Instead you can invest your hard earned points into skills. Everybody's stats will start at zero for each skill. As you progress into your skill sets, you will become stronger and unlock new abilities. For instance the blacksmith skill is one of these skills which can be upgraded. At Blacksmith level zero the armor and weapons you craft will resemble the traditional minecraft style but as you upgrade this skill, the defense stat, attack stat, and durability stat will gradually increase as well as altering your gears appearance. Doing this also unlocks new crafting recipes and armor/weapon styles. (Seen above is how the same set of armor changes depending on Blacksmith level.)
The horizon
I would love for my designs/ideas to catch the attention of the official dev's. I'd say my goal would atleast be for some of my ideas/mobs/items to be translated into the main games blocky style or have an influence. I have made nearly 100 original designs. I've poured my heart and soul into designing them for the past 6 years and spent countless hours of time on them. What you guys have seen is only the beginning!
Let me know what you guys think of these ideas and designs. I hope you like most of them, and if this is something you could get behind then help me get the dev's attention so that some of these things could actually exist in game!
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