Feral Heart

Game & Forum Discussion => Game Discussion => Topic started by: SpazPaint on August 07, 2018, 06:19:28 pm

Title: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: SpazPaint on August 07, 2018, 06:19:28 pm
Back in 2010, Slycan interviewed Shadyvox, a former IT admin and the director of FeralHeart's unreleased campaign mode. In the interview, they discuss the features and design choices that were planned to be in FH before its release. I find it really interesting to go back and see what the dev team were planning on implementing and what features were removed.

Part 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4DdxTNAkmM)
Part 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMh9-TtKXDA)
Part 3 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AjsTgmpqqs)

Some of the features included (but aren't limited to):
Campaign/story mode
PVP mode
Fully-voiced NPCs
Quests
Ability to give/receive items to/from NPCs
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Ellen11v on August 07, 2018, 06:35:31 pm
What?! This is so awesome! I never knew these things about Feral Heart. This interview is pretty neat :o
Thank you for sharing this with us! ;o
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Kastilla on August 07, 2018, 06:51:12 pm
I have watched these oh-so long ago! ^_^ I wasn't quite sure if they were still around.

Thank you for informing the community once more!
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: SpazPaint on August 07, 2018, 07:03:29 pm
You both are very welcome!
I came across these a while ago and just felt like sharing them with you guys! I never knew that FH was supposed to have these features either---I was surpised! I like to think about how much different FH would've been if it had all the original ideas left in :D
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Morqque on August 07, 2018, 07:14:30 pm
Where that's a blast from the past. I honestly never knew a campaign let along npc function where in concept. I wonder, what would FeralHeart be like now if it happened?
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: LordSuragaha on August 07, 2018, 09:08:39 pm
Oh man the memories... brings me back to when I was eagerly awaiting the release of FH. It was always so exciting when the dev team would discuss or release tiny sneak peeks. It’s sort of bitter sweet listening to these again... You can’t help but wonder why LKD left so suddenly without any explanation as to why. Why things ended up the way they had... When you listen to these you can hear the enthusiasm about the whole project, and all the planned content. FH’s dev team really put a lot of love, imagination, and thought into building this project. So many things we still may never know that were planned. FH has come a long way <3

Thanks for sharing these good old flash back links with us Spazpaint ^^
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Kuri on August 07, 2018, 09:18:57 pm
This almost could encourage me to try & re-attempt making a single player simulator.
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Edolicious on August 07, 2018, 09:54:00 pm
I would've loved to see all this stuff put into the game. It would've made everything so interesting, dang. The fully-voiced NPCs and PVP modes are what I would be the most stoked for. That sounds like so much fun!
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Tigg on August 07, 2018, 10:14:22 pm
Oh god i remember this.
There was more stuff planned but... This is more bitter than sweet for me and brings back the memories how much i felt kinda, i dunno, betrayed... I was personally involved into the planning. I had made manes, tails tufts etc. for the game.
I have outlayed and planned features. None of them got realised and the people where just left behind.
I do know the reasons LKD had, but one of them is so ver-.... Excuse me, that doesnt belong in here.

Yes FH had big plans and an eager team. I am very sad none of the good stuff made it inside.

For me, i moved along to my own little game where i can add, create and update what i plan to have or what my players want. So im good right now!
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: SpazPaint on August 07, 2018, 11:47:12 pm
I'm glad that this post is making people feel happy and nostalgic! I thought it'd be fun to share some old stuff to compare it to the current game and to see how the older members would react. Watching these kinds of videos while the game was still being developed must've been really exciting!

Oh god i remember this.
There was more stuff planned but... This is more bitter than sweet for me and brings back the memories how much i felt kinda, i dunno, betrayed... I was personally involved into the planning. I had made manes, tails tufts etc. for the game.
I have outlayed and planned features. None of them got realised and the people where just left behind.
I do know the reasons LKD had, but one of them is so ver-.... Excuse me, that doesnt belong in here.

Yes FH had big plans and an eager team. I am very sad none of the good stuff made it inside.

Watching stuff that you've put HOURS into reach the cutting room floor...that's gotta hurt. I understand your feelings on this subject. Kovu's plans for FH seemed really ambitious and pretty promising. To see that almost every new idea planned for it got scrapped...seems pretty odd? I always feel bad for artists, programmers, designers, etc. that get their hard work modified or removed.
I really feel bad for Shady too, seeing as he was the lead director AND voice actor of a defunct mode. Knowing how excited he was to work on it and seeing it get deleted...kinda stings in retrospect
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: WolfQueen on August 07, 2018, 11:56:14 pm
I watched these quite some time ago and it really made me think of what might've happened to the game if Kovu stayed. A lot different, that's for sure. I feel a lot of MMORPG vibes.
Back then Kovu was really fixed on a realistic vibe and didn't want to add wings or items, but he eventually gave in ig.


I remember you made a feather tail and the claws. It's awesome that you put work into the game. It must suck that you can't anymore, but I'm glad you put your work into another game cause you're really good!
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Ame88 on August 08, 2018, 12:14:10 am
These are really interesting! I've always wanted to know more about FeralHeart, and this just grabs my interest even more. Thank you for posting these here!
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: PocketMutt on August 08, 2018, 02:42:27 am
I remember watching this and taking away a different view than what most everyone else is saying. By all means, it's interesting to know more about the development and the people behind FeralHeart but I actually was kind of confused as to why they wanted to add story elements in the first place. To me, FeralHeart functioned really well just as it is. The experience is determined by the user's interactions and usage of maps- whether it be just casual talking with other users or becoming involved with rps. I didn't see any need for objectives created by/for the game since FeralHeart never made you feel like there was a priority in the first place to engage you with anything other than simply exploring and chatting. Maybe my expectations when I started FeralHeart are different than some because I never played or heard of IT beforehand. So maybe to previous IT players, FH felt empty in comparison to elements that IT had. I surely don't know why LKD left and maybe it's best we don't try to impose reasons but I can't help but feel there was this burst of wanting to make exciting features but recognition there was no real need for any of them (sort of along the lines of "if it ain't broke don't fix it"). FH is not a perfect game by most means but I really think it is at it's best form is when it doesn't dedicate itself to inlaid story paths or NPCs.
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Vwang on August 08, 2018, 03:23:02 am
Haha (coUGH the memories), I remember seeing this video like a few years ago and my little me got jealous because they didn't add shadows in the current game, I always wished that these features would be released but it might not be. Thank you for sharing it ^v^
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Morgra on August 08, 2018, 06:24:44 am
I believe these were a few of the videos I watched when they first came out that really informed me about FeralHeart. Such a trip down memory lane for me. It really is a shame that we didn't ever get to see some of the features that were presented and discussed in this interview. But, we've loved FeralHeart as it is since late 2011 when the last update Kovu released happened and I don't think that will change.

By all means, it's interesting to know more about the development and the people behind FeralHeart but I actually was kind of confused as to why they wanted to add story elements in the first place. To me, FeralHeart functioned really well just as it is.
I completely agree with you on this. As much as NPCs and a quest line would have been interesting to see in the beginning, it would have been a smarter move to focus on adding in more multiplayer features. Features like different character interactions, more equip items, more customization options etc. I don't think a lot of people would get much use of a single player mode unless it was being updated constantly and that would have been a lot to maintain. Multiplayer has always seemed to be the type of gameplay that IT and FH both had. I think I would have rather seen more expanding on the features that help multiplayer games captivating and successful than a single player option.

Seeing something as simple as shadows in the slideshow they show warms my heart. Thank you for sharing these.
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: Tigg on August 08, 2018, 06:55:37 pm
I watched these quite some time ago and it really made me think of what might've happened to the game if Kovu stayed. A lot different, that's for sure. I feel a lot of MMORPG vibes.
Back then Kovu was really fixed on a realistic vibe and didn't want to add wings or items, but he eventually gave in ig.


I remember you made a feather tail and the claws. It's awesome that you put work into the game. It must suck that you can't anymore, but I'm glad you put your work into another game cause you're really good!

The feathertail actually went i game but got removed cause someone claimed copyright on it. On a feather. That sticks out of a butt. Yeah sure.

The claws are just a mod sadly, but i am happy so much people use them. I almost everytime see those on screenshots and it makes me happy!


Thank you for your kind words <3 i try to keep up my lil game as best as i can :3
Raptors were always a thing for me, so im happy i got these playable. Haaaa x3
Title: Re: FeralHeart's Beta Features (2010 ShadyVox interview)
Post by: SpazPaint on August 11, 2018, 06:54:33 pm

Quote
As much as NPCs and a quest line would have been interesting to see in the beginning, it would have been a smarter move to focus on adding in more multiplayer features. Features like different character interactions, more equip items, more customization options etc. I don't think a lot of people would get much use of a single player mode unless it was being updated constantly and that would have been a lot to maintain. Multiplayer has always seemed to be the type of gameplay that IT and FH both had. I think I would have rather seen more expanding on the features that help multiplayer games captivating and successful than a single player option.

Interesting! I do agree that multiplayer modes usually last for a longer time, but story/single player modes usually come to an end eventually. People usually only play campaign modes once, then never play it again after they beat it. And with Kovu's dissappearing act and the staff not having the source code, keeping the story mode updated would've been a nightmare

However, I really enjoy thinking about what could have been!  ;D  What would the NPCs have sounded like? Or looked like? What was the story? Who was the villain? What were the rewards for beating it? So many possibilities could've stemmed from it. But for reasons unknown (to the general public, anyway), we have no clue.