Mage's Initiation - To Be Released January 30th, 2019

AGD2 · Wed 05/12/2012 14:33:13

UPDATE: November 28th, 2018: Mage's Initiation To Be Released January 30th 2019

After a decade of hard work, Mage's Initiation finally has a release date!
Set your calendars for January 30th, 2019.

We also have a new preview teaser video to whet your appetite for what's to come.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/CKW-32Qki_k

The game now has a page on Steam and you can start wish-listing it. So be sure to do that and help us spread the word!
We're also (still) in talks with GOG.com about releasing on their platform.

Last but not least, we are currently working on native Mac OSX and Linux ports and hope to have them ready for release day. Fingers crossed.

Here are a few up-to-date screenshots:

UPDATE June 4th, 2013: Contest - Win a prize pack worth over $450 USD!

We're running a giveaway to help promote Mage's Initiation on Steam Greenlight.

For the chance to win a huge bundle of collectible items valued at over $450 USD, just follow these simple steps:

1) Visit the Mage's Initiation Greenlight page and click the "Yes" button to upvote the game.

2) Click the "Favorite" and "Follow" buttons (under the screenshots).

3) Leave a comment (This step is necessary so that we can choose winners from the list of usernames assigned to the comments).

And that's it! Three entries will be randomly chosen when Mage's Initiation gets greenlit and this contest will remain open until that time. Comments/votes that existed before the contest was announced will also be eligible to win.

Second Prize: Two runners-up will each be gifted one game of their choice (of any value) to their Steam account.

First Prize: One lucky winner will receive all if the items below:

Thanks!

UPDATE March 15th, 2013: Playable Demo Released!

Download the Mage's Initiation Demo here

UPDATE February 26th, 2013: The Kickstarter is live right now!

Hello! This game has been in development for a few years now, so it seemed like a good time to post it here on the AGS forums!

Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements by Himalaya Studios is a Point & Click adventure game which includes RPG and character-building elements. It will be similar in style to Sierra's Quest for Glory series with a set of unique spells for each of the 4 character classes. The game will also feature a Diablo-esque battle system with loot drops.

The Story:
D'Arc is sixteen years old. He has trained extensively in elemental magic for the past decade of his young life under the discerning eyes of the Mage Masters of Iginor. Confined to an existence of academics and magical mastery in their mystical tower, the inquisitive student often wonders what it would be like to set foot outside into the world that he has been secluded from; a world that his Masters deeply shun.

As with all young Mages in training, D'Arc's moment of initiation arrives and he is summoned to the Hallowed Hall, where the four Mage Masters put him to the test. D'Arc is instructed to complete three tasks which will test his magical and mental strength to full capacity. He must return to the Mage's Hall bearing a symbol of proof that he has conquered each task: a lock of hair from banished priestess, the unspoiled shell of griffon's egg, and the horn of a trinicorn. On his quest, D'Arc inadvertently stumbles upon a sinister political scheme that threatens the very existence of sleepy land. A faceless fiend conspires to shatter the order and tranquility that the Mage Masters have long held at equilibrium, bringing chaos and tyranny in their place.

Join D'Arc on a perilous journey across the fantasy-medieval land of Igninor. Brave the ominous forest where redcap goblins stalk. Trek across a barren and lawless wasteland. Navigate vast bodies of water where evil masquerades as beauty. And ascend beyond the lofty mountain peaks where the hostile Flyterians dwell. It is time for D'arc to prove himself. Succeed and he shall join the ranks as a fully-fledged Mage, gaining the respect of his Masters and peers. Fail and nobody shall remember his name. Do you have what it takes to become a Mage?

Screenshots:

Exploring the blood-spattered kitchen of the Redcap Goblins.

This enchanted palace is not all that it seems.

Goblins, and Manifestations, and Demons... Oh my!

The ever-watchful Mage Masters have selected 3 tasks for D'Arc. Don't disappoint them!

Is this lake as placid as its appearance suggests?

Round 1... Fight!

All the Magical literature a Mage could ever dream about is contained within the Reading Hall.

Are the mountain-dwelling Flyterians fierce fearsome foes or flighty feathered friends?

Development Team:
Written & Designed by: Daniel Stacey (Cadbury Wookie)
Programming by: Chris Warren, Jason Mearls, Morgan Busch, Stijn van Empel (AGD2, Gargin, Antipus, Erpy)
Background artwork by: John Paul Selwood & Emily Selwood (KQArtist & rosel1)
2D cutscene movies: Jess Bebe (Akril)
Character Sprites & Lead Animation by: Shane Stevens (ProgZMax)
Animators: Carlos Hoyos Barcelo, Jeremy Kitchen, Johan Botes (Dr Jones, Jerminator, Gronagor)
Dialogue Portraits by: Britney Brimhall (AGD1)
Music by: Brandon Blume (MusicallyInspired)
Website, Collectibles, & Promo design by: Eriq Chang

Features:
-A full-length adventure game title.
-Beautifully illustrated Hi-Res character & background artwork.
-No dead-ends or over-reliance on trial & error puzzle solutions.
-Multiple interfaces. Play the game in intuitive LucasArts style or in Sierra style for added challenge.
-Look, Use, Talk and inventory speech and descriptions for absolutely EVERYTHING.
-Play as one of four Mage classes based on the elements (Water, Air, Fire, and Earth).
-Each class has specialist spells and a unique personality to help negotiate puzzles and overcome adversities.
-A refined stat-building system that doesn't rely on the monotony of skill-grinding.
-Class-based solutions to nearly every game puzzle and multiple game endings.
-Learn powerful combat spells and duel with magical foes to gain wealth, valuable items, and experience.
-Full Voice Acting, Lip-syncing, and Digital Music Soundtrack

Release Date:
January 30th, 2019

We're currently reserving pre-orders for Limited Edition copies of "Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements". This is a Collector's Edition that contains high-quality boxed packaging, an artistically designed game disc, a printed cloth map of the land of Iginor, an archaic spell book page, character trading cards, and a Mage's Initiation poster.

The Collector's Edition packaging and bonuses will no longer be available after the promotional period ends. At the present time, no advance payment is required to reserve a pre-order of Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements. (Notification of when to make payment for pre-orders will be announced only when the game is nearing its release date.)

Please note that pricing is To Be Announced. (We request that only customers who genuinely intend to pre-order the Limited Edition put their name on this list. Note that the pre-order list is opt-in, so after putting your name down, you'll need to confirm your pre-order by clicking on the link in the e-mail you're sent. You can also remove your name from the pre-order list at any time. For general information on the game when it becomes available, please join the Himalaya Newsletter instead).

To learn more about Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements and this special announcement offer, visit The Mages Promo page.

Remember to Like the Himalaya Studios Facebook page and Twitter for ongoing updates about the game.

Mati256 · Wed 05/12/2012 21:24:50

Looks great. Is this game made with AGS?
One thing I noticed in games like this and Quest for Infamy is that the characters look really tiny compared to the environment.

Fitz · Wed 05/12/2012 22:58:40

"And the 2013 AGS Award for Best Graphics goes tooo..."

Seriously, looks really nice -- even if the characters do appear kinda small compared to the backgrounds.

AGD2 · Thu 06/12/2012 09:15:18

Thanks! Yeah, the game is certainly being developed with AGS.

In regards to the character sprites, if you suggest making them even larger I think ProgZ might have a fit!

Actually, these sprites contain about 4x the detail of a standard 320x200 game character sprite, so the process of creating them has been incredibly time-consuming. Making the characters larger than the current size would have been unfeasible, so we had to determine a reasonable a trade-off. We also didn't want to scale the sprites over 100% because then it introduces uneven pixelization and just looks bad. When the game is played at full-screen mode, however, the characters look good and are large enough to click on without any problems. It's something you adapt to pretty quickly.

Fitz · Thu 06/12/2012 09:25:33

Yeah, don't worry about it. As players, we adapted to all sorts of things that look different in real life -- or wouldn't even be possible (such as collectable items instantly disappearing when walked into in platform games). Your game looks so gorgeous you could probably get away with a lot worse

cianty · Thu 06/12/2012 19:24:42

Good to see this up here now. I think I have signed up to this a long time ago already. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you manage to keep the estimated release date.

AGD2 · Thu 06/12/2012 23:12:37

Haha that's unlikely at this juncture, cianty. There's still a ways to go on the development front!

Hmmm, that reminds me I'll have to remember to update that website graphic...

Squinky · Fri 07/12/2012 00:54:47

I want this game, this is what is all about here. I played Hero quest so much, this just makes my day.

OG · Fri 07/12/2012 05:08:59

Aesthetically, this game looks beyond amazing. Have to say I agree with Fitz though, the sprites could be a teeny-weeny bit bigger.

Slasher · Fri 07/12/2012 05:15:57

Sounds great. Cool graphics

dactylopus · Fri 07/12/2012 08:32:42

This is one of the games I've been eagerly waiting for, and it's good to hear some more news.

Things look great! All of the art is very well done, and the concept is awesome too.

I'm certainly looking forward to its release in late 2013.

Mouth for war · Fri 07/12/2012 09:19:07

Very VERY nice looking!!! Oh and did i mention that it's very nice looking?

cianty · Mon 10/12/2012 16:32:57

Quote from: AGD2 on Thu 06/12/2012 23:12:37
Haha that's unlikely at this juncture, cianty. There's still a ways to go on the development front!

Really? From what I remember there's been a single-plage-website for the game for .. dunno two years or something and it had an email sign up funcionality then too. Anyways, good to see this is still going strong. It looks very promising.

AGD2 · Thu 13/12/2012 17:56:20

Thanks, guys. Glad you're digging it.

cianty: That's right. The Mage's Initiation webpage has been online since February 2011. Progress has been constant, but we experienced a bout of Development Hell due to unforeseen circumstances and a high-turnover rate, the likes of which I've never encountered on any game project I've worked on before. Also, being a hi-res,full-length game with RPG aspects and 4 playable character classes, it tends to increase the scope for issues and bugs, so we need to spend time scripting everything very carefully and thoroughly.

We've actually decided to run a Kickstarter campaign for this game in early 2013 so that we can finish and release it as quickly as funding permits. If the campaign succeeds, we'll also re-include some neat class-specific quests that had to be cut due to budget constraints. Plus, it will also provide the perfect means to distribute the Collector's Editions and swag which I'd always intended to offer as a pre-order anyway. So, stay tuned for that.

nads · Fri 14/12/2012 09:08:05

Holy crud! this looks amazing! This sort of thing motivates me (Also makes me die a little inside) because this and so many other games are such quality coming through this site. I have about 4 project which I'm very slow working on, whenever I get some free time and not drained from work. But I'll slug away and hopefully one of these will be release first/second for everyone to enjoy/despise. Keep up the good work guys! I'll be sure to throw some cash into the Kickstarter when it's up and running! Keeping a close eye on this one for sure!

AprilSkies · Fri 14/12/2012 14:45:45

WOW!! It looks great (but for sure IT IS!).
Really really really great job!

homelightgames · Tue 18/12/2012 05:57:27

Even though I'm not a huge RPG fan, I would totally support a Kickstarter for this project to help support you guys and girl(s). I love the detail in the artwork. Keep up the good work!

AGD2 · Tue 19/02/2013 21:46:11

Hey, hey, hey! Just wanted to give you incredibly good-looking people a heads-up that Mage's Initiation is now up and humming on Kickstarter.

If you're super quick, you can still nab a digital download copy for $6. We have some other nice collectibles and swag on offer too at higher levels. Feel free to check it out and thanks for looking!

http://kck.st/mages

homelightgames · Wed 20/02/2013 05:59:54

Supported.

The artwork is beautiful.

I look forward to updates.

visionmind

Daniel Thomas · Wed 20/02/2013 16:27:44

Looking good! Fun to see so many from the community in the team.