Redux (DUX 2) (DC/iOS/Steam), Trailer up - PC Demo out

[bidinou]

Damn, they will definitely have to do something to regain a proper reputation....

At least Neo XYX got great reviews (on the NeoGeo).

[BIL]

I've just been informed that Ghost Blade will be using a different engine and will be sharp!

This belongs in the shumps jokes thread!

[Jonst]

What is the deal with the extra level? Is it there or not?

[RaidenViper]

My guess is they just completely overestimated their abilities, how did they ever think such a small development studio can make three games at once? (Neo Xyx, Ghost Blade, Redux)

Hucast did not make Neo XYX.

[bidinou]

Hucast did not make Neo XYX.

Isn't it the same main developer ?

[antares]

I always thought Hucast and NG.Dev Team are more or less the same guys, aren't they?

[Capintec]

Hucast = Rene Hellwig (Graphics and Game Design)
NG DEV Team = Timm Hellwig (Programming/ Game Design) + Rene Hellwig (Graphics)

[eatdogs]

Where are you based?

Mine arrived on Friday and I'm in the UK. Which is probably the fastest anything has arrived from anywhere else in Europe.

I'm in the US.

[brentsg]

I'll just play without my glasses on, should be ok.

I hope the bullets are big.

[bidinou]

I guess it should be OK using my Hanzo (= VGA box with optional scanlines). I'll let you know !

[eatdogs]

Well since mine hasn't arrived, I'm going to chop it up to me being over here in the U.S. and the long shipping times. I have all three games on pre-order. Ghost blade, redux, and neo xyx.

I'm most looking forward to ghost blade.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Where are you based?

Mine arrived on Friday and I'm in the UK. Which is probably the fastest anything has arrived from anywhere else in Europe.

I'm in the US.

Give it at least two more weeks then, especially when customs get involved. Usually takes 2 weeks minimum for anything I order from the US to arrive.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Just played Redux on my DC. WTF! Never again will I kickstart anything from them again, that's just unbelievable how they piss on their customers!

My guess is they just completely overestimated their abilities, how did they ever think such a small development studio can make three games at once? (Neo Xyx, Ghost Blade, Redux)
So with already a year(?) behind their schedule, they just decided to give Dux a (questionable) makeover and ship it out and ditched what was originally planned for Redux...

Okay, so it wasn't explicitly stated as being a DUX remake but all the screens presented on the Kickstarter clearly show exact replicas of DUX locations. As does the original trailer. What exactly did you expect based on what was shown?

And yes, a year behind schedule. Part of that was implementing the extra stage even though they hadn't met the funding target. Clearly (from the resolution issues and delay) they tried something in making the game and struggled to get it running on the DC. They're independents with a limited budget and limited resources, give them a break.

[antares]

Well ok, if it was clear for everybody that this will be just a remake of Dux and I just didn't inform me good enough to notice it's my own fault. But I for sure thought this will be a sequel to Dux.

Would be interesting to know from other forum members, did anybody else think this will be a new game or did you all realize it's just a remake?

Still, I played Redux and Dux today and Redux looks so ugly in comparison, if you wouldn't know you would think Dux is the later version. And charging 65 bucks for something like this is a rip off in my eyes.

[bidinou]

Would be interesting to know from other forum members, did anybody else think this will be a new game or did you all realize it's just a remake?

As said above, I was not sure. Based on the screenshots & videos, I thought it was just a remake (also, a PC demo was released, right ?). But based on the texts I read, it really seemed to be a new game. So I didn't know

I had neither Dux nor Dux 1.5, so it's not such a big disappointment for me (I'm waiting to receive the version with soundtrack and dux 1.5 so there will be plenty of content for me).

As for the 240p vs 480p, this is clear that they stumbled upon performance issues and had to lower their expectations in the process, explaning part of the delay...

I think people should not be too harsh on them. Even if HuCast clearly made some huge communication mistakes. But they probably didn't know how to "back pedal" on what was announced years before... I still have hope for their next title. Time will tell ! It's still amazing to see new quality DC titles in 2014.



This really needs an official clarification, as it's fully understandable people are disappointed. But still, I hope people will not lose faith in their further developments.

[antares]

There was no demo at the time of the kickstarter so to make my question more precisely: Who thought, at the time they pleged for Redux, that this will be a new game?
I dare to say most people did. Even this very thread still says 'Dux 2' in the title

[Ghegs]

I did, because the very first line in the Kickstarter is "REDUX is a new shmup". Not having played Dux I couldn't tell that the screenshots shown had the same stage design.

[Jonst]

The redux description I saw was just that it was going to have a new scoring system,extra level and a new soundtrack.

[Dewclaw]

Maybe I misread it, but I was also under the impression that it was a new game.

As for cutting them slack, people had been asking for answers and clarification for months with terrible communication from Hucast--they would wait until well after a deadline had passed and people were scratching their heads wondering where the game was before updating. It's amazing how far any kind of explanation would have gone toward getting them some goodwill from the kickstarter backers!

They also seem to ignore any questions about why the "kickstarter exclusive" steelcase edition is being offered for sale on their website.

[Kollision]

It's no wonder HuCast gets so much animosity towards themselves.
The company's behavior/communication has been really bad pretty much since they started. Delays are no problem in my eyes, they just shouldn't have handled them so poorly.

Also they are shamelessly milking DUX beyond the acceptable. Remember DUX 1.5? I preordered the packaged game even though I was entitled to the replacement disc. What do they do one (1) month after the retail disc is out? They announce a LE with an OST included. Fuck, that's bullshittting all over my face if you get what I mean. And given the fact that the OST is the only thing that's worth something in DUX 1.5, well...

DUX is cursed and HuCast should've buried it instead of milking it even more with REDUX.
The shitstorm over REDUX hasn't even started yet.

[HydrogLox]

Would be interesting to know from other forum members, did anybody else think this will be a new game or did you all realize it's just a remake?

Apocalypse Now is a Movie.
Apocalypse Now Redux is a different cut of the same movie.
I guess "Dux Redux" would have been more honest but ReDux seemed more clever.

I did, because the very first line in the Kickstarter is "REDUX is a new shmup". Not having played Dux I couldn't tell that the screenshots shown had the same stage design.

So it is "new to you" - but joking aside "REDUX is a new shmup release" would have been a safer statement without any loss in ambiguity.

Even this very thread still says 'Dux 2' in the title

I guess the smiley is an acknowledgement of the fact that this thread isn't an official release channel for Hucast information.

If you looked closely it was clear that is was a remake but there seems to be a definitive ambiguity to the way the information was presented to imply that it was a sequel (marketing?).

It's amazing how far any kind of explanation would have gone toward getting them some goodwill from the kickstarter backers!

Not an excuse, just an explanation - if you look into the history of the original DUX release it becomes quickly clear that he has no tolerance for the typical "internet negativity and wining" which ultimately leads him to clam up - an unfortunate trait for the business he's in.

[bidinou]

I guess I'mma need a VGA box then. Hope it helps...

Get this one then : http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/sh ... -generator

It's homemade, pretty affordable, and you can have optional scanlines which make games more pleasant to look at... Very useful for NGDevTeam games too !

[Stevas]

So lemme get this straight.

In order for me to get the best outta this game (A.K.A. "be able to see what's going on in it"), I'm gonna need to find me a monitor, unplug the DC from the perfectly good CRT it's already plugged into, buy some VGA* thingy box for it...

Yeah, I'm out.

EDIT: * Oh, almost forgot: which will give me the option of scanlines... to make the game look "better"... that is: make the game look like it's being played through... the CRT I just had to unplug it from?

[bidinou]

@ Stevas : dunno if it will really be better... CRT are usually preferable anyway. How do low res titles like Last Hope look on your monitor ?

[Stevas]

@ Stevas : dunno if it will really be better... CRT are usually preferable anyway. How do low res titles like Last Hope look on your monitor ?

Which monitor? I don't currently have one...

[Ghegs]

I did, because the very first line in the Kickstarter is "REDUX is a new shmup". Not having played Dux I couldn't tell that the screenshots shown had the same stage design.

So it is "new to you" - but joking aside...

Technically yes. But since I had read that Dux wasn't exactly a stellar game, and Dux 1.5 would be basically be the bugfixed version, I assumed and expected that ReDux would be a totally new game. One where the dev had learned from their prior mistakes and this time put together at least a competent R-Type clone.

Sadly, I really can't tell, I honestly can't play the game due to the fuzzy graphics. If Hucast wants to extend an olive branch in the form of a Steam code for the "Clear Visuals" version, then I can say if the game's actually good in its own right.

[HydrogLox]

If Hucast wants to extend an olive branch in the form of a Steam code for the "Clear Visuals" version, then I can say if the game's actually good in its own right.

Well at this point we don't even know if there will be a full PC version at all. Speaking of which, is the PC demo (Redux-Beta-Demo-2012-v1.0.0.zip) basically the single player "Clear Visuals" version of the stages that are represented?

Yeah, I'm out.

DUX seems to be in the realm of "avoid x.0 release" software:

• Dux (Dux 1.0)
• Dux 1.5
• Redux (Dux 2.0)

Seems right now Dux 1.5 is the "definitive" version of Dux - without the extra stage or second player support.

Hm, intriguing. Better bookmark this.

And this:
Hardware Board: HANZO - The Ultimate Dreamcast VGA BOX with Scanlines
Jamma Nation X > Scanline Generators > Dreamcast > Hanzo VGA Box with SLG

[fagin]

@ Stevas : dunno if it will really be better... CRT are usually preferable anyway. How do low res titles like Last Hope look on your monitor ?

To get rid of the blur you need to utilise the 480p VGA output on this game AND then overlay scanlines back over it to sharpen it up (like it should have looked in native 240p in the first place).

[antares]

Even this very thread still says 'Dux 2' in the title

I guess the smiley is an acknowledgement of the fact that this thread isn't an official release channel for Hucast information.

If you looked closely it was clear that is was a remake but there seems to be a definitive ambiguity to the way the information was presented to imply that it was a sequel (marketing?).

Of course this is the reason for the smiley but it also shows that clearly I'm not the only one who thought that way. Also if your re-read the first few pages of this thread the general consensus seems to be that Redux is indeed a sequel to Dux.
But ok, I don't think it's necessary to argue about this any longer, I just wanted to make my point.

And I agree with you that the deliberately vague information could be marketing tactics which just confirms my first statement that Hucast don't value their customers!

And last, about the issue that the screenshots showed that it will be a remake, I think it's not that clear. It's common for kickstarter projects to include mockups or placeholder screens or they could have just re-used some assets from the first game in the new one.

And I don't say I'll never buy any product from Hucast or NG Devteam again. But they surely won't get any more money from me in advance. For their next announcement I'll just wait until the product is finished, then read the opinions from the community and then I'll decide if I buy it or not.

[Sier]

To be fair, RHE confirmed Redux wasn't a sequel at the time of the campaign.
A gent called Chris handled press & translations, there's a link to that Q & A on page 3 of this thread.