BYOND and Within #10

BYOND's fangame community recently received a shock as FUNimation requested the removal of multiple games based on their licenses.  Those thinking it was an April Fool's joke were disappointed when the results stuck.  Some simply packed up and left.  Some made sure to say BYOND will die without them.

BYOND has one employee.  The rest are unpaid volunteers.  Few want anything to do with fangames.  Somehow I don't think a mass exodus that reduces headaches and server loads makes much of a threat. ;)

This edited version of BYOND and Within comes to you from an unpaid volunteer using a game/development portal and software engine called BYOND.  The column focuses on recent developer activity.  Play suggestions are highlighted in the game list.

Within BYOND

Silk Games released the Black Sanctum expansion to their retro MORPG NEStalgia and followed it up with two patches.  Meanwhile, a dedicated podcast is being hosted by Silk Games members Ben "Silk" Mallahan and Jared "Balzack" Reilly.  Go earn some new medals, hair dyes and guild capes while you explore the massive new dungeon.

Forum_account's digging platformer A Miner Adventure has been updated with fixes, interface tweaks and additions to the builder's kit.  Meanwhile, his Sidescroller library has been updated with the announcement and continued development of a new action RPG called Tiny Heroes.  A video preview is available.

Is it just me or do clean blocks with a decent palette always look good?

Acebloke has released an update for his empire-building project Wargames2.  Among the fixes, features and changes are new research, units and improved AI.  Subscribers will be able to make use of the latter to settle towns while they're away.  Acebloke's attention is now on scenarios for the prequel.

...Seriously, blocks rock.

As promised, TheMagicMan has added ten new classes to his strategy game War of Heroes.  Humanity gained the Blade Dancer, Cryomancer, Illusionist, Swashbuckler and Warlord.  The other side, Legion, gained the Blackguard, Liche, Naga, Vengeful Spirit and Voidmancer.  Up next could be a JRPG-styled game for a single player.

Magicbeast20 has released two updates for his cooperative wave-based shooter Quarantine.  Maps, modes, medals and more have been added along with subscriber benefits.  I could still use an audio/map reference when my ammo runs out (instead of chat spam), but I find it much easier to survive.

Kaiochao has released and updated Shootah.  It's a cooperative shooter with circles firing in all directions.  Despite the carnage, it's oddly silent and the chat spam appears to be a poor substitution while actually playing.  Overall though, me likey.  I've enjoyed getting my butt kicked and popping right back into the action.

OrangeWeapons has released his entry to the now (supposedly) complete BYOND Cartridge Classic II.  It's a boardgame called Chess: Space Ripple.  Much of it appears to work like normal chess.  However, every random amount of turns, a connection to a second board opens that doubles the amount of pieces available.

Boxcar has released his first game.  It's an action puzzle called LumberGary.  Players have a limited amount of stamina to chop trees and avoid enemies on their way to the goal in each level.

Camdev has released "an online tabletop game with characters you'd find in RPGs" called Voxles.  Players choose six from twenty characters to battle opposing teams.  A chart of the skills is now available.

I've been busy.  I released BSP 2D, Multiple Association List and Grid 2D as general data structures.  I then created a Prim library to connect mazes and tied it together to create Prim Grid and Prim BSP.  I can't claim they're perfect, but I have been providing updates and I'm currently using them all in one project.

As for what my project is, I'm guessing that it's "excellent. And weird. Like, really weird."

Beyond BYOND