Populous: Reincarnated is an online community for the game Populous: The Beginning. For this version I am working on multiple projects. Some of these projects I work on alone and for some I work with other community members. Populous Reincarnated is a game from 1998 that is still being updated by the community, a few years ago they created a more modernised version in C++ that allowed cooperative play and 8 player multiplayer. With this version they also added LUA modding support which I am working with.
I am also volunteering as a “mappack admin” and as such am a member of staff. As a mappack admin I check mappacks made by community members that want to upload them into the map rotation for everyone. While checking I have to make sure the maps are bug free and playable.
I work on these projects and the volunteering work in my spare time.
What I have worked on:
- Level designs
- Level implementations
- Set up a balancing & design team
- Leading the redesign of the balance for the multiplayer game
- Implementing the rebalance
- QA & organised multiple test cycles
Revival – the rebalance mod
Below is a video made by the largest content creator for Populous: The Beginning, which serves as an explanation for the 1.0 version of the mod. Since then changes have been made based on feedback and parts that we noticed weren’t quite there yet. I manage a forum post with the full changelog to keep everyone up to date.
What I am working on:
- Level design
- Level implementation
- AI behaviour (LUA)
- Keeping an eye on the rebalance mod
- Checking maps and scripts made by others
Focus of the project:
- Working alone and with others on side projects I am passionate about
- Learning LUA
What I learned:
- How to code in LUA
- How the AI in Populous works
- Designing interesting dynamics with pre-written mechanics
- How to give feedback on work from others
- Leading a team and managing the balance of a game while keeping it fun
- Working with a barely documented API
- Revival – The game rebalance mod – Currently active
- Enhanced Shaman AI – Currently active
- Cooperative Campaign – On hold