BYOND and Within #17

With the arrival of Yusuke13, BYOND Volunteers finally has another reviewer to manage feature status.  His first approval is Gears & Peers.    It's a game with simultaneous turns where players place robots, watch them move, predict crashes, collect opposing gears and run away.

It's my game.  I know it meets the guidelines.  I know I've given people more than enough time to tear it down in the submissions forum.

However, I'm also a feature reviewer.  I'm awaiting cries of bias from people who don't submit their work or respond to feedback.  Joy.

This edited version of BYOND and Within comes to you from an unpaid volunteer using a game/development portal and software engine called BYOND.  Rather than play suggestions, the column focuses on recent developer activity.

Within BYOND

Silk Games held a 4th of July festival in their retro MORPG NEStalgia where players could launch fireworks, hunt holiday monsters and duel for emblems.  More recently, version 1.50 of the game was released with a hotkey system and graphical improvements.  The 8th episode of the official podcast is available now.

Jittai has released an alpha version of his procedurally generated survival game, Stranded.  A lighting system has been added.  Jittai is currently aware of CPU usage issues and would appreciate feedback.

Mista-mage123 has released a text-based roleplay system called Rp Radio Custom Edition.  Players can create NPCs, enemies, equipment, items, skills and more.  Those databases can be imported and exported for other campaigns.

Acebloke has updated the empire-building Wargames 2 along with its map and scenario editor.  Settlers can build villages, there are a couple new units and...  If you don't know the drill by now, there's a plethora of changes that I can't do justice to.

The prequel was patched and updated as well.  Acebloke summarized the latter as balance tweaks.  That'll do. ;)

After taking some time off to work on unrelated procedural generation, Robertbanks2 updated his tactical RPG Imperatorum.  The focus was on the HUD and some AI tweaks.  He seeks an artist.  Paco the bear-wrestling chicken demands player feedback.

With more screenshots to drool over as I await its release, Forum_account has been continuing his platformer MORPG Tiny Heroes.  Key bindings can now be customized and a new enemy has been added.  Meanwhile, Forum_account's Interface library has been updated with improved JavaScript handling.

Tsfreaks announced that his turn-based strategy HexGame is now fully playable.  (You know, other than a server or file to download. ;))  Unit highlights and end game conditions have been added.  More is planned.

As PopLava, it was announced that the prizes of PopLava Challenge #1 have been increased with the winner receiving $150.  The deadline is still August 14th.

Oasiscircle has been working on a multiplayer sidescrolling action game called Rocket Down.  A video demonstrating the jetpack physics has been posted along with a screenshot of the firearms by artist Akto.

Taitz has been developing a new game called League of Power.  Players will create their own skills and do battle.  Multiple ability categories will be available.  The latest progress report focused on the landscape and whether it will be dynamic.  Either way, it seems pretty.

Beyond BYOND

And just when I thought she was comin' to my door, she made a tweet and beat my highest score. She said...