Some of you may have noticed the date on the Echoes website. It says the first Act of Echoes is scheduled for Q3 2009… And, it’s also past September, meaning we’re in Q4.

We’ve already said that in the forums: Echoes is slightly delayed and will be released in this final quarter of the year (Q4 2009). Trust us, it is better this way. We’re a bunch of perfectionists, and we want our final product to be precisely as designed. This probably doesn’t mean anything to you yet, but I can assure you it will make all of the difference, eventually.

The good news is we’ve got some new Echoes media for you guys. Remember the awesome poster Axel made, before the website officially came online? Axel made a desktop version of it, for all the resolutions. Click to download.

I also captured in-game screenshots from the development. Here:

Echoes development screenshot #1 - Combat Mode, Dem in action selecting some units.

Echoes development screenshot #2 - Basic base up, purchasing some Combat Marines from the Unit Station.

Keep in mind some things seen here may change. Like the fog of war on the minimap, and Combat Mode’s ability icons. Axel’s touch is everything!

Hola!

Since this is my first blog post here, I just want to start off with a few words about myself. I’m Axel, and I do pretty much all of the graphics for Echoes. And the animation. And a bit of game design. I’m a twenty-something, from Stockholm, Sweden. I love music, photography, creating visuals, I love to write, cook, play the drums, create music, and many other things. Started an engineer program in Media Technology at KTH in Stockholm a week ago. But enough about me! (for further info, head to the ‘about’ section - coming soon)

I thought I’d say a few words about the building pods, an important (and really cool) element in Echoes. Here’s how they work – you select which building you want to construct and a location where you want to build it. Mother Earth (the huge temple ship hovering above you) then receives the data, and drops a pod with non-human precision on your desired location. It continues by unfolding, it builds using rapid construction technology, and voila – you have a building, readyto be used!

Just hearing about it and seeing a screenshot may not be enough to make your arm hair rise, but take my word for it – its awesome. Stay tuned!

Echoes pods (click to enlarge)

/Axel

The website of Echoes, our upcoming Flash game, is finally up at echoesgame.com !

We filled it with a lot of information - regarding the universe and story of Echoes, a dedicated media page and a blog page to keep up with everything posted here. We will update the site occasionally and release more details and media about Echoes soon.

Echoes

It was designed by Axel, who is also the lead artist & animator in Echoes and is working very close with me on the game. I can’t help but love his style, it fits Echoes perfectly! Special thanks goes to the guys at SmartWD for the coding help and organizing the server-side stuff!

• Hit this link to get to the new website

As mentioned before, one of the main features in Echoes is allowing the player to instantly switch between Strategy mode and Combat mode. The Combat mode is the primary mode designed to assist your fellow men in combat, by controlling the main character, ‘Dem’. This name will make sense to you all soon

“General Dem is the current Commander-in-Chief of all UEN forces based on the Mother Earth. He is believed to be the first human chosen by the Hybrid Pantheon to undergo their ‘Ritual of Ascension’; the physical and mental integration into the Hybrid leadership caste. His escape from captivity before the completion of this process has left him with advanced Hybrid implants and abilities, but with no recollection of his past.”

- Echoesgame.com, Universe – Characters - Dem

Player DEM ingame visuals

Dem is able to carry an arsenal of weapons designed for different combat situations. But most importantly, he can use a number of Hybrid abilities, supportive and offensive, to fight along significantly with the UEN.

And here’s some more art:

Concept art of Dem, by Axel & Susanna

The website echoesgame.com is coming up in a few days!