Interview with Stella




What is your name?
Stella.

Where are you from?
I don't know exactly...

That's odd. You don't know where you live?
Unfortunately no. I don't remember anything before my fall.

Oh, okay. So, can you tell us a little about yourself?
No, not really.

Hmm, do you have a favorite color?
Sorry, no.

A favorite food?
Hmm... Edward gave me a Star Peach yesterday. It was much better than the Haunch that Mel tried to make me eat last week.

Do you have any aspirations in life? Edward tells us that you are a healer...
Yes, it appears I can heal things. I'm constantly cleaning up after Lydia. Don't tell her this, but I think she is obsessed with blowing things up.

Okay, I won't tell her that you think she has a... problem. So, how do you feel about Edward? I hear that he is a real ladies man.
Edward? He's sweet. Stella blushes.

Uh oh, we're running out of time. Let's close up with one last question. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
That's a good question. I'd like to have my own peach orchard and bunny farm. Bunnies are so cute.

Well, er, strange aspirations, but cute. Stella, it was a pleasure chatting with you.
Thank you, it was fun. Bye now.

Aveyond 3 is currently in beta testing.

For almost a week now, our mods and a number of guild members have been putting the game through its paces, getting stuck in all kinds of weird and wonderful places, and venturing into spots where no man (or thief) should ever set foot.

In a few days a second group of beta testers will join in, so by the time the game reaches you, it should be relatively smooth and bug-free.

Beta testing will continue for a few more weeks, and we're still on track for a May release.

And to those of you who I know are thinking "May is tomorrow!" - remember - May lasts for a whole 31 days

Here are some more screenies...

Interview with Lydia Rupert




What is your name?
You may call me Lady Lydia of Thais.

You are a noble woman from Thais? Then you know Edward Pendragon?
Of course! He is the heir to the throne and my future husband.

You two are engaged? Edward didn't mention anything about a fiancé in his interview...
Oh, he doesn't know it yet, but he is going to be mine. The little wretch will not have him!

Who is the "little wretch"?
Ugh, do I have to say her name? The little black-haired runt.

Oh, you mean Mel? I didn't know that she and Edward were an item.
They aren't an item, but I know what she's up to. Prince Edward is unaware, but I am sure that the commoner wants to marry him so that she can become queen.

Ah, I see, this is about becoming queen?
Of course! Edward is cute, but I find him rather boring. He is, however, going to be king. Whomever marries him will rule Thais at his side.

So, beside your obsession to become queen of Thais, would you like to tell us about your profession? I've heard you are a mage.
I am a mage-in-training at the School of War and Magic.

What is your magical specialty?
I'm very good at destroying things... the best in my class, actually. I'm being modest. I am the best at everything I do.

Wow, you're one in a million.
One in ten million, actually. Excuse me, but you are boring and your outfit is hideous. You really must learn how to dress better. I have better things to do. Goodbye.

Lydia leaves.

And that concludes our interview with Lydia. Next week, the beautiful Stella will join us for a heart-felt discussion about fruit.

Whew! That was a long journey, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Alpha testing begins on Monday and will last for about a month - the goal: to make any last-minute additions and adjustments, and try and have very little for the beta testers to find. This task will fall mainly to Amanda, and I'll be working on a special update that will hopefully be ready for next week's blog

Here are some more screenies for you all.

We are now in the final "tidying up" stage of development, where the game is more or less complete (you can play it through from start to finish), but there are a lot of little things still to be added or tweaked.

Yes, I have more screenies for you this week But first, a quick update...

The game is coming along beautifully - Amanda has finished adding in all the fine detail to the maps, and they look absolutely stunning! If you like what you've seen so far, be assured, we're keeping some really special ones as a surprise for you.

Amanda's added the background music and sounds to most of the maps (or at least the ones I checked today), and I have to say that Venwood is definitely one of my favorite places in the game. Apart from looking and sounding great, there's quite a bit of fun happening there too!

Aveyond 3 has over 100 places to explore. Picking which areas to show you is difficult, but I've selected four, including an updated version of the crypt (I added lights).

In general, the colors for Aveyond 3 are vibrant.

Waterways:



Venwood:



Thial Mountain Pass:



Crypt:



Thais:

Interview with Edward Pendragon




What is your name?
Edward

Just Edward? Do you have a last name?
Nope, never had one.

That's odd. Well, what do you do, Edward?
I'm a Chicken Farmer.

Wow, that's an ambitious career. In what kingdom is your farm?
It's in... the uh... southern part of Thais Kingdom. Just south of Brightwood Forest. Yeah.

Whatever you say, however...
Yes?

You have an uncanny resemblance to Prince Edward Pendradon of Thais.
Shh!!! Don't say that name out loud! Okay, I'm him, just don't repeat it, understand?

Why? You should be proud...
Proud? Are you insane? It will ruin my reputation.

I didn't realize that being a prince wasn't "in" these days.
It's embarrassing.

Hmm. So, I've heard that every girl in you kingdom is in love with you. How lucky.
Edward rolls his eyes.
Have you ever been chased by a rabid pack of women?

No. Good point, I guess it doesn't sound like that much fun.
Prince Edward? Edward, where are you!?
Edward groans.

Who is that?
Lydia. I can't get away from her.

Ah, she is one of the companions on your journey, correct?
Unfortunately. She thinks she has to protect me from commoners. I can't get rid of her.

Doesn't she have any redeeming qualities?
Well, she is good at destroying things.

That's nice to know.
Look, I have to leave before she finds me. Don't tell her where I've gone, will you?

Sure, my lips are sealed.
Edward runs into the woods.

And that concludes our interview with Edward Pendragon. Stay tuned to see how our poor Edward juggles the heroines in Aveyond 3.

Tick, tock, tick, tock... it's getting closer!

Here are some screen shots to help you pass the time

Hey everyone,

This week's (early - SURPRISE!) update is coming to you straight from the composer of the Aveyond series. Many of you have chatted with me on the Amaranth or Walz Music forums and Facebook. If not, nice to meet you, I'm Aaron Walz! I live and operate Walz Music in San Francisco, California and I'm in my 20's. I have a degree in music composition and have played video games since I was about 8. My favorite music and inspiration? Japanese game composers, of course... but I also love jazz, classical, choral, world and dance music. My team and I at Walz Music have been very busy putting together a better-than-ever soundtrack for this new installment.

There are over 30 fantastic tunes and, as always, plenty of live orchestral instruments abound! Eva has polished up her flute and played her heart out for this game. Krisha has broken several hairs of her violin bow, all for you guys! In fact we are still in the process of recording some of these tunes acoustically and I'm still writing the very last piece, so we'll be working hard to get everything done in time.

There are some new great surprises in store for you in regards to audio and sound effects this time around... ooh, you will love it! I wish I could spoil it for you... so tempting! I tell you what, if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the Walz Music newsletter. You may find some Aveyond 3 sound samples weekly on www.walzmusic.com but you'll get some exclusive ones by signing up. And I may just reveal a secret or two... You can find the link on our site or just email: subscribe@walzmusic.com.

Are you curious about the music making process? When we get a project, the Walz Music Team and I sit down and look through the story and art. We brainstorm and plan, then create a spreadsheet to document each area, sound ideas and progress. Although we have several composers on our team, the Aveyond series is my responsibility so I compose all the music. Each song usually takes a day to write and sometimes several days. Sometimes ideas come unexpectedly during sleep or at the gym, so I always make sure to have a recording device or notepad nearby. Before proceeding, I sent this sketch to the game developer for approval. After a piece is programmed and/or played into the computer by my trusty keyboard, it has to be carefully mixed and played with to sound really great. Then I print out the music scores and schedule sessions with our musicians. Each piece can easily take over an hour to record. Mondays are studio days at Walz Music. We have a great time at our own "Palmer Studio" and make sure to take an extra long lunch and have lots of fun. Recording is way more relaxing this way and that spirit goes into the music. After the session, we must again mix the new recordings into the track and make sure it's perfect before sending it along to the developer.

Hope you enjoyed my post. Feel free to drop by the Walz Music site, My Forum, Blog, or Facebook Page and say hello! Enjoy Aveyond 3 and thanks very much for supporting Amaranth Games and Walz Music!