While the above video demos the graphics and gameplay of Lugaru, the following video will give you more detailed instructions on how to play. The learning curve to Lugaru is steep, but this video should help a lot. Be sure to subscribe to Wolfire's YouTube channel!
Lugaru's primary feature is its unique combat system. Instead of relying on confusing button combinations to perform moves, Lugaru's moves are all logical and context sensitive. For example, if an opponent aims a roundhouse kick at Turner's head, you can crouch and then stand up under the attack to grab your assailant's leg and kick him away. If you try and punch an opponent and he tries to throw you over his shoulder, you can crouch to roll painlessly out of the throw. This new combat system makes fights look and feel much more intense and believable than in any other game. You can see it in action with the gameplay movies above.
However, if straight close-range combat with hands, knives, swords and staves is not your style, you can also use stealth, but you have to be smart about it. If you cut a wolf's throat, be sure to wipe the blood off your knife or another wolf might smell it. Enemy rabbits have very keen hearing, so be sure to walk quietly, and kill enemies before they make too much noise or run to alert their friends. Also, if they do bring their friends, don't expect them to stupidly take turns fighting you. It is not unusual for one enemy to sweep your feet out from under you and another to smash you while you fall.
Because of the emphasis on gameplay, the graphics are designed to let the game run as smoothly as possible. It should run at full speed at full detail on any system with a 700 MHz processor and Geforce 3 or better graphics card. It should run acceptably on any system with a 300 MHz processor and Rage 128 or better graphics card. While models do not have as many polygons as in some new commercial games, there is an unprecedented amount of detail where it actually matters. If an enemy shatters his staff on your skull then your vision will unfocus slightly for a few seconds. Jumping through trees creates a shower of leaves (and snow if it is in a cold area). Landing an especially solid blow to the head can spatter blood on the wall and knock out a couple teeth. If you throw a knife into a wolf, blood will drip down his fur as he yanks out the knife and uses it against you. It is even possible to smash enemies so hard into walls that the surface cracks. Motion blur makes fast movement easier to track.
Technical Features:
Several amazing people have gone in and created completely new Lugaru campaigns, which we believe are actually better than Lugaru itself. Tim Soret created the HD texture pack, for example, which is now included in Lugaru by default! Here are some of the most popular. More can be found on the Wolfire Forums.
Welcome to Lugaru's unofficial expansion pack. Unofficial, but free.
It includes 31 maps, 85 rabbits and 15 wolves on the receiving side, plus 4 different player characters. All this wrapped up in a large campaign, complete with scenario and dialogues.
Sven is Turner's twin brother (or maybe just a cousin, he was never very clear on this). He's been training in the desert (see my previous map pack) to become the new master of his Temple. He has just come back.
The story starts right in the heat of things, and what's happening is only implied by the dialogues, not flat out explained. But you'll figure out very quickly. The scenario is really simple and just a frame for the levels.
Last thing, don't be too upset if there are small glitches. The level editor is unsupported and reliably crashes when you stare at it the wrong way.
Enjoy!
Silb
WARNING: PG-13 rating. About 100 violent deaths on screen. (Also, a relative of the main character used the word "bastard".)
The island of Lugaru is embroiled in civil war. Led by the freedom fighter Lucius, the rebels have been fighting a losing battle to throw off the Imperial yoke. And now it seems the Emperor has unleashed a new weapon upon the rebel forces...one which may lead to the destruction of all who inhabit the island...
Frame-rate Warning: There are a few levels where the frame-rate gets down to the low 20's. This still works decently on my computer, but I'm guessing this wont be the case for everybody. There are 3 fighting levels with horrible frame-rates. If this is a serious problem, the following changes might help a little.
- Lower the "viewdistance". In the console, type "viewdistance .7" to reduce the distance you can see by 30 percent.
- Turn off the sky box. In the console, type "skybox"
To install Lugaru: Empire...
First back up the following files.
Data/Campaigns/main.txt ("Data" is located inside your Lugaru folder)
Data/Textures/World.png
Data/Textures/Lugaru.png
Data/Textures/Eyelid.png
Then just drag the Lugaru:Empire items from their folders and into the specified Lugaru folders.
I would like to give a BIG thank you to Silb, for without his answering my constant questions I would never have been able to finish this campaign. I was only able to create it by looking at what he had pioneered.
PM me on the Wolfire boards with any questions. Otherwise, enjoy!
-Jendraz
This is a small campaign I made with the Lugaru map editor. I finally finished this after wrestling invisible demons in the map editor. It has maybe 10 fighting levels, 7 dialogue levels, and one bonus fighting level.
I had intended to add a mystery solving element to all the tasks, to make up for the short length, but cut much of it because of difficulties with the editor. The main character is similar to a hired assassin and so I set up clues for the player to figure out who hired him and why.
For those still interested in sleuthing here are the areas where you can still solve the mystery. They are organized from easiest to hardest to solve (in my opinion, anyway):
Desert Village
Mountain City
Monastery
Theatre (maybe)
Desert sandstorm (probably not but maybe. hint: it's not the obvious answer)
I personally have always liked "the Making of..." docs about games, because I love seeing what creative process drove their design. So, I figured others might like that as well. The read me file contains a long "making of the seven tasks" for those interested in reading what my thought process was in making these maps (as well as spoilers for the mystery solving.)
Once you've unzipped the files place everything named "task#" into the maps folder. Place the "main.txt" in the campaigns folder, but don't forget to backup the original "main.txt" that's already there:
/Data/maps/"task#"
/Data/campaigns/main.txt
The "read me" can go anywhere.
Hope you enjoy!
After a whole three days in development, I give you...
In this Campaign we will follow Vincent Hirem, an ex-assassin, on his journey through a rebellion against an oppressive Imperialist government. When fate meets with his closest friends, he reluctantly resumes his life as an assassin and his new target is the Imperialist leader.
This was made in three days out of boredom while while waiting on work to be done on another project.
Have fun!
"Long ago, in our grandmothers' grandmothers' time, before the tribes could speak..."
Even as Turner seeks revenge for the killing of his family, an ancient and deadly danger is uncovered. All but forgotten, it threatens the future of all the races...
But some remember the old tales, and a new generation will rise to join the fight.