Hello there !
/!\ Important note : I saw my demo is available on russian websites (maybe not the only ones). I don't know what they did with the game build and I don't recommend getting it from there. The demo remains free, there's no reason to get it from suspicious website. Thanks /!\
After seeing tons and tons of similar askings on the Trailer and many other places, I figured out a little problem : I never made an FAQ, so here it is :3
Q : Is this official ?
A : No, it's fully fan-made
Q : how do I download the demo ?
A : First, make sure you're using a PC, not a mobile. Then, use any of these links, open the "GameDemo" folder and download each one of the 4 files here, not just the zip. I splitted the archive in multiple ones because of the quota limit, sorry in advance :
Mega : https://mega.nz/folder/oZhiBIYC#Z7-yduK3c63H5i1LjBFBSg
GoogleDrive : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SfPg--yjIAPWy71nUJ_aH-lZjpzCzvb3?usp=sharing
Q : How do I install the game ?
A : there's no need to install it. Simply :
1) Make sure you downloaded the 4 parts of the zip archive (else you won't be able to unzip)
2) Unzip the archive file somewhere on your PC
3) go in : "[Build Version number]\WindowsNoEditor folder"
4) double-click on "StarWarsRedemption.exe"
/!\ On Mac, you can use dualboot or CrossoverGames (recommended) and follow the same steps
/!\ On Steamdeck, do the add local game to your steamlibrary, then go to preferences of the game and set use proton experimental (steam should try and select the good one, you can still try out manually, it should works). Since Steamdeck is built on Linux, I guess the same steps should work on a Linux PC. CrossoverGames can work too
/!\ On chromebook, CrossoverGames can also be a good try (although you'd still need a rock-solid one, I never tested gaming on such machines and don't recommend that at all)
Q : I extracted everything well, but when I launch the StarWarsRedemption.exe I get an error and it doesn't open
A : Perhaps the install didn't went through the Unreal Engine 4 prerequisites setup, it can happen sometimes (still it's rare as the prerequisites install should run automatically at first start of the demo)
In order to fix this :
1 - Go in the folder "WindowsNoEditor\Engine\Extras\Redist\en-us" and install the "UE4PrereqSetup_x64.exe"
2 - try running the demo .exe again, it should work fine
Q : how do I update the demo ?
A :It's not an auto-updater, you have to download the archive file again. What is updated is the content inside both of the folders you have access to, it doesn't download modified files and install them for you, you have to do this.
Pay attention to the fact I bring some hotfixes, if the file has been recently modified, something fixed is in it (I may warn on my social media channels such as youtube, twitter...etc, you can find me @vexod14)
Q : how can I manage my savegame ?
A : go in "C:\Users\YOUR-USER-NAME\AppData\Local\StarWarsRedemption\Saved\SaveGames" and you should see a file named "SWRSaveDatas.sav" if you've played the game, if not, this file will be created automatically the next time you start the demo.
/!\ You can rename it or delete it if you want a fresh restart (of course please do it while the game is not running)
/!\ All the progress and preferences are stored in this file. The Dragonflies you captured, but also the difficulty, the look of Mevenn (from the 2.8), and any other parameter you might choose (except starfighters at the moment)
Q : The link said it reached daily quota, but I want to play the demo !
A : When something new comes in,there's often a first rush of users. First weeks are expected to regularly reach quotas, so if you can't get the demo yet, first, try all links. Then wait a few days and try again when there will be less download demands.
Q : When will [the game/the next version] be released ?
A : I'm making this project on my spare time. It's a hobby and I make it for free. Updates come once done, not on a regular basis, nor on a lifetime basis.
About the idea of a finished game, the answer is I myself don't know where it might go tomorrow. I can only assure you that I love crafting new things for it when I can, not how far I will go. I might drop the project for another in a few days, or simply die (sorry for being so brutal). No one knows, so don't lose your mind and make it an existential matter, and just enjoy what I can offer :)
Q : Why not putting the demo on steam then ?
A : because it would require too much things to setup the project there, meaning time spent not on dev. I don't want to do this for the demo
Q : Where can I learn more about the project ?
A : On this artstation profile ! You can follow these links depending on what you'd like to see (click on artwork to explore it) :
Environment & Props : https://www.artstation.com/vexod14/albums/802560
Characters : https://www.artstation.com/vexod14/albums/802559
ConceptArts & Illustrations : https://www.artstation.com/vexod14/albums/802561
Work in progress : https://www.artstation.com/vexod14/blog
You also have a polycount thread here : https://polycount.com/discussion/179144/star-wars-redemption-fanmade-project#latest
3D-Coat forums : https://3dcoat.com/forum/index.php?/topic/18229-some-works-arround-star-wars/
and last but not least (French only !), on the great "Star Wars-Universe" : https://www.starwars-universe.com/forum/fan-arts-f71/star-wars-redemption-fan-game-t18663.html#p1080889
Q : Why lightsabers are floating, is it a bug ?
A : It's not a bug, but it comes from a software limitation first of all. Back in the days, akeytsu had no "Space-Switching" feature, meaning that you had to choose where the saber hilt will be attached forever. In-hand was problematic, cause making the saber fly on its own implied tracking it frame-by-frame manually. Instead, we choosed to attach it to the character's root, so except if we decide to move the root, the hilt would live freely. What's important then is that you can make wider movements, so you have a greater range of possibilies for Mevenn's animations and I can tell you that Thomas & I really loves that. We do not plan on sticking it to the hand even if that's possible, it would mean a degradation of both Mevenn's powers and what she can offer to us animators.
Q : Is this a game ?
A : Yes, but not only. This project could derivate in a film, a serie, whatever as it serve the main purpose of telling a cool story =)
Q : Which engine is used to make the demo ?
A : Unreal Engine 4
Q : Do you plan on porting it to Unreal Engine 5 ?
A : Maybe, but currently there's some issues with a few things.That said I'd love to see the demo running with Lumen ;)
Q : Is this a movie ?
A : No (or perhaps not yet). I wanted to make the trailer to see how far I could push akeytsu and train my personnal animator's skills (which are still not good enough I think), it was also a quite better way to express Mevenn's personnality throughout pure animation, without any game constraints
Q : Is this for mobile ?
A : No, and probably won't ever be as It means least possibilities for art & code and this project's scope on both side should see no such compromises
Q : Will this be on consoles ? (PS4/PS5/XBoxOne...etc)
A : Not for the demo, but probably for the game (if the game is a thing one day of course). Also, you have to understand that making a game for PC is not like making a game for consoles. Even as powerful as the PS5 is, it's a static hardware evolving roughly every 3 or 4 years and has middle components compared to what a PC can do. Not the same hardware, not the same capabilities, not the same limits. Devs and especially artists often rather work on PC titles than console versions. On PC, it's open-bar on ressources compared to others
Q : Will this be on mobile ? (Android/iOS/Switch)
A : No.There are games tailored for mobile and suitable to an existing ecosystem/market. SWR is simply not made for this, I encourage those asking me regularly if I'll port the project to mobile to accept I won't do that. Thanks
Q : Will this be on MacOS ?
A : Not for the demo. You can play the demo and a lot of games either on a dual boot (get a win10 license on websites like instant gaming for a few bucks) or using bottle apps like CrossOverGames (This make a tiny windows environment in which you could place the demo and run it)
Q : Can I use a gamepad instead of mouse+Keyboard ?
A : Yes ! This was one of the new features of version 2.0, I tested it with an XBox 360 controller on Windows 7, 10 & 11, and I assume most controllers compatible with windows should work. That said, a few shortcuts are exclusive to the keyboard/mouse (but not gameplay essential), so best is to keep both next to you and use your favorite one when in game ;)
Q : I saw a warning about the required hardware, am I able to run this on a poor laptop ?
A : As for any software, there's always potential issues. When you launch an app, you have to prepare yourself to react efficiently to any possible problem. Yet the game has been tested on really, really poor hardware (not a chromebook, but quite close) and it ran nicely without crashes, in low graphics mode of course. By default, the game should set the best quality mode depending on your PC hardware, but if you're unsure you can change quality settings (and launch a level to apply changes). One single guy apparently destroyed his PC by launching the demo, I do not made it to achieve such curious goal, and I hope this guy was just a stupid troll.
In any case, if you feel your computer acts strangely, don't wait : hit Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Suppr and manualy shutdown the game process. If this doesn't work, a good old manual power off is legit to prevent any hardware overheat damage. Keep in mind that this should not happen, that's just common rules that apply, like training in case of a fireplace
Q : I don't have a 1070 GTX or equivalent, can I run the demo ?
A : Yes. The 1070 GTX is a good one if you want to experience the game with Epic quality settings, but the demo will try to find the best way to run fine on your PC, so if it's lower, the game will use lower settings. I tested it on a 660m GTX (the reduced version of a desktop Graphic card. This one was a good PC back in 2012 ;)) and the demo runs quite fine =)
By the way, the only video cards that runs well are gaming cards, for example on a nVidia Quadro, the game will perform poorly even with all settings at the lowest level possible (it's even worse than on a 660 GTX), and that's because these cards are simply not made for gaming purposes. Also, integrated intel graphics poorly runs the game demo, so again, a dedicated game card is highly recommended
Q : Is ultra widescreen supported ?
A : Yes, I personally tested it up to 21/9, higher res should do fine as well but in case it crops the character, you can use camera offset shortcuts (I, J, K, L) to adjust it
Q : I want to give money to the project, is there a patreon/teepee or anything else ?
A : Thanks and no, your love for the demo is already more than what we expected and we can only thank you a lot for that
Q : How many peoples works on this ?
A : most of the time, and especially since the v2.0 release : only one (me)
In 2021/2022 after the 1.0 release, I received more or less important help from Thomas Chaumel (Animation), Thibaut Hunckler & Laurent Dessart (Blueprint/Game Design)
Alexandre Cheremetieff helped in 2020 (Blueprint/Game Design), and before Fantin Gislette (Blueprint/Game design from early 2017 to mid 2019). Steven Menager brought some help on Mevenn's animations back in 2019 for a few months, Anthony Daneluzzi helped me on a few technical art points
Each one of them are friends before all. You can find all these details in the game credits
Since I started the project, I've learnt tons of things on nearly every fields required to build the demo with nowadays toolsets. Back in 2013, I started my career as an Environment/Props 3D artist for precomputed movie feature films. The rest gradually stacked to the pile as I changed my goal towards realtime engines like Unity, Marmoset & Unreal
Q : Are you affraid about Disney ?
A : Always. And it would be stupid to ignore it. But I think this project respects their franchise, characters, worlds. And, well, we do not aim to make a game so no competing here. I think it's safe to say we're not enough devs, we have other professionnal objectives than making this project and honestly it's miraculous that we were working together on it for a while, cause often fan-projects doesn't last this long (I already got a few kind of these in my backpack ^^"). Finally, when making a fan project, if you constantly worry about "will I be striked or not", you're putting on yourself a silent but consistent pressure everyday, that's bad for your mental health and your motivation. So I keep it in mind, but worry more about enjoying what I create & learn everyday ;)
Q : I think you could add...[name what ever you think of]
A : Thanks for your ideas. But we do not make the game players want. Doing so would bring an unwanted pressure on our shoulders and we simply would stop developping the project. Instead, we make the game we would love to play, hopefully it will sound as good once in players hands. It's really important for creative freedom
Q : Do you plan on making a full game in the future ?
A : No. As I never planned on making a demo in 2012/2013 when I first designed Mevenn. To me, planning also adds pressure the same way it does when you promise to make what players wants (see previous question). So if one day the opportunity comes up, I'd say yes, if not, then there will only be the demo and this is okay =)
Q : I'm a voice actor/musician/artist/programmer...etc and I want to join your project, is it possible ?
A : Thanks for your willing to help. Yet it would extend the time required to manage team members and reduce time available for other fileds. As I manage the team, and make most of the project myself, this would simply reduce final potential of the project (as a demo). Of course, if the demo becomes a full game project, there will be a need to build a team.
Q : Why Mevenn has this haircut ? I don't like it
A : That's your point. I didn't make it to please everyone, but to stay true to Mevenn's character design
Q : Why Mevenn is a female protagonist ? I prefer playing as a male
A : Then get unreal, get blender, get all the tools you need and build your own game. It's not simple, but at least you'd be able to make the character you want to play. And guess what : that's what I did with Mevenn. It took me years, but tools were not this evolved back then and there was less tutorials on the internet. You can do it !
Q : Why Mevenn doesn't speak ?
A : Because it would require to recruit a voice actor that fits perfectly to Mevenn in French (yep, on this project, dubbing in French version will come first. Cause I love our voice artists since my childhood and I would definitely love to give them the true lead of voicing on the project. Enlish would come next). Also, no voice means worldwide language compatibility at some point ;)
Q : What's the main character's name ?
A : Mevenn. M e v e n n . Not Mavene/Meven/Maveen/Meveen
Q : And does she have a last name ?
A : Yes. As stated in the lightsaber artwork, her last name is "Lum-Sodren". So you have "Obi-Wan Kenobi" or "Qui-Gon Jinn", her is "Mevenn Lum-Sodren"
Q : Do you have a storyline ?
A : Yes. But as it's the core part of the project that contains a lot of spoilers I keep it secret. Also, it's still evolving on many points and I want to keep the ability of doing so until I release anything. Also, please note that now a good old friend of mine, Aurélien Baarsch, has taken a deep dive into the scenario part of SWR, he has a brilliant mind and I trust him a lot on telling beautiful stories because I know how far he can go. In addition to that he knows a lot more the lore of the canon/legends, which is an invaluable help to create believable links between what exists and what I need to tell with Mevenn =)
Q : Will this be open world ?
A : No. Open worlds are cool, but on different projects, not sure it suits well to 3D platformers. Also, focusing on details when you are alone wouldn't be possible if I aimed to do an open world, at least not like I do on straight forward levels ;)
Q : Will there be any customization ?
A : Not in the demo. Customization is a great way for artists to express themselves several times on a character, yet it demands a lot of development time. Take a game like overwatch for example : customization wasn't really there at launch, look at it now, with dozens of skins everywhere. They built the game first, and then added what we call "cosmetics". Cosmetics should never pass first, so when I take the time to make a few armor variants, it's for precise reasons (storytelling/lore most of the time), not just to add customization. I also like to think Mevenn as a unique character, so I don't want to create costumes that doesn't fit her own lifestyle/spirit
Q : Can I make a 3D print for a tabletop game ? Or Cosplays ?
A : You can as long as you don't extract any model/texture out of any asset that belongs to the project (this also includes separate assets you can get through my different stores). In other words, you can recreate the designs on your own (and don't hesitate to share what you've been up to with us, we're always curious to see how far you can be inspired by this project !)
Q : Can I stream on the demo ?
A : Yep. Spread the word and enjoy the ride !
Q : Can I ripp the assets and make mods or any kind of content with them ?
A : If you were right there with me, you'll get a free solid slap in your face. Well, internet prevents me to do this, but this doesn't makes me happy when I see random peoples doing this. It's disrespectful, discouraging, not to mention it's completely wrong with the EULA you've accepted when getting this demo. Because it's free does not grant you rights to do any kind of rip. It just grants you the right to play a demo that involved years of personnal hard work for free, its value usually forces users to be respectful
Q : Can I train my AI with your art ?
A : NO. If you like what I'm doing and you want to achieve the same, you can do exactly what each professional artist do on an everyday basis : get inspired and work hard. You'll get there sooner than you think, but this takes time and effort. There's no shortcut, no magic, sorry. This applies more or less to anything you'd like to learn in life. Of course there are some affinities, but willingness to thrive is what always takes you the furthest. Using AI is not even like trying : it's asking a thing to work (and so to learn) instead of you. Doing this does NOT train your own creativity or build your own artstyle, and although it might save you some time, it wastes your potential as a creator, as an artist. So for all that, I DO NOT want you to use my art, and more generally, any human-made artwork for/with any AI/bot. Be it on the internet or not.
That's all folks ! Hope this answers most of your askings. Don't hesitate to tell me down below in the comment section if you have more questions =)
Des Bisous ♥