43 replies to this topic

[southbird]

Hi guys.

 

I haven't posted at a FUS forum since it was under control of Sonique ... so that should give you an idea.

 

I'm the original creator of Sonic Epoch, which I imagine most of you at least know of. I've been known by many names over the years, but currently it's (Captain) Southbird, and probably best known now for Super Mario Bros. 3Mix. (If you like Mario / SMB3, search for 3Mix on YouTube.) Epoch is pretty dated at this point, but it did have some significant meaning ~10 years ago.

 

In all honesty, my primary business was to get the "Sonic Epoch" page fixed to be meaningful (I maintain a much more complete and in-context history at http://www.sonicepoch.com), and according to whatever-name-Sonique-goes-by-these-days, the "contact" form on the site didn't seem to go anywhere... but I just got an email from Paul/Chief, so... never mind I guess! (As long as he does what he said he'll do. )

 

If you have any questions about Epoch, I'd be glad to answer... otherwise I'll probably lurk around a bit.

 

[Uncle Ben]

If you have any questions about Epoch, I'd be glad to answer... otherwise I'll probably lurk around a bit.

 

What in the name of Talos is Epoch??

[southbird]

 

What in the name of Talos is Epoch??

 

 

Thanks for starting me off with something I don't understand.  A quick Google suggests Talos as a fan character. If you meant Tails ... Tails is Tails. Otherwise I don't get it.

[Uncle Ben]

 

 

What in the name of Talos is Epoch??

 

 

Thanks for starting me off with something I don't understand.  A quick Google suggests Talos as a fan character. If you meant Tails ... Tails is Tails. Otherwise I don't get it.

 

 

Skyrim reference, sorry i tend to do that.

 

Anyways i have never heard of Epoch so wanna fill me in

[southbird]

Skyrim reference, sorry i tend to do that.

 

Anyways i have never heard of Epoch so wanna fill me in

 

 

Heh! Obviously I'm not a Skyrim player then.

 

See my page at http://www.sonicepoch.com for the full story, specifically "Origin of Sonic Epoch" and "FUS - Epoch Era", to give an idea about the game AND where "FUS" came from originally.

 

But in short, it's a Sonic fan game (actually linked as front page content here, though the images are broken), which originally was -the- Sonic SatAM style fan game, and attempted to be one of the shining beacons of the SatAM fan base, back when that was almost a minority position and there was still hope for a proper "Season 3". We're talking when Sonic Adventure was the main game people were paying attention to, mind you.

 

The story of the game itself is Sonic being warped 10 years into the future by an accident of a Robotnik contraption and having to deal with the fallout of that situation. The original version was released as a PC/DOS game. Like I said, it's definitely dated now, and was somewhat redone as a Gameboy Advance ROM, although that hasn't really held up to time either.

[Prince ByTor]

Welcome back even though we're meeting for the first time; I've been on here since March of last year and a lurker for a few months prior.

I have played your game and got through it; I love the story by the way. It's nice to see a talent such as yourself back on here!

[southbird]

Welcome back even though we're meeting for the first time; I've been on here since March of last year and a lurker for a few months prior.

I have played your game and got through it; I love the story by the way. It's nice to see a talent such as yourself back on here!

 

Thanks! I assume you mean the GBA version? (The PC version is a bit of a bear to run these days.) I still would like to redo it with modern tech, but that's just in the really really preliminary stages of consideration right now.

[ZealousFoX]

Sir I know what Epoch is and all I want to say is... Bravo, bravo, as you have captured a true SatAM feel while still heading on a darker more mature route, and I can honestly say you had me emotionally struck, and I even did a few videos of me playing it and put them on my YouTube Channel. 

[southbird]

Sir I know what Epoch is and all I want to say is... Bravo, bravo, as you have captured a true SatAM feel while still heading on a darker more mature route, and I can honestly say you had me emotionally struck, and I even did a few videos of me playing it and put them on my YouTube Channel. 

 

Glad it was a profound experience for you! And I still haven't really gotten to express the whole story.

 

I still think about how to do it again, but "Do It Right", although at this point I haven't committed to anything. Partly because I want to research new tech that might fulfill the vision in a way I would find acceptable, and part because I'd like to actually break into the Indie game scene, which of course requires IP that's not someone else's like Sonic, lol. But trust that it's never far from my mind, and who knows what I might do next.

[ZealousFoX]

Well I have quite a big project that I have been working on since I was ten and now I'm 23 and finally the progress is increasing. 

 

I can PM you a piece of the script, that's for the film. The project is called M.O.B.I.U.S. and it is a very dark and mature world of SatAM recreated by me over the years and is set 25 years after Robotnik took Mobotropolis. Also Tails is the star of this, as I know that if he can be a complex character then I feel he can change peoples minds on how he is always put as that nobody, or side character. When he has way more potential. 

[Prince ByTor]

 

Welcome back even though we're meeting for the first time; I've been on here since March of last year and a lurker for a few months prior.

I have played your game and got through it; I love the story by the way. It's nice to see a talent such as yourself back on here!

 

Thanks! I assume you mean the GBA version? (The PC version is a bit of a bear to run these days.) I still would like to redo it with modern tech, but that's just in the really really preliminary stages of consideration right now.

 

 

Visualboy Advance emulator actually, and it works pretty good. I look forward to seeing what you can do with more modern hardware/software. Now I'm wondering if it'll work with the emulators on my PSP... I might have to try it.

[Koreth]

Count me amongst the many who enjoyed playing Sonic Epoch, both the PC and GBA version.

Glad to have you back.

[Misk]

You're Rob Showalter?

[Uncle Ben]

Anyways welcome, sorry i sounded a bit like a jackass.

[southbird]

You're Rob Showalter?

 

Yes. Though I rarely go by proper name on Internet stuff anymore. When I was younger I had this bullheaded idea that Internet anonymity was some kind of weakness, a wall that people hid behind needlessly. But in this modern age of identity theft and other various criminals taking advantage of information, I realize the greater point of anonymity, at least in public-facing scenarios. Plus I can at least respect we go by our handles because a lot of what we do Internet-wise doesn't really reflect the outside-Internet life. My actual life is a fairly boring one doing professional business software development work, where no one cares about my NES hacking or other contributions to video game / TV related communities. Which does make me sad because I identify a whole lot more with that than I do the dredge of businesses and their issues, but I digress.

 

Note when I put up this video of old Epoch recently (around the 0:13 mark), I covered the scrolling credits line, largely because I'm not sure who would really want their name publicized anymore. I try to respect that sort of thing.

 

None of this was meant as a slight to you, by the way; it was just meant to be a long explanation of yes, I am he, but I also won't be using my full name regularly anymore. Unless I achieve notoriety on the Internet that actually requires it anyway.

 

 

Anyways welcome, sorry i sounded a bit like a jackass.

 

Nah, you're fine, I already forgot about it and had to actually go back and see what you were talking about, heh. It's not your fault I'm not hip.

[Misk]

Alright.

 

Confession time: I originally signed up for FUS to seek a certain answer regarding Epoch.

[Uncle Ben]

Alright.

 

Confession time: I originally signed up for FUS to seek a certain answer regarding Epoch.

 

And now all your base are belong to us

[southbird]

Alright.

 

Confession time: I originally signed up for FUS to seek a certain answer regarding Epoch.

 

Did you get it or...?

[Misk]

 

Alright.

 

Confession time: I originally signed up for FUS to seek a certain answer regarding Epoch.

 

Did you get it or...?

 

Nope. It was in regards to the hidden scene in the last PC release of Epoch. I never actually saw it myself, only a screenshot of what I think was Sally dying and text explaining what was needed to see it.

 

Before I signed on, I was actually trying to complete Epoch best I could, since it had always been one of those games I had but never completed. I remembered reading about that scene but by that point all information regarding it was gone. All I remembered was something to do with the Badlands 2. And of course, that scene isn't on YouTube anywhere, either.

[southbird]

Nope. It was in regards to the hidden scene in the last PC release of Epoch. I never actually saw it myself, only a screenshot of what I think was Sally dying and text explaining what was needed to see it.

 

Before I signed on, I was actually trying to complete Epoch best I could, since it had always been one of those games I had but never completed. I remembered reading about that scene but by that point all information regarding it was gone. All I remembered was something to do with the Badlands 2. And of course, that scene isn't on YouTube anywhere, either.

 

 

Interesting. Not really sure where that would have come about, because it wasn't ever really officially released. The game was never completed far enough storywise to get there. It did exist in dev versions, though. (I sort of vaguely remember it may been leaked bitterly or at least in a "I can't keep this a secret anymore" by someone since I wasn't going to finish the game at the time?)

 

I guess I don't want to give away too much about the Epoch story, since I do want to complete it proper someday maybe, but there was basically meant to be a good track and a bad track, partly to do with Tails, partly to do with roboticized former freedom fighters. That was basically the epitome of the bad track. I was developing that scene a bit earlier than the game had actually progressed, but it was generally locked out in release versions since it was a major spoiler.

 

Since Epoch Advance was so rushed, it never implemented any of the Tails or ex-FF bad tracks. Hence why I still consider Epoch incomplete as it stands, even if the GBA one is "complete-able."