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Untrustedlife

Your window into the mind of a questionably sane queer non-binary indie horror game dev

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untrustedlife

Hey there. I am Untrustedlife. I develop indie games in my free time. For more info check out my About Page. https://untrustedlife.com/about/

Mysterious 4X Game on NodeOS – Anyone Heard of DR4X?

And now for an AI generated, human edited, and not entirely canon DR4X creepy pasta for no reason at all.

Narrated by philososhy.

Thread Title: Mysterious 4X Game on NodeOS – Anyone Heard of DR4X?

Post #1 – by RetroGamer92Date: 2023-03-01 18 : 32 : 51

Hey everyone, I recently stumbled upon a weird 4X game called DR4X while browsing through some NodeOS archives. The game looks like it was made for something similar to the Apple II. Has anyone else ever heard of or played this game? It seems to have a pretty eerie atmosphere, and I can’t find much info on it. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Post #2 – by NodeNerdDate: 2023-03-01 19 : 45 : 12

I’ve heard of NodeOS, but I haven’t come across DR4X before. I’m curious now! If you don’t mind sharing the archive, I’d like to check it out. You never know, it could be a hidden gem or just another obscure piece of gaming history!

Post #3 – by VintageGamerDate: 2023-03-01 21 : 05 : 48

Never heard of DR4X, but I’m interested. I love digging up old games, especially if they’re creepy or weird. Please share the archive if you can, RetroGamer92!

Post #4 – by RetroGamer92Date: 2023-03-02 10 : 27 : 06

Alright, I uploaded the archive to a file-sharing site. Here’s the link: [LINK REMOVED]. Let me know what you guys think! I played it for a few hours yesterday, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there’s something off about it.

Post #5 – by NodeNerdDate: 2023-03-02 15 : 20 : 19

I just started playing DR4X, and I have to agree with you, RetroGamer92. There’s something unsettling about the game. The graphics are crude, but the atmosphere is strangely chilling. And the sound design…it feels like there are whispers hidden in the background noise. I can’t quite make out what they’re saying, but it’s giving me the creeps.

Post #6 – by VintageGamerDate: 2023-03-02 18 : 15 : 35

I’ve been playing DR4X for a couple of hours now, and I noticed something weird. I came across a hidden menu option, and when I selected it, a picture of a woman in a red dress appeared, with the text “The Lady in Red.” Anyone else found this? It’s kinda freaking me out.

Post #7 – by RetroGamer92Date: 2023-03-02 22 : 13 : 02

Whoa, I haven’t seen that, VintageGamer! I did some searching, and I found a couple of mentions of a mysterious figure called “The Lady in Red” connected to the development of NodeOS. I couldn’t find any solid info, but it seems like she’s a sort of urban legend. The more I play DR4X, the more I feel like there’s something hidden beneath the surface. I’ll keep looking into it and update you all if I find anything.

Post #8 – by NodeNerdDate: 2023-03-03 10 : 05 : 47

Guys, I played DR4X late into the night, and I swear I saw something that looked like a child’s face in the static when I restarted the game. It happened so fast, I couldn’t get a screenshot, but it’s really freaked me out. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Post #9 – by VintageGamerDate: 2023-03-03 13 : 23 : 11

NodeNerd, I think I saw something similar! It was late, and I thought I was just seeing things, but now that you mention it, I’m not so sure. I’ll keep an eye out and try to get a screenshot if I see it again. This is getting weirder by the minute.

Post #10 – by LostInCodeDate: 2023-03-03 16 : 45 : 55

I’ve been lurking in this thread and decided to give DR4X a try. I’m a programmer, and I thought I’d take a look at the game’s code. I found something very strange in there. There are lines of code that don’t seem to have any purpose, but they’re written in a way that looks like some kind of… incantation or ritual? I’m not sure if this is just a bizarre easter egg, but it definitely adds to the creepy atmosphere of the game.

Post #11 – by RetroGamer92Date: 2023-03-03 19 : 30 : 12

Thanks for the input, LostInCode. That’s really odd. I managed to find an old forum post from someone who claimed to work on NodeOS, and they mentioned that the operating system’s development was shrouded in secrecy. The post hints that the so-called “Node” might be made of writhing energy and souls, and that we can somehow get data from it. It sounds far-fetched, but given the strange things we’ve seen in DR4X, I can’t help but wonder if there’s some truth to it.

Post #12 – by NodeNerdDate: 2023-03-04 01 : 25 : 27

I played DR4X again tonight, and I caught a glimpse of another face in the static. This time I managed to take a screenshot! Here it is: [IMAGE REMOVED]. It looks like another child’s face, and there’s something haunting about it. I’m starting to get really unnerved by this game, and I’m not sure if I want to keep playing.

Post #13 – by VintageGamerDate: 2023-03-04 09 : 17 : 43

That’s seriously creepy, NodeNerd. I don’t know what’s going on with this game, but it feels like we’re uncovering something we shouldn’t. I’m going to do some more research on the Lady in Red and see if I can find any connections between her and DR4X.

Post #14 – by LostInCodeDate: 2023-03-04 14 : 52 : 11

I’ve been digging deeper into the game’s code, and I found references to five different children, each with their own unique ID. It’s like the game is keeping track of these children, but I can’t figure out why. I also found more of those bizarre incantation-like lines, and they seem to be connected to the children’s IDs. This is getting stranger by the minute.

Post #15 – by RetroGamer92Date: 2023-03-04 21 : 10 : 30

Guys, I just found an article from an old newspaper about a CEO who was suspected of abducting five children but was never charged due to lack of evidence. The article had a picture of her, and she was wearing a red dress. It has to be the Lady in Red. The article mentioned that the children were never found. I can’t shake the feeling that this has something to
do with DR4X and the strange things we’ve been experiencing.

Post #16 – by VintageGamerDate: 2023-03-05 11 : 23 : 19

I can’t believe it, RetroGamer92. This is getting darker than I ever imagined. I found another article about the Lady in Red, and it mentioned that she was also a programmer who worked on an “experimental project.” It didn’t go into details, but it seems very likely that she could be connected to NodeOS and DR4X. We need to be careful with this game. It feels like we’re playing with something dangerous.

Post #17 – by NodeNerdDate: 2023-03-05 16 : 49 : 27

I can’t do this anymore, guys. I played DR4X again last night, and I had a nightmare about the faces in the static. I’m convinced that there’s something sinister going on here. I’m deleting the game and stepping away from this. I suggest you all do the same.

Post #18 – by LostInCodeDate: 2023-03-05 20 : 08 : 32

I think NodeNerd is right. I’ve uncovered more unnerving code related to the children and the strange incantations. It’s like the game is haunted by their souls, and the Lady in Red somehow trapped them in it. I’m out, too. This is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered, and I don’t want any part of it.

Post #19 – by RetroGamer92Date: 2023-03-06 10 : 35 : 15

It’s been a wild ride, but I’m with NodeNerd and LostInCode on this one. There’s something deeply wrong with DR4X, and I don’t want to risk whatever it is getting worse. I’ve deleted the game, and I suggest everyone else does the same. Let’s just let this mystery remain unsolved. Stay safe, everyone.

Thread Closed by Moderator – 2023-03-06 12 : 15 : 43
This thread has been closed due to the disturbing nature of its content. We ask that all members of the community refrain from discussing or sharing the game mentioned in this thread. We will remove any future threads or posts related to DR4X. Please remember to stay safe and prioritize your well-being.

Notes:
That certainly was interesting! I created it by providing GPT-4 with some DR4X lore and asking it to write a creepy pasta-style story formatted as a forum thread. While it’s not canon, it might, much like the FNAF books, offer some hints at a deeper underlying narrative. Or maybe it doesn’t and you just wasted like 10 minutes reading it WHO KNOWS!

NOTE, I am the sole owner of the featured audio and images in this article. If you want to use them in your own content you must contact me.

Empowering Your Towers. DR4X Changelog #71 04/30/2023

This will be a blog post version of the most recent dr4x changelog! I realize my website hasnt had much use lately. And I want to see if I can build some ad revenue. ;P

I have been posting these on steam.

See the backlog here.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1704830/eventcomments/

Hey guys, I have a new release here with a bunch of new updates and improvements to the game. Thank you all for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy playing this new version.

One of the neatest things I’ve added is Tower Improvements, which use the Technology system to allow you to add specialized “rooms” to towers that do various things, making towers into Swiss Army knives that can generate resources, create extra powerful guards, and so on.

Gameplay and UI
-Added the ability to toggle a “Pangea” option in the skirmish menu, which makes the generator create a single continent surrounded by water COE style

-Added a new world setting option: Pipeland which is styled more like a cartoon than a standard fantasy setting with some unique enemies that only used to very rarely spawn before and with a unique variant of the hill tile.

-Added a Barracks improvement to all towers
-Added Hidden Passage improvement to Bandit towers
-Added Smugglers Den improvement to all Bandit towers
-Added Prospector’s Quarters improvement to all Kingdom towers
-Added Heralds Quarters improvement to all Kingdom towers
-Added Bastion Boost improvement to all towers
-Added Lookout Perch improvement to all towers
-Added Cultist’s Conclave improvement to all Cultist towers
-Added Cultist’s Sanctum improvement to all Cultist towers
–Added more improvements i forgot the names of too.

-Added a “Continue Playing” button when you win that allows you to continue playing (Based on a steam forum suggestion)

Some options menu updates based on a suggestion from the discord.
-Added an option to disable the phosphor (film grain) effect in the options menu
-Added an option to disable the TV effect in the options menu

-Added new alcohols to alcohol generator.

-Added New Ruined Ship Unit Portrait

Bug Fixes-The Z coordinates of tiles are now slightly randomized in skirmishes to prevent z-fighting, this has been a bug that has existed from the start, and now its finally fixed.
-Fixed an issue with buildible vairnts of towers in certain situations
-Fixed an issue with tower upgrading
-Fixed an issue with AI pathing (they still do some weird things sometimes but hey)

Balancing-Hell Apes are now slightly weaker

YouTube Spotlight!
None this time.

Lastly, be prepared to see some… interesting references in Pipeland. I recently watched the new Mario movie and it was great, and let’s just say it left an impression on me. But, jokes aside, I hope you enjoy the tower improvements and would love to hear your feedback!

NOTE, I am the sole owner of the featured images in this article. If you want to use them in your own content you must contact me.

When Ambition Meets Reality: The Unforgettable Saga of Overambitious Video Games

In the ever-evolving world of video games, developers are constantly pushing the boundaries to create immersive and groundbreaking experiences for players. However, sometimes the quest for innovation leads to overambitious projects that, despite their grand visions, don’t quite live up to the hype. In this blog post, we’ll take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most overambitious video games that made headlines for their lofty promises and, in some cases, spectacular failures.

  1. No Man’s Sky (2016): Developed by indie studio Hello Games, No Man’s Sky promised an infinite universe of procedurally generated planets, each with its unique flora, fauna, and ecosystem. Unfortunately, upon release, the game was criticized for its repetitive gameplay, lack of multiplayer features, and unfulfilled promises. To their credit, the developers have since released numerous updates addressing these issues, and the game has made a significant comeback. In its current state, the game is already quite impressive, and the developers have managed to redeem their reputation online.
  2. Fable (2004): Peter Molyneux’s ambitious action RPG, Fable, boasted a revolutionary morality system that would shape the game world based on the player’s choices. While the game was well-received, it fell short of its lofty goals, and the dynamic world and deep character development promised by Molyneux were not as groundbreaking as initially anticipated.
  3. Daikatana (2000): Legendary game designer and self proclaimed sex symbol John Romero, co-creator of Doom and Quake, set out to develop Daikatana, an ambitious first-person shooter that would redefine the genre. However, after numerous delays, the game was released to scathing reviews, citing poor AI, level design, and overall gameplay.
  4. Spore (2008): Developed by Maxis and led by Will Wright (Whom i love), the creator of The Sims, Spore promised a unique experience that would allow players to guide the evolution of a species from a single-celled organism to an advanced space-faring civilization. Despite its initial success, the game received criticism for its shallow gameplay and failure to deliver on its ambitious premise.
  5. Star Citizen: Crowdfunded to the tune of over $350 million, Star Citizen has been in development since 2011. Promising a vast, open-world space sim with unparalleled realism, the game’s development has been marred by delays and controversies. Despite regular updates and a playable alpha, it remains to be seen if Star Citizen will ever fully deliver on its ambitious vision.

These overambitious video games serve as a reminder that, while pushing the boundaries of gaming is essential for progress, finding the perfect balance between innovation and achievable goals is crucial for success. And even though some of these games failed to meet expectations, they still hold a special place in gaming history for their audacious attempts to redefine the industry.

NOTE, I am the sole owner of the featured images in this article. If you want to use them in your own content you must contact me.

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