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Full Aground update
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What changed
- Gameplay
- Events
- UI and audio
- Store
- Workshop
Aground changes
The KOZ Modding Colosseum started out as a way to encourage new mods for Aground and put the spotlight on the growing Aground modding community, and we definitely succeeded in those goals. The competition saw the rise of a new Master modder (Lybell) at UAMT (the Unofficial Aground Modding Team), it gave Alchemist an excuse to finish his revised super mod that was gathering dust, and it even brought back a former master (CH355) to attempt his dream mod. Even the novices showed up and made some strong entries.
If you want to learn more about the competition, you can see the original event: https://steamcommunity.com/games/876650/announcements/detail/2733073087959094294
And now, it is time to reveal the winners. Drumroll please!
Grand Prize
For the all-around best-made and most enjoyable to play mods.
Winner
Venemoto by Lybell is an extremely well put together mod that got high marks in all categories except music (which it had none). Even if you’re not a fan of platformers, you have to acknowledge the hard work put into it, made even more impressive by the fact that this was made entirely by one person. While there are a few rough areas and room for improvement, that doesn’t change the fact that this is an exceptional mod and I’m looking forward to seeing where Lybell goes with it. Congratulations Lybell!
| Steam post image___Venemoto A lot of players assume Aground must be a platformer because of the side-scrolling view, and on this toxic planet, it really is! Jump dangerous pit traps, explore a large metroidvania-style level, upgrade your jumpsuit to progress further and discover more of what the planet has to offer! |
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2nd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245382625
3rd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2243382600
Prettiest Pictures
For the best looking new art. NOTE: Thirallan wasn’t eligible for the art or music categories due to it using art and music created before the competition began.
Winner
Mekaphelin by Team NekoTron (TNT) is a mod that definitely focuses more on the creative side (art, music, story), and a lot of effort was put into the characters, NPCs, and especially the cutscenes - having higher-resolution cutscenes really helps bring the NPCs to life - like when CH355 smiles or all Luxori’s UwUs. The judges were split over whether Mekaphelin or Venemoto should win art, but in the end the charm, cats and cutscenes swayed the final vote. They have a long way to go to add everything they’re planning, but I think they can make it! Congratulations NekoTron! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245382625
2nd Place
| Steam post image___Venemoto A lot of players assume Aground must be a platformer because of the side-scrolling view, and on this toxic planet, it really is! Jump dangerous pit traps, explore a large metroidvania-style level, upgrade your jumpsuit to progress further and discover more of what the planet has to offer! |
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3rd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2246084480
Bopping Beats
For the best sounding new audio tracks.
Winner
Mekaphelin by Team NekoTron (TNT) won this category by default, as no other mod finished and integrated new music. But don’t let the win by default fool you, the music is great - I still catch myself humming Grow Together every now and then! Congratulations NekoTron! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245382625
Honorable Mention
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2246084480 The 8-bit wolf did compose a new track during the competition, but did not have time to integrate it into their mod. I’m impressed with Dark Magic, given that it comes from a novice and they had so little time to work on they mod due to restricted computer access. I hope 8-bit wolf will continue to work on the mod and give it the time it needs!
Fanciest Features
For the most interesting/fun new game mechanics.
Winner
Venemoto by Lybell definitely added the most new and interesting game mechanics. Even if you don’t count the platforming (which is a vanilla feature), turning Aground into a metroidvania with traps, switches, upgrades, and challenging boss fights took a lot of work, and Lybell still has more planned like the blinker, so I have high hopes for future features! Congratulations Lybell!
| Steam post image___Venemoto A lot of players assume Aground must be a platformer because of the side-scrolling view, and on this toxic planet, it really is! Jump dangerous pit traps, explore a large metroidvania-style level, upgrade your jumpsuit to progress further and discover more of what the planet has to offer! |
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2nd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2243325940
3rd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2243382600
Spellbinding Story
For the best new storyline.
Winner
Thirallan Alchemist Edition by Team EA is quite the adventure. Some sinister corruption has been taking over the entire system - whether it be robots that rebelled against their masters or people turning into zombies to attack their old friends. The real strength of Thirallan’s story is all the events that happen - many mods have large epic backstories, but Thirallan has a lot more story evolution and progression that you actually get to play through. You end up curious who or what is causing the corruption, and even questioning the motives of your allies. And, given that only Robot Rebellion and part one of the main planet are done, I think the team has a lot more in store for us. Congratulations EA (Alchemist with a bit of help from a bird). https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2243382600
2nd Place
This was a tie. Once again the judges were split, but since this wasn’t a prize-winning position, we decided to let them share 2nd place. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245382625
| ___Venemoto A lot of players assume Aground must be a platformer because of the side-scrolling view, and on this toxic planet, it really is! Jump dangerous pit traps, explore a large metroidvania-style level, upgrade your jumpsuit to progress further and discover more of what the planet has to offer! |
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Audience Award
For the most upvotes in the Steam Workshop during the voting period.
Winner
Thirallan Alchemist Edition by Team EA got the most votes. I’ll admit, I was expecting something ridiculous to win the audience award as always seems to happen with voting, but in this competition, the audience votes and judge votes seemed to be very similar - with Thirallan and Mekaphelin having a lot more votes than any other mod (Venemoto was not available in the steam workshop, and so was not eligible). With the audience not ignoring the old work Alchemist put into Thirallan, it’s no surprise that Thirallan won, it’s an incredibly extensive mod already, and if Alchemist completes everything he’s planning, it will be downright massive. Congratulations EA! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2243382600
2nd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245382625
3rd Place
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245390141
Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest, and congratulations again to all the winners - we will be getting in touch with you shortly! And good job to the novices who tried so hard even against the masters - even if they didn’t win any cash prizes. I know KOZ is considering a novice-only competition, so keep polishing your skills and stay tuned for the next competition!
Source
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