Hypercastle Explorer

NOTE TO MACOS USERS: 🍎🚨

Please right click the application icon and choose open to launch, we're working on releasing a signed version prior to 1.0 where you won't need to do this step.

Also! Make sure you run it from the Applications folder, not the download folder.

If you download the Itch.io client (a steam like app) you can avoid some of these issues and get regular updates and patches without re-downloading.ABOUT

Hypercastle Explorers is an extension project of the Terraforms by Mathcastles NFT project created by Mathcastles Studio. The developers 0x113d and xaltgeist describe Terraforms as: “Onchain land art from a dynamically generated, onchain 3D world”. We’ve created a video which explains the project at this link, and there is also a detailed community FAQ which can be found at this link.

Hypercastle Explorers is a project by the studio Thousand Ant with support from the Terraforms community and creative direction by Matto. The project started with an NFT token launch and Thousand Ant has used the profits from that sale to create a free, open source software SDK to enable developers to build Unity game engine experiences interfacing with the Terraforms data along with this application which allows you to explore the Terraforms Hypercastle in various ways.

GLOBAL CONTROLS

Escape: Return to the main menu from any screen

M key: Toggle audio on and off

U key: Toggle user interface on and off when in explorer modes

2D @ EXPLORER

The 2D @ explorer references classic rogue-like games like Rogue, Brogue or Dwarf Fortress and thereby connects the generative, ASCII style art of Terraforms to a lineage of creative software projects dating from 1980 to the present.

Here you can navigate in a two dimensional view as a flying “@” character and also land on animated parts of the landscape to walk around. When landed your character is blocked from moving by non-animated terrain elements.

Controls:

W, A, S, D keys: move north, south, east and west

Space Bar: Enter and exit airship mode

Q key: Move down a level in the structure when in airship mode
E key: Move up a level in the structure when in airship mode
Tab key: Change Terraform parcel aspect ratio from square to rectangular mode. Rectangular is the aspect ratio which the original SVG artworks were released in.

3D NAVIGATOR

This mode allows exploration of the structure in a discrete and organized way, moving from one Terraforms parcel to another in a 3D view with clear labeling of which parcel you are viewing and where you are. This mode attempts to strike a balance between showing the Terraforms in a 3d context while still retaining some of the original visual impression of the 2D SVG artworks.

Controls:

W, A, S, D keys: move north, south, east and west

Q key: Move down a level in the structure
E key: Move up a level in the structure
Mouse: Rotate the camera, mouse wheel zooms the camera in and out
Tab key: Toggle ‘cube view’ and represent the structure as colored cubes instead of 3D Terraforms
L Key: Toggle “Level view” in which only Terraforms on the current level are displayed
U key: Toggle user interface display on and off.

FREE FLY EXPLORER

The Free Fly Explorer mode allows you to fly your camera freely in 3D space to explore the structure in an unconstrained way.

Controls:

W, A, S, D keys: move forward, backward, strafe right and left

Space Bar: Rise upward
Control key: Descend downward
Mouse: Rotate the camera looking direction
Hold SHIFT: To increase your movement speed
NumKey 1: Custom Background Color
NumKey 2: Dark Background Color
NumKey 3: Medium Background Color
NumKey 4: Bright Background Color