The Origins of a project of more than 10 years
Fascinated by graphical interfaces, it was in 2003, while he was still in college, that Immudelki discovered the French animation series Code Lyoko. Since he has always been a fan of interfaces, the Supercomputer was particularly interested in both its graphic aspect and its complex and thoughtful operation.
He discovered the Codelyoko.fr forum thanks to Ambron's project, a Code Lyoko gamemode on StarWars: Jedi Academy. During the golden age of the series, the forum was extremely active and many fan projects emerged, including one that inspired it in its debut: Keuppa's Lyoko Interface. It was a community interface that could only be used online, a kind of prototype of a social network taking up the design of the Supercomputer interface seen in the series.
This is how Immudelki had the idea of reproducing this same interface in the form of a game where the player could play Jeremy at the command of the Supercomputer in order to control each program and window seen in the series.
He then started creating his own interface in 2008, simply named at that time 'Supercomputer'.
Starting from no knowledge of programming or game design, the development of what will become IFSCL took place in the utmost secrecy for 2 years, allowing its creator to acquire the base of Flash technology (very popular at the time) and produce his first production.
Faced with the colossal work that awaited him, Immudelki soon realized that development would take some time. Although his motivation was largely derived from his love of the show, having the game tested and sharing its adventures with community members became a necessity. It was with this in mind that on 13 April 2010 he created his own topic on the Codelyoko.fr forum in order to promote the IFSCL, thereby releasing the Alpha version on his website, 'paradoxe-upsilon' (no longer exists).
Flash Era (2010 - 2015)
From the beginning of the development of the interface, Immudelki was confronted with a major problem, forcing him to make certain concessions on the reproduction of the interface. Indeed, Lyoko being an entirely 3D world, some programs in the Supercomputer interface also used 3D elements, something for which Flash technology was not the most suitable.
Vector drawing, which can be done with Adobe Flash (now Animate), was a great alternative, offering a false 3D, less expensive in performance and easier to perform. In addition, most of the tools were all integrated (animation, vector drawing, timeline, code editor etc.), making it the ideal solution for early versions.
Thus the Flash era corresponds to all versions released with the Flash game engine, that is, from the Alpha of the game up to version 2.6.2. Thus at that time, the acronym IFSCL had the meaning of 'Flash Interface of Code Lyoko Supercomputer'.
Adobe Flash versions (Alpha - 1.4.0)
Using Flash technology, IFSCL was then a file with a .swf extension, executable directly from any web browser equipped with an Adobe Flash Player playback plugin or from the desktop application of the same name. The Alpha version was used as a test version by Immudelki, allowing it to implement various basic functions of the interface. The release day of this Alpha version, April 13, 2010, will be retained as the IFSCL anniversary date.
It was from version 1.0.0, released on April 18, that the first functional programs were created. The game has 5 fictitious windows, as well as a fully functional procedure, the transfer procedure, all for 6 in-game commands. This very first version also marked the arrival of the update lists, which would eventually become the 'ProgressionLog' and later the current 'ChangeLog'. Finally, version 1.0.0 is actually only a symbolic version, because it was never distributed to the general public, but to a single beta tester (aurel2108), it was then announced as version 1.2.0.
The following versions quickly followed each other, bringing each of the basic programs of the interface, such as the Superscan, the Return to the Past, or the 'Virtual Map'. Other minor additions, which are still used by players, have also been added to these early versions, such as managing the overlay of the different windows.
Thus released on July 2, 2010 the latest Flash version of IFSCL (1.4.0). At that time, the interface had about 15 windows and controls, as well as a sector, Mountains W.
Adobe Air versions (1.5.0 - 2.6.2)
The development of IFSCL changed a lot from 1.5.0 onwards. Immudelki then invested 300% in his project despite his post-graduate studies in traditional arts he had just begun. Giving itself the time and means to develop its project, IFSCL pierced through the multitude of other Code Lyoko fan-projects at that time.
Thanks to the visibility offered by the Codelyoko.fr forum, which was still very active in 2010 (and rekindled by Code Lyoko Evolution in 2013), the IFSCL community was able to grow exponentially, encouraging the creator to move forward with his work. The addition of an English translation as of version 1.5.0 also made it possible to introduce the game to the entire Code Lyoko community around the world. This enthusiasm around the game allowed Immudelki to obtain a partnership with the website Codelyoko.fr, putting it forward definitively in the Lyokofan community.
Technical evolutions
It was November 13, 2010 when 1.5.0 got released, the first version using the Adobe Air runtime, resulted in a complete reorganization of the interface code. The objective was then to bring various, graphic improvements, more detailed animations but also to bring more possibility to the code level including the use of classes to clarify the code of the game. The technical versions then followed with regular updates to Adobe Air from version 2.6 to version 1.8.1 of IFSCL and 3.2 from version 2.0.0.
These different developments in the game engine also enabled IFSCL's first export to MAC platforms, allowing more and more fans to be brought together around the game. Version 2.0.5 was the first release to bring a launcher, allowing users to choose their language as well as to know if the game was up to date. From 2.1.5 onwards, the launcher also informed the players of the latest news about the game.
The last major technical development in the Flash era was the partial passage of the game under the Unity engine in version 2.6.2, then hybridizing Flash Technology and Unity Technology, thanks to the Scaleforme module.
Opening to the International
Being one of the most internationally exported French youth series, the Code Lyoko community extends far beyond the French borders. As a result of the game's enthusiasm, 1.5.0 was the first to include an English translation of the 'Read me', a document that brought together all the commands of the game and explanations on how to manipulate the interface. A Spanish version of the help document was also added in version 1.5.2. It was necessary to wait for 1.6.1 to see a full translation into English and Spanish. An Italian translation was also added in 1.8.1.
However, to the production time added by these translations, Immudelki was forced to stop the development of the Spanish and Italian versions of the game of 1.2.6 and 2.6.2, in order to focus on contents for the game. However, it maintains a strong link with the international community, continuing to release the English versions and to ensure the communication of news, trailers and changelog in English as well.
Campaign Mode
IFSCL's Campaign Mode consisted of different missions completely independent of each other, featuring key episodes of the series. The 10 missions in this mode were gradually added between versions 2.0.0 and 2.6.2 in order to take advantage of the new features added to the interface. From a simple deactivation of a tower to the discovery of the 5th Sector V to the rescue of a Lyoko Warrior in the frontier, the Campaign Mode of the Flash versions covered a large part of seasons 1 and 2 from the show.
His main objective was to offer a tutorial to new players thanks to Jeremy's diary but also to offer a new way of playing for old players of the interface. Because of Unity Era Story Mode, Campaign Mode stopped permanently with the release of the latest version of the Flash era, version 2.6.2.
Immu's Room
An Immu's Room is a hidden program designed to reveal exclusive textures to players directly from the next version of the game, allowing players to imagine future windows in front of the interface. Added for the first time in version 2.0.5, this program, whose name refers directly to the creator of the game, Immudelki, is protected by a secret code that changes from one version to another, just like the content of the Room. This code, revealed some time after the official release of the version to which it was linked, has always been a quote from the Doctor Who series, whose creator has been an unconditional fan for many years.
Over time, Immu's Room code revelations became real events eagerly awaited by the community. Thus the Immu's Room has grown to become real mini-games inside IFSCL itself in the latest versions of the Flash era.
Contents in the Game
The number of ever-increasing novelties forces Immudelki to gradually space the outputs of the different versions of the IFSCL. Indeed, the vast majority of the elements seen in the series were added between versions 1.5.0 and 2.6.2. Thus players were able to disable the first towers of X.A.N.A. in version 1.5.0. The first monsters then appeared with the addition of the combat system in version 1.8.0. Subsequently, the first DNA problems were added via version 2.1.5. The various programs and procedures related to Franz Hopper, such as the decryption of his log, were added in version 2.4.2.
Finally, after the addition of the Mountains W sector in version 1.4.0, the other three surface sectors, Desert X, Forest Y and Ice Z, were added in versions 1.8.0, 1.8.8 and 2.0.0 respectively. The 5th Sector V and all these related programs (except the Core of Lyoko) were added as the latest major addition of the Flash era with version 2.6.2.
Partnership with Codelyoko.fr
Website of the community officially recognized by Moonscoop, Codelyoko.fr is the reference for Code Lyoko and all the projects developed around the series. After more than 21/2 years of uninterrupted work, i.e. in 2013, a partnership was established between Immudelki and staff members in order to give IFSCL more visibility.
On this occasion, the creator of the game closed his personal paradoxe-upsilon site in favour of a new site entirely reserved for his personal creations while the IFSCL became completely welded to the Codelyoko.fr community. This is how since version 2.1.5 all releases of new versions, important news or even new trailers have been and continue to be relayed by Codelyoko.fr. This partnership also marked the creation of a dedicated section dedicated to the game, including links to download older versions.
Unity Era (2015 - To Today)
After more than 4 years of development, the IFSCL community continued to grow, pushing the creator's ambitions even further. Thus, on April 13, 2015, for the 5thanniversaryof the game, released on Immudelki's Youtube channelthe trailer announcing the IFSCL reboot on Unity.
Thus, the IFSCL on the Unity game engine, or more simply called 'The Reboot' by the community, took place on August 9, 2015 with the release of version 3.0.0 . On this occasion, the acronym IFSCL changed meaning for the first time to become 'Lyoko Code Supercomputer Fictional Interface' .
Increasingly approaching the world of work, Immudelki greatly professionalized his methods of communication and work . Thus, more modern production tools were adapted for the development of the game, first of all through the creation of a ChangeLog, a document containing all the information on the current development statusof the game. Subsequently came the creation of a Discord in 2016 as well as a Facebook , bringing together the IFSCL community and facilitating global communication about the game.
Much later, the Kolossus Launcher appeared in 2018, starting with the 3.6.X cycle , allowing for more regular release of new versions of fixes , thus providing much better tracking of updates for players. The last major step, currently in production, is the addition of Story Mode, which started with the 4.0.X cycle.
Thus, to mark this last major addition in the history ofIFSCL, the game's acronym changed again to the one currently used, namely the 'Simulated Code Lyoko Fictional Interfaces'. This last change shows Immudelki's desire to no longer limit itself only to the interface of the Supercomputer but to all those seen in the series.
Technical Evolution
The passage of the game under Unity led to a complete overhaul of the code as well as a graphic overhaul of the vast majority of windows in order to incorporate 3D elements such as Lyoko's sectors . New software such as Cinema 4D and Subtance Painter are now being used for the creation of IFSCL.
The addition of many new features thanks to the potential offered by Unity inevitably led to a significant increase in the number of bugs. Thus, with the help of DragongRoar, the chief beta tester of IFSCL, Immudelki set up a launcher named 'Kolossus Launcher'from the 3.6.X cycle. This launcher allows you to download the latest version of the IFSCL directly from it without going through Codelyoko.fr . It is by the way from the implementation of the launcher, that we will no longer talk about 'Version' for IFSCL but about 'Cycle', the difference being thata cycle itself is composed of several versions.
Finally, the latest major technical evolution of theUnity era is the change in the rendering system of the game with the 3.6.X cycle . In order to be able to control the visual rendering of the IFSCL ever more, Immudelki decided to change the entire Pepline system, forcing it to remake each texturein order to adapt them to the new rendering system.
Immo's Room
During the Unity era, the Immo's Room quickly became central elements of communication led by the creator on the game. Their content was then further elaborated to announce the future major areas of development of IFSCL. So after announcing the addition of Aelita's visual on Lyoko via Immu's Room 3.1.3 and 3.2.3, Immudelki used Room 3.3.0 , also called Back to the Past Orange , to reveal the biggest announcement ever made on IFSCL: theaddition of a Story Mode completely new , including 3D exploration phases in the real world of the series. So for the first time in Game History, the term 'Room' of the name 'Immu's Room' became meaningless as players could explore the factory lab as Franz Hopper on his escape with Aelita on Lyoko .
The Immu's Room of the following versions, those of version 3.4.0, 3.5.0, as well as those of cycles 3.6.X and 3.8.X, were also 3D zones to be explored by playing Jeremiah this time. Each of these Immo's Room also brought with them elements exclusive to History Mode allowing the creation of theory about it. It was also from Immu's Room 3.4.0, that the creator set up for each Room code an icon allowing players to find the code before its official revelationand thus access the content of the Room in advance. Finally note that the Immo's Room 3.5.0, 3.6.X and 3.8.X together form a mini-story composed of 3 steps (one per room), introducing a character specific to the Immo's Room: Kawabata , a kankrelat with speech.
Thus the last room in IFSCL history, the 4.0.X cycle, was not named Immu's Room but Kawaa's Room. Indeed, this last exploration marks the end of the mini-story initiated with kankrelat in the 3 previous versions, announcing the disappearance of a highly appreciated character in the community, Kawabata .
In-Game Adding
Starting from scratch after the reboot of the game on Unity, the first releases were mainly devoted to the relocation of programs and features that were available under theFlash era . Thus, all versions prior to version 3.4.0 were fully concacred upon the return of the different windows, monsters , sectors and other systems that were present under Flash .
As of version 3.4.2, all new features added to the game were completely exclusive to theUnity era. Thus this first version added the concept of time with theaddition of an internal clock to the game allowing to limit, for example, the number of uses of certain programs. The players were then able to face Williamfor the first time as well as witness the destruction and construction of Lyokowith version 3.5.0. The next 2 cycles, cycles 3.6.X and 3.8.X , were largely designed at the Skidbladnir with the addition of the construction of the virtual submarine , then the addition of the pilot system with the introduction of the digital sea as well as the first worlds virtual created by X.A.N.A.: Replickas.
Following this, the IFSCL entered a new era with the symbolic passage to the 4.0.X cycle marking theaddition of the first chapter of the new Story Mode : The Awakening of Jeremiah . The current cycle, the 4.1.X cycle , added battles in the digital sea , as well as a redesign of certain game play elements such as internal Internet searches and the combat system in general .
Story Mode
IFSCL's History Mode presents itself as a season 5 written and realized entirely by Immudelki through IFSCL. This fan season aims to reveal the origins of the Supercomputer as well as to lift the veil on many outstanding elements of the Back Story in the series. Presenting as an original story taking place after Season 4, the question of the fate of the characters after the extinction of the Supercomputer will also be addressed.
History Mode was announced for the first time in the trailer of Immo's Room 3.3.0, the Orange Back to the Past. This followed a long phase of teasing carried out with the help of Immo's Room but also various videos such as the game's birthday trailers (8 and 9 years old ) or the 'FireWorks' cinematics of 14 July (2018 and 2019).
A Ulule fundraising campaign was also carried out to allow the addition of voices (French and English only) to the different cinematics of the game. Financed at more than 400% with nearly 4,000€ raised, this campaign was a real success allowing the recording of the official voices of the Jérémie and Aelita series(in French and English)as well as one voice for Franz Hopper(official in English and unofficial in French) .. An original soundtrack will also be composed by a team of professionals to accompany the History Mode.
Composed of twenty chapters whose release will span at least 3 years, we are currently at the beginning of History Mode, which promises to be the most ambitious both in its original scriptand its professional achievement.