ChrisV's Blog

Someone give that girl a hair clip.

I like this Game. The graphics style is well done. A sort of pencilled in effect with outlines. Sound will be interesting. I'm not sure it needs weapons. Maybe a hair brush. How about an option to just wander, no battles.

Yes, She has some trouble with her hair... We will release her from that by adding a couple of randomized variations. Starting to get hang of iClone -> Leadwerks now . Weapons... Yeah that's a problem. Generally I don't like weapons, not i real life and not in games. Our weapons will not be that standard Gun or Rifle things that cause blood.. That's a NO. There will be no blood in this game. Weapons can be no deadly things and will not be something that will be used through out the game. This IS NOT a shooter game. Its a explorer/puzzle game.

Looking really cool Chris and Roland, excellent work. I really like the outline shader graphics style and the scenery looks great! Will be interested to see how this develops.

Graphically it looks really nice. I like the look and feel My only biff with it would be how the speed she runs doesn't match the animation.

 

One way to get around needing a hairbrush thing is to have a standard idle animation and then a list of emote like animations. Every time the idle animations ends you have a certain chance that a random emote will be played. It seems to work pretty well.

 

Good work. Keep it up.

Yes we need to work a bit on the animation speeds and the repeated "touch the hair" thing. Good suggestion on that 'Scarlet'

There will be no blood in this game. Weapons can be no deadly things and will not be something that will be used through out the game. This IS NOT a shooter game. Its a explorer/puzzle game.

Same with my adventure game. Nice to get away from all the emphasis on violence! To add some interest the player does have spell casting ability in order to defeat would be enemies ... prepare for the return of the 'Chicken Morphing Spell' amongst others

Nice job!

 

I'd try to remove that grass. I think it makes picture dirty.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all for those nice comments/suggestions!

She definitly needs more variation in idle mode, and if possible played at random. Thanks for the suggestion, Ken!

And, the suggestion by gordonramp is also being considered. ;-)

As for weaponry/violence...we're creating non-blood type of weapons, and there will be plenty of humor also.

 

I'd try to remove that grass. I think it makes picture dirty.

Interesting suggestion, daimour. And, nicely done with the images!

Just a question, though...do you mean that the cartoon shader makes the grass dirty? Or, is it the grass that should be removed?

 

Cheers

...do you mean that the cartoon shader makes the grass dirty?

Exactly.

 

You can try to disable the shader for grass only. Or you can replace this grass with better one which will look nice with shader. Or you can completely remove that grass to make picture more clean.

 

I just suggested the easiest way.

Latest news: cartoon shader has been optimized, and makes the grass less 'dirty' now...

Been composing some music now for the desert theme...oriental music. And, it sounds awesome, I think.

Great looking style, nice game

(i'm also thinking on some exploration non violence game for some future project)

 

Colors on the level why are they all same ? because of sunlight ? you could add more color tone or slightly different for outdoor solid structures.

And i liked the blue colors of spider web , you could add more stuff colored in tha way ?

 

Yes , like suggested, your game will need to bring interest to the player, so i can give you some ideas i have :

 

GAMEPLAY :

- Radar or sonar detection for important mission items ?

- some non so visible sort of messages you should have to scan (Metroid on gamecube)

- 3D platforming : for example to rech some item on top of some little moutain you should jump on some crates or other stuff than do the right jumps without falling.

- Zelda grappling hook so fun and so good (you coould use it on some plots put on the levels to reach zones you couldn't reachat first and it could be used to solve level puzzle exits )

- some boomrang or one shot old fire weapon to active distant mechanism or switches , and destroy danegrous traps made of wood, or break wood doors, wood blocking stuff : it can bring more diversified fun for the player.

- mini sort of parachute made of a simple squarry cloth ? gained far in the game ?

 

 

ENVIRONMENT :

- natural dangers to avoid : swamp , poisonous cloud areas , dangerous plant to avoid ?

- traps placed indoor or on some dungeons or outdoor by ancient civilisation in the past : spikes, arrows when you walk on some floor etc ...

-level puzzle (classic keys or any mechanisms) : small example : find the key on the level around to open the door, find some three diamonds that open a door etc ...

- interactive mini game : lock pick treasure chests, doors using some special a minigame, solve an ancient mechanism using a special minigame.

- Crafting system (perhaps NPC around will craft with good items and fr a price ? ) :Craft : Health potions, ammo for fire weapon, mana for some metroid visor ?

 

 

BONUS ( to keep player interested )

Like the next Tomb Raider : Skills bonus

- Jump longer

- Jump more height

- run faster

- fall down from a bigger height

- item special vision range

- craftig improvment

- New powers gained in each level or temple dungeon ( like mmo), but you would have to select Two of them before going outdoor of a temple :

- Speed for 10 second (2 min of charge)

- Tiger or another animal change for some minute (t oreach special zones)

- Big Jump

-Time Slow

- Fire Ball

etc ...

- Collection system : collect hard to find/reach items to complete collection series that will onlock some ingame new feature

- Color bonus items to find on levels or on chests ?

- new Clothes/shoes/gloves/hair style or new clothes textures find on level or gained by completing a puzzle or by completing a collection

etc ...

etc ...

 

LEVELS :

Bring on big structures, not complicated, but big like a big cylinder thing, a big temple , a moutain with lot lot of stairs etc ... things you can see from long distances (use LOD also for performance) !

Yes, more diversity and originality (just dig Guild Wars 2 levels to have some ideas)

 

Your game have a solid game base , now it just needs more diversity on outdoor/indoor structures, lot of ideas like some i listed, and diversified fun and rewarding gameplay.

 

Perhaps it's too much ideas also, if you want to keep the game as simple to play , but fun like the game Journey on PS3 ?

Wooooow, that's a big comment, YouGroove! Thanks.

 

Colors on the level why are they all same ? because of sunlight ? you could add more color tone or slightly different for outdoor solid structures.

And i liked the blue colors of spider web , you could add more stuff colored in tha way ?

It might seem that the colours are all the same, but it's far from it. Lots of different colours being used. The sunlight and cartoon shader have some effect on the overall look.

The blue teints are also being used for the power pickups, and also on the mushrooms in the cave, and in other items. The second desert level (which we'll show in a later blog) has a whole other feel than the first one. ;-)

 

Some really good gameplay suggestions there.

We plan on having some form of direction indicator or map to help find the next puzzle.

There's already a bit of 3D platforming in the first desert level, and future 3D platforming is an option. ;-)

The Zelda grappling hook sounds like a good idea. We will discuss it, and see where/how we could implement something similar.

One fire weapons/items for activating puzzles is a good suggestion.

Would love to see a parachute or other item to explore the scenes, but we'll have to discuss this. The scenes aren't that big, so it might be a problem.

 

I also like the Natural dangers you mentioned, such as swamp, or maybe quicksand, etc...

Or, the pitfalls idea. Imagine traps like in Indiana Jones, etc... ;-)

 

Good suggestions for powerups too, man!

 

I think lots of these suggestions could be added, one way or another. Thanks again. Good luck with your project(s).

By reviewing your video i seen some interesting points :

There is some futurist display in the tunnel entrance : because it's advanced technology in some old planet ?

 

There is some red and blue things the character can catch in the level :

The shapes are very simple, why not make them lot more intersting like cristals ? coins ? medals ?

I think it's game in progres, but when the character catch some blue or red items bonus, there is no little 3D effect, a small effect could add lot more visual feedback inciting the player to collect more

Check golden pieces when Mario take them there is a nice visual little effect adding this sort of feedBack

 

3D dynamic effects and particles are also one point that will make your game having a special touch.

Will it be water areas ? siwwming , diving in water ? Water puzzles ?

Oxygen bar ?

Push a switch to empty a romm filled with water , push another to have less water in another room and be able to dive with enought oxygen to retrieve some important item ?

There is some futurist display in the tunnel entrance : because it's advanced technology in some old planet ?

The world where all takes place, is a modern world with a fantasy twist. ;-)

 

There is some red and blue things the character can catch in the level :

The shapes are very simple, why not make them lot more intersting like cristals ? coins ? medals ?

The 'red' pickups in the vid, are hearts for health, and the blue ones are 'power' pickups (the shape of the model is a simple sphere atm, but that will most probably change to something better suited).

Crystals are teh most important items in this game, as the player needs to collect all seven of them to unlock the final level and destroy the Elder God Chronos.

There will be special fx when the player picks up an item (either particles, or animated sprite, or some other kinda effect). ;-)

 

Will it be water areas ? siwwming , diving in water ? Water puzzles ?

Oxygen bar ?

 

Push a switch to empty a romm filled with water , push another to have less water in another room and be able to dive with enought oxygen to retrieve some important item ?

Normally, there will be no swimming at all, as Celly (the main character) can't swim...which is also used to make it a bit harder on the player. Heheheh!

 

Thanks for the suggestions, man!