Author Topic: The Second Man (Read 10085 times) Tweet Share

cianty · « **on:** 17 Oct 2010, 17:44 »

Cianty Games presents

The Second Man is a full length game following the adventures of a professional hitman, whose latest job is going terribly wrong...

FEATURES

Classic point-and-click adventure
Resolution: 320 x 200
9-verb LucasArts style interface
Two difficulty levels
Varied gameplay with special scenes and mini-games
Parental Advisory: Bad language and appropriate violence

SCREENSHOTS

UPDATE - Oct 10th, 2010
Here is a short video of a stairway in a rundown London house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3I268eMkD4

Ascovel · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 17:50 »

Great style. I already feel as if I'm looking at some long lost LucasArts' gem.

Snake · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 17:54 »

Wow. I am looking very forward to this game. The graphics are beautiful and you've given enough of the story to not give anything away, but has gotten me interested enough to keep an eye on this project. I also love the 9-verb's button graphics

How much of the story will take place on the train?

\\--EDIT--//
tzachs reminded me about something:

Quote

Bad language

Please don't spoil the story with excessive swearing. Some people tend to over do it, thus breaking the atmosphere.
For me, anyway.

tzachs · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 17:59 »

Ooh, I get really good vibes from these screenshots (maybe with the one exception of that sheltering under the Cafe & Restaurant which looks out of perspective to me).

Also, appropriate violence is always a good thing!

cianty · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 18:15 »

Thank you very much for the encouraging comments! This is my first game after discovering AGS three months ago. I am very new to "pixel art" so I am especially glad that you like the screenshots.

@Snake: I quickly felt very bad for just using the LA GUI template as is so I felt I should at least replace the verbs with icons. About the train:

@tzachs: There is some mild blood splatter now and then - I am trying to not overdo it though and resort to a healthy amount, no more than Quentin T would do.

There will also be a few action oriented scenes... since this is not the forum to discuss these kinds of things I will probably start a thread in the critics corner and look for feedback on that concept. Due to the nature of the Hero's profession there is some tension here and then and I do think it works, but I have read a fair number of posts by people who seem to really hate action in adventure games.

Snake · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 18:24 »

Oh, I see

Great job then posting two other screenshots of it in-game.

Note to others: THIS IS HOW YOU PROMOTE YOUR GAME IN THE GiP FORUM.

Also, you are new to pixel art? You fooled me, man. Looks damn good :o
I do agree with tzachs on the restaurant, though. I actually thought they were curtains of some sort.

Ascovel · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 18:32 »

But "the intro" is interactive, with puzzles an' all, right?

Anyway, personally I don't see any problems with the restaurant. The right edge of the screen is a bit out of perspective, but I feel it fits the overall visual style.

cianty · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 18:38 »

Yes, the intro is fully playable - it's not self-running. It's just not necessarily related to the main story, and it comes before the title screen and credits.

Pixel art is incredible fun but also a lot of work. At the beginning I tried a lot of cheating, like shrinking photos here and there and using way too many photoshop filters and effects. But all that stuff almost never works out and in the end you have to do it by hand.

So what do you think is wrong with the awnings (that's what they're called?)?
Maybe they should go

/___\

instead of

|___|

I figured the second way (my current way) is okay for a front perspective like here. However, I'm happy to hear your thoughts and see about fixing it.

Tabata · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 19:08 »

Hi cianty,

this one looks interesting!
And if you do graphics like this after three months experience with AGS: "Coup de chapeau!" (hats off)

I also like the icon-gui instead of verbs ~ it has a very international touch.

The only thing I read with mixed feelings are the announced action-sequences. I'm one of those, who enjoys slowly every point and click (normally time pressure is nothing for me :

).

But now I'm even more curious about your game ... (waiting

)

EDIT:
About the awning at the right side from restaurant ~ mayby like this: /__/ ?

NEON-GAMES · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 19:28 »

Wow great graphics! I can't wait to play this Game!!! Can you just tell me what the buttons mean? For me it seems like there are to pick up and give icons. $:-\$ Anyway I feel already the Lucas Arts atmosphere!

Arj0n · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 19:49 »

Looks really great! very bond-ish

cianty · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 20:02 »

@Snake/Swearing: Yes, of course I don't want to overdo this either. It's like all those films which have lots of gangsters and violence and sear words in hope of being "tarantinoesque cool" when in fact they are pretty poor and lame. I don't like that.

@Tabata: I did a bit of drawing when I was younger and in the last years mostly painted tabletop figures. However, actual 2D drawing & painting - and especially in 320x200 resolution - is a wonderfully new experience. I consider this game to be a bit like 'Last Crusade' and I can only hope to get near 'Fate of Atlantis' for a possible sequel.

Action sequences: There will be few scenes where the clock is ticking. Imagine you know you have to shoot a certain target person behind the next door. Now you enter the room and if you don't act quick enough you will be shot first. Is that already too much? There will be more exciting scenes too but I always think about ways of how to make them as easy as possible for people who absolutely disdain them.

@NEON-GAMES/buttons: Sure! Here is a comparison between the original LucasArts-style GUI and mine. The buttons map directly on the verbs.

Of course I hope the icons are self-explanatory but the game does include a manual just in case.

Arj0n · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 20:12 »

Quote from: cianty on 17 Oct 2010, 20:02

The buttons map directly on the verbs.

Except for the Talk/Look

blueskirt · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 20:29 »

Crap. I have no idea why I broke my vow not to look at any thread in the WIP forum, but I did. The game looks bloody amazing, I wish you good luck!

It's funny that you mention The Last Crusade adventure game, I always considered that game to be the precursor of the Hitman series and now you're going full circle by making an adventure game starring a hitman in The Last Crusade's graphical style.

cianty · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 20:49 »

Quote from: Arj0n on 17 Oct 2010, 20:12

Quote from: cianty on 17 Oct 2010, 20:02
The buttons map directly on the verbs.
Except for the Talk/Look

Yieks! You're right. I corrected the image. :

Again, thank you for your kind comments! This is very encouraging!

By the way, if there's anyone out there willing to provide some musical support I would be VERY grateful!!

Tabata · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 20:57 »

Quote from: cianty on 17 Oct 2010, 20:02

...
@Tabata: I did a bit of drawing when I was younger and in the last years mostly painted tabletop figures. However, actual 2D drawing & painting - and especially in 320x200 resolution - is a wonderfully new experience. I consider this game to be a bit like 'Last Crusade' and I can only hope to get near 'Fate of Atlantis' for a possible sequel.

Action sequences: There will be few scenes where the clock is ticking. Imagine you know you have to shoot a certain target person behind the next door. Now you enter the room and if you don't act quick enough you will be shot first. Is that already too much? There will be more exciting scenes too but I always think about ways of how to make them as easy as possible for people who absolutely disdain them.
...

Wow, that's impressing stuff you did. You have to have a very quiet hand.

It's nice of you, to ask, but please don't change your script too much, just because of the preferences of some. It's impossible, getting everyone in the boat without getting drowned.
And don't worry about me. I'll try it and (hopefully) survive!

About your new goal: I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything works the way you think it should (for you and for us of course)

Fitz · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 20:58 »

Looks really awesome! Brings back the memories of good ol' Indy. And the images for the 9 commands = nice! Same thing I'm doing with the interface for Gray And yeah, they are pretty self-explanatory, indeed - even if I had to think for a moment to remember what the 9 commands were. It's been a LONG since I last saw SCUMM in use.

As for help with music - I'll ask Swordofkings, who does music for my game.

Anian · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 21:01 »

Graphics look good (although 2 minor things - chracters are very blended into the background and the windows on the train look wierd, they look fine on the "outside of wagon" screenshot, but strange on the inside hall view).

Just please use each verb on GUI more than once.

mode7 · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 21:05 »

Wow that looks really good cianty!

How is your progress so far?

Knoodn · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 21:12 »

This looks really good. I like the graphics of the inventory items.