Absent - Now Available on Steam! (September 2015 Update)

FNGames · Thu 03/10/2013 21:49:54

Absent is a story which follows the character of young-adult and college student, Murray Schull. He and his two best friends, Eve and Steve, attend a college in which students are disappearing daily. It's up to them to find out how this is happening, why this is happening, protect their other friends, and to put a stop to it once and for all.

Steve's girlfriend, Crystal, has mysteriously disappeared on her way home from college. But further into the investigation, and through Murray's new-found paranormal visions, Murray realises that whatever caused Crystal's disappearence was not anything from this earth. Alongside his vision, Murray is confronted with puzzles, with friends turning against each other, and all for one reason. The Reaper.

Special Features:
-A point/click, easy to use interface.
-Approximately twenty NPC's to interact with.
-Around forty playable rooms in the whole game.
-A completely original story with original art and characters created by myself.
-A game so varied, I flipped a three sided coin to choose it's genre!
-Full Voice Acting.
-Full MP3 Soundtrack.
-It's completely free!
-Six Steam Achievements.

Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW9yVpP_G4o

Promotional Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK0Ypg9aVuU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJBCFVCEKO4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQEjt-ZvCQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qmb5oh6tZM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIcVApLnr1A

Originally intended as a three part series released monthly, Absent is now a full length adventure game. The game has been in the works on and off for three and a half years and considering that it's my first full length project, I am very proud of the final result. I've learnt a lot from working on this game and I believe that I know the steps to take and improvements to make in making my future adventure game projects.

UPDATE: Grab it from Steam!

I really hope you all enjoy!

-James from FNGames

Nixxon · Thu 03/10/2013 23:24:23

Will try this tonight, Looks great!

Shadow1000 · Fri 04/10/2013 04:20:48

Looks great from the screenshots and description.

The file host you're using gives you the choice of buying a subscription or downloading using the slow download, which is estimated at 51 minutes. Personally, I will hold off until I can download it, but I am looking forward to playing when I get a chance.

SHADOW

Igor Hardy · Fri 04/10/2013 08:48:58

Neat. Great to see this got fully finished. I really enjoyed the original 1-episode game - had a lot of style.

Tabata · Fri 04/10/2013 08:53:28

YAY!

Congrats on the release - downloading now!

miguel · Fri 04/10/2013 12:16:39

I can't download it... Could you host it in another site?

SarahLiz · Fri 04/10/2013 18:56:26

Can't wait to try this! Congrats on the release!

FNGames · Fri 04/10/2013 21:45:35

Well, this is a professional way to start the promotion for the game! :p If you've already downloaded and have started playing, don't use any inventory items with the fully grown tree towards the end. It'll crash your game. Not sure why you'd want to do that anyway, but either way, just something that slipped past testing!

Here's the fixed version, and hopefully an easier download for those that couldn't access FileFactory.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1731/

miguel · Sat 05/10/2013 12:27:48

Your new link returns file not found...

Shadow1000 · Sun 06/10/2013 14:38:29

I downloaded this game again after you posted the new link.

I'm really enjoying how the story unfolds. The puzzles are somewhat simple so far. The voice acting is excellent; I would consider it a feature of the game. I really like the background graphics. Murray looks a bit weird how his legs move when he walks.

My only real criticism of the game is that although the voice acting is done really well, subtitles are very important. It really drags things out if all dialogue in the game is read by the actors rather than allowing the player to read and skip the rest of the message. Furthermore, sometimes a few words here and there are missed because of the background music.

As well, there should be a standard menu where the user can save, load and quit the game, and possibly turn on or off the subtitles. Many of us happen to know about F5 and F9 and CTRL Q but I'm sure that many players will just have no idea how to save or restore a game.

Cheers

SHADOW

Limony · Sun 06/10/2013 15:22:28

Quote from: Shadow1000 on Sun 06/10/2013 14:38:29
My only real criticism of the game is that although the voice acting is done really well, subtitles are very important. It really drags things out if all dialogue in the game is read by the actors rather than allowing the player to read and skip the rest of the message. Furthermore, sometimes a few words here and there are missed because of the background music.

It seems like you can skip ahead with the spacebar.

Shadow1000 · Sun 06/10/2013 15:51:40

Quote from: Limony on Sun 06/10/2013 15:22:28
It seems like you can skip ahead with the spacebar.

This is true. However, if you skip, then you don't know what the player said. If I could read the subtitle, I can know what the person is saying in a fraction of the time and then choose whether to skip the talking.

SHADOW

Limony · Sun 06/10/2013 20:02:07

Subtitles appear if you turn off speech in setup, but that defies the purpose of voice acting. Another annoyance is that the cursor changes into the use tool spontaneously.

kaput · Mon 07/10/2013 02:13:01

The game looks cool, promo vids are quite nice so I'll definitely give this one a try. I've been looking forward to a new full lengthish adventure here. Well done on the release bud.

Shadow1000 · Mon 07/10/2013 03:37:22

Quote from: Limony on Sun 06/10/2013 20:02:07
Subtitles appear if you turn off speech in setup, but that defies the purpose of voice acting.

I didn't know that. Which brings up my second point is that the interface should have more user-friendly control. And I agree: the voice acting is done really well and I don't want to lose that.

SHADOW

FNGames · Mon 07/10/2013 12:08:49

Quote from: Shadow1000 on Sun 06/10/2013 14:38:29
I downloaded this game again after you posted the new link.

I'm really enjoying how the story unfolds. The puzzles are somewhat simple so far. The voice acting is excellent; I would consider it a feature of the game. I really like the background graphics. Murray looks a bit weird how his legs move when he walks.

My only real criticism of the game is that although the voice acting is done really well, subtitles are very important. It really drags things out if all dialogue in the game is read by the actors rather than allowing the player to read and skip the rest of the message. Furthermore, sometimes a few words here and there are missed because of the background music.

As well, there should be a standard menu where the user can save, load and quit the game, and possibly turn on or off the subtitles. Many of us happen to know about F5 and F9 and CTRL Q but I'm sure that many players will just have no idea how to save or restore a game.

Cheers

SHADOW

Thanks a lot for the feedback so far!
Okay, so the big things so far are work on walkcycles (or rather, don't use the walkcycle module (!)) , make turning on subtitles an option and improve the user interface. Okay, thank you for your input! Thank you for your compliments on our voice actors. Hope you're still enjoying the game!

Limony · Mon 07/10/2013 12:52:04

Quote from: fentonfilmgames on Mon 07/10/2013 12:08:49
Thanks a lot for the feedback so far!
Okay, so the big things so far are work on walkcycles (or rather, don't use the walkcycle module (!))

But I love the way he walks! It makes me smile every time.

TassieDevil · Mon 07/10/2013 16:00:04

Quote from: Limony on Sun 06/10/2013 20:02:07
Subtitles appear if you turn off speech in setup, but that defies the purpose of voice acting. Another annoyance is that the cursor changes into the use tool spontaneously.

I disabled voice and music; never use them in a game; I just like it to be quiet. I would be good if game authors oould make the game download in 2 parts; one without VOX

Anyway a minor bug which disappeared after restoring to an earlier point and replayed.
At the scene in school where the canteen door is boarded I could not change the cursor back to "keys"; neither for the lift button - it stayed "use".

Otherwise, great game!

Cogliostro · Mon 07/10/2013 20:10:14

After having a tough time with the download, I thought I'd post a mirror to Absent.

- Cogliostro

FNGames · Mon 07/10/2013 21:30:22

Quote from: Cogliostro on Mon 07/10/2013 20:10:14

After having a tough time with the download, I thought I'd post a mirror to Absent.

- Cogliostro

And the irony is I can't access that link! :p As long as it's the new version I put up the other day, I don't see the harm in giving this link a try for others!

Khris · Tue 08/10/2013 13:32:08

Could you add the option to have text and voices? I like to be able to either sit back and listen or quickly advance through dialog, depending on the situation.
It's just a few lines of code to add a shortcut key that allows switching text on and off.

Limony · Wed 09/10/2013 13:07:08

A bug with the lift/hand tool:

Spoiler

When trying to use keys on lift button, the cursor changes immediately into the hand. To use the keys one must change back into they keys while the cursor is over the button.
And the same with the canteen doors.

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axxesfun · Thu 10/10/2013 15:20:57

it seems the download link is broken...
yes, "Game Front" shows and offers the file for download, but as soon as the download is supposed to start, an error messages appears. The very same happens if you try and click on the direct download link.

axxesfun · Mon 14/10/2013 13:49:14

to me it seems ALL DOWNLOAD LINKS ARE BROKEN
can anyone please reupload the game or provide a working mirror? Thanks!

FNGames · Mon 14/10/2013 22:29:34

Well, you all had suggestions, and all of the download links have expired so...

Absent v1.1!

Updates:
- It is now possible to enable and disable subtitles and voices.
- Added guidance on how to save and load game for new players.
- Rearranged the intro to play after the main menu. (So that intro can be played with subtitles.)
- Disabled the cursor spontaneously changing to "use" in some areas. Was causing some glitches.
- Added voicework in a few blank spaces.

I'm very sorry about the file hosting that was used for this release. Usually I'd rely on my site, but it chose that week to go down!
Still working on rebuilding the site, but for now the file itself can be grabbed from it!

Everything should be in order now so here's hoping those who haven't played the game yet enjoy it!

-Fenton

Shadow1000 · Tue 15/10/2013 01:14:49

If I download the new game, can I restore from my current save point or do I have to start over?

SHADOW

Tinytim · Tue 15/10/2013 13:29:30

Thanks for a really great game, looking forward to your next one.

FNGames · Wed 16/10/2013 10:26:49

Quote from: Shadow1000 on Tue 15/10/2013 01:14:49
If I download the new game, can I restore from my current save point or do I have to start over?

SHADOW

If I had to guess, I'd say the save files probably won't work with v1.1. You could give it a go, but I'd probably say the file won't load because I created additional graphics sprites for v1.1.

Quote from: Tinytim on Tue 15/10/2013 13:29:30
Thanks for a really great game, looking forward to your next one.

Thanks a lot!

sthomannch · Thu 17/10/2013 19:07:49

Great game, I agree! Enjoyed it a lot.

Limony · Fri 18/10/2013 17:48:27

I actually got stuck in this place. I think it's a bug.

FNGames · Fri 18/10/2013 18:49:54

Yikes! How'd you manage that?! That's never happened before. Sorry about that, hope you managed to save.
If he just randomly teleported in the midst of walking there then it's probably an AGS thing. Must have something to do with the walkable area in the left of the screen being left on. Ill get it looked into.
Has anyone else experienced this?

Shadow1000 · Sun 20/10/2013 01:10:17

I finished the game and enjoyed it. I will post my comments when I have a chance. However, I want to report that a number of times (I think they were all after cutscenes) the speech stopped working. I had to save my game and then reload in order to get the speech working again.

If it helps, I was playing version 1, as you said that 1.1 wouldn't work with my saves. Of course the fact that speech is the only way to know what's going on made this bug even worse

SHADOW

FNGames · Mon 02/06/2014 22:11:14

Well, after only eight months, Absent: The Game can now be grabbed from Desura right here! Give it a go if you've not checked it out yet!

http://www.desura.com/games/absent

(Also, it's kindof on the main page today!)

And in an unbelievable timing coincidence (yeah, right!), Absent II has just been announced! Follow the link below to the development thread.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=50547.0

The new game will be released in 2015.

Hope everybody's going good!

-Fenton

FNGames · Fri 19/12/2014 11:37:33

As you may have noticed in the Game Development Thread, the Kickstarter for our sequel, Absent II, is currently in operation!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fentonfilmgames/absent-ii

We need to raise Â£1,600 in the next sixteen days to ensure that we secure the talent from the first game that we need for the sequel.
Take a look and help us spread the word, guys! We really want to give you this game next year. Thanks!

-Fenton

FNGames · Fri 18/09/2015 22:07:04

Well, after a few months on Greenlight, Absent has made its' Steam debut.

Enjoy, everybody!

-James

cianty · Sun 20/09/2015 10:31:48

Congrats on the steam release! That is definitely a cool milestone.

MonochromeMolly · Mon 28/09/2015 04:48:39

I remember playing the earlier version a while ago and being intrigued.

Edit:

Spoiler

I just finished it, really liked it. But are you going to tell the story behind that bag and the magic pen that was in it?

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