Strange DETECTIVE

Started by strangeDetective, Mon 12/09/2016 17:53:33

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strangeDetective

Strange DETECTIVE

Hi All! I'm new here on the forums, but have been lurking in the background for awhile trying to learn the ins and outs of AGS. After a couple of months of trying to learn the scripting language and designing some artwork I began putting together my first graphic adventure game, which is based on an old "Call of Cthulhu" RPG campaign I used to run back in the late 80's. The game isn't actually an RPG, I'm just adapting my favorite game scenario for the story. I was a little intimidated by AGS at first but this forums been a great help to learn the system, and designing a graphic adventure has always been one of my dream projects. The game will transpire over the course of 4 days, as I have all of the artwork and about 75% of the scripting finished for Day 1, I figured it was a good time to post here. Most of the animations and sprites I'm working with are still place-holders, but as soon as I get them finished I hope to be able to show some of the game play in videos and a small demo. :)




The Plot:
A noir horror-suspense graphic adventure set in the world of H.P. Lovecraft. You're a Private Eye hired to investigate the depraved history and strange events surrounding a derelict mansion in the countryside.

Some screenshots:


City of Arkham, Massachusetts 1930's (in game).


Detective's Office (in game).

Development Progress:

Game Resolution: 1280x800
Story: 75%
Scripting: 15%
Graphics: 25%
Sound/Music: 25%

Expected completion date: Summer 2017






Cassiebsg

This is looking gorgeous! (nod) :-D

What's the game resolution btw? Can~t figure out if these are real game size or blown up screens.
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

strangeDetective

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Mon 12/09/2016 18:01:30
This is looking gorgeous! (nod) :-D

What's the game resolution btw? Can~t figure out if these are real game size or blown up screens.

Hi, thanks! I'm designing the game for 1024x768, the in game shots at the top are directly out of the running game.

xBRANEx

Wow! This seems like a great game in the making.



KyriakosCH

This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

AndyfromVA

Anything Lovecraft is enough for me.  I'm in.

Blondbraid

Who doesn't love Lovecraft? :)


Mandle

Oh hell yeah!!!

I MUST play this game before I go insane!!! (Or possibly play this game and then go insane?)

Either way! Please continue what already looks like great work, and don't be shy to ask for help from the community with any issues, playtesting, etc!

Best of luck!

strangeDetective

#8
Thanks for all the comments, it's very encouraging! Before I get too far along, I'm currently trying to decide whether to adapt the game's color palette to "technicolor". I'm not going for the usual desaturated gritty/grunge film noir look--I'm kind of liking the old Hollywood technicolor look, like Roman Polanski's "Chinatown". Has a dark edge to it and it's like being in an old movie as in the screenshot here.




Squall_Leonheart

Very good job!
It reminds me Al Capone's movie! A Gangster style!
I'm so curious to ask you a little question:  does it appear as a false 3D panorama in the game? Or is it a very 3D?
However, it's very interesting to see a project with personal resources. Well done!
Good luck!

strangeDetective

Thanks, much appreciated! The game's in 2D I wouldn't even attempt to try to do something in 3D, that's way beyond my skills.

AnasAbdin

Looks very interesting 8-0
I really love the textures and the resolution of the graphics. I open both the images in two tabs to compare the "technicolor" with the original. Honestly I liked the original more but it's all up to you. You can open a thread in the Critic's Lounge at this early stage of production before you'd need to reload all the sprites and backgrounds.
Good luck with the production. I will be honored to play this game (nod)

Two Tales

Great looking eye candy. Good luck with development.

Mandle

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Thu 15/09/2016 09:41:30
I open both the images in two tabs to compare the "technicolor" with the original. Honestly I liked the original more

Same...The original has a moodier feel: The "technicolour" one is just too bright and colourful for me for a Lovecraft mood...

Quintaros

I like the revised colour scheme.  To me it feels more like a sepia-toned photograph that gives it a vintage feel rather than being bright and cheerful.  I don't the Lovecraft story to say whether or not that is appropriate.  But watch-out for requesting this kind of feedback before Darth Mandarb says this belongs in the critic lounge.

strangeDetective

I appreciate all the comments but yeah a little further down the road maybe I'll post some more examples in the Critique's Lounge, it's hard to judge by just seeing one screenshot. It's taking me about a day to script each room, by a few weeks I should have something like a small demo to get some additional feedback on.

Darth Mandarb

Quote from: Quintaros on Thu 15/09/2016 22:59:59But watch-out for requesting this kind of feedback before Darth Mandarb says this belongs in the critic lounge.

This is okay.

Opinions on which style people prefer is acceptable GiP material.

Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age? (laugh)

Mandle

Quote from: Darth Mandarb on Fri 16/09/2016 12:43:17
Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age? (laugh)

Number is just an age...

DBoyWheeler

Quote from: Mandle on Fri 16/09/2016 14:38:29
Number is just an age...

Mandle's right.  As the old saying goes: "You're only as old as you feel."

Anyway, nice game here... almost like a spiritual successor to the X Days series.  Almost.

strangeDetective



Been delayed a bit the last few weeks finishing up another project, but work on the demo is underway again. The prologue will be somewhat irreverent and humorous (I hope) like many Graphic Adventures, but by the end of Day 1 there will be no doubt that you're in Lovecraft country.

Gurok

I think this game looks wonderful, whichever colour scheme you choose to go with! Both have their perks. The untinted colours are clearer, but I can definitely see the Technicolor effect you're going for, and if that's what you prefer, I say stick with it.
[img]http://7d4iqnx.gif;rWRLUuw.gi

Mandle

Quote from: strangeDetective on Tue 04/10/2016 15:22:20
The prologue will be somewhat irreverent and humorous (I hope) like many Graphic Adventures, but by the end of Day 1 there will be no doubt that you're in Lovecraft country.

Do you have reason for the shift in tone of your game?

If it's to throw the player off guard for what is to come later, or to show the carefree life the main character led before becoming embroiled in the mystery, then go for it! Either could work, but would have to be handled expertly to pull off without jarring the player too much I feel.

If it's just to be "like many Graphic Adventures" then I would say to avoid it.

strangeDetective

#22
Quote from: Mandle on Tue 11/10/2016 15:48:40
Quote from: strangeDetective on Tue 04/10/2016 15:22:20
The prologue will be somewhat irreverent and humorous (I hope) like many Graphic Adventures, but by the end of Day 1 there will be no doubt that you're in Lovecraft country.

Do you have reason for the shift in tone of your game?

If it's to throw the player off guard for what is to come later, or to show the carefree life the main character led before becoming embroiled in the mystery, then go for it! Either could work, but would have to be handled expertly to pull off without jarring the player too much I feel.

If it's just to be "like many Graphic Adventures" then I would say to avoid it.

I'm setting up the short prologue of the game where the player will step into the shoes of a 1930's era Private Detective working out of Arkham, following up on a case involving cheating lovers, a kind of "Day in the Life.." scenario. I'm designing the short prologue just to introduce the player to the setting (but it does introduce an NPC who will appear in the game later). When I mention humorous/irreverent I don't mean zany Monkey Island/Manic Mansion type humor--in fact, I may catch some backlash and flak for it, and at this point don't even know if I'll use some of it in the end or not. If I said anything more it would be too much of a spoiler and ruin it. When I'm finished with the prologue I'll put it up as a tentative demo in hopes of some feedback, but it won't be the final polished version. The Lovecraft angle doesn't come into play during the prologue, only after it's finished and you get a call for a new case do things start to get weird...

Quote from: Gurok on Tue 11/10/2016 07:44:44
I think this game looks wonderful, whichever colour scheme you choose to go with! Both have their perks. The untinted colours are clearer, but I can definitely see the Technicolor effect you're going for, and if that's what you prefer, I say stick with it.

Thanks, yeah there will definitely be a darker color tone for the game than some of the early screenshots I posted--it's Lovecraft, I don't want it to "pop" and look too bright and cheery like The Sound of Music or something, nor do I want all the color leeched out of it like a grunge/film noir graphic novel. I'll likely be experimenting with a classic Hollywood color palette scheme similar to the movies Chinatown or The Last Aviator.

Mandle

Quote from: strangeDetective on Tue 11/10/2016 16:28:35
I'm setting up the short prologue of the game where the player will step into the shoes of a 1930's era Private Detective working out of Arkham, following up on a case involving cheating lovers, a kind of "Day in the Life.." scenario. I'm designing the short prologue just to introduce the player to the setting (but it does introduce an NPC who will appear in the game later). When I mention humorous/irreverent I don't mean zany Monkey Island/Manic Mansion type humor--in fact, I may catch some backlash and flak for it, and at this point don't even know if I'll use some of it in the end or not. If I said anything more it would be too much of a spoiler and ruin it. When I'm finished with the prologue I'll put it up as a tentative demo in hopes of some feedback, but it won't be the final polished version. The Lovecraft angle doesn't come into play during the prologue, only after it's finished and you get a call for a new case do things start to get weird...

Then that sounds perfect to me: YES! Showing the P.I. character in their mundane job, which appears to involve some sleazy extramarital affairs and probably some off-colour humour BEFORE he gets his "call to adventure" sounds like the perfect way to contrast the horrors that await him later on...

So excited about this project!

strangeDetective

#24
Here's a little backstory the premise of the graphic adventure, ties into a series of fictional Mythos props I created (a faux board game from the 1930's Arkham era) designed by Willard Whateley. Part of the investigation will entail prodding into the strange histories and backgrounds of some NPC characters referenced in these Lovecraft mythos props I designed.



Cassiebsg

These keep looking better and better!
Keep up the good work. (nod)
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

selmiak

pretty awesome render you have there. I like all these details, the unlit candle, the skull. Did you model the typwewriter?

Mandle

Amazing render indeed... The typewriter does look a tad too small though when compared with the size of the other objects, especially the human skull... Maybe that's just an optical illusion though...

strangeDetective

#28
Quote from: selmiak on Thu 13/10/2016 22:13:56
pretty awesome render you have there. I like all these details, the unlit candle, the skull. Did you model the typwewriter?

Thanks, it's a real prop (I meant just not real like something you can go buy in the store) there's more images in my Imgur gallery where I keep my game screenshots, they are ultra-HD and huge so I won't post too many here, but it's a faux board game I designed with other Mythos props which will be in my graphic adventure. You can look at the fake newspaper articles I created, they contain some characters and stuff that will end up in the adventure game. Not necessarily a spoiler but will touch on some of the same stuff.

But yeah, I've seen renders that are so photorealistic hard to distinguish I know what you mean! :)

selmiak

now I'm confused and go to bed! :-D So are these fake newspaper articles also printed out and pinned there or are they photoshoped in?

strangeDetective

Quote from: selmiak on Fri 14/10/2016 01:56:59
now I'm confused and go to bed! :-D So are these fake newspaper articles also printed out and pinned there or are they photoshoped in?

I made them with photoshop but yeah they're all printed out, all the props are real, but I designed them myself and aged them to make them look old. Goes back to role-playing days, when we used to make player hand outs for Call of Cthulhu RPG campaigns, something that connected the players to the game's world. I'll be making some especially for this game at some point. One thing I miss about computer games today is you usually don't get any cool game items with them (maps, letters, old journals), nor even a box; that's one thing I miss besides the games themselves. Part of the fun of getting the game was the packaging itself, and all stuff that came with it, it gave you a deeper connection to the game's story/world. You had something real you could hold in your hand, that was also part of the game's world. Like the old Infocom text adventures, they had beautiful games and cool items that came boxed up with them. I understand its expensive to produce stuff like that now and not practical to do, where most games are just delivered digitally or in a slip-case.

But a lot of those old games still fetch unbelievably high prices on eBay today, because I guess a lot of other people miss that too. I've seen game boxes/items from popular games dating back to the 80s/90s selling for hundreds of bucks online to collectors.

SilverSpook

Fascinating stuff.  I like, 'Game designer sanity in question' headline.  This is constantly in the news cycle scrolling on the ticker inside my forehead. :)

strangeDetective

Quote from: SilverSpook on Fri 14/10/2016 04:59:31
Fascinating stuff.  I like, 'Game designer sanity in question' headline.  This is constantly in the news cycle scrolling on the ticker inside my forehead. :)

Yeah I think you have to be a "little mad" [as Norman Bates would say] to be a game designer and start on one of these projects in the first place. (laugh) But madness/insanity is something that's been explored in the fictional and non-fictional universe of poets/writers/artists, etc. of all types so it's something I wanted to explore in this Lovecraftian game, except the character's a game designer in the 1930's instead of the usual poet or artist.

Bishy

Wow, that screenshot with the gate looks gorgeous. There's such a wonderful atmosphere to it.

strangeDetective


A view of Arkham from the Miskatonic River circa. 1940's.

Update:

Demo (Episode One) almost ready for beta-release testing.

Rooms: 10.
Sound FX: None yet.
Voice: None yet.
Music: Jazz musical score.
Puzzles & Interactions: Fully working (I think...)
Animations: Partially implemented, mostly place-holders but functional.
Rating: Mature (for language, some sexual imagery)
Interface GUI: Mostly functional, standard Sierra-style. Will re-vamp later.

It's not ready to release yet, but what I've got so far is a few weeks work, and has given me a rough idea of how long it will take to finish the game, which is about five episodes altogether.

I have yet to polish all of the animations, add voice and sound FX, implement a few things with the interface and GUIs, also add some atmospheric effects.

I think by the end of next week I can have a beta demo if anyone wants to help test it and offer any advice or feedback. The file size is rather huge I was surprised, 1GB, but there's a ton of assets packed in that I haven't used in the demo but are part of the game. I'll look into that later...

If anyone wants to help test it message me I'll let you know when I have it ready.

Stupot

How, this is looking more and more intriguing by the week. Keep it up.

Cassiebsg

BG looks gorgeous! well done! (nod)

The character's pose looks a bit odd to me, though.
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

exsile

Nice sprite for the main character.

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