Graveyard [MAGS]

Started by CaesarCub, Thu 29/09/2016 00:07:41

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CaesarCub

Graveyard
by CaesarCub
- September 2016 MAGS Entry -

[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/aeD0R2x.png[/imgzoom]
[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/5aXdhTs.png[/imgzoom]
[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/hqov2lb.png[/imgzoom]
[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/11njTr5.png[/imgzoom]

About the game: Dave, Phil and Clarence will have to cooperate to reach their goal, and save their friend Ron from a gruesome fate.

Update:
Version 0.6.1: Fixed inventory issue and some lighting issues. 2016-09-28


Download


DBoyWheeler

Dang... from the screenshots alone, this'll DEFINITELY be a contender!

shaun9991

This looks great! Going to play tonight. Good work :)
Support Cloak and Dagger Games on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=460039

Blue Bee

Loved it - Brilliant game!

Mandle

OH MY GOD!!!

This game is unspeakably BEAUTIFUL!!!

It has a few rough edges, but for a MAGS game: Incredible!

I couldn't believe how many gorgeous rooms you made: I kept saying  "There's MORE?!"

And my jaw dropped when I saw it was 3 switchable characters! (It would be nice it they could walk as a group of 2 or 3, but understandable that in a MAGS there is rarely time for such gameplay perks)

One of the most impressive MAGS games I've seen, and with a little polish could become one of the best AGS games ever!

jwalt

Liked the game, as well. Kind of an abrupt game exit, at least on my system. Has me wondering if something went haywire at the very end? Impressive.

CaesarCub

Thanks for all the positive feedback :D
I know it's rushed in some parts, I did left a lot of details out of the backgrounds to make it in time.

Quote from: jwalt on Fri 30/09/2016 09:04:33
Liked the game, as well. Kind of an abrupt game exit, at least on my system. Has me wondering if something went haywire at the very end? Impressive.

I was at some point tempted to make a scare jump there, you know, make some creepy image and a loud sound, and then exit the game, but I wasn't sure if people would appreciate that or just hate me for it :P

Mandle

Quote from: CaesarCub on Fri 30/09/2016 11:04:55
I wasn't sure if people would appreciate that or just hate me for it :P

Probably a bit of both (laugh)

It could work well though if:

Spoiler
It was the hobo transforming into a demon as he leaps at the screen... not just some random image like the exorcist girl's face...
[close]

Creamy

A splendid achievement in such a short time !

The insertion of children in a gruesome story helps create a compelling atmosphere.
I was left wishing for more; the many characters make it feel like an intro for a bigger story.



 

Atavismus

Really nice game!
Congratz CaesarCub! :)

Mandle

There were one or two moments where I felt the multiple character mechanic got a bit weird:

Spoiler
I couldn't understand why the safe only fell off the conveyor belt when there was another character present at the other end. Also: I was sure that the solution to the ring-toss was to have one character distract the hobo at the game stall then switch to another character to steal the bell while he was gone. But it seems he can be in two places at once. I thought the too-small ring was a red herring. Maybe make this an alternate solution to the puzzle, as it would be one more teamwork puzzle which is what multiple character games should be all about, and then you can also claim: "multiple solutions to puzzles" ;)
[close]

CaesarCub

Quote from: Creamy on Fri 30/09/2016 22:35:45
The insertion of children in a gruesome story helps create a compelling atmosphere.
I was left wishing for more; the many characters make it feel like an intro for a bigger story.

Well, time constrains prevented me to add some darker parts on the epilogue that were planned.
I'm really glad you all are liking it so far :-D

Quote from: Mandle on Sat 01/10/2016 01:04:02
Spoiler
I couldn't understand why the safe only fell off the conveyor belt when there was another character present at the other end. Also: I was sure that the solution to the ring-toss was to have one character distract the hobo at the game stall then switch to another character to steal the bell while he was gone. But it seems he can be in two places at once. I thought the too-small ring was a red herring. Maybe make this an alternate solution to the puzzle, as it would be one more teamwork puzzle which is what multiple character games should be all about, and then you can also claim: "multiple solutions to puzzles" ;)
[close]

Well...
Spoiler
The conveyor belt is supposed to have one of those don't-fall-asleep systems, so the belt stops moving the moment the character stops pressing the button.
I would have to check if that text made it through the game or got lost. The game originally was meant to have each character say different things about everything, and some refuse to do certain actions, but that got axed due to time constrains.
I was afraid that the ring thing wouldn't be obvious enough, so I made one ring clearly smaller and even have a different sound to show it was the wrong kind of ring.
Also, I didn't get around to make the fair guy be more crazy and creepy on the dialogues.
But well, time constraints prevented me to do extra passes on some puzzles. Two days before I posted the game, the notepad didn't even have its own graphics or the code item, and things were too simple and expository there, so I kept moving my focus all around, polishing here and there, cutting parts (the epilogue was twice as long, telling what happened after with the kids).
[close]

Arlann

I really enjoyed this game and its universe, very well done bravo!

sthomannch

Very nice game, fresh ideas and nicely crafted. I enjoyed it a lot! Congratulations

Mandle

Quote from: CaesarCub on Sat 01/10/2016 02:34:46
Spoiler
The conveyor belt is supposed to have one of those don't-fall-asleep systems, so the belt stops moving the moment the character stops pressing the button.
I would have to check if that text made it through the game or got lost. The game originally was meant to have each character say different things about everything, and some refuse to do certain actions, but that got axed due to time constrains.
I was afraid that the ring thing wouldn't be obvious enough, so I made one ring clearly smaller and even have a different sound to show it was the wrong kind of ring.
[close]

Spoiler

The dead-man's switch on the conveyor belt worked properly for me. What I meant was that I tried holding the button for several long lengths of time but nothing happened. But as soon as I had another character in the right-hand end of the room, and went back and pushed the button with a different character, then the safe falling off the belt's end event triggered. Does it only trigger if there's somebody there to witness it: Quantum-safe? (laugh)

I understood the ring puzzle, but I thought the whole puzzle might be a red-herring. I thought the correct solution was to distract the hobo at the ring-toss game while another character steals the bell, but the hobo can be in both places at the same time (or moves faster than the screen scrolls), or has a twin brother: Prestige-hobo? (laugh)

What I was suggesting was that you make this solution also a valid way to solve the puzzle, so that it has two possible solutions. This would also make the three-character system more important as a game-play mechanic. Just an idea of course...
[close]

Shadow1000

I just finished this game.

Awesome concept. Beautiful art. Fits the theme perfectly. Well-designed puzzles. The fact that you have to control three characters to solve puzzles pushes the quality of the game past the typical MAGS entry.

Well done!

SHADOW

Cassiebsg

I just finished it! Great game! Nice concept and loved having 3 to control...

Spoiler

I ended up doing most everything with Phil, and was a bit scared going around with just the kids spread all over alone.
Would have been nice to have extra dialogues between characters once you've done certain tasks, and for instance I already knew where the bell was, yet looking in the notepad it still mentioned having no idea where to get one.

Also think I spotted a couple bugs...
Spoiler

When I gave Clarence the candle, all of a sudden the book and notes disappeared from Phil's inventory and showed up on Dave's... even though he was still at the church and the other two near Ron.
Also, the bell, candle and book were out of order as in the config they were in the book. In the book you have Book->Bell->Candle, but I ended up with Book->Candle->Bell. I Tried switching the characters to the right spot, but they wanted to only be at that one specific spot. Then I tried to swich the candle and bell, but they refused.
Also, I had all three boys in place it the items, but only when I switched to Phil it triggered the end. ???
[close]
[close]
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

CaesarCub

Spoiler

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Sun 02/10/2016 20:49:36
Would have been nice to have extra dialogues between characters once you've done certain tasks, and for instance I already knew where the bell was, yet looking in the notepad it still mentioned having no idea where to get one.

    Yeah, I have a humongous unfinished table with personalised interactions for each character, including things some characters wouldn't do. For example some would refuse to search a dead body, or steal from the Church. Having them update each other on the information when meeting in the same room, or updating some texts were ideas that in the end I didn't have time to implement.
[close]

Spoiler

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Sun 02/10/2016 20:49:36
When I gave Clarence the candle, all of a sudden the book and notes disappeared from Phil's inventory and showed up on Dave's... even though he was still at the church and the other two near Ron.
[close]

Hmmm, this one I'll have to look it up, because I have no idea how it could happen.

Spoiler

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Sun 02/10/2016 20:49:36
Also, the bell, candle and book were out of order as in the config they were in the book. In the book you have Book->Bell->Candle, but I ended up with Book->Candle->Bell. I Tried switching the characters to the right spot, but they wanted to only be at that one specific spot. Then I tried to swich the candle and bell, but they refused.
Also, I had all three boys in place it the items, but only when I switched to Phil it triggered the end. ???

Yeah, my bad. I think at some point I mixed Bell and Book on the code and they ended up not in the same order. I will have to fix that.
As for the game not ending the moment all three boys are in place, it's something else I will have to check. Do you remember if you had the inventory bar showing? because that pauses the game (something I'm realising I do not need, because there are no time sensitive puzzles), but it might make a the code pause and only resume after the bar is gone (switching a character takes the bar away, so it might happen like that).
[close]

Thanks a lot for letting me know about these issues.


CaesarCub

Quote from: Mandle on Sun 02/10/2016 01:11:59
Spoiler


The dead-man's switch on the conveyor belt worked properly for me. What I meant was that I tried holding the button for several long lengths of time but nothing happened. But as soon as I had another character in the right-hand end of the room, and went back and pushed the button with a different character, then the safe falling off the belt's end event triggered. Does it only trigger if there's somebody there to witness it: Quantum-safe? (laugh)

I understood the ring puzzle, but I thought the whole puzzle might be a red-herring. I thought the correct solution was to distract the hobo at the ring-toss game while another character steals the bell, but the hobo can be in both places at the same time (or moves faster than the screen scrolls), or has a twin brother: Prestige-hobo? (laugh)

What I was suggesting was that you make this solution also a valid way to solve the puzzle, so that it has two possible solutions. This would also make the three-character system more important as a game-play mechanic. Just an idea of course...
[close]

Spoiler

    Well, the conveyor belt actually works fine without any other player, the issue is that the safe is not visible when you are pushing the button, so you don't see the change. One of the passes I never got around to was to make an animation (and not just the two positions of the safe) and move the camera to show it tilt. But since I never got around doing the animation, I never made it so the camera would show the safe becoming unstuck.

    As for the hobo... the guy that helped me with the story suggested a way more crazy stabby creepy hobo (never got around to do that creepier dialogue) that would get violent and deadly if the player tried to have him show in both places at the same time.
[close]

Stupot


Matsui

Lovely art style. Look forward to giving it shot.

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