Swarm Development: Postmortem

[Hudders]

Struggle so much that loads of blood is forced back into the poodle and it EXPLODES.

[selmiak]

thanks for the feedback, I'll give the bg another go and post it later on.

[Armageddon]

I just had to do it.

This is my first ever animated sprite.



I'm not even sure if it's the right size.

[Baron]

....and Merrick escapes by gripping the unexploded paw (with sharp claws) in his mouth and using it as a saw to free himself!

[selmiak]

from

to



well, i got to confess I misread ceiling for attic, or room above the lab, that's why the ceiling actually looked more like a wall
I don't like how the new one came out because the generator for the laser is attached to a wall now. Would it be possible to use the first image and then scroll down (2 images in one ) to the actual scene in the lab?

[Armageddon]

I'd remove the dithering and add the outlines to the sides of the room, like the style guide. There really shouldn't be any smooth shading.

[Tabata]

I just had to do it.

This is my first ever animated sprite.

Congratulations to your first animated sprite!
It is really „boom“-bastic 

[Hudders]

I don't really understand this whole "ceiling" background. 

[Secret Fawful]

Okay, so this is the final animation. If you see tings you want tweaked, I'll probably still be willing to do it, but it won't be anything non-animation related. These are the final vampiresses, based on Tabata's suggestions. So, if you're unhappy with them, sorry. I'm just not going to try and please everybody, because I don't think I can, especially with everyone giving me conflicting requests. I'm pretty happy with them, and to be honest, that's not ENTIRELY out of laziness. I'm known for my laziness, and it's laziness that made me take so long on the animation itself (sorry). I really do like these versions. So the animation is made up of seven mouth movements which you can tweak or order in any way you like. They're similar, but I couldn't think of a lot of ways, with the girls looking so realistic, to do the mouth movements without it looking exaggerated and facepalm-inducing silly.

[Baron]

Awesome!

[Tabata]

I don't really understand this whole "ceiling" background. 

+ 1                   



@Secret Fawful   
    Cool!

    Well, but you just might want to change ...   

Spoiler

  ...  nothing!  -      I AM JUST TEASING!   ; - )

[close]

They look like very bad, angry girls (with some bloody thoughts)

                                              

[Secret Fawful]

Glad they worked out! I can't wait to see the finished game! 

[Baron]

Hey swarm,
      Sorry I've been quiet lately -things've been busy.  I have been puttering at assembling resources and have a VERY ROUGH BUILD to show off.  About half of the puzzles are implemented and most of the animations to date (missing Secret Fawful's vampire twins, though -didn't get that far yet).  I'd appreciate it if a couple of people could give it a quick go and then discuss things like how the interface works, how the puzzles play (although without clues you might have to use the walkthrough, below), what kind of music you'd like to hear, etc.  Based on that feedback we'll start the big push towards a finished alpha version!

Spoiler

DRACULATOR II ROUGH BUILD WALKTHOUGH
-shouldn't be able to interact with anything because you're tied up
-struggle by left-clicking on self.  Keep struggling
-click on laser (there should be a button somewhere -we're working on it)
-click on mirror.
-click on laser and mirror until door lock destroyed
-open fridge and grab stuff (not necessary....yet)
-close fridge and take magnets
-look at crucifix
-use magnets on crucifix (use the GUI at upper left that I ripped from Studio3's submission)
-the hallway is just a holder graphic, so there's no UV light puzzle to overcome (yet)
-go to robot lab and take pine cone, probe and banana (can't bite yet, no animation)
-go to exercise yard and use probe on banana
-use probanana (?) on walkway to kill guard
-use probe (still in inventory) on umbrella
-go to guardroom (no sunlight so you can just waltz on over anyway....)
-that's about it.... so far!

[close]

[Armageddon]

So the first 2 backgrounds don't fit the style AT ALL. The first one could but still doesn't seem to make sense.

The magnets need to be a lot clearer I couldn't even read exit.

You need some way to climb up to the laser or a button at the bottom.

Intro text needs to stay for at least twice as long, I couldn't read half of it.

Walk speed needs to go WAY up, took forever to walk between the probe and banana.

YOU FLASTARDS!!!

It would be better if you clicked anywhere and Merrick would struggle.

The dog leg in the mouth would have been cool, he could have started humming words so you couldn't understand it.

I'd like to still have my inventory item out even after I use it on something so I don't have to keep opening it and selecting it.

Doctor's talking animation was trippy.

[Tabata]

Hey master  

since it is a rough kind of demo-version, I only point out rough things, okay?

-the dialogs from Doc and Merrick during the intro are very far away from each other
(the reason is obvious, but it makes it hard to follow and during the player is "hunting" for the lines,
he can't watch the scene) If there is no other solution for this, how about a voice-acting for the intro?

-intro-bg: the flickering lights at the machine (from the other version selmiak did, would fit in niceley)

-all the bg's work fine (possibly Armageddon missed, that the second one is only a placeholder?)

-the cursors work and a player can get used to it (I prefer the seperated, but the two click-version here is
okay, needs less work and dialogs)

-the (some times) used bat-curser could be used for every right-click

-the inventory-button doesn't fit very good (How about to open it, when „using“ Merrick?)

-I prefer some more struggle-clicks (the different dialogs give a hint, that there is something changing)

-exploded dog-pieces should stay on the ground

-yes, the letters should be bigger (maybe seperating them, place them at  different machinery for to
stick a  notice, pic them up one after the other to be placed/thrown in correct order by the player?)
otherwise at least the versions appearing over the door need to be lager

-some clicks on the laser made the „game“ freeze

-blonde scientist „lost“ his trousers

-soldier stops walking after some time

-to realise, that the probe is still in the inventory, there should be a dialog, when player tries to use the visible one

   This is going to be veeery nice when ready! I like it!

[Hudders]

After mentioning that he can free his arm, Merrick should look at the camera and say "how convenient".

Break the fourth wall!

[Baron]

Well, I was kind of tired last night when I posted the rough build, so I'll try to explain my thoughts more thoroughly here:

BACKGROUNDS: Yes, the hall is just a placeholder.  The Surgery Lab is a little different from the other BGs, but it's well executed.  Nobody complained when it was submitted, so my druthers would be to leave it in.  If people feel strongly enough about it to volunteer to redo it then give it a shot.

SPEECH: I've just used the default font and the default dialog text switching time.  I could lengthen the time, but then I'd no doubt hear calls of "this dialog takes too long!"  I think since we're drawing on so many people's talents we should certainly try for voice acting, which will delay the text switches until the clip has played.  Implementing this will have to wait until the script is 100% finalized, though.

OBJECTS: Bigger magnet letters shouldn't be a problem, but they do run the risk of getting unrealistically large.  I'll post the current ones and a volunteer can edit them.  As for dog bits, we can post it as a job if you really think it's important.  To be honest I worked with what I had.  If someone wants to design a laser interface (it could simply be a button, but a console looking thing connecting up to the laser would be ideal), that'd be awesome.

INTERFACE: The problem with leaving the inventory cursor after a click is that you still have the inventory cursor.  This is what you want in the near term, but how do you get back to the blood drop then?  Remember, right clicking is "look" now, not cycle.  Also I'm really not happy with the default inventory system or way of accessing it.  Ideally it would be combined with an actual menu and be more integrated into the game.  Clicking on Merrick might be intuitive but then we'll have to think of another way to "use" Merrick (ie struggle against the bonds).  Suggestions are welcomed.

CURSORS: The bat cursor is just a remnant -it's in the "pointer" slot so that's why it crops up at times.  I can change that easily enough.  Different cursors for right click and left click would look a bit strange, since they would only change after the event is called.

CHARACTERS: Yes, the blond scientist is a hurtin' unit, that's for sure.  I have no idea how he lost his pants, and I guess his funny dance is due to different sized frames.  I haven't addressed these two since the original build since I've been waiting on a biting animation.  Once I get that I'll get these guys idling properly, then being bitten.

WALKSPEED: Definitely something to put on our GUI menu!  Submit your sketches, post haste!  GUI should include save/load buttons, quit and about buttons, walkspeed slider and inventory window.  It should fold up into a button, or maybe a character (bat?) that fits into the game world.

PROBE: Maybe when you left-click on it the cursor becomes the probe inventory cursor?

DOCTOR TALKING: I've obviously just cut & paste so that it wouldn't just be his portrait staring as he talked.  Talk animation welcomed, but not a priority.

MOVING FORWARD: I think most of our remaining backgrounds have been spoken for and should be in progress.  There're a few character animations yet to do: some talking animations, some Merrick actions, and several guard deaths.  We need two or three more guards designed -they will be up against the walls or in the nook facing the imminent threat just beyond the door of Crimson Wizard's guard room.  We also need some cockroaches.  Finally, it's time to start thinking about music, and since no one has stepped up to be music director I'm just going to open it up for general discussion.  We need an overall tone for the game, maybe a specific instrument or just a feeling.  If you know something from a movie, game or song then give us a title (or link to a clip) so that we can get a discussion going.  I'm going to jokingly suggest the "castle music" from Super Mario because it was spooky and suspenseful -hopefully someone can do better than that!

[Icey]

Looks like it's off to a good start.

I see you have a jpeg button so here is the png version

[Ali]

I think the ceiling will be fine if the dithering is replaced with hatched shading like the other bgs. I attempted to down-grade Grim's backdrop to fit into the style better (hope he doesn't mind!):



Future paintovers are welcome of course.

[Anian]

Actually, Ali, I think that's much better, not that the original was a bad background, but with so few colors, it was murder trying to make chair to fit there and not clash (or actually blend in) with the colors. that are in the background. So I preffer this "cleaner" (less dithering and shading) version.