Swarm Development: Postmortem

[Scarab]

@Buckethead and Secret Fawful:
Nice guys! I can see those explosions just begging for a ShakeScreen() command.

@Ghost:
That credits screen is awesome! I particularly like the colour schemes for the third and fourth variations.
Did you draw it with inbetween colours first and then swap them out for the dithering? If so I'd be interested to see how a variation like that would look.

@Tabata:
Those cockroaches read very well; easily recognisable from all angles you drew them.
One thing I noticed though, is that when you place them on the floor they are slightly out of perspective. I think perhaps they would fit into the scene better if they were drawn from almost a front-on perspective, or even just squashing them vertically by 50%.

I've compiled the latest build, which can be found here.
The changes made are largely graphics/interface based, with a few of the bugs fixed. No new puzzles/cutscenes have been added yet.

Changes:

• Removed the remaining instances of the bat cursor.
  
• Updated UseInv behaviour. (Right click: Restore original cursor).
  
• Fixed bug that caused guard on catwalk freezing.
  
• Replaced legs on blonde scientist, and centred him in sprite.
  
• Set up preliminary guard room.
  
• Tested out Ali's edit of the Surgery Lab.
  
• Fixed bug that caused the game to hang if you used the laser on the door if it was open.
  
• If you right click on the probe in the courtyard, the cursor changes to the probe.
  
• Several other minor tweaks.
  

Feedback is needed on whether or not we want to run with Ali's background paintover. If not, I'll revert it and import Ghost's door and magnets.
I'd also like to know if anyone has any problems with the interface, because it would be nice to finalise that before we go into Alpha.

[Hudders]

Not trying to make the game like some other game but if you have heard of Infamous for the PS3 then you will that the player has the choice to be evil or good by doing different types of actions. It would make the game funner if the player could choose to be good or bad because it would trigger different cut scenes & different actions by things in the game. It also would make people wan't to replay the game more to see some things they didn't see last time. When I think about it it sounds easy just to use if statements however I'm not coding the game so who knows what those scripts look like.  

No.

[Ghost]

About Good/Bad:
As much as I like the idea of allowing the player to chose completely between good and bad, I think that would be a game stopper, making things too complicated.

About Merrik:
I think of Merrik as a man with a grudge, not really evil but feeling fully justified to dish out some harm. This *should* be shown- he's just uwnwilingly been
made a vampire cyborg in OUTDATED dress (the dress is what pushed things too far).

@Scarab: I just started with a black outlike of the bat and the computer lines on white background, and added 50%gray dither shading by hand (+copy'n'paste). Then I added the  lightes colour in some areas. For the variations, I simply took the darkest room palette colour I liked, and replaced, and worked my way up; it's as simple as that. All the variations use four colours, and it should be pretty easy to make more, depending on what the swarm needs. I'm thriled to see it recieved well!

DOWNLOAD does not work for me (tell me there's too many requests)

[arj0n]

DOWNLOAD does not work for me (tell me there's too many requests)

Shutupload.com suffers nonstop from 'overload of server' since Friday...

[Matti]

So could anyone upload that build to another host?

[Scarab]

DOWNLOAD does not work for me (tell me there's too many requests)

Shutupload.com suffers nonstop from 'overload of server' since Friday...

Blast, I hadn't checked it...
Hopefully this one works.
I'll update the link above as well.

[Dualnames]

I was thinking that we should have Merrick into this dude, that accidentally becomes a vampire, and kills everyone, without wanting it, but with him being controlled by his urges. A bit clumsy could help a lot. 

[Ghost]

Download worked, build plays fine. I think the interface works well, too.

Regarding the Surgery lab, both edits look good. Ali's edit is a bit smoother and cleaner shading-wise, but both are fine by me.
Depending on which one the swarm decides to use, I still have time until Tuesday to fix my contributions and re-post them.

One thing- there should be a comment from Merrick when the player attempts to walk through the door after the laser blast, and has not yet placed the magnets/examined the crucifix, because otherwise it looks like a perfectly valid exit that Merrick doesn't react to. A simple "Hssss.... that crucifix... I can't go near it" would suffice, placed in a Game.DoOnceOnly command.

[Kweepa]

Just watched the demo, and I must say, superb stuff!
Really nice atmosphere!
I love the poodle animation too.

Just a couple of edits:

Spoiler

amock -> amok; soonest opportunity -> first opportunity

[close]

[Tabata]

about the second build:
- I am still missing „the mess“ on the ground after the poodle exploded â€" it is too clean in my opinion. 
- If it is possible to implement the flickering lights at the machine into the intro-bg (from the other version selmiak did) â€" please do! It is such a wonderful effect!   
- I had no trouble with the interface and the cursor-changing into the probe works fine. 
- I would like to see some more directions/options for the mirror/laserbeam and also a bit of destruction shown at the point where it hits (The reaction works well, when the door of the fridge is blocking the way).
- I assume, all the missing dialogues (when looking at several places around) will have to be done later?
- The blonde scientist is acting a bit strange now. If it isn't possible to use the other arm, how about to let him face to the right direction (i.e. every third time) could make it a little bit less strange to watch or maybe using the left looking version (i.e. every second time) followed by the one with open mouth and the one with closed mouth afterwards again (like he is pointing at/using the computer and talks a word to himself every now and then)?  - Something to lengthen the short period of repeating. :

...there should be a comment from Merrick when the player attempts to walk through the door after the laser blast, and has not yet placed the magnets/examined the crucifix, because otherwise it looks like a perfectly valid exit that Merrick doesn't react to. A simple "Hssss.... that crucifix... I can't go near it" would suffice, placed in a Game.DoOnceOnly command.

+ 1


about the good/bad:
It's a interesting idea and I would like to take it for this game, but it needs a very lot of extra-work (nearly a second story to make), so therefor we shouldn't use it here (in this game)   


about credit-screen-bg:
How about using all/several of them, crossfade from one to the other, when showing the credits? 


@scarab:
Yes, the „almost a front-on perspective, or even just squashing them vertically by 50%“ will be my next lesson to do.  8)

A question about the handling: I saved all versions sorted in one .xcf-file because when saving it as a .gif-file, the description per layer is lost and some settings change. When I am done, can I send this file or is it more comfortable to save every version and direction in a seperated file? What is easier to use for importing in AGS?

[Peder 🚀]

Not trying to make the game like some other game but if you have heard of Infamous for the PS3 then you will that the player has the choice to be evil or good by doing different types of actions.

Legend of Kyrandia Book Three: Malcolm's Revenge had a moral choice type of system!

[Ghost]

Legend of Kyrandia Book Three: Malcolm's Revenge had a moral choice type of system!

It also had me spend more time on getting points for doing fun jester stuff than it had me breezing through the plot. Ah man, those were the times.

Still about good and bad:
A final decision for the player to make. Merrik can utterly destroy his creator, or leave him be*.
All it would need are two lines in the dialog. Doesn't make the game more complicated, and still gives the player the (illusory) feeling he changed something.

*

Spoiler

And then we let JADE from Beyond Good&Evil storm in and photograph him (the professor, not Merrik (who has, by this time, already left, maybe humming a melancholic tune and, when entering sunlight, saying "Oh hey, I SPARKLE!"), with his trousers down.

[close]

[Baron]

The basics that MUST be communicated regardless:

1) There is a solar powered probe they have been working on
2) Pine cones survive forest fires to sprout new trees
3) Vampire bites don't necessarily kill you, they can just paralyze the victim for a period of time
4) Scientific knowledge from the scientists aid Merrick to.... fix the probe?  (most obvious)
5) Fantastic opportunity for a bit of back-story....

  The probe is the solution to getting Merrick across the sunny exercise yard (kills guard indirectly with banana peel and holds umbrella to block the sun), as well as defeating the vampire twins/robot monster at the end (opens gas main valve after part of the roof is brought down by robot monster's entrance -thus there is a shaft of sunlight).

  Your guess as to the backstory is as good as mine.  The scientists could offer their perspective on the cyborg vampire project, which might enable us to cut out more details from the doctor's intro rant (tighten things up).  Broadly speaking we know that Merrick was once in the army, but became a vampire to hook up with the twins.  Otherwise... invent away!

  As for the broom scene, I like how it portrays the scientist as a sissy-man and it provides comic relief without being crass or shocking.  It will require several extra animations (scientist climbing cabinet, wielding broom and ultimately falling or being bitten in a strange location).  It's not critical so I am reluctant to recruit people to do all this work when we still have more important things to do, but if you can write it in we'll try to get someone on it while we're testing and polishing (unless someone is really interested in this...?).  Worse case scenario we use more or less the same dialog as the remaining scientist is chased around the lab floor.

[Hudders]

Solving all his problems by biting people is too easy. One of the people he has to eliminate should be overly fond of garlic, preventing Merrick from getting too close and having to solve the problem in a novel way.

[Crimson Wizard]

Sorry for delay!
Here's what I've got for you:

First, a slightly updated GUARD ROOM (Normal state). I added a protective fence (shamelessly ripped from other background) and sort of a sign which says "Danger! - extremely flammable" or something like that - as was suggested by Hudders.



Secondly, a GUARD ROOM (Ruined state):

[Hudders]

WOW.

That is amazing, Crimson Wizard. I was like "oh, there's a second screenshot, I wonder wha- OH MY GOD!"

[Baron]

@CRIMSON WIZARD: That is beyond awesome!  Fantastic work.

[Jackpumpkinhead]

Dude that is amazing!! I can't wait for this to be done. I would like to be the first to nominate it for game of the year for the ags awards

[Crimson Wizard]

Thank you for kind words. I find this ironic because, to be honest, I worried those debris look too slovenly drawn (and they are, hehe).

Anyway, I really enjoyed participating here; but I surely need to be poked every now and then for laziness sometimes defeats me  .

[Tabata]

@ Crimson Wizard:  
.. and another big „WOW“ â€" What a mess! - Soo cooool!  


From one of the biggest entries to one of the smallest

@all:
I am ready with (- ähem - more to say beaten by) the low-res cockroaches.  
The last missing kind of front-view nearly made me going mad.  

The "best" I have to offer for that perspective:
                 x 2
Those two have only a little difference in the footsteps.




Edit:
The complete set of swarm-cockroaches can be downloaded on your own responsibility  from here.
Warning: Exterminator NOT included!