What should I use? Resolution, color depth, etc.

[TerranRich]

In short, I want to make a Quantum Leap game. The thing is, do I use low-res or high-res? I want to make ths game of moderate length (between short and full) and free for all. Therefore, the download can't be that big. So low-res would seem to fit the bill. However, I can't decide if I should use pre-rendered 3D (hard to animate for me) or "hand-drawn" (hehe...paper-drawn then scanned and pixelled over). Pre-rendered 3D would be much easier, simpler, and quicker to work with, but would only look good in high-res. On the other hand, low-res would work out better size-wise, but I'd have to make it look GOOD. It'll take work, but it's doable. Right now I'm leaning more towards low-res.

As for color depth, it too increases file size. However, I don't know the first thing about working wth palettes...how do I determine what colors to use? What if I have to change the palette around? BAH! It's so much easier to work with high-color.

What do you guys think? What would look better? For the Quantum Leap effect (blinding white light, electrical energy, fade to blue, etc., etc.) it would be easier to work with low-res. The more space I have for detail...the more detail I have to show. Hmm...

[Privateer Puddin']

Low res, 'hand drawn'

oh and, don't screw Quantum Leap up or i will hunt you down.

[TerranRich]

Low res and hand drawn it is. I'm going to practice drawing so that I can rediscover my skills. Seriously, I could draw complex starships on paper wth pencil, no tracing. I could draw this one toy I had, a complex looking little bugger. The rooms and scenery are gonna rock. I'm thinking even KQ6 style.

And no, I won't screw QL up. If you want to see what I have so far for a story, and want to see SPOILERS, then click HERE.

[Darth Mandarb]

I say low-res hand drawn too!Ã,  There's just something more ... magical? ... about it that way.

I would say go with hi-color in AGS, but design the background(s) using a max of 256 colors.Ã,  It's what I do and I like the effect.  You get a VGAish looking game without having to muck about with pallettes.

And I loved (loved loved!!!) the show!!Ã,  So do it right

[rodekill]

I just want to say: Awsome.
A couple of years back my brother and I spoke about how amazing Quantum Leap could be as an adventure game.
Different 'leaps' could be different chapters... Al coming in randomly and being unhelpfully hollographic... excellent.
I pictured it in classic Lucasarts format, if you're interested.

[TerranRich]

I'm leaning towards low-res and 256-color (different palettes per room perhaps?) What do you guys think of my story so far? Think it's worthy of a Quantum Leap adventure? I'm very much devoted to this project now, and there is little chance of me abandoning it on purpose (no more hard drive crashes either).

I might need help, in regards to walk animations. I was going to render some in Poser and then draw over them if I couldn't do it on my own.

[cornjob]

I'd recommend you use hi-color if you don't know much about palettes, as you said earlier. Having to manage palettes throughout a full-length game could become a real pain for you.
As for the story, I hope you find a way to incorporate some ordinary people with real life problems, deal with social issues and add in some heart (and maybe a bit of corny Americana and nostalgia). Although I also enjoyed the more "sci-fi adventure" aspects of the show in the last season, QL is more than just that.

[Privateer Puddin']

I say make a 'pilot' game, shorter than a normal thing, to make sure you get some other things right first, perhaps have it based on a famous event, so you dont have to worry too much about story / characters as you would with a brand new one?

[chapter11studios]

I think it comes down to how "good" your art skills and background screens will look. If the art is great and the colors are amazing, and you don't want to lose any of that, then go with the hi-res (like an 800x600, tru-color). But if not, there's no need to go hi-res, and the low-res method is actually a bit more forgiving. Plus, it runs faster. Good luck!

[TerranRich]

It runs faster, and the file size will be shorter.

I could make a regular ol' episode game, but something about it didn't seem right.

[GarageGothic]

Make your art, in the highest resolution. Resize it to the lower resolutions and change the color depth, check what workds. It's more or less like selecting the levels of jpg-compression when exporting images for the web - see what works, if the negative sides outweigh the benefits, go for the higher res.

It's hard for us to make a call without seeing you style of art - try posting some examples in different resolutions.

[TerranRich]

This is true, also. I was discussing this with the members over at the Quantum Leap - Al's Place messageboard and they mentioned pre-rendered 3D...just like By the Sword would've been. Then I thought about it...what would be so bad about going for the high-res 3D look again? If people wiith dialup can't download it if it's too large, they can pay $1 or $2 for shipping to get it on CD-R, no other charges. Either way, I believe it would be interesting to see Al and Sam as 3D characters. And most of you guys know that I never use the default Poser characters. I use the custom made stuff.

As for things like the leaping effect, I could always go with some Photoshop effect, animated...or some other method. Can anybody lend me some better ideas, if any, on how to simulate the leaping effect? If you don't know what this looks like, click here to see a sample video: http://www.terran-x.com/quantum.wmv . Excuse the goofiness of the creator, he is the MAN for re-creating this effect.

[Arakoth]

Browsing through the forums, i came accross this post.

ive been thinkin about doing a quantum leap adventure game for quite some time now, although the game itself could be quite complex, it would be fun to do.. i think it should be carried off from the last episode of quantum leap. Reason for this being as i read in an inteverview by scott bukada(wrong spelling) that the last episode was designed so that it could finish there or be continued, i shall continue it. i have a basic story line set out so far i wonder if you will be interested in it:

the year 1986,

i can either focus on the challenger disaster; The chigago bears winning the superbowl; the bombing of tripoli or even the end or beginning of the end of aparthide in south africa. or maybe something made up, who knows

there will be a music feature, i feel that music allways makes a story, whether it be read, or watched on tv, or even played in a computer game..monkey island wouldnt have been 1/2 as good without its catchy reggae style themes.

the abilty to change the outcome in many fashions (multiple endings depending on global variables) and of course

classic 256 colour graphics ...

oppinions please?

Arakoth x

[ildu]

I'd say low-res simply because it's a retro show and it would work best as such. Also, it would be really hard to captivate the same Quantum Leap feeling in 3D. As for colors, why not use 32-bit? That way you don't have to worry about palettes. I don't really care about filesize, myself, since I've got broadband.

[Ionias]

I can't say about the hi or low rez, but you must use high color. Messing around with a palette is pure torture, esp if you want to have Al as hologram.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

This is a rather messy job, but if this is what you mean by the leap effect then I'd say you can do it quite convincingly in 320x200 with 16-bit color.  This version uses 40 colors, but many are barely visible due to blending.  I also made a 20 color version.  Note that the differences aren't readily apparent until you zoom in.

[Arakoth]

wow man! there excellent graphics, how did you achive that? was it hand drawn or digitised from the tv series?... ive managed to aqquire a copy of lightwave, dont ask how or where:P inside it there is a plugin to turn 3d characters into more cartoony graphics. which i mite try out. failing that i guess its gonna be me drawing it frame by frame! the background graphics are the main issue, i dont know how to approach it, do i use photos and then turn them into background or just keep the fotos, or shall i draw them?...this is the first graphic adventure ive written, the last game i did was an eye of the beholder clone lol

the stories already worked out it's gonna be set in the 1990's ile elaborate more later

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Drawn pixel by pixel of course.  I did look at a photo of the dvd cover for color matching and such.

[Arakoth]

Well heres a quick update-

Ive created so far, and introduction (ile try and post it on the internet and link it soon..ile just edit this reply with a link)

3 scenes

a theme tune though it sounds very weak and empty tho..considering i did it from scratch!

all i need to do is create the characters, im having a very hard time doing that...i cant draw people!.

the story will continue from where the last episode of quantum leap left off

[Arakoth]

this forum runs parralell to a facist police state! all i did was post about this quantum leap game that IS in production as it is different from the one started in this original post, its started from a different member, and hasnt even had preliminary screenshots made! there for why cant they Mod's just chill out.. i would like the to unlock the topic in the 'production' part of this forum, and if not explain why it was locked in the first place..

It's not as if i posted anything annoying or offensive in the post, and i belive most people in this forum as a whole would find the idea of such a project, and taking part in some of its creation a good idea.

i will probably get my account deleted and my posts deleted too for this, as one could argue that it is not helpful.. i would tend to disagree.

so i ask of the mod's that monitor and use this forum to be less opressive, and realise that if they want users to follow strict rules, that they havn't informed them of, maybe they should inform them.

This is the only forum i have ever joined in which you have to take a test to become a member.. it's not as if were part of an elite society.

Arakoth