Flux World is Still Recruiting Background/Sprite Artists

[egamer]

Okay, that took care of that problem, but I still cannot finish the game.  After visiting the home of the Purple Tribe, I am still stuck in the room with the four trees lined up in a row and cannot leave the room.

[fluxmaster]

I have corrected this problem and uploaded the new version.  You should now be able to finish the game.  There are no more difficult problems to solve after this point, so you should be able to finish it in a couple of minutes.  (Of course, you still have to play the game from the beginning!)

[egamer]

Here is my latest bug report:

In the first half of the game, at one point the Telmorg cursor came up instead of the right crosshairs cursor.

In the second half of the game, there were several instances where a paticular sprite appeared twice in the same scene where one would expect to see it only once.  This occured in various scenes and with various sprites.  It looks like some clean-up code is missing.

At what appears to be the end of the game, a message comes up telling me that I have satisfied all the gods and asking me whether I want to go home.  When I answer yes, the game returns to the original scene, with the player in bed in his room, perhaps waking up from a dream.  If I hadn't read your comments posted on this thread, I would think that that was the end of the game, since it seems like a reasonable way to end the game, with the player returning home.  Perhaps the whole thing was nothing but a dream.  But since I had discovered that bug that prematurely allows the player to walk south from the bedroom to the hardware store, and you confirmed that the game ends in the hardware store, I'm assuming that the player is supposed to be able to walk south from that scene, but that that functionality was broken by some other change to the code.

[fluxmaster]

In the first half of the game, at one point the Telmorg cursor came up instead of the right crosshairs cursor.

You see why it's important to keep testing the first half of the game.

In the second half of the game, there were several instances where a paticular sprite appeared twice in the same scene where one would expect to see it only once.  This occured in various scenes and with various sprites.  It looks like some clean-up code is missing.

I'll look into it.

At what appears to be the end of the game, a message comes up telling me that I have satisfied all the gods and asking me whether I want to go home.  When I answer yes, the game returns to the original scene, . . . .  If I hadn't read your comments posted on this thread, I would think that that was the end of the game, since it seems like a reasonable way to end the game, with the player returning home.

Yes, but there is one more thing to do.

Perhaps the whole thing was nothing but a dream.

NO!!!

But since I had discovered that bug that prematurely allows the player to walk south from the bedroom to the hardware store, and you confirmed that the game ends in the hardware store, I'm assuming that the player is supposed to be able to walk south from that scene, but that that functionality was broken by some other change to the code.

I have just put in a quick fix and uploaded the new version so that you can finish the game.  I only had to change one of the room scripts.  Since I didn't change the global script, you will not have to start the game from the beginning.  You can simply download the new version, load one of your saved games near the end, right before it asks you whether you want to return home, and play the final scene.  Good job!

The rest of the bugs I'll put on my to-do list.  I have also made a few more bug fixes to the 8-bit color and 16-bit color versions (even though I said that I wouldn't) and uploaded them to the server so that these two versions can be played through to the end by anyone who wishes to.  But these two versions will not be getting a complete set of bug fixes; they are for comparison purposes only.

[egamer]

Okay, I've finished the game.  Very interesting and original.  I've never played anything quite like it before.

After seeing the ending scene in context (and talking to the shopkeeper), I think that I have an idea about what the symbolism of the game is.  Should I mention it here or in a private e-mail?

At the end (and I'm assuming that this is the end this time, although there was one false ending before), the game asks me whether I want to quit or keep playing.  If I choose to keep playing, I can't leave the hardware store or do anything else.  So is that really the ending, or is there more stuff to do in this game?

[fluxmaster]

Okay, I've finished the game.  Very interesting and original.  I've never played anything quite like it before.

Thank you!

After seeing the ending scene in context (and talking to the shopkeeper), I think that I have an idea about what the symbolism of the game is.  Should I mention it here or in a private e-mail?

Please use private e-mail.

EDIT:  Your interpretation of the symbolism of the game is correct.  There is much more to it than you wrote in your e-mail, but your interpretation is correct as far as it goes.

At the end (and I'm assuming that this is the end this time, although there was one false ending before), the game asks me whether I want to quit or keep playing.  If I choose to keep playing, I can't leave the hardware store or do anything else.  So is that really the ending, or is there more stuff to do in this game?

That's the end.  The option to keep playing is for those who really want to return to Flux World and play some more, but there's nothing new to do, so it would just be repeating the same stuff over again.  I doubt that very many players would actually want to do that.  I'll add that functionality when I get around to it.

Beta testing is still open, and new beta testers are welcome to join.  Each beta tester plays the game a little differently and tries out different things, so the more beta testers I can get the better the game will be in the end.

[Meistari F]

This is not 100% done. But I''m just trying to compare the screenshot I have aldready made to use it as some kind of map so I can see how the landscape should look like. I will of course add some more on this and make this map bigger. After that I will cut this in pieces.  There is no need to update your game with this picture. But you may try if you want.

[fluxmaster]

That's basically right, but there are a few things I'd like you to correct.  First, could you start up that special version of the game that I made for you and start the game at the point named "Making Progress."  Watch what happens.  You will see the lumberjack cut down a tree to construct barracks.  Then walk one screen south.  You will see a lot more construction in that scene.  Several trees will be cut down, several buildings will be constructed, both military barracks and civilian residences, and roads will be constructed.

Ther are a couple of things you should notice.  First, when trees are cut down to construct barracks or other buildings, there is an "opening up" of the scene.  In other words, parts of the scene that were previously blocked from view by the trees are now visible.  There is space in between the barracks, so they are not so close together.  The second thing to notice is that the newly constructed roads form a 'Y' shape, not a straight line.

So there are a couple of things to correct in the map.  First, the barracks are too close together; there should be visible space in between them  Second, there should not be a straight road that runs all the way through Troforia.  The road should go only as far as there are buildings.  When new buildings are constructed, then new roads will be built, but in Troforia they will be in the shape of the letter 'Y', not a straight line.

If you don't know how to start the game in the middle, let me know.  It only works in your special version.

If you like, I can draw you a rough map of the entire game, if that would help.  Please let me know if you need that.

[Meistari F]

Yes send me that map.

Like I said this map is not 100% done.  I will of course change this after I have worked on more screenshots images.



Once again I re-edited that image. In this time I removed the road and some houses. This image are not supposed to be in the game it is just a map so I can figure it out how things should look like.



The third image is just a screenshot I toke from my test hehe.



I made a little change on the map as you can see.

[fluxmaster]

That is good, but I have a couple of comments.  First, you understand that some of the roads and buildings will not be built until later in the game, so they will not be part of the background but will be objects.  Also, each building except for the one in the intro should be right up against one of the roads.  Finally, the river looks good, but I want to make sure that it is visible in both of the "rooms" in Troforia.  There doesn't have to be only one river; you can have several rivers if you can fit them in, or one main river with several small brooks or streams.

See also the map that I e-mailed you.

[wpowell]

I want to beta test this game. Send me a copy of this game to willcaleb@yahoo.com. Thanks. Do good work on it and the updated background kicks butt. It rocks the house and makes it come tumbling down.

[fluxmaster]

Thank you for offering to beta test my game.  I have sent you a copy of the latest beta to your e-mail address.  In the future, you can always download the latest beta at

www.replinemeadowsoftware.com/fluxworld/FluxWorld.zip

I'm glad that you like Fribbi's backgrounds.  Wait till you see the new ones that he's working on; they're going to be really good.

[Meistari F]

Right now I am working on two backgrounds and I talking animation and for the new GUI and of course the mouse pointer.  I will send you the test game when it will be ready. So you can see how  things would look like. I hope I can finish that workk on the weekend. I know the last background image is like it is from one of those Final Fantasy games hehe.

Here is my latest screenshot. It is a close-up image from one of the barrack.

[Meistari F]

I forgot this.



This is a background for the barrack.

We could skip that part letting the player knock on the house to get the soldier out. Instead we should let the player just talk to the guy who is standing outside.

Here is sprite for the soldier with talking animation sprite

[fluxmaster]

I just sent you an e-mail explaining some more secrets of the game.  This should help you with the map.  Please remember to keep everything in that e-mail secret.

Your close-ups of the barracks are a lot more than I expected.  How will that work?  Will the player click on the barracks on the long view to see the close-up image?

I want to offer this game for sale (and you're getting half the take, remember), so all the graphics in the game must be free of copyright restrictions.

I can't wait to see your test game.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Excuse me for butting in like this, but wouldn't it be more appropriate and waaaaay more comfortable for you if you created a forum, or dealt with your artists and beta-testers in PMs?

[fluxmaster]

I do plan to start my own forum, but I want to wait until there is enough interest in the game that there will be enough people reading the forum and posting to it.  Perhaps I'll look into that next week.  As of the moment, this thread has been read over 6700 times, so maybe this would be a good time.

I just looked over the forum rules, and it said that this is the forum to promote one's game.  It didn't specifically address the issues of bug reports and such.  I thought that giving readers the chance to read these things would help promote the game.  If I start my own forum, then I can move bug reports and detailed communications with my artist there and only post new completed backgrounds and sprites here as they become available.

Could the mods comment on this.  Is this forum okay for posting bug reports and communicating with my artist?  I was only trying to stir up interest in the game, but if that's objectionable, then we can limit this thread to new completed backgrounds and sprites and comments from forum members on the progress of the game.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Heh, I took a long look at the rules myself before posting. It's not against the rules, but look at it like this - you're simultaneously advertising your product AND communicating with beta-testers, who need a lot of detail, publicly. You're exposing the backbones of an unfinished game. Can't be good for the game.

The problem actually lies in promoting. You're doing your game a disservice if anyone can see the amount of bugs beta-testers find, and their thoughts on the game's philosphy, and your own replies... the latter are BIG spoilers, and the former may make one wary, even though it's *obvious* every big game will have many bugs and finding a lot of them is actually GOOD as it means less will make it to the final version.

[Meistari F]

He is right. I should use the e-mail contact instead for now on and post the next screenshot and the other things on e-mail. Btw I am not expert in artist and it takes a lots of time and efforf to this for you. But I use my extra free time working on this when I have time to do this. I'm also working on my game so actually I'm working on two game in same time plus my normal job. So I really hope you can find more artists who can help you with this game..wich is getting really confusing to me ...but I will see what I can do. I have never finish the game because it is really too hard for me to understand it.  And I don't know what weapon I'm suppose to write in the text box.

My friend have also be complaining about this game how confusing this game really are.



Sorry I have to delay my demogame. You will get it when it is ready ..sorry.

[fluxmaster]

I have started my own forum for the game.  You can find it here:

http://fluxwarrior.bplaced.net/phpBB3

Bug reports and speculation about the meaning of the game can be posted there.  Of course, you can still post comments about the game on this thread.

I have also uploaded a new version with more bug fixes.