Dean Thomson is proud to present:
The Illusion of Murder [Pt. 1: Wings of Deliverance]
The Story:
Leon Ryans; an agent for the FBI is prematurely called back from his holiday in Hawaii to
investigate a series of in-humane murders that are randomly being committed in San Francisco. As he discovers more and more about the killings his perception on the government, religion and morals change.
The game is based upon 50s serials, but is set in the present time period. The design was influenced by several different games. "Amazon: Guardians of Eden" being the most noted, "Lost in Time" and "Rise of the Dragon".
The game will be released in chapters ... each chapter will consist of 30 minutes to an hour of game play. Each episode finishes on a cliff-hanger, just like your favourite television show. Expect a new chapter every 2-3 months.
Features:
* In-game FMV sequences (over 20 minutes)
* Live actors
* Real photographic locations
* Original digital soundtrack
* First-person perspective gameplay
* At the moment it is 47mb compressed, so I'm guessing maybe 70mb compressed for the final product.
Some screenshots:
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/scrnshot4.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/scrnshot3.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/scrnshot2.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/scrnshot1.jpg)
Development Progress:
Story: 70%
Scripting: 60%
Graphics: 80%
Sound/Music: 70%
Expected completion date for Part 1: April 2006
Other notes:
I actually started this game about 5 years ago, both times I lost the game due to stupid things. The first one back when I was a youngin', father took the computer away due to a divorce when I was in my late teens. Then secondly about a year ago my old computer died and lost of everything. So I am trying a third time, and this time in parts.
Developer Diary
25th Feb 2006
Redesigned the scene where you meet the taxi drivers, changed the locations room graphics and hotspots. I also added a dialog system to the game, as before all the dialog was structured.
I lost the graphics of a game last year, it hurts.. You show perseverance to try it a third time. I'm with you, it's better to make it in parts.
I like the look of real pictures. hope this one works out for you.
The game will have a b-grade theme to it, maybe even c-grade. I wanted it to be a serious sort of story but with tongue-in-cheek humour. Mainly done through a no-money budget. All the filming was done using an AIPTEK 4600 digital camera / camcorder, I then dropped all my movies down to 10 fps and 320x240 through virtual dub and rendered out each frame seperately.
Each episode will be fairly large, about 120MB uncompressed; but as with most AGS games they compress really well (around 50MB). All music is done in Reason 3.0 and Nuendo 3, using a vast number of samples to duplicate real instruments from strings, bass, guitar and drums.
I'm trying to make this as much a challenging adventure game as some people might just get the assumption that it is an interactive movie.
Mods, Helm and a few other guys will be definetly interested in this thread as they have always nagged me about it. I've been in the forum since I was 18-19 ... I don't exactly remember but it was just before AGS 2 was released. I just never post .. lol
Quote from: Xenogia on Wed 08/02/2006 05:27:35
All music is done in Reason 3.0 and Nuendo 3, using a vast number of samples to duplicate real instruments from strings, bass, guitar and drums.
WOW! :o
These are expensive software you have there! What about samples?
The game looks very promising...
I agree. Only thing that is a 'downer' for me is the graphics. They're good but how much freedom can you have working with stills ? It just to me seems limiting. However, it's looking good thus far and even despite my somewhat negative opinion on the graphics I'll be sure to check it out. You sound pretty damn capable of making something great :)
looks really interesting. ill be on the lookout for this.
Sean the game doesn't have stills, its full motion video. Everything is animated, the screenshots don't give it justice trust me. There no AVI's as such in this game, think of Prodigal how he had in-game FMVs I did the same thing.
Here is another screenshot for everybody
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/scrnshot5.jpg)
As samples go, I use the Drumkit from Hell Supreme with 7 DVDs (yes 7 dvds of drum sounds). I have orchestral banks that are about three gig. I write music for living and play music fulltime, so its my job. But I've always had a soft spot for adventure gaming.
Wow, from the look of Response 1, this game should be awesome fun.
I have total faith in you, Dean - and this game looks awesome! Though it looks nothing like the original pictures I remember you showing me, I think it looks superb as it is now. And it's great to hear a lot of it is done! The design also reminds me of Noctropolis, which is phat - so I seriously can't wait to play!!! :)
So, in answer to your pm - nope, I hadn't! but thanks for pointing it out :D
I am also indeed still interested. Hope you make it this time around.
Finally helms i was waiting for your post, the game will be complete this time around I am much older and have a longer attention span too. And also I know I won't lose the game this time round.
Also Mods, I do see the similarities to Noctropolis. I looked it up and I want to play this game now and I found it for download all 335mb of it.
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/1116901962-00.png)
I demand you finish this game. At once.
Great, Dean! You'll enjoy Noctrop - I never finished it because it got too hard for me, but thats probably just because I'm dumb :P Still, if you hommage one of the Noctrop lines in your game I'll love you even more.
"Whadda you want noowwww?"
Can't wait for IOM! Looks so unique :)
I just love games with the "realistic" look and feel to it :)
Well if you look at the title post I have updated it, I need to help on the acting front. I need many more NPC's and its getting hard to find people who will do it. If your interested read the title post.
For future reference I have put a website up, so you can view the development of this game.
You can find it at http://xenogiagames.blogspot.com/
Anyway here are some updated screenshots:
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/Image3.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/alphastate/Image4.jpg)
I have redesigned all the icons, and added a much more interesting dialog interface for more interaction with the npcs. Fixed a lot of bugs, put anti-aliasing on all the fonts and added new music, sound effects and more puzzles. The game is definetly going to be done by the start of April.
Wow, do you live on Hawai'i? I just noticed the street name, Kamehameha. I used to live in Hawai'i Kai in Honolulu, Oahu and I remember that street from Downtown Honolulu.
Anyway, looks great. And I'm surprised by the early release projection.
I did my research on Hawaii, and did a search on engines to find some images related around certain areas, including later on places like San Francisco, Guyana and Washington.
Some background images will be done back here in good ol Melbourne, Australia and imitating San Francisco. Since melbourne and SF are so alike just on different continents :)
The early release date is because I am releasing it in parts, the game story keeps going. Not like mini-stories like Ben Jordan and Stan Ames.
I Love FMV Games :)
I Look Forward To Play This
Wow... almost 8 years on this necropost
VinVin - please review the forum rules (and the dates of the threads you're reading) before posting.