Infection - Episode 2 - The station

[WHAM]

We have over 300 downloads for the demo! Thanks to all who tried the demo, and please post more feedback in this thread, telling me if you liked or disliked something in the demo!

The demo is still available! Click image below to download yours!




* * * * * * - - - - - * * * * * - - - - - * * * * *

UPDATE 22.02.2011

A little status update now:

As I've worked for the last month on a game for the february MAGS, I've noticed first-hand how having poor design documentation makes creating a good game a LOT harder (oh the horror of re-writing the same script ten times because you realize you misused a function and / or variable several times).
For this reason I am putting this project on a (hopefully) short hold, as I'm going to re-write most of the design documents, write a proper script and puzzle design documentation (that I've not had outside of my head so far) and probably re-write most of the existing code for the game, to better implement some of the newfangled tricks I've leadned while working on the MAGS project (There is a Game.DoOnceOnly -script!? WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED!?).

I'm also planning to chop the project into pieces and set actual deadlines for each section, to better motivate myself to keep the project properly going. There is also a chance I will try to hire outside help to create parts of the game with me at some point, to ease off the workload of creating a massive over 100 room game with randomly generated content and action sequences, as well as minigames.

As a result I'm hoping to be able to speed up the process so that the game will have a chance to see a late 2011 or early 2012 release, instead of "Maybe some day when its done I guess" -release date.

Let's get this show on the road, people!

* * * * * * - - - - - * * * * * - - - - - * * * * *

Some of you might still remember the Infection (the original release thread and still-working download links here: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=34490.0). Well, I promised it would not end there, and I like to think I'm a man of my word.

Infection - Episode 2 - The station has been in the works for a good long time now, amassing dozens of pages of text and hundreds of images on my computer, and I thought this to be a good time to start talking about it.

GOAL OF THE PROJECT

The goal of Infection 2 is to create a full length game (over 5 hours of gameplay), with several ways for the player to change the course of the game, affecting the final outcome dramatically. For example, you will be given two separate objectives at one point in the game, and you can only accomplish one of these objectives. Choices and actions have consequences that actually matter.
The game will sport full voice acting (IF I can raise the needed 15 or-so volunteers to do all the character’s voices in the game), an all-original soundtrack by Tony “Ferrara” Caven (who got quite a bit of praise for his creepy ambient soundtrack in Infection 1), and a massive map to explore at your whim.

STORY

The second episode of the Infection trilogy continues from where the first episode ended. Michael Owen, an out-of-luck spaceship mechanic slumbers in hypersleep as the only survivor of the cargo transport ship "Pelican", after a crazed stowaway was accidentally let loose on the corridors of the ship. Unknown to our hero, however, the hypersleep chamber he sleeps in is not quite right, and Mike ends up in a deep coma. And to top it all off, he is not actually the only thing alive on the Pelican.

The second game (as well as the demo) starts with our hero awakening in an ICU room, aboard an unknown space station, alone. It will be up to him to find out where he is, what dangers face him this time and to overcome the obstacles the cruel world has to throw between him and survival of the survivors of the space station. It will take all of his (and the player's) cunning, bravery and outright insanity to survive the odds Mike must face this time. And, as always, everything might not just be what it seems like at first.

WHATS NEW?

In its second episode, the Infection will learn quite a few new tricks, as well as receive greatly improved visuals, which I hope will make it a much more enjoyable experience than the first one was. The game will feature several paths for the player to choose from, quick-time-events that can decide the fates of many more characters than the player's own, a space shuttle you can fly and some strange things called the "True Time System" and the "Stress System" here at WHAMGAMES HQ. You'll see then...

Infection 1 got some gripe because it had action sequences, which required quick reflexes and mastering of a less-than-ideal control scheme. The action is still around, and it will actually play an even more prominent role in the second episode, but the way the action plays out will be smoothened quite a bit by the all-original GUI.

The action will also form dynamically, as well some of the side missions the player can undertake during the course of the game, making the game play out slightly differently each time you play it. You will NEVER know if you are walking into an empty room with free goodies (such as ammo and supplies), or a potential deathtrap full of hiding enemies. You WILL have to fight for your life, you WILL have to run away like a scared little girl and you WILL be eviscerated if you draw attention to yourself in the hostile environments you will have to navigate in order to survive the game.

In the first game, I tried to create an enemy that followed you, gave chase and ambushed you if you didn’t make sure he was knocked out before you entered a room or used an elevator. This time the enemies will work even harder to do the same, and every second you spend in an area will increase the odds, that the sounds of your footsteps, of doors opening and closing, and of gunshots, will attract a lot of unwanted attention. Keep moving, or be tracked down and killed by the murderous AI!

Oh, and I remade the doors so that they actually work now, though now they are not nearly as cool as they used to be in the first game. Oh well…

STATUS of the game

> The combat system WAS nearly done, but I decided to overhaul it a bit later: 50%
> The map skeleton is complete, new rooms are added as backgrounds are finished: 25%
> Main character's animations are around 80% finished
> Other NPC's animations and graphics are about 10% done
> Music seems to be coming along nicely, sounds awesome so far!

(Note: In the images below the main character is represented by a placeholder graphic, which will be replaced with another before the actual demo is released)
Screenshots below:




Here's a new screenshot, with the final character graphic in the demo visible.


And this lovely toilet background, added in December 2010!


EDIT (24.04.2010): Here are two near-final character models I'm currently adding to the game


EDIT (02.02.2011): Long breaks, but there is some progress still. Here's a new finished background for you to enjoy! (Just a link as it's pretty big)
http://www.whamgames.com/images/Forumsht/finalhydroponics.png

[bicilotti]

I appreciated the first chapter, so good luck with this one!

[PuNKKoMmANDO77]

very interesting   :o

now i try the first

[Technocrat]

Now I have a strange urge to play the first one! I look forward to this...

[OneDollar]

I really liked the first game, looking forward to this.

[WHAM]

Bumping to notify, that the demo for this game will be released very soon (probably less than a week to go). It's pretty much done now, but I want to test it a bit more before I upload it, to avoid the same sort of mess I had with the first game.

*fingers corssed*

EDIT 7.1.2010: The demo is now finished and going through final testing and polish. I will post a link and new info soon, probably tomorron (friday).

[WHAM]

Re-Bumping to notify that the Demo has been finally released and can be found at http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=1265

[Galen]

Dang. I'd love to play but your site is down (and thus all your images and downloads too).
Could anyone who managed to download it be kind enough to mirror the demo until WHAM or his host fixes his site?

[WHAM]

Dang. I'd love to play but your site is down (and thus all your images and downloads too).
Could anyone who managed to download it be kind enough to mirror the demo until WHAM or his host fixes his site?

Weird. I just checked and all seems to be fine on the website, and the download links are also working nicely. I'll see about uploading the demo on rapidshare etc this evening, if issues continue to present themselves.

-W

EDIT: The website seems to be going online and offline. I'll contact the service provider to see if they can do something about the situation.

[WHAM]

My website's host has informed me, that their DNS servers are down-and-out. They might work for fifteen minutes and go down again. They are trying to solve the issue, but at the moment the situation is out of my hands.

Temporary rapishare can be found here: http://rapidshare.com/files/334031312/inf_ii_demo.rar.html
(Just click the link, then click the button that says "Free user" and then wait for about 60 seconds and click the big round blue button that appears and says "Download")

[neon]

Nice to see that you're working on a second part. That reminds me that I've sent you something for the first part some time ago.. 

[WHAM]

Nice to see that you're working on a second part. That reminds me that I've sent you something for the first part some time ago.. 

ARGH! So you did! I tested it, liked it, uploaded it... and FORGOT to put up a link on the website! Sorry!
I'll be bumping the old thread with a link to the "new" material, and replace the old download link with one that has your material added.

[red runner]

I liked the implementation of the "!!" scenes. I know most people don't like quick time events, but it's better than most alternatives. It's not like you don't see it coming.

I was thinking an autosave feature might be a good idea.

[WHAM]

I liked the implementation of the "!!" scenes. I know most people don't like quick time events, but it's better than most alternatives. It's not like you don't see it coming.

I was thinking an autosave feature might be a good idea.

Good of you to point that out! The game will be playable in two modes: "Easy" and "HARD".

On easy mode there is no autosave, but you can manually save on as many slots as you want. Also, there are less enemies and less chances to get brutally murdered.

On HARD mode the game autosaves every time you load a new room, pick up an item or take any story-related action, deleting all your previous saves. In this mode the game is menacingly hard, and if you die, its ALL the way to the beginning, but this way will also be more rewarding in many areas.

[Galen]

Well unless there is a normal mode without the permadeath I for one will be sticking to easy. Having to restart because of something trivial (e.g. you accidentally click out side of the game, you die, you have to restart the entire game) isn't my cup of tea.

[WHAM]

The developement of the combat system for Infection 2 is finally nearing completion! Though the graphics are still lacking, much has already been achieved.

Now looking for beta testers for the combat system. If you are interested, send me an email to wham@whamgames.com and state your interest in the combat system beta test.

[WHAM]

Shamelessly bumping to notify that the Combat System beta has now started and the participants have been sent their beta files! I expect the beta testing to take a few weeks (including fixing all the problems) after which I can finally start adding some flesh onto the skeleton of a game I now have.

If you still want to join the beta, e-mail me at wham@whamgames.com!

[WHAM]

The current beta phase is nearing completion and is now 85 % complete. I'll be adding a few features in the next couple of weeks and have them tested properly. Sadly I only have ONE active beta tester at the moment, so that limits the speed of the process quite a bit. If you are interested, its not too late to send me a PM!

Another delay is also ahead, as I'm going to have to reinstall my windows this weekend and get everything up and running again, due to one of my HDD's asploding on me.

I'm also hoping to have some new screenshots and info available in the next few weeks, so look forward to those.

[WHAM]

Its been pretty quiet in this thread for a while again... 

Here's a pretty picture to keep it alive! (Click on it to get the BIG version!)
The picture you will get is the actual map of the Infection 2 game area, which will be nearly completely navigable by the player. Please note, that some of the doors are still misplaced. I was just so excited to finally have finished and implemented this that I had to post it.

[Dualnames]

I'm intrigued! Reminds me of Aliens, for a reason, which is perfect, I'm actually looking forward to explore the ship!