LazyTown: The New Kid - Dead as of Dec. 20th, 2010

Ultra Magnus · Tue 12/08/2008 19:26:25

The LazyTown game will be released in an episodic format! Yay!
This is because...
a) my plans for the game were getting so vast, and my procrastinating abilities so strong, that I probably would never have started working on the game again, let alone finished it.
b) I figured that, since half of my audience are going to be kids, a full game might have been a bit much for them in one big bite. Maybe I'm underestimating them, but whatever.
c) I'm lazy. Ironic, huh?

Plot
It's your first day in this strange new place called LazyTown.
You'll meet some of the residents, and soon find out that something is amiss...
Dun! Dun! DUNNNN!!!!

Screenie goodness

Old screens...

Progress diary
2008:-
* Feb. 28th(ish) - Downloaded AGS, started work on the game.
* Mar. 3rd - Released first version of the game's demo. Carried on working on it.
* Mar. 8th - Released second version of the demo. Carried on working on it for a few days.
* Mar. 12th(ish) - Decided to stop production until I'd fully planned the whole plot, puzzles, etc.
* Mar. 13th(ish) to Aug. 12th - Procrastinated a lot.
* Aug. 12th - Decided upon the new format, and started working on the game again! Yay!
* Aug. 29th - Scrapped the whole code and started again. Boo!
2009:-
* Jan. 17th - Started again again. Weh!
* Feb. 22nd - Completed basic "foundation" scripting.
* Aug. 3rd - Admitted defeat and asked for help with the dialogue.
* Sep. 9th - Received offer of help from smartgenes.
* Sep. 15th(ish) - Changed the main gui for the 17th time, with all the re-scripting that entails.
2010:-
COMPUTER DIED! :'(

But we'll be back.

Links
The demo's page on the database.
The demo's thread in the Completed Games section.

Ghost · Tue 12/08/2008 19:58:06

Well, since LT already *is* a series, a game series isn't such a bad idea- with a consistent GUI and plot, you'll surely have some advantage on your side. Best of luck with that project- and make sure to bring in the big'uns (Sportacus and Freddy, that is

)

One issue- the GUI looks nice and clean, but won't it look better if you removed the default "raster shading" when it is disabled?

Ultra Magnus · Wed 13/08/2008 05:26:56

I thank you, sir.

Yeah, the raster shading is one of the many things I need to... revisit before final release.

In other news: over 300 downloads of the demo!
That's through the games DB alone, not counting the direct link in the Completed Games forum.
I realise this probably isn't too many considering it's been available for 5 months, but I never thought it'd shift that many.

wpowell · Wed 13/08/2008 19:55:07

Awesome Gui but I don't understand about the raster shading does that have to do with the 2nd screenshot or the first one. Anyway nice game I hope you don't become "The Procrastinator"

Thanks.

Ultra Magnus · Wed 13/08/2008 20:57:55

I'm glad you like the GUI, but I've already changed it.
Not really in a major way, just made it more... logical.

The raster shading is the kinda greyed-out/spotted effect on the GUI in the second screen.
It's supposed to show that you can't use the buttons while somebody's talking to you.
It's gone already.

Ultra Magnus · Sat 23/08/2008 17:33:22

Hello.

Update:
I spent a few days redesigning and re-redesigning the main GUI and inventory window, and writing a tonne of script to support each new design.

I then spent the last week trawling through hours of footage, capturing and editing stuff to use for graphics.
I've decided upon using sprites with an alpha-channel now, so I had to replace all the old ones.
(I didn't know AGS could support aplhas when I made the demo).

It took a bit longer than I expected, so I'm a bit behind schedule.
As such, the release date has been shunted back from "end of the month" to "early next month".

Aaaaaanyway...

Help wanted:
I be looking for a cartographer to draw me a nice map screen.
I have a prototype layout designed, and plenty of reference pics of the area.

Anyone interested, please get in touch either here, or via pm.
Fame and fangirls/boys await you.

Position filled. 8)

Toodles.

Ultra Magnus · Fri 29/08/2008 04:33:40

Release date push-backs: don't you just love them?

The more I work on this game, the more it evolves.
The down side is that the game has now evolved in such a way that its own UI has become illogical.

It's a shame really, as I quite like the current GUI design.
But, you know, interface to fit the game, rather than game to fit the interface, and all that.
Maybe I'll be able to just swap out the sprites and use it for another game somewhere down the line.

Aaaaaanyway, on to said push-back...

Due to the fact that there's so much code related to the current UI that I'll have to strip out, I'm just going to start again from scratch.
Nearly everything but the scripting is done, though, so it shouldn't be more than 2 or 3 weeks before a release.

Just don't hold your breath. :

Is anyone actually reading this?
Besides a certain Ghost, I mean.

Oh yeah, and P.S.
They stole my damn idea.
If it turns out to be anything like my game that I'm making with graphics and music I stole from them I'll sue!

Buckethead · Fri 29/08/2008 10:51:47

just so you know. I'm reading all the progress posts you make. I used to watch this show on the BBC when I had a few hours off of school in the morning.

I feel your pain for having to redo big parts of the UI. It's the curse of improvement lol.

Anyway, good luck with it!

Ultra Magnus · Fri 29/08/2008 11:00:27

Ah, cool. Good to know someone's out there.

And thanks.

Iv4n · Fri 29/08/2008 20:40:53

I've watched some videos on youtube with this girl. It was quite an experience. It's... ehrm different show from the others. A one-of-a-kind. It's almost freaky as some Japanese ones (and they are the wierd ones). Cute girl though. I like her pinky hair. But there was some gay into the show, so I'm not really sure how safe it is for the kids to watch this and what will they thinking

. Anyway, I find it rather interesting that you're making such a game. I'll take a look at the first episode when you released, especially since the graphics are way more above the average.

Ultra Magnus · Fri 29/08/2008 21:23:22

A lot of people think it is Japanese the first time they see it.

Some gay in the show? There's quite a lot of cross-dressing, sure, but that's about it.
I mean, there are plenty of people who write fanfiction about that kinda thing, but I don't really see it, myself.
Maybe I'm just naÃ¯ve. :

And thanks.
I hope the game doesn't disappoint.

Ultra Magnus · Tue 09/09/2008 09:47:47

More delays! Yay!

As you may or may not have figured out, the help I asked for a while back is being provided by a certain Ghost.

I say "being provided", but that's not really the case, as he has disappeared for three weeks.

He did manage to finish his work, and upload it just before he left, but MediaFire hates me and won't let me get to it.

So... the release date is now going to be a couple of days after Herr Ghost returns, whenever that may be.
End of the month, I guess.

kantor_98 · Sun 30/11/2008 13:19:54

Any news about the game ? I am interested in your game, I am a fan of the series and I like to see a game. If you need a help in scenarios or the story of thegame, please tell me. I am not so good in technical issues, but if I can help in other ways...

I also download the demo. Excelent !

edit by darth - posts combined, don't double post

Ultra Magnus · Sat 17/01/2009 09:19:03

Gazizza, dilsnoofuses!

Well, it's been a while, but I've finally returned to attempt to finish this damn game.
Life seems to always know exactly when and how to get in the way for maximum disruption, doesn't it?

Anyway, it's nearly a year since the demo was uploaded, so I doubt that many people care as much as they may once have, if indeed they did at all, but this game will happen, dammit!

So, yeah.
Once again, I've scrapped the whole code again, and started again, again.
And what with new DVDs being released recently, I'm also going back and replacing a lot of the old graphics.

It's gonna take time.
A whole lot of precious time.
It's gonna take patience and time, oo-oo, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it right.

I'd ideally like to get it released by the beginning of March (which will be 1 year after the demo), but that's not really likely to happen given my track record. Oh well. It'll get here when it gets here. But it will get here. Honest, guv'.

Quote from: kantor_98 on Sun 30/11/2008 13:19:54If you need a help in scenarios or the story of thegame, please tell me. I am not so good in technical issues, but if I can help in other ways...

Hey. Thanks for your interest and especially for the offer for help.
I've pretty much got the first game sorted in terms of planning, but I'll certainly ask you if I need help with future episodes.

One of the main tough points of making this game is getting the resources, editing the graphics, music etc. to be usable and the like, but once they're in place it should be a lot easier making more games with them.

ALPHATT · Sat 17/01/2009 19:56:52

I find the cartoon or whatever it is very annoying but I'm sure it's not the case with the game. I hope you'll finish it,

Ultra Magnus · Sun 18/01/2009 01:36:18

Heh, thanks.

BiggerJ · Thu 22/01/2009 09:35:50

One of my favorite things about the demo is the range of dialogue options. You can say what a character in the show would say, or you can say what a real person would say. Like when Sportacus says he's going to kick the ball into the tree as part of his plan to save the kitten and you can choose to say "...Are you going to do what I think you're going to do?"

The one problem I found with the demo was the the quotes around everyone's dialogue were unnecessary, but as a problem it's not very major, and that was the only problem I found. I can say that this one of the very best fangames I've ever seen.

BiggerJ · Thu 22/01/2009 09:44:33

edit: accidental doublepost

BiggerJ · Thu 22/01/2009 09:45:35

edit: aw man, accidental triplepost

Ultra Magnus · Thu 22/01/2009 12:05:05

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
I'm not sure if that amount of praise is deserved, but it is very much appreciated.

Quote from: BiggerJ on Thu 22/01/2009 09:35:50
The one problem I found with the demo was the the quotes around everyone's dialogue were unnecessary, but as a problem it's not very major, and that was the only problem I found.

I did that because I though the random text on the screen with no kind of framing looked a bit sparse.
Now I'm leaning further towards putting all the dialogue into boxes (like the the narrator's in the demo), and it does make the inverted commas look particularly... unnecessary.
So don't worry, they are already on their way out.

Thanks for the feedback. 8)