The Story:Ã,Â
Ã, As a mechanical technician on a prison freighter, Ben Agincourt is satisfactory at best. He has always felt as though there were something else he'd rather be doing, but never managed to discover what it was. Now it may have discovered him.
Ã, The Zero Colony run is a routine trip from the heart of modern civilization into the outskirts of deep space, where Zero Colony, a privately operated, maximum security prison world orbits a sickly green sun. Unfortunately for Ben, this is no ordinary Zero Colony run.
Ã, Unruly convicts, incompetant allies, unfathomable alien races and brutal alien worlds stand between Ben and the truth. When he finds himself master of a damaged ship manned by an untrained skeleton crew, will he have the wit and courage to take the helm or will his one chance at command deteriorate into interpersonal drama and chaos?
Ã, NTR is a duo effort and is kestrel's and my first game.
Screenshots:
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2056/screenshot1wo1.gif)
(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6420/screenshot2yo2.gif)
(http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/6831/screenshot3dm2.gif)
Development Progress:
Story: 60%
Scripting: 30%
Graphics: 50%
Sound/Music: 50%
Features:
Dialogue portraits
In-game journal
Dialogue and deductive puzzles
Dynamic character interaction
Development Diary:
14 July 2006
No Traveller Returns is a dark science fiction game with particular emphasis on dialogue and character development. We're planning for it to be a full length game, but we decided to post a production thread when we had a playable demo to show.
15 July 2006
Found a bug involving the keyboard shortcut for bringing up the journal. Fixed and reuploaded.Ã, :)
Please note that the game (and the demo) includes some gore and objectionable language.
The playable demo (http://ssh.me.uk/games/NTR_DEMO(1).zip) is here (thanks to SSH!).
Hi pslim!
The demo looks good. Unfortunately I can't download it. The download link only shows (also good looking) women. So what about adult rating :-) Only a joke.
Perhaps you will find another web host.
http://www.feedbus.com/webspace/
Hi sthomannch!
Well, it's moved to a place that doesn't have at naked women, at least.
But I'm still looking for a better host.Ã, :=
Thank you! I am downloading it right now.
Nice game and very interesting indeed! Just finished the demo. Hope to see more soo
edit- combined by Darth
Wow I've been curious about what all those scifi characters and backgrounds posted in the cc would add up too. I like the sound of the story, gonna download the demo right now ;D
Just played the demo and I have to say it was great. I am looking forward to the finished article.
The demo is great. I love the atmosphere. The background art is great, too, as are the character close-ups, but you should spent more time on animation, especially the walkcycle. What I also hated was the GUI, this type of interface keeps me away from progressing further, it would be better if there was a label that told you over what hotspot/object/character you are at the moment. And maybe an easier way to access the inventory, but that's not as bad.
But I did like it, there where a lot of 7-days-a-skeptic-influences, but that isn't a bad thing. One more thing that striked me as strange was the way the credits flew by in the intro, I mean, either you should fix the position or have them fly by correctly, starting left all the way and flying to the right. The rest of the intro was great, very atmospheric!
Thanks to everyone for replying, and for checking out the demo!Ã, :)
Quote from: dkh on Sun 16/07/2006 13:31:39
The demo is great. I love the atmosphere. The background art is great, too, as are the character close-ups, but you should spent more time on animation, especially the walkcycle.
I definitely plan to spend more time on the animations in the full version. Animation is my weakest point, and that's about the fourth walk cycle I made--it's actually SSH's from the Walk Cyclist, because it was better than anything I could produce myself.Ã, But I plan to keep working on it.
Quote from: dkh on Sun 16/07/2006 13:31:39What I also hated was the GUI, this type of interface keeps me away from progressing further, it would be better if there was a label that told you over what hotspot/object/character you are at the moment. And maybe an easier way to access the inventory, but that's not as bad.
I didn't mention it anywhere partly because it seemed like overkill to include a manual for a demo, but the inventory has a keyboard shortcut, "i", and the journal can be brought up by pressing "j", if one prefers.Ã, By the "interface", I take it you mean the sierra-style cycling icons? It's what kestrel and I kind of grew up on and feel most comfortable with but I realize that some people prefer something different.
As for labeling hotspots and characters--I had them labeled during beta testing, just to make sure we knew where everything was and didn't miss anything, but I deleted it for the public release because I felt like it was unimmersive. Again I think it's a matter of coming from the Sierra camp, as it were. That choice is open to debate, however.Ã, ;)
Quote from: dkh on Sun 16/07/2006 13:31:39But I did like it, there where a lot of 7-days-a-skeptic-influences, but that isn't a bad thing. One more thing that striked me as strange was the way the credits flew by in the intro, I mean, either you should fix the position or have them fly by correctly, starting left all the way and flying to the right. The rest of the intro was great, very atmospheric!
I agree that the credits could be done a bit differently. They were one of the first parts that I made and I knew nothing about scripting, but I might be able to do something different now.
I have to admit I'm a bit confused by your drawing similarities to 7 Days. NTR is absolutely not a horror game, although I suppose that's not entirely obvious given the ground that's covered in the demo. More than that, I think any similarities stem primarily from the fact that we share some major influences with 7 Days. Any Trekkie immediately recognizes that 7 Days is a Trek-inspired game, and I don't think kestrel or I could make a science fiction game that wasn't heavily influenced by Star Trek.
Kestrel and I really liked 7 Days but I think if it influenced us in any way it was to inspire us with what could be done in AGS. The fact that our game also takes place in space is coincidental (we're sci-fi geeks; it was bound to happen).
Glad to see that my criticism was taken well. :)
With the GUI, I have now played a little more and it gets better, really. I'd say it is okay, but I still would like a label, I can barely play without those. But I've never been a Sierra-fan when it comes to playability-issues, so maybe it's just a taste-question.
I saw influences from 7das with the whole setting (obviously), the genre (horror), the way the game is introduced (the intro with the ship flying by, problems with the engines), how the people spoke with each other (especially that captain), how the tension is introduced (leaving your room and - BANG! - dead people everywhere - that was a "yahtzee-moment") and also how that one guy in the floor looked like after you left your room (sitting with his back to the backwall and blood coming out of his eyes). However, I never was a fan of Star Trek and didn't watch more than a few minutes of the movies, thus I can't say how much in 7das was influenced by Star Trek etc.
Anyways, good luck, I can't wait for the full game one day!
Quote from: dkh on Sun 16/07/2006 21:40:55I saw influences from 7das with the whole setting (obviously), the genre (horror), the way the game is introduced (the intro with the ship flying by, problems with the engines), how the people spoke with each other (especially that captain), how the tension is introduced (leaving your room and - BANG! - dead people everywhere - that was a "yahtzee-moment") and also how that one guy in the floor looked like after you left your room (sitting with his back to the backwall and blood coming out of his eyes). However, I never was a fan of Star Trek and didn't watch more than a few minutes of the movies, thus I can't say how much in 7das was influenced by Star Trek etc.
Strangely enough, I think the short period of game time covered in the demo is going to end up seeming more traditional than much of the rest of NTR. While the things you mentioned above certainly have some shared semblance to 7 Days, I think the main shared goal of that game and this one is the desire to tell a well-crafted story. Gene Wolfe often relies upon an unreliable narrator; H.P. Lovecraft's alien species are not only Unknown, but also Unknowable. These are the kinds of elements often seen in some of the more celebrated sci-fi literature (and indeed, in good literature in general), but they haven't been put to test in this medium very often. If there's one thing, then, that I hope this game ends up sharing with Yahtzee's work, it's the desire to share a good and thought-provoking story.
I just completed the demo.
its great and good luck for the continuation of project.
Beat the demo.
God, I can't wait for the full game. It felt like a Sierra game, almost!
This looks very nice, and sounds really interesting. Nice work thus far.
Thanks, you guys. The positive feedback has really meant a lot to us, and helped to fortify our resolve to make the full version the best we are capable of making it.
Finally got the download to get goin'. Will comment when I have played the demo.... Will edit reply. (I hope it IS star trek influenced, I am a huge Trekkie)
Thewalrus
Goo, goo, ga, joob!!!
Well, I thought the graphics were decent, story line seems promising, but there was something that was just not really holding my interest.... although I don't really know why..... maybe I'll come up with the reason soon....
If you want any help adjusting the walkcycle, let me know. Glad someone is using it. He does look a bit "stompy"
Hey!
This looks nice!!!
Id like to play the demo but cant download it... get an error message..
Id host it for you :).
Yeah I would also like to play im sure someone would host it for you
I've mirrored it at http://ssh.me.uk/games/NTR_DEMO(1).zip
Thanks SSH, I will download it when I comes home ;D
Thanks a million, SSH, for hosting it!
You're my hero. 8)
Just tested the game :o
Looks awesome!
I will have to play it more tomorrow..
(Gonna have to work some :-\)
Good Luck with the game!!