[RELEASED] Donna: Avenger of Blood - PHASE 2 (nudity warning!)

[Goldmund]

The below information and screenshots are a bit outdated. For newest screenshots and info about the development, check this post:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=9792.msg350058#msg350058



I've decided to make a promotional thread about the game I've been working on for almost two years.
I've no time to update the website, and I hope it will be much less a hassle to announce updates, search for beta-testers etc. in this thread.
Those who've been to my website won't find much new stuff here today apart from some screenshots...



presents:



DONNA: Avenger of blood
Is a first project by TERMINUS games. The backgrounds are made of edited photographs, realistic-looking characters are drawn and scanned. The entire game is in grayscale, which, along with mp3-quality music, aims at creating an atmosphere unique among amateur games.The serious storyline and at times explicit graphics along with crude language make this game a product suitable rather for adults.



story
A nameless country, somewhere in Europe, is deep in financial depression. The sentiments arousing among people allow national and extreme-right-wing politicians to come into power. To a metropolis capital of the country come two foreigners: Christian and Donna. They both keep to themselves and are seen only at night. Their stay at the Eldorado Hotel is interrupted one night by mysterious visitors who break into their room and shoot Christian. One bullet hits Donna, who falls to the street below and finds herself naked in the middle of the hostile, unkown city; what's more, the dawn is coming and let's say that her skin isn't prepared for meeting the sunrays.
The player controls Donna, who, after securing her life, goes on a quest of vengeance to find killers of Christian, meets mad inhabitants of the metropolis, gets into a love affair with a female journalist, and discovers the true reason behind Christian coming to this country.



soundtrack
Two tracks available to download, made by yours truly.
This Whole City - a general outdoors theme
Subway Blues - the tune playing when Donna travels by underground

downloads
An AVI trailer is available for download, but it's slightly outdated - most of the backgrounds are animated now.
DOWNLOAD TRAILER
(Thanks to Fuzzpilz for allowing me to abuse his server)



team
Goldmund (Blazej Dzikowski),
Dominika Dzikowska

[Goldmund]

8 february 2004

Much faster? Bwahahahhaha! Hahaha! Ha!
Since the last update I've done only 10 rooms, so now I have 80...
But this stress on number of rooms starts getting absurd, the number is - in truth - irrelevant.
The biggest accomplishment was in fact much more important than the number of rooms: I got out of a terrible deadlock.
The whole story of the deadlock is embarassingly trivial.
I just couldn't decide whether I want to make a scene in a hotel pool, or not. I carefully weighed the pros and cons, sighed in despair for days, until I finally sat down and made the scene in a pool, out of the blue, if I may say so. In this way I surprised my mind full of doubts. There was nothing to wonder about anymore, since the scene was finished. The rest of the hotel chase was made in a glimpse, along with my favourite scene on the roof.
Now, it seems that I've gotten into another impasse: whether to include the "night vision" skill (just for the sake of one room?... it would be similar to the "push" command in Indy FOA... anyway, I also have similar problems with the "hit" command which seems highly redundant...) and whether to include the spirit in an antique shop.
The problem is that if I include one more spirit, the apparitions from the other world might get too ordinary for the players... maybe I'll just make it and start to worry once the game is finished?
Those problems seem to be caused by the fact that I had a very undetailed outline of the story back when I was beginning the work.
I'm improvising, but as Garage Gothic told me that it was what David Lynch was doing as well, my spirits are raised.

Oh, and please - NEVER make the protagonist have any supernatural skills. Most of the time you'd spend thinking of why he couldn't just use one of the skills to overcome an obstacle!

I've been also wondering about the actual position of Donna: Avenger of Blood in the "history of Adventure Games".
I'd hate to disapoint those who put their faith in my work, but at times I think what I have here is a very classical Point&Click... only with a storyline (and maybe depth of characters) that is very literary... This may be caused by the fact that it's my first game.

I've also made several new tracks, along with the Main Tune which somehow never fails to give me strength and dedication. So when I'm tired and weary I watch Donna's intro.

18 november 2003

Donna statistics of the day:

Rooms - ca. 70, including cutscenes
Sprites - 751
Views - 73
Characters - 34
Dialog topics - 36
Dialog messages - 845
Inventory items - 53
Mp3 tracks - 10

Which constitutes around 60% of the game.
The remaining 40% will be done much faster, as I've more free time now and the foundations are already there.

[Totoro]

Looks exciting  :o Are those photos or do you use some 3D-Graphic Software?

Edit: Ooops, you wrote you used photos in your first post. I need glasses  8)

[scotch]

Love the art style, and the trailer, and everything about this game.  As promising as anything else shown at mittens, I thought.

[Matt Goble]

DONNA!

Does it still feature the neked lady???

Glad to hear this is still on the go goldmund.

[evilspacefart]

Goldmund, this is totally cool. it's very different. I like the idea of the skills abilities and skill/cost points. I also like naked girls. 8)

[Vel]

Interesting style, Goldmund. I hope you finish it (soon).

[Rincewind]

Hey, this looks really, really cool - I get a creepy vibe just by looking at those screenshots... Hehe... Good luck with it, man - I'm looking forward to playing it!

I also dig the greyscale style, btw. It reminds of Film Noir, and Film Noir is good. Ayup.

[Bionic Bill]

Quite glad to see this hasn't been scrapped. Can't wait for it. Sign me up for beta testing.

[Goldmund]

Thanks to all for their uplifting comments.
I'm making this game for so long I'm actually afraid to finish it!

Bionic Bill - with great pleasure and gratitude.  Most probably I'll need around 5 beta-testers, 1-2 native English speakers among them to correct the language, but it's still a matter of three-four months

[Timosity]

Looks like it's coming along nicely Goldmund, I remember watching the trailer a while ago.

The B&W is cool, and the semi naked chicks is always good, as long as you can invite them in for coffee.

keep it up, and I look forward to it.

[Squinky]

This game has always looked cool...

[juncmodule]

I remember this. You mentioned it when I said something about Critical Theory I believe.

Didn't you mention Derrida or Boudreaux in the trailer? I can't remember and I have a poopy internet connection.

I don't remember seeing screenshots that looked that great though.

I love the concept from just an artistic point of view. I have found that adventure games have taken all of my previous artistic endeavors, writing, drawing, and music and fused them together in a very odd medium. I rarely am pulled out of what I am doing on these forums and with AGS long enough to look at it from societies point of view. If you could peel away the "dork" stigma that is placed on making adventure games you would in effect have the ultimate artistic media. Better than film because it is interactive. Forcing a single artist to focus all of his/her talents into one single piece. Its just too bad that's a bunch of pretentious piss and wind. I think I will stop ranting in your thread now.

Looking forward to your game.

later,
-junc

[piraatlife4me]

I am really, really, really diggin on the look and atmosphere of your game. It has a very original unique design to it.  It has the whole Artsy black and white magazine cutt-out 1977 Crass style seditionary look with a creepy modern edge to it Its very nice.  Lets just say I definitely would pay money for it if I saw it on display in a retail store.  Can't wait to see more

Daniel
Winebarger

[Igor]

You have no idea how much i'm looking forward to this. Looks great!

[Goldmund]

I'm very happy you like it!

Juncmodule: tyeah, pretentious -- well, the truth is, an adventure game has the potential of being a Gesammtkunstwerk plus interactivity to top it off -- and whereas it's pretentious or not depends on a) your stance and b) level of description. B), because for some morons books are pretentious as well, so it depends where you stand, and A), because I have to say that some pretentious amateur games already appeared and they had this feeling of trying too much to be artistic. I'm sure my game doesn't go there, but yeah, it all depends on the level of description, so for all I know most of the "regular" players may take me for an artsy beret-lover.

Piraatelife-4me: I love your description of the design, we had some cut-out films in Poland long ago and I know what you mean. And let's just say that I definitely would make you pay for my game in a retail store, but Erin O'Connor's + Franka Potente's  lawyers and hundreds of pissed-off photographers dragging me to courts isn't my idea of having a great time.

[Nacho]

Oh! I must really come often to the games in production forum! The game looks very nice, with all that naked giRRRls jumping out from the screen to your view... Please Blazej, make me know as soon as you have something playable, that "Emmanuel RPG" style seems to be something to remember.  

[Goldmund]

Ha ha, you silly Nacho "Is This a Penis?" Farlander!  
I will release a special porn version for you. Or maybe not.
I will release a special non-nudity version for you, because you have to be punished for living in Benidorm when it's so cold in Polandia.

[Pet Terry]

Looks awesome, very original. Yet another game worth to wait

[Nacho]

Ha ha, you silly Nacho "Is This a Penis?" Farlander!  
I will release a special porn version for you. Or maybe not.
I will release a special non-nudity version for you, because you have to be punished for living in Benidorm when it's so cold in Polandia.

Eeer... I don't remember the "Is this a Penis?" quote, but surely I told it in Sweden, between loads of some other extremely funny and imaginative quotes, such as "Pirulí" and "Is there any naked giRRRls?"  

Could you help me to recall what did I confuse with a penis?

[Dorcan]

Aarr, one of the few games I'm waiting the most!
Oh please, add-me at your beta-testers list  

I would like to comment more about your game, but I'm tired now, and it takes me a long time to write in english, particulary when it's about commenting something.

[Goldmund]

Farlander: Well, you don't seem to remember, but you and me had a day in Sweden when the top joke was to point at completely ordinary objects, such as household items, and ask in a completely serious, wondering voice: "Is this a penis?". We were very smart.

Dorcan: Arr, I'm really glad you want to beta-test! With pleasure I add you to the (yet non-existant) list. When you have more time, write a line or two, I'm curious of your opinion.

[Nacho]

That in-joke has been totally deleted of my mind!!!1! Maybe it's because there's a part of my brain who thinks that those kind of references to penises are a clear demostration that I'm actually becoming gay, which means that Lorena is just an alliby...

The other possibility is that Mittens was so fuc*ing funny that I am unable to recall all the jokes.  

Anyway, I would be pleased to be a beta tester, but you should be patience... I haven't been beta tested before, I won't probably do it very well at the beginning.   :

[fruity in nicaragua]

un-fucking-believable
this game will hit the community like a bomb  

KEEP CREATING!

[Goldmund]

Gee, thanks!

(in fact, I'm only posting this to make the thread go to the first page, as the updating of the "update post" seems to have failed to do this... go on 1st page to read update diary, if you wish.)

[GarageGothic]

Well, it sounds awesome Goldmund. I'm looking so much forward to this game.

About the apparition in the antiques shop (not enough games are set in antiques shops by the way), I think an important part of supernatural effects in games is whether you want the player to make sense out of it or not.

I was reminded of The Dig, where the first "ghost" inside the spaceship came as a total surprise. Then later on, you start seeing them more and more, and slowly you begin to realize that they're trying to help you, and that they might be the ghosts or astral bodies of the creatures who use to live there. It doesn't make it seem any more mundane, but it's the different between "weird shit" and "there's more between heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy". Repetition makes the player recognize a system, and if used right, this could be very powerful indeed. What makes them appear (or what triggers your ability to see them), what are they trying to communicate.

I love how you drop tiny hints about the content of the game and make us wonder how it all fits together.

[Lazy Z]

I just downloaded the trailer and the music tracks, and I have to say that your game looks great! I love the graphics style, and the overall atmosphere. The story looks very promising too. Moreover,  I'd say that the style of the game kinda reminds me of some commercial adventures of the mid 90's, such as Noctropolis (which is a game I loved, by the way). Donna is definitely one of my most anticipated adventure games, commercial or otherwise.

Could I become a beta-tester? Sadly I'm not a native speaker of English, but I'm an English major so I might be able to help with the language...

[Hueij]

this game will hit the community like a bomb

Just quoting something that says all I want to say.

Your game and Garage Gothic's one are going to show that not only Adventure Games are alive and kicking but also that they have matured in an unimaginable way. We're not talking games anymore, we're talking art...

[Bionic Bill]

Let me reiterate my excitement: EXCITEMENT!

I, and probably a significant part of the community, can't wait.

[Goldmund]

Wow, comments!
Thank you!

GarageGothic:
I skipped the antique shop part for some time and concentrated on later parts, although I'd have to return for this.
It was designed as just one room, but your enthusiastic approach to antique shops makes me think again.
As for "gratuitious" apparitions: then again, sometimes it works nice, if done with a certain self-conscious semi-serious manner, unless your audience is a crowd really hungry for "sense and meaning".
I like sense and meaning, although I don't think its obligatory to have them in a good book, film or a game - correction: I think you should have the meaning, but not necessarily the sense.

LazyZ:
Aha, I'm happy you like it! I've never played Noctropolis, but - as it sounds like an obscure game - you might well be right. I also found my inspiration in obscure games, like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream or Dreamweb. Rule they do.
Thanks for your generous offer (and you must know it is generous considering the game's length); I haven't started to enroll beta-testers yet - once The Day comes and you're still willing I'll be delighted to ask for your help.
We, English Majors, have to stick together!

Hueij, Bionic Bill (and Fruity) - ............
You know I started worrying recently.
That expectations are too high. I'm afraid I'll turn unable to satisfy them.
After all, I've only given you a very scarce glimpse of the game.
I like it, but I don't think it will be that revolutionary.
This is my first one.
I hope the second one will be better, and I will be able to fulfill all my hints and desires exposed in my MA thesis.

[Bionic Bill]

I'm not expecting a genre-breaking tradition-defying monolith in the history of interactive art. I'm expecting an intelligent, interesting game. That's all.

[Lazy Z]

Cool, a fellow English major! Trust me, I'll always be delighted to help with the beta-testing of a game which features dear ol' Humsky.

And as Bionic Bill said, don't worry about satisfying expectations, I'm sure your game will deliver. I'd say more on this but Bill phrased it perfectly already.

[GarageGothic]

I'm not expecting a genre-breaking tradition-defying monolith in the history of interactive art. I'm expecting an intelligent, interesting game. That's all.

But c'mon, it's gotta be a monolith. You know, like the one in 2001, that makes everybody kill each other with bones and stuff when they get too close. I hope that Donna will be just like that.  

Goldmund said he was inspired by Dreamweb, that's all I need to hear. And, oh yeah, it has an antique shop. This will be a monolith, ya hear me?

[Goldmund]

Right. I've decided to put a quick update since today I started to see the light at the end of the dreary tunnel that making of Donna:Avenger of Blood was during last two years.

There are 116 rooms (most animated! kabazz shazzdrum!) now and I have everything planned up to the very end. I have to make yet 8 locations, which translates to around 25 rooms.

Of course, the only reason why I was able to make this much is that I rush through the game, making only room graphics, puzzles and key conversations; when I have everything ready, I will sit down to filling them with peripheral hotspots, conversations, character animations, sounds and other glitter. A plot re-vamp is also in order, as most of the time I was improvising.
The dimensions of this game made me feel that I need to know if I'm going to finish it, so having this basic skeleton ready will give me much comfort. I advocate this technique to anyone who aims at making a long game.

I still trust that I'm able to finish it before this year's end, if nothing comes in the way (job, anyone?). I still have to write my MA thesis (second in my life... nobody really knows why I'm doing the second faculty - it's one of life's mysteries...)

Also - if I knew how long it was going to make, I don't know if I'd go for it. But hey, isn't it the case with most big projects.

[BerserkerTails]

Whoo! It sure feels nice to see long games starting to come together. I'm really glad you stuck with this Goldmund, because it sure does look nice. Donna's been on my waiting list for a while now, and I'm glad to see that it's still under-production.

[simulacra]

I am very excited by this project - I really like the style!

[Goldmund]

Eh, the production is rather slow these days, actually it's nil for about 2 months.

The thing is, I finished my second studies and on 20th I defend my MA diploma... and it occured to me that it's time that Goldmund found a real job (my age and recent engagement to Dominika [!!!] were two deciding factors).
Bitten by this conscience I find myself uncomfortable working on something that -- at least on the monetary level -- is a hobby and won't repair my financial situation, not to mention securing my future...
Damn this life!
I've sent about 10 applications without a reply so far (unemployment being one of the biggest problems of Poland) but as soon as I get my boring cubicle and start to write some stupid promotional texts for cosmetics or the like, I'll complete this love-child game of mine... fast.

[FruitTree]

don't worry about the expectations Goldmund, this game's got style, and nothing beats a game with style.
even if it's filled with bugs it'll be a great play!
it's on top of my "most expected" list.

[Helm]

I am eagerly waiting for this as well. Seems like the project is heading towards the last 100 meters so to speak, exactly when real life decides to essert it's "realness". Well, good luck with life, engagement and making this, Glodmnu.

[GarageGothic]

Can't wait to beta test it

[Queen Kara]

Ditto!
Keep up the great work!

[Goldmund]

Thank you and thank you! 

Yesterday I got a job in the biggest Polish science-fiction magazine.
It's for a 3 months probatory period, but it's a job nonetheless and I can finally make things I love with a lighter conscience.
The work put my participation in Mittens in question, but at least I can - and will - finish Donna!

(I hope...)

There's really not much left in terms of locations, the game still misses lots of animations and music tracks. But it's nothing in comparison with scripting the whole story together. Please keep your fingers crossed for me, as one of the largest (and one of the longest in production) AGS games is nearing the completion.

[Helm]

Excellent. Good luck with the new job and donna.

[Goldmund]

Well, this is to notify everyone who thought Donna is dead, that she isn't.
She's undead.
(A pun! A pun!)

As I had some free time today, I uploaded again the images for the initial post, who seemed to be lost among some internet samum. I'm not quite sure if the trailer can be downloaded from the geocities, though. Is it against their policy? Will they burn my mini-rabbit? Only time will tell.

So, back to the un-dead thingy: around a month ago I returned to the making with strong determination (one of the results you could observe in the critics lounge), using up my evenings and nights, so that I can arrive at work late and with blood-shot eyes.
The skeleton (all rooms and interactions crucial to the play) will be finished shortly. This year, I think. It's around 150 rooms by now, all I need is - maybe 15 more.
Then, I will make all missing animations, music etc.
Will early 2006 be a happy year (early is not a year, but bleh) for 2 Donna fans?
I strongly believe so.

[The Book]

At last, some good news I already started to think of "Donna" as another promosing game that died before it was actually born...

[2ma2]

2 fans? Who's the other one

[FruitTree]

that'll do just fine 

[Nacho]

3 fans! And I hope there's going to be a lot of nude gay images without fat.

[Pet Terry]

Add one more fan into your list. I'm not sure if I told you this at Mittens or not, but Donna looks extremely awesome and I'm looking forward to it!

[AlbinoPanther]

Fan you need support we give

6 fans well not bad

[Andail]

Fan you need support we give

6 fans well not bad

Oh, don't push it. Goldmund would hate if Donna turned out mainstream.

[FruitTree]

that's the consequense of making a good game I guess 

[skw]

Ah, I don't believe I didn't post anything in this thread before. I saw the trailer and listened to tracks a few months ago and as it wouldn't pass in English, I say it simple in Polish: "Wykurw!".

Donna's probably the only game who really scares me. I almost pissed my pants when I was watching the trailer at night, home alone. It's strange, odd, it's mysterious. Bloody great job, Goldmund, buddy.

Good to hear you're slowly finishing it, good luck and keep posting!

[Goldmund]

Ach, wykurw! Pozdrawiam rodaka 

Thank you for the fan support!
Together we can... I don't know... break three very thick sticks!!

This post is to tell you that the trailer is available for download again, thanks to Fuzzpilz & Esseb (I'd like to remind you, that the latter shouldn't be bothered about bicyclesforslugs, for it's not HIS server!).

[Bionic Bill]

it is good to hear that you're still working on this.

[Nikolas]

I had missed this thread and this game at all, up to now!

This seems like a great great game!

The atmosphere is great the music as well.

One question though: In the trailer I saw a womans portrait (not Donna), who probably was Franka Potente and probably from the movie Run Lola Run? Am I right? Cause if this is the case then it makes me much more excited than I already am as I love Franka and I adore Tom Tykwers work (on which you seem to know about, from a directors point of view).

Keep up the good work and I hope that this game will be released in 2006.

[Goldmund]

Heh, yes, Nikolas, it's Franka from "Run, Lola".
But the connotations with the movie kept getting me distracted from my story, so finally I gave her Patricia Arquette's eyes and now she looks like this:

[Goldmund]

All the locations are there.
Around 180 rooms, almost all backgrounds animated.
Now I have to finish scripting, rewriting some stuff, writing additional dialogues and descriptions. And composing more music. And also... coping with the new factor I've added into game mechanics. But on this - later.



The game has undergone a considerable graphics advancement, as I managed to pull Dominika into working more on the project. Among other things, she made new GUIs, looking much better than I could ever produce:



This GUI has an animated ECG reading, and also status bars for blood level and... psyche level.
The psyche level is this new factor: an idea I've borrowed from "Fahrenheit": it depicts Donna's mental state which can rise or fall from certain actions. When the psyche level is low, she cannot force herself to do certain actions.

Dominika's input has gone far beyond making better-looking GUIs: she conceived an easy technique to make all character animations from photo-capture. This means much smoother animations and better-looking characters:



Will the game be ready this year? Probably...

[Vlad]

Now that's a game I'd like to sink my teeth into.

I've scanned through some of the previous posts (yea, should've read them all carefully, I know) and I'm happy to see that things are rolling again. Can't wait to play this unusual (but brilliant) game.

In the meantime: can we count on you to make an updated trailer that sheds some light on the new features and improved graphics?

[GarageGothic]

Excellent news, Goldmund. Donna is a game I've been looking forward to pretty much since joining these forums, and it's great to hear that the game is nearing completion.

The new screens are beautiful. Did you take the background pictures yourself, or are they stuff you found on the internet? I remember the hallway picture that you posted in the critics lounge, where the stairway image could be googled, but I'm wondering if this is the case for all backgrounds? Either way, I'm impressed with the uniform and very distinct style you've managed to create.

The psyche level sounds like an intriguing gameplay feature, especially knowing how much effort you put into character development and the psychological/philosophical aspect of the vampire theme. Just be careful that it doesn't lead to walking deads (how appropriate for a vampire game...), if the psyche level gets too low, there's no alternate solution to the puzzle and no way to raise it again until you proceed.

Keep up the good work. I'm happy to hear that it won't be too long now. I so much want to play this game.

Edit: Is that Donna wearing a wig on the first two pictures?

[linus]

The game is looking better and better. The screenshots look so deep, intense and almost scary. What a style, Goldmund, what a style indeed!

It'd be a considerable understatement to say that I'm looking forward to the day you finish the game.

[Goldmund]

Vlad: now that's a proper nickname for somebody that would fancy my game.
Thank you!
As for the trailer, I'd rather put more work into finishing the game itself; if the process takes too long, I'll think about it -- you know how those updates in the "gip" forum work, just to hear something from outside that will keep you going, heh...

GarageGothic: there are only 2-3 backgrounds based on pictures Dominika took and some drawn by me.
The rest are collages from photos found on the net.
I'd have an uneasy conscience about that, but the thing is they are changed so much that I think of the process as something like "creative recycling"...
for example, check the photo that I used as a base for the lake scene above:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c115/HRottweiler/river.jpg
and some are changed even more.
Of course, I'd never attempt to sell the game - due to this fact - or claim that I "made the backgrounds".

As for the vampire theme, I have to make a disclaimer: I never sticked by the "hard facts" of vampirysm if they collided with my story... it's more about fear of un/death and abusing others. I'm trying to make psyche level rechargeable much like in Fahrenheit; I found it enlarges your immersion if you have to care for characters - for example, to wash their clothes etc.

And - yes! It's a blonde wig Donna wears through the second half of the game to remain incognito. Along with sunglasses it creates a very Lynchian effect... ;-)

Also, I'm sure you cannot look forward to playing Donna more than I do for Shadowplay!

Linus - that's a great thing to hear, thank you! I hope that in the end the game will have something more than style to offer.

[Goldmund]

Finished. Thank you.

[Darth Mandarb]

EXCELLENT!!

Congrats on finishing!