Sydney Treads the Catwalk

[iSTVAN]

Sydney Treads the Catwalk

Sydney, a bum turned star, finds his new career in the media has hit a hiccup when his television show doesn't receive the ratings it expected. Keith Corps (head of Business Corps) warns Syd that if he can't even compete with the fashion channel he'll be forced to axe the show and throw the lovable tramp back on to the streets.

After stumbling onto a string of suspicious accidents within the fashion industry Sydney and his friends uncover a mystery that could cost them their lives or worse- their limbs!


Credits
--------
Ivan Dixon (aka iSTVAN): Story, graphics, coding
Steve Larabie (aka pixelblink): Music





Story_____________________100%
Puzzles____________________100%
Background graphics__________100%
Character graphics____________100%
Coding_____________________100%
Music and sound______________50%

/updated 25th of January 2008

PS. Thank you to all those who played and enjoyed the first game. I hope I can address the mistakes that I made in Sydney Finds Employment and create another fun game for y'all.

For more stuff, visit my website.

[Fleshstalker]

Oh yea! First game was great for the few minutes I tested it out and liked it a lot. I need to get playing it fully. The sequel looks fantastic. I cannot wait for this one! 

[Peder 🚀]

This is looking really good Ivan!

I never got to play the first game fully so I will have to do that one day!
Then when this is done I will play this aswell .

[marlamoe]

I played the first game and it was fantabulous.  I am SO excited about the new game.

[Buckethead]

First game was great and I expect this game will be even better. Good luck with the production! Can't wait 

[iSTVAN]

Thanks for all the encouraging words so far, people.

I've drawn two new backgrounds and two new characters since the first post. The coding has also progressed.

I suspect this game will take a lot longer than the first because there will be multiple playable characters according to where you're at in the story. It's also broken up into four different acts, but that's all I'll say on the matter.

[Snarky]

The first game was really quite cool, so I look forward to the sequel. Among areas for improvement, I would say polishing up some of the interactions should be a priority. I seem to remember that in the first game there were a lot of actions that didn't have any feedback associated with them, and some messages that should have changed depending on where you were in the game but didn't. If you keep up the off-the-wall humor, excellent graphics and deep puzzles, and raise the bar on the production side, this could be a new favorite. Keep up the good work!

[iSTVAN]

Thanks for the constructive comment Snarky.

And you're right. I've been working really hard this time round to include as many original reactions to different actions. It doesn't take much of my time to do so, and it improves the sense of immersion instantly. Particularly using items on other characters. But I like to include a lot of hotspots in the rooms, so that the answers aren't always obvious. So I've got to find a balance somewhere.

Thanks again.

[Play_Pretend]

Woohoo!  I can't wait to see this game!  I loved the first Sydney game.  It made my future prospects as a homeless person much more palatable.

[ManicMatt]

I agree with Snarky!

I did enjoy the first game, it had a lot of charm! I think it's one of the twenty or so AGS games that stayed on my hard drive. 

[Stupot]

Yay Sydneys back!!  I cant wait for this.  Is it going to be longer or than the first?

Don't rush for our sakes.  I hope the soundtrack is as good as the first one aswell... That has to be one of my favourite soundtracks for an AGS game.

[thewalrus]

     I also have to get around to finishing the first game as well. I got a lot on my plate lately.  But I look forward to the sequel. Good luck!!!
 

[iSTVAN]

Thank you all for such a welcoming response.

In answer to Stupot's question:
The game is going to be slightly longer than the first one. Unlike SFE, it will be broken up into four different acts, so it will just be a different structure. It's more narrative driven, I guess. I'm trying to make the series evolve naturally as I get better at puzzles and stories.

The soundtrack will again be made by Pixel Blink. We might take a different approuch to it, in terms of how many songs we use, but the style will still be the same. I am pleased that you appreciate all the work PB put into the game.

Thanks again.

On an update, all twelve of the backgrounds have been drawn!

[CosmoQueen]

YAY Sydney's back!!! I absolutly loved the first one so I can't wait to get to play this! I'm so excited!!!

[pixelblink]

I hope the soundtrack is as good as the first one aswell... That has to be one of my favourite soundtracks for an AGS game.

Way to stroke my ego! Yay! I'm ecstatic that you enjoyed the music as much as I did making it.
I am super stoked to be working with Ivan again on the sequel and hope we continue to do more games in the future together.

You can also check out the music for the game as well as some others at my SoundClick page

[iSTVAN]

Your deserve to have your ego stroked twice daily PB! It's rare that an indie game gets an original soundtrack, let alone one that is both uniquely suited to the game and brilliant as a stand alone body of work.

And thanks cosmoqueen, I really appreciate such positive feedback!

[gypsysnail]

Wow Ivan!!!!!! Another game by you, I love your games and really cant wait to download and play this game!

[iSTVAN]

Sorry for neglecting the thread, and for bumping it now. I do have good reason though...

Story_____________________100%
Puzzles____________________100%
Background graphics__________100%
Character graphics____________90%
Coding_____________________40%
Music and sound______________0%

But my main reason for bumping is because I have a question. I'm currently tossing up whether or not to do the whole game with voice acting. So my question is:

Would you prefer waiting for the game with voices or have it sooner without?

[CosmoQueen]

Well that's a hard question because I do love it when a game has voices like in Laura Bow or the Ben Jordan 1 remake.

It's nice to have but not nessecary. And if it's too much work for ya then don't worry about it

[Steel Drummer]

Why not release the game and add the voice pack afterwards? That's what most games have. Then, if someone dislikes having voices in a game, they can have a version without them.

[iSTVAN]

I've always intended on having the option to switch the voices on or off according to the players liking. I feel like CosmoQueen has the best plan.

If people are enjoying the game when I do release it then I might decide to spend some time on the voices and release a voice pack afterwards.

Cheers peeps.

[SuperDre]

hehe, really liked the first one.. So looking forward to this installment...

[iSTVAN]

Thanks for the support SuperDre.

I haven't given up on this project, but I have been slightly distracted with other endevours.

I have coded around half of the game and Pixel Blink has been sended several songs that he's either completed or working on.

Story_____________________100%
Puzzles____________________100%
Background graphics__________100%
Character graphics____________90%
Coding_____________________50%
Music and sound______________20%

For more updates and cartoons and games please visit my blog.

[pixelblink]

ugh... I've been slacking on the music too... it's been so damned hot this week, my brain is mush.

As Ivan stated, I've got a good amount of tracks laid down so far. Been playing the beta as well and I'm absolutely loving it. Some great ideas are coming out of this guy's head and the sequel is sure to surpass the original in concept and gameplay as well as storyline. (I'm not just saying this because I'm working on the game either). It sounds like we'll be finished within the next month or so in any case.

Keep this thread on watch and look forward to the release!

[iSTVAN]

Hi.

Hopefully at least a small number of you haven't forgotten about this game... I took a break from it to work on some other things.

Sydney Treads the Catwalk his on the very edge of completion.

Story_____________________100%
Puzzles____________________100%
Background graphics__________100%
Character graphics____________100%
Coding_____________________100%
Music and sound______________50%

I'm only waiting on Steve to complete is wonderful soundtrack. I've drawn a cartoon to help remind you why you should look forward to this game! If you haven't seen the show Dexter the reference may be lost on you, so just enjoy the fun drawings!



In other Sydney news, I've been working on a 16 page comic titled, 'Sydney and the Quest for Eternal Enlightenment.' The first four pages will be on my blog shortly. In the meantime, here's a sneak look at the art style:



If you want to play Sydney Treads the Catwalk, and you can't wait, then bug Steve on his blog!
Happy happenings!

[CosmoQueen]

That looks fantastic! Are you going to post the entire thing on your blog?

[Buckethead]

nearly done huh? Great news! Can't wait to play it. 

[Dualnames]

I'm blind..
I was on vacations when this thread was on the prowl and I didn't see it...Looks pro.  Kill me now.

[SuperDre]

OH YES!! hope he finishes the soundtrack, I really liked the first sydney game.. thanks for finishing it

[Galen]

I feel awkward pointing this out but shouldn't it say "You killed good taste and clever humour A long time ago."?

[iSTVAN]

Wow, thanks for the warm and friendly response everyone. I could have sworn I would have been greeted with animosity or lukewarm disinterest at best.

@CosmicQueen: Yep! You'll be able to read all the pages of the comic on my blog. The cartoon is actually intended for print in a magazine, so I'm trying to only upload them in time with the publication.

@Crazy: Fixed!
PS. You'll soon realise that typos are my forte.
PPS. Yes, we do spell 'realise' with an 's' where I come from.

Part of the reason this game has taken me longer is that I've tried to include custom responses to as many combinations of objects/characters as possible. I hope this will reward you with a fuller gaming experience and greater sense of immersion. The game is also longer and more narrative driven then the first.

[Stupot]

Woohoo.
Looking forward to this a lot.
Sydney's first outing was awesome.

[Nikolas]

OMG!

Never saw this before!  :o I guess Greeks are blind after all (Dualnames is Greek as well )

This looks AWESOME! I'll leave a little time on the side to start playing...

[pixelblink]

it's more like:

Music and sound______________75%

I just sent Ivan some tracks and have maybe one or two more to finish up before we ship this baby out to the masses.

Been doing some beta testing and I gotta say it's a worthy sequel that will be enjoyed by all.

[m0ds]

Looks great! Best of luck

[iSTVAN]

Ta-da!

Story_____________________100%
Puzzles____________________100%
Background graphics__________100%
Character graphics____________100%
Coding_____________________100%
Music and sound______________100%

The game is flippin' done! I'm just waiting on a web host. Expect to play the game within the week. Thanks for your support.

[SuperDre]

YIPPIEKAYEEM..........

Looking forward...

[CosmoQueen]

WHOOO HOOO!!!

[thebaddie]

the first one is great

and this one sounds great too

but i'm italian and is soooo boring to read every single english dialogue, so i can't totally appreciate your work... can i hope in a translation?

[SuperDre]

but i'm italian and is soooo boring to read every single english dialogue, so i can't totally appreciate your work... can i hope in a translation?

I hope you are joking... It's not boring... Just learn english, most adventures are in english.. Don't be stupid by being too lazy to learn another language..

[thebaddie]

thaks to call me a stupid... btw i know english and i'm able to read and understand it without a vocabulary

but a game localized in the player language is better than a game in another language... you can get all the shades of meaning and so on

so i played the first game and i'll play the new one in english, but if it will translate in italian i'll be able to appreciate it better

got it now?

[SuperDre]

but a game localized in the player language is better than a game in another language... you can get all the shades of meaning and so on

so i played the first game and i'll play the new one in english, but if it will translate in italian i'll be able to appreciate it better

got it now?

No, I really don't get it now.. My main language also isn't english, but I've grown up with watching most stuff with subtitles, and from my experience the only way to apreciate a movie/game is watching/playing it in the original language as most of the tilmes a lot is screwed in translation, just because many times there is no real translation for certain things..  But then again we dutchies aren't used to everything being dubbed in our own language (except for kidshows, hmm, maybe that says something about the rest of the world, LOL)..

But there is nothing blocking you from creating your own translation and providing it to the creators of the Sydney games so other lazy italians (who don't understand english) can enjoy the game..

[thebaddie]

But there is nothing blocking you from creating your own translation and providing it to the creators of the Sydney games so other lazy italians (who don't understand english) can enjoy the game..

it's an idea but i have to translate my own game
for this reason i was asking if i may hope in a translation

anyway i don't think that hoping in a translation egual to be lazy...

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Oh please, get a room. I.e., PM each other.

I keep seeing "new" next to the topic's name, and it being completed I keep thinking it's further news.

Standard language is English, because it's AGS' and the forums' language and it's pretty much a standard language. Any other language is a bonus the game's creator might or might not grant. End of discussion, surely.

[iSTVAN]

Enough bickering! : )

Download the game: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33704.0

PS. If anyone offers to translate the game I would gladly co-operate.