The Forgotten Element - NEW SCREENSHOT (Rain effects and new Town pic)

[TastyCrisp]

Fantasticly atmospheric. I can't wait to hear more music for this project...Will be great to see how well the interactiveness of the music works when playing the game also.

This whole project really is shapeing up to be something quite special, from the art and animation to sound and story hints so far this is going to be such an amazing adventure


Keep the updates coming you guys! Always good to hear from you on here! I'll look forward to seeing a website up nearer the prologues release and I'll definately be chippin in a few £ when the prologues out and the donation button is up!

[ManicMatt]

So even if the game stinks (In which it won't I'm sure), the music will be fantastic! 

[lo_res_man]

well that helped pleurgburg okay not true, the game was great, but the music so was what made me want to continue playing.if you can combine great graphics, with great music, plus a compelling storyline, plus well done puzzles, then baby you  got a winner.

[CaptainBinky]

So even if the game stinks (In which it won't I'm sure), the music will be fantastic! 

Ha ha, yeah! We'll try to make sure the game doesn't stink, but at the very least there'll be some nice music to listen to 

Binky

[auriond]

I am very impressed by the level of professionalism in this game - and the music only serves to underscore that impression! I honestly don't see how the game could stink

[Nikolas]

Thank you guys!

Just a tiny word for the project: The music wouldn't be here if Lemmy and Binky were not the people who they are. I deeply value that! Further more everything in this project shines! Now enough self blessing I guess...

On a musical matter, I have agreed with Sofia that we will do more tracks for this game, with her. This means that you will get to enjoy her even more... At least I'm thrilled by this turn out! So is she, and Lemmy and Binky! You don't getvery often a live musican, in studio suroundings to do this for free...

So in other words a HUGE thank you to Sofia, for what she's done already, and what she will do inthe near future...



(I think that the more I post, the more spammy my posts are turning... ugh!)

[CaptainBinky]

Okiedokie...

We've finally decided to bite the proverbial bullet and launch http://www.theforgottenelement.com!!!

We'll be continually updating this site as we saunter ever onwards towards the release of the prologue, with more little nuggets of story, screenshots, music and other news.

Hooray!

Captain Binky

[Giddy Plant]

Nice, very nice. The tools you're planning to release to us mortals sound like the nuts.

[lemmy101]

Something more for the game makers. Info on the in-development plugin used to get awesmoe AGS to do some extra stuff.

As development on The Forgotten Element continues, our plugins have developed to a point that they have been combined into a single plug-in called AGX.

AGX is an extension to AGS that provides many new features to the system. Some of the main features include:

New conversation and cutscene engine - A powerful XML driven cutscene / conversation system that allows more fluid conversations, easier logic handling, and more emotive animation to be quickly added to AGS games. Simple scripts control all character actions and are easily batch compiled into XML to be run by the engine. Example:

Code: ags

#1 EGO
[KnowAboutChicken!=true]Hello! How are you? (2)
[KnowAboutChicken==true]Tell me about the chicken. (3)
I better be going. (END)

#2 BOB
I'm fine.
[ Bob:ScratchAss ]
but this chicken is pissing me off.
[ Bob:Point ]
Watch as I point at the chicken whilst talking.
[ Bob:Normal ]
[KnowAboutChicken=true] (1) 

#3 BOB
It's an evil chicken. From Mars, of all places.
[Bob:Shrug]
[ Walk( Bob, 10, 20 ) ]
[ Walk ( Bob, 50, 80 ) ]
[ GiveInventory( 5 ) ]
[ Wait( 20 ) ]
[ ShowOverlay( Banner1,Additive, 200, 300 )] (1)    

This system allows you to easily add many different deeply branching conversations that change each time the conversation plays out, and seamlessly integrate conversations with cutscene actions and screen effects. Also has support for integer counters, to allow you to create dialogue puzzles in the scripts.

Multiple poses and gestures can be set up for each character, each with full in/out transitions, and speaking frames, allowing you to easily add lots of erm... character to them, switching between them fluidly without using reams of views and AGS script.

The system also allows multiple people to easily write cutscenes and conversations simultaniously outside the editor, and for musicians to place the music and sfx themselves independently of the coder/scripters.

AGX cutscenes also simulate blocking by turning off the mouse and GUI, but AGS is really not blocking, allowing it to run alongside AGS script, or have many AGX cutscenes running at the same time! (Imagine having a looping cutscene adjusting the transparency of a subtley changing shadow map, at same time as looping slightly rippling/fading in/out beams of light through a window, at the same time as looping a drunk snoring and coughing and hurling abuse at the barmaid, at the same time as looping a dog scampering about, at the same time as your main character's conversation)

Overlay / Particle system - Allows full 32bit animated alpha overlays with masks on screens, allowing you to do snazzy credits, lighting effects, rain, thunder, even saturate and desaturate portions the screen. All driven by the cutscene scripts.

DirectX Support - Allows you to run AGS through DirectX, utilising hardware acceleration for the overlay and particle system, and even allowing you to run 320x200 games on those pesky LCD screens.

Full game logging -  AGX logs every action, conversation, and user interaction, all timed, allowing you to read exactly how play-testers experienced your game, and how long it took them to solve specific puzzles. Also allows focus testing by allowing play testers to hammer smiley icons during gameplay based upon their enjoyment/frustration which can be used to refine your gameplay / story.

Advanced Music System - Based on a system conceived by Vince Twelve and Nikolas, the music system in AGX allows for interactive music and more advanced mixing / blending than is available in AGS.

There are a few things left to do that mean it's not currently releasable, for example the conversation/logic system does not save into AGS save files yet, meaning essentially it's useless as it stands for use in a game. Clearly before the FE prologue is released, these will need to have been addressed, and we will begin public beta testing soon after.

Cheers!

lemmy101

[GreenBoy]

Man.  As much as Im looking forward to the game these plugins are what Im really after.
Sounds like some super powerfull tools.

Yeeeeeessssssss.  8)

[Peder 🚀]

Congrats on the website!!

And damn!
That plug in will be usefull!!

I hope it will be free!!! .


Looks like a plugin I need for my full length game .


- Peder.

[lemmy101]

Thanks! The plug-in, as with all the content we'll be providing (art assets etc) will be completely free! (For non-commercial use )

L&B

[nihilyst]

Wow. What you've done so far is absolutely great. We'll hopefully see TFE in action soon. God luck with this project.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Jesus, I though the game was awsome enough, but that plugin...

:o

[TastyCrisp]

Great work with the website! At work at the moment but will check it out in much greater depth later!

Bit poor this month but when the Feb paycheck rolls in I#ll be sure to donate a few pennies to the cause

Keep up the stunning work you lot!

[TheCheese33]

This plug-in is amazing! I really like the play tester logging. Makes solving bugs a lot easier, because you can see exactly what the person did, rather than trying to re-create what he did to run into the problem. The DirectX support, simplified cutscene programming, and 32-bit overlays are also awesome. I may not need to wait that long to create my game after all!

I am also looking forward to playing the game. Keep up the good work!

[lemmy101]

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments

sign up to the Beta Testing thread here:

http://www.cgempire.com/forum/showthread.php38

...to get the plugin earlier (not yet though )

PS: Thanks TastyCrisp. No pressure obv. we've technically released sod all yet but needless to say any contribution would be super fantastically appreciated

[nulluser]

-

[Nikolas]

Hello!

Just wanted to let everybody, who might be in love with Mia (as I am), that in the games' site (www.theforgottenelement.com) you can download a wallpaper, featuring, who else? Mia!

Go on, you know you want to.

[CaptainBinky]

Heh heh, cheers Nik!

Also, there's a couple more up there now including thus-far unspecified major character from Act 2, so that's a bit of a sneak peak of later acts

Cheers,

Cap'n Binky