The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Remake(RELEASED)

[Ghost]

Some "You screwed up!" screen with an undo function, as done in the later KQ games, would be something I could easily live with. Autosave with bells and whistles, as you might call it; it would also allow you to add some wisecrack quotes

[yukonhorror]

with respect to autosave

I don't know how it works, but I would make sure it saves as new separate files. 
&
I would do it at key points in the game

e.g:

Spoiler

when you get on the vogon ship, after you get the babel fish, when you get the hyperdrive successfully installed, and whenever you use the hyperdrive to go to the separate scenarios and again if the scenario is successfully completed.  I.e. autosave it after the switch is pressed, but before they leave the dark.  The scenarios are short enough that it is ok if they die in the middle and they have to start the scenario again.  Only the Traal scenario and the whale scenario require you to bring something specific.  But you should have your thumb and your towel on you at all times anyway. 

[close]

[Dualnames]

There is no game over screen like neverwinter. Which means it says you die restart load quit.
Our many game over screens are like for example you don;t do nothing for 12 minutes you get the game over screen about that vogon constructor ship. i'm thinking of having an autosave system since it might take at some points a while to realise you just screwed up. There is indication on what to do with very less effort. No pixelhunting or such. Autosave system will create a save game which the player can't see internally (so he can't overwrite) and it never fails. It only saves if you do things the right way. So people then can load it if they lose.

[Dualnames]

UPDATE 28/3/08<()>
---------------------------

This thread ain't dead nor the game is but I want to end all issues now before we get a going and i can't changed them. I was trying to import various modules of my own creation. One was hyperspace module, which does that cool effect you see in Star Wars, I 'm also proud to announce the creation of what AGS was lacking so far.
An APE. A.dvanced P.hysics E.ngine. Which means that it;s a module that helps you create explosions, collisions(including collisions with materials). I'll upload the module as soon as it;s beta testing is over.I've also created a version of the GUIDE using blender and I'll use as an intro or something.I'd like to demonstrate more to keep you guys wowing or such but I'll do it when I'll upload a large demo.Planning on updating the pictures though..

[Ghost]

I've also created a version of the GUIDE using blender and I'll use as an intro or something.

Now you've got me chewing some serious nails, Mr. Names!

[Dualnames]

A new demo containing 12 rooms, arthur, ford, prosser, and a pre-version of the GUIDE is available here:

http://ledzepforever.googlepages.com/HHGTG.rar

Press Space to open the GUIDE.

[markbilly]

I tried a bit of it, but it crashed when I looked out the window at the tree...

The one thing I noticed that you need to do is put labels in for objects, hotspots, etc when you hover the mouse over them. I found it really difficult to find items in the game, and when I did I couldn't click on them easily.

I also think the inventory system is impressive, but a bit hard to use, as it detaches you from the game, and doesn't seem integrated. i.e. when wanting to use an inventory item on an object in the room, you have to go out of the room, select the inv item, click exit inventory, then find the room item again... I know this common to most AGS games, but it just feels clunky and long winded in my opinion.

Maybe if you reduced the inventory screen size to half (there is plenty of blank space to make this possible), and made it appear to one side of the screen so you select your inv item, then just move your mouse back to the room to cancel the gui.

I hope what I'm saying makes sense, and it is only a personal gripe but I really think it will improve how fluid the game is...

I'll try loading it again, and hopefully I can see some more rooms! I'm overall very impressed by the progress you've made, and the quality of the guide esp.

[yukonhorror]

The one thing I noticed that you need to do is put labels in for objects, hotspots, etc when you hover the mouse over them. I found it really difficult to find items in the game, and when I did I couldn't click on them easily.

In the older demo this was the case, but we feel that gives the player too much of a hint as to what's important and what's not.  I haven't gotten a chance to look at this new demo (I have a Mac at work), but maybe we can make interactable stuff standout more, but the player still has to be observant of their surroundings. 

We are trying to retain the challenge of the text-based game (as much as possible) while giving the game visualization.

As for clicking on them, I am sure Dualnames can figure out a good way to make that easier.

I don't want to say anymore without actually playing the demo a bit, but I'll say that much at least.

[markbilly]

OK, that's fair enough. Is it possible to maybe make the pointer animate when a 'use-able' item is hovered over? That would probably be a good compromise...

[yukonhorror]

It would be great if we could shock the person through their mouse whenever the cursor was over an interactable item.  Maybe change the color of the outline of the cursor just slightly.  Slightly in the sense that if you are looking for it you'll notice it, but random movement of the mouse will not produce good hints.

Also, maybe we could change the color of the whole cursor when in the general vicinity of said item. 

I.e

Spoiler

When the cursor is over the sink area in arthur's house the cursor would change, but you need to click on the toothbrush precisely to pick it up. 

[close]

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

I have to say this -

It's one thing to choose between labels and non-labels and changing cursors, that's the game maker's prerogative. Nowadays people seem to be rather obsessed with labels - I guess they must have played through, and have been frustrated by, many tedious pixel-hunts, so adventure game developers are to blame here. Nevertheless, any of these three (and of course there are more!) should be acceptable.

Yukonhorror, your suggestions, however, sound very frustrating for the player. A *slight* change in the outline will either mean it's readily visible, in which case it defeats its purpose, or it's not, in which case it'll confuse people, wreak HAVOC in a game with no GAMMA slider, and some people might even miss the color-change and thus think a very important item is not interacteable.

Changing the color when only in the vicinity is equally bad, if not worse. It basically means you're forcing the player to pixel-hunt inside a closed area. And what if, in your example, the player wanted to interact with the sink?

Please remember - it's ok to add bells and whistles, but the interface should not be a puzzle in itself, unless we're talking about a more ambitious project with a rather unique concept, maybe something like Ceremony of Innocence. The interface is used for navigation. It should function as language between the player and the game - short and functional. It should not be, unless in specific game-puzzles, a "cold cold cold getting-warmer waaaaaaaarmer oh-cold-again,missed-that-hotspot!" game.

[ThreeOhFour]

I got the crash when I look at the window:

In line 18 of room 5

Error: SaveGameSlot: cannot run this command, since there is a NewRoom command already queued to run.

Other than that, looks nice. I like the little verbcoin gui a lot .

[bicilotti]

A bit buggy bet very promising!

[yukonhorror]

My point is with the labels, it shouldn't be a "your getting warm" sort of thing.  I am trying to find a compromise.  With the labels though, it is either you are on the north pole or your are in a volcano. 

In my opinion, you should notice the {blank} and think, hey I could totally use that to take care of the [other blank] puzzle.  Not, "let's see if I got everything in this room.  roll mouse over stuff.  Roll mouse over stuff.  Ooh a label.  It's a {blank}, don't know why I can interact with it, but I might as well take it."

Also, you can interact with the sink, that was just an example.  But you don't need to. 

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Heh, I just remembered what Simon The Sorcerer 2 did.

Press F10 and little stars would appear onscreen, telling you what onscreen items were clickable. Didn't make a less challenging game, either.

Your philosophy of game design is very good, yukon, that IS what should happen, but then you'll have to script every possible way to solve every possible puzzle plus all the resposes for all the perfctly legit solutions that don't work, and you'll also have to foresee that the player might *want* to interact with every single item because they want to make sure there's nothing under the bed or inside the couch. And when you get to this stage you usually go "ah, scratch all that" and go back to a default, no-label sierra interface.

[ThreeOhFour]

I like the idea Rui mentioned with pressing a button and the hotspots appear onscreen. I remember playing other games like this (RPGs such as Icewind Dale II) and it gives the player a choice. For those who like to figure it out by themselves, the button need never be pressed. However, for those who are a little stuck, showing a hotspot can instantly help get them on the right track. The amount of times that a game has had me frustrated because I didn't realise something was clickable or a room exit was poorly defined leads me to think that this could possibly help prevent similarly frustrating situations in your game.

[markbilly]

I'm still concerned with the inventory system... (what I posted earlier)

The interface is used for navigation. It should function as language between the player and the game - short and functional.

I agree with this comment, and I think it extends to the inventory too. And as much as it impressed me (it is very different) it didn't to for me what is mentioned above...

[Dualnames]

Oh blast.. There's the new version...

Sorry all. I screwed it up.
http://ledzepforever.googlepages.com/HHGTG.rar

Replying to the rest of ya:

OK, that's fair enough. Is it possible to maybe make the pointer animate when a 'use-able' item is hovered over? That would probably be a good compromise...

I was thinking that might help things around.

Ben304:, Rui:
Well, ok, we had a small debate with yukonhorror about that label part. I was thinking of making an animating mouse over hotspots which would be noticeable. I think the game has slidder for gamma by the way. But we can put a label. I'm using a label gui whilst beta testing and it's not that easy or hard.

Anyway, I've fixed the version i uploaded so try it out. Still no label gui but we're on debate at the moment.

Markbillly: I was thinking that yay the inventory might give trouble to players. I'll try your suggestions. Thanks for your comments.

[markbilly]

It's really good to see an AGS game in production at every stage like this. And the debates are interesting!

I've just had a thought, would it be quirky to make the room all fuzzy and wavy before you take the pain killer tablet? Just an idea, it may be a bit much...

[Dualnames]

It's really good to see an AGS game in production at every stage like this. And the debates are interesting!

I've just had a thought, would it be quirky to make the room all fuzzy and wavy before you take the pain killer tablet? Just an idea, it may be a bit much...

That's why I;ve created the poll of the day thingy.