UPDATED! 28 feb 2009
Greets AGS folks, I've been a lurker here for a while, and done a few simple AGS projects in the past.. I think now's about the time to jump on the boards, for support in the beginner threads and of course to showcase what I'm doing..
Story / Gameplay information:The game revolves around the journey undertaken by the character "The Wanderer" As of late, this recluse has been hearing a voice inside his mind beckoning him north. The gameplay works a little differently then a standard point n click as the player will be able to move freely left and right in his environment, moving to adjacent screens will be done through the "Ring Menu" which i blatantly ripped of of Secret of Mana..
Archived Screenshots: http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/ (http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/)
Overlaying the scanlines ATM interferes with clicking on objects and such.. so for now.. I have them removed.. for those who weren't so hot on the scanlines, this is what it looks like without them..
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/without_overlays.jpg)
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/without_overlays2.jpg)
Everytime the player talks to someone, activates something, picks up an item, I'm going to do a cut away to a still.. I'm testing this to see if the format brings the player closer to the characters.. The wanderer's face will NEVER be shown however, thus maintaining his aura of mystery:
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/cutscene_rough1.jpg)
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/cutscene_rough2.jpg)
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/cutscene_rough3.jpg)
As of now this is a rough of the game map. Red X's are finished rooms, circled rooms are exploratory only.. The rooms with yellow lines are critical path gameplay.. meaning the player could travel only those areas and complete the game (With a good ending) the extra rooms are only for those who like to look for extra stuff.. which will yield a reward of its own:
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/map_rough.jpg)
So.. a small update.. theres plenty more done.. everything in those screenshots is in game and working.. Thought I'd drop an update, as it may be a while til the next good update.. still lots of bugs creeping up here and there, but you guys have been great with trouble shooting and answering questions.. til next time.. The voice is calling, I must answer.. ;)
Wayne
Art direction looks interesting ...
However, please review the forum rules and update your post! Tell a little about the game, details, story, etc.
Also ... if these are not the final "in game" screenshots perhaps you should have waited a bit before posting? Anyway ... please update your first post!
Art`s good, but this black lines confuse me a bit... :-X
Personally, I really dig what you're doing with these scanlines, but I'm wondering how you achieve the effect? I may want to implement something not entirely different in a computer screen interface at some point in an upcoming work that I'm doing. I know how to accomplish it easily enough in an art program, but are you using some sort of full-screen overlay with an alpha channel? It's a smart effect that I'd never really thought of.
Aside from it looking mucho-cool, any specific reason for using it?
This looks very interesting. I love the art direction as well. Good luck finishing!
The scanlines give it a retro effect.
Currently, until i figure out a better optimization, the scanline is an object that covers the play field (Everything inside the letterbox) It's a 32 bit targa that uses the alpha channel to eat out the blank spaces, and the lines themselves are currently about 50 percent alpha'd out so it isn't overly done.
After the project has more meat, I'll post scanline versus non scanline.. or heck, even make it an option to turn it off in game..
In it's current state it doesn't appear to have much affect on performance, but since it's very bare bones right now it's hard to say if it stays that way.. if anyone has a trick for optimizing this effect, I'm all ears..
Glad you guys like the direction..
I think the graphics style is neat. It's also interesting that you used an overlay instead of just having it on the background. It will make for a much better effect when fully animated.
Any ideas on how you will pursue the animation side of things? All I can see right now is an unchanging static silhouette. Keeping it like this or are you going to detail the character. I personally like the silhouette effect. Very mysterious.
I really like the backgrounds as well as these black silhouettes, it gives the game a great atmosphere.
As for the scanlines: The possiblity to turn them on/off would be great cause though I don't really dislike them I guess when used on a continuing basis they would start to annoy me since they're not easy on the eye.
Good luck with further progress, I'm curious how this will turn out.
Thanks, the character currently has walk left walk right animation and an idle animation where his loose clothy bits billow in the wind.. after some more polish i may post the animations in ani. gif format if you guys like.. currently his idle animation is about ten frames, that double back on themselves (10 drawings, roughly 18 19 frames of animation).. also he and most foreground elements will be silouetted out, for style purposes, and to make him mysterious..
As an happy update, i got most of his HUDS working, a right click brings up the main menu which links to system options (save load quit..) travel options (going to adjacent screens) and possessions which is inventory, all the menus have 4 to 5 options except inventory which has 8 slots and a back button.. there will probably more items than eight in the game, but i plan on laying out so you never have more than eight at a time, thus making some of the puzzle solving less of a pain by trying item X on puzzle Y..
Thanks again for the comments guys, if you have suggestions or critiques I'm all ears.. I have pretty tough art skin :)
Really appealing graphics here. The scanlines add a nice touch as well :)
Keep at it :D!
Looks great! It has that amazing adventurous feel to it that I like. :)
Will the grass and the skulls hanging from the sign move in the wind too?
Looks awesome, the style reminds me of the old Amiga game Blade Warrior (http://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/blade-warrior/screenshots). Good luck with the project!
Edit: I like the scanlines, but they may end up looking like crap when stretched to the native resolution of a TFT screen - so yes, definitely an option to turn them off. Also, instead of a full-screen alpha channel sprite, which may slow things down, how about just using a non-alpha sprite and - assuming it's displayed on a GUI - set the GUI transparency to 50%?
@ Andorxor: Yeah, little stuff like that will billow..
@ Garage: I've never seen that game, but i desperately want to play it now.. thank you for the link.
This does look awesome.
Really nice style.
I'm a fan of the scan lines.
I was also planning on putting them in my game at one point (if you've ever seen the anime series Tokyo Underground you'd know precisely the effect that I was going to steal thinking of), but I ultimately decided against it.
Good luck with the game, and I anticipate its release.
I love the look of the game makes me want to go on some epic adventure. So from what I han tell this will be more of a 2-D adventure game similar to flashback or oohhh what was that game where the guy gets sucked into the computer and it has kinda similar blocky style ding ding Out of this World. Anyway, really digging it so far keep up the good work.
The Wanderer: Are We Nearly There Yet?
Forgive me, but I can't help but subtitle this game. That poor traveller looks like he's walked for miles, and keeps stopping in random places, looking around, and sighing miserably.
"Ooooh, is this it?!! Oh...no...that's not it..."
Who is this man?
Where is he going?
How does he get his scarf to billow like that constantly?
Find out in the next exciting adventure of The Wanderer!
I should write these things for a living...
As for the banding effect? My old tv did that once. You can fix it by smacking the top right hand side of your monitor. Don't thank me, I'm just glad to be of assistance.
Looks extremely interesting though, it's always nice to see projects that deviate from the tried and tested premise of ambling from A to B with a rope, a yellow key and a crowbar. I wish you the best of luck for completion.
New update 28 Feb 2009
I like that style very much, it reminds me heavily of those Delphine action adventures like Another World or Flashback. Will your gameplay feature action sequences, or is it purely wandering and adventuring in a non-time critical manner?
really looooooookin forward to seeeeeeeeeing and playying this one
incredible atmosphere ;D ;D ;D
This looks great, but I miss the scanlines! You could make them a non-clickable GUI and allow the player to switch them on and off. I'd definitely keep them on, though.
Hey, this is getting more and more interesting. I really like the new screenies. Keep up the good work!
This looks booming, promise to blog about this!!
It's going to be a great game. The scanlines ROCK. The "blank" screens look too blank without scanlines. The lines add much more detail to the screen.
Just my opinion 8)
Like everybody said, the atm of your bg's are soooo nice. I'm totally sold! Good luck.
Oooh, I've suddenly spotted a gas-mask and firearm, I call post-apocalyptic landscape on that! Something of an instant win in my books - nothing says 'Happy Cirius' more than a charred and irradiated landscape.
Missing the scan lines though, I hope you manage to get them back in without too much interference.
Hope to see any demos or videos, since the gameplay seems quite different from the traditional point'n click.
The scanlines create a retro feel, it is really cool but your work looks way better without them so I'd suggest enabling the player to choose to have scanlines or not.
As evryones says, that art is really original, It will be very nice to play a game with those graphics.
Congratulations!!
I think the scanlines could work to show when the game is paused (whenever a menu is shown)
But yes, love the art direction... and so jealous that I can't do anything remotely close.
~Trent
PS- 101 rooms? Awesome. :D And with a game like this, I'd totally explore everything (especially if the storyline tends you to explore)
I miss the scanlines. I liked them!
How about a compromise? (Gameplay screens with scanlines, and cut-scenes without?)
Looks awesome and pretty damn epic! Best of luck
Thanks all.. I'm still chuggin away at it.. lots of new BGs, with new items popping up, and whatnot..
and yeah.. the plan is to overlay scanlines on the game, and take em out during cutscenes..
probably drop another update in a week or so..
Thanks again for the kind words everyone.
Alrighty.. new things goin on... :) First off.. This project is a team effort now, I'm proud to say.. the ranks now include:
Mr. Trent R, Lead Scripter and code badass...
Ms. N.M. Music, Composer and lyrical genius..
and of course me... no good pirate, and so so artist. ;)
As of now the world map is pretty well flesh out.. here is a preview of it (A version of this will be in game to help players orient themselves)
Areas further in the game are blurred out and darkened so as not to spoil to much ;)
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/MAP.jpg)
The Southern Edge (the beginning area) is about 24 rooms at the moment, with no intention of reducing that number so far. :)
Speaking of rooms.. Originally rooms where 640 X 480.. recently I've over hauled many of them to be three times that size, with a most rooms now scrolling back and forth to encourage even more exploration:
MY APOLOGIES FOR THE WAY THESE JPGS TRANSLATE ON THE INTERNET.. :( The highlighting on the scanlines is not there in the final game)
EDIT: For some reasons the scanlines are correct on my ftp site.. (Who knows?) :S
http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/ (http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/)
Before:
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/room_old.jpg)
After:
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/Wanderer_BGs_New_Width.jpg)
and lastly.. walk and idle animations for the player are almost done with polish: here's a preview of the walk (or should i say run) animation :)
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/walkcycle.gif)
Woo-hoo! An update to the thread!
This is an awesome project to work on, and we love to hear your support and suggestions.
~Trent
I know it's not critic's lounge, but I thought I might point out that there seems to be something very amiss with the staff/rod/walking-stick in your run animation, if you hadn't noticed it already. It jumps back and forth a whole lot, and also I'd say when running instead of having the rod stay at a steady angle, it should either wave up and down, or the runner may want to hold it horizontally, so the end points forward while running, to keep it aerodynamic/help with balance.
Just thought I'd mention that for the sake of mentioning things. As always, the game is looking awesome. I'll definitely be downloading it when it's released. As a matter of curiosity, how many rooms are you shooting for, total? Does every room have a function? With that much meat, I certainly hope you aren't just using throw-away rooms, it'd be a shame for people to get turned off by large empty expanses. Not to say that it wouldn't fit well in a wasteland sort of environment.
And just an extra comment - I'm really feeling a groovy 'Out of this world' vibe with the way the game is progressing. Keep it coming!
Can't wait to play this game. Will there be voice acting?
Caine: Yeah the staff and his billowing cloth parts are the last polish on him..
J. Man: Yes. There will be full voice acting.
Ah great, it get's even better :D.
I know I'm a bit late but I've only just seen this game. First off; WOW. Those screens look fantastic. I especially like the artistic direction you are going with for the backgrounds. It makes the game look very epic. If the story's good I'd say this could be one of the most popular games here.
I second that. I can't believe I missed this thread. The screens look gorgeous.
Personally I prefer the non-scanline screenshots, but that's just me.
Keep it up and keep us informed.
Scanlines will be toggle-able in options menu :)
Thought y'all might like to know.
Hasn't been an update in a loooonnngggg time.. sorry.. At the moment, I'm revising how the cutscenes are developed and rendered.. I'm also digging heavily into the gameplay, as the story is good, the art is coming along.. but the puzzles kind of suck...
Here is a link to my art blog (recently started to help me organize)
You may see a familiar face buried in there.. however this research pans out...that style will transfer to the cutscenes...
I also plan on doing a prequel web comic, as the story is very enigmatic so as a rosetta stone i'm going to do a VERY short series of prequel web comics that will act as clues for the overall story.. You may ask why this isn't done in game.. but with the way I plan to present the story.. It sort of ruins putting something like this IN the actual game.
Anyway here is the link.. and expect more in game stuff soon-ish..
http://wayne-comic-art.blogspot.com/ (http://wayne-comic-art.blogspot.com/)
heres an added bonus of a poster which was intended for a very small demo.. obviously the date is very off.. and I apologize to everyone again for my lack of attention to the project thread.
(http://www.wayneadams.net/stuffola/AGS_Stuff/wanderer/demo_poster.jpg)
....a demo IS coming.. :)
Great news, cheers :)
Look forward to the demo
Hey, a nice looking game! Reminds me of Another World, which is one of my favourite games of all time. I'm intrigued....
wow. looks awesome. can't wait. who is doing your music......? sorry, just curious if you would like some help.....
Is this project still going? Been looking forward to it for ages.
Then why not contact the author instead of digging up a dead thread?
Wayne Adams, If you're still working on this and want to post an update send me a PM and I'll unlock it.
JJ - please read the forum rules before digging up more threads!
From a PM from the Game's Author:
"[the] project is still ongoing, and work is being done.. Updates will come, but no date on them. Thanks"