The Winter Rose- Beta Testing!!!!

Baron · Wed 07/04/2004 22:00:35

EDIT APRIL 17 2005 - Well, it's been a bit, but this project has FINALLY moved on to the beta testing stage.Ã,Â Persons interested in beta testing should read my post of April the 17th (below).

Announcing the 98% completion of 'The Winter Rose', a medieval-fairy tale adventure game.Ã,Â I have left off announcing this game until now so that I will be certain to finish it.

SCREENIES:

THE PLOT: You are the daughter of a woodsman, a peasant-girl with some common sense and some skill in archery.Ã,Â Your forest home has become blighted by eternal winter and it is left to you to try to save the realm.

BEHIND THE SCENES: This will be my second game.Ã,Â I have had something like this in mind from the moment I started working with AGS (some of you might have noticed the plug in AL-Quest , my first game).Ã,Â I am experimenting with a few things: for example, I've set the goal of making the whole game using the scripting language and not the AGS editor, I am attempting to integrate much more animation than my first game, and all of the backgrounds are hand painted to try to give a more unique and textured feel to the game.Ã,Â All this has tended to keep progress slow, but I have learned a whole lot in the process AND I am quite impressed with what I have accomplished so far.

PROGRESS: I initially planned to have a demo ready for the end of April but, as the game will not be as long as I originally anticipated, I think it will be best to release the game only when it is complete, which I expect will be around the end of August. (EDIT APRIL 2005 -Ha!)

If you're into numbers, the current state of the project would break down something like this:

Backgrounds: 100% complete
Animations: 100% complete
Scripting: 99% complete
Plot: 100% complete
Music & sounds: 60% complete

If you have any questions, feedback or recommendations please fire away!

EDIT: Alright, it's the end of August and the game's not done.Ã,Â The good news: it's almost done!Ã,Â The game is about 85% complete (EDIT APRIL 2005 - try 60% at this stage).Ã,Â I expect to have the game ready for beta testing by mid-September (HA HA HA HA HA!!!!), then go travelling until mid-October, then polish it off and announce it as a finished game.Ã,Â That's the plan anyway.Ã,Â Anyone interested in beta testing?

EDIT: OK Travelling has snuck up on me.Ã,Â Travel first, then beta version mid-October.Ã,Â Sorry.Ã,Â (EDIT APRIL 2005 -Teheheheheehehehehehehehehe!).Ã,Â Ã,Â

Shagzilla · Fri 09/04/2004 06:25:31

Oh please, please can we have a demo?!

Chicky · Fri 09/04/2004 09:20:11

hey, nice to know your working on somthing barron. Looking forward to play

-OSc

spoofer4ever · Sat 10/04/2004 01:58:55

Quote from: Shagzilla on Fri 09/04/2004 06:25:31
Oh please, please can we have a demo?!

lol i'de rather wait for it to be a full game.
More fun that way

Baron · Thu 15/04/2004 05:01:44

Hmmm... I knew Easter week was the wrong time to announce this.

Anyway, I've done some research (read 'lurking') around the forums and it seems like members who would presumably know better than I are of the opinion that demos tend to spoil games more than they tantalyze players (although I think it very likely that they accomplish the first thing because they also do the second). So I'm going to take the safe marketing route on this one and just stick to the screenies and some shameless bumping.

Queen Kara · Thu 29/04/2004 07:17:54

Hmm , demos have the opposite effect on me. ( that is...they don't spoil the game for me...then again I'm one of those people that you could tell the whole story too and usually I'd still want to see ...play...or what ever ....the finished project for myself ...for example...for a while I was interested in the Blair Witch project...then got disinterested and even disgusted because it was overhyped ...later after seeing previews for the second movie only once or what ever...and the fact that that one wasn't overhyped..that and the games got me interested in the series again..even though I still haven't seen the first one yet but the thing is I'm interested again...usually though I'm interested in stuff no matter how overhyped it is nor how much research I've done on it )
btw I can't wait to play this game
Yes , I'd love to beta-test!
Please and thank you.

Baron · Mon 30/08/2004 05:59:58

Oky-doky,
So demos may or may not spoil the gaming experience, that much we think we might know $:-\$ . But what about beta testing?

Gord10 · Mon 30/08/2004 17:39:55

Looks like a nice project

I want to be beta tester. Also I can help you with the story if you want.

Baron · Mon 18/04/2005 03:51:20

Well, I know I said this game was going to be done in September. And then November. And then January.... I guess I'm just a filthy, filthy liar! But the god's truth is .....it's almost done now! I'm officially moving this game into the beta-testing stage. Right now the game lacks music and a fair number of sounds, but the art and programming are for all intents and purposes done. Er... except for the credits, but c'mon I would just have to redo those anyway after everyone helps me beta-test so why bother in the first place, right?

So down to business: I'm interested in anyone who would like to offer their beta testing services. I've stared at this game for more hours than I've got facial hairs -that's at least over a hundred! -and I think I've just about caught everything, but I'd really appreciate it if some of you could have a run through it. Try to get the game to crash, or the views to mess up. Try stupid off the wall things, like combining peanut butter with asbestos or ketchup with eggs (yuck!). Let me know if any of the plot doesn't make sense, or if maybe more hints are needed on some of the puzzles.

If you are willing to be a beta-tester then you can download the beta version of this game at www.vanwijst.com/games/twrbeta2.zip . Feel free to post vague reviews here on the forums but please don't post any spoilers. I guess you should PM me a list of the problems you find or e-mail them to me at vanwijst@hotmail.com .

Thanks in advance to all the beta testers who help out. You'll get mention in the credits for sure!

Mr. Mozzarella · Mon 18/04/2005 19:36:10

Sounds just like the kind of game I could like to play. I'll try it

Baron · Sat 23/04/2005 06:14:27

PROGRESS REPORT: Based on information provided by our beta testers (a big thanks to Splat44 and Mr. Mozarella) I have compiled an updated beta version fixing all the errors found to date (especially that embarassing one of finishing the game easily in the end). The latest version is available [url ="http://www.vanwijst.com/games/twrbeta2.zip"] here [/url].

FINAL RELEASE REPORT: Ok, this is a bit sticky. The game lacks music. And sophistimicated looking credits. Barring any further bugs being found, the game is otherwise complete. Unfortunately, I have to be off to treeplant on Monday and will not be back in civilization until early July I reckon. So.... I'm thinking I'm just going to leave it as is and release the game proper when I get back. In the mean time, anyone interested can feel free to download the latest beta.

Mr. Mozzarella · Sun 24/04/2005 09:10:40

I finished the beta testing. Check your private messages.