Adventure Game Studio

The War of the Worlds is being converted into a point-and-click adventure! It's set to be primarily based on the musical album, although I'm hoping to add in a few of the deleted scenes (from the Collector's Edition). As you can see, it's in a very early stage at the moment - that said, the Journalist has all of his directional sprites and talking portrait done, so that's a good sign!

The Earth has been invaded by Martians! Having studied our planet they have landed in preparation to colonise and seize it from the Human race. All is swept before them by their mighty technology and savage "Heat Ray". Huge tripod Fighting Machines stride across the countryside, bringing chaos and slaughter in their wake. Red vegetation takes hold and begins to change the very nature of the land. They feed by capturing people, draining their blood and injecting it into their own circulatory systems!
   Our character, the Journalist, leaves home in search of his fiancée Carrie, travelling through the Home Counties and the deserted streets of London. He must conserve his energies as there are testing times ahead. Every Martian has a life of its own and every event that occurs will eventually affect him, regardless of how far away they are.
The Journalist's strength and state of mind will be affected by everything around him and one shock too many could finish him in one stroke! As time passes the landscape becomes more alien. The slimy vegetation which gives Mars its red appearance takes root, creeping and crawling across the land with living scarlet feelers that ensnare and choke its prey. The Journalist can pull free, but it will sap his energy.
   The Earth belongs to the Martians.... or does it?

A few considerations in design:

• Considering possibly putting in the prelude - or perhaps leave that for the sequel...!?
  
• Am hoping to make a relatively large part of London and the Home Counties explorable.
  
• In regards to the music, well... I'm not a very good MIDI artist, so that's going to be a bit tricky. If I could, I'd ask if someone could compose MIDI tracks (or possibly pseudo-Sound Blaster music!)...
  

Now you'll have to have some patience with me; I'm new at scripting you see, but I think I'm actually getting somewhere with it...


17. Jan. 2012
Okay, we're back on track again. Since my last update I drew the cursors in the style of the RTS game, and have started on the opening credits, amongst other things. I also decided to add in the prequel too, as well as maybe a spoof copy protection screen (a first, I think!).
I might get a video too when it's a little further along. And I've written to Sony about using the album music. If they deny permission, I might need to hire some MIDI people, if that's ok.


21. Jan. 2012
Well I've come to a few decisions. And I'm afraid I'm going to have to make a few cutbacks!
Inconsequently, I'm pulling the "Special Collector's Edition" label... I mean, this game it's nothing special, is it!?  :P
Anyway, until I'm granted the license to use the official music, I'm going to use MIDI after all. Bad news for the composers; I'll have to commission a long list of tracks for this project! The speech will have to be put aside for now too. I imagine it'd be a pain to assemble all those PAMELA sync files an' all!
I suppose you could say this is the floppy-disk edition. ;)

I have updated the thread for you and unlocked it!  Good luck on the production!

I love this album, so this is one project I'm definitely going to want to follow. Good luck with the game - I like what I'm seeing so far :)

Looks good so far, I hope you're going to try to stick to the book as much as possible though (?).

Also I'm curious.. if you can't use the official music are you determined to use MIDI tunes?  Anyway, there are a lot of good musicians around the AGS forums, so if you decide to go for original music you should be able to find one easily enough - but wouldn't it be better to get MP£ or OGG music?  (Unless you were planning on using MIDI music for the retro effect... but I can't see why this would be if you were hoping to use the orchestral score.)  Anyway, if you need a musician, you can try posting in the Recruit a Team thread (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=36479.0).

I hope you manage to progress with this game, we don't see enough HG Wells in the AGS community!  (Just my opinion...  ;D)

Thanks! Alas, I fear the future of this project is in jeopardy...

It's looking very nice! If you can't use the music you want I could certainly ask my friend to arrange something like this theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ZQHguIh80) into a MIDI/ogg if needed. But there are now various soundtracks for WotW and I've not heard/seen the 'musical' version... Anyway, certainly looks like a pretty epic game, so good luck!

Here's a video preview of the intro. I hope the style I chose to adapt meets your approval!

http://youtu.be/lnNYzDoLm9M

That is lovely!
I like everything about it! The copy protection, the font, the logos, the company name...



(Except perhaps the frenzied lip-sync.)

Wait... the project is "in jeopardy" on minute and the next you release a preview trailer?!?  What's going on?  :o ??? 

Quote from: CaptainD on Fri 20/01/2012 13:13:05
Wait... the project is "in jeopardy" on minute and the next you release a preview trailer?!?  What's going on?  :o ??? 

I contend that it started with the jeopardy status after the preview was compiled!  :o :-\

Quote from: Kweepa on Fri 20/01/2012 00:46:45
(Except perhaps the frenzied lip-sync.)

If I get access to the speech, I'll see if I can use that parse program thing.

Well I've come to a few decisions. And I'm afraid I'm going to have to make a few cutbacks!
Inconsequently, I'm pulling the "Special Collector's Edition" label... I mean, this game it's nothing special, is it!?   :P
Anyway, until I'm granted the license to use the official music, I'm going to use MIDI after all. Bad news for the composers; I'll have to commission a long list of tracks for this project! The speech will have to be put aside for now too. I imagine it'd be a pain to assemble all those PAMELA sync files an' all!
I suppose you could say this is the floppy-disk edition.  ;)

As long as the game is made, no-one will mind.

You can call this one the "Retro Classic Golden Era Edition", and when you later make the game as you originally intended, call it the "Special Remixed Remastered Edition".

Quote from: CaptainD on Tue 24/01/2012 21:35:30
"Retro Classic Golden Era Edition"

I was rather hoping to save that label for a 16-colour, AGI-esque variation on the game. I'm working on that right now, playing around with ideas!

Trying to adapt some scenes from The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel. I'm not sure, does it blend well at all?

(http://www.majhost.com/gallery/EvilGuy/TWotW/house.png)


I hope all those big companies don't mind me borrowing all this stuff.. :-\

Quote from: FrankT on Thu 26/01/2012 15:17:31
I hope all those big companies don't mind me borrowing all this stuff.. :-\

You could always email them and ask about it.

However, there's a strong chance not a single soul working for EA today would recognize that screenshot.

This is NOT the CL!!  If you want advice on graphics (or music, etc) please post in the Critics Lounge.

Also, you aren't selling this game ... I'd really stop worrying about copyright stuff and just make it how you want.  Just be clear (and give credit) to the stuff you're borrowing.  If you keep emailing the companies to ask permission to use their stuff the only thing you're likely to get in reply is slapped with a cease and desist.  If you just do it the way you want (and make no money off it) it's highly unlikely any of the companies you borrow from would ever even know.

Ah! Sorry, beg pardon. I am a bit paranoid on these things. Bear with me.

right.. you'll have to pardon the lack of updates in a while. I'm keeping a little under the radar until this whole copyright war blows over. Hopefully you'll understand.

Well... that's it. The project has been effectively abandoned. :( It's not cancelled per se, but it is apparent that I can't be bothered to work on it anymore! On top of that nobody at all has answered my pleas for help. Perhaps I'll try something a little more easier next time...

:'(