Lone Case: Locomotive Breath TEASER and WALKTHROUGH Available

[Dualnames]

Lone Case: Locomotive Breath
UPDATE
LONE CASE HAS BEEN POLISHED!!!!!
Download it HERE:
(4233kb)
DOWNLOAD LINK:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=903


Special Thanks to Rui Pires.

TEASER HERE:
http://files.filefront.com/LoneCase.wmv/;8122258;/fileinfo.html





STORY:
Dave Dell, once a glamorous detective, is now a dull and bland vision of himself, drinking himself out of his misery in The Swigging Bushman every night. With no friends, he travels to work every day with a scowl on his face and dark bags under his eyes.

Years ago, he put a man named O'Riley in jail. But this man has escaped. And this time he has a nuclear device on a train. Will he be stopped?
Or will the train reach it's location?

Game Features:
1)Runaway 2 like Control Method.
2)Notebook (Discworld Noir).




I'd like to thank Cyrus for helping me break all the forum rules(repeatedly).
SSH for his great modules, Multi response and Save game with screenshots.
Lazarus for FaceRight module.
Scorpiorus for Ags Snowrain plugin.
And of course Azure Wolf for helping me out with some dialogs.

This game is dedicated to Fleshtalker
" For one Day he may Return"

BUGS
-------
1)Object(0) bug. Fixed. Enhanced into the downloadable file.
2)Control method didn't allow using walk to mode while over hotspots and especially over change room hospots. Fixed. Enhanced into the downloadable file.


Control Method:
----Left Click:
runs interaction(if it's an arrow it will make Dave walk, if it's a magnifying glass it will examine, if it's a hand it will make Dave interact and if it's a cop hat it will make Dave talk.)
----Right Click:
If over something it will cycle through available modes.
If you have an item selected right clicking will return the mouse to walk mode
----Middle Click:
It will open up the inventory. You can also open the inventory by examining Dave.


PRESS:

http://www.screen7.co.uk/junc/ags_news_1.pdf

[Oddysseus]

Just wanted to congratulate you on finishing your game.   I haven't played it yet, but just finishing a game at all is an accomplishment, and since no one has congratulated you yet, I thought I'd better do it.

By the way, when is the sequel coming out?

[Cyrus]

Yes, you've said something about the Lone Case 2.

[Dualnames]

Production has started. Finish this up and say it if you like it or not. By the way, I found a bug, and another one so I re-uploaded the file. The sequel since it's summer might be ready (if I don't go vacations to an island where there is no computer available) b the end of august. I will make an in production forum when I have some pictures ready.

[Khris]

I've played this game for quite some time now and while I was put off at first by the sloppy graphics and the TechDemo/placeholder-feel of the technical side, I have to admit that you did put quite some effort into the game.
I really like the animated cutscenes and there are some nice ideas like the interrogation interface and the notebook (although it's lacking a bit when it comes to execution).

But it's definitely necessary to polish things. The exit hotspots disable the WalkTo cursor, so reaching an exit is a tiresome struggle. Many reactions don't fit or even exist. Interacting something often makes the player go "That's not correct."

Plus,

Spoiler

I'm totally stuck. I know I have to go to the subway station, but I have yet to discover the exit or any other means of getting there.

[close]

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

YAY, a gamma slider!!!

[Dualnames]

I've played this game for quite some time now and while I was put off at first by the sloppy graphics and the TechDemo/placeholder-feel of the technical side, I have to admit that you did put quite some effort into the game.
I really like the animated cutscenes and there are some nice ideas like the interrogation interface and the notebook (although it's lacking a bit when it comes to execution).

But it's definitely necessary to polish things. The exit hotspots disable the WalkTo cursor, so reaching an exit is a tiresome struggle. Many reactions don't fit or even exist. Interacting something often makes the player go "That's not correct."

Plus,

Spoiler

I'm totally stuck. I know I have to go to the subway station, but I have yet to discover the exit or any other means of getting there.

[close]

Well my friend you downloaded the game before i fixed it. Try redowloading it. You won't have that problem. About your problem try posting a hints and tips post and I'll reply there.

Or I could reply here

Spoiler

Well, try entering the house first and try getting up the stairs. If have gone drunk and then ate donuts try walking to the house again and go upstairs, tell me what you've done exactly and i will give you a hint or the solution.

[close]

[Dualnames]

I've played this game for quite some time now and while I was put off at first by the sloppy graphics and the TechDemo/placeholder-feel of the technical side, I have to admit that you did put quite some effort into the game.
I really like the animated cutscenes and there are some nice ideas like the interrogation interface and the notebook (although it's lacking a bit when it comes to execution).

But it's definitely necessary to polish things. The exit hotspots disable the WalkTo cursor, so reaching an exit is a tiresome struggle. Many reactions don't fit or even exist. Interacting something often makes the player go "That's not correct."

Plus,

Spoiler

I'm totally stuck. I know I have to go to the subway station, but I have yet to discover the exit or any other means of getting there.

[close]

By the way I forgot to read the first part of your reply.  :o

TechDemo/placeholder-feel : What is that supposed to mean. Can you please be more like specific?


And about the interactions , it would be a pain writing so many interaction messages, so I used the multi response module from SSH. And made 6 generic answers about every action and randomed them.

[Cyrus]

Well, that hospital and especially the morgue and the undertaker surely look creepy. Is it ("I'm not a doctor. I'm...THE UNDERTAKER!") kind of a reference to some horror film?

[Dualnames]

Not actually. Mostly DiscNoir. You have a film in mind?

[Cyrus]

I don't mean any definite film, it just looked like a reference to classic horrors.

[peter]

----Middle Click:
"It will open up the inventory"

I have no middle click on the mouse

"You can also open the inventory by examining Dave."

When Dave on the rightside from the screen and i open the inventory with the magnifying glass on dave and move the magnifying glass from dave to the inventory the inventory close and can't get in the inventory ? i must stay on the leftside from the screen and then it stay open but not when i on the rightside from the screen ??

[Nostradamus]

This is unclear:  Is this considered a full game or a DEMO?   

The readme and the website say it's a demo, yet here in this thread you talk about a sequel... so how do you define this game?

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

And in the relevant hints and tips forum the confusion continues. And in the readme file the site listed as the game's website, www.shoryukencorp.hv12.info, seems to lead nowhere.

My guess is, the "demo" info is old info that didn't get updated and this is a full game.

And while I'm at it, I've played some of the game and can now comment:

Dualnames, your ambition is obvious. You aim high. That's great, it shows. What you have to do now is polish, polish, polish. A lot of the game is still "rough" around the edges:

- The inventory takes a bit too long to close. That's annoying.
- The notebook doesn't seem bug-free - I get to ask about a subway accident right at the very beginning?
- Interaction text is non-existent. Picking 6 different messages and scrolling them around is *not* a solution.
- The very first puzzles, the ones you have to solve before you can go to bed at the beginning, are way too obscure. There's little logic involved - which isn't a problem if you want to force the player down a certain narrative. But in that case, hint the player more. The whole TV puzzle in itself is just... weird.

Just got as far as the hospital, and the lack of interactions as stated above have made me pretty much give up on the game. Don't take this as offence, but rather as a pointer: you've now learned one of the things you can't shirk from in development.

[Nostradamus]

And in the relevant hints and tips forum the confusion continues. And in the readme file the site listed as the game's website, www.shoryukencorp.hv12.info, seems to lead nowhere.

My guess is, the "demo" info is old info that didn't get updated and this is a full game.

Sounds like a very sloppy and uncaring way to release a game. A classic case of a game writer being anxious to release a game and have your name in the Completed Games forum at the possible price of damage to your reputation.
Especially considering the points Rui made in the rest of his post, which make the game look more like a demo.
I'm still waiting for the official word on whether this game is a demo or not.

[Dualnames]

And in the relevant hints and tips forum the confusion continues. And in the readme file the site listed as the game's website, www.shoryukencorp.hv12.info, seems to lead nowhere.

My guess is, the "demo" info is old info that didn't get updated and this is a full game.

And while I'm at it, I've played some of the game and can now comment:

Dualnames, your ambition is obvious. You aim high. That's great, it shows. What you have to do now is polish, polish, polish. A lot of the game is still "rough" around the edges:

- The inventory takes a bit too long to close. That's annoying.
- The notebook doesn't seem bug-free - I get to ask about a subway accident right at the very beginning?
- Interaction text is non-existent. Picking 6 different messages and scrolling them around is *not* a solution.
- The very first puzzles, the ones you have to solve before you can go to bed at the beginning, are way too obscure. There's little logic involved - which isn't a problem if you want to force the player down a certain narrative. But in that case, hint the player more. The whole TV puzzle in itself is just... weird.

Just got as far as the hospital, and the lack of interactions as stated above have made me pretty much give up on the game. Don't take this as offence, but rather as a pointer: you've now learned one of the things you can't shirk from in development.

Rui as always thanks for your rough yet useful comments.
For the readme yeah i forgot to change the contact info part. As for interaction yeah, your so right. I wanted to fix it in some way and actually I could but as always I rushed on getting this one out. Though the production of this game took me about 5 months. The puzzle of the TV , was probably the most clear in the game. You enter the bar and you want whiskey but the barman forgets to give you one and if you talk to him he seems highly obsessed with that TV. Unfortunately my games , i think , have the best part at the end or somewhere else but I just can't like make the player get there, have a reason to finish the game. The inventory closes when you get the mouse off the inventory which takes 20 loops to close(half a second). Someone pointed out that mouse inventory problem because he doesn't have middle click , I forgot when examining dave to set mouse position on inventory gui.  The game is not a demo by the way. It is full. I forgot as how stupid I am sometimes to make the readme file. As i usually do, it was a sloppy job. But I reasure you this game wasn't. About the interactions monkey island 2 had the same thing , I don't remember anyone pointing out. Not that my game is Monkey Island. I don't have such a high opinion for myself. Ok I'm about to reupload a version of the game if RUI is more specific about the notebook.


EDIT: Ok, I reuploaded the file. When Rui informs me about that notebook I'll fix it. I fixed the printer interaction. Into something that you can't fix the printer so try some other way.

[Nostradamus]

Thanks for clarifying, I will wait for your new release and then download and play that. Don't forget to change the readme and update your website

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Well, it's very simple - when I want to USE the notebook in the inventory screen, I often end up right-clicking and therefore *looking* at the notebook, and only after that does the cursor change to the USE cursor. Since the notebook's meant to be consulted, it would be more friendly - and every game needs friendly - if it happened with either LOOKing or USEing.

And, well, being able to ask the bartender at the very beginning about a subway accident, opening the notebook and getting the message "The nurse told me about a subway accident" before I even knew there was a hospital in the game... well, that's pretty much a major point. Gets the player even more confused than he already gets after the TV puzzle (whose main problem is: it's not at all clear that he doesn't answer because he's absorbed on TV, and neither is it clear why anyone should break it without first trying to turn it off).

[Dualnames]

You have downloaded the game the first day. That's why you have the subway thing. I reuploaded the correct file 7 hours later, correcting some bugs. Just to ensure it if you go at the hospital entrance you'll see that the fire on the table isn't animating. About the Tv puzzle I corrected it as well. At the first time dialog I made it more clear that the bartender is way distracted on the television. The notebook has no other purpose as an item than looking on it. Maybe I should have made it in some other way. I'm sorry that the very first version was a little bit buggy. Just to make this clear. When you start a new game and without entering any other place , by opening the notebook you have a subway accident. Cause if you do, you probably have downloaded the first version, otherwise I have accidentally enabled it.

EDIT: Thanks about that TV thing. I corrected it as well. So when the player tries to turn it off, the bar man says: "Don't touch that."

[Dualnames]

UPDATE
LONE CASE HAS BEEN POLISHED!!!!!
Download it HERE:
(4233kb)
DOWNLOAD LINK:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=903


Special Thanks to Rui Pires.