Adventure Game Studio

After three months of development, roughly eight years of testing, four months of battling with web hosts, two removed minigames, and one tragic beta tester death in the engine room (RIP DazJ), I present The Vacuum to the world!


The story: In The Vacuum, you play as Leo Wallace, a student at Aberdeen University who is headed back home to Whitefall for summer with his girlfriend, Averie Piper. As a pair of poor, starving college students, they decide to book a cheap room on a cargo ship that has extra room for passengers on this particular trip. It's a short jaunt - only a day and a half - and it seems as though it should be uneventful. But when a pair of explosions tear through the passenger compartment while the ship is still in the middle of deep space, Leo and Averie must determine exactly what happened, fix the problems, and discover what - or who - caused the explosions in the first place.

Leo must search high and low for information, pay attention to the clues that he finds, and carefully weigh every decision he makes. Based on his actions, his relationships will be altered, justice will be realized (or not), and lives will be saved or lost.

The screenshots:
(http://i28.tinypic.com/2mfbs.png)

(http://i31.tinypic.com/ori4x1.png)

(http://i32.tinypic.com/pvzww.png)

(http://i25.tinypic.com/30wmhzc.png)

(http://i26.tinypic.com/1z6tvlf.png)

(http://i30.tinypic.com/2ebb9e0.png)

(http://i27.tinypic.com/fyhl5u.png)

(http://i33.tinypic.com/2vxiqkg.png)

(http://i33.tinypic.com/2irkwpd.png)

(http://i35.tinypic.com/6ps1ms.png)

The features:
A simple, streamlined interface which allows the player to perform almost any action with just one click.
A focus on logic and storytelling rather than abstract puzzles, bizarre solutions, and progression through guesswork.
Branching storyline with heaps of endings! HEAPS! I won't give a single statistic for how many distinct endings there are, because all of the different possibilities in this game make it difficult to decide what is or isn't a distinct ending, but there are four main story paths, and each of them have 3-4 possible outcomes, and each of those outcomes have two basic possible branches, and then there are a bunch of other things that may or may not happen. (Basically, this game was a bitch to test.)

The Team:
Concept, art, programming, and so forth:
  David "Makeout Patrol" Proctor
Music:
  Sebastian "kaputtnik" Pfaller
Beta testing:
  Javier "Alarconte" Alarcon
  CosmoQueen
  dunnoson
  Darren "DazJ" Hall
  Jon
  Sebastian "kaputtnik" Pfaller
  Michael "neon" Stein
  Olaf Moriarty "olafmoriarty" Solstrand
German translation:
  Michael "neon" Stein
Italian translation:
  Paul "Paulo" Giaccone
French translation:
  Patrice "Flyingmandarine" Hermenault

...and a bunch of sound effect people that don't use these forums so nobody will be especially interested in. If you are interested, check out the manual, I guess.

Special thanks go to kaputtnik and neon, both of whom went well beyond what I ever could have even hoped for from anonymous strangers on the Internet. All of the beta testers were extremely helpful, but I want to single out these two people for extra-special thanks because they had such a powerful and incredible positive effect on the final product.

Looks pretty good, dude. Will play as soon as I finish Jordan.
Space reserved for feedback.

Quote from: Stupot on Thu 14/08/2008 01:21:52
Looks pretty good, dude. Will play as soon as I finish Jordan.
Space reserved for feedback.

Same here. So many games to try, so little time  ;D

Problem: I have a 12" vaio laptop with an extremely high resolution.

Usually when playing a 320x200 game I select the "640x400" option and check the "play in a window" box.

I can't do it with Vacuum! Was it your choice or is it the latest AGS IDE?

There is an easy workaround (lowering the res and then going back to hi), but it's quite tedious. 

Quote from: bicilotti on Thu 14/08/2008 05:37:34
Problem: I have a 12" vaio laptop with an extremely high resolution.

Usually when playing a 320x200 game I select the "640x400" option and check the "play in a window" box.

I can't do it with Vacuum! Was it your choice or is it the latest AGS IDE?

There is an easy workaround (lowering the res and then going back to hi), but it's quite tedious. 

It's the latest AGS release, presumably because of the new resolutions. I recommend using the 2x or 3x nearest-neighbor graphic filters (which will also make the game look a lot better in fullscreen).

EDIT: In fact, I highly recommend using the 2x or 3x nearest-neighbor graphic filters whether or not you're playing in windowed mode, because, in my opinion, they look much better than a blown up 320x200. The only reason I didn't make this the default is because the game doesn't run on my computer if the 3x filter is on, and I didn't want this to happen to any users straight out of the box.

just fantastic! i love this game!  ;D

I have played this game at Beta stage for least 30 hours and am still not getting tired of it. I love the level of social interaction there is, and the fact that this adventure game does not consist of wacky item-fetching and item-using to reach your goal. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I find it a very original approach, and a highly enjoyable one, too.

If you'd want to consider an adventure game "realistic" concerning its game mechanics, by any means The Vaccum would deserve that label, because it does not artificially limit the player or prevent him from doing certain things in an illogical way.

Well, as soon as everybody has played through Ben Jordan, give this a try, it is really different from the average mainstream adventure!

edit: As, of course, is my Midi score, making perverse use of the leitmotif technique invented by good ol' Richard Wagner and creating an abundance of holiday mood in general.

100 % agree.

I tested this game for hours and hours and I haven't seen every possible ending yet. And I never was stuck in any situation. That's how gameplay should be. The simple and straight graphics work perfefectly, reminds me of all the old school 90's adventures. For me as someone who plays adventure games for 25 years now, the fun factor is at one level with or even higher than much of today's commercial stuff.

Congratulation, Makeout Patrol, hope you will keep on making good games.

Quote from: Makeout Patrol on Thu 14/08/2008 00:33:57(Basically, this game was a bitch to test.)

I guess a printout of the changelog wouldn't fit on a roll of toilet paper.

Yes, I've been waiting for this for a while now.  I think I might actually play this BEFORE BJ!

Quote from: Makeout Patrol on Thu 14/08/2008 06:00:16
It's the latest AGS release, presumably because of the new resolutions. I recommend using the 2x or 3x nearest-neighbor graphic filters

Silly me, missed that  :-X

Very nice!

This game does everything about right. The graphics are nice. I like how the game is playing so far. It feels like a real live situation. In real live you wouldn't go fiddling with items either. One thing I didn't like were some rather rude comments like "I don't want to fuck around with that". I would have prefered a politer mess around instead.

I really liked this game. The multiple-ending thing is nice and very realistically done, as it feels as if the choices you make really make a difference.

Also, mostly this game actually makes it pretty clear what choices you have, which is a huge plus in my book. I remember I really liked that Ben Jordan Case 3 had several endings, but it annoyed the heck out of me to try figuring out where in the game I had to do something different to get the other ending, and I'm not sure I would have seen it at all without the "Hints and tips" thread. In this game it's more obvious: You are given the choice to go on or come back. You are given the choice of taking an item or leaving it there. You are given the choice of giving up an item or keeping it. After playing through this one time, you're stuck with the feeling "Wonder what would have happened if I had done that part differently"... And that alone offers tons of replay value. Also, the events that take place in the various endings seem pretty realistic, as whatever would not have been affected by your choices still happens.

And since everybody compares this to 7 Days a Skeptic, a game I really liked, I feel like pointing out that there's one thing in particular that annoyed the heck out of me in 7DaS which I'm very happy that The Vacuum does differently:

Spoiler

In The Vacuum, you can't die. There's no zombie corpse walking around to try and get you: Your choices affects the outcome, but at no point in the game do you have to face a "Game Over" screen and go back to the last time you saved.

[close]

Haven't played it since beta 5, but I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm enjoying The Vacuum so far, but I've just discovered a game-crashing bug which always gives me the following message:

--
An error has occurred. Please contact the game author for support, as this is likely to be a scripting error and not a bug in AGS.
(ACI version 3.10.1037)

in "room26.asc", line 141

Error: FaceCharacter: characters are in different rooms
--

This happens

Spoiler

in the Engine Room after Chisolm flees, but not before he shoots Leanna and maybe Paulina(?) dead. I'm unable to leave the room without getting the error message.

I have the keychain and the locked box in my inventory.

[close]

Quote from: Andyw on Fri 15/08/2008 10:11:09
I'm enjoying The Vacuum so far, but I've just discovered a game-crashing bug which always gives me the following message:

--
An error has occurred. Please contact the game author for support, as this is likely to be a scripting error and not a bug in AGS.
(ACI version 3.10.1037)

in "room26.asc", line 141

Error: FaceCharacter: characters are in different rooms
--

This happens

Spoiler

in the Engine Room after Chisolm flees, but not before he shoots Leanna and maybe Paulina(?) dead. I'm unable to leave the room without getting the error message.

I have the keychain and the locked box in my inventory.

[close]

Well, that's one of the top five errors we encountered while beta testing, because there are so many different possibilities as to which person can be in which room at a certain time. That one must have escaped our attention - I suggest you try doing things a little different and aim for another ending until David has had the time to fix it, it is really worth it. And you can save the lives of innocent people!

Quote from: Andyw on Fri 15/08/2008 10:11:09
I'm enjoying The Vacuum so far, but I've just discovered a game-crashing bug which always gives me the following message:

--
An error has occurred. Please contact the game author for support, as this is likely to be a scripting error and not a bug in AGS.
(ACI version 3.10.1037)

in "room26.asc", line 141

Error: FaceCharacter: characters are in different rooms
--

This happens

Spoiler

in the Engine Room after Chisolm flees, but not before he shoots Leanna and maybe Paulina(?) dead. I'm unable to leave the room without getting the error message.

I have the keychain and the locked box in my inventory.

[close]

You're kidding me, not this again

If you could PM me the savegame before this occurs, that would be a pretty big help in tracking it down

Congratulations on three cups!

Just a thought... LunaVorax says on the game site that this game should have had a sequel. If you decide to make another game based on the same universe and are short on ideas, I would love to see either a sequel or maybe even preferrably a prequel, where

Spoiler

Leanna

[close]

is the playable character. I think she's one of the most interesting characters in the whole game, and yet we learn so very little about her. I just know that she's bound to have a very interesting backstory... And I really hope to get to know what it is.

(And yes, I'm fully aware that would be more a spin-off than a sequel, but...)

Yes, I could imagine some sort of crime story with

Spoiler

Leanna, maybe some trouble with a drug dealer, ending with leaving her planet as stowaway.

[close]

I've found the source of the bug and it has been fixed! Andyw, you can download the new version with the links in this thread and continue playing from where you were, and you shouldn't have any problems with savegames not working or anything like that.

All right, thanks for the feedback, folks! Please do let me know about anything that you don't like - I really do want to improve the next game as much as possible. Be mean, be nitpicky, whatever - as long as it's constructive I want to hear your criticism. I'm sure there's something wrong with this game aside from the occasional unnecessary bit of profanity (which is a good suggestion - I'll keep that in mind in the next game).

I have some thoughts about my next game that I figure I might as well do a bit on an interest check on, but I have to go to work so I guess they will have to wait.

Thanks for the update. On the whole, the different endings were pretty satisfying! :)

Well, congrats on making your first game (And, er, hopefully that doesn't sound condescending because artwork is all I've done at the moment..) but I have to say that it really wasn't for me. I understand the arguments that a one-click interface works because most interactions are obvious, but at the same time I think it dictates that the level of depth suggested at by a more complicated interface is provided by something else - getting virtually no inventory and barely any conversation options I felt a bit cheated by this and that I was more of a spectator than anything else.

To me this just felt like an interactive 'choose your own adventure' book rather than a game - of course, I didn't get any far because I found the long dialogues with characters I didn't like rather tiresome.

That said - you deliberately didn't commit the gravest sin of amateur adventure gaming, which is of course no direction to the gameplay. For the short time I was playing I always knew what exactly my character was supposed to be doing and where to go to do it - so a triumph there.

Hopefully you've got no problem with a negative response, but my central criticism is that I think a game needs a greater level of interaction to create immersion. That said, it's very good for a first game and others are getting a lot of enjoyment out of it.

Quote from: Jared on Sat 16/08/2008 07:02:50
Well, congrats on making your first game (And, er, hopefully that doesn't sound condescending because artwork is all I've done at the moment..) but I have to say that it really wasn't for me. I understand the arguments that a one-click interface works because most interactions are obvious, but at the same time I think it dictates that the level of depth suggested at by a more complicated interface is provided by something else - getting virtually no inventory and barely any conversation options I felt a bit cheated by this and that I was more of a spectator than anything else.

To me this just felt like an interactive 'choose your own adventure' book rather than a game - of course, I didn't get any far because I found the long dialogues with characters I didn't like rather tiresome.

That said - you deliberately didn't commit the gravest sin of amateur adventure gaming, which is of course no direction to the gameplay. For the short time I was playing I always knew what exactly my character was supposed to be doing and where to go to do it - so a triumph there.

Hopefully you've got no problem with a negative response, but my central criticism is that I think a game needs a greater level of interaction to create immersion. That said, it's very good for a first game and others are getting a lot of enjoyment out of it.

I have absolutely no problem with this - thanks for the response, this sort of thing is really helpful. I'm pretty much set on the interface - the only other interface that I'd consider using is a verbcoin, because I hate it when games make me move the mouse all over the screen to perform a blatantly obvious action - but the interactivity thing is a valid criticism, and one that I was actually expecting. It will be one of the two big things that I'll try to improve in the next one (the other one being that I felt that the 'correct' choice was always too obvious - I think that a game concept like this one would benefit from a good deal more moral ambiguity than there is in this game).

@olafmoriarty and neon: That actually is an interesting idea for another game in a sort of series. I'd tossed around ideas for sequels and prequels starring Leo, but I hadn't really liked any of them; I'd instead been thinking about just making other, unrelated games in the same universe. I hadn't thought of that suggestion, and I really like it; if I do return to this setting, I think that will probably be the game that I make.

Right now, though, I want to try something different. One idea is a game similar in structure to this one, except that the storyline junction points will usually be puzzles; for instance, there might be a puzzle where you're trapped in a room with bad guys waiting for you outside. If you managed to open a locked door and escape through it, that would take you down one story path, if you managed to find a way out the window without falling to your death, that would take you down another, and if you couldn't figure it out, you could always walk out the door and surrender, taking you down yet a third. The game based on this idea that's floating around in my head is a film noir sort of thing.

My other idea is a game where you play as a guy who lives in the bad side of town. You get fired from your job, and you have some set amount of game-time - say two weeks - to change your life; basically, you could wander around the area, find a job, make some friends, find a girlfriend, whatever. It would be more comedic than The Vaccum, and much more comedic than my other idea. My problem with this one is that it doesn't really sound great so far - there really isn't much to that description; it's missing something, and I can't figure out what it is.

I guess what I'm looking for here is feedback. Do either of these ideas leap out at you or sound like something you'd want to play?

Quote from: Makeout Patrol on Sat 16/08/2008 08:31:23
I guess what I'm looking for here is feedback. Do either of these ideas leap out at you or sound like something you'd want to play?

Replacing the choices of The Vacuum by puzzles as you described it, would be a good idea to improve interactivity and (like Jared mentioned before) would give the player more of a feeling of having something solved by himself instead of playing a multiple choice (or two-choices) game. Actually, I think the way it is in The Vaccum works fine for one game, but will get boring if it's continued in further games. The Vacuum is, and that's not really bad for a single game, very easy to play. It's a very good game for beginners in adventure gaming, because the player doesn't get stuck in any situation and it's a good game to play a second or third time because you know how to change the story line while playing.

For your next game, personally I would prefer playing a game in the same universe, because a lot of things are already prepared

Spoiler

like the whitefall mob, the characters, the two planets

[close]

and there is a lot of stuff left that could be added as a base for other games.

On the other side, I'd really understand if you like to do something completely different.

A film noir scenario is a really nice idea, but that only works with a really good script and (correct me if I'm wrong) I think this will need much better graphics than The Vacuum. Not that the graphics are bad, they work very well for a science fiction thriller with tons of dialogues, but I think for a film noir project, you need more than this. So if I where you, i would make two or three other games first, improving your style and than think about that.

For the 'guy loses job' plot, this would be surely something, that is a lot different from usual adventure stuff. I could imagine something like that, but I think it's very hard to find the right balance between social critism and interesting gameplay. And I suggest that social critism is a main reason for writing such a plot. If you do this kind of game, I don't think you do it just for making a funny game at all.

However you decide, I have your next game on my must-play-list.

Quote from: Jared on Sat 16/08/2008 07:02:50
I understand the arguments that a one-click interface works because most interactions are obvious, but at the same time I think it dictates that the level of depth suggested at by a more complicated interface is provided by something else - getting virtually no inventory and barely any conversation options I felt a bit cheated by this and that I was more of a spectator than anything else.

I agree to some extent -- this is absolutely a game that could win a little on adding more interaction. But I still think that can be done without sacrificing the one-click interface.

Yes, it would be interesting to have more inventory items (with actual uses), more dialog options, and so on, and so on. But more interaction options is not the way to go. I really don't believe that the interaction of the game improves one bit just because you have the option to select whether you want to pick up a man or talk to him (or, it would if picking up the man actually was possible, but it very rarely is).

More dialog options, more inventory items and things like that would add to the game if done right. But I don't see how more cursor modes would.

Quote from: Makeout Patrol on Sat 16/08/2008 08:31:23
It will be one of the two big things that I'll try to improve in the next one (the other one being that I felt that the 'correct' choice was always too obvious - I think that a game concept like this one would benefit from a good deal more moral ambiguity than there is in this game).

I agree. It's great to have several paths, but it was very easy to pick the correct path.

Spoiler

The first path I tried -- which seemed like the obvious path to pick -- was going for the transmitter, then leaving the gun, and then NOT tell Rathburn that I was done before I had actually solved the mystery. When Chisholm escaped to the bridge, it wasn't too difficult to figure out what I had to do to stop him. I was also never hostile towards Ted, because I saw no reason to. I didn't find all clues first time around, but still, Chisholm was arrested, everybody on board survived, and the relationship was saved. So while I was happy for Leo's sake, I really felt like the best ending was also the easiest one to end up with.

[close]

Now, IF, for instance,

Spoiler

you had the choice of shooting Chisholm or not, and if you didn't, he would at a later point in the game kill Averie...

[close]

Or something like that. If you had a couple of pathforks where doing what feels right would have terrible concequences, it would have been a more interesting game.

QuoteI'd tossed around ideas for sequels and prequels starring Leo, but I hadn't really liked any of them

Let me say, I think that it's great that you don't make another game about Leo. I liked him, but he's an average person, and it wouldn't be very credible if he started stumbling into mystery after mystery. Had he been a detective or a knight or a paranormal investigator or a psychic who foresees politicians dying or something, he would have experiences like this all the time, but few plotlines feel worse than average college students who by sheer coincidence manages to stumble across one gigantic mystery plot after another. One time is very interesting, but more than that isn't very believable.

QuoteRight now, though, I want to try something different. One idea is a game similar in structure to this one, except that the storyline junction points will usually be puzzles

Ooh, I like it.

QuoteMy other idea is a game where you play as a guy who lives in the bad side of town. [...] My problem with this one is that it doesn't really sound great so far - there really isn't much to that description; it's missing something, and I can't figure out what it is.

I guess that depends on what you do with the game. The plot you describe is very loose and could end up as a masterpiece or on the trash heap, but it needs lots of fine-tuning to become a great game idea. I think you have what it takes, but there are many pitfalls to avoid.

But would I play it? Yeah, at least for a while.

So both your ideas sound interesting -- I would say the first idea sounds best so far, but maybe that's because that one is a tiny bit more developed than the other.

The toilet is for.....shitting  :-\  Sounds not...you know what i mean.

I really enjoyed this game!  played it through in one sitting it got me hooked; tho there could of been afew more puzzles.

Played several storylines now... must say... as I've seen the ending several times, I'm amazed by the difference each time. How little changes can have big consequences. Great job! Will take some time to document though... ;-)

Oh, my findings (minors though but still noteworthy..)

Spoiler

- Taking the circuit board and talking to Eric implies you already installed it.
- You can be seen on the left of several toilet rooms.
- Deciding not to take the transmitter and requesting to open the door to the stairs, selecting snoop around more gives you the response as if you took the transmitter.
- typo while looking at the pictures in the captain's hut: captan's family
- when you're preparing to confront Eric, looking at the computer tells you you can restore power to airlock IV

[close]

And when you really want to be fussy about the graphics:

Spoiler

-The ladder in the cargo bay at the point you enter shows a graphic imperfection: at the lower deck it's in the center of the container, at the upper deck it's the exit that's in the center, the ladder is too much to the right.
- At the interactive map next to the elevator, room 6 is presented as cargo bay IV. I'm pretty sure that should have been VI.

[close]

Quote from: Leon on Fri 22/08/2008 23:50:32
Played several storylines now... must say... as I've seen the ending several times, I'm amazed by the difference each time. How little changes can have big consequences. Great job! Will take some time to document though... ;-)

Oh, my findings (minors though but still noteworthy..)

Spoiler

- Taking the circuit board and talking to Eric implies you already installed it.
- You can be seen on the left of several toilet rooms.
- Deciding not to take the transmitter and requesting to open the door to the stairs, selecting snoop around more gives you the response as if you took the transmitter.
- typo while looking at the pictures in the captain's hut: captan's family
- when you're preparing to confront Eric, looking at the computer tells you you can restore power to airlock IV

[close]

And when you really want to be fussy about the graphics:

Spoiler

-The ladder in the cargo bay at the point you enter shows a graphic imperfection: at the lower deck it's in the center of the container, at the upper deck it's the exit that's in the center, the ladder is too much to the right.
- At the interactive map next to the elevator, room 6 is presented as cargo bay IV. I'm pretty sure that should have been VI.

[close]

All right, thanks, I'll get to work on these at some point in the next few days.

I enjoyed playing this game, even though, since I am preparing the Italian translation, it was slow going because I was translating it while I was playing it. Having all the text in front of you also means you see spoilers, so I knew who the culprit was before I had got very far. :-\ Oh well, that's the price you pay for being involved in the creation of a game.

I have a few bugs to report:

Spoiler

* There are two separate points in the game where Leo can ask Paulina about where she is going, and each time she tells you she is going her cousin's wedding. However, the second time, the conversation proceeds as if Leo didn't already know (of course, Leo might or might not have asked her the first time). She also doesn't mention that her cousin is female, but Leo guesses this before she refers to her cousin's sex (when Leo says "Yeah? Pleasant fellow?", I thought this referred to the cousin, but it actually refers to the cousin's fiancé).
* Leo tells Chisholm that he has put the circuit board in before he actually has [already mentioned above]
* The control panel outside the blast door that leads to the storage area is open, but when Leo goes through the door, the same control panel is closed.
* Leo is told where the others will be in the cargo bay: "Climb down, and we'll be in the first corridor on your left." When Leo reaches the bottom of the ladder, he has his back to the containers, so his left is to the right of the game. The corridor you are supposed to go into is actually to the left, that is, to your right. (You could argue that as Leo will be facing the containers as he climbs down the ladder, so then the corridor will indeed be on his left, which means that these instructions are indeed correct. However it's a little confusing when you get to the bottom and Leo is facing away from the containers to know which way he is meant to go.)

[close]

I have found quite a few typos (around a dozen - quite a small number, actually, given the sheer quantity of text in this game) so might I suggest to David that he holds off on correcting typos for a possible future release until I finish my translation and submit them to him. Correcting typos in the English text will mean that all translation files have to be updated too in order that the revised text gets translated when the game is played another language, so it might be better to wait until I am able to give him all the typos I have found before he makes a new executable available to download.

Just to let you know, I found this (http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2008/08/freeware_game_pick_the_vacuum.html) reference on IndieGames.

Still playing the game on my first run through, and loving it so far.

Very atmospheric and claustrophobic. The comparisons with 7 Days A Skeptic are valid, but that's no bad thing. I'm liking the music, although there could be a bit more of it. Top stuff though.

Just finished it, and since I got the good ending, I think I'll have to play it through again to see at what stages I can make it go wrong!

Looks great. And there is also a german translation? Fine. :) I will play this one soon.

All right, I'll get to work on those bugs as put out a new version whenever those typo reports and translations roll on in.

And thanks for the kind words, everyone!

Quote from: Leon on Sun 24/08/2008 12:13:45
Just to let you know, I found this (http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2008/08/freeware_game_pick_the_vacuum.html) reference on IndieGames.

Awesome, thanks for letting me know! If anyone finds references anywhere else, I'd be happy if you'd let me know. I googled it and came across a few, and I think this one, from a shifty-looking site called "FreegameArchive" is my favorite:

QuoteUsual trip in space ship can turn into hardly believe adventure in the middle of the heartbeat. Can you fight with unexpected destiny and save yourself and anybody else? Sympathic adventure for everyone.

Quote from: Makeout Patrol on Sun 24/08/2008 20:34:40

Usual trip in space ship can turn into hardly believe adventure in the middle of the heartbeat. Can you fight with unexpected destiny and save yourself and anybody else? Sympathic adventure for everyone.

These Czech guys - adventure lovers with pure hearts and a sense for sunshine grammar. But for something not completely different: The occasional gamer is occasionally game for reviews. This time: The Vacuum (http://occplayer.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/something-else/)

Wonderful game!

I enjoyed the conversations a lot. They were well thought out, and the branching made every conversation new. I also enjoyed the fact that there was a heap of people you could talk to, and it gave the feeling that they really were working together.

The plot was great! It was executed very well! The ship was a little confusing to navigate at first, but I finally got the hang of it. I still have yet to find the other endings so I'll have to replay it and choose my actions differently, another element of the game I highly enjoyed. Should I trust this guy and give him this, or should I keep it? These choices were exciting because the outcome was completely random.

All I can say is, excellent job my friend!

I really loved this game. It's a great example of good interactive fiction and how to limit the gameplay correctly in order to increase immersion. Every time in the game that I was about to suggest a feature for it, I already found out that it was already in the game. If I was lost, I could check the local map screen. If I didn't know what to do, I could check the goals interface. If I needed more advice, I could talk to the other characters.

As far as suggestions go:
- The graphics do their job and are adequate for the story at hand... but you could always improve them , and maybe add some more animations.
- You could add a different color (Maybe you did? I didn't notice) for each level of the space station to help distinguish the floors. It gets a little deja-vu over and over as you continue to navigate the ship.
- There were some graphical glitches like non-existant walkbehinds, or follow characters popping in front of doors, but they don't really detract from the overall atmosphere. If you had the willpower (I know I wouldn't) you could try to fix those to improve the atmosphere.
- Some of the scenes (particularly near the beginning) were really text-heavy, considering there was hardly any gameplay yet. I didn't mind it too much, but you might think about adding more puzzles or splitting up the chunks of exposition more.

Quote from: Buckethead on Thu 14/08/2008 13:56:23
One thing I didn't like were some rather rude comments like "I don't want to fuck around with that". I would have prefered a politer mess around instead.

- Seconded, especially because I was only trying to open the door. No need to get upset about it, please!

Overall, it was a very enjoyable AGS experience and I really admire all the work you put in to make all the multiple paths and endings. Great job!

Heh, 5 seconds into the game and I already made it crash. I have a tendency of trying out all GUI controls to find out what does what, and to tinker with every option that I happen to wonder about. During this, I selected the keys as my cursor, and clicked the options button. I tried to reproduce it and it works every single time :)

Quotein "GlobalScript.asc", line 100

Error: GUI.Y: co-ordinates specified are out of range. Remember to use 320-res co-ordinates.

Not a major issue, but just thought I'd mention it.

Just finished the game, it was actually really good!
I'm VERY impressed.

Like other people have said already, a little more interaction would be great, but the one click interface should stay because its nice and easy to use :D

i finished and no one died, i got yes for everything else but i only got 7 out of 9 clues :(

I would be very interested in a squeal to this :)

Quote from: supersnake52 on Tue 26/08/2008 21:46:12
I would be very interested in a squeal to this :)

Something in the line of...THE VACUUMYAAAAARRRRGH!?

Hey, just signed up to say I thought the game was great. As others have pointed out : the cursing was a little uncalled for and I wouldn't have minded more dialog options, but frankly the whole thing was really up there, the graphics were fitting, the characters interesting, lots of nice touches like character specific text color (I have  no idea if that's the norm, it's the first AGS game I play) I would have just liked to have a little more control over what my character says -- even if it boils down to the same result. I don't mind the illusion.

Great job, I'm really looking forward to more.

Quote from: olafmoriartyI agree to some extent -- this is absolutely a game that could win a little on adding more interaction. But I still think that can be done without sacrificing the one-click interface.

I didn't say that it needed to. My point was that when you decide to go for a one-click interface you've stripped the game down to it's bare bones so you need lots of interaction to make it feel like a little more than just clicking on everything.

I am generally opposed to the single-click style, but at the moment I've been playing the new Sam & Max games, which are brilliantly designed games period.

I know that the interface argument is a controversial old chestnut, though, so we should probably just agree to disagree.

Seeing the positive response that this game's plot has gotten, I might have to go and try it again - it must pick up in the second act..

Quote from: kaputtnik on Tue 26/08/2008 23:00:03

Quote from: supersnake52 on Tue 26/08/2008 21:46:12
I would be very interested in a squeal to this :)

Something in the line of...THE VACUUMYAAAAARRRRGH!?

whoops  :D

By the way i think the swearing should stay, but it needs to be implemented better. "The toilet is for shitting" and "I better not fuck around with that" makes it sound like you threw it in there just for the fun.

A couple of bugs/inconsistencies I found:

Spoiler

*I tried to solve the mystery as late as possible. After the stowaway-girl-whose-name-I-don't-remember gets framed by the real killer, the phone message in crew room 3 disappears and Leo behaves as if he had already listened to it. But he never did!

*When I found the empty bomb box, I first asked Crisholm about it. When I talk to Rathburn after that, the dialog option "I asked Crisholm about the grenades" seems to imply that Leo had talked to Rathburn about them earlier (which seems to be impossible BTW).

[close]

EDIT: More found:

Spoiler

When Leo has retrieved the transmitter, use the door to the stairs but refuse to leave. The go get the box and the gun. There are some illogical extra dialog options when you choose about taking the gun.

EDIT: If you choose one of the extra options, they remain in the "Really leave through the stairs?" dialog. You can choose to take the gun when you are in a completely different room!  ;D

[close]

I sort of like the game. Reminds me a lot of 7 days a sceptic. Like the interface, most of it. Well, cool game, I'll tell you more once I get past it all.

I've uploaded a patch with a few fixes and the Italian translation, so be sure to send it to all your italian friends. The first post has been updated with the correct links.

I liked the game a lot. However, I do have some criticism.

First, most of the dialogue lacks options, the player character simply says what he is scripted to say. It would be nice to add a different opinion, or choose to reveal something or not. That brings me to my second complaint. You are bound by your character too much. Personally, if I wanted to restore power with a console I wouldn't care if I screwed something up. And it would be funny- mean, but funny, if you could decide to simply shoot everyone but yourself (with obviously bad consequences). Also I think the NPCs are too trusting and don't get angry or panicky enough.
That said, this game was great. I'm still going to try to discover the other endings. A sequel with Leanna or at least in the same universe would be nice. The graphics are a great example of how simple can look good.

Spoiler

I still cant get 9 out of 9 clues. Is there a bug?

[close]

Quote from: Bjyman on Wed 10/09/2008 02:45:46

Spoiler

I still cant get 9 out of 9 clues. Is there a bug?

[close]

I've put an answer to this in the hints & tips thread (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=35386.0) for you.

Really liked this game, thank you. I enjoyed the story, the multiple paths, the simple to use interface and the humour. Hope to see more from you!

Found a review:
http://occplayer.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/something-else/

Quote from: kaputtnik on Sun 24/08/2008 21:34:52

Quote from: Makeout Patrol on Sun 24/08/2008 20:34:40

Usual trip in space ship can turn into hardly believe adventure in the middle of the heartbeat. Can you fight with unexpected destiny and save yourself and anybody else? Sympathic adventure for everyone.

These Czech guys - adventure lovers with pure hearts and a sense for sunshine grammar. But for something not completely different: The occasional gamer is occasionally game for reviews. This time: The Vacuum (http://occplayer.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/something-else/)

Found it first, hahah! No, actually SSH found it first.

hmpf....

I solved the game now, but I didn`t found all dead bodys and didn`t saved the relationship. :-[ I have to play it again soon. ;) Very nice game, I really enjoyed it. :)

Me liked! ;D Managed to save everybody, but not the relationship. Can't wait for more. :)

Some of the dialog felt really awkward and the relationships between different characters a bit unreal.

For example

Spoiler

when the main character has to go check out the areas behind the blastdoors, his girlfriend doesn't seem the least bit worried. She actually encourages him to do this.

[close]

I think realistic social interaction between characters is quite important in this type of games.

It could have also used some more dramatic music/sound effects in the most dramatic scenes, to add to the overall atmosphere. Otherwise the audio was good, except that the looping engine sounds kinda got on my nerves after a while.

The unnecessary usage of the word "fuck" didn't appeal to me that much. I can understand it in dialogs but using it in narrative texts seems very unprofessional and it kind of breaks the atmosphere.

I did like how it didn't feel completely linear and the fact that your choices actually affected the story. That's always nice.

The simplistic graphics work well and look nice. The animating wasn't bad either.

All in all, it's not a bad game. I liked it. :) It just had some flaws which prevented it from being a lot better, even though it shows a lot of potential. I'd like to see more games from you in the future!

Just so everyone's aware, version 1.3 is now out, and it includes a French translation by Flyingmandarine, so thanks to that guy! Now you can forward the game to all your Francophone friends and they can enjoy. I think I will send it to my friend Dexter to remind him of all the good times he had in Belgium.

Small caveat: the new one won't work with your old saves. There aren't any bugfixes or anything, so if you're still playing it and you want to keep your saves, you won't be missing anything if you don't download the new version, unless you REALLY want to play it in French for some reason.

Well, maybe I'm risking to be shot or kicked or whatever, but I didn't find 'Don't dig up old threads' in the rules of this forum. And this game deserves some serious praise anyway.

Because it's just so awesome. The story captured me right from the beginning to the very end and I mean it - I couldn't take a break until I finished the game. Atmosphere was so solid I think I felt this pressure, tension and sort of fear (while it wasn't horror at all) that characters should've felt being in there. And I think that's regarding the great writing of all the characters who all speak in their own style and very realistical manner and all the remarks of the main character. And also I find their behaviours to be beliveable and therefore very immersing. Mix of seriousness, simple chat and emotional outbreaks (like cursing) in dialogue provided intended realism of the characters too. The non-linearity and especially the balance between linerity and non-linearity was just sweet, almost perfect. Ability to choose only when it's needed, often just as ability to miss something - man, that's so damn great. And it was indeed the best motivation to investigate - not because I have to or because I would just get stuck without it but because of my real curiosity to know more. Should I really mention the replay value? :)
So I'm taking a I claim that this is one of the best designs one can meet in an adventure game. I think this game could be remade into a commercial title, it's that good. Makeout Patrol, thank you for this game and please do continue making games, they require you a lot.

Hey, just played this for the AGS Awards (without those I'd miss twice as many great AGS games as I actually do), and I think it's pretty great.

Stats like 26 different endings made me put it off until the very end, because it sounds overwhelming and like you'll have to replay it over and over again to really appreciate it. However, the way in which your actions affect the outcome is so reasonable (and most of the time predictable), and features like a guide to your active goals and the summary at the end so helpful, that I didn't feel at the mercy of randomly branching paths or like I've missed big chunks of the game.

I also thought the atmosphere and immersion worked really well. Walking around a spaceship looking for dead bodies is a surefire way to rack up the tension (see also: 7 Days a Skeptic and The White Chamber), and I did have to turn on some more lights before playing further at one point. I also liked the fact that everyone worked together, made decisions together and all performed different tasks. (Though the rationale for splitting up wasn't very convincing. If you know one of you is a killer, splitting up into pairs seems like the absolutely worst possible idea.) While I was in some sense "the main character", it didn't feel like I had to do everything while everyone else just stood around, like in many other similar games.

As for the swearing, I actually really liked "I probably shouldn't fuck around with it", which sounded completely realistic and appropriate to me. "It's for shitting" seemed odd and gratuitously vulgar, though; not that it really bothered me. Since people have very different standards for expletives, it might be a good thing to make optional through an in-game setting.

Talking about that, I appreciated the customizable interface options. The layout that seems most natural/consistent to me wasn't quite available, though:

Left-click to walk, interact, or select/use an inventory item
Right-click to look (both in the main screen and in the inventory)

(Switching the buttons in the main screen gets almost this functionality, but you have to right-click to walk.)

As for the story, it was maybe a little bit too obvious. I suspected the killer right away, and there weren't really any other viable suspects at any point (my only alternative theory was some other unknown person hidden on the ship). I also didn't really feel like I got a strong sense of the other characters' personality, and had a hard time distinguishing between them (at one point I actually got confused about which woman was my girlfriend). I think character portraits would resolve at least the second part of that problem instantly, but some stronger character traits would also be an improvement. (You could of course argue that characters should at first be somewhat anonymous ciphers who are hard to keep apart, but not--in my opinion--as you get to know them.)

All in all, a great game, and I look forward to whatever you come up with next.

Oh, one final question: All of those murders were pretty gory, and at least a couple were performed close up. What did the killer do with the inevitable blood splatter on clothes?

Hey, thanks for the kind words, folks! And thanks for the critique, Snarky, I'll take all of those things into account for my next game any beyond.

Quote from: Snarky on Sun 08/02/2009 17:37:57
Oh, one final question: All of those murders were pretty gory, and at least a couple were performed close up. What did the killer do with the inevitable blood splatter on clothes?

The killer changed! There are a couple of places that you can find spare sets of clothes that belong to the killer. As for what this person did with the bloody clothes, they were devoured by a monster that was brought into creation by me not considering that while I was making the game.

I see those monsters a lot in various games. ^_~

How can you enter the captain's cabin in this game? By the time I get the key, I also find the evidence that makes it undoubtable who the culprit was and the game doesn't let me explore around anymore because "THERE'S NO TIME!".

Just finished all or at least most endings (I guess).. I really loved the graphix, the story was also great..
But personally I'm not a fan of multiple endings, but that's more because I have to see them all..

Also for these kind of games I'm not a fan of using words like 'sh*tting' and 'f*ck', I don't think they make the game any better, but even worse as some people might be offended by them.. I personally don't mind, but not using those immature words makes it a lot better for a wider audience..

Really hope to see another one, as I said, I loved the look.. Next time, maybe some more puzzles, less multiple routes/endings..

Thanx for making such a great adventure..

My very congratulations for your game,

since I was betatester to this final version, I need to congratulate for your good work making a Hard-scifi game that make me think in great RPG settings like Traveller or any common but good sci-fi setting.


I have some problem too with the multiple ending, This what I said you tu number the endings, to make sure that a expensive-time player Can see all of the endings and he knows he had.

congrats ;)

My wonderful friend zenechka made a fanart for the game. I hope you all enjoy it!
(http://th08.deviantart.net/fs43/300W/f/2009/164/5/b/The_Vacuum_by_herman_the_handyman.jpg) (http://herman-the-handyman.deviantart.com/art/The-Vacuum-125763073)
Isn't it lovely?

yeah, that's my fanart.
I hope it's okay >_>   <_<

tell me guys what you think about it.

I love the game so much :3

Hey, I like that style! Fanart, now that's something!

I played through for one ending, i really liked it, i got a kind of a "fire fly" vibe from it, which was great  :).
will play through again, and try and solve the mystery next time 8).

Cheers!

I think you could have done a lot more with it. This game had the potential to be a 7 days-esque horror thing, but you sorta made it sound like that thing that happens to your parents that they insist on telling you about while your trying to play video games or whatever.

My point is I would have been happier if there was some sort of external killer like a undead thing or some sort of escaped serial killer. Also I liked the zombie chase thing from 7 days and since that's the only space oriented AGS game I've played, it scared the hit out of me the first time my girl followed me through the door.

Interesting, this game was available on one of the Swedish PC Gamer DVDs. I played it of course and I really liked it! This was one of the few PaC games I've finished, it was a really fun experience I tell you, and the story was nice! I can't remember how many murders I prevented though. ^^

The game has been on my hard drive for a while now, and I finally got time to play it through! And I'm glad I did. Really great stuff, and very intriguing story. I love the setting.  ;)

Quote from: Frostfalk on Sat 20/06/2009 11:33:51
Interesting, this game was available on one of the Swedish PC Gamer DVDs. I played it of course and I really liked it! This was one of the few PaC games I've finished, it was a really fun experience I tell you, and the story was nice! I can't remember how many murders I prevented though. ^^

Are you serious? You'd think they'd tell me about that before they just slapped it on there. You think you might be able to send me a .iso file or something somewhere so I can take a look? I'd like to see what they had to say about it. Was it just on the CD or was there something in the mag, too?

Thank you very much for the fanart, too, seeing something like that is an awesome feeling.

There was no description on your game in particular, but the game was included on the DVD. I don't feel very comfortable uploading a 7 gib DVD here, so I took a screenshot of the folder containing the Vacuum.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1911/thevacooooomw.jpg

Huh, crazy. Guess I'm famous? (Thanks!)

Still, you'd have thought they'd have atleast told you before-hand?

Does anybody know how to get in touch with the author, "Makeout Patrol"? His website is down and his e-mail isn't listed...

eehhm, PM him and wait for reaction?

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but as David's page is still down and it seems he can't be reached, I've put up a new link to the final version.

This one contains the english original and the german and italian translations. The package is configured to run in german, so if you want to play english or italian, run winsetup.exe and change to default for english or to italian.

http://www.filefront.com/15539467/Vacuum.zip/
Mirror: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?z4dygozizyz

If someone still has the french translation (that's not included in my package), please PM me.

Hey folks. I suppose I was nowhere to be found for a while! I have, however, put up a web site that I intend to keep around pretty much permanently, so I've updated the games page about this game and uploaded the newest, most complete version to my web site and provided a working link to it. I'm really pleased to see that people are still playing this game almost two years later.

If you want the most recent link, here it is:

http://davidproctor.ca/?page_id=27

I have not yet finished it, or even made it that far yet (haven't really played any AGS games in a long time), but it is a fantastic game that I do plan on finishing. You did an excellent job and I am not suprised people are still playing it.

Makeout Patrol, let me say that I'm rejoicing about your return and your site being up again! I can't respect you more than I do for making this game. Well, at least until you make next another awesome game. :) And I really really do hope you will. Keep us informed!

New review by some bitter guy called Nemo:

http://www.hardydev.com/2012/02/13/the-vacuum-review/