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AGS Games => Completed Game Announcements => Topic started by: SeamanNaranja on Sun 04/01/2015 17:15:05

Title: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Sun 04/01/2015 17:15:05
Eight Bit Skyline presents
Providence

Providence is an interactive short story drama about three people who share a common destiny, and how they come to find it.

The game is developed with the Adventure Game Studio engine for Windows PC. It features a Frédéric Chopin soundtrack from The Free Chopin Kickstarter by MusOpen. Find out more about it here (http://musopen.org).

Providence is freeware.

Notice: Providence runs in 720p and this can cause slowdowns on older computers. If you experience this try tweaking vertical sync and/or resolution in winsetup.exe.

Trailer:
[embed=800,450]<iframe width="800" height="450 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MjAwjyZDRgQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/embed]

Screenshots:
(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen8h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen8.png)(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen7h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen7.png)(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen6h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen6.png)(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen5h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen5.png)
(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen4h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen4.png)(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen3h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen3.png)(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen2h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen2.png)(http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen1h.png) (http://eightbitskyline.com/images/providence_screen1.png)

Download from AGS archives! (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1875/)

Technical information:
Official website: Providence.eightbitskyline.com (http://providence.eightbitskyline.com)

Press:
IndieVault.it: Providence: tre destini si mescolano, sulle note di Chopin (http://www.indievault.it/2015/02/04/providence-tre-destini-si-mescolano-sulle-note-di-chopin/) (4.2.15)
Welt.de: Intensiv interaktive Kurzgeschichte (http://www.welt.de/print/welt_kompakt/webwelt/article136768130/Intensiv-interaktive-Kurzgeschichte.html) (26.1.15)
Freeware-Empfehlung: Providence (http://rebell.at/artikel/freeware-empfehlung-providence) (23.01.15)
RockPaperShotgun.com: Freeware Garden: Providence (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/01/22/freeware-garden-providence/) (22.01.15)
Gamer.no: Ta en titt på dette norske gratisspillet (http://www.gamer.no/artikler/ta-en-titt-pa-dette-norske-gratisspillet/167036) (21.01.15)
NiveloCulto.com: Providence: La inevitabilidad del destino (http://niveloculto.com/providence-la-inevitabilidad-del-destino/) (16.01.15)
KillScreenDaily.com: Providence takes you down the dark, noir journey of everyday life (http://killscreendaily.com/articles/providence-takes-you-down-dark-noir-journey-everyday-life/) (15.01.15)
GameJolt.com: Featured Game: Untangle three entwined destinies in the narrative platformer "Providence" (https://www.facebook.com/gamejolt/posts/10153037160898216) (13.01.15)
Warpdoor.com: Providence (Eight Bit Skyline) (http://wip.warpdoor.com/2015/01/09/providence-eight-bit-skyline/) (09.01.15)
P911-magazine.com: Jouons sur du Chopin (http://p911-magazine.com/jouons-sur-du-chopin/) (06.01.15)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Ibispi on Sun 04/01/2015 21:20:55
I'm so sad you guys finished this when I am so busy reading books for university, I can barely spare some time for anything else. :cry:
I've downloaded it, and when I play through it, I'll share with you my feedback of Providence (some time in the future).

I've played it, and I really like the story. The graphics are wonderful, but for some reason, the game stuttered for me most of the time (on some backgrounds more on some less), and this really ruined my immersion, especially because the stutter affected sublime compositions of Chopin. It is probably just my computer, since it is rather old. Great game anyways, short, but great. :smiley:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Mandle on Mon 05/01/2015 03:29:03
This looks amazing from the screenshots! I also will be taking a look first chance when I have the time!

One thing: You might want to give a general genre and/or slight story intro in the first post. No spoilers of course, but let people know if they are in for a comedy...a drama...a horror story...etc

Not knowing what kind of story the game has might turn some people off from giving it a try, which really looks like it would be a shame. This might all be in the trailer, but some people might not want to or be able to view the trailer for various reasons.

(Ah...I see on the game page that it's defined as a drama. It's still probably a good idea to mention this in your first post and also give a little bit of back story.)

You might also want to explicitly say that this game was created with AGS. As it's in the AGS archives I know this sounds like a no-brainer but somebody will probably ask you this question in this thread pretty soon...
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Mon 05/01/2015 14:36:32
Quote from: BSP on Sun 04/01/2015 21:20:55
I've played it, and I really like the story. The graphics are wonderful, but for some reason, the game stuttered for me most of the time (on some backgrounds more on some less), and this really ruined my immersion, especially because the stutter affected sublime compositions of Chopin. It is probably just my computer, since it is rather old. Great game anyways, short, but great. :smiley:
Yeah, the resolution might be too high for older computers. I figured this out late in the process and unfortunately there wasn't any quick fix (as far as I know) with hundreds of sprites already done. I wish there was a easy way to put out a lower resolution version as well! I'll put up a warning in the description of the game. Anyway, thanks for the kind words. You can listen to the music on musopen.org (http://musopen.org), it really is a great initiative! Free Chopin! :cool:

Quote from: Mandle on Mon 05/01/2015 03:29:03
One thing: You might want to give a general genre and/or slight story intro in the first post. No spoilers of course, but let people know if they are in for a comedy...a drama...a horror story...etc
You might also want to explicitly say that this game was created with AGS. As it's in the AGS archives I know this sounds like a no-brainer but somebody will probably ask you this question in this thread pretty soon...
I actually meant to do this, but decided the player should come into the game without any information so that he/she could interpret it freely. I'll write up a small description about the setting though!

Quote from: Mandle on Mon 05/01/2015 03:29:03
You might also want to explicitly say that this game was created with AGS. As it's in the AGS archives I know this sounds like a no-brainer but somebody will probably ask you this question in this thread pretty soon...
Done! Thanks for the advice :cool:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Voedino on Tue 06/01/2015 09:17:39
very interesting innovative game, the first claim to the title of the best ASG game in 2015
i am published "Providence" on the very popular Russian tracker (http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4908374)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Voedino on Tue 06/01/2015 13:24:18
game bad tested, I found a bug
[embed=425,349]http://youtu.be/7cNWtnikAU4[/embed]
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Tue 06/01/2015 18:01:26
Quote from: Inventive Mind on Tue 06/01/2015 09:17:39
very interesting innovative game, the first claim to the title of the best ASG game in 2015
i am published "Providence" on the very popular Russian tracker (http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4908374)
Awesome! Thanks ;-D

Quote from: Inventive Mind on Tue 06/01/2015 13:24:18
game bad tested, I found a bug
That is weird! The camera should be following you when you're on the ground floor! I'll look into it!
Edit: Found it. It's related to the camera being locked on the first and second floor. It only happens if you hold the down or up key down while walking up and down the stairs. A simple fix is to walk up the stairs and down again. I'll fix this in the first patched version! :smiley:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: miguel on Tue 06/01/2015 21:25:08
Finished and loved every bit of this game.
The art is very modern and smoothly animated, it doesn't look AGS-made and that is cool for a change.
Music is adequate but a bit too present sometimes (even if it's Chopin), I like quiet moments for nice cinematic sequences and this is the right kind of game for it.
Puzzles are simple but effective, more complex puzzles could break the mood. The story unfolds logically if you're familiar with (spaguetti) cinema, a sense of despair crosses all characters in this game. There's no escape and the end will eventually come in a brutal way. The tree sequence is very well done.

Good work, 8 out of 10.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Voedino on Wed 07/01/2015 10:15:04
If after talking to his mother played the piano and then go upstairs and downstairs game breaks,
often need to click on the SAVE...
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Voedino on Wed 07/01/2015 10:33:49
this game VERY bad tested, I found the SECOND bug: after a talking with the waiter - all clickable false
[embed=425,349]http://youtu.be/uYFNiBrzsZg[/embed]
PS: the first claim to the title of the best ASG game in 2015
the first claim to the most crude ASG game in 2015
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 10:54:57
Inventive Mind (wtf?) are you serious? Do you have something against the author? Videos of bugs where he presents his game? Do you know what PM's are?
You're mean and I don't like you.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 07/01/2015 11:08:19
Quote from: Inventive Mind on Wed 07/01/2015 10:15:04
If after talking to his mother played the piano and then go upstairs and downstairs game breaks,
often need to click on the SAVE...
Is there a specific error message when it breaks? This doesn't happen when I try to reproduce it... I'll look into it when I get home from work.

Quote from: Inventive Mind on Wed 07/01/2015 10:33:49
this game VERY bad tested, I found the SECOND bug: after a talking with the waiter - all clickable false
You can't interact with things or you can't see the interaction bar at the bottom? Interactions should still work (with the space button or inventory buttons). I'll check this one out this afternoon too. Thanks for the heads up!

Quote from: Inventive Mind on Wed 07/01/2015 10:33:49
PS: the first claim to the title of the best ASG game in 2015
the first claim to the most crude ASG game in 2015
:cry:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Adeel on Wed 07/01/2015 11:25:35
Quote from: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 10:54:57
You're mean and I don't like you.

You're honest and I like you.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Voedino on Wed 07/01/2015 11:27:03
Quote from: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 10:54:57
are you serious?
more than
Quote from: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 10:54:57
Do you have something against the author?
I am against bugs
Quote from: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 10:54:57
Videos of bugs where he presents his game?
to warn gamers that the game is raw
Quote from: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 10:54:57
You're mean and I don't like you.
you hate me?
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 11:47:38
PM's please.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Andail on Wed 07/01/2015 12:36:06
Inventive Mind, you clearly need to work out more constructive ways to deliver C&C. This is a friendly community for mostly amateurs making hobby games for free, and your feedback must be adjusted accordingly.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Voedino on Wed 07/01/2015 13:51:13
i finished the game and i can say: if the author made patch, Providence will be nominated the title of the Best ASG Game 2015.
Likely to win Downfall(remake), but at least in the top ten for sure will go down.
I'm sorry if there was cruel, but I was objective, not personal, my only complaints were due to errors in the code, the author of talent and his next game can become a masterpiece
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Myinah on Wed 07/01/2015 15:19:36
That's not really a very good apology. Constructive feedback would point out the bugs but not say it was badly tested. These are people often doing this without pay as a hobby, releasing for free. Volunteer play testers miss bugs sometimes just like paid ones. Look how buggy Skyrim was on release even with all the testing and huge budget but it was still game of the year! These things happen.

You could have just pointed out the bug or sent a PM and im sure the dev would have fixed it ASAP. That's what we do. We don't want to leave our games glitchy. You then additionally insulted him by calling it crude. If you want to be taken seriously here you should be polite and maybe edit out the nasty "crude" comment you wrote. I don't even understand how you can call a game this beautifully rendered crude because of a few bugs. Talk about hyperbole. You don't have to pander to people and being objective is fine but you won't win any friends in this community by being unnecessarily unkind. 
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Snarky on Wed 07/01/2015 15:37:12
If we extend him the benefit of the doubt, it might be relevant to point out that IM doesn't seem to be a native English speaker, and might not have realized how brusque the phrase "most crude ASG game" sounds. (While we're criticizing people for insufficient error-checking, it's AGS, not ASG.)

Also, as Andail pointed out in another thread, "There's no rule that everybody must be friends and always say positive things. Providing and receiving criticism is a huge part of being creative, so we should take every opportunity to practise it." (Some argue that the game release thread is not the right place for severe criticism, but where else?)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Andail on Wed 07/01/2015 18:02:00
I'm not aware of any rule or recommendation stating that there mustn't be any c&c in Competed Games forum. There is a rule disallowing it over at GiP, but not in here.

The thing with c&c is that you have to adjust it depending on the target, which is common sense, really. Big, commercial productions can, and should, take much more severe criticism than small hobby projects.

Title: Re: Providence
Post by: miguel on Wed 07/01/2015 18:15:48
To me it all goes down to manners and taste.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Dropped Monocle Games on Wed 07/01/2015 19:34:18
Just finished playing this game and I wanted to congratulate you on this release, I really loved the clean, simple nature of the gameplay and art style! also loved the soundtrack, it goes really well with the game and anything with Chopin in it is a win :) (anyone who enjoys music by Chopin should give Eternal Sonata on xbox 360 a play)

I didn't run into any bugs, it was smooth sailing from start to finish for me and I'm glad to see someone using the higher resolution with AGS, love me some HD Adventure Games!
As someone that is into animation, may I ask what software you used to do the animations?

oh and
Spoiler
10/10 would stay silent for a whole game again
[close]
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Myinah on Wed 07/01/2015 20:35:36
I agree with Miguel. I don't think anyone would say there should be no criticism but I think the delivery should be respectful in an ideal world. People work hard on their games. I had no issues with bugs being pointed out on Goat Herd's thread, or the feedback received about the gameplay. It's an important part of the process but no one insulted us so I guess that's why I was happy with it.

Anyway this thread shouldn't really devolve into an etiquette discussion as it's supposed to be about the awesome game, providence! I love it and had no issues with bugs. It was smooth and graphically lovely. I love classical music so greatly enjoyed the soundtrack. Congratulations on the release and good job :)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 07/01/2015 20:40:13
Thanks a bunch for all the good feedback guys! :smiley: The best thing is the fact that someone wants to play it at all!

Also: I have just updated the game to v. 1.1 where I've fixed all the bugs Inventive Mind mention and added autosave, just in case. Thanks for improving the game!
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 07/01/2015 20:44:05
Quote from: miguel on Tue 06/01/2015 21:25:08
The tree sequence is very well done.
It was my first idea for the game! :smiley:
Quote from: Soxbrooker on Wed 07/01/2015 19:34:18
oh and
Spoiler
10/10 would stay silent for a whole game again
[close]
Spoiler
Agreed :wink:
[close]
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Cassiebsg on Wed 07/01/2015 21:01:14
Actually I just got a crash trying to run it for the first time. :~(

Not your fault though, it's the engine that crashed, so probably CW that wants the info?

I tried running the game windowed, with 1/2 of the resolution and 100Mb cache for the sprites... I'll do a few more tests, and see if I can pin point the culprit...
Spoiler

---------------------------
Illegal exception
---------------------------
An exception 0xC0000005 occurred in ACWIN.EXE at EIP = 0x0046B49F ; program pointer is -179, ACI version 3.3.1.1165, gtags (0,0)

AGS cannot continue, this exception was fatal. Please note down the numbers above, remember what you were doing at the time and post the details on the AGS Technical Forum.



Most versions of Windows allow you to press Ctrl+C now to copy this entire message to the clipboard for easy reporting.

An error file CrashInfo.dmp has been created. You may be asked to upload this file when reporting this problem on the AGS Forums. (code 0)
---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------
[close]

EDIT: After a few tests, I'll say that the culprit is trying to scale down the game. Runs fine in windowed mode, I just can't scale the window to a lower setting.
Using the non windowed mode, and selecting a lower resolution crashes winsetup right away.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Eric on Wed 07/01/2015 21:10:42
Really enjoyed this. The aesthetic and tone reminded me quite a bit of Kentucky Route Zero, which has become one of my favorite games. I also second the request for looks at your process. The animation and (vector?) artwork are beautiful in this.

Sox's comment makes me wonder: are there multiple endings? I'm going to play it again regardless! Well done!
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 07/01/2015 21:16:39
Quote from: Cassiebsg on Wed 07/01/2015 21:01:14
EDIT: After a few tests, I'll say that the culprit is trying to scale down the game. Runs fine in windowed mode, I just can't scale the window to a lower setting.
Using the non windowed mode, and selecting a lower resolution crashes winsetup right away.
That is weird. I am using the AGS alpha tho, with custom resolution. It's supposedly not stable, even though I haven't had any problems with it!
Quote from: Eric on Wed 07/01/2015 21:10:42
Really enjoyed this. The aesthetic and tone reminded me quite a bit of Kentucky Route Zero, which has become one of my favorite games. I also second the request for looks at your process. The animation and (vector?) artwork are beautiful in this.

Sox's comment makes me wonder: are there multiple endings? I'm going to play it again regardless! Well done!
Thanks! Kentucky Route Zero is awesome! It isn't proper vector stuff, but it's drawn with pencil in Photoshop. Oh, and the animation is done with Spine by Esoteric Software, another project I helped kickstart (along with the Musopen Chopin recordings)! :-)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: KodiakBehr on Wed 07/01/2015 21:21:51
The video looks beautiful, and I look forward to trying this game out tonight!
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Dropped Monocle Games on Wed 07/01/2015 21:23:25
Quote from: SeamanNaranja on Wed 07/01/2015 21:16:39
Thanks! Kentucky Route Zero is awesome! It isn't proper vector stuff, but it's drawn with pencil in Photoshop. Oh, and the animation is done with Spine by Esoteric Software, another project I helped kickstart (along with the Musopen Chopin recordings)! :-)

Ooooo I have been meaning to try Spine (I use Anime Studio mostly) but was put off with the fact it doesn't allow vector art but seeing how smooth the animations are in this game, I may have to give it a try :)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: AnasAbdin on Thu 08/01/2015 05:43:18
I played this game and I was disappointed when it ended because I didn't want it to end :~(
I will not talk about the story, art and music because I am still feeling euphoric.
I will not talk to SeamanNaranja because I don't want to keep him busy from making another game.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Thu 08/01/2015 18:05:49
Quote from: Soxbrooker on Wed 07/01/2015 21:23:25
Ooooo I have been meaning to try Spine (I use Anime Studio mostly) but was put off with the fact it doesn't allow vector art but seeing how smooth the animations are in this game, I may have to give it a try :)
It's pretty neat and very intuitive!
Quote from: AnasAbdin on Thu 08/01/2015 05:43:18
I played this game and I was disappointed when it ended because I didn't want it to end :~(
I will not talk about the story, art and music because I am still feeling euphoric.
I will not talk to SeamanNaranja because I don't want to keep him busy from making another game.
Your words are just to kind... 8-0 Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: LostTrainDude on Thu 08/01/2015 18:30:04
I absolutely love the amount of polish in this game, both in art and sound design! Great job!
I'm among those who wanted more (laugh) so I'll keep my fingers crossed, hoping to see something else like this maybe longer and, why not, maybe more complex! :)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: AnasAbdin on Thu 08/01/2015 20:02:00
Quote from: SeamanNaranja on Thu 08/01/2015 18:05:49
Your words are just to kind... 8-0 Glad you enjoyed it! :)

playing your game was a very enjoyable experience. I will play it again tonight to satisfy the developer in me. Also having feedback from such an artist like you is an honour :)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Creamy on Thu 08/01/2015 23:27:06
Congratulations on the release. The game is technically superb.

I have played "a date in the park" and "Providence" in a row.
Both games are so depressing.
Now, I need a cuddle.




Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Fri 09/01/2015 21:18:37
Quote from: LostTrainDude on Thu 08/01/2015 18:30:04
I absolutely love the amount of polish in this game, both in art and sound design! Great job!
I'm among those who wanted more (laugh) so I'll keep my fingers crossed, hoping to see something else like this maybe longer and, why not, maybe more complex! :)
Thanks and yes! Something new is already well underway :-)
Quote from: AnasAbdin on Thu 08/01/2015 20:02:00
playing your game was a very enjoyable experience. I will play it again tonight to satisfy the developer in me. Also having feedback from such an artist like you is an honour :)
:wink:
Quote from: Creamy on Thu 08/01/2015 23:27:06
Congratulations on the release. The game is technically superb.

I have played "a date in the park" and "Providence" in a row.
Both games are so depressing.
Now, I need a cuddle.
Thanks for playing it and sorry for making you sad :smiley:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Cassiebsg on Sat 10/01/2015 23:13:31
Just finished it, lovely game, even though I don't feel I had any choices... (roll)

I did had to set the sprite cache to the maximum (100Mb) to get the game to run smooth, I was almost about to give up on it, when I remembered that option.

I did stumble into one bug.
Spoiler

Right at the end, when the old man goes to the apartment next door the camera did not follow him, so the character was out of screen, and I wondered what happened... until I noticed the fan on the hotspot... then I returned to his apartment and back into the new one, and all worked like it should.
[close]

I'm not quite sure I got the full depth of the story though... :~(

Keep up the good work, looking forward for more from you! :)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Mon 12/01/2015 10:09:25
Quote from: Cassiebsg on Sat 10/01/2015 23:13:31
Just finished it, lovely game, even though I don't feel I had any choices... (roll)
I did had to set the sprite cache to the maximum (100Mb) to get the game to run smooth, I was almost about to give up on it, when I remembered that option.
Thanks!
Spoiler
I don't think your choices matter that much in the end. When it comes to what you do with the targets you have a choice, the same goes for wether you lie or tell the truth. But at the end I thought it would be interesting if you lost control... It's probably depressing and naturalistic :tongue:
[close]
Also, the cache thing? I'm sorry about that, I just can't seem to find a fix! Glad you got it working tho!
Quote from: Cassiebsg on Sat 10/01/2015 23:13:31
I did stumble into one bug.
Yeah, sorry about that... I've been working day and night to fix that one, but I can't really find a better solution! Hope it didn't ruin the experience.
Quote from: Cassiebsg on Sat 10/01/2015 23:13:31
I'm not quite sure I got the full depth of the story though... :~(
Keep up the good work, looking forward for more from you! :)
It is whatever you want it to be! And thanks for the kind words ;)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Dualnames on Tue 13/01/2015 20:09:06
Played the game and finished, the interface has some exploits, aka the mouse can still be moved over dialogs, and it would be nice to have left and right work on some steps, but besides that the game is pretty well animated and well done. Like the music, like the UIs, like the plot. 5/5, really worth playing this.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 14/01/2015 09:42:32
Quote from: Dualnames on Tue 13/01/2015 20:09:06
Played the game and finished, the interface has some exploits, aka the mouse can still be moved over dialogs, and it would be nice to have left and right work on some steps, but besides that the game is pretty well animated and well done. Like the music, like the UIs, like the plot. 5/5, really worth playing this.
I'll get into the bugs tonight! Thank you for them and the kind words :-)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: tsa on Wed 11/02/2015 19:41:37
I just started on the game and it's intrigueing. Nice graphics too! What I miss though is a small explanation about how the interface works at the beginning, or on the AG webpage, because the interface is not really intuitive. I found it strange that I can't open doors but not go into the rooms they open to, for instance. And it took me a while to find out that when I want to use an object I have to press its 'inventory number,' for want of a better word.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 11/02/2015 21:22:35
Quote from: tsa on Wed 11/02/2015 19:41:37
I just started on the game and it's intrigueing. Nice graphics too! What I miss though is a small explanation about how the interface works at the beginning, or on the AG webpage, because the interface is not really intuitive. I found it strange that I can't open doors but not go into the rooms they open to, for instance. And it took me a while to find out that when I want to use an object I have to press its 'inventory number,' for want of a better word.
Hi! Glad you are playing! The basic controls are the left and right arrow key for movement, space for interactions, and the number keys for inventory items (listed in the bottom left). Check out the controls in the pause menu (by clicking ESC). Hopefully the interaction bar should pop up at the bottom of the screen as well. If not you might be experiencing some kind of bug? :confused:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Haggis on Wed 11/02/2015 21:51:51
Just gave this a go and it is a joy to look at. The animations are so smooth and the transition effect between indoor and outdoor is a thing of beauty. As noted in the detail it is fairly short and the player is somewhat guided along the rails for the majority of it (the hotel section for me was the exception) but this is all about storytelling. I'll definitely be playing through again to make some different choices.
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Thu 12/02/2015 09:24:29
Quote from: Haggis on Wed 11/02/2015 21:51:51
Just gave this a go and it is a joy to look at. The animations are so smooth and the transition effect between indoor and outdoor is a thing of beauty. As noted in the detail it is fairly short and the player is somewhat guided along the rails for the majority of it (the hotel section for me was the exception) but this is all about storytelling.
Thanks for your kind words! The hotel section probably is the only one with anything that resembles old school puzzles. I made a decision early that it should be a shorter game, because I wanted a steady pacing.
Quote from: Haggis on Wed 11/02/2015 21:51:51
I'll definitely be playing through again to make some different choices.
Spoiler
I thought about putting up a disclaimer at the end, so that people didn't come in a second time thinking it would have a lot of alternative routes through the game... In reality there aren't many. The illusion that there is and that you're making all these decisions is it. No matter what you do destiny is what awaits you. Unless you interpret it with dream theory, like some people on YouTube have! :tongue:
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Title: Re: Providence
Post by: selmiak on Thu 12/02/2015 22:56:22
What a great game. So beautiful to look at and such a dramatic interwoven story. Sadly it is a bit short and linear in walking and giving the illusion of choice but really fun to play! But besides this linearity the gameplay flows really well, a bit well for my taste, as there are no puzzles to interrupt that flow and make me think. But the story does make me think, so that's okay ;)

@SeamanNaranja: ohnoes, I'm glad I did read your hidden text in the post before this one, otherwise I'd have tried it again too to try different paths and decisions... :P
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Cassiebsg on Fri 13/02/2015 13:35:15
Quote from: selmiak on Thu 12/02/2015 22:56:22
@SeamanNaranja: ohnoes, I'm glad I did read your hidden text in the post before this one, otherwise I'd have tried it again too to try different paths and decisions... :P

Spoiler alert! Do no read if you haven't played yet!
Spoiler

I realized that there wasn't much choices when I kept trying to deny to keep the box for the strange man, then realized that I had no choice and took it, then tried to give it to mom, and again, realized there was no other choice but to put it in the bedroom closet. :-\ At the end, I also tried to pick up the "wrong" choice, just to realize that the game would not progress until I picked up the right one. And then it ended...
I did wonder if I had a choice not to shot the guy on the subway or at the hotel, I just assumed I didn't and did it not trying anything else...
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Title: Re: Providence
Post by: selmiak on Fri 13/02/2015 14:53:58
hehe, the hotel... there I though is a puzzle, so

Spoiler
while finding out which floor I need to go to I figured: ok, I need a key, but do I kill the bartender/hotelboy first or the guy outside the door. One shot would attrackt the other guy, but then I could just grab the key...

I have to try if I can just shoot the guys outside the door :)
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Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Shadow1000 on Fri 13/02/2015 21:44:16
I just played this game.

My comments will basically be in line with what everyone else said:

Really cool different interface. Graphics and animations really stood out.

Not much of a puzzle game but definitely creepy!

Cheers

SHADOW
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Sun 15/02/2015 19:44:44
Quote from: selmiak on Thu 12/02/2015 22:56:22
What a great game. So beautiful to look at and such a dramatic interwoven story. Sadly it is a bit short and linear in walking and giving the illusion of choice but really fun to play! But besides this linearity the gameplay flows really well, a bit well for my taste, as there are no puzzles to interrupt that flow and make me think. But the story does make me think, so that's okay ;)

@SeamanNaranja: ohnoes, I'm glad I did read your hidden text in the post before this one, otherwise I'd have tried it again too to try different paths and decisions... :P
Thank you for the kind words! Yeah, it is probably more of a visual novel, baring the puzzle at the hotel. Figured it fitted in with the themes and I had huge trouble coding puzzles since it is a platform game!

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Fri 13/02/2015 13:35:15
Spoiler alert! Do no read if you haven't played yet!
Yeah, but I hope you enjoyed it the first time around. The illusion of choice was the idea, much like in Telltale games or such. :-)

Quote from: selmiak on Fri 13/02/2015 14:53:58
hehe, the hotel... there I though is a puzzle, so
That would be great! I just didn't think about it... :tongue:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Sun 15/02/2015 19:45:15
Quote from: Shadow1000 on Fri 13/02/2015 21:44:16
I just played this game.

My comments will basically be in line with what everyone else said:

Really cool different interface. Graphics and animations really stood out.

Not much of a puzzle game but definitely creepy!

Cheers

SHADOW
Glad you liked it! :wink:
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: selmiak on Mon 16/02/2015 12:05:17
600 downloads, a thread over 3 pages, and only 6 ratings on the game page? Come on people!
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1875/
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Wed 18/02/2015 20:39:49
Quote from: selmiak on Mon 16/02/2015 12:05:17
600 downloads, a thread over 3 pages, and only 6 ratings on the game page? Come on people!
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1875/
I'm super happy with those numbers, plus total downloads on all sites is five times more than Skumring. I'm not complaining :-)
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: Saub on Tue 24/02/2015 21:23:37
I'm glad I finally got round to playing this game.  I really enjoyed the mysterious, melancholy atmosphere, and I'm still thinking about the ending...
Title: Re: Providence
Post by: SeamanNaranja on Sat 28/02/2015 14:22:32
Quote from: Saub on Tue 24/02/2015 21:23:37
I'm glad I finally got round to playing this game.  I really enjoyed the mysterious, melancholy atmosphere, and I'm still thinking about the ending...
Thanks for taking the time to play it! :)