(http://s013.radikal.ru/i322/1604/1c/380ddb0f8a08.jpg)
(The first logo. I'll probably make a (different) final version later.
STORY (Act I Prologue text)
"When you die, you normally have only one simple wish - to return and tell them - "Hey, guys - it's OK! No need to feel sad! Cause you know what? It's actually OK on both sides, really." But returning is not easy - the only way would be dreams - "half-dreams" - "ghost-dreams". The problematic part is if you get stuck - you turn into a demon. Hard to say what exactly it is, but we presume it's a painful and useless existence. Better to avoid doing this, really.
My personal "problematic part" is that I am already stuck here. No idea how I'll get out this time..."
(http://s018.radikal.ru/i507/1604/51/dd926935cdb2.jpg)
(The very first "cover art". I know it's unnecessary at this point but it helps me getting in the mood.
STORY (Description)
On his journey to the "other side" Reader (and his "natural companion" Writer) meets various Ghosts and Demons, beings known as Gods and other side of himself even. He also meets Singer, who is neither Ghost, nor Demon (you can see her on the cover and logo). At some point she becomes a little bit more important than the "other side" to Reader. Realizing this won't stop him though.
The world of Ghostdream should be scary, but it is not - it is just dark. The story should be sad since all the characters are more or less dead, but it is not, because they normally remember nothing, except some minor detail or two (for example Reader remembers himself reading a book - this is why they call him Reader. It is his only memory after all).
Overall Ghostdream is a retro-style Point'n'Click Adventure game with puzzles, exploration and story.
IN PROGRESS SCREENSHOTS
(http://s41.radikal.ru/i094/1605/ec/c5f8d984be13.jpg)
(The very first room in the game.
(http://s45.radikal.ru/i107/1605/b2/55520d121eed.jpg)
(My favorite room so far.
(http://s019.radikal.ru/i642/1605/87/1ea4aa90f55b.jpg)
(Silent character type, who turns out to be super important closer to the very end of the story.
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i407/1605/ee/36ddc24eab73.jpg)
Ghosts are blue, demons are yellow.
(http://s13.radikal.ru/i186/1605/d0/1542f0b97475.jpg)
(Dialogue options
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i431/1605/b5/8f0d0d862383.jpg)
(Actual Dialogue
(http://s019.radikal.ru/i626/1605/fc/be7f76cc6cc9.jpg)
(Ghostbook!
(http://s46.radikal.ru/i111/1605/22/8e2cb42955ec.png)
(Puzzle!
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i443/1605/43/cf2461f0d156.png)
(The cave.
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i425/1605/f3/c35f22d39142.png)
(The town.
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i430/1605/ab/20554c347bff.png)
(Demonic portal eggs :)
(http://s019.radikal.ru/i604/1605/72/2eaf9e09c7fa.png)
(Dark world...
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i408/1605/b7/c0abc5336d79.jpg)
(Tramway!
(http://s019.radikal.ru/i638/1605/01/2bf78281d792.png)
(Tramway meets God in an outer space.
PLANNED FEATURES/STATS:
About 50-55 locations (+puzzle screens)
About 12-15 characters
About 10-20 optional "mini secret ghosts" (will be used as achievements probably)
8 Major puzzles (more or less like Myst series: no items required, exploration of the whole accessible area is a must) + standard adventure thing (like get here, talk there, press this, press that...)
Resolution: 640X400
(Later I'll update this section to something more precise)
OVERALL PROGRESS STATS:
In progress for: 5 -full- months. [Started at: 2016.03.23 21:36]
Estimated release date: September 2016.
CREDITS:
Myself: Graphics, Music, Story, Coding, Acting, Coffee machine operating.
Big thanks to the creators of AGS. Still can't believe you're working on this for free! Absolute respect!
Big thanks to the forum - you give me all the answers, before I even ask.
PLAN:
1.Make a short demo! --DONE|
2. Hire actors! (Postponed -- financial difficulties)
3. Concentrate on the backgrounds (since this part will take the longest time to make (all backgrounds are animated)) (Postponed -- monotonous)
4. Concentrate on the story the same period as (3). Doing both should take about 1.5 month total. (Postponed -- monotonous)
5. Finish Act I and may be update the demo. --DONE|
6. Switch to "Do everything at the same time" plan and finish act 1 and 2. --DONE!|
7. Add some extra scenes - make the first trailer. Done! --DONE!|
8. Switch back to backgrounds and story. ((Also may be it's a good time to start drawing comics for the art-book... (Postponed -- I have a better idea for the art-book now)
9. Act 3 (the biggest, the longest...) --DONE!|
10. I got to finish the story... --DONE!|
11. Finish all the backgrounds --DONE!|
12. All character animations --DONE!|
13. Act 4 --DONE!|
14. Act 5 -- DONE!|
15. Started IndieGoGo campaign -- more or less a disaster||
16. Kickstarter campaign -- slightly better, but still a fail||
17. Act 6,7 -- DONE!|
18. Full soundtrack -- DONE!|
19. Speech and remaining SFX -- in progress...
.
.
.
Z-3. Get the game to Steam/GOG/etc... (I hope it won't be a problem)
Z-2. Prepare the extras - OST+, Trailers, Art Book, Manual, etc...
Z-1. Test like mad and release the game on 2016.09.xx!
Z. Ritual achievement dance :D.
DEMO 01:
I doubt I'll be doing any serious changes to that introductory part of the game. The puzzle must be very simple I believe (and it is). It shouldn't be very crowded here (and it is not). The only thing I will probably change is the music - that song will fit much better for the Town, and this episode needs something slower and calmer. Also, I still need to add the sound effects like "button click". As always I'll leave this part for the very end. May be I'll add some small animations here and there too.
I'll update the demo when I'll get the speech done... in one way or the other.
THE LINKS:
Ghostdream DEMO O1 (https://mega.nz/#!rYtDXBiL!6cXc5anjDheiRDnpPufb3bSpjcCCw74Kd_vTwyEPd1w)
Ghostdream DEMO 02 (https://mega.nz/#!CZdQhCZK!yyRJckaSPQHWsoiIJsdk509RU127ZkS74v5XfXx-MYI)
Very cool atmosphere and nice artstyle! :cheesy:
Gorgeous-looking stuff. Keep up the good work :-)
Man, this looks amazing. Loving the art, the story looks really good. Can't wait to play the game!
This looks really, really beautiful! You wouldn't happen to be a fan of Zdzislaw Beksinski? :)
Really nice artwork, and very interesting premise.
I'll be keeping my eye on this one. :-D
I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but it pains me to see that beautiful art ruined by JPG and the window border.
Please consider changing those screenshots to properly cropped PNGs.
Lovely art! Best of luck with it :)
Thank you for your kind words, people! ;-D I'm happy you like it.
QuoteYou wouldn't happen to be a fan of Zdzislaw Beksinski?
Yes, naturally :) . I'm surprised how often people ask me that. Even though Ghostdream is mostly blueish (and Beksinski is mostly yellow/red) you can still tell :-D
QuoteI know I'm sounding like a broken record, but it pains me to see that beautiful art ruined by JPG and the window border.
Please consider changing those screenshots to properly cropped PNGs.
After reading the forum rules I had the impression it's important to show that the screenshots are made on AGS and not something else. I plan to update the screenshots section about once in a month - next time I'll use "F12" :) .
Quote from: Ark on Wed 13/04/2016 22:26:15After reading the forum rules...
You are now my new favorite GiP author!
The screenshots simply have to appear as they would in-game but don't actually have to show AGS frames/borders! I applaud the literal approach to the forum rules though! /end moderation
I think the game sounds quite interesting and, visually, looks quite unique.
Good luck with the production!
Quote from: Darth Mandarb on Thu 14/04/2016 00:12:18
Quote from: Ark on Wed 13/04/2016 22:26:15After reading the forum rules...
You are now my new favorite GiP author!
If I'm not mistake, he's the only person who has ever read the forum rules before starting a new thread.
I'm legitimately impressed. 8-0
QuoteYou are now my new favorite GiP author!
(laugh)
QuoteI think the game sounds quite interesting and, visually, looks quite unique.
Good luck with the production!
Thank you! :)
QuoteIf I'm not mistake, he's the only person who has ever read the forum rules before starting a new thread.
And I've actually enjoyed reading it. :-D
Quote from: Darth Mandarb on Thu 14/04/2016 00:12:18
Quote from: Ark on Wed 13/04/2016 22:26:15After reading the forum rules...
You are now my new favorite GiP author!
Hey wait! I did that too before posting my GiP thread! (wtf)
I can't remember you praising me for that! 8-0
:=
B2T:
I too love that really original visual style. These ghost figures look totally weird and interesting. Good luck with such a great project!
The only thing looking odd is the font. Maybe you can find something more fitting. prettier fonts in 640x480 shoudn't be a problem I think.
QuoteI too love that really original visual style. These ghost figures look totally weird and interesting. Good luck with such a great project!
The only thing looking odd is the font. Maybe you can find something more fitting. prettier fonts in 640x480 shoudn't be a problem I think.
Thank you! :) I like the font because it looks "retro" - it reminds me of all my favorite adventure games, so I always have some good memories while working on it. I'll try several other fonts when the game will be finished.
This month was super active for me. Changed my plan a little to "do everything at the same time" and as the result I think I have about 35% of the game done. Yay. Getting to the dead-line with a finished game and all the extras seems much more realistic now. But the main achievement of the month is the very first WIP trailer of Ghostdream. Here it is:
Ghostdream WIP Trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxIM-WuSKrM&feature=youtu.be)
I can't say I'm absolutely happy with it - also the video quality on Youtube is somehow lower than the actual video's on my PC - but as an early work-in-progress trailer it would do.
Switching back to "backgrounds and story" this month, since "do everything at the same time" can be extremely exhausting. And naturally I need a day or two of well deserved "drink beer, do nothing" program (nod) .
//
SOME ARTS:
(http://s019.radikal.ru/i627/1605/13/acf37538ea84.jpg)
(I'll make some scenes in a similar style.
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i400/1605/57/72d12f15c21a.jpg)
(Organ Grinder. Just a tiny element of horror :)
For horror, those are extremely pleasing artist pieces! I must be disturbed somehow. (laugh)
Lovely trailer, the only thing I can point out, that might worry me at this point, it the character seems to "walk" too slow. Otherwise, really lovely!
Good job! (nod)
This looks beautiful. Good luck. I hope those amazing backgrounds are included in the extras :)
Such beauty! Wonderful atmosphere and unique art-style, the swirling strips of fabric in the characters clothes in the last pic reminds me of Alfons Mucha (https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfons_Mucha).
You can really tell from a single glance that a lot of passion and effort were put into these images!
QuoteFor horror, those are extremely pleasing artist pieces! I must be disturbed somehow.
No, there won't be anything disturbing for sure, not a single drop of blood, but there might be one or two scary looking characters and rooms. My original intention was to make it totally "family-friendly", but now I think I shouldn't limit the style too much - it will be nice to have a more or less Giger-style location in it for some variety :) .
QuoteLovely trailer, the only thing I can point out, that might worry me at this point, it the character seems to "walk" too slow. Otherwise, really lovely!
Thank you! I think this walking speed would become a problem in a lot of adventure games, but this one is mostly linear, with no back-tracking possible and no items to find in one corner of the world and use it in another. There will be 2 big locations though, but in these you play in a first person view and can go from one room to another in an instant.
QuoteThis looks beautiful. Good luck. I hope those amazing backgrounds are included in the extras
Thank you! Not a single pixel wasted is my idea :) . Surprisingly GD becomes quite big and it continues to grow.
QuoteSuch beauty! Wonderful atmosphere and unique art-style, the swirling strips of fabric in the characters clothes in the last pic reminds me of Alfons Mucha.
You can really tell from a single glance that a lot of passion and effort were put into these images!
Thank you! Alfons Mucha is a God - I'm very glad to have even a little of his style in my work :) .
That trailer was gorgeous! The first thought: a little bit of Beksinski there (whose art I always considered absolutely magnetic, and beautiful in its own dark way).
Quote from: Fitz on Fri 20/05/2016 19:41:53
That trailer was gorgeous! The first thought: a little bit of Beksinski there (whose art I always considered absolutely magnetic, and beautiful in its own dark way).
I agree, and I love how everything, even the environments, were all floating and moving. It really enhanced the ethereal feeling.
My only pet peeve is that font though, as nice and retro as it is, it doesn't mesh well with the artstyle...
This looks incredible. I really with I could play the demo, but mac :/
Good luck with the project.
This just looks amazing!
Good luck to your project!
QuoteThat trailer was gorgeous! The first thought: a little bit of Beksinski there (whose art I always considered absolutely magnetic, and beautiful in its own dark way).
Thanks! I think the town (which I've just finished) looks even more Beksinski. :) This particular room is my current favorite:
http://s018.radikal.ru/i518/1606/60/8a21d4a4b3bf.jpg (http://s018.radikal.ru/i518/1606/60/8a21d4a4b3bf.jpg)
**
edit by darth: non-game image changed to link instead of imageQuoteI agree, and I love how everything, even the environments, were all floating and moving. It really enhanced the ethereal feeling.
That's probably the main "attraction" of the game - each room and everything else is fully animated (except the stuff you need to read).
QuoteMy only pet peeve is that font though, as nice and retro as it is, it doesn't mesh well with the artstyle...
Trying new fonts is still a stretch goal on my list. :) I'll probably use "Georgia" font in the end (if I'll be able to confirm it's totally free, of course).
QuoteThis looks incredible. I really with I could play the demo, but mac :/
Good luck with the project.
Thanks! I haven't even seen Mac myself, so I doubt I can help :( .
QuoteThis just looks amazing!
Good luck to your project!
Thanks! :)
This 3rd month was super tough, but I think I have about 50% of the whole game done. I'm not sure yet about the 2 extra episodes which I might add - this would require a lot of extra work and more time. I would like to add these, but I don't know yet if I can. Still, it should be long enough even in its original size.
Some arts I did this month:
(http://s020.radikal.ru/i708/1606/a3/378f77af1f21.jpg)
(I might "upgrade" it later to use as a main cover art.
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i434/1606/84/2e76b184e332.jpg)
(The final episode of the game will be mostly white - more or less like this. Also, I needed myself a "prototype umbrella" to make the rest.
(http://s017.radikal.ru/i403/1606/9f/00b3c5ee63f1.jpg)
(In-game version of Singer.
3 months left till the initial dead-line. I'm not sure anymore if I'll make it.
This looks really really fascinating! Keep it up! ;-D
Ark, keep up the good work! And don't give up until the deadline is reached! Do all in your power and use all the time you can devote to the project and you might just surprise yourself! And if not, well, at least you tried! (nod)
Beautiful. I can't wait to play this game. The art is amazing. How much time will the game last?
So beautiful! This game has such a unique and memorable style, keep up the good work!
This looks Amazing!!!
I will be keeping an eye on your work :D
QuoteThis looks really really fascinating! Keep it up!
Thank you! :)
QuoteSo beautiful! This game has such a unique and memorable style, keep up the good work!
Thank you! :)
QuoteThis looks Amazing!!!
Thank you! :)
QuoteBeautiful. I can't wait to play this game. The art is amazing. How much time will the game last?
Thank you! :) My initial goal was about 5 hours - now I think it may take about 10, so more realistic shoud be about 8 hours. It's hard to calculate, because of the puzzles - I like puzzles which can make you suffer for hours, but at the same time can be beaten in just a few seconds if you know what you are doing.
QuoteArk, keep up the good work! And don't give up until the deadline is reached! Do all in your power and use all the time you can devote to the project and you might just surprise yourself! And if not, well, at least you tried!
Thank you! :) I'm trying, of course. It's not like I have a very strict schedule, but I want to finish the game on September, because I was born September. Would be a cool present for myself :) . My hope is summer, July in particular. When it gets hot (and usually it's July), I start working like a legendary beast. (laugh) Awesome time for work.
This month was incredibly successful. I have finished all the backgrounds and animations, 90% of the soundtrack and all the story. Nearly done with the videos too. I would say at this point that significantly more than 60% of the whole game is finished and playable. I won't upload any graphics this time, but here's some music on my SoundCloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/legshandshead
(songs for Ghostdream have these blue pictures attached to them)
And yes... Forgive my naivety, I have tried crowdfunding. It's more or less a disaster at this point. I just want to forget it ever happened, but it's not that easy with all these IndieGoGo daily updates and pointless letters over-flooding my e-mail. In other words - I don't recommend this. Or may be it's just me...
Since I won't be able to solve my financial problems "magical way", I'll need to spend most of my time doing some random physical labor and so finding the time for Ghostdream will become difficult. That will slow me down.
Not much else to tell... But still this month was incredible - I never though it's possible to do so much in a month. :)
Great music! This game is going to be awesome.
I'm glad to hear that you've come so far with your game, I love the art-style and music! ;-D
Quote from: Ark on Mon 25/07/2016 06:47:31
Not much else to tell... But still this month was incredible - I never though it's possible to do so much in a month. :)
Not much else to tell?!
you almost finished your game man! I can't wait to see the completed games thread 8-)
QuoteGreat music! This game is going to be awesome.
Thanks! People rarely praise my music, so I'm very happy to hear that.
QuoteI'm glad to hear that you've come so far with your game, I love the art-style and music!
Thanks! I'm glad too - the main achievement of this project for me is that I'm no longer scared of coding. Even error messages can be fun once in a while. :-D
QuoteNot much else to tell?!
you almost finished your game man! I can't wait to see the completed games thread
Me too! :) I wouldn't say it's almost finished though, but the most monotonous parts are done and now I have some time to think about the optional things. I love drawing backgrounds, but animating all of them can take a lot of time. Especially, if it's adventure game.
This is my penultimate update here, because... it's nearly done! Here's the stats:
Graphics – 100%
Music – 100%
Story – 100%
Coding – 100%
Speech and SFX – 10%
Will be finished in a month or even faster I believe. I'm doing "acting" myself – thanks to the game's setting and Audacity's effects it's no longer a problem. Characters sound very "ghost-like" in my opinion, but it may be hard to understand what they're saying sometimes. Magically, when you read the text at the same time, you start to understand it. I like this effect.
Next big step is publishing a game and unfortunately I don't see any options at the moment, so I can't really say when and how the game will be released. In the worst case scenario I'll rob a parliament – that should allow me to become a good publisher myself. (robbing a bank never works, so you need to be more creative at this, I think...)
On a side note I have made another trailer – it's exactly the same as the previous, but in Black and White (the game itself isn't :) ).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WarSd7GyM3o
Also I have a page on Indie DB now – nothing new there, but a big article, describing a game.
http://www.indiedb.com/games/ghostdream
Great news ;-D
The B&W trailer is an awesome touch. I think the face in the background around 1:00 is creepier in this trailer 8-0
Glorious art, comrade! This stuff should be in a museum or gallery somewhere. I'd buy a print at a con.
Will be waiting to try this game! :)
QuoteThe B&W trailer is an awesome touch. I think the face in the background around 1:00 is creepier in this trailer
Yes, it was quite unexpected. I even wanted to make an entirely black and white episode in the game itself - the game has some "retro film" mood to it, so it would be appropriate.
Well, at least I have done it in a trailer.
QuoteGlorious art, comrade! This stuff should be in a museum or gallery somewhere. I'd buy a print at a con.
Thanks! In fact I was trying to get my art to some galleries and museums like 10 years ago... that's how I ended up hiding in the digital worlds some time later... :-D
QuoteWill be waiting to try this game!
It won't take long now. :) Even though "Acting" turned out to be a much more complex process than I thought, I'm still doing good... for an acting noob. :)
Quote from: Ark on Sun 28/08/2016 03:16:49
QuoteWill be waiting to try this game!
It won't take long now. :) Even though "Acting" turned out to be a much more complex process than I thought, I'm still doing good... for an acting noob. :)
You are an inspiration to other game makers here (myself for sure) to finish our own games! :D
QuoteYou are an inspiration to other game makers here (myself for sure) to finish our own games!
Thanks! You guys inspire me no less.
And... Ghostdream is finished. As was planned it was finished closer to the end of September, but I felt it's not done yet - I needed to find a way to publish the game... It was a painful process, but I did it and now the game is on Steam. I can't give a link for now, because I'm too paranoid to check it myself. 8-0 (laugh) But I will check it today and make a thread in a "Completed Game Announcements" section.
It would be very strange for me to see a super negative response to the game I loved developing so much, but I hope I am prepared for everything. And I'm already working on my next game (which rocks! (laugh) ).
Overall it was a great experience. Big thanks to the creators of AGS and everybody involved once again! (nod)
When you have the link (to the completed games thread) please update the first post!
Congrats on the release!