1-66 Lily Light Lane - Visit www.mrparkle.com

[MrParkle]

Two new screenies to bump the topic.

[Grim]

That looks great. Cant wait!

[MrParkle]

Finally an update:

There are a few things that most likely occur with every "serious" AGS'er:
1) a crash,
2) a 'find the missing ; or " in a +1000 line roomscript',
3) a fed up feeling,
4) the need to redo several rooms because you can do it better now that when you started,
5) ...
I experienced them all so I decided to take a pause for a week or two, three, fourish...

That pause is now a long-time-ago-memory so I'm glad to mention the following:
- Ground Floor and garden is near completion - which also means a demo is soon up and will be available via a direct link on it's website (which is also in post production).
- The file size, due to the resolution and color depth is growing every day. I guess the demo would be a 200Mb big file (includes avi sequences) and the entire game a witty 700Mb. Thank God for adsl or cable 

PS: Thanks to everyone who pm'd me for information and support. Love it.

[Candall]

Mmm, yes.  I once had to comb my game's global script for a missing endbracket which was allowing the game to run but causing some sinister effects when certain actions were carried out.

Good for you, though, coming back to it after so much time and frustration.  Hope everything keeps going well!  The game looks very clean and cool.

[vertigoaddict]

Can't wait to play it! Can't wait for voice auditions! Can't wait to wait for it!...oh wait, I'm already doing that... :

[m0ds]

Looks great, good luck!

[Dualnames]

Finally an update:

There are a few things that most likely occur with every "serious" AGS'er:
1) a crash,
2) a 'find the missing ; or " in a +1000 line roomscript',
3) a fed up feeling,
4) the need to redo several rooms because you can do it better now that when you started,
5) ...
I experienced them all so I decided to take a pause for a week or two, three, fourish...

That pause is now a long-time-ago-memory so I'm glad to mention the following:
- Ground Floor and garden is near completion - which also means a demo is soon up and will be available via a direct link on it's website (which is also in post production).
- The file size, due to the resolution and color depth is growing every day. I guess the demo would be a 200Mb big file (includes avi sequences) and the entire game a witty 700Mb. Thank God for adsl or cable 

PS: Thanks to everyone who pm'd me for information and support. Love it.

I really hope this game isn't 700 mb. I cross my fingers for it.

[MrParkle]

Okay, the "not so beta, yet no alpha" version of the demo is available.

What to be expected:
- Completely coded first part of the Lily Light Lane story (remember, it's more a story than a game);
- High quality png images, playable at full screen (800*600*32b);
- Two avi files, also playable at full screen. One as introduction for the main characters, the second one for developing the story;
- Sound effects and music ;
- You can read the synopsis of important and less important events;
- A suggestive horror story with a whodunit approach;
- Custom cursors, quitscreen, save/loadscreen.

Gameplay to be expected:
- Help Olivia, Anthony and Isabel by searching  several rooms as the kitchen, the hallway, ...  to reveal clues & items to help you in your quest to reveal even more clues ;   
- A few inventory puzzles (maybe a bit too easy, I don't know);
-  Logic puzzles, including one that can be finished in this demo (let me know if they are too easy);
- Pixelhunting - though not impossible puzzles;
- Conversate to advance;
- Read the synopsis of important and less important events ;

Executable:
- I added the AGS "winsetup.exe"  so you can change the resolution to windowed screen if you prefer. Also, this works too if you are one of the unfortunate ones that can't play video in fullscreen through AGS;
- 158Mb (23Mb video) for only a demo? Unfortunately, I started with this ambituous project as a complete dummy - something like that can't but result in it's ending. I can only say that it improves very well (and luckily it zipped to a 90Mb) and this executable includes many frames and sounds for future use. Try it out and see if it is worthy enough for a complete game download.

Notes:
- You call your inventory screen by a rightclick. You can close it like that too. Selecting an item from your inventory results in a changecursor in that screen, but in the game itself it only changes on places where you can you use them. You keep carrying the item as long as you don't rightclick;
- The savegame feature makes screenshots and saves them on your harddisk. This uses an extra 46kb per saveslot (3 available). I really hope that isn't going to be a problem;
- This game contains offensive language about religion and drugs;
- The Option-screen and the Credit screen are not finished. What you see is a draft. So don't worry about them.

What I would like to ask you:
- Bugs Galore… hopefully not but if they are, let me know. I would appreciate it;
- Applause welcome but critics too, but please be thorough. I can't do anything with a "I didn't like it"-remark. Just add a "Because…"-line, those I can use.   

[Rian]

Hello MrParkle,

I downloaded your demo yesterday and played it a bit. I reached a dead end where I couldn't do anymore things, yet I'm not sure if it really IS the end of the demo.

So now I justed wanted to give some feedback in the hope it helps you for the final release.

Firstly, the game looks really great. The graphics are good and kind of reminded me of some commercial games. The characters are introduced very detailed, which I like because in that way you can immediately love them (or not).

The conversations are just great, I love conversational puzzles like unlocking some topics by choosing the right line and going further in detail on important things. But what happened to me now and then was

Spoiler

that I couldn't conversate on certain topics with the nun (e.g. diary entry, Annicka etc.) but was able to read about it in the notepad afterwards as if a conversation had taken place.

[close]

That was a bit strange but OK for a demo.

Also the notepad is a very good thing being a summary of all what you have explored by now.  Though with me this function was a bit buggy. Nothing much, only that you couldn't read previous pages after clicking on the following so that you had to leave inventory and then reopen the notepad again.

The save option didn't work for me so that I had to play through the whole game from the start after leaving the game and coming back. Maybe it was intentional in the demo, maybe just a bug. So I will describe what happened exactly: When I tried to save (no matter which slot) the game crashed with an "internal error" message. Starting the game again and going to the load option brought me the picture of the saved screenshot but it was impossible to load it.

About the inventory screen I must say I was not too satisfied cause of several bugs (?) again: First there was a thing about loking at items. When in the close - up I froze the inventory window so that I couldn't leave anymore by using the right mouse button unintentionally. Maybe that was a stupid thing to do but alas it happened. Then there was something strange concerning

Spoiler

the art book. It was in my inentory since the beginning so that I first thought I brought it with me. But then I found it in the artist studio and could pick it up again.

[close]

A bug? The good thing was that you could obviously see in which screen the items could be used. That is a very helpful feature especially when the inventory grows.

The puzzles were very well thought and logical. I liked it that you get clues throughout the game how to solve them, especially during the logic puzzle. I'm normally not good with these things but with the tips of the characters I finally got it. Concerning the mentioned Pixelhunting - I did not stumble on such a thing while playing so to me all hotspots were quite clear.

So finally can you please tell me if I reached the end of the demo

Spoiler

when I've explored all rooms on the ground level plus the garden and chapel? I thought of somehow distracting the nun so that I can use the visibilizer on the phote of the saint in her study. Only that I couldn't find a way to do so. Is it possible or have I played through all of the demo?

[close]

All in all I must say that according to this demo this will be a great game which is worth every minute of time one spends with playing it. I'd love to see it completed soon! Great work so far!!

[MrParkle]

First of all thanks for trying out and big thanks for your comments. You are very helpful.

Quoting Rian in bold;

But what happened to me now and then was

Spoiler

that I couldn't conversate on certain topics with the nun (e.g. diary entry, Annicka etc.) but was able to read about it in the notepad afterwards as if a conversation had taken place.

[close]

That was a bit strange but OK for a demo.[/b]
Well,

Spoiler

I played with the idea to make a conversation about the diary but there is nothing more the nun can say about it than you already know. Furthermore, it reveals the fact you are snooping around in stead of looking around - something the nun doesn't want. By reading the first diary pages Isabel writes 2 notes about it in the notepad, one where you've found it and another one about the contents of the pages.

[close]

If you are referring to these two, than it is set like that. Sometimes the most logical things for me as the writer are for others not so logic. I keep a look on this and maybe rephrase the notes.


... you couldn't read previous pages after clicking on the following so that you had to leave inventory and then reopen the notepad again.
A bug... It's weird how I overlooked many things in every stage - but than again, that is why I posted the demo and that is even more why I appreciate your comments.


The save option didn't work for me so that I had to play through the whole game from the start after leaving the game and coming back. Maybe it was intentional in the demo, maybe just a bug. So I will describe what happened exactly: When I tried to save (no matter which slot) the game crashed with an "internal error" message. Starting the game again and going to the load option brought me the picture of the saved screenshot but it was impossible to load it.
Major bug here, I build the save/restore-function from ground up but it was tested successfully on different PC systems. Was the internal error a bit more descriptive?


About the inventory screen I must say I was not too satisfied cause of several bugs (?)
I feel ashamed. The bug you mentioned is something I should have found myself. It looks like I forgot to enable a hotspot or something. The inventory screen is something I'm considering to change as at the beginning I didn't expect to make so many inventory items and this screen is doubtfully handy for many items.


Then there was something strange concerning

Spoiler

the art book. It was in my inventory since the beginning so that I first thought I brought it with me. But then I found it in the artist studio and could pick it up again.

[close]

A bug? [/b]
Not a bug, rather stupidity. Easy fix. ("Player starts with item" is accidentally been chosen.)


Concerning the mentioned Pixelhunting - I did not stumble on such a thing while playing so to me all hotspots were quite clear.
Unfortunately I guess you have stumbled upon one. And I cannot blame you as the sprite is not showing up - or too vaguely. My guess is made on your other comments like the next one.


So finally can you please tell me if I reached the end of the demo?
I coded the end of the demo such a way you are sure it's the end of the demo. So no, you haven't reached the end yet. The game makes use of a Global Integer to keep track of your progress. I can't tell naturally what you have missed except if it's that vague pixelhunt thing what I suspect. If it is you can read it here, if it's not maybe you can pm me for more details on what you have done without me giving away too many spoilers.

Spoiler

Check the tables in the classroom. There is something engraved which raises a question.

[close]

And a big thanks for the overall opinion.

[LimpingFish]

Demo played.

First off, I like how it all hangs together. I like the simplicity of the interface (although more on that later...), and the crisp, uncluttered enviroments. The characters are well defined and solidly portrayed. Since I've never played The Sims 2, I have no baggage regarding the use of the engine and such. And the writing seems clear and to the point.

I do find the cursor system slightly erratic and misleading, though. The hand icon as the default pointer cursor, and the cogs as the interact cursor don't seem to work well together, and, to me anyway, are a little confusing.

Overall though, it has the potential to be a very solid package.

[Rian]

MrParkle,

thanks for the fast reply. Here is the original message I get while trying to save:

An internal error has occured.

Error: run_text_script1: error -6 running function 'btn_save_I_Click':
Error: Null pointer referenced
in Global script (line 422)

I hope this helps.

Your guess on the Pixelhunt was right. I didn't even recognize that there is something there. So let me finish this demo. I'm curious how it ends. On to the Pixelhunt I'd say.

[MrParkle]

Finally got time to eliminate the bugs Rian mentioned and to upload the corrected version.

@LimpingFish: Correct me if I'm wrong, but what I understand is this: You'ld prefer a simple arrow cursor as default and the hand icon as the interact cursor?

[LimpingFish]

Yes, something like that. I think it's just that I usually associate a hand icon with an interact command.

I keep finding myself clicking things with the hand.

I guess it says more about how certain point-and-click conventions are ingrained into my subconscious, rather than it being a design flaw.

And you must, of course, design your GUI as you see fit. 

[MrParkle]

The site is up! You can go there via
www.mrparkle.com

What am I working on now?
- Third avi sequence
- 2 new logical puzzles
- Changing a few 'finished' rooms

Best of all: it looks like it's not getting as big as I first thought. (But who knows... )

[MrParkle]

I added a new screenshot at the site. Furthermore, I recently created a lot of artwork for use in further development meaning next stage will progress more quickly. Overall I think I'm at 75%.