Mesa LE (Police Quest)

[Moresco]

Updated on March 13th, 2011

.::| about Mesa LE
This project has had an interesting life.  What started out as a remake of Police Quest 2, evolved into an original game.  But I became jaded, and went back to the remake, only to get bored again.  Something wasn't clicking...but then I figured out a way to make it work....only, I had to go back to the beginning.

So here I am, starting over.  So what is the game then? It's like a remake that slept with a beautiful, original game, and their child was a fantastic reboot that had its own great qualities, but didn't detract from either parent.  It's a new world, with familiarity that you can relate to, a nostalgia bolstered with a fresh fulfillment.  All in all it's an experiment that will be fun for me, and hopefully as fun for you to play.

I'll keep you posted as always.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

It looks great, it's a bit of a surprise... but I *have* to say, I simple *have* to, that guy is not, can't possibly be, Sonny Bonds. Not the hair, not the face, not the pose - and not the boobs he appears to have. Sorry if it ISN't Sonny, in which case I missed the paragraph saying "You won't be controlling Sonny".

You're planning quite a project, but I wouldn't call it an extended PQ2, or, at a glance, PQ2 at all - changing the mall's name isn't a big difference, but changing the game's timeline is. It no longer fits with PQ1 and PQ3. Matter of taste, but this looks like a, say, "alternative PQ2". Which is great, especially with the level of quality you're putting into it, I just thought I'd share my thoughts.

Again - great project, looking nothing short of extraordinary. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you the best of luck.

[Moresco]

It looks great, it's a bit of a surprise... but I *have* to say, I simple *have* to, that guy is not, can't possibly be, Sonny Bonds. Not the hair, not the face, not the pose - and not the boobs he appears to have. Sorry if it ISN't Sonny, in which case I missed the paragraph saying "You won't be controlling Sonny".

You're planning quite a project, but I wouldn't call it an extended PQ2, or, at a glance, PQ2 at all - changing the mall's name isn't a big difference, but changing the game's timeline is. It no longer fits with PQ1 and PQ3. Matter of taste, but this looks like a, say, "alternative PQ2". Which is great, especially with the level of quality you're putting into it, I just thought I'd share my thoughts.

Again - great project, looking nothing short of extraordinary. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you the best of luck.

Definitely, I suppose I do see it as a Police Quest alternative reality mayhaps...that's a fine assessment. 

I should have indicated that the character in the screenshots is NOT Sonny Bonds, but rather a new character.  You will play the game as Bonds, but you'll be controlling Tabitha in the demo.  The only reason for this is because I'm saving the decision on introducing a “Sonny” sprite for another day, or I'll try and get some fans involved and let them shape the direction of the character.

Thank you for the comments, Trovatore, I appreciate you taking the time to share them! =]

[Beach Bum112885]

Sent you an email about possibly helping out with the game.  Not really an animator or anything but a huge fan of the series as a kid and have been waiting for someone to take on this project for a long time.

[Ghost]

This will be the very first Police Quest I'll be playing  Looking highly promising, and well, just overall very great. Good luck for that project.

[Moresco]

Thanks for the comments everyone...things are going good on backgrounds, I managed three more yesterday, but I ran into a massive snag when I attempted to animate a car door being opened.  I have plenty of reference photos, I even watched some video, but for some reason I can not understand what happens to a door when it foreshortens in an angle I've never seen before.

Anyway, so I am definitely looking for someone who can animate anything at all, or maybe even make the sprites look a tidbit better in detail.  I'm still going to work on it until someone comes along, however, but please if you're able and willing, contact me.  Thanks!

[Radiant]

Considering the sheer amount of changes you're already making, I'd suggest you go all the way and sever all ties with the Sierra series, call it "Cop Quest" or something, and use your own story.

Just my $.2, of course. But if the work is that much your own, why not make it fully your own?

[Moresco]

Considering the sheer amount of changes you're already making, I'd suggest you go all the way and sever all ties with the Sierra series, call it "Cop Quest" or something, and use your own story.

Just my $.2, of course. But if the work is that much your own, why not make it fully your own?

I already have such a game in mind, it's called Mesa LE, which will be all my own ideas and I'll start work on that game when this game is finished.   But really, only the graphics are my own, everything else will be the same with the exception of the new scenes and the maybe, two new characters (if I even decide to make more than one).  I realize the driving engine update is a big thing, but they did just that with PQ1 VGA, and it's not really all that much work to be honest (I've already successfully cloned PQ3's driving engine once in AGS). 

Another reason I wanted to redo this game is because 1, it's my favorite game...like of all time (that may be hard to believe, but it's true!), and this way I get to add the things I felt it always needed to make it as great as it could have been.  Maybe that last statement applies only to me, but if that's the case, oh well.  And 2, because I need the experience of making a game, and it's a lot easier to start with a remake than to set out on a huge undertaking with no idea of direction or resources.  At least to me it would seem that way, depending on the size or style of the game you intend to make.

But you're right, I could make it fully my own, and I had thought of that but since I already have a different game in mind for afterwards, I will just do that one when the time comes.

[CosmoQueen]

Wow the artwork is absolutely gorgeous! It looks like the type of game you'd have to pay for.

[Moresco]

Wow the artwork is absolutely gorgeous! It looks like the type of game you'd have to pay for.

Whoa I'm sure you're being far too kind.  Actually everything is taken from photo reference, and then various things are reworked there to match whatever I want and to come up with a suitable scene.  I'd give a for-instance and point things out, but maybe that would rob some of the "magic"...if there is any :p  It's really a very basic technique though, and mostly I'll just work on something until it feels correct enough to me, but I'm no expert at all - and I bet some of the experienced artists here will see plenty of flaws (but please don't tell me about them, I know where the critics lounge is )...

Anyway thanks though, I'm glad people have received this so well, I was truly worried it would be despised by many of you. :/

I think I'll put up a piece of music here.  It'll be in the original post.

[evilDMT]

I was curious on how you do those backgrounds, I want to do something very similar and I was wondering how you do it.

[Moresco]

I was curious on how you do those backgrounds, I want to do something very similar and I was wondering how you do it.

Well there's no one certain way to make one.  They are all a little different.  I use photoshop, I'm sure many other programs work just as well, likely better (especially because I am blessed with CS3....).  First you find a photo with something you think will fit the scene.  You don't have to use the entire photo, it probably won't work out anyway.  But find a base, some large area, maybe just a building and some ground.  Now you can do many things, it's really up to you and your imagination. 

I like to keep textures as much as they are as possible, mainly because it's harder to recreate than it is to like say, use the clone tool and just extend areas you need.  I wouldn't worry about shading (sometimes you'll extend maybe, a piece of road, and the shadows change...ignore that) because odds are you will make your own shading.  You can go back and use burn or dodge to adjust shading, or you can use select tool on the area in question and use Selective-Color, and modify the neutral layer until your colors match or are smooth.  This helps a lot because it kind of evens things out, cleans the slate a bit.  You can use that to change the entire tone of an image too, or really just all kinds of coloring things, I love that tool.

Try to find photos of architecture that matches, find things in perspective if you can.  I have a tutorial on my website that works for Photoshop CS2 and up (possibly those before it too, but I have no idea), on how to make a perspective guide path.  What this is, is using the pen tool you lay down a path of perspective lines.  You align it to your horizon or your vanishing point verticals, and then you can select all the path lines and stroke the path onto a new layer.  That way, you can turn the layer on and off as you choose.   I use this when I'm editing a scene far beyond what the photo had in it, so that if I stray from perspective, I don't stray too far to where the background looks wonky or crazy.

There are other tools you can use.  Say you just want to extend some color and rough out shapes? Use the smudge tool on 100% and just drag that stuff around.  Need straight lines? Hold down shift while you drag your brush or tool around.  One more thing I can say I do alot of is blocking out selections.  Like say I have a blurry edge and I want to make a hard edge.  I'll select the area that I'm cloning/smudging/painting from, all the way up to my edge.  Then I'll work inside that box towards the edge, and PS will not allow me to go outside of it.  It's like having a temporary layer to work in, kind of.

Anyway talking about this and showing you how it's done are different things.  I'm really going to try and get some more backgrounds for the game done here in the next day or two - but after that I will gladly take a day and whip up some kind of new tutorial on this subject, so that this thread doesn't become a hi-jacked how-to.  I know Darth would not like that ^_^

[evilDMT]

That would be great if you could make a visual tutorial, also if you need actors for your game.  I would be more than happy to make a template of myself doing different things, if you need actors and such.  My email address is dean@team.bordernet.com.au if you would like my help.

[Moresco]

That would be great if you could make a visual tutorial, also if you need actors for your game.  I would be more than happy to make a template of myself doing different things, if you need actors and such.  My email address is dean@team.bordernet.com.au if you would like my help.

I will either do a screen-cap tutorial or a youtube video, we'll see - but something and soon, but today I found myself too busy to do it.

Added a new WIP background to the first post, of what might work out as the interior of Lytton PD, Detective's Division.  It would be the left hallway, one of probably four hallway scenes in the PD to make up the entire building.  I have another background of the right hallway in the works, but I pretty much just need to figure out the layout of it and straighten some basic things out before I can really share it.

[Joseph DiPerla]

Neat! I look forward to a tutorial.

Can I ask for some other improvements in the game?

1) Can we take control of Keith?
2) Can we have a dialogue system where we can converse with other characters ala Indiana Jones and the last crusade adventure game?
3) A text parser to ask witnesses and people about other characters, eg: "ask about Don Colby" etc...
4) Can we please not have to drive ourselves to a location or can we atleast have an option to just pick a location off the map and it drives us there?
5) I would love to see the inside of Sonny's apartment...

These were elements missing from the original game that I wish were there...

[Moresco]

Neat! I look forward to a tutorial.

Can I ask for some other improvements in the game?

1) Can we take control of Keith?
2) Can we have a dialogue system where we can converse with other characters ala Indiana Jones and the last crusade adventure game?
3) A text parser to ask witnesses and people about other characters, eg: "ask about Don Colby" etc...
4) Can we please not have to drive ourselves to a location or can we atleast have an option to just pick a location off the map and it drives us there?
5) I would love to see the inside of Sonny's apartment...

These were elements missing from the original game that I wish were there...

1. Sure, I'll add it as something to unlock, how does that sound?
2.  I haven't played this game, I'll look into it.  I'm not locked into a certain style, but I do want to use a gui of some sort for dialogs.  Can you give me a sample of this or link me to one?
3.  I was just going to add a dialog list instead, but maybe an Ask/Tell/etc menu and then type in what you want to ask about in a box? I guess I could try that out?  I'll think about it anyhow.
4. Sorry, I can't really get rid of the driving bit, but I can make it more fun....or die trying.
5. He has an apartment?

[Joseph DiPerla]

I will provide references and response to those on another day. I am leaving work right now.

But in regards to Sonny's apartment... In-game, type "drive home" and he goes there. I dont think he lives with Mary, or does he?

[Moresco]

I will provide references and response to those on another day. I am leaving work right now.

But in regards to Sonny's apartment... In-game, type "drive home" and he goes there. I dont think he lives with Mary, or does he?

Not sure about that, I tried what you said to type in, both in the unmarked and personal car - and it gives the same response "You're already there."  Anyhow I knew there was no background for his place, it's not in the game because I've already dumped the entire thing.  As for his apartment, this is the first I've seen or heard any reference to where Sonny lives - there's none in the game to my knowledge.  And the girl, Marie Wilkans, she lives by herself in a small house that you go to in the game.

[Radiant]

As for his apartment, this is the first I've seen or heard any reference to where Sonny lives - there's none in the game to my knowledge.

Now that you mention it, that IS rather odd, is it not? Especially in the first game, where you can drive all across Lytton, except that your own house is unlisted.

[Moresco]

As for his apartment, this is the first I've seen or heard any reference to where Sonny lives - there's none in the game to my knowledge.

Now that you mention it, that IS rather odd, is it not? Especially in the first game, where you can drive all across Lytton, except that your own house is unlisted.

That's true....how about in PQ3, any mention there? I've played 3 through, but it was long ago.

Maybe I can add something, since I'm adding all this other stuff, I guess it's not too much of a stretch.  I think that's really a big deal, because if he lives in a bachelor pad styled apartment, that's messy, then you think "Ok Sonny is a messy slob."  But if it's really clean or if he has nice things in a decent condo or something, you'll think "Well that Sonny sure can manage his salary."  Or something.  But it changes how you see the character - and maybe they wanted him to be Joe-Run-of-the-mill- Patrol cop, so they left that out.  Or maybe they forgot.  Who knows right?