Topic: ESPER: COMPLETED!!!

[esper]

Please excuse me as I have never posted here before, and this is my first game.

Hey everyone! I'd like to tell you all about my new game,
ESPER: The Town on the Edge of Darkness!

STORY:
   You are Ian McDermott, head of the paranormal/occult investigation unit of ESPER: the society for Extraordinary Supernatural Phenomena Explored and Revealed. You have been called to the prison cell of one Mr. Frederick Stiles, one of the wealthy elite of Newport, RI. To christen his new yacht, Mr. Stiles sailed around an island that had been declared a No-Man's Land by the United States govornment, only after dark he found the island to be fully populated. Stopping there to investigate, Mr. Stiles met a woman who wanted to go with him back to Newport, but the further away they got, the sicker she became until she was something completely other than human. With no choice but to save his own life, Mr. Stiles beat her to death and was found by the Coast Guard in shock above her broken body. You have been called to find out exactly what is going on on Noman Island, and to clear Mr. Stiles of his crime. After all, you can't kill someone who's...
   ...already dead...

SCREENIES:



Sorry about the splash screen, but I thought it was necessary to show you the "mood" of the game...




Frederick Stiles telling Ian his horrible story.




Ian gets off his boat to investigate an island that shouldn't be there in the first place... Sorry about the gratuitous lens flare. I originally meant to put in a shine for the moon, but GIMP automatically added the flare and I din't notice until I'd already fully scripted the room. There is another one like it, but only one other 

PROGRESS:

Story: 100%
Scripting: 50%
Graphics: 99%
Sound/Music: 0%
In-Game movies: 25%

Despite the 226% remaining, I should be finished in about a week or two. The game comes complete with the original story I wrote last year that the game is loosely based on. (Loosely means don't go looking to the story for clues!!!)

If this game is well received, it may become the first in a series...

8/30/05

A WEEK IN ADVANCE OF SCHEDULING, ESPER IS READY! I have run through the game from start to finish, and the only thing I did not check extensively was the eight different endings. As far as I know, four of them were working differently, but since the ending you get is based on certain actions you took during the game, it would have taken a millenia to check all eight. Both of the positive endings are working properly, though. the file size is a little big (65 MB) due to the AVI movies I used in it, but hopefully it's worth the download. If it is well received, then it will be the first in a series.

[AlbinoPanther]

sounds intersting.
You should do something with that moon on 2nd BG it look a little bit funny and the reflection near the moon is not quite right.
But on the other hand everything else is fine story and the BG's are in the same mood(that is realy what everyone trying to achive)
just do something with moon shape.

one question: will you use a original(your) graphics for GUI cursors.

[Ishmael]

Nice graphics though I have a little crit about the latter shot. The lens flare. I reckon the player character will be on top of it when they walk to it. And that'll look plain weird, IMO. (as in, can't you remove it?)

At any rate, I'll be looking forwards to this one. Finish it, and make it good

[esper]

I wish I could get rid of it, but A) I already finished that screen and would have to redo it (alot of action takes place on that screen later in the game, and it took a week to script it all) and B) It's engrained on there now, and I would probably wind up ruining the pic if I tried scrubbing it out. I hope the game will be up to par. While I ( ::whispers "think I":: ) can make pretty good graphics, my animation leaves much to be desired. Therefore, all animations suck, and therefore number two, most characters have only one view or just don't do too much acting (it is a story-driven game anyway).
   --plus, like I said, there is one other room with a lousy lens flare. The thumbnail was too small for me to notice at the time I made it, and I didn't notice it until I had done half of the room already. Grrrr....
   And about the cursors: I have my own GUI, but for now I am sticking with the prefab cursors. I am going to try using the GUI icons as cursors, but since they are dark and most of the screens are dark, it might be no good and I will wind up using the prefabs.
   Thanks for the interest, guys. I hope the game is good enough for ya... It is only my first attempt... 

[Darth Mandarb]

This isn't the critics lounge ... save the graphics critiques for that board please.

The story sounds interesting (perhaps a bit cliche but not in a bad way).  It sets a mood pretty well.

Please be sure to notify when/if the game is complete!  Thanks and good luck!

[Mozesh]

Story sounds interesting keep it up!

[Mordalles]

this looks like a col game! i wanna play it.
and dont listen to whole "cliche" thing. you do what you want. 

[Ishmael]

Okay, I was just asking. My post is a bit poorly phrased, as rather usual...  Just for the record, if the game is otherwise good, I don't care a fryingpan if there are two discreet lensflares in the background variety

This isn't the critics lounge ... save the graphics critiques for that board please.

As I said, my post was... ah, screw it. Nevermind...

[esper]

Heh... "Discreet?" You haven't seen the other one. It's all over the middle of the screen. It's just a big screen, so I didn't notice it right away... Grrr!

Anyway, thanks for all the interest. I'm currently 50% done with the scripting. After that, I just need to add the music and sound effects (which I have ready to go) and the game should port by Friday.

[Ishmael]

the game should port by Friday.

Excellent