The unprintable MAGENTA - updated Nov. 24

[Fitz]

The game's gone LIVE! You'll find the Completed Games thread
HERE!

When the night falls and evil roams the streets of Some City - she comes to the rescue:

...a girl with the power to turn everything she touches pink

Experience the thrill of being a night time crimefigher by playing

THE ALPHA DEMO

(scroll to the end of this post for details on gameplay/GUI)

She will venture boldly into the city's darkest corners!


She will strike fear into the hearts of the evil-doers.


She will meet new super-friends -- and have a super fun time with them:


Every superhero needs a sidekick. Or two! Meet Magenta's new posse!


Vandalism! Praise of anarchy! These are the issues a street-level superhero will have to tackle on a daily -- or nightly -- basis!


The Unprintable MAGENTA was originally meant to participate (and emerge victorious!) in last month's MAGS, whose main theme was sub-par heroes: superheroes with useless powers. I instantly thought of Magenta - a comic I'd made for my girlfriend, with her as the titular superheroine. For the game's sake, I tweaked the original concept significantly, making Magenta more cartoony -- and her adventures more goofy than heroic.

Due to time contraints I wasn't able to make it in time -- and so I decided to continue my work on it as a regular game. Now, unburdened by deadlines I can flesh out certain aspects of the game and add some things I'd previously left out. But the basics remain the same -- and so the game will feature:
- hi-res graphics in astonishing 800x600 resolution and no less amazing 16 colors of the EGA color palette:

- six in-game locations
- six interactive characters - plus two that you cannot really see, one that can't talk at the moment, AND an animal (that can't talk, either -- especially not right now)
- heavy emphasis on dialogue: Magenta's superpower isn't exactly super, so often she will have to talk way out of dangerous situations
- the danger is real, so make friends with the Save button!
- walking around in a skimpy pink dress isn't always dangerous, though. Sometimes it's just funny. Or, if you're the one wearing it, humiliating, frustrating and infuriating (but be aware that you look funny when you're angry)

UPDATE: November 24, 2015:

It this real life?

[embed=720,540]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfFKQA51w8[/embed]

After a year and four months in production, Magenta is nearing completion. Can you believe it?!

It's actually been pretty much done for quite a while now -- just missing a few crucial bits of audio, without which it wouldn't be complete. But everything came together, eventually. And theeen, when I thought I was ready... I stumbled upon a piece of music that I instantly fell in love with. And saw a story in there that needed to be visualized. So I asked the composer if I could use his tune for the game's intro -- and the rest is history

And since Magenta's finally got an epic intro sequence, it's only natural to crank up the awesome in the outro, too. So that's what I'm doing now -- and hoping to make it by November 30! Not gonna be easy! I've spent some 12 hours straight last Saturday on a sequence that's not even a minute long So wish me luck!

UPDATE: November 29, 2015:

The game's gone LIVE! You'll find the Completed Games thread

HERE!

[Gurok]

- the current font needs to go -- and I plan to make one of my own

Might I suggest the 8x14 EGA font? http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/Images/pgcfont.png

Good luck with the game. Magenta has an amazing look. Bewildered by her own superpowers. I look forward to playing it!

[Stupot]

Best of luck man. Maybe being unable to enter it For MAGS was a blessing. Now you can give this project a bit of the TLC it deserves. Magenta with thank you for it :-)

[SilverSpook]

Fascinating idea!  I envision a French fashionista arch-nemesis named "Alfa Chanel" (Sha-nell).

Good luck to you!

[Fitz]

Gurok: Yeah, isn't that a great look? Magenta has a whole lot of animations -- and the same expression in all of them. Now that I have the time, I think I'll create an object/character or two, which I can then place over her face to act as her eyes/mouth, so I could animate each of them independently. But the basic expression is still the coolest.

Stupot: Right now all the TLC I have needs to go to the real Magenta -- she's suffered enough neglect over the past month while I was making a game about her

SilverSpook: That is BRILLIANT!!! The main theme of the game is superfolks with powers related to colors -- so Alpha Chanel fits perfectly AND might be the coolest of them yet. A supervillain with the power of invisibility -- who can only be seen in infra-pink? He -- the grandson on Coco -- might've turned to the ways of crime after his designer invisibility cloak failed during a pret-a-porter show and, instead of making himinvisible, showed him naked?

[Fitz]

After some more thought I took a different direction with that second background and made the color palette more consistent with the first one -- and the other four, for that matter:



I like not only the consistency, but the fact that it's darker, too. The crazy toxic green was a bit too much in and of itself -- and didn't looke like anything else in the game. Too bright and crazy.

[selmiak]

that was the right decision, looks way better and more moody.
Did you paint that dithering in MS Paint with the spraycan?

[Fitz]

Nope, in an ancient 2000 version of Photoshop that I use to this day (only because my 1996 Macromedia xRes won't even install on Win7, even in Win XP compatibility mode). This the regular paintbrush set to Diffuse, set to 10-30% opacity depending on what I need at the moment. I think this'd be much harder to achieve in MS Paint - but not impossible. Most of the graphics in Gray was done in WinXP Paint. I don't like the Win7 one, though.

[Fitz]

I've been quiet for the past five weeks or so -- getting back to my online comic, AND recording voice-overs not for ONE but TWO upcoming AGS detective games (in both of which I play the suspect!), etc... But fear not, the project is not only very much alive -- but also expanding!

Meanwhile, here's a little screenie for you -- a mock news item:



Magenta being mistaken for a prostitute or/and an under-age person is a running joke in the game -- given her pink costume and deceivingly youthful looks. It'll get her into trouble many times throughout the game.

[AprilSkies]

I see a lot of potential in this game.
The last background is very nice.

I'm looking forward for its release.

[Fitz]

Thanks Yeah, that last one really brings out the benefits of this style -- but I haven't quite mastered it yet, and most other backgrounds are on the minimalistic side. I admire the art in your games, Donald Dowell and Tales especially -- a really polished, organic style you got there.

[AprilSkies]

Now that you make me think, in Donald I experienced something you're doing very very well here: Drawing using "pixels" in highest resolution!

[SilverSpook]

Fascinating font you have there sir!

The running hooker thing sounds like a riot!

Now if you could just get your flux capacitor working, zip back in time and nab 12 year old Jodie Foster to voice Magenta...

[Fitz]

I've been quiet over the past month -- but that's because I've been hard at work on the game, putting in crazy hours (up to 12 hours a day in the weekends) to get as much as I can done before I go into surgery. Then they cancelled the day before the date -- so I decided to continue my work. So, I give you a brand new screenie:

Magenta meeting a team of fellow superheroes



Also, this was my first attempt at making a font. Not quite there yet. I like the font itslf, but the thin automatic outline won't do in some cases. I actually created a ttf bold outline font to go with -- but it just won't fit, half of the letters look terribly displaced. It's not kerning, because I created the outline font first and then made the basic font by deleting the outer geometry, without changing any other setting. Oh well, I'll just make a pixel font with it, that should work.

Otherwise, the work's progressing nicely, actually. The first four rooms are pretty much done, the fifth needs some minor cutscene tweaks, and the only things still untouched are Room 6, the short outro/credits sequence and the audio editing.

Also - Silverspook, I don't think I need Jodie Foster. My girlfriend -- and my inspiration for Magenta -- has the same kind of tomboyish voice. So all I need is to do is seat her in front of a mic and CRACK THAT WHIP!

[Mandle]

"All the news that's Fitz to print"

LMAO!!!

[Tabata]

Glad to see that you are still into this one!
Looking really good ... and so ... special!     

[Fitz]

For all of you wondering -- yes, Magenta is still in the works. Currently alpha-testing the first five levels (of six total). Also, game-related merch is on its way. Marvel at this prototype:



No, this was not made by a five-year-old.

A five-year-old could probably do it way better with those tiny fingers.

[NickyNyce]

I was able to climb in an open window and steal a sneak peak of this little gem. Beautiful scenes, lovely characters, super powers...what's not to like. Fitz has done it again. He's created another fun and memorable game that adventure game fans will be sure to love.

[Fitz]

Here's a new screenie -- featuring Magenta's sidekick and his sidekick:



Had SO MUCH fun drawing them! These aren't the only cameos/property thefts I committed under the pretense of fair use, either You can expect a whole bunch of familiar faces and/or masks!

[CaptainD]

Holy purple silhouette Batman!!

[AprilSkies]

the more I see it the more I like it

[Fitz]

CaptainD: Bingo! That famous catchprase comes a second after the instant captured in this screenshot

Andrea: Thanks This particular sequence was a ton of fun to make -- from the square-ish graphic style that I adopted to draw the characters, inspired by the amazing Batman cartoon from the nineties, to the bluish hues of the sewers, taken right out of Tim Burton's "Batman Returns", the most climatic Batsy flick of them all. I'm a huge comic nerd

[Cassiebsg]

I'm sooo looking forward to this game!
Keep up the good work.

[CrashPL]

Oh man, this just keeps getting better and better. Can't wait to see it in action!

[CaptainD]

Featured!

Hope the game features some Bat Shark Repellent.  I'll be mightily disappointed if not.

[Fitz]

Ha! I *knew* featuring a well known and loved superhero would get everyone's attention But I better keep Bats and the gang low-profile lest DC, Marvel and a couple of others that I borrowed should mind. So their roles will be small, limited to cameos -- but I'll make the best of it

CaptainD: It won't be shown, but it's obviously there. That and croc repellent. HATED that guy in Arkham City! Also, a January release? That's wildly optimistic I will try to get as much done as I can over the next two weeks, mostly the animations, because I might not be in shape to do that for some time after the hernia surgery, due Jan 30. Ah, the woes, thrills and dangers of being an indie dev But I'll get it done

[CaptainD]

Ah it could be the operation I was remembering for the end of January, not the game release.  Ah well.  Let's see if people start nagging you because they expect the game to come out when I said it might!  (I doubt it... )  PM me if you want me to remove that particular screenshot, it's not problem.

Oh and it wasn't the well known and loved superhero that got my attention really It's just that I've been trying to make a special effort to feature AGS-made games on my blog these days - since I waste spend so much time on these boards I didn't always appreciate just how little known a lot of great AGS games are outside our little community here.

[Fitz]

Well, if people start nagging, I'll have more motivation to work harder. And if they happen to nag in this thread -- or under your preview -- rather than via pm, more people will hear about it, take to twitter and blogspot to complain, and before you know it, I'll get featured in PC Gamer's "2017's Most Anticipated Games" And why in the world would I want you to remove that picture? Other than attracting fellow comic nerds to a possible new comic franchise (fun fact: Magenta was actually intended to have a little comic series long before I decided to feature her in a game), it's just bat-ass, if I may say so myself

Oh and if you're so keen on promoting really obscure AGS games, I'm not sure Monty got any attention other than AdventureGamers' Following Freeware (which keeps an eye on AGS anyway) and that Russian Let's Play that gave up on it four minutes in

And Gray got three noms? Always thought it was one. Now I feel even more robbed than I did before

[CaptainD]

"Nominated, Best Player Character 2012
Nominated, Best Background Art 2012
Nominated, Best Short Game 2012"

I'm sure I can give Monty a mention.  Strange that it doesn't show you on your profile...!?

EDIT - here it is.

[Ben X]

"Batman Returns", the most climatic Batsy flick of them all.

Surely "Batman And Robin" had the most climate-based antics, thanks to Mr Freeze?

[Fitz]

Cap: Ah yes, my bad! I must've confused these with my single nom in the Annual Drunk Duck Awards of 2007. I'd link you to it, but I think I'll let you forever wonder what the hell those are, instead Alternately, you might simply google it.
And thanks for mentioning Monty!

Ben X: True. But Penguin did have air-conditioning in his lair and liked to keep his water ice-cold! I'm actually re-watching all the Bat flicks right now. Saw both Burton movies yesterday and today and those are still my favorites, despite the cheesiness -- which you only notice when you're no longer 12 The 1989 Batman was such an 80's movie, with the crazy colors and cheesy Prince tunes! Batman Returns was far more self-aware, and more Burton-ish, if still very goofy in places. And Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman was and remains THE best comic book movie character, second to none.

Also, this page contains a lot of text and no pictures. Let's change that.

Here's another brief cameo:



Not a superhero -- but she's one deadly lady!

[Fitz]

Presenting...

THE ALPHA DEMO

As I've mentioned above, I have a little surgery on Jan 30 -- nothing overly serious, just a hernia, but it'll take a while to heal and might not be able/allowed to spend much time on the puter for a while. That means the game will have to be put on hold. Sooo I thought I'd give you a little something to keep those salivary glands working Here's a fully playable ALPHA DEMO -- featuring the game's first location, including a little superhero training/tutorial! Warm up and face your first opponent!
- left-click for action
- right-click to change between modes (walk, look, interact, talk; you'll have to unlock them in the tutorial)
- Esc to skip cutscenes
- left-click to skip dialogues one line at a time, Esc to skip the whole conversation
- X or F10 to quit with a prompt, Ctrl+Q to exit without a prompt
- there is not save option, the game autosaves after completing certain tasks/getting to a certain point
- if you get knocked out -- or worse! -- the game will rewind to the last autosave. If you want to skip dialogue you've already heard, just press Esc.

[Cassiebsg]

Thanks, that was a short cute little demo, looking forward to the full game.

Good luck with the surgery!

[NickyNyce]

Hope you feel better Fitz. May you have a super speedy recovery!

[CaptainD]

Nice one Fitz!

Hope the surgery and post-op goes well mate.

[Ibispi]

I will definitely play the demo of the unprintable M. after I get finished with my exam tomorrow that is. Stupid life, both stopping developers from working on their games and stopping players from playing games. Why does everything have to be so cruel?

[Fitz]

Thanks, everyone How would you say was it? Easy to get everything right the first time around? Or did you get a royal ass-kicking? I had a lot of fun coming up with and putting together these "Fatalities"

BSP: Yeah! If I didn't have to work, sleep, eat and poop, I'd be so much more productive. Not to mention blinking! When they start digitizing people -- a thing they've long been theorizing about, to rid us of the burdens of physicality -- I'll be second in line. You know, just in case something goes terribly wrong with Ray Kurzweil (who's first in line), so I could back out

[AprilSkies]

Wait WUT? a Deno?

Edit: Already played

\o/  It's wonderful!!!! I love the concept! And lovely gfx!
Really well done Fitz!
I can't wait to play more!

[CaptainD]

Thanks, everyone How would you say was it? Easy to get everything right the first time around? Or did you get a royal ass-kicking?

Weeeeeell... I got through the first bit okay, but once the verbal jousting was over, I couldn't find anything that saved me from being punched skywards.  (I thought the player character was the superhero here?!?! )

[Fitz]

Andrea:
Thanks! I'm quite happy with the anims, myself, simple as they are. That particular background could use a little make-over, though. It's the first one I did for the game and it's not quite on par with the others. But I'm having fun with these 16 colors, that's for sure

Cap:
But were you trying to get away -- or tackle the enemy? Listen to what Magenta says when you do and that should give you an idea. There's these tricky mechanics that I came up with for the game -- and I knew it's not very intuitive, but once you get it, you'll know what to do in other situations further on in the game.

If it's still not clear, here's a couple of hints (uncover them one by one):

1.

Spoiler

Where would you punch the hooker to shut her up for good? That spot has a hotspot of its own.

[close]

2.

Spoiler

Not THERE, you pervert!

[close]

3.

Spoiler

The mouth. You're supposed to hit her right in the mouth.

[close]

[Cassiebsg]

I got dead right at the first line...
But after that, I got the mechanics and got easier. Loved the "MI" joust style.
I did however:

Spoiler

Thought that it was odd, that once you backed up and the hooker said a bunch of stuff, that you then had the same exact lines to reply with. Of course that makes it easier to code and move forward, I just didn't felt that replying that line with what the hooker had now said made much sense...

PS. Even though I found the right spot at third try, I did more or less followed the same order your hints are in...
Though I was more thinking of the likes "where would it be more embarrassing for the hooker to get all pink..." so I started with the hair... Hadn't expected a punch though, just a soft gentle touch...

[close]

[Ibispi]

Thanks, everyone How would you say was it? Easy to get everything right the first time around? Or did you get a royal ass-kicking? I had a lot of fun coming up with and putting together these "Fatalities"

BSP: Yeah! If I didn't have to work, sleep, eat and poop, I'd be so much more productive. Not to mention blinking! When they start digitizing people -- a thing they've long been theorizing about, to rid us of the burdens of physicality -- I'll be second in line. You know, just in case something goes terribly wrong with Ray Kurzweil (who's first in line), so I could back out

I've searched it on internet recently, and I had no idea that such thing as digital immortality existed as an idea. Thanks for the insight Fitz, now I only have to hope that this atheist heaven would be invented during my lifetime and also be somehow accessible to me. 

On topic: I've played the demo today and my comment would be that you did a great work, at least in this demo, with making losing the game event not be so much punishing, as it can be in some games.

[Fitz]

Cassie: I guess the easiest thing to do here would've been for the hooker to knock Magenta out in response to every wrong choice -- but I thought it'd be too easy. So instead, I *tried* to make Magenta's responses work both ways. It'd perhaps be best to have a whole bunch of responses randomly chosen by the program -- but I made this part still hoping to make it before the MAGS deadline, so I was pressed for time. Then I just left it and moved on, figuring it's not perfect, but not shamefully bad, either I *might* try something more complex, similar to the famed MI insult sword fighting, in the final boss battle.

BSP: I have my doubts about how "human" such a digitized version would be. Memories and intelligence themselves are pretty elusive, but it gets nearly impossible once you factor in hormones, senses, genetics... You could simulate them with a set of mathematic variables, but that'd still be an artificial approximation, not the real you.
As for the game, I think the "fatalities" are just plain fun. I certainly had fun making them. Should've made the game more difficult, so that each player would have to see them all before they reach the end Alternately, I might add an achievement for anyone who finds all of the "fatalities" (and there will be some neatly hidden ones, too).

[Michael2968]

I enjoyed the demo of your game. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was kind of short. I am looking forward to the full game. It looks like it will be fun.

[Fitz]

Thanks Yeah, it is kinda short. The whole thing was prepared for MAGS, so it was my intention to keep it short and sweet. When I dropped out of the contest, I decided to give it some more polish, but it didn't change all that much gameplay-wise. Plus, I had to make the first one relatively easy not to discourage the players, hopefully the later levels will take you some more time -- and that you'll get to see the incredibly funnoying cutscenes

Speaking of which, I scraped the character animations for one of them, feeling it was not on par with the Batman sequence and some others. It looked too static, empty and was, admittedly, poorly drawn. I re-drew the scene from scratch -- and it looks much more dynamic and fun. I won't show it to you just yet -- but here's one of the dropouts:



Any guesses who this is?

[selmiak]

doNERDello from the turtles?

[Fitz]

Geexactly! I think the turtleneck gave it away He's even nerdier in his new version.

[AnasAbdin]

Why can't I come up with such great characters like those! I love everything about this game. Specially that no one can predict where and how this is going to end up

[Fitz]

Anas, it's all about what you'll allow yourself to do in a given story Sometimes it's fun to just let it go and draw whatever the heck you want -- something I often forget. I tend to stick to a formula -- and soon enough I find myself stuck in a rut. I dug up some of my teenage doodles the other day and it struck me what crazy stuff I drew. Drawing this new version of the turtles -- and other childhood's favorite superheroes -- was so refreshing in so many ways. I can break away from my usual set of themes AND try my own twisted take on the classics, with no shame or prejudice

Speaking of which -- here's the new version of Donnie:


With that cutscene pretty much done, I can now enjoy my well-deserved vacation/sick leave The game goes on hold for a few weeks -- but my brain will be hard at work

[ManicMatt]

Those sprites are huge! Definetely has it's own identity going on!

Get back to work soldier! Don't leave it for 3 years like I did!

[Fitz]

Oh, I scale them down for the sake of the game -- but yeah, the originals are usually huge compared to ingame sprites.

Meanwhile, I got back to work! Took me a while, too. After I got better, I was SWAMPED with work. Buck I'm back, baby! The break I took actually helped me get a fresh look at certain aspects of the game and flesh out some ideas. Still a lot of work -- but I'm genuinely excited about where this is going!

Here's a new in-game location:

[Gurok]

I'm really loving the progress on this. You've used the 16 colour restriction so cleverly. Also, the more are I see, the more it just clicks because the style is just so consistent. I've got to say, the screenshots and characters in this thread now look very neat collected together. Still pumped about this game!

[Fitz]

Thanks This new one was probably the most fun to draw, with just three colors -- and with the Sin City movies at the back of my mind. I might/should probably draw the first location (the toy store) from scratch, though -- it was the first one I did for the game, and it just feels very simplistic and all around clumsy. Right now, I feel more confident and comfortable with the chosen style.

[AprilSkies]

I like the punx not dead graffiti  : D
I wish there was a song by Exploited in that room

[Fitz]

Me, I'd put a few Prodigy songs here and there -- if we're sticking to punk, I'd say "Fuel My Fire". But I don't suppose they'd let me use it for an amount of money available to a mere mortal

UPDATE: Over this past week I was hard at work, writing dialogue, scripting and animating for the location above -- and oh boy was it a lot of work. And there's still a lot of work ahead of me! But it's insanely fun, too.

Speaking of insane, here's a little sneak peak of what I've been working on.


Magenta impersonating a beloved comic character

[Fitz]

Big news, everyone! I've decided to ditch the retro style, scrape all game art and go in a completely new direction. It's a game about superheroes, so it needs to be BIG and SERIOUS -- and up to date with game technology. So it's no longer an AGS production -- or an adventure game, for that matter. It's going to be a sandbox action game.

So, without further ado -- here are some new character designs:

MAGENTA:


YOLLOW:

[selmiak]

I see what you did there!

[StillInThe90s]

Oh, me too

Love your gradient technique btw. Reminds me a bit of Bik:
http://bikgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Bik_Ammut_SET_Bar.png

Good luck with it! (including the action bit)

Image removed by Darth - If you post another off-topic image I will permanently ban you.  You have been warned.

[AprilSkies]

mmh Well I loved the old characters design tho. Very.
Those new ones are of course very well done, but old ones were so good.
prolly I only have to familiarize with them

[Fitz]

Glad you guys like it

StillInThe90s : Oh, that one's new to me. I like it! My inspiration comes from indie comics -- another thing that I dabble in, myself. I like this style more than the regular gradients that most games use, it's more gritty -- which is exactly what I was going for in "Magenta".

Andrea: I'm still not quite sure this is the final look (I'm hesitating between more bewbs and less bewbs), but I'm seeing this new style as my gateway to mainstream fame. Would love to work on Saints Row V *wink wink nudge nudge*

[Cassiebsg]

Looking good!

Spoiler

Good it's a one day fly...

[close]

[AprilSkies]

Ok I familierized with them!

I approve them, especially yellow's panties ROFL

[Fitz]

I've just uploaded the 1000th sprite in the game! To celebrate this huge milestone, I give you: a look at an animated location where the sprite is used!



Meanwhile, I'm hard at work on the the final boss battle -- and it's shaping up to be pretty epic! It'll span over three rooms -- of which the first is alllllllmost done. The dialogues are crazy, the animations insane and cameos are plenty!

[Gurok]

Uploaded? Is that because you're using source control?

The animated background is really cool! I still love everything I see in this style and I'll definitely be giving it a play when it's finished.

[Fitz]

My bad, I meant "imported" It's just that "upload" is the first word that comes to mind. The bottom line is, it's 1000 images in the game -- not including backgrounds and rejected stuff! And I'm still going -- and loving it more and more, actually So yeah, it might still take a while -- and then some, depending on whether or not I decide to add a full-blown animated intro like I did with "Gray".

But I'm getting there!

[Monsieur OUXX]

I love this last image. Very simple (apparently only!) but visually powerful. I always had a thing for black/gray/red old-school gradients

[Fitz]

I've finally sat down to re-work the original background for the first location:



It's not a far cry from the original -- I basically made a more intricate brickwork, with each brick differing in shade, cast a light over the display and added an awning. It's still work-in-progress: might add a few little touches here -- AND change the letters -- but overall, I like it, as simple as it is.

The past two weeks didn't see much progress in the gameplay area. I was mostly busy developing and implementing a checkpoint system -- with quickloads and menu access at all times, which is not something AGS likes. So there was a lot of work, a lot of ugly, ugly code -- but clunky as it is, it works What does it mean for you as the players? If you fail, you can easily access either the last checkpoint -- or any previous save slot -- at any time. Also, prepare for fun checkpoint/achievement badges and titles -- such as, say, LoveFist (who can tell me, without the help of Uncle Google, where I took that one from?).

And last but not least -- THE GAME'S GOING TO HAVE SOME MUSIC!!! I approached Problem, who did the soundtrack for Visitor 3, figuring the kind of music he did there would really work with the "lonely girl traversing the city by night, looking for trouble" type of story. He liked what he'd seen so far -- and so he agreed. I have nothing to show just yet, since his priority at the moment is Rogue State -- but last week he told me he already had a few ideas. If you'd like to hear what captivated me, though, check out Visitor 3's OST, which he made available for download.

And if you haven't played Visitor 3 yet -- DO SO! NOW!

[AnasAbdin]

I really love this game looking at the characters makes me wanna chat and tease them! Good going getting problem help you with the music. Best of luck Fitzy fitz

[Fitz]

Haven't updated in a while -- and took a two-week break from the game, to relax, read a book, play some games -- but it's progressing I'm putting some finishing touches to the penultimate room -- which has some pretty awesome cutscenes and is by far the trickiest level, with the meanest, most unfair puzzles . After that, the last round should be a piece of cake!

And here's the final boss -- disguised as a well-known game karakter...

[CrashPL]

Hooray for late-game unfair puzzles (and cutscenes)! Can't wait to see it in action!

[selmiak]

I so want to finish him!

[Fitz]

Speaking of finishing -- the game's now playable from start to finish The last boss battle has been designed, written, scripted and drawn. I'm probably more surprised than anybody, given how long the previous boss battle rounds took to develop. It's simplier than the former two -- but it's evil and twisted in its own way

There are still quite a few things to be done -- including some final cutscenes, credits a large part of audio editing... And the music! How's that going, Problem? I'm also toying with the idea of a full blown intro. We'll see

[Ibispi]

Nice! Can't wait to play it.

[selmiak]

Speaking of finishing -- the game's now playable from start to finish

Just seeing your mean grin there, I repeat:

I so want to finish him!

In case I didn't jokingly spoil something, please add this in

[NickyNyce]

Can't wait to kick some ass, adventure style!

[Fitz]

It's been over month since the last update -- and I'll honestly and shamelessly confess that I spent most of that time playing Hotline Miami I finished it, then finished it again to get all the password letters. Then, as I kept on playing in the effort to gather all masks, with little success, I rage-quit, deciding life's too short to waste it like that, and rage-uninstalled the game. A few days later, I installed it again and stormed through it, finishing it, gathering all secrets and mosts of the masks in one sitting. Managed to get all masks this time. And then, when I got a B- on a level whose highscore I couldn't beat, before, for some reason I decided I surely could get an A+ if I tried -- on all levels!!! I was wrong... But that didn't stop me from trying -- cleared 8 levels with A+ so far.
But then I remembered there's a different game that needs some attention -- and once I sat down to work on it, it was hard to pull me away from it. I finished the boss battle sequence -- which I expanded beyond what I told you about last time. I made some fun cutscenes. And over this past weekend I finally fleshed out the checkpoint system with icons and captions -- including these:







Still some work left to do -- mostly with the audio editing. And that first room's background, which gets uglier every time I look at it But I'll get there!


The tentative deadline: August 31, 2015.

[AnasAbdin]

Ha! How did I miss this
fun stuff Fitz. I'm sure this will bring a lot of fun. Can't wait to love fist this game

[Fitz]

The past week's seen some further development of the game menus and a newly added dialogue tree -- with one dialogue option branching out into four, and those further branching out. Boring, right?

BUT just today I've reached a significant milestone! Finally... after many failed attempts... I have devised...

THE LOGO!!!

[AprilSkies]

Very nice logo!

even if.... in that logo the magenta was successfully printed! 

[AnasAbdin]

I love the logo I swear I thought it was moving

[Kasander]

Hey Fitz, I've played UM several weeks ago but didn't have enough time to write few words back then. Only now I can hail the birth of this uber-cute superheroine! I've enjoyed the demo very much, had a few good laughs, loved the writing, the ideas and character design. Normally I get bored easily whenever superheroes appear to save the day, but Magenta really is one of a kind, her power is very original and she goes against all those stereotypical "wonder women".

... So I wonder is there going to be some complementary supervillain with venomously green eyes that she would have a crush on? You know, someone who would be Catwoman to her Batman... if only to spice things up?

[Fitz]

Andrea: The thing is that the RGB magenta (as seen on your monitor) differs from the magenta ink used in print, in that the latter is warmer in tone. So, it's hard to reproduce pure CGI magenta in print using just the single ink. Hence the "unprintable".

Anas: That's what I was going for Not as powerful an effect as it would've been if I used green and red, but yeah, I liked the sharp, cartoon style contrast (Penelope Pitstop comes to mind).

Kasander: I developed Magenta as a parody of the superhero comics. I grew up reading those and the genre is still dear to me, but it's true that a lot of times the supers are the least interesting part of the story - even more so in the movies than the comics. Nolan's Batman, all the recent iterations of Superman and both cinematic incarnations of Spider-Man were terribly bland. So, very often, it's the villains that elevate these stories. Or the secondary characters (J. Jonah Jameson was epic!).
And yes, there is going to be a supervillain to match Magenta!

[Kasander]

Nolan's Batman, all the recent iterations of Superman and both cinematic incarnations of Spider-Man were terribly bland. So, very often, it's the villains that elevate these stories. Or the secondary characters (J. Jonah Jameson was epic!).

Say no more, say no more... I think if they changed the title from "The Dark Knight" to "Joker and That Guy in the Cape", it would be more fitting. I had the same problem playing Batman Arkham Asylum few months ago. If it wasn't for Mark Hamill's Joker and his dialog lines I would throw away the gamepad early in the game. We probably share similar upbringing when it comes to superhero comics, I did like to heavily overdose on TM-Semic's Marvel and DC comics in my youth. Yeah, it really requires a skillful writer to make your regular superhero look human (like Alan Moore did with Batman in Killing Joke). That's why I appreciate non-stereotypical superheroes/heroines like Magenta even more. I think there really is a place for non-conventional superheroes like her in the hearts of players/readers. And possibly on the market (just imagine those Magenta mugs and t-shirts! ) BTW, is there a link to that Magenta comic you've mentioned or was it "for her eyes only" kind of thing?

[Fitz]

Ah, The Killing Joke! When I read it, I wasn't even eleven yet -- but even then, as a kid, I knew this was something special. And that's what they should be making movies of. Yes, we know, Bruce's parents were killed when he was a kid, we don't need to hear the story over and over again in every single Batman flick -- or have a whole tv series now revolving around his teenage years! The 90's cartoon did it right, why can't anyone take a clue and give us a tv series instead of a movie. The Arkham games are actually a step in the right direction -- with an ensemble cast of villains all with their own little agendas. Gameplay-wise, they're a mixed bag -- fun fights, but the graphics are so depressively dark. It's so hard to find your way in most of the time -- and it's usually somewhere at the back, and hidden so that you can only see it from a very specific angle. And it seems everyone's got a vat of V at their disposal at any time. I'm an obsessive completionist, so I finished both Asylum and City, but I think that's it for me.
As for the Magenta comic -- yeah, it's my gift to her, and I doubt anyone else would even get most of the humor in it. Plus, it was a rushed thing, I only had a few afternoons to work on it and get it printed. It wouldn't be a bad idea to start a new comic about Magenta when I'm done with the game -- because I have PLENTY ideas, and to think that to make them into a game would take a year EACH is just scary. But who knows, maybe the game will become wildly successful -- and I'll have no other option than to get crackin'

[Fitz]

I'm hard at work recording the sound effects. It's tricky when all you use is basic household items and various grunts -- but then again, you'd be amazed at the kind of sounds you can get from a bag of parboiled rice, or a bunch of old papers.

I've also been tweaking that wretched first location -- and it looks like... this one's a keeper!



I seriously like the brickwork in this one. And that display window doesn't look like a gaping hole of misery anymore. The place finally feels like it's breathing. Aaand then there's the dynamic character shadow.

[AnasAbdin]

I like the improvements Fitz And I love how the shadow isn't cast over the letters

[selmiak]

And I love how the shadow isn't cast over the letters

but... but shouldn't it be? Or is it because she is unprintable and doesn't mix well with other colors? Or is magenta some kind of CMYK vampire? Tell us Fitz!

I'm a bit torn with the reflection. Shouldn't it be more like the upwards/backwards view? But then these don't look that interesting most of the time and it looks quite cool this way.

Beautiful choice of colors for that background. This makes me want to play the game even more!
The gaping black hole also looks intriguing, maybe indicate a little bit of depth with even more nicely placed dithering.

[Fitz]

Oops, my bad -- i actually meant "reflection" rather than "shadow", since it's only visible on the glass surface of the display window. I could've had it cast over the letters, too -- easily -- but thought it looked somehow nicer the way it does. Let's assume these are fluorescent letters, beaming with reflected light, shall we? This reflection is not a very visually complex thing, either: just a darkened version of the original sprite -- but having it follow and mimic Magenta's every move was tricky to script.

And I actually like the back alley being all dark, with no gradients. This location seems to thrive on contrasts -- and so the only light in that part are the two mindows.

[Fitz]

It's been a month and a half since the last update, so a quick update would be in order. These past six weeks I've spent recording all sound effects myself -- and pestering Problem about the soundtrack. Now, with both almost done, with only a few minor things to add, I'd say Magenta will be out on patrol in a couple of weeks.

I also got permission from my old-time myspace friends Twilite to use their song in the game's outro/credits I'm super happy about it!

And it appears that today is the fifth anniversary of me registering on the forums!

[CrashPL]

That's awesome, Fitz. Hoping to play the full version of UM soon.

[Fitz]

Work's been kinda slow -- but we're getting there. Problem's free to work on the music now that the press kits for Rogue State have been sent out.

Me, I've been pondering on the idea of making a regular Magenta comic. For that, however, I need to up my skills as a cartoonist -- and so I decided to practice more. Here's my today's doodlings:



It's my take on Batman's Catwoman -- with less detail to the costume and more of little touches that make her look more like an actual cat: the scratches on her cheels imitating whiskers, the yellow nail polish making her nail look like a claw, and her figure's very slender, the female curves being merely hinted at with the tails.

[AnasAbdin]

How did I miss this! I love the doodle very simple and reminds me of old cartoons. I can't wait to see your characters in action!

[Fitz]

Thanks I've actually stuck with my "one doodle a day" challenge. My favorite has to be my own rendition of Harley Quinn.



Part of the challenge is to also stick to the 16 color EGA palette -- and it's a fun experience.

You can check my other Gotham Girls on my DeviantART profile -- 4 so far, and hopefully a new pic every other day.

[SilverSpook]

That's an awesome Harley there!

I like the whole webcomic concept also.  You've got ideas that seem like they'd make really great dialog.

I'd love to work on some kind of webcomic thing, except I'm not so good at rapidly sketching out characters in poses.  That's actually the worst part for me, getting perspective and proportions right, I end up spending an hour on an index finger's length.

Can't wait for the release of UM!

[CrashPL]

A "doodle per day" thingy is actually a pretty neat exercise for your art skill, as you will be able to pinpoint the exact moment where you got better at drawing. I remember Twarda doing the same thing (both per day, and a larger work per weekend), and it paid off very handsomely.

I like the overall charm of your doodles. Will you be using some of them in the game? (even as a cameo or an easter egg)

[Fitz]

SilverSpook: I'm still not sure what format would suit a story -- I'm torn between making it an online comic strip OR trying to go commercial with a regular 24-page booklet. I love webcomics, my current one is well past 600 strips right now -- but The Dream was always to go pro, and maybe, just maybe, release something on paper someday. Digital is a more realistic goal -- and there's plenty of fun to have with the format as well. And I yearn to revive my older webcomic (I'm pretty sure I've posted the link before, in this very thread). I think I'm onto something with the style I'm developing for it, because hyper-realism that I achieved towards the end was waaaay too time taking -- I'd spend crazy hours on a single page.
Also, this morning Problem let me know the last few tracks are alllmost there -- so the pink mayhem's impending!(laugh)

Crash: Twarda's art is brilliant, I'm a noob compared to her. I might've regressed a little, too, through the years of drawing my current comic strip, where I make super-simple cartoony doodles and, with no background art in most of them, I don't practice composition much. It's with the games that I really need to plan out the placement of objects and characters on the screen -- and I wish I could transfer that ability and expand it, with more dynamic action, in a superhero comic.
As for these doodles, no, all the game's graphics assets are done and in place -- BUT there will be PLENTY of cameos from DC's and Marvel's superheroes, as well as other cartoon/game characters. The classic Harley is there! (there's a pic somewhere earlier in the thread)

[Fitz]

It this real life?

[embed=720,540]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfFKQA51w8[/embed]

After a year and four months in production, Magenta is nearing completion. Can you believe it?!

It's actually been pretty much done for quite a while now -- just missing a few crucial bits of audio, without which it wouldn't be complete. But everything came together, eventually. And theeen, when I thought I was ready... I stumbled upon a piece of music that I instantly fell in love with. And saw a story in there that needed to be visualized. So I asked the composer if I could use his tune for the game's intro -- and the rest is history

And since Magenta's finally got an epic intro sequence, it's only natural to crank up the awesome in the outro, too. So that's what I'm doing now -- and hoping to make it by November 30! Not gonna be easy! I've spent some 12 hours straight last Saturday on a sequence that's not even a minute long So wish me luck!

[SilverSpook]

Awesome trailer man!  The music and the video totally fit.  That's not all done in AGS is it?  If so that's a lot of good work!

[Fitz]

It's 100% AGS -- mostly because I never learned to use any video editing software But yeah, it WAS a lot of work -- including measuring the lenght of one beat, of the sounds used (all created by yours truly) and then syncing the animation with things appearing on-screen and/or movement. Can't even count the times I listened to this tune. And still loving it!

[AnasAbdin]

I shall return to you after a few days when I regain my ability to speak

[CrashPL]

What a coincidence, I recently picked up a Final Cartridge III for my C64, so you get bonus points for nostalgia, good Sir.

Great trailer, it's truly awesome you managed to do it purely in AGS. Can't wait for the full version of Magenta, then!

[Fitz]

Yeah, I even drew the C64 fonts myself. That's how obsessive-compulsive I get And the release date is no coinky-dink, either. It's the third anniversary of my first game's release. After so many missed self-imposed deadlines, I truly hope this will be it.

[selmiak]

what an awesome teaser! So if this AGS... this means this is also the intro to the game and we can see it ingame too?

[Fitz]

That is correct. Prepare for an epic outro, too -- which is probably even harder to coordinate, but it's super fun to make nonetheless!

[StillInThe90s]

After a year and four months in production, Magenta is nearing completion. Can you believe it?!

Not really. Intro looks great though, so best of luck with the rest!

[Stupot]

Cracking trailer, Fitz. All the best polishing off Magenta :-)

[Fitz]

Christmas came early this year! It is...

HERE!

Enjoy!

[Darth Mandarb]

Congrats on the release! Might want to update the first post with the link as well!  I'll leave this open for a bit longer...

[Fitz]

Done