Sniper and Spotter Being Patriotic

Started by Blondbraid, Fri 21/08/2015 10:11:43

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Blondbraid

I guess this all started when I in my boredom browsed you tube for increasingly weird parodies of Donald Duck and ended up watching old propaganda cartoons from the second world war.
At first it was strange to see the horrors of war and oppression depicted through cute cartoons, but the stylized characters struck a cord which all the realistic war fps had failed to.
A few years later I played a game called Valiant Hearts, which also used the combination of war and a beautiful animated style to great effect, and I was further inspired.

But enough of my pretentious ranting, what about the actual game?

Sniper and spotter being patriotic is a game which takes place in an eastern European town torn apart between the Axis and Soviet forces. The protagonists are the titular sniper and spotter fighting in what would be known as
the great patriotic war in the Soviet union. It will be a darkly humorous story serving partially as a satire of the many other games about WWII and the mindless action movies which inspired them.

Like many adventure games, but unlike many war games, this game will focus on story and dialogue. But since it takes pace in a war zone, it will also be possible for the player to die if they make the wrong decision. But rest assured that the game will save automatically regularly.

This game will be in 1024 x 768 resolution with 32-bit color.
The background art is not in it's final state on the screenshots though.
In case anyone reading this is interested in knowing more about the characters and design of the game, here is a link to the Critic's Lounge thread:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.0

26 Aug 2015, 12:04 The intro and the first rooms are almost complete now.
28 Aug 2015, 20:52 I finished some background art along with what could theoretically count as an ridiculously easy adventure game puzzle (more of a tutorial really, to familiarize players new to the genre with the inventory before the action gets going).

05 Sep 2015, 10:31 Did quite a bit of research on the Polikarpov Po-2, which will likely only be seen flying in a brief cutscene and then never used again. By the way, the game has cutscenes now.
14 Sep 2015, 22:19 Have made a few more sprites and begun working on a new puzzle.
27 Sep 2015, 22:03 I have added a few objects and done some more work on the backgrounds.
02 Oct 2015, 16:17 Another puzzle is complete. And on an unrelated note, I also found some chestnuts.
09 Oct 2015, 16:51 Drew a few new sprites and added a new animation.
10 Oct 2015, 20:03 Did a bit more artwork.
12 Oct 2015, 18:31 I've worked some more on the background artwork, quite a lot of work, and begun pondering whether I should perhaps scale down the scope of the game. I guess making it up as I go along wasn't that good of a starting point. Whether or not I find the time and energy to animate the protagonist narrowly avoiding death by the explosion and subsequent destruction of a grandiose statue of Lenin remains to bee seen...
15 Oct 2015, 23:03 Some more work on the backgrounds, it's probably time to post some new screenshots of my progress soon.
19 Oct 2015, 21:57 Took up work on a new room with a bit of a dollhouse perspective going on, this area will basically be the player looking into a house and it's rooms from a gaping hole in the wall.
07 Nov 2015, 10:35 Just made a new background and begun working on a new set of rooms.
12 Nov 2015, 07:49 Have worked a bit on a new puzzle. Since my last puzzle involved gasoline, I wanted to do something entirely new and completely different for the sake of variation. This puzzle involves oil.
17 Nov 2015, 22:28 I have added more animated details, such as dust and smoke, to some of the backgrounds since my last update.
21 Nov 2015, 22:31 Today I have finally solved a bug that was, well, bugging me.
29 Nov 2015, 00:01 Drew a few new sprites.
06 Dec 2015, 21:57 I've been down with a cold these last few days and too tired to work on this game, but today I did a little bit of work on a upcoming dialogue scene.
08 Dec 2015, 22:35 Did some more work on said dialogue scene, and worked a bit on making the characters change expressions according to the dialogue options.
27 Dec 2015, 15:13 The dialogue scene is as good as finished, and I'm planning the next area and new characters. New screenshots will be coming shortly!
04 Jan 2016, 17:54 Worked a bit on a new puzzle. A patriotic puzzle!
07 Feb 2016, 11:56 Did some art for a cutscene featuring the previously mentioned Lenin statue. Look upon my work, ye mighty and despair! ;)
17 Feb 2016, 21:41 I have worked a bit on some dialogues and interactions with the environment.
26 Mar 2016, 17:16 I have worked a lot since my last update, and I'm currently working on a new background (albeit less intricate than my last!).
06 Apr 2016, 18:39 A few more interactions with the environment added, the player can now click on several more objects and hear the characters thoughts and opinions on them, and while not an integral part of the game I hope it'll bring flavor!
12 Apr 2016, 22:46 I have added even more interactions to the environment, my goal is that the player should be able to read an unique description for as may things as possible, as opposed for a standard answer for all things not strictly necessary for the progression of the game.
17 Apr 2016, 00:53 I am currently working on the background images for the game's final room and ending.
20 Apr 2016, 22:35 Just finished the final room's background. Save for the final cut-scene, all background images for this game is now complete! ;-D
26 Apr 2016, 21:44 Progress! The whole game is now playable from start to finish, albeit with minor details left to adjust.
29 Apr 2016, 22:31 Added a few more interactions as well as tried to, for the lack of a better word, "idiot proof" the game a little bit.
04 May 2016, 21:59 Did some fine tuning of a few cut-scenes as well as added more comments to the surroundings.


AnasAbdin

Congrats! I was waiting for this thread ever since seeing your art in the critics lounge :-D
Best of luck!

Mandle

Hahaha I love the stilted propaganda-style title...

You could take it a step further: "Patriotic Sniper And Spotter in: Service Of Glorious Duty For Mother Country."

Can't wait to play what already looks like a gem!

Blondbraid

QuoteCongrats! I was waiting for this thread ever since seeing your art in the critics lounge :-D
Best of luck!
QuoteCan't wait to play what already looks like a gem!
Thank you both for your kind words, for which I am very grateful! ;-D
I have added more details in the office and there is more things which the player can interact with,
among other things the orange poster in the background.

I added several new items, such as a vodka bottle next to a burning kerosene lamp next to a giant pile of paper, I guess I just turned the desk into a major fire hazard.
Spoiler
It is a bit of an Emperors new clothes situation as the commissar will accuse anyone intelligent enough to point this out as an intellectual (and thus an enemy of the communist ideals).
[close]


Blondbraid

I have made quite a few new sprites and thought that I could post one of them.

Yes, as a complete surprise to none and none at all, a game set in WWII will have Nazis as the enemy, though not all the German soldiers our titular sniper and spotter encounter will be enthusiastic about being drafted into the war to end up as cannon fodder. Since this is an adventure game, and not say an fps, rts or rpg, the player will likely focus more on evasion rather than combat, but this game is set in a war zone and it will feature blood and violence and the characters can be killed if they make the wrong decision on the battlefield.
After all, this is a ridiculously exaggerated cartoon satire, not a fantasy game.



Blondbraid

Now, while it may not really have anything to do with the game, I read in the newspapers that the Belorussian writer and journalist Svetlana Alexievich will receive the Nobel Prize in Literature this year. Her book, War's Unwomanly Face, has been one of my sources of inspiration for this game with interviews of female war veterans providing an unconventional perspective on the second world war and I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.
(I also recommend anyone interested in lavish ballgowns to watch the prize ceremony on tv on the 10th of December, but for some reason this interest rarely overlaps with WWII or computer games. :))

Another source of inspiration has been Call of Duty: World at war, also an interesting, though very different, depiction of war. I hope that a game inspired by cartoons, blockbuster action and award-winning literature will be memorable, but if not I'm at least having fun making this game. :-D


Blondbraid

Some concept art!

I did a few sketches for a church tower which will show up in the game, settling on the rightmost one.
Spoiler
For what better place is there for a sniper to have an (anti)climatic showdown than atop a church tower? ;)
[close]
I wish for the setting to have a somewhat ambiguous feel while still being recognizably eastern European.
I also added a big clock face,
and I hope to make an homage to the Edgar Allan Poe short story A Predicament (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Predicament)! ;)


Blondbraid

New screenshot!

As you can see, there will be a bit of blood in the game...


CrashPL

Just by looking at the screens I'm having a huge nostalgia trip, as they remind me of my favourite adventure games from the 90's. In other words - I sure do like them! Keep'em coming, and good luck with the project! All of the characters, with that cartoony slash propaganda design applied to them, sure do look great. :D

Priabudiman

Yay! It's Alive! :grin:

Cant wait for the finished piece, Good luck with the project Blondbraid!

Stupot

Looks like great fun. All the best, BB.

MiteWiseacreLives!

Regarding references, you have seen Enemy at the Gates right? Great movie about a Russian sniper (and based o true story).
Any timeframe for release yet?

Blondbraid

Quote from: CrashPL on Wed 21/10/2015 15:51:15
Just by looking at the screens I'm having a huge nostalgia trip, as they remind me of my favourite adventure games from the 90's. In other words - I sure do like them! Keep'em coming, and good luck with the project! All of the characters, with that cartoony slash propaganda design applied to them, sure do look great. :D
Quote from: Priabudiman on Wed 21/10/2015 19:21:57
Cant wait for the finished piece, Good luck with the project Blondbraid!
Quote from: Stupot+ on Wed 21/10/2015 22:00:41
Looks like great fun. All the best, BB.
Thank you so much for your support, it's great to hear that you like it! ;-D
Quote from: MiteWiseacreLives! on Thu 22/10/2015 07:33:10
Regarding references, you have seen Enemy at the Gates right? Great movie about a Russian sniper (and based o true story).
Any timeframe for release yet?
Yes, I did see enemy at the gates, and I think it's a great movie despite taking liberties with the source material (the irony of this movie is that many critics complained about the gritty sniper duels being weighed down by a tacked-on romantic sub-plot, while in reality, most things in the movie was fictional except for the romantic "sub-plot"! (roll)).

While I hope to finish my work on this game within this autumn, I have a hard time being specific since I still have not decided on all the ideas I'm pondering weather to include. While I do have a clear ending in mind, the road there may be a bit rocky, so to say...
As for now, here is a new screenshot.

Just for fun, can anyone guess which artists I've referenced in the paintings by the stairs? ;-D


Cassiebsg

Really great BG, again! (nod)
Well, I do recognize Piet Mondrian, the other is way to dark for me to guess. The Scream maybe?
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

Blondbraid

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Fri 23/10/2015 17:25:14
Really great BG, again! (nod)
Well, I do recognize Piet Mondrian, the other is way to dark for me to guess. The Scream maybe?
You are right about Mondrian! ;-D
As for the other painting, I wanted to reference a Russian painting from a hundred years ago.


Grok

Quote from: Blondbraid on Sat 24/10/2015 16:31:53
Quote from: Cassiebsg on Fri 23/10/2015 17:25:14
Really great BG, again! (nod)
Well, I do recognize Piet Mondrian, the other is way to dark for me to guess. The Scream maybe?
You are right about Mondrian! ;-D
As for the other painting, I wanted to reference a Russian painting from a hundred years ago.

Kazimir Malevich; Black square? :)

Blondbraid

QuoteKazimir Malevich; Black square? :)
Yes, you are correct! :-D
I wanted to include famous paintings a bit of an Easter-egg, and went with abstract motives because it would be hard to draw recognizable figures that small.


Superkumi

This all looks fantastic, absolutely love the art style!

Blondbraid

It's been some time since I last worked on my project, due to complications within the creative process requiring contemplation (which is a fancy way of saying I ran out of ideas and wrote myself into a corner :-[)  I have now resumed my work and begun drawing new backgrounds and figuring out a layout for the next section of the game.


Blondbraid

I thought it might be well about time that I posted another screenshot, it's been a while since the last one.

I tried making this otherwise unassuming alley look a bit more interesting with some papers on the wall along with a propaganda poster depicting a soldier utilizing the well-known strategy of charging into battle alone and with nothing save sheer machismo to protect his torso from bullets.


Blondbraid

I made some new sprites for two of the enemies the protagonists encounter, trying to strike a good balance between silly and scary while giving also them distinct and disparate personalities:

And since I already got the steam up, I made a new animation for the spotter as well:

As you can see, he's in a bit of a tight spot and weather he gets out or not, well, that will depend on the player...

As of lately my work pace with this project have varied, and I doubt I will be able to complete it this autumn (seeing that November is almost at an end), but on a positive note I estimate that I'm now about halfway done and have put the most difficult parts behind me, so the release will hopefully be around before too long. :)


AnasAbdin

Quote from: Blondbraid on Sun 29/11/2015 00:40:47


I can't imagine having to hurt this guy in the game :~( please tell me he won't get hurt in the game.

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Sun 29/11/2015 05:53:10
I can't imagine having to hurt this guy in the game :~( please tell me he won't get hurt in the game.
It's heartwarming to see someone care about the spotter's well-being (His commanders certainly doesn't!), but since the game takes place in a war he is certainly at risk and it is possible for him to die, as seen in the GIF's in the critic's lounge thread (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.0). The spotter (unlike the sniper) isn't thrilled about being dragged into a war and is mostly just trying to survive. He certainly isn't going to go on a Rambo-rampage (If he were, I'd be working on a FPS, not with AGS! ;))
But do not worry, if you wish to keep him safe it will be possible for a keen player to finish the game without killing him even once!


Blondbraid

Today Svetlana Alexievich recieved the Nobel prize in litterature! (Saw it all on TV! :-D Though she didn't wear a ballgown, since she stated that it would feel wrong to wear jewels and finery when her writing is about the horrors of dictatorship and war)
Her book, War's Unwomanly Face has been a great source of facts and inspiration to me, and portrayed aspects of war that usually are omitted from games, usually not very brave or heroic aspects. One such aspect is the pointlessness, but also absurd, silly situations bordering farce, something which also gets omitted from many anti-war stories.

For this game I wanted to have a comedic tone, since I think that the silliness is just as important for the anti-war message as the horror. Countless war propaganda have asked soldiers to shed their blood for their country, but not a single one have asked them to soil their pants for their country.

Here is a new screenshot:

This shows one of the many ways the player can die if they are careless. Nihilistic maybe, but not all deaths can be meaningful and heroic sacrifices that leaves the mortally injured hero alive just long enough to hold a dramatic monologue. (roll)


Kumpel

Really cool surrender pose you got there. I think maybe a slightly shivering movement of the arms/hands would give it a bit more tense.

Blondbraid

Quote from: Kumpel on Fri 11/12/2015 02:16:29
Really cool surrender pose you got there. I think maybe a slightly shivering movement of the arms/hands would give it a bit more tense.
Thanks, great that you like it, Kumpel! I have been thinking of adding some hand movement to the animation myself. (nod)
I suppose that I got the idea for this scene because many action movies and games have a scene where the hero is captured by the monologue holding villain, but the hero just comes with a cocky comeback and/or punches the bad guy in the face, so I wanted to try and go in the complete opposite direction and have a tense scene where the protagonist is genuinely scared, but not entirely without a bit of humor though.

Now, I know this doesn't look very good, but do not worry. The background in this screenshot is not in it's finished state and will look different in the completed game.
Any thoughts? :)


AnasAbdin

The script is hilarious! (laugh)

If you haven't mentioned that the background wasn't complete I wouldn't have guessed. It looks like the old cartoons style 8-)

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Wed 16/12/2015 14:42:13
The script is hilarious! (laugh)

If you haven't mentioned that the background wasn't complete I wouldn't have guessed. It looks like the old cartoons style 8-)

Great to hear that you find it funny! ;-D
Anyway, here is a new screenshot with the completed background, you can compare it with the screenshot above.

I've been doing my best to make it look nice and interesting...
well, as nice and interesting as a decayed eastern-bloc industrial town can be.


AnasAbdin

The completed background is indeed awesome. I like it :)
I see the script hilarity is escalating (laugh)

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Sat 19/12/2015 11:02:39
The completed background is indeed awesome. I like it :)
I see the script hilarity is escalating (laugh)
Great to hear! :)

Here is a new image of the spotter, which is from a scene where he finds himself in the midst of gunfire and, upon hearing the thunderous sounds, and knowing that he is a soldier in one of the greatest wars in human history, an epic battle between fascist totalitarianism and communist autocracy and a war which saw many great heroes sacrifice their lives for their homeland, he reacts quickly and takes an immediate measure without a single hesitation.

Well, he isn't terribly interested in posthumous medals I suppose...


SilverSpook

Lol, this sounds like some cracking good satire!  I have tried like 12 games recently and realized I can't even play war or fighting games anymore that glorify or turn war/violence into a party.  So this game looks right up my alley!

The animation is excellent and thorough as hell too!

Blondbraid

Quote from: SilverSpook on Mon 21/12/2015 19:46:29
Lol, this sounds like some cracking good satire!  I have tried like 12 games recently and realized I can't even play war or fighting games anymore that glorify or turn war/violence into a party.  So this game looks right up my alley!

The animation is excellent and thorough as hell too!
Why thank you so much! ;-D
When I first got the the idea of making a darkly humorous cartoon game about the second world war, I was very unsure whether it was a good idea.
They do say that comedy is the hardest genre to write after all, and I have a hard time coming up with good games to compare it with when it comes to the tone I'm aiming for, since most war-games are power fantasies glorifying war, and the few anti-war games that are out there tend to go with either a somber and serious approach or drown the player in sentimentality, pulling their heartstrings as if their life depended on it. But the problem for me is that the action war-games also do this, but here the audience get to see destruction and horror (Bonus point if a cute girl/child/dog is killed off just to make the badass hero angry!) in order to rile up the audience along with the protagonist and make them want to take revenge and make it fun to kill the enemies.

So instead of showing the horrors of war, I wanted to depict the pointlessness of war, pompous propaganda against a grey and slightly gross backdrop, idiot commanders, arbitrary orders and Kafkaesque absurdities.
And maybe a bit of slapstick humor.
This little game may not be on par with The Good Soldier Š vejk, but I do hope it will get at least a few good laughs as well as provoking some thoughts.


Blondbraid

Just finished some sprites for a new character!

This is, for all intents and purposes, a shaky and rather paranoid old babushka called Maria who is found wandering the city, and whom the spotter is forced to ask for directions towards the glorious Lenin statue. His task is somewhat obstructed by her nervousness, lack of focus and the fact that she has no clue what Lenin looks like. In case you are wondering about the reason for Marias behavior:
Spoiler
Marias skittishness may have something to do with the tiny fact that he's neither old nor a woman but in fact a german deserter who disguised himself as an old woman and now desperately tries to keep up the lie. Maria is his real name though.
[close]
Depending on the player the spotter may or may not be oblivious to Marias true identity.

This character is meant to look a bit like a baglady, with an ill-fitting outfit cobbled together from worn and patched old rags likely found lying on the street, and trembling and shaking with shifty eyes. While the spotter certainly won't enjoy talking to Maria, I do hope the player will. ;)


SilverSpook

Nice work!  It communicated the paranoia well there.  You can feel the Stalin coming through the pixels!

AnasAbdin

LOL for a moment I thought that was the spotter in drag.. er.. rags! You know scared and in disguised :P
Your characters are ALIVE I can feel their emotions.

Blondbraid

Quote from: SilverSpook on Tue 29/12/2015 02:51:49
Nice work!  It communicated the paranoia well there.  You can feel the Stalin coming through the pixels!
Great to hear, since the nervousness is an essential part of this character. (nod)
Quote from: AnasAbdin on Tue 29/12/2015 09:03:54
LOL for a moment I thought that was the spotter in drag.. er.. rags! You know scared and in disguised :P
Your characters are ALIVE I can feel their emotions.
I'm happy to hear that!

Originally most of my characters just started off as an idea for a joke, but gradually got more fleshed out personalities and backgrounds as I kept working on their sprites and writing their dialogues. Mostly I try to give them temperaments and personalities that contrast against both of the protagonists, and with Maria I thought it would be fun to have the relatively calm, carefree and honest spotter face someone jumpy, scared and a terrible, terrible liar. (And I suppose I got inspired from the beginning of this scene from Monty python: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxGqcCeV3qk)
Spoiler
And, what with Maria being a German deserter and all, I wanted to play with the spotter's expectations and have a seemingly old woman, an innocent civilian to protect actually be a soldier from the country he's at war with, but this man has no wish whatsoever to fight the spotter. As for him being disguised in drag, his clothes aren't actually that far from what some soldiers actually wound up wearing during the winter and I have even read notes about German soldiers stealing women's fur coats in order to keep themselves warm. Maria had to make due with a cloth coat though, I'm not good at drawing fur articles :-[ .
[close]
Ironically enough this is probably the most polite and equal footed conversation the spotter will have in this game. :)


Grok

I really like your latest animations. Great work.
It's a big project you've taken on here, on a difficult subject and in a difficult genre, but if you can pull it off, it could be very good.:)

Blondbraid

Quote from: Grok on Tue 29/12/2015 19:33:57
I really like your latest animations. Great work.
It's a big project you've taken on here, on a difficult subject and in a difficult genre, but if you can pull it off, it could be very good.:)
Thank you! ;-D
When I first started this project I did not consider it especially big, and the finished game will probably take less than an hour to play through, but when I first got the idea I was a bit hesitant at first since, as you wrote, it is a difficult subject and in a difficult genre. Humor is a very subjective thing and at first I was worried that making a comedy about a dark subject matter might be a bad idea, but the all the positive responses here have really given me the confidence to see this through, and even if it's been a lot of work, if my game makes at least one player smile, it will all have been worth it! :)


Blondbraid

So I thought it would be about time to post a new screenshot!
I had a hard time coming up with a good puzzle for this room, and I hope the players will like it.

I wanted the text on the flag on the floor to be in Russian, although Cyrillic script is all Greek to me. :-[ If anyone sees any inaccuracies in the text, let me know!


AnasAbdin

...and now I'm really curious about the puzzle(s) in this room ??? :~( (nod)
Is someone hiding in the box?
Someone behind the door?
What broke the metal railing?

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Tue 05/01/2016 19:10:04
...and now I'm really curious about the puzzle(s) in this room ??? :~( (nod)
Is someone hiding in the box?
Someone behind the door?
What broke the metal railing?
Good questions indeed, and I'm afraid to admit that I don't know the answers to the myself! :-[
I can however promise you that the puzzle will be a very patriotic one indeed, although the
screenshot didn't include two things decorating the wall which the sniper picked up...;)


SilverSpook

Yeah, that's very intriguing, and looks really great too!  I wonder what the banner says...

Kumpel

Seems to be an anniversary banner or something with "Tarko/a" or "Marko/a" (town name maybe?) and the abbrevation of the soviet republics (CCCP). ;)

Blondbraid

Quote from: Kumpel on Thu 07/01/2016 12:39:08
Seems to be an anniversary banner or something with "Tarko/a" or "Marko/a" (town name maybe?) and the abbrevation of the soviet republics (CCCP). ;)
It's supposed to say "Marx", as in Karl Marx, the founder of communism, but I'm not sure if all the letters right since I don't know Russian or Cyrillic.


Kumpel

Now that makes totally sense! Maybe you should leave a red area between the c and the fold to make that clearer. I actually didn't think of "Marx" because the Marx of the soviets has been Lenin ;). Marx was more an idol of the former GDR.

Blondbraid

Quote from: Kumpel on Thu 07/01/2016 15:06:34
Now that makes totally sense! Maybe you should leave a red area between the c and the fold to make that clearer. I actually didn't think of "Marx" because the Marx of the soviets has been Lenin ;). Marx was more an idol of the former GDR.
Better? I was worried that trying to draw letters partially warped by the flag folds might make them hard to read.

And reading your comment, I do realize that Marx might not have been the most relevant choice, what with being a German who had been dead for decades before the revolution even started, but I thought it would bring some fun variation as there will be a puzzle centered on finding a giant Lenin statue. ;)


Cassiebsg

Quote
a puzzle centered on finding a giant Lenin statue.

Uhm... one would think a giant statue should not require a puzzle to be found. (laugh)
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

Darth Mandarb

Please take the graphical discussions into the Critics Lounge so we can keep this thread on track!

Blondbraid

QuotePlease take the graphical discussions into the Critics Lounge so we can keep this thread on track!
Yes, and this feels especially dumb since I already started a thread about this game in the Critics Lounge months ago! :-[

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Thu 07/01/2016 17:51:54
Uhm... one would think a giant statue should not require a puzzle to be found. (laugh)
Yes, and especially so since the protagonist is a spotter, it's literally his job to scope out the surroundings! ;)

As for the development of the actual game, today I took up work on writing a dialogue-puzzle involving the said statue, and while it may not yield any exiting new images to post, it's progress none the less.


Blondbraid

I have finally completed the dialog-puzzle I was working on as well as finished a new background, it took me a couple of hours.
Here is the spotter alongside Maria, whom he must ask for directions towards the Lenin statue.

And I've also included a second screenshot for those who doesn't mind minor spoilers! ;)
Spoiler
Maria and the spotter discusses desertion and the fact that a deserter risks having his family punished if he deserts...
[close]


Rocchinator

I love the combination of the different artstyles between the backgrounds and the characters. All the characters have very expressive expresións lol. You nailed That . this is going to be so fun to play.

Blondbraid

Quote from: Rocchinator on Wed 13/01/2016 11:37:51
I love the combination of the different artstyles between the backgrounds and the characters. All the characters have very expressive expresións lol. You nailed That . this is going to be so fun to play.
Thank you! I certainly hope that this game will live up to everyone's expectations once I have finished my work on it, I currently estimate that it's about 75% complete, though it may depend on weather I decide to cut or add a few things I've not quite decided on. :)


Cassiebsg

I know this is not the critics lounge, so please excuse the little comment about Maria...
Spoiler

His nose is rather thin drawn, but right under it you have a big black spot. I can't, for the life of me, not see a "Hitler" mustache there... (roll)(laugh)
Maybe you might want to review that particular spot, otherwise you run the risk of many players already identifying the character as male at first glance.
Or maybe it's just me? (roll)
[close]

Anyway, love the BG and the text is spot on, made me smile. ;-D
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

Blondbraid

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Wed 13/01/2016 16:42:57
I know this is not the critics lounge, so please excuse the little comment about Maria...

No problem, I guess I could post a link to the critics lounge tread here the next time I make new character sprites. I'm just happy to see that my game has got people invested and I do think you were right in your comment, and I have made changes accordingly. (roll)


AnasAbdin

Lol now that Cassiebsg mentioned it I also can't not see it :P

I view your screenshots every once in while to get inspired by your characters. They are very.. hmm.. alive? Sometimes I feel they are talking to me.
I need to sleep.

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Thu 14/01/2016 07:04:13
I view your screenshots every once in while to get inspired by your characters. They are very.. hmm.. alive? Sometimes I feel they are talking to me.
I need to sleep.
I sure had a lot of fun drawing and writing those characters, but I don't really start with a full idea, but rather a few details and let it branch out from there. I'm also fascinated by psychology and I often try to ask myself what a character would think or do based on their experiences and personality. Sometimes I have my characters do things or have opinions that I don't agree with, but which are logical to them and their personality. I also take some of my inspiration from classic litterature and real-life history. That, and tvtropes.org. ;)


Blondbraid

#57
I have started working on concepts for a new character design!

If anyone is interested in sharing their thoughts, here is a link to the critics lounge. (You may have to scroll down a bit...)
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.40


Blondbraid

I drew a new background yesterday, a basement hastily reconverted into a makeshift asylum for injured soldiers to get their wounds cared for until they can be transported to a proper field-hospital. If they aren't in need for hospital care when they enter this room, they in all likelihood will be after lying on those mattresses.:-X

I may have gotten carried away drawing grime and blood stains... (roll)

On a different note, I made some new images of the character design in the critics lounge. In case you missed, just follow the link in my previous entry!


SilverSpook

Looks awesome!  The mood is spot on and the bloody thing in the bottom left makes it really tense.

Blondbraid

Quote from: SilverSpook on Mon 01/02/2016 22:54:09
Looks awesome!  The mood is spot on and the bloody thing in the bottom left makes it really tense.
Thanks! It's just supposed to be some crumpled sheets, but I did ponder on weather or not to add a few gangrenous limbs sticking out from there!
While I don't have any new screenshots to show for the moment (not without spoiling things anyway), I think it would be fun to share an image which popped into my head a while ago, the spotter using all the waiting time to snore loudly while the sniper very angrily ponders why she can't just go back to kill fascists already.

While it may not be directly related to the game-play, I hope it will give some sense as of what kind of characters you will be playing with! ;)


Blondbraid

New screenshot! The sick-room just got it's first patient, a young lad with a case of shell-shock.

Here's a GIF of the animation I made.

He will not be the only patient down there though...


AnasAbdin

;-D !! Lovely room! One enters in full health and leaves totally sick, there goes the 'sick room' name, wise (laugh)

I see a very well hidden sharp item under the bed!
I also see a sack *gulp* I hope it's not associated with the sharp item :-[

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Wed 10/02/2016 18:57:46
;-D !! Lovely room! One enters in full health and leaves totally sick, there goes the 'sick room' name, wise (laugh)

I see a very well hidden sharp item under the bed!
I also see a sack *gulp* I hope it's not associated with the sharp item :-[

Glad you found it funny! ;-D
If the room looks messy, it's probably because the one nurse haven't gotten time to clear it up, seeing as the time she isn't spending on sawing off gangrenous limbs, she's volunteering to cook food for the soldiers, excessive smoke-breaks excluded.
Luckily for the spotter, he is only there to look for one particular thing he needs before heading back to the warzone. ;)

Also, new screenshot!


Blondbraid

QuoteOne death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.
A quote commonly misattributed to Josef Stalin...
Anyway, I have made quite some progress on my game and thought it would be fun to share some numbers to give a sense of the scope of the game.
As of writing, Sniper and spotter being patriotic has:
13 inventory items
19 dialogues
12 characters
20 rooms
And one giant statue of Lenin

When I first started this project I had no idea that it would grow this big, and I will add even more before I finish this game.

And there is a new patient in the sick-room, an unfortunate soldier who lost almost half his leg during an encounter with a tiger.
Spoiler
And not a German one. His nurse theorizes that the animal escaped from a zoo during all the destruction and mayhem in the war.
[close]


CrashPL

Quote from: Blondbraid on Tue 16/02/2016 20:16:56

When I first started this project I had no idea that it would grow this big, and I will add even more before I finish this game.

Haha, I know what you mean. ;) When we first started Zniw Adventure, we planned for it to be a nice and short adventure game... and now, (almost) two years later the project got, let's say, a bit bigger. :D

As for the new screens - well, judging from that saw under the bed in the sick room, I guess some, er, nifty stuff happened there, eh? ;)
Nice stuff you posted, totally digging that animation style. Keep it up!

Blondbraid

Quote from: CrashPL on Wed 17/02/2016 10:41:49
Haha, I know what you mean. ;) When we first started Zniw Adventure, we planned for it to be a nice and short adventure game... and now, (almost) two years later the project got, let's say, a bit bigger. :D

As for the new screens - well, judging from that saw under the bed in the sick room, I guess some, er, nifty stuff happened there, eh? ;)
Nice stuff you posted, totally digging that animation style. Keep it up!
Thank you, I'm so happy to hear that you like the animation!
Yes, I started with the idea of a short scene about a sniper and later on her companion, and it all grew from there as I wanted to tell how they were introduced to each other and got into the situation. Now I estimate that I have completed about two thirds of the game, and I'm trying not to add more than I can manage. If I were to include every idea I have into the game, I'd have to change my username to Greybraid long before I finish my game! ;-D


AnasAbdin



I bet he's not dreaming about the tiger.
But this guy might have (laugh)

Mandle

#68
Quote from: Blondbraid on Tue 16/02/2016 20:16:56

And there is a new patient in the sick-room, an unfortunate soldier who lost almost half his leg during an encounter with a tiger.
Spoiler
And not a German one. His nurse theorizes that the animal escaped from a zoo during all the destruction and mayhem in the war.
[close]

Either you are a fan of Monty Python or this is an incredible coincidence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLdk2C25Z14

Blondbraid

Quote from: Mandle on Sat 20/02/2016 12:43:26
Either you are a fan of Monty Python or this is an incredible coincidence
As a matter of fact I quite like Monthy Python, as well as Blackadder, I have a soft spot for British humor i guess! ;)
Though I mostly got the idea from the fact that the Germans named a tank after a large carnivore. This soldier should probably count himself lucky he didn't end up in gorilla-warfare.


Rocchinator

Man your game is growing really good!, When we can see a trailer or a demo?. XD

Blondbraid

Quote from: Rocchinator on Sat 20/02/2016 17:32:51
Man your game is growing really good!, When we can see a trailer or a demo?. XD
So happy to hear that you like it! I don't think that the game will be long enough to be worth the effort of a demo though as it will it can likely be completed in under an hour (but hopefully an very entertaining hour!). I would like to add a trailer, but unfortunately have little to no knowledge on which programs and tools to use in order to make a short film, but if anyone has tips or tutorials to share you are welcome. Otherwise most things have been going well and if no unexpected setbacks turn up I expect I will be able to release the game during this spring.


SilverSpook

Nice job with the injured guy.  You can feel his pain!  Great job, Blondbraid.

Blondbraid

It's been some time now, partially because I'm currently working on quite a large background with lots of details, and as you can see a lot of work remains (Yes, that squiggly line up top is supposed to be the horizon!).

Not to say I haven't had the time to draw a silly little picture of the heroes of the story as well. The sniper sure is a strong female character...
It doesn't really have anything to do with the game, but I thought it was funny. :)


AnasAbdin

Spend as much as you need for this background. Give it time, I'm sure it'll be magnificent ;-D

THIS MADE MY DAY :-D :-D :-D :-D

Blondbraid

This is a screenshot of the background which I've been working on for so long, and rest assured you haven't seem half of it!

Literally, since it it is a rather wide image and the 1024 x 768 resolution will only show half the image at the time in the game, so players will have a bit of exploring to do in order to get the whole picture.


SilverSpook

Epic bombed-out cityscape there!  Very wartorn.

I wonder what the game mechanics will be like as you're trying to get through a warzone like that in an adventure game. :)

AnasAbdin

That horizon ;-D
This is really shaping up amazingly.

Blondbraid

#78
Quote from: AnasAbdin on Sun 20/03/2016 06:25:07
That horizon ;-D
This is really shaping up amazingly.
Why, thank you! ;-D
Quote from: SilverSpook on Sun 20/03/2016 02:46:22
Epic bombed-out cityscape there!  Very wartorn.

I wonder what the game mechanics will be like as you're trying to get through a warzone like that in an adventure game. :)
To go into deeper detail regarding the gameplay:
It will certainly not be without danger, I'll tell you that! :) I suppose that I might have drawn some inspiration from the old Commandos games, but I also wanted to do a new twist to empathize that you play as a spotter.
Spoiler
German snipers hide in the ruins, but rather than killing them yourself it will be the players job to spot them so that the sniper can shoot them. Think of it as Where's Waldo, but where Waldo shoots you if you can't find him!
[close]


Danvzare

Wow, that background is incredible. I wish I could draw backgrounds that good.

Blondbraid

Quote from: Danvzare on Sun 20/03/2016 11:11:05
Wow, that background is incredible. I wish I could draw backgrounds that good.
Thank you!
It took me a while to make this background, but I often find that drawing small things repeatedly can have a calming, almost meditative effect after a while. Well, at least until I suddenly discover that I just spent hours working on the wrong layer in Photoshop and need to rework half the image. But apart form such missteps, drawing can be a fun and relaxing experience! :)


Kumpel

You say "Commandos" and once again I instantly fall in love with your project forever!
I am excited to see how you visualize that the player is in an enemy crosshair. Will it be like in Commandos with a cool shaky animation of the scope's view in front of the character or will you surprise us with another ingenious idea? Or is it actually realistic and you get hit all of a sudden? I sure wanna know that, ideally while experiencing this neat game in the (hopefully very) near future 8-0

Blondbraid

Quote from: Kumpel on Sun 20/03/2016 13:51:42
You say "Commandos" and once again I instantly fall in love with your project forever!
I am excited to see how you visualize that the player is in an enemy crosshair. Will it be like in Commandos with a cool shaky animation of the scope's view in front of the character or will you surprise us with another ingenious idea? Or is it actually realistic and you get hit all of a sudden? I sure wanna know that, ideally while experiencing this neat game in the (hopefully very) near future 8-0
I'm happy to hear that! ;-D If you are curious about more details regarding the gameplay,
Spoiler
The actual game-play mechanic is rather simple as you must click on the enemy snipers when you see them, and then your sniper companion will shoot them. Rather than lining up crosshairs, the challenge lies in seeing the enemies in a large landscape full of ruins and clicking on them before you accidentally walk too close and get shot. You can actually see one German sniper in the screenshot!
[close]
Another game which has inspired me is La Croix Pan which I found on this site years ago. It has a quite good sniping sequence as well as an interesting atmosphere and depiction of WWII.


Danvzare

Because I'm asking about something you put in spoiler tags, I'm going to put my question in spoiler tags.
Spoiler
You say you need to look for and click on the enemy snipers, thus creating a Where's Wally type of gameplay. But won't that be really easy with how the sprites pop out from the background?
[close]

Blondbraid

Quote from: Danvzare on Sun 20/03/2016 17:01:14
Because I'm asking about something you put in spoiler tags, I'm going to put my question in spoiler tags.
Spoiler
You say you need to look for and click on the enemy snipers, thus creating a Where's Wally type of gameplay. But won't that be really easy with how the sprites pop out from the background?
[close]
You have a good point, I suppose I didn't want to make it too hard seeing as it may take a few tries for the players to figure out what to do. I do however think that this and similar issues wold be better suited for the critic's lounge, and I already have a thread there devoted to this game. http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.0;all If I make any new sprites for the characters, I'll put them there! :)


Kumpel

Maybe you heard of it. If not, there is a new movie about a red army female sniper. Could be a good inspiration for you :)

Blondbraid

Quote from: Kumpel on Tue 22/03/2016 10:34:40
Maybe you heard of it. If not, there is a new movie about a red army female sniper. Could be a good inspiration for you :)
Great to see that Lyudmila Pavlichenko finally have her own movie! I've read a bit about her and she has served as a source of inspiration for the sniper in my game. Thank you so much for this tip, it sound like an exciting movie! ;-D


Blondbraid

New screenshot!

The church sadly suffered quite a few damages in the war...
As for the two characters depicted to the left and right in the glass widows, I just thought that it would be fun to throw in a small reference my two previous games! :)


AnasAbdin

I see a little more colors showing in this awesome background ;-D

Blondbraid

Just came up with a new character concept! ;-D

If anyone is curious, follow the link to the critic's lounge!
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.40


Blondbraid

I've added a new tapestry to the church, since few things cannot be improved with a nice tapestry!
Spoiler
And I also wanted to keep those who didn't see my previous screenshot on their toes and make them have to look for the door! ;)
[close]

I also thought it would be fun to include an old sketch of the church for comparison now that I've come so far. As you can see it looked a little bit different back then! (roll) This was one of the first sketches I made for the game, way back in August. Even though most of the game were made up as I went along, I knew from the start that I wanted the ending to take place atop a church tower. Partially because it's a tried and true storytelling device used in many beloved stories, and partially because I wanted a room which wasn't soviet-grey concrete, but an area where I could really indulge myself in covering all the walls in byzantine intricacies! ;-D (for those interested in that sort of things, I really recommend checking out the works of Nicholas Roerich, a most inspiring artist!)

Making this game hasn't been a completely straight road, but with some luck I might finally complete it this spring! ;-D


Blondbraid

Just spent quite som time and a lot of work drawing this.
I'd never guessed that drawing stairs could be almost as tiresome as climbing them! :)

I also made a new sprite for the character in the concept, if anyone wants to see and comment, follow the link below.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.60


Blondbraid

I'm about to begin working on the ending cut-scene, as well as working on a new character (the antagonist whom the titular sniper and spotter has pursued for the bulk of the game no less!). If you want to see a picture and come with suggestions, follow this link to the critic's lounge! http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=52409.60 :)


AnasAbdin

Quote from: Blondbraid on Mon 18/04/2016 21:17:18
Just spent quite som time and a lot of work drawing this.
I'd never guessed that drawing stairs could be almost as tiresome as climbing them! :)

I agree. But I see that you've done awesome work. Is this an in-game room? 8-0

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Fri 22/04/2016 17:09:20
I agree. But I see that you've done awesome work. Is this an in-game room? 8-0
Thank you. ;-D
Nope, this is just an image that pops up for a few seconds when you transit between two rooms to really empathize the point that you are ascending a tower.
I think it would probably be a lot of work to make it a playable room, and even then, it's hard to make climbing long narrow stairs interesting game-play wise (unless it's a platform game or likewise, but this game isn't). :-\


Blondbraid

After a lot of work the game is now playable from start to finish! Pretty much all of the puzzles, backgrounds and character sprites are complete and there are no game-breaking bugs (only a few immersion-breaking ones, but I'll work on that!)! Otherwise the game is almost finished save a bit of polish, and I shall hopefully be able to release it next month!!! ;-D

(No, this picture doesn't actually appear in the game, but I thought it would be funny to try and capture the bright cheerfulness of communist propaganda. For some reason all the bright stars just make me think of Lisa Frank though...(roll) )


Cassiebsg

Cool! Can't wait to play this! (nod)
love the propaganda picture.. as well as all your art!
There are those who believe that life here began out there...

CrashPL

Oh yeah, that's some great news! Can't wait to play it as well! :D
This picture would be grand for the main menu or credits sequence. :)

Blondbraid

Quote from: Cassiebsg on Wed 27/04/2016 21:16:23
Cool! Can't wait to play this! (nod)
love the propaganda picture.. as well as all your art!
Thank you! ;-D
Quote from: CrashPL on Wed 27/04/2016 22:14:15
Oh yeah, that's some great news! Can't wait to play it as well! :D
This picture would be grand for the main menu or credits sequence. :)
Thanks! Although I'm a bit worried that the GUI and buttons might get a bit "lost" in the bright colors, it's certainly an idea I'm exploring.
I'm so happy for all the positive response in this thread and it's been a huge motivation to finish this game. It's close now, I promise! ;-D


Blondbraid

Happy International worker's day everybody! :)
I've added some new sounds and animations, and plan to add more so that you will be able to see both the main characters walk in eight different directions!
I have worked for so long on this game, and now I hope I will be able to release it within eight or nine days.
While you wait, here is a GIF of the spotter using a knife.

Yeah, he'll never be a master woodcarver.


AnasAbdin

..blah blah blah.. blah blah blah.. able to release it within eight or nine days ..blah blah blah..

(laugh) (laugh) (laugh) (laugh) (laugh)

I've never been super excited about a game like this!

Blondbraid

Quote from: AnasAbdin on Sun 01/05/2016 19:41:35
..blah blah blah.. blah blah blah.. able to release it within eight or nine days ..blah blah blah..

(laugh) (laugh) (laugh) (laugh) (laugh)

I've never been super excited about a game like this!
I'm so happy to hear your enthusiasm, it's great to see people excited about this game and I do hope you try it out once it's released! :)


CrashPL

Exciting news! Can't wait 'till the next week (or the week after the next week :P) then!

Blondbraid

Quote from: CrashPL on Sun 01/05/2016 21:48:32
Exciting news! Can't wait 'till the next week (or the week after the next week :P) then!
Great! While I do not dare say any exact date, what with Murphys law and all, all the important parts of the game is finished and the rest is just a matter of fine-tuning. :)


MiteWiseacreLives!

Super happy for you  :) make sure you indulge in that feeling of satisfaction that comes with finishing a game.. (The next set of emotions are a bit up and down  ;) )
I will be checking this out for sure!

Grok

The best of luck with the fine tuning... or break a leg (if it is the theatrical tradition that should be followed):)

Blondbraid

Quote from: MiteWiseacreLives! on Mon 02/05/2016 03:57:34
Super happy for you  :) make sure you indulge in that feeling of satisfaction that comes with finishing a game.. (The next set of emotions are a bit up and down  ;) )
I will be checking this out for sure!
Quote from: Grok on Mon 02/05/2016 05:34:01
The best of luck with the fine tuning... or break a leg (if it is the theatrical tradition that should be followed):)
Thank you both! :-D
The spotter's walk animations are already finished, you can now see him walk in eight different directions!


Matti

This looks very exciting! Love the cute style and the satirical take on patriotism and war.

Good luck with the release! I'm definitely going to play this one.

Blondbraid

Quote from: Matti on Thu 05/05/2016 10:50:24
This looks very exciting! Love the cute style and the satirical take on patriotism and war.

Good luck with the release! I'm definitely going to play this one.
Thank you!
The game will be out in a few days, and even though I'm not limited by any deadline, I want to finish this game by the weekend.
I feel that if I didn't put some limit on myself, I could probably polish the game forever. :)


SinSin

This looks awesome! ;-D

I'm excited to play this..
Currently working on a project!

Blondbraid

At last, after long hard work, I am now happy to announce that Sniper and spotter being patriotic is at last complete!

It has been quite a journey, and as happy as I am to be finished, it is not without mixed feelings that I let this game out in the world.
When I started on the very first small pencil sketches in the marginals of my notebook, I had no idea that my project would grow this big or get this well liked. At first I was very unsure of it all,
and wondered whether a WWII game with cartoon graphics and dark humor was a really good idea, but all the positive comments and support have kept me going and motivated through this project.

I wish to thank everyone who commented on this game for your encouragement, it has been greatly appreciated!

Here is a link to the game, and I hope you find the time to try it!
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2050/


Darth Mandarb

A big congrats on finishing! I will miss seeing this thread in here!

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