If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers

Started by Laura Hunt, Thu 03/10/2019 06:23:15

Previous topic - Next topic

javixblack

Quote from: Laura Hunt on Thu 09/07/2020 09:46:38
[imgzoom]https://i.imgur.com/ezy33KL.png[/imgzoom]

May 2019 vs. July 2020. Oh, how far we've come.

This first version was a quick sketch so I could experiment with implementing an isometric perspective in AGS, but more than a year later, a lot of the elements have ended up finding their way into the final version. Bit of an improvement, I'd say!

Anyway, here's the playlist we've been using to get in the mood for Dr. Samuels' adventures, in case anybody is curious as to what direction the music will take in this act: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6xZnkp3bI626WTx28j4zUb?si=KF0OKdQsQnCUnw03o0CyIQ. Unlike acts I and II, in which the soundtrack was made up of classical music pieces and Irving Berlin songs, act III will feature a series of dark-industrial-ritual-ambient pieces created by yours truly!



Amazing work!!! I'm really excited for the release!!! I can't waittttttttt
About the language, it will be in spanish?

Laura Hunt

Quote from: javixblack on Mon 13/07/2020 18:01:47
Amazing work!!! I'm really excited for the release!!! I can't waittttttttt
About the language, it will be in spanish?

Only English, sorry!

Honza

Holy sh*t does this keep looking better and better! Love the title screen and the new screenshots.

Might be a dumb idea, but have you considered monetizing it and donating the money to charity? At least for a few months before a free release. That way you'd have your cake and eat it too... or, rather, you'd have no cake but others would get to eat ;). It feels like a shame to give out this much labor and professionalism completely for free.

Laura Hunt

Quote from: Honza on Tue 14/07/2020 08:12:35
Holy sh*t does this keep looking better and better! Love the title screen and the new screenshots.

Might be a dumb idea, but have you considered monetizing it and donating the money to charity? At least for a few months before a free release. That way you'd have your cake and eat it too... or, rather, you'd have no cake but others would get to eat ;). It feels like a shame to give out this much labor and professionalism completely for free.

Thanks, but I already explained here why I don't want to do that: https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=57487.msg636622831#msg636622831


Honza

Quote from: Laura Hunt on Tue 14/07/2020 09:53:52

Thanks, but I already explained here why I don't want to do that: https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=57487.msg636622831#msg636622831


I'd seen that, that's why I tried the charity angle ;). Never mind, I'm happy to get a great game for free of course.


javixblack

Quote from: Laura Hunt on Thu 16/07/2020 17:20:23
Act III intro scene. Still some idle animations pending, but pretty much 99% ready.


Delightful. I want to ask you, and probably it's a really stupid question, but, how many hours per day (more or less, an arithmetic mean) do you and you partner work in this game actually? Just for curiosity, 'cause you said it is like a hobby for you, (make games I mean), and this game looks pretty complex, narrative, artistic and technically. And, if isn't too much pretentios, can you tell me something about the game process; how you work; how you organize the plot, the dialogs, wich tools are you using for that; if the artistic decisions are just of your partner or both must agree together, etc etc etc.
And last, but not least, I see in internet an italian book called "if on a winters night, a traveler"; the 4th act will be based in that novel or something? Sorry for the silly and annoying questions, Laura!

Gracias y saludos desde Argentina!

Laura Hunt

#127
Quote from: javixblack on Thu 16/07/2020 18:56:48
Quote from: Laura Hunt on Thu 16/07/2020 17:20:23
Act III intro scene. Still some idle animations pending, but pretty much 99% ready.


Delightful. I want to ask you, and probably it's a really stupid question, but, how many hours per day (more or less, an arithmetic mean) do you and you partner work in this game actually? Just for curiosity, 'cause you said it is like a hobby for you, (make games I mean), and this game looks pretty complex, narrative, artistic and technically.

In Thomas' case, it's pretty easy to estimate: he usually works 8-10 hours a day Mo-Fr. Of course, there are days in which he just feels like playing Darkest Dungeon all day, or he has other stuff to do, but in general he's pretty consistent. On the other hand, when he gets a paying gig, he can spend literally three months without working on the game, which does bring things to a screeching halt sometimes but it is what it is.

As to me, ehhh it's hard to quantify, because in a way I'm working on it 24/7. Since I do everything else, I might spend days searching online for royalty-free or public domain music, or sounds, or actually making music, or writing dialogues, or thinking about puzzles in the shower. Coding is probably what takes me the least time overall, at least compared to all the time I've put into writing, designing and plotting the story.

QuoteAnd, if isn't too much pretentios, can you tell me something about the game process; how you work; how you organize the plot, the dialogs, wich tools are you using for that; if the artistic decisions are just of your partner or both must agree together, etc etc etc.

Ehhh it's a bit of a mess, to be honest XD We had no idea of what we were getting into, and our workflow has been extremely chaotic, but I'm trying to get things back on course by using a proper design document from here onwards. But in general, Thomas has ultimate deciding power over most visual stuff, and I take on more of a general game direction role, apart from actually writing every text. There's a lot of overlap though when it comes to puzzles, for example, and stuff like gameplay and pacing, where we both contribute pretty much equally. I really think we should have divided tasks more strictly from the start, but it's ok, we always end up figuring things out :-D

QuoteAnd last, but not least, I see in internet an italian book called "if on a winters night, a traveler"; the 4th act will be based in that novel or something?

Not really, it's more of an inspiration because of the whole "story-inside-of-a-story" concept, but it is in no way an adaptation. My brain works in a very collage-like kind of way and I tend to grab a lot of little things here and there that kind of make sense for me when put together, if that makes sense? Like for example, in Act II you can listen to a fragment of La Traviata, which is in turn an adaptation of the Dumas novel La Dame aux Camélias, which is hinted at later by a pot with camellias in another part of the mansion, and in turn white flowers are referenced in a book you can find elsewhere which has a fragment of The King in Yellow, which in turn is linked by many to Thomas Ligotti because of True Detective, and in turn a Thomas Ligotti text is quoted in Act III. That's an example of how my brain works XD

QuoteSorry for the silly and annoying questions, Laura!

Not annoying at all! Everybody loves talking about their creations :-D

QuoteGracias y saludos desde Argentina!

¡Gracias a ti, y saludos de vuelta desde Berlín! ;)

javixblack

Thanks a lot for the reply, was totally interesting to read
I just curious about the process of making games as hobby, 'cause it isn't a full time job, u know, and let me make an idea about that  :P

mkennedy

Is this going to be a horror game or a game with horror elements?

Laura Hunt

Quote from: mkennedy on Fri 17/07/2020 18:53:59
Is this going to be a horror game or a game with horror elements?

There are horror elements especially in Act III, but yeah, I wouldn't define this as a horror game per se.

Laura Hunt

[imgzoom]https://i.imgur.com/wNT1H0x.gif[/imgzoom]

After a fair and realistic assessment of the workload still ahead of us, we have to accept that there isn't a chance in hell we're going to be able to meet the October/November deadline we had set for ourselves, which means that the most likely release date is now Q1 2021, as even if we managed to finish it before the end of the year, we wouldn't want to publish it during Christmas season. A million apologies for the delay.

Kastchey

We've all been there :)

The newest screenshot looks beautiful, as always.

FormosaFalanster

That's refreshing to see a game so story-driven  :) I will follow that closely.

Racoon

I am really exited to play this game when its completed. Can´t wait! The new stuff already looks so good.

Daniele82

#135


Wonderful. a game with a particular atmosphere. there is a lot of energy in your creativity. it will be a success.  :-*
Video Game Developer / Retro Games
The Pixel art is creativity and does not belong to the past but exists and will exist forever.

SITE : https://danielespadoni82.blogspot.com/

Matti

Danele, please don't quote the entire first post!

Laura Hunt

Thanks for your kind words, everybody, and apologies for the lack of updates and responses.

I made a short teaser for the game a few weeks back, but never posted it here. It's still not the final "official" trailer since we don't have any train scenes yet, but I hope you'll like it:



Also, all the original music for the game is now 100% finished. Here's a tiny 20-second snip from the piece I finished a couple of days ago:



The finish line is very close now. Hopefully just a couple more months to go!

Slasher

The graphics are really really good and i'm so glad the end is close.

I for one will be waiting..

Laura Hunt

#139


Slowly getting there. Still missing a few things, but we're so close to the finish line now.

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk