Messages

Ooh, I completely missed this topic the last couple of times I've visited the forum ...

Glad to see you're going public!  The new screenshots look very enticing, the GUI looks nice, simple and colourful, and the 'bots themselves look as adorable as ever.

Can't wait! 

The musical theatre geek in me was very happy to receive:

- The vocal score to Pacific Overtures.
- The soundtrack to the Sweeney Todd movie.
- Chicago on DVD.

A whole bunch of clothes, a couple of books, and one or two personal things, too.  My family have been very good to me   My GF's present is still in the post, so I don't know what she got me yet ...

[MUSIC.]

Hello all,

I've been a long-time watcher from the sidelines and occasional participant in the forums, and have enjoyed several incredibly-well-made adventure games.  This is part of my effort to get more involved in the community and give something back.

The skills I can offer include:


MUSIC.

This is my main skill.  Composing is (sort of) what I do for a living and I have several years' experience at it.  I'm willing and able to compose in MIDI, mp3 or ogg format.  I can do title themes, general background music and action-specific underscoring.  A whole range of styles from gothic horror to cartoony, melancholic to action-paced.

Check out some of my work:

A Japanese garden.

A comic mafia theme.

(The adventurous and bored can also browse my website for more music clips.)


Aside from composing music, I'm also up for:


Playtesting.

I love playing games.  I'd love to play YOUR games.  I'm inquisitive and thorough, and will offer detailed and helpful feedback.


Speech / Talkie Recording.

I work in theatre and I'm an amateur ham.  I'm particularly good at disguising / colouring my voice in the time-honoured vein of Futurama or Simpsons - "cartoony" a speciality, but I can do serious as well.


I'm also happy to offer advice and a helping hand with Story Design and with occasional Proof Reading as well.  Although I haven't completed any games myself, I've played dozens and have given extensive thought and analysis to puzzle design, dialogue clues, etc.  I have written and staged plays and musicals, so I have an instinct for story structure and an ear for dialogue.  I also have a BA in English Literature and can be pedantic about grammar and punctuation (er, which is a good thing).


I'm a busy person but will always find time for the right project.  If you're interested, give me a PM and let's chat!

Thanks for reading my post!

Matt

I'm so glad that Part II of Principles of Evil finally got made!  I enjoyed playing Part I when it came out, particularly the gorgeous graphics and Rogi's laconic attitude.

I'm enjoying Part II so far - however, I seem to have encountered a bug ...

Spoiler

After discovering the secret mushroom cave beneath the greenhouse, and talking with the elderly bison guarding the grass, I went back up through the greenhouse and into the main hall of the mansion (with the seashsell over the fireplace).  However, for some reason Rogi got stuck by the door to the greenhouse - I couldn't get her to walk anywhere!  Now I can't play any further!

[close]

Is it just me?  Did I do something silly?  I hope it's fixable as I'd love to keep playing.

Hurrah!  Web-presence!

Congrats on getting the site up and running, The Ivy.  Several of the comics made me chuckle out loud - especially the "Orange Drink commerical" and the "Heav-o-lution" poster (I'm somewhere at the bottom of that left-hand tree, roasting merrily ...).

Also, is it me, or does "Man-Man Man" bear more than a passing resemblance to Stan Lee? 

Good luck on finishing your oh-so-secret game soon - I look forward to playing it!

Hi Ali,

I've only just had the chance to download and play the game, although I've been keeping my eye out for it ever since I saw some preview art in the "Critics Lounge"!

First off, I just want to say I had a really great time playing this game!  The puzzles were a healthy mixture of simple and challenging across the board, and I didn't have to use the Hints page once!  Some of them were quite imaginative - I particularly enjoyed ...

Spoiler

... figuring out the correct Pirate's Guild tattoo ...

[close]

... and I didn't even mind ...

Spoiler

... the cryptography puzzle in unscrambling the piraglyphics ...

[close]

... because all the clues were made readily available to the player, which shows some nice forethought.  I also really liked that you could pick up extra clues / move forward just by learning things and asking old characters for new information - it made for an enjoyable storyplaying experience.

The graphics and humour were both superb, too!  The game had a simple but very charming, polished and original look to it - it reminded me somewhat of an early 90s cartoon!  Both the look and the witty, character-filled dialogue really drew me into the world of the game and I loved every second I spent there.  As other people have said, the humorous pirate game always risks feeling cliched after the MI games but I think you successfully pulled off your own take on the genre.

I do agree with some minor criticisms that other posters have made.  I, too, grew a little weary of the repeating dialogue trees.  I like that you wanted to make information constantly accessible to the player - it's always a blessing to be able to go back and check! - but in many games, the original dialogue gets replaced with a much more succinct version that reiterates only the most important points.  I think there were several dialogues in your game that could've benefited from that technique.

I also didn't like that some puzzles, i.e.:

Spoiler

Using the iHook on the "Hook-a-Duck" pole only AFTER Nelly has played the game and realised it was rigged.

[close]

were "time-released", so the player couldn't perform the action until the game decided it was the right time.  It reminded me a little of Discworld (one of my least favourite games), where you'd try something and Rincewind would tell you "good idea ... but not just yet!"  It was frustrating in the extreme because you then had to work out what logic function the game wanted you to complete first, rather than carry on playing the story.  I like that you wanted to provide a breadcrumb path of clues for the players - in fact, there were occasions when I really appreciated it! - but there will always be times when the player's mind leaps ahead a few stages, and the game should allow them to do that, too.

But these are just minor cavails.  I must emphasise how much I enjoyed playing the game - and how much I enjoy looking forward to playing it again soon!

Can't work how to get the third newspaper piece. I know where it is... but can't get to it. Any hints would be a great help.

Same here.

It's a sneaky one, that ...

Spoiler

... but you have to orchestrate it so that Matt is facing the other way while you open the locker with the wrench, so that he doesn't catch you at it.

[close]

I only discovered it by accident!

Hi Bernie,

I noticed this game when it was in development earlier this year.  I was excited by the concept and by the obvious high quality of the screenshots you put up, and was very eager to play it.  I just got through it last night and I have to say it was even better than I was expecting!

The graphics and animation were superb - very atmospheric in the style of games like BASS, and the atmosphere was helped by the excellent, tense music.  The interface was easy to use and helped game play flow along.

Best of all was the tight plotting and the very innovative concept of having to gain the CO's trust!  You had reservations about the game's length - personally, I prefer a game to be shorter but tightly plotted, rather than huge with lots of padding and unnecessary puzzle-solving all over the place.  And the constant challenge to keep the CO on your side added to the tension and the drama, especially since it directly affected character development and the outcome of the story!

I have only two nags.  The first was with one of the puzzles, one which I'm sure you've heard a lot about ...

Spoiler

... the level measuring device!  Even though you did go out of your way to provide a diagram and in-game hints, this puzzle was very frustrating for a few reasons.  Firstly, it was perhaps too complex - there was an awful lot of information to take in all at once and a lot of it was quite technical.  Secondly, even with the diagram you provided, it was hard to visualise the 3D X-Y-Z axis when fiddling with those 2D sliders.  Thirdly, it wasn't entirely clear what was meant by the "deepest point" of the pipe - I thought that referred to the exact centre of the pipe, but apparently it referred also to the lowest point on the Y-axis within the pipe (which is confusing because "Z" is depth and "Y" is height).

[close]

My second nag is that the right-mouse-click used to skip through speech faster was not kept constant.  During actual gameplay it didn't work, and during cutscenes it skipped through the cutscene altogether.  Because I'm a fast reader, I often found myself accidentally skipping through important scenes and having to restore to a saved game to watch the scene properly.

Anyway, those are just two minor nags in what was an exceptionally excellent game!  You mustn't undersell yourself - you are clearly very talented and able to produce high quality stuff!  It was a pleasure to play the game.

Spoiler

Grab the oxygen meter, then carry Matt and keep moving.

[close]

I tried that already, but ...

Spoiler

... the meter keeps going off, and Clyde won't let me go any further because it's too dangerous.

[close]

There must be something else I'm not doing.

Help!  I'm a little bit stuck in the sewers, just after I've fixed and opened the water pipe ...

Spoiler

... Matt is unconscious on the floor & I've bandaged his head wound.  I can't go into the next room without carrying him, and I can't feel around in the crack on the floor.  Walters won't speak to me (she's too afraid).  I've absolutely no idea what to do next!

[close]

Can anyone help me out?

ManicMatt and Cesaran, about the measuring device:

Spoiler

X doesn't really matter, all you need is Y -2 (deepest point) and Z 2(the middle of the pipe)

[close]

Bernie, you made a mistake:

Spoiler

The Z axis should be set to 3, not 2 (3 is exactly half way between the two edges of the pipe at 1 and 5).

[close]

Well, that is the explaination given at the begining of CMI, which wasn't made by Ron Gilbert thus isn't the true meaning of MI2's ending ...

As Scummbuddy pointed out, I was referring only to the evidence that we're actually given by Ron Gilbert himself, at the end of MI2, which does seem to push us towards the "voodoo spell cast by LeChuck" interpretation (again, note little Chuckie's spooky eyes and Elaine's direct remark), which is clearly where the writers of CMI got the idea in the first place.Ã,  I do agree, however, that there is some ambiguity to that ending and that, as others have said, only Ron Gilbert knows for sure!

I just remembered the ending to the recent AGS game "Duty and Beyond", which I was in two minds about ... not because of the twist reveal that ...

Spoiler

... your entire epic mission to other kingdoms was actually part of some huge reality TV game ...

[close]

... but because it turns out there were multiple endings depending on the number of points you earned.Ã,  I'm not against multiple endings per se - I think they give a game great replay value and an extra sense of really being able to affect the outcome of the story - but when it's based on a points system, I feel a little bit like I'm being unfairly punished.

I did absolutely everything that was strictly necessary to complete the game, as well as most of the largely unrelated side-quests that were not necessary, and I still didn't get a full score.Ã,  I personally feel that this is unfair to the player - after all, it can be complex and challenging enough to solve all the necessary puzzles in an adventure game without worrying about puzzles that aren't necessary.Ã,  How is one to tell if something is a genuine puzzle or just a red herring if it's not actually related to the central quest?Ã,  And what player wouldn't skip past a load of unnecessary obstacles if he found a short-cut in his quest?Ã,  Moreover, it was only about a quarter of the way through the game that I actually realised these non-essential side quests existed, but by then it was too late because the game doesn't let you travel backwards to a previously completed section.

Yet, after all my exhaustive efforts (and "Duty and Beyond" is a massive game), I received a "low" ending:

Spoiler

I didn't win the grand prize and the romantic interest spurned my advances.

[close]

... as if to say, "sorry - you didn't try hard enough".Ã,  I felt doubly disappointed - firstly, that I'd have to play all the way through again just to attempt a better ending, and secondly, I was racking my brains to think what stone I could possibly have left unturned!Ã,  Don't get me wrong - I did enjoy the game immensely, but this specific kind of multiple ending feels like an unfair reward for my efforts as a player.

Wow.Ã,  Personally, I loved the MI2 ending, and whenever I hear people talk about being disappointed by it, I always wonder if there are two versions of that ending out there ...

I say this because the whole point to the MI2 ending is that Guybrush isn't just a little boy playing pirate games with his brother ... it was all a spell created by LeChuck to keep Guybrush out of his way.Ã,  (This is made pretty clear when, as the Threepwood family walks away, little Chucky's eyes glow spookily red ... and we also see Elaine still waiting for Guybrush to return from the hole on Dinky Island and she literally says "I hope he hasn't fallen under a curse or anything".)

I also enjoyed the gag that the end of our lengthy quest to find Big Whoop was, as the name suggests, a bit of a disappointment (i.e. it turns out to be the name of a carnival - you can see the sign in the background as the family walks away).Ã,  Anyway, I thought it was all highly original - a double whammy of two surprise endings that I didn't see coming, and I wasn't disappointed at all!

[Note: I've just read the link from Sovka about Ron Gilbert's possible meaning behind MI1 and MI2, which adds a whole 'nother level to it ...]

I do have to agree with others that the MI3 ending was a huge letdown, mostly because it wasn't really an ending - it was a tiny cutscene animation followed by credits.Ã,  (All interviews / articles I've read suggest that the production team simply ran out of time and had to release the game with a makeshift ending.)

I think my personal least favourite ending was the ending to "Simon the Sorceror 2", which was a cliffhanger.Ã,  Not that I don't like cliffhangers ... but I'd had such a horrible time playing the game itself, I felt ill at the prospect of having to play through a whole sequel just to conclude the story!

Hey the Ivy,

I mostly lurk nowadays, alas, due to busy-ness elsewhere, but I just had to comment on your wonderful cartoon strips!  Several of them made me laugh out loud, which is rare enough.  Personaly favourites include the sphinx psychiatrist, the back garden bear, the tall sandwich and the kids' religion play.

Also, it is mildly shameful how much the College Atheist resembles a 7-year-yonger me (except for the chain on the trousers, it's damningly accurate).

Hope all's going well with sequels and semesters!

Hey guys,

The new screenshots look excellent - well in keeping with the high quality that you've already established in the other tidbits you've shared so far, so that's hardly a surprise!

I particularly love the conceit you have going with the map screen - that is, to fade in a little "reminder" at the top left of the screen to help the player link game locations to map locations.  Navigating in adventure games is often tricky because you don't have the same sense of spatial reference you'd use in real life, so that's a really nice touch.  It shows thought and consideration!

Glad to hear that steady progress continues to be made with this game.  I very much look forward to beta-testing it!  And do PM me if ever there's something I can help out with.

[Doctor:]

Hey Dreadus,

This looks like it's going to be a great game!Ã,  As everyone has said, the graphics look smashing, and it's a neat change to be playing an animal instead of a human for once!

A couple of puzzle ideas:

Spoiler

Doctor: I notice you've got him wearing those long lab-type rubber gloves.Ã,  Perhaps he has to put those on before he dares handle the tapir?Ã,  In which case, maybe fill them with glue (or some other substance hanging around the lab) while they're hanging to one side.Ã,  Or maybe he's allergic to your fur, so you need to rub some into his clothes somehow?

Window: Maybe the window is sealed, so you need to break it open with a hammer, or use a chisel on a crack in the glass.Ã,  Or maybe the latch needs oiling.Ã,  And once you get it open, maybe it's high up or directly over a thorn bush, or even (this'd be better) shards of the windowpane you just broke!Ã,  So you need to fling down a fire-blanket or something to cover them up and have a safe landing.

[close]

Just thoughts :)Ã,  Wish I could help you with the programming but I know absolutely nothing about that kind of thing.

Best of luck with finishing it this month and I very much look forward to playing it!

I don't think it was a bad topic at all - in fact I think it was a very smart and useful one.Ã,  A grid-based inventory could be a great asset to the AGS palate of programming options.

However, since programming always takes a lot longer to put together, test, debug etc., perhaps the time-frame was simply too narrow?Ã,  13 days isn't very much time to create a new GUI from scratch, especially if you have work / other interests at the same time.

People have obviously been putting the work in, and full kudos to them - it would be a shame to see that effort go to waste.Ã,  Perhaps it might be an idea to reboot this compo with an extended time frame?

Wow - both Kiddie and Fizzii have done great paintovers.

As other people have noted, Kiddie's (slightly reminiscent of "The Dig" ) seems warmer and calmer, whereas Fizzii's version, playing off the same colour scheme as your original, seems harsher and more forbidding (especially with the realistic detail they've put into the shadows and rock surface.)Ã,  So it depends which atmosphere you prefer.

The colour contrast is a definite improvement, as now the rock formation is very much the focus.Ã,  I like the sea / wave effects that Kiddie did, as well as the successful haze over the horizon.Ã,  And Fizzii's highlighting of the spiral is a nice idea.

Wheee!  All those years of reading puzzle books finally paid off! 

Although I'm still wondering ... what game does Jerrod Wilson come from?  I only figured it out by piecing together the rebus ...

Looks pretty good.  I like the combination of simple outlines with paint-like colouring ... it has quite a unique look to it.

I agree with comments above about the sky - a simple, smooth gradient between two fairly close colours, plus clouds, would be appropriate (right now it looks very computer generated!).

My comment would be that the rock formation really needs to be a different colour.  Everything in that picture is a shade of bluey-grey so nothing stands out.  Since the rock formation is where most of the action will be taking place (I assume?), it needs to be more noticeable.  Perhaps something purpley-grey or browny-grey?  If you have a recent edition of Paintshop Pro it should be a cinch to use the tint function and experiment with some different colour combinations.

Also, is that a rock desert or a sea beneath the cliff?  I'm guessing the latter because of the wavey sort of patterns you've got going there.  If so, it might be an idea to brighten most areas of it to about the brightness it shows at the very right-hand edge of the picture, and have the cliff casting a specific shadow / reflection on the water directly below / around it.  And also perhaps to include the wave-like patterns on the upper part of the sea as well.

Okay, I'll clam up now