Messages

It might be tricky to do a changeover like that, inexperienced/student editors can struggle with the idea that NLE software like Premier and Final Cut link to files rather than the projects actually containing the media.

I think it would be worth it, though. In fully implementing this kind of system, it would be nice to be able to have the additional option to re-link to files at a different path or with a different name.

Right. So, what kind of paper would you like the crown to be made of?

Thanks! You've saved me hours and hours of tedium!

Yes! It seems to work! Thanks for the quick response guys.

However I'm a little frightened by the beta warnings and the fact that, once saved, this project won't work in the stable version I normally use.

Excuse my ignorance of Gits and SVNs... but would I be unwise to continue developing a project I don't want to risk in this version of the editor?

Does that mean this is something you might be able to implement in the not-too-distant future? I will make a paper crown and post it to you...

Thank you for more nice comments! To answer your further questions:

This screen specifically reminds me of the shop you visit at the start of SoMI, intentional?
http://www.nellycootalot.com/wp-content/gallery/nelly_2/nelly2_08.jpg

I'm afraid it's unintentional! Any references you spot to Monkey Island are accidental plagiarism, pure and simple.

..and what does the question mark after 'voice acting' mean?

It means the success or failure of the crowdfunding campaign will influence whether I can do voice acting or not. I really hope I will be able to voice the game, though.

EDIT: What's the resolution? Judging from these screenshots it must be hi-res (640x480 ) at least?

It's a shockingly large 800x600 pixels (though the backdrops are 800x650). That was pretty big when I started the game, honestly! Since the backgrounds are mostly complete, I think it's too late to go HD on this one!

Did you drop the "sailor outfit", though- the one from the demo?

The sailor outfit will make an appearance!

Hmm, I have vague memories of seeing 3d character models in the sequel production thread; or maybe it was a post in Critic's Lounge?. Either these were improved, or changed to 2d ones, and, anyway, they look great.

The characters are 3D, but cel shaded. I still like the way they look in true 3d (see below), but everyone I spoke to felt the cel shaded look worked better. And I think they were right!

Hey Calin, what can I say to make you get round to it sooner? I must say, King Cat is looking awfully dignified today.

For 300 sprites per character it should take only 40 minutes or so to replace them all.

I'm surprised you think 40 minutes is a reasonable amount of time to spend on something that should happen automatically! Bear in mind that when rendering sprites rather than drawing them, you often want to test out small changes, with the possibility of changing your mind. Spending an hour trying out a slightly different walk cycle is not very efficient!

EDIT: Crimson Wizard said it better than I did!

I know this issue has come up many times before... but as I start to update animations for Nelly 2, I'm reminded of what a ridiculous waste of time it is to manually replace hundreds of frames of animation over and over again. (I seem to remember it was a major factor in pushing Theo away from AGS towards a custom engine for The Journey Down, so it is a big issue).

Can anyone suggest something I can do to make it more efficient? Is there a way to create an editor plugin which acts like an action in photoshop and repeats the reloading process for a selection of sprites?

I'm afraid I don't have the programming knowledge to just deal with this myself, but I would like to help if someone could suggest a possible solution?

Thanks for the feedback! To answer your questions:

Is that a tree or a mast in the first pic?

It's a mast supporting a cable car in the screen above.

Are you making use of that lovely parallax/smooth scrolling module you'd made for the first game? 

Yes, I'm using the smooth scrolling module. And I'm working on tweaking it to create a seasickness inducing undulation for when you're on a ship.

There's no way we can talk you out of that shadow effect around the corners, is there?

No! But you will be able to disable it in the menu. I love the way the vignette works on scrolling backgrounds, but perhaps it's too strong on the beach screen...

Is there any chance of seeing some short in-game footage, or isn't it at that stage yet?

That stage is not far off. I'm hoping to release a short demo in the not-too-distant future.

I'd also say that a tablet is awesome to have but requires a lot of "adapting" (personal oppinion- I still struggle to draw a circle on that thing.)

I can't argue with your experience, but I found using a tablet for the first time to be completely natural. Perhaps the wisest thing to do try to have a go on one before buying to see if you like it.

[******26/04/14 Sadly, I've had to shift production if this game to Unity in order to achieve multi-platform delivery & high-resolution.******]

******
26/04/14 Sadly, I've had to shift production if this game to Unity in order to achieve multi-platform delivery & high-resolution.
******

Nelly Cootalot II: The Fowl Fleet

Nelly on Twitter  |  www.nellycootalot.com  |  Nelly on Facebook

Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet Kickstarter!

The Story
Pirate heroine Nelly Cootalot is on the trail of Baron Widebeard, from the South Seas to the icy north. The nefarious Baron has kidnapped a fleet of birds and hypnotised them to do his bidding. What is he planning? Can he be stopped? In what way is a frozen volcano involved? These questions may or may not be answered as Nelly uncovers the secret of William Bloodbeard's final voyage.

This game is a sequel to Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! It will be a commercial release, bigger than the original with richer graphics, more remote islands to visit and many outlandish characters to meet. It will also be both pointier and clickier.

In this game, Nelly will heroically:

• Race aristocrats for fun and profit
• Be immortalised in folk song
• Join the Merchant Navy *shudder*
• Pilot an airship.
• Uncover Bloodbeard's Lost Treasure
• Take advantage of a short-sighted old man
• Lie to strangers with no consequences

Crowdfunding Campaign
In order to complete this game, I am throwing myself bodily upon the crowdfunding bandwagon. The campaign is now live: Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet Kickstarter! I'm now working on a playable demo, so watch out for updates on Nelly's website, and by following Nelly on Twitter and Facebook.

Screenshots

Nelly washes up on Vogel Island and meets Sebastian the Coot


In the workshop of Rackham the Birdman


On the trail of Captain Rehab Sea Shanty Town


Looking for something special in Lady Chang's Junk Shop

Progress
Plot & Puzzles: 80%
Background Art: 80%
Character Art & Animation: 50%
Scripting: 25%
Voice Acting(?): 0%

History
I released the original Nelly game in 2007, if the word 'original' can be applied to a pirate-themed adventure game. Back then no one on the AGS forums could grow a beard and 640x480 was considered hi-res. These days the forums are thronged with facial hair, and 640x480 is still considered hi-res.

Since 2007 I have been gradually working on this sequel, beset by jobs and distracting noises. Now I feel like I have reached the point of no return. I'm hoping a crowdfunding campaign will give me the push I need to complete the game, and stop having to think up nautical puns on the bus.

Please let me know your thoughts!

- Ali

I remember a snippet of this from AdventureX, and it looks like the most stylish Blackwell game yet. Hooray for snow!

I used mouse-drawing over a scanned sketches to draw the graphics for Nelly Cootalot, but I'd heartily recommend a wacom.

Actually, you english-speaking people use the word "chauvinism" as something similar to "sexism". we use it as something similar to "nationalism" There you go! Your first culture shock as early as your first post!

This may shock you, but I actually know that! I was referring to the French sense of cultural superiority (as opposed to the English sense of cultural superiority).

Anyway, thanks to Mathieu and Hervé I've just uploaded an update with minor corrections to the French (see first post).

I think it looks absolutely terrific, and I'm delighted that you seem to be making more adventure games!

My only observation regarding the latest draft is that it doesn't pop as much as ProgZ's version. I think it's because the 'white' tone is that bit more muted. That might be preferable for full screen playing. But for windowed playing, I think a brighter white would keep the attention better.

I think the problem with this discussion is the use of 'art' to mean 'good art'. Art is a broad term encompassing all kinds of cultural products. I can't see how you could define art in a way which didn't group video games, graffiti and soap opera along with literature, painting and actual opera.

I agree with everything AGA says. Particularly with regard to the episodes of Devil's Playhouse.

I really enjoyed Tales of Monkey Island. It's not as strong as the first three but it's leagues ahead of Escape From... Even if it lacks the precise feel of the originals, it's a pleasant and amusing game in the vein of Monkey Island. Admittedly, the interface is not good, and the puzzles are less challenging than they could/should be, but it didn't stop me enjoying the series.

Absolutely! But side effects include mild chauvanism and a penchant for fois gras.

[download it now!]

Thanks to the sterling efforts of Hervé Appriou (Surdy), Mathieu Bergounioux (Monsieur OUXX) and Marc Denizot, Nelly Cootalot is now available in with a French Translation.

Please tell every francophone person you meet to download it now!

Feedback and bug reports are welcome.

I've been using the same Wacom Intuos 3 since about 2008. It cost £200 and was well worth it!

Sorry for the very delayed response - I was visiting my parents over Christmas and New Year and their internet was broken.

Here's the new crashdump:
http://ali.agser.me/CrashInfo.3.21.1115_v3.dmp

And the warning log:

(in room -10): check_write_access -- before GetDiskFreeSpaceMB
(in room -10): check_write_access -- after GetDiskFreeSpaceMB - success
(in room -10): init_engine: before switch_to_graphics_mode: final_col_dep = 0
(in room -10): switch_to_graphics_mode, start: final_col_dep = 0
(in room -10): try_widescreen_bordered_graphics_mode_if_appropriate, start: final_col_dep = 0
(in room -10): init_gfx_mode: final_col_dep = 32
(in room -10): try_widescreen_bordered_graphics_mode_if_appropriate, start: final_col_dep = 32
(in room -10): switch_to_graphics_mode, end: final_col_dep = 32, failed = 0
(in room -10): init_engine: after switch_to_graphics_mode: final_col_dep = 32
(in room -10): initializing engine: creating new virtual screen: w = 640, h = 400, cd = 32
(in room -10): virtual_screen = 05B06E88
(in room -10): save_game -- slotn = 999, descript = 5704708
(in room -10): save_game -- before GetDiskFreeSpaceMB
(in room -10): save_game -- after GetDiskFreeSpaceMB - success
(in room -10): save_game -- before get_save_game_path
(in room -10): save_game -- after get_save_game_path
(in room -10): save_game -- after open file
(in room -10): save_game -- prepare to save screenshot
(in room -10): virtual_screen = 05B06E88, width = 640, height = 400, vs color depth = 32, final color depth = 32

In answer to your queries - the game is not set to run at 1600x1200, that's the resolution of my desktop. The game is 640x480 windowed.

A few people have tested recent versions, and no one has reported this error. If you PM me your email address I can share the latest build with you, if that would help?

Thanks for your help! Please let me know if you can make any sense of this...

EDIT:
I don't know if this helps, but I'm occasionally getting this crash (in this case, after the first):

There was a problem initializing graphics mode 640 x 480 (32-bit).
(Problem: 'Failed to create Direct3D Device: 0x8876086C')
Try to correct the problem, or seek help from the AGS homepage.

Possible causes:
* your graphics card drivers do not support this resolution. Run the game setup program and try the other resolution.
* the graphics driver you have selected does not work. Try switching between Direct3D and DirectDraw.
* the graphics filter you have selected does not work. Try another filter.

Another Edit:

A weird thing just happened. I ran the game and it acted like it was going to crash, but after ages it loaded... in full screen instead of a window. It is definitely set to run in a window. The CFG file reads: windowed=1.

I am baffled. Is my computer haunted?