Messages

Finished the game last night and thought I'd offer up my comments:

PROs:
The sound effect when you hit the flag amused me endlessly.
The overall play was enjoyable.  You kept it entertaining and avoided a bunch of tedious beginner steps.
I ran into only one bug.
The number of animations was impressive.
The background story was a quick-and-dirty justificiation for the Indiana-Jones style adventure, but with enough substance to go somewhere if later on you wanted to have more fun with this game.

CONs:
The graphics are rough and the music doesn't loop cleanly, but none of that was a surprise given the screenshots you posted.  As you pointed out, you’re learning the system and trying to get better at making games, and you really are! Oddly enough, the only bit that irked me (and this is undoubtedly a pet peeve of mine) was the bad research.  Let me mention just two:  the saguaro cactus - a cactus native to Arizona - was growing in the Sudan, which is marked on the map where Saudi Arabia should be?!  If the game had been a spoof that would have been expected, but in this game is just seemed odd.

Anyhow, the game was fun and keep up the good work.

- Cogliostro

Running into trouble with the force field.

Spoiler

Have the raincoat on the ground... and I ASSUME i supposed to stand on that while I do something else, but I can't figure out what?

[close]

- Cogliostro

EDIT:

Solved it!  If I had only looked around a little longer!

That works for me!

- Cogliostro

[NOT]

Okay, I was trying to be good and NOT buy the AGS Bake Sale Game when I had other work looming over my head.  Now that my schedule it loosening up... it appears I'm too late.  Is there anyway to still buy the games?

- Cogliostro

For anyone who's a fan of Bruce Campbell / Sam Raimi / The Army of Darkness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF_vaZ7AjfY

- Cogliostro

Add 1 part "Saw"
Add 1 part "Misery"
Serve with AGS.

PRO: Nicely done.  Creepy and atmospheric. 

CON: There were parts where her dialogue seemed off - where she changed her "tone".  I wasn't sure if this was an accident, or if it was supposed to come across as a psychological break.  So either eliminate it or REALLY CRANK IT UP.

2)

Spoiler

I have to agree - that can't be how it really ends unless you want to things to go completely surreal, and if that's the case, you have to add something to set that expectation.

[close]

- Cogliostro

Made it to the office and NOTHING responds!  What the blazes do I do to get out of this room without jumping?!  All I have left in my possession is the food and the knife.  Did I miss something?

- Cogliostro

MIRROR - updated to version 1.5

MINOR BUG: When I first launch the game, it comes up and says:  "Video playing error: File not found or format not supported C:\[path name]\terminus"

- Cogliostro

Actually I was going for Oxford Professor, but you have the rough idea.

I'm hoping that I can get a voice actor who can do a Southern British accent.  I was thinking of Brian Cox - if you know who I'm talking about, good, if you *ARE* Brian Cox - PERFECT!

Yes, I know it makes more sense to ask AFTER the game is posted in GiP, but I'm trying to finish in time for the Bake Sale, and the rate of development is oddly paced.

Anyhow, it's a lousy 60 words.  So PM me if you're interested.

- Cogliostro

Idea: Derrick Freeland - I simulateously see an alien landscape and a bad acid trip.

Atmosphere: Dualnames - You feel the chill in the air.

Design:  Ilyich - Chaos evolves into order.

Composition:  DrewCCU - I see the storm passing and the Fremen coming out, so Stilgar can chat with Paul Atreides - Assuming composition is is defined as: the background that does the most storytelling. 

Functionality:  Ilyich - Characters can *do* something in this room, the rest of us drew pretty pictures.

Technique:  Ilyich - You started with random squiggles!

- Cogliostro

[LANDING IS NOT AN OPTION]

Just a little something entitled:

LANDING IS NOT AN OPTION



- Cogliostro

Creepy.  Atmospheric.  Gorgeous art.  You have a gift for picking the right music.  I've used incomptech.com and I would not have been able to match the scenes to the music the way you did.  And, of course, this is what sets the game's mood.

The commander is a nicely blank.  You don't think about it the first time you play through, but the next go around it really came out.  Having the option to SAVE or use the ESC key to skip all scenes would have been nice, since the game requires multiple plays.

- Cogliostro

Darkdan,

This game is pretty impressive just as it is, more so because this is your first effort and especially since you didn't have any beta testers. 

The graphics were well done.  I've seen games go "cartoon-like", but you had "comic book art" which came across nicely.  Between the art, the hair, and the music, I kept thinking of the Dagwood comic strip.

My first impression upon starting the game was that you were going to go more for laughs.  The introduction showing a slacker main character who picks up a crow as a sidekick, and then the crow heckles him continuously.   After that, however, Greedy turns out to be quite a nasty piece of work.  The end result was light-hearted ghost hunting, where I had been expecting more out and out laughter.

You really could have benefitted from some beta testers.  Khris all ready commented on this once, so I won't belabor the point too much, but the game suffered from “creative spelling” and weird grammar.  (I assume English is not your first language.)

The length, puzzles and pacing were really dead on.  Yes, Gilbert should have walked faster (I set the speed to maximum), but with the introduction of the Medallion the players had the chance to skip ahead and even that still had a puzzle.  I never found the key to the safe in the office, yet, I was able to finish the game without having to spend a hour or two randomly wandering through rooms, clicking on everything and trying all sorts of bizarre combinations I might have missed on the first go around.  Honestly that is an awesome idea.  The use of magic, talking to books and pentagrams, the items required to cast the spells, it all came together beautifully. 

At some point in the game you should explain why it's called Venator -- A family of magic users can translate Latin, but most of your players can't.

BUG:

Spoiler

All of this was at the RIVER HOUSE:

If you pick up the items from the spectral essence pentagram before finishing your vision of the past, the pentacle disappears and you never get the information.

Also, if you set it up and leave.  The pentagram stays and the pool of essence forms in the same spot.  I was able to get the childhood memories to play twice.

[close]

Looking forward to your next creation, and volunteering to be a beta tester!


- Cogliostro

Where is the key for the safe?  I'm trying to NOT use the medallion, but I can't find that key anywhere.

- Cogliostro

How do I light the candle.  I have the motivation, the candle, and a burnign fireplace, but every time I try and light it in the fireplace, he refuses.

- Cogliostro

EDIT

Spoiler

I missed the matchbook on the desk!!

[close]

Okay, I need to get the pendant.

Spoiler

I have the key to the apartment, and I can get Madison to chase Chris down the hall so the room is empty, but I cannot switch back to Rosa.  I can't get her to open the door, et cetera.

[close]

Any hints?

EDIT ---  Restarted the game, got through on the second time around.  For some reason I had asked all the questions (or at least I'm assuming I did) and it wouldn't trigger "date night" at the Haines residence.

- Cogliostro

The score is supposed to be subtle.  Set the mood for the scene without drawing attention to itself.  Keep in mind, the music sets a good mood for exploring the old pirate cave, but not boss-battle with the undead captain. 

So whether or not the music is good for the scene kind of depends on what is supposed to be happening when JIMMY encounters SUB-BOSS. 

- Cogliostro

[DAY 1]

Bill -

Okay, you asked for it, so here it is.

I'm going to give a serious critique of the game, because there's enough to this game to justify it.   (And by that I mean enough high quality to justify it.) 


FIRST MY REACTIONS AS I HAD THEM

DAY 1
Opening cut scene is nicely done.  The goat transition is just bizarre and unnerving, in the way that real nightmares actually are. 

The quality of the graphics is odd.  Much of it is nicely done, and that's drawing attention to some elements that are lacking.  Ken's marriage proposal, comes not on bended knee, but in some strange squat.  Then the girl's hair is pink, not any actual color of red that doesn't come out of a bottle.

Dialog between Ken and Turner works, it has the distinct feel of a recap, but it works.  For a bit, all I could think was that their conversation was nothing the FBI would ever talk about, but hey, they're Lamplight.  The occasional prophetic dream has to be considered.

The music you chose for the "Investigation # / Quotes" is good.  The menace is really there.  The "Walking around town" music that follows is also good.  Oddly, I find this casual music to be a tougher choice to make.

Gary is a great character, I think we've all known a Gary to two in our time. 

Maury walks like an old man!! 

Talking to the police chief... It seemed odd to me the way the information was presented about the free-roaming goats.  Why would they already be part of the information Turner and Ken are using if the chief didn't think they were important?!

Map!  This is a critical addition, but perhaps it would have worked better if it and the notes had been the own button in the toolbar.  (I can easily be wrong here.)  I can say that the map was cramped!  Was the town going to be twice the size at one point, because there's a lot of dead space on the map.

At the pub it finally dawns on me.  Every character we've met has had their own personality, including a way of talking AND moving!  It's not as if they all stand around freakishly still and spout only a single tidbit of information.  You really did fill the town with PEOPLE!!

"Danny Boy" playing in the pub was the right choice to establish the Irish Town feel.  (Though I suspect it's the last song they ever want to hear on the Green Isle.)

Putting the gated area with a fence at the back of the warehouse was just mean.  It is supposed to be the crime scene, so getting back there stayed as a priority in my head for most of the first two days.



From here forward everything kind of qualifies as a spoiler, so I'll hide it...

Spoiler

NIGHT 1
That stupid leprechaun scared the bejeezus outta me!

Stupot!  I can't believe you went through all the effort to make that poem!  The stage seems unnecessarily huge.

The dream left me suspicious of Turner.  Honestly, I was keeping an eye on my partner.  Kinda weird that he only comes out of the hotel at night...


DAY 2
The deputies look like vampires?!

Roberta Williams is dead!  The name was used numerous times before I finally pieced it together.

Using the MAP inside the bar gives the response, "You can't get a signal here.  Wherever HERE actually is." 

Cliona seems to be a freakishly well-informed, a veritable  fountain of knowledge on all things Fae.  Shouldn't this strike Ken as odd or suspiciously convenient.



NIGHT 2

Once again, Turner only comes out at night.

Cliona is providing all of the useful research.  Turner hasn't discovered a thing.  He won't talk about being a wizard.  He tried to convince Ken the Phooka's were dangerous.  Turner's looking awfully suspicious -- and then comes that dream.

=====================
PRONUNCIATION NOTE
SIDHE is not SIDDY as the Chief mispronounces.  It's pronounced SHEE
Thus  BAIN-SIDHE is pronounced BANSHEE
=====================

CROSSING INTO TIR NA OG
Deceitful guides, multiple solutions, a realm that refuses to stay in focus... Tir Na Nog is beautifully done.

After all of the trouble and misunderstanding in the dreams, I was SOOOOOO ready to trust the wisp.

In the magicweaver’s guild, if the last spell you cast is the sun shield, Ken will walk out of the shield when the cut scene takes over.  If you stuck that code in a "repeatedly_execute" function, switch it over to a "repeatedly_execute_always".

There are still points with "smart quotes", specifically, with the hobgoblin. "Yes, let[]s play with dead things... sicko."

The magical solution to defeat Vaektor was rather clever.  However, at one point I tried to use "Far Hands" to levitate myself, and then because I had it active, I tried it on the rock, this teleported me out of harms way?  BUG?!

Great last strike for the villain.  For a setting that's only there for a few minutes, the dark lands are disturbed!


CREDITS
In the Kellar's Music, when the Leanan Sidhe attacks, Gary is pounding away at the computer.

When stepping up behind the hobgoblin, the boxes are missing.

Quoting W. B. Yeats was a masterful touch.  I just checked with WIKIPEDIA and realized he's the one who emphasized the Leanan Sidhe's vampiric nature.

[close]

Looking forward to the future chronicles of Ken Murran.

- Cogliostro

[AUTOMATICALLY]

Bill --

This game was worth the three year wait.  Just a great game.  The last day works especially well.

Now, I like to offer up feedback that justifies that amount of time you put into the game.  So, I was going to back through it again, see what differences my choices could make, and point out any bugs that were missed.

This started by downloading the newest version, and I found a bug immediately...

Spoiler

The current version of the game SKIPS the opening cutscene, dumps Ken into the caves, and when you talk to Gary, you AUTOMATICALLY try to help him.

[close]

- Cogliostro