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[DRM Discussion]

I have split the DRM Discussion off to a new topic and moved it to General Discussion so you can continue (if you want).

Let's keep this thread about its game please, thanks!

Could it be...

Please add one more in game screenshot.

Thanks! Good luck with the production.

[Giacomo]

Giacomo - please review the forum rules before digging up any more old threads, thanks!

eri0o - glad to know you're still workin' on it. Would you like me to lock this thread until you're ready to post an update? The damage is done (it being dug-up) so if you want to leave it open I'll leave it up to you.

I think the biggest "problem" I see is the inconsistent shadows and shading.

For instance if you look at the stone-work around the door of the house there is adequate shading to define the shapes well (though I might suggest a bit more contrast between lights/darks to make it a bit more obvious). The wood frame-work around the edges of the house, however, is a single color and it's difficult to see the shape/form of the beams (same with the roof tiles). I would suggest adding a darker shade to the sides to define that better (or, at the very least, a black/dark line to show the edges where the shading would be). As it is they almost look like blobs of clay with no edges just lumped on to the sides of the house (the roof tiles are a little better but still need some more line work/shading to define the edges)!

The flowers, trees, rocks, mailbox and fences are all casting shadows but the grass over-lapping the path isn't. Just stands out to my [picky] eyes!

Compositionally speaking I would suggest (if it's not too much effort) moving the path/fence opening more to the center (just horizontally, doesn't need to move up/down) to draw the eye into the scene more effectively. In its current form the fence is really distracting and lends an almost claustrophobic feeling to the scene (I don't know the tone/feeling of this scene/game so if that's the intent, kudos, leave it as is!).

One last thing is the [sort of] outline on the character... it looks unfinished so I'm hesitant to comment on it but I think either embrace the outline and dive in with it or remove it entirely and let the colors define the form. I lean towards the outline to match the style of the rest of the image.

Those few nitpicks aside I really like the direction this is headed. You're on to something good here!

[eri0o]

Loom and I made that design I think back in '05 (good golly!).

So I do feel a design refresh may be in order after 16 years...

I spoke with AGA awhile back (I think in 2018 or '19) about doing a redesign and he was quite receptive to the idea but, sadly, life got in the way and I no longer have enough time to give what would be needed. I would be happy to whip up some design mockups but the actual programming/maintenance there's simply no way I could give that much time! I agree with eri0o (and others) though; the main website should be disconnected from the forum software. I have no idea how the integration works or how deep it goes though but if it's a hassle to update a simple website then we're doing it wrong!

Also I own the domain adventuregame.studio which I'm happy to allow the use of if members don't mind the switch-over (AGA was, again, receptive to the idea).

I also like the idea of a Patreon (though I am not particularly fond of Patreon itself) but some kind of donation service to help fund the development of AGS.

The last time we went through this it got... aggressive. Lots of egos competing for what's "best" for AGS (and the public site/forum designs) because we made the redesign public, letting everybody take a stab at the design. I would advise against that this time. I think the way to go would be to assign one person for the front-end design and one for the back-end and just trust them to create the thing. Just my feelings on the matter!

Congrats on the release!

I have added the link to the first post (so people can find it easily in the future).

Congrats!

I'll leave the thread open for a bit so people can see it's been released!

Are you looking to render the forest (in the game) in real-time? Or will it be pre-rendered backgrounds that were built in 3D?

If the former I would recommend a few models for the "close up" trees to cut down on total polygons (you probably only need two or three base models) and use a particle system to spread them around the immediate area. For the far-off trees you could use planes that wrap around the scene and slap some repeating tree texture maps on them. Another cool thing you could do if the game itself is in 3D is you could slap a displace modifier on the tree particle system and drive it with a noise filter to make the leaves swaying a bit. It's such a great effect!

If the latter I would say go hog with a particle system (again really only need two to three base models and let the particle system vary the rotation/scale for you).

Good luck!

How is nobody drawing parallels between this guy constantly telling us he's still alive and his chosen username...

[sawyer]

sawyer - Are you doing this on purpose now? This is probably the 5th or 6th time I've had to lock a thread you've dug up and each time I've asked you not to do this. Yet here we are again.

Like Ali said, I'm not a censor, and I think this is a stupid and reductionist take.

Let's try to remain civil please.

If you cannot answer (or do not wish to answer) my questions that's fine. I was asking honest questions I genuinely wanted answers to. Not trying to antagonize.

Likewise, coming with suggestions on what would be better is not the same as forcing people to conform to your standards.

I am assuming you mean "would be better" for you personally?

I have some confusion with this because you specifically said "I don't think every single piece of media has to pass any such criteria, but I do think more should, and those that doesn't pass the criteria should have a good reason as to why."

I hope you can see why I/some would interpret that as "forcing people to conform to your standards".

If you didn't mean it that way, great, but that's what it seemed you were saying so I asked questions for clarification.

How can you have any real discussion on anything culture-related if every personal statement of opinion is treated as some absolute law proposal?

By asking questions to better understand what the person, who you are in discussion with, meant?

Isn't everyone always trying to dictate culture?
I'm fairly sure that's how culture comes into existence.

Perhaps? I'm far from an expert but it doesn't really diminish my question, does it?

They [critics] are still trying to dictate culture.

The people talking about the Bechdel test are critics, not cultural dictators.

Interesting choice of words.

When a critic says that some form of entertainment should pass a (or any) test to be acceptable are they not, in a way, attempting to dictate culture?

I think Hollywood should stop making so many superhero films.

Well it happened! For the first time in history we agree on something

I thought I'd already mention it, but I'll say it again: I don't think every single piece of media has to pass any such criteria, but I do think more should, and those that doesn't pass the criteria should have a good reason as to why.

So they aren't required to pass the test but they must have a good reason for failing it?

Who decides what constitutes a "good" reason for failing the test?

[Blondbraid]

Blondbraid - Are you suggesting that all entertainment (books, tv, movies, games, etc) should have to meet these standards you (and others) have created? Or are you saying they don't have to; you just wish more of them did so you, personally, could enjoy them more?

(forgive me if you've made this clear already but there's a lot of long posts in here and I have read things to suggest both answers)

This topic has been moved to Adventure Related Talk & Chat.

https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=58740.0

Please review the forum rules and let me know when you're a little farther into development!

Good luck!

I have to say that Galaxy Quest is one of the rare movies that tops my list of favorites even though it's riddled with plot holes and inconsistencies. It's just pure magical enjoyment!

A big nod to The Princess Bride as well.

I want to mention Tremors again (from the other thread) as well (though I won't retell my story about it).

I feel the need to mention the 1985 Chevy Chase classic Fletch. The writing is tight. The acting is on point (for the most part). The humor/jokes have never been topped. It's one of my go-to movies that I can put on and watch just about any time. I have probably seen it over 50 times and could do it line for line. I think it's probably the most quoted movie I have in my [vast] repertoire of movie quotes. I won't say I quote it daily, but it's probably close to daily. I think it perfectly captures the mid-80s in America (a time some of you probably don't remember well (if at all)) so it might not speak to a younger audience but for us old-timers from this part of our space-rock it's a classic.

Is this being made with AGS?

Also; please review the forum rules and update your post accordingly (two in game screenshots and some details about the game).

Good luck with the production!

[The Last of the Mohicans]

You know Mr. Mandle... sometimes our parallels shock me!

I would list Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Toy Story but I'd also toss Willow into the mix as well!

While I don't think I could classify any movie as "perfect" I do have a long list of movies that are perfect for me. In the way(s) they inspired me, changed me, moved me, etc.

So in the spirit of this thread I'd have to go with:

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
I woke up one morning in early 1993 and decided, in typical fifteen year old wisdom, that I just didn't feel like going to school. I played sick and fooled (so I thought) my parents into letting me stay home to "recover". I slept a bit. Ate some breakfast. Then I wandered into my older brother's room (just being nosey). Sitting on the nightstand was a new movie box he'd picked up (he worked at a local video rental place called Discount Video at the time). It was The Last of the Mohicans. I was unwilling to admit to myself that I was bored (and would probably be less bored at school) so I decided to watch it. There a few moments in life where you can place a chapter marker and say, "before this moment my life was very different than it was after" and this was one of those moments. The movie builds up so well you don't even realize it's manipulating you. The waterfall scene slaps you in the face so hard as you realize what it's all been building towards and then the chase scene (with that music, oh my stars!) just ties it all up. Daniel Day Lewis is, in my opinion, the greatest actor of any generation (Gary Oldman is a tight second place). The movie is breath-taking (cinematography, direction, pacing, acting). In subsequent viewings you realize there's so much to this story that you might miss on a single viewing. My particular favorite background detail is how subtle the love story between Uncas and Alice is (as it's so beautifully over-shadowed by the main [incredible] love-story) that you're almost confused by the exchange between them when Uncas meets his noble end until you go back and see all the background interactions they shared through-out the movie. I grew up (to some degree) on the notion of "cowboys and indians" where the cowboys were the good guys and the indians were the savage bad guys. This movie taught me to think differently. To see that some of the truths we were raised on might require some questioning. I remember being confused, during the chase scene, to find I had tears running down my cheeks. I didn't know a movie could do that to a person! So while I wouldn't say it's a "perfect" movie I would say it's as close to perfection as a movie has gotten (in my opinion).

Over the years I have spoken to people who just don't get my love of this movie. They think it's slow and boring and over-acted. I have long held the belief that a person's personal situation at the time of watching a movie can dramatically affect their take on a movie and it makes it hard for them to understand why others just can't see the greatness the way they can. When I stayed home from school, all those decades ago, I was head over heels in love with one Susan Jaskolski (she didn't know it yet) and I think, seeing this amazing love story in the movie, I connected the feelings I had for Sue to the movie. I haven't talked to Sue in over 20 years but I still regularly watch The Last of the Mohicans.

I would also probably have to mention:

Saving Private Ryan
Those who know me know I'm a Spielberg fan-boy but this movie... my stars! That opening scene (June 6, 1944) and the assault on Omaha Beach is one of the greatest pieces of film-making that's ever been done. I have never felt so exhilarated, terrified, and sick at the same time (well, from watching a movie at any rate). I remember being in the theater and about 5 minutes into that sequence I realized I had bitten through the skin on the knuckle of my middle finger (no joke). I won't go into as much detail here as I did above but I want to mention one particular scene to showcase the greatness of this movie. As the allies are establishing the beach head two American soldiers are approaching some, clearly surrendering and terrified, enemy soldiers who are pleading with raised hands and no weapons. The Americans gun them down and even make jokes as they search the dead bodies. It shows that war is brutal on both sides and it's not just the "bad guys" that do bad things. However what I learned years later (as Spielberg does nothing to point it out or make it part of the movie) the two soldiers were actually not German. They were Czech conscripts and they were shouting/pleading "Please don't shoot me, I am not German, I am Czech, I didn't kill anyone, I am Czech". When you re-watch the scene, knowing who they are and what they're saying, it's another gut-punch after nearly 10 minutes of constant gut-punching! This is a film making tour-de-force that I would say may have been equaled but has never been bettered.

As to some of the other mentions made.

I have never been a huge fan of Tarantino but I've enjoyed his movies for the most part. I have always felt he lost his way after Pulp Fiction. I think the notoriety went to his head and anything after Pulp Fiction just felt like he was chasing the greatness (or trying to surpass it) and never did. Just my opinion.

One of my all time favourite movies is "Falling down" with Michael Douglas. A perfect movie in my opinion.

While I wouldn't put it on my "perfect" list I have to give a nod to this! It's an amazingly fun (if depressing if you let it get you) movie!

That's all I have (for now).