Messages

Without wanting to give away too much about the game, I need to have an alternative version of the corridor, with stone walls (think castle-style construction).

I just put together the image below, but I'm not sure if the stone work I have done so far looks like a castle wall. I tried a more uniform version with more standard "bricks", but it really didn't look good.



I'd really appreciate any ideas or feedback anyone could provide, because I think I've gone blind to it from looking at it too long.

I had a really rough time sleeping last night, so gave up trying and decided to get back up and work on the idea for my game a bit, but instead had a bit of an epiphany and ended up scrapping it and writing up a whole new one.

I'd normally be angry with myself for doing something like this, but this new idea is so much better than my first and has me far more inspired and eager to make it. Plus, thankfully, I can use everything that I've made so far, so havn't lost any time or effort in changing my plans.

I fixed the light on the right wall, and added it on the roof. Pushed the doors into the walls a bit, and touched up the stair.

I like your style. =)

Jim Reed, you are a star! Thank you for taking the time to do that edit/paintover. The shadow on the stairs looks great, as do the framed and inset doors, so if you don't mind, I'm going to keep those.

I'm still not 100% sure of the shadow on the right wall, but since you moved it pretty much back to where I had it in my first draft (not posted here), perhaps it is more accurate than I initally thought.

Thanks again.

I find your shadow a bit over-saturated though. The brown is very... brown.

I was thinking that myself. I'm working on other backgrounds right now, but shall give it another pass when I go back to add in the details and try to de-saturate it a bit. At least I plan to... I'm still trying to get to grips with Graphics Gale's interface - which isn't the best I've ever used - to better organise my palette right now.

Thank you for the feedback Theo, its been very helpful. I've been working on some other backgrounds for this game today, but have just gone back and played around with some of the lighting levels:



I've darkened the shadows in both areas and feel that the stage at least looks a lot better for it. I'll try to add some more detail in tomorrow to get a better feel as to whether I should add a second light in the corridor.

As for the black outlines, they're merely a force-of-habit, and will probably be replaced later on.

Hey all,

I'm having a go at this month's MAGS competition and having been stuck at home with the flu, I've written up the story and so on today and I've given the first background a shot this evening:



Hopefully you can tell what it is without a description, but in case you can't, it is a small theatre corridor leading from a stage on the left to various rooms on the right. Now, this has gone through half a dozen drafts today and despite a couple of potential perspective issues (that far left wall needs to be fixed), I've tested it in AGS and I'm happy with the layout. More detail will be added to everything after I get the layouts of all of the rooms finished.

The things I'm looking for some advice/critique on are the colour scheme and the lighting. As I said, these have gone through several drafts already, and I am generally happy with their current state, but I bow to those with greater experience of these things than me should there be any stark errors I've missed.

The stage is lit with spotlights - something which I think I've portrayed fairly well, but the corridor light is troubling me, especially since I've used that odd perspective on the right. Its either that, or its because the shadow cast seems to imply that there should be a shade on the light, when there currently isn't... thoughts?

If anyone could provide some help/advice for how the shadow should fall in the stairway too, I would be very grateful, as its been frustrating me for an hour now, and I'm still not happy with the tests I've done so far.

Any advice or feedback would be most gratefully received, cheers.

[Edit (05.01.11):]

The game I've been working on for a while has ground to a halt over the holidays, so I think I might give this MAGS a go to refresh my creative palette. I've got an main idea sorted and am working on the puzzles and script ideas now. Fingers crossed I can keep the ball rolling.

Edit (05.01.11): Figured I would edit this post with updates regarding my progress on this. Hopefully no one else minds, as I think it'll help me to keep motivated.

I'm mostly happy with the idea as it is and have finished writing the main story line. I have a good sense of all the puzzles, objects and characters, but need to make sure that I don't go overboard with these considering the deadline. Similarly, with the graphics, I need to make sure that I hit a pleasing functionality/art line so that I don't spend too long fussing over unimportant details. Speaking of which, next today I'll start on the first draft of the backgrounds, so that I have some sense of scale for the other sprites, and can begin the basic navigation coding.

(08.01.11): As I noted in a post below, I changed the storyline of my game quite drastically yesterday, but thankfully not so much that I would have to discard any of my previous work. The new idea has definitely stoked my motivation though, as I've been working on it with much more enthusiasm than the original idea. To that end, I've been organising puzzles and characters, and can now draw a playthrough thread from start to end in very simple terms. At this stage, the puzzles might not be very difficult, but they will make sense. I'll add more later, but right now, they've moved back down my list of priorities.

(09.01.11): Today I've completed all six room 'spaces' to a level where I can now physically map out the floorplan of my game. Details are being added to each as-and-when I get the urge, but my priorities are now moving on to developing the characters and puzzles and thinking about the GUI. I really want to get the majority of the art and 'writing' done by next sunday, so that I allow myself plenty of time to work on the coding, which is my weak point.

(13.01.11): I've had other commitments this week that have taken up some of the free time I was hoping to have to work on this game, but thankfully I have the house to myself for the weekend, so I will attempt a bit of a marathon session on it then instead. I am having a few issues with the storyline, after some of the new puzzle ideas and so on I designed for the new idea actually fed back really well into the old idea - classic problem I guess. I know that if I don't settle on one of these ideas quickly, I'm never going to be finished in time, so I'm giving myself tonight to write up a walk-through of both to try and decide once and for all. Progress otherwise is pretty good. The backgrounds are all 75% done, and I yesterday added my first character. I'm currently doing some sketches for the others and hope to have them in by sunday (dependant on story issue above).

(15.01.11): Settled on the idea and once again going at it full steam. 4 rooms are at 95%, as are three characters. Will hopefully have the last 2 rooms and the other 3 characters done by tomorrow night. Considering that I'm almost at the halfway mark, I'm rather pleased with the progress made so far.

(18.01.11): Had other work commitments for the past few days and been exhausted by the time I got home, so not managed to get much done since the last update. However, I have the rest of the week free, so will hopefully get back into it. Need to get the player character sprite done first, then I will begin to throw together some code.

(22.01.11): Busy evening of work on this: Room Art 100%, Object Art 100%, One character (of 5) 100%, GUI (simple paintover and slight change of default game GUI, but hey) 100%, script 100% and a few coding tests done. Have concept sketches for the look of the other characters, which I can hopefully paint up tomorrow, then its on to the coding. I have more work commitments this week coming, but will hopefully be done by the deadline. 8)

(23.01.11): All art and animations complete except the inventory object sprites and the player character.

(24.01.11): Actually stayed up late yesterday after posting that last update and finished the player character and his animations. Started coding today and now have the beginnings of a actual game - a start screen, an intro cutscene and an explorable room. Another few hours on this tonight, then other commitments until thursday.

(25.01.11): Mmm. Isn't seeing all the elements of a game you've designed come together and actually work one of the most satisfying things. Rooms are all explorable and one is fully scripted along with my first NPC!

Happy New Year everyone. If I'd didn't have the damned flu, I'd be raising a glass to you all at midnight. Instead, I'm about to pass out in bed, feeling cold, old and generally useless...

Here's to a good 2011 though, eh? Cheers!

[Idea]

Quickly throw my votes in.

Idea - Derrick
Atmosphere - Misj'
Design - Zyndikate
Composition - Zyndikate
Technique - Oraxon

What's the alternative solution to entering the front door?

Spoiler

You can use the credit card to open the front door.

[close]

Also, DuncanFX tells me that Part I is on the coverdisk for this month's PC Gamer UK - can anyone screenshot this for me? I won't be anywhere near a PC Gamer until at least June, and my curiosity/ego is piqued!

Here you go...

Can I ask who has the login "Jeesus", because everytime they join, my connection to the server times out a few seconds later. I thought I was just being paranoid/stupid, but its happened six times now - the last two times, I've even been able to predict it before it happens. (Okay, I realise this does indeed sound both paranoia AND stupid - especially because I can't think of a reason why it'd happen, but its a theory I'm sticking with until I can think of something else. )

Don't know if you're still running a whitelist for this server, but any chance I can be added to it if you are? I got burnt out on single player Minecraft a little while back, but really fancy some communal building.

Thankyou Mad, I can't believe that I hadn't uncovered that - I even tried talking to it earlier!

Spoiler

Ok, now I've gotten past that, I've also found out how to get past the laser - try reading the Doctor's "personal" thoughts *to* him

[close]

Could someone be kind and direct me to this shopping list mentioned above, please? I'm certain I've tried everything logical (and illogical) at this point, and I'm getting no hints from any examining/exploring/combining. I have everything else that MiSaNtHrOpE listed in the first post, but have ground to a halt. Help! :'(

Not sure if this technically counts as an Oubliette, but I've been determined to enter this Blitz and I'm having a rather fun time coming up with daft ideas for it. And yes, that is supposed to be a golf ball - trying to create the dimpled-effect a real golf ball has produced some very ugly results, so I decided against them in the end.

x3 x1

[Idea]

Congrats all who entered - another nice, diverse selection of backgrounds. However, my votes are going to have go to:

Idea - Oraxon
Atmosphere - Pinback
Design - Pinback
Composition - Pinback
Technique - Pinback

I'm determined to enter the next round, as I've just got a taste for background art working on my own game.

My version of an organ-grinder's monkey. I guess that some of the noise this little chap would make could be classed as "music"...

Congratulations everyone, but especially Ilyich. A great, diverse selection of entries.

Thanks to those who voted for my entry - really encouraging for entering more competitions here (and for working on my own game).

[Anian.]

My vote goes to Anian. I like the character built into the guy from just his hunched pose and his expression.