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Everybody who expressed interest in voice acting should have received an application package.  If you haven't, check your spam filters and let me know if you need it resent.

It's not too late to apply, by the way!

Shoot me an email, Lay.  Address in profile.

Have you played the previous LV games?  There are a lot of characters carrying over into this project.

Alright, uploaded the first game design "document."  Ahem.

But the big, important update is the cast list.  Or, I guess I should say, character list.  This is the official call for voice actors/actresses, ladies and gents.  So go check it out to see which characters are returning, and then offer your services in bringing Larry to life.  And, hopefully, making this game so long the making worth the wait.

Do you think he'd be willing to answer them if you sent the remainder by email? Even if they aren't as enthusiastic, I'd still like to read his answers and he can answer them at his own pace.

~Trent

It's possible.  We've shot a few emails back and forth since and he's always friendly.  Maybe this weekend I'll go back through the questions I had prepared and see if any of them are particularly worth asking about. 

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

Yeah, Al was wonderful, and I loved his approach to the interview.  He was really chatty and open.  If I asked him a question he had no problem answering it and then using it as a springboard to some other interesting topic that I hadn't even thought to ask about.  He was great. 

And he preferred doing it over Skype, which was both pretty cool (I got to see him face to face!) and really helpful.  He could see that I was interested in what he had to say from my body language, and I was also able to tell, the same way, which topics interested him most.  I've done phone interviews before, and they are good fun, but being able to see the other person--and have them see you--makes it a lot more warm.

I actually had a load of questions for him and only got to ask about 1/3 of them--I didn't want to keep him too long.  But that's only because he was giving me such substantial answers that I didn't want to interrupt him.

Anyway, look for Scott Murphy next.  (Fingers crossed...)

I recently had the opportunity to interview Al Lowe (a personal hero of mine, if that wasn't obvious enough from my games and the name of my main character) for noisetosignal.org, a general media site I've been writing for over the past few years.

I asked him specifically if he was aware of AGS, and he surprisingly responded that yes, and he'd actually peeked in on us from time to time!

That's about the extent of it...but still exciting.  The complete interview is here:
http://noisetosignal.org/2008/10/the-nts-interview-al-lowe

I think there's actually a lot to glean from this, including some indirect advice on game design.  Have a look.

I posted on the site regarding help with certain aspects of the game...you've got first dibs on original score if you want it though, Mods!

Started a development blog. 

http://larryvales.wordpress.com/

Not much is there yet--default header graphic ftw!--but I'll be adding to it before long.  Bookmark it so that you can keep up to date on all the developmental details that are too trivial to gum up the AGS board with.

I'll also be posting some tantalizing tidbits there such as story details and artwork, as it's ready.  I'm excited about getting this one finished as I have some really big ideas that I think all of Larry's fans are going to enjoy.

There will also be an official call for voice actors very soon, so watch out for that.  A few of the roles will be substantial but a lot of them will just get a handful of fun lines to contribute.

kaputtnik, I've saved your version to my phone, I like it! Phil had just forgotten I existed, that's all. With Phil's permission, the music will be the classic "jukebox" of well known tunes interspersed with a m0ds-underscore. That is, providing the game is freeware 

Yeah, it'll most likely be freeware, though I'm toying with the idea of releasing the first version for free, then a second deluxe version that will fix any bugs (if any), include a few extra scenes, and--the big one--commentary nodes scattered throughout the game.

Though, Mods, to be honest, I'd prefer a full original score this time around.  The old midi classic rock stuff was good while it lasted...but it might seem a little corny now.  I'm all for replicating the "feel" of that kind of music, but I'd rather not use non-original music this time around.  Hopefully that'll work for you.  If you can come up with a few really good, distinct tunes for use at various points in the game, that'll be fine.

Also:  Mods, if you're up for composing, I'd absolutely love that.

Hey - now, I guess that's your official reaction to my petty try of remaking the original Larry Vales theme. Well, all the better to round up the original team. Good luck!

Ha!  No, it's not.  I haven't had time to do much on the internet at home lately (other...projects...ahem...) so I do most of my posting at work, and haven't heard your theme.  I'm looking forward to it actually!

I've started "writing" the game to give it some shape and I'll probably start a development blog fairly soon so people can track the progress.  It'll be a long time coming, but with enough effort I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.

Also:  Mods, if you're up for composing, I'd absolutely love that.

The rest of you:  voice acting.  If anyone is interested in supplying a voice for a character or two, PM me or email me at the above address.  I'm mainly concerned about getting a good Larry Vales actor.  I'll be handling the role of the narrator myself but Larry would, obviously, be a large and important part.

There will be plenty of other roles to go around...a few more "main" characters (no prizes for guessing who they might be) and loads of minor background parts.  But, as I say, getting Larry "right" is my priority.

I've been so out of the AGS loop that I'd no longer no what to expect. 

It's just a week of debauchery, orgies and exchanging of friendship bracelets. You'd fit right in!

Oh, I'm considering it.  I'd just feel slightly bad that I disappeared from the community for god knows how long and then turned up to drink everyone's beer and feel up their girlfriends.  (Or boyfriends.  I'm not sexist.)

We'll see.  I'm sure it'd be fun...maybe once I actually have some of the new Vales in the can I won't feel like such a freeloader.

You still got a day

Today is the 30th!  Maybe I skipped over a post with the extension.

Oh well.  I'll give it some thought and if I get anything good in mind tonight I'll write it up and post.  Either way, I'll be better prepared for the next one.   

Looks like I just missed the contest...I always enjoy writing exercises though.  I'll try to make the next one.

one quick trip into the future later:

Ooh, that'll do nicely Coslossel!  I'd consider coming out just because it's so close, but I've been so out of the AGS loop that I'd no longer no what to expect.  We'll see as the time approaches.

This is only about two hours from my house.  Let's see what kind of excuse I can come up with now.

If there isn't a promise of another trilogy after this one...I'm not sure you've sold me. But I'll replay the old ones and see what I think of this news then. I'd suggest making a skeleton of your game first and then trying to get art.

-MillsJROSS

I'll even do you one better than there not being a promise of another trilogy...I'm making a direct promise that there will NOT be another trilogy.  I don't have the time or patience to get bogged down in a series, and setting one up, at this point, will only lead to eventual disappointment when a certain sequel doesn't happen.

I want to concentrate on getting everything about this game right, so that it can stand on its own as one completely self-contained adventure.  And maybe I haven't sold you on that idea.  And that's okay, because it's fully possible that this isn't an approach you will enjoy.

But I think it's a lot better than making any sort of promise that I already know I can't keep.

Welcome back, Phil.

I think one of the strengths of Larry Vales was the naivistic, simplistic art. I hope it won't turn all professional and clean now.

Oh I agree...and thanks for mentioning that, so I don't feel so alone in my opinions...but what I said in my original post is true:  I'm much, much worse now.  I have no graphics programs and if I bought one there'd be such a steep learning curve that it'd be a project in itself just to learn it.

So I think the only way that the game will ever see progress is for me to farm out the visual side of things, freeing me to concentrate on the heart of the game:  the story and jokes.

Honestly I'm not expecting photorealism or anything, but I am open to experimentation.  Day of the Tentacle would be too cartoony for what I have in mind.  Police Quest 4 would be too real.  I think a simple, warm visual environment is the way to go with this...but I'm curious to see what people come up with.

Evidently I posted this in the wrong forum.  I'm a butt, what can I say.  If this is wrong again, please move it to the correct place rather than lock it.  Thank you.

Original post:
---
Hey gang.  Some of you may remember me...but I'm not even sure how many of the old crew hang out here anymore.

Anyway, I created a couple of little games in the Larry Vales:  Traffic Divison series.  I promised a third, but never made it further than a demo.  There were a few reasons for this.  None of them are exciting enough to recount here.

But I recently bought a laptop PC and started poking around with the new version of AGS and, what do you know, I seem to have caught the creative bug all over again.

So I am going to create another Larry Vales game.  A third Larry Vales game, but not the promised LVIII.  It'll be more of a replacement game...entirely free standing.  It's not a series reboot because there will be no series.  There will be just one, big, complete and comprehensive game that I hope everybody will enjoy.  It'll bump Larry up to non-DOS playability, which you'll all agree is long overdue.

Only trouble:  you've seen my artistic ability.  It stunk all those years ago and it's even worse now.  So I'm looking to contract somebody to do my graphics work.  It won't be the biggest or most involved project you've ever seen, but it will be a big job, and for consistancy I have to insist that whomever signs on in that capacity sticks around until the whole thing is complete.

One thing I will do is work out exactly what I need beforehand.  By the time I give you anything, it will all be complete on my end.  This is to ensure that your work isn't wasted by my losing interest in the project, and to protect you from me getting a "better" idea for a scene after you spent time and effort drawing it.  (Oh, and you must be absolutely and totally tight-lipped about the project.  I'm serious.  If any spoilers leak out beforehand, I'll cancel the whole thing.  It's that simple.)

So, basically, another Larry Vales is on the way, if anybody would be kind enough to donate their time and talents to the graphics department.  I have plenty of ideas (reworkings of the first two games, salvaged ideas from the third, and plenty of brand new stuff as well) and can promise you, at the very least, a game with lots and lots of very well written boob jokes.

Reply here or to chickenbrutus [at] yahoo [dot] com.  I'm open to creative interpretation of my world and characters, but please provide a sample, at least, of how you intend to draw Larry.

Addendum:  somebody asked if I'd also be looking for a composer.  The answer is yes. 

Q:  How do you make an apple pie?

A:  Kick its fucking teeth out.

...oh, wait...that's how you make an apple cry.