Messages

[and]

I had fun with this jam and got my very first trophy   :o    - thank you for the good time!

Congratulations NickyNice 

[please]

about the second build:
- I am still missing „the mess“ on the ground after the poodle exploded â€" it is too clean in my opinion. 
- If it is possible to implement the flickering lights at the machine into the intro-bg (from the other version selmiak did) â€" please do! It is such a wonderful effect!   
- I had no trouble with the interface and the cursor-changing into the probe works fine. 
- I would like to see some more directions/options for the mirror/laserbeam and also a bit of destruction shown at the point where it hits (The reaction works well, when the door of the fridge is blocking the way).
- I assume, all the missing dialogues (when looking at several places around) will have to be done later?
- The blonde scientist is acting a bit strange now. If it isn't possible to use the other arm, how about to let him face to the right direction (i.e. every third time) could make it a little bit less strange to watch or maybe using the left looking version (i.e. every second time) followed by the one with open mouth and the one with closed mouth afterwards again (like he is pointing at/using the computer and talks a word to himself every now and then)?  - Something to lengthen the short period of repeating. :

...there should be a comment from Merrick when the player attempts to walk through the door after the laser blast, and has not yet placed the magnets/examined the crucifix, because otherwise it looks like a perfectly valid exit that Merrick doesn't react to. A simple "Hssss.... that crucifix... I can't go near it" would suffice, placed in a Game.DoOnceOnly command.

+ 1


about the good/bad:
It's a interesting idea and I would like to take it for this game, but it needs a very lot of extra-work (nearly a second story to make), so therefor we shouldn't use it here (in this game)   


about credit-screen-bg:
How about using all/several of them, crossfade from one to the other, when showing the credits? 


@scarab:
Yes, the „almost a front-on perspective, or even just squashing them vertically by 50%“ will be my next lesson to do.  8)

A question about the handling: I saved all versions sorted in one .xcf-file because when saving it as a .gif-file, the description per layer is lost and some settings change. When I am done, can I send this file or is it more comfortable to save every version and direction in a seperated file? What is easier to use for importing in AGS?

@ Secret & Bucket: Very different styles, but good work from both of you.  
Just my personal 2 cents:
The „BOOM“ flashes great. The „CRASH“ is good in fontstyle and color, only a bit „quiet“ in the background.
The „Kaboom“ has nice colors and a well fitting background in style, only the fontstyle is a bit „brave“ in relation to this.


btw.
If you want to claim one of the jobs you can tell it here or send pm to Baron.
He is updating page one every time, a job is done or claimed and also when there are new job-offerings.
Take a little peek  


Latest news about my job:
Well, you know I don't have the knowledge to use AGS
but I think by watching this pic, you get a clue about
what kind of cockroaches I have „in store“ so far:

Especially the diagonal ones are looking very funny (sensor-movement is too strong),
but this way I had a lot of lol's, I wanted to share with you â€" so therefore they are not eliminated (not yet)

@Baron
... and I was a good girl, since every layer is the same size and all of those lovely little ones have the same focal point
           Ooops â€" one's escaped                  



Edit:                                     

@Ghost:              WOOOW! ... for your edit ...

Aaaah â€" cool new stuff for the game â€" well done, both of you!

...and the swarm got fresh blood again! Oh, how I love this project and the group growing.  
                                                                   


@all
Baron opened a general discussion to choose an overall tone for the game and asked
for a title (or link to a clip) from a movie, game or song, maybe a specific instrument or just a feeling.
                       
Please don't forget to think about the music-style and share your thoughts with us â€"
those who are already assimilated have to do anyway and every other member of the forum is welcomed!

This way nobody is allowed to complain afterwards, if he did not  ...  


In the meantime I am still struggling to create cockroaches with as less pixels, as possible  
but I don't give up (not yet)!    At the moment, they look about like this    

[never]

Whatever you decide to do, never show naked like in “The Sinner” [“Die Sünderin”]:

   

...and avoid themes like prostitution and ...  but wait - we left 1951 behind, didn't we?

Ã,,hem - if you completely avoid every theme for the story, to what people may have different opinions about (i.e. politics, religion, sexuality, ...), there is not much left to make it interesting, special or worth to talk about, but if you like the people to become sleepy ....  It's your decision!

In shorter: Do what you want â€" just don't overdo it in your own opinion!

... and watch the discussion about it afterwards between the people - this is half the fun of it 

[and]

The only entry, which fits the rules and is also related to Pac-Man with a really nice idea gets my vote:  Arj0n 

[+ 1]

... for the intro theme at least why not the "mad scientist"/horror movie intro theme like say THIS (just an example, ...

That's great!   + 1 for this as intro-musicstyle   

Thank you for the kind words!
...and since I am at the very beginning of my „career“:  You made my day!

MOVING FORWARD: ...Finally, it's time to start thinking about music, and since no one has stepped up to be music director I'm just going to open it up for general discussion.  We need an overall tone for the game, maybe a specific instrument or just a feeling.  If you know something from a movie, game or song then give us a title (or link to a clip) so that we can get a discussion going.

At the beginning, after the intro (while realising, what happened to him and trying to get out) the game could be accompanied with music like "Born to Darkness" – it's a soundtrack of ,,Interview with a Vampire"   
                                 
and there are also some more dramatical pieces to lean on (for during a fight-scene or when the wall crashes) in the long version here (from about 02:00 it goes more dramatical). 
To come up with a ,,battel-feeling" I like the style of this music       

and if it should be a bit more hectic (and since there is a lot of technic in this game), the techno-remix of Terminator could be something to lean on.

                                       

Since I love the idea for this competition, I couldn't resist, even if I couldn't reach the quality, I am hunting for  : (may be next year or so I will be better in drawing stuff like this  ).
I tried a character only with one colour and since it could be animated, it should work in AGS, too.

It's meant to be a female, sitting at the tree of this wonderful bg from Chicky and the entry is to be found over here. It's up to your imagination, who she might be and  why she seems to be waiting for something to happen or someone arriving ...
                   x 2  

I show a second version with a dark background-colour because it's hard to realise it  with the forums background:
                  x 2  


Note:
Please tell me, if something doesn't fit to the rules â€" If so, I am sorry and will delete this post of course.

[I]

INTERFACE: ... Clicking on Merrick might be intuitive but then we'll have to think of another way to "use" Merrick (ie struggle against the bonds).  Suggestions are welcomed.

Click on the chair instead would do (because the player wants Merrick to get off that thing) and if you want it more tricky, it can be the belt only, you have to „use“.

I'd prefer a permanently visible inventory window (or visible if you move the mouse to the top edge), since we don't have any verbs, there should be enough room at the top of the screen. This saves one click and the time to find the item you're looking for.

I could "live" with this version, too

DOCTOR TALKING: I've obviously just cut & paste so that it wouldn't just be his portrait staring as he talked.  Talk animation welcomed, but not a priority

This kind of talking-animation is like a special effect and fits well to the strange doc. Well, I like it, the way you did it â€" it's special, like the whole game is/will be!  

WALKSPEED: ... GUI should include ... walkspeed slider ...

The speed was okay for me. A walkspeed-slider would be nice, but more interesting for me would be the option to change directly to the next room with a dubble-click on the exit (i.e. if I want to watch for something, which is some rooms away).

PROBE: Maybe when you left-click on it the cursor becomes the probe inventory cursor?

Good idea!

+ 1

Hey master  

since it is a rough kind of demo-version, I only point out rough things, okay?

-the dialogs from Doc and Merrick during the intro are very far away from each other
(the reason is obvious, but it makes it hard to follow and during the player is "hunting" for the lines,
he can't watch the scene) If there is no other solution for this, how about a voice-acting for the intro?

-intro-bg: the flickering lights at the machine (from the other version selmiak did, would fit in niceley)

-all the bg's work fine (possibly Armageddon missed, that the second one is only a placeholder?)

-the cursors work and a player can get used to it (I prefer the seperated, but the two click-version here is
okay, needs less work and dialogs)

-the (some times) used bat-curser could be used for every right-click

-the inventory-button doesn't fit very good (How about to open it, when „using“ Merrick?)

-I prefer some more struggle-clicks (the different dialogs give a hint, that there is something changing)

-exploded dog-pieces should stay on the ground

-yes, the letters should be bigger (maybe seperating them, place them at  different machinery for to
stick a  notice, pic them up one after the other to be placed/thrown in correct order by the player?)
otherwise at least the versions appearing over the door need to be lager

-some clicks on the laser made the „game“ freeze

-blonde scientist „lost“ his trousers

-soldier stops walking after some time

-to realise, that the probe is still in the inventory, there should be a dialog, when player tries to use the visible one

   This is going to be veeery nice when ready! I like it!

[Idea]

Idea - WHAM
Atmosphere - oraxon
Design - zyndikate
Composition - NickyNyce
Functionality - NickyNyce
Technique - zyndikate

[WOW!!!]

WOW!!!

I am speechless ...

       

[Very intensive]

So therefor it seems to me, there are some forgotten pixels at this part of the gif, because there is no movement.  :

But they do jiggle a bit, look at it more closely...not that I am against extra jiggling.  

Oh,, I did! Very intensive -  to find the "strange point".  
And most of the time, when switching between the images you will find the move of the body, without this part.
And while watching the animation, this gives the impression I told about (Well, I tried to do so).

I've gotten way too much practice animating boobies while working on KI).

, please no!
This jiggeling is animated fine, but it's much too strong for this young girl (for not to say it's not needed).


What have I done - I shouldn't have mentioned it -


Edit:
I didn't want to, but I have to  ...
so here is, what I think whould be better for this lady
(who is young, has a not too big size and is wearing a bra):

No jiggeling and simply moving together with the body.

[do]

I like the animation very much (including the hair)! 
It is suitable for a spirited girl like the one, you told about and showed us.


There is only one little point, I don't understand
or better - which doesn't really fit (in my personal opinion)
and since this is the critics-lounge, I may be allowed to tell about :

Her boobs are like not belonging to the animation and seem to be “pasted” at the background.
They are not too big, so why don't they „follow“ the movements of the body?

Well, when I am moving, my do follow. 
Even if they are too big to do so at the same time, but they will do
and only to make this note a bit sweeter clear ...
like here
         

So therefor it seems to me, there are some forgotten pixels at this part of the gif, because there is no movement.  :

[Cool!]

I don't really understand this whole "ceiling" background. 

+ 1                   



@Secret Fawful   
    Cool!

    Well, but you just might want to change ...   

Spoiler

  ...  nothing!  -      I AM JUST TEASING!   ; - )

[close]

They look like very bad, angry girls (with some bloody thoughts)

                                              

[really]

I just had to do it.

This is my first ever animated sprite.

Congratulations to your first animated sprite!
It is really „boom“-bastic 

Here I am again   

It's not a wrinkled doctor, but  ...

                         x 3 

                       ...    ähem     ...             ...       a doctor?!     

[something]

Since the theme is called release something, I can participate with a character I made for the swarm, but didn't come up with because it was too big and I thought, that it doesn't fit well to the given guide-line anyway. 

But for to release something, it should work    and I can show you a „kind of“ soldier: