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i like the art but my idea is bigger maybe we could work together

Hey Pubmaster,

The game is open source, so if you wish to steal the graphics you're welcome to (as is anybody else).

I'm not really interested in working on another game like this, though. It was just a fun little diversion for a Saturday afternoon (and this thread had me chuckling too much to pass up on the idea).

Good luck on forming those big ideas of yours into games

ddq: Congratulations on writing epic tale of struggle, battle and struggling in battle.  :'(

Ponch: Thank you for recognizing the deep metaphors I entrenched in the fertile soil of an interactive experience in order to help establish my need to communicate the cries of my psyche. I am glad to see that the turgid waters of the game's surface appearance do not obscure the rising bubbles of clarity and meaning contained within those murky depths. Also, as per your request, game source code can be found here.

Not sure what good it'll do anyone - but I guess if someone wanted to make a fan sequel they could. I had a huge legal battle with Rectangle Penix in order to open the source, and now must rest. (keep in mind I slammed this code together in half an hour so it ain't the neatest  )

ProgZ: Ultimate serious fighting game of epic proportion is well served by folksy music remixed to sound like I just drank super large mana potion +6

Darius: CONGRATULATIONS ON ULTIMATE UNDERWORLD HIGH SCORE BONUS POINTS

Haha I laughed at the number thing as well (always one to laugh at my own jokes  ).

As for the music, when Sebastian sent it to me the other week, I actually ended up with a sore stomach from laughing. I was hoping I could find some funny thing to use it on - and here we are  8)

Duals: Sorry to make such a touching story that made you cry  

I don't know if you did this on perpose or not, or maybe it's just because I'm running it under WINE in Ubuntu, but there seems to be something very strange happening with the mouse boarders. One minute it's restricting me from accessing the actions and the next with the blob. Was this done on perpose?

Gah maybe I accidentally left a spell transparent and forgot to disable it? Bleh!

I have no idea where that music is from

As for finishing your mighty quest:

Spoiler

activate each action at least once - that is, click on all 4 of the spell tabs, on yourself and on the blob

[close]

[IN YOUR BROWSER]

I've been called many things.

But this city calls me...

Oceanspirit Dennis: Scourge of the Underworld.

You can now choose to play it in 2 ways!

#1. You can be MODERN and play it IN YOUR BROWSER thanks to the silvery light of XAGE  :o :o :o

#2. You can be old fashioned and play it on your personal computer via an .exe that you can: DOWNLOAD!

#3. THIRD BONUS OPTION: Download the source code!

Written by Drew Wellman (not that he realized it), music by Sebastian Pfaller, everything else by meeee.

Spoiler

please don't download this if you can't take a silly joke

[close]

EDIT: Fixed, it should be finishable now...

The baseline of something just dictates the y-coordinate required in order to appear in front of something (this isn't the best explanation, really)

If you're really keen on using tons of objects, try something like this (much less simple to use, and again assuming 20 objects):

Code: ags

hButton1_interact()
{
  if (object[1].Baseline == 1)
  {
    object[1].Baseline ++;
    object[2].Baseline ++;
    ...
    object[20].Baseline = 1;
  }
etc

It is possible that you could use a while loop:

Code: ags

hButton1_interact()
{
  if (object[1].Baseline == 21)
  {
    int obj = 2
    while (obj < 20)
    {
      object[obj].Baseline ++;
      obj++
    }
    object[1].Baseline = 1;
  }
  else if (object[1].Baseline == 1)
  {
    int obj = 1
    while (obj < 19)
    {
      object[obj].Baseline ++;
      obj++
    }
    object[20].Baseline = 1;
  }
}
etc

or an array for this but apparently today I am too dumb to figure out how to do it neatly.

Seriously though, consider shifting the graphics each time (I'm sure someone else can provide better help if this doesn't work)

Couldn't you just change the graphic of a single object, then check the interactions against the graphic of the object?

Ie:

Code: ags

hButton_interact()
{
  if (object[1].Graphic != 70)
  {
    object[1].Graphic ++;
  }
else object[1].Graphic = 50;
}

hButton2_interact()
{
  if (object[1].Graphic != 50)
  {
    object[1].Graphic --;
  }
else object[1].Graphic = 70;
}

As long as you import all your sprites one after the other then this should work happily, then when you interact with the object have something like

Code: ags

if (object[1].Graphic == 50)
{
  do your stuff
}
else if (object[1].Graphic == 51)
{
etc

(this is all untested bleh code)

Otherwise I'd use baselines (what exactly were you having trouble with?

2.72 doesn't support these types of functions inside your dialogs.

Either upgrade to the latest version, or get used to using run-script x and function dialog_request() - you'll have to put any non-dialog specific code in using this if you want to stick with 2.72

Sorry for being a pain but I've started getting this regularly on the forums:



I've just been ignoring it and clicking cancel and it seems to work fine - but I looked for other threads pointing this out and couldn't find one.

Ignore me if you're on top of it 

Happy birthday Steve!

Hey, your sprites look great. I do agree though that her head and neck are off to the left a bit too much. Bringing it back to the right a bit should definitely make it feel more central and natural.

TM:

You're kind to defend Heed, but to be honest it came from a totally different place entirely. I was very depressed when I made it, and it is a game about finding purpose - not just for the main character, but also for myself at the time (which in a sense I guess you could suggest I portrayed myself in the game to a sense). With Eternally Us I already felt like I had a purpose, and it didn't come from a depressing place, really (at least not very much from my side of things). Steve has a very different, more refined writing style to me, and I am very fond of it. Still, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!

Jim:

And yeah, I totally understand where you're coming from. I love fun little games, both playing them and making them.

But sometimes I want something more serious as well - either to play or to make. I understand that not everybody will enjoy every game I work on - some people probably wish the silly games were more serious, and others wish the more serious games were more light hearted. Some people probably dislike each game of mine they've tried. Fair enough, we all have opinions.

I don't enjoy sticking to a single style, and the beautiful thing about it being a hobby is that I can build whatever I feel like building and don't feel like I am working at something that I don't enjoy.

There will be more fun little games. There will also probably be more of the other sort of games. I will enjoy working on both. I hope people will enjoy playing at least some of them!

Cheers to everyone else for the other comments as well, btw. They're very appreciated!

DISCO FLOW

Actually I haven't played it. But this is my most favourite screenshot in the games DB

Gah, I should have spaced this out in several comments, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to wall of text you fine folk as well, I guess. AngelicCharon should feel right at home reading this  . Btw I don't know how much of this coincides with Leafshade's opinions, so take it just as my own I guess.

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has played the game and especially those who have commented. To the people who posted really nice comments, you absolutely made the time and effort spent putting it together worthwhile. I've always wanted to be involved in a project that people found moving and have never been in a position where I could say that what I had created was, so it, for me, was the ultimate goal of this little project. To hear that one's goals are attained, even if not for every player, is a very encouraging thing. Some people have posted some super nice comments, I don't know whether it's exaggeration or whatever, but it's still nice to hear positive words.

For the people who posted reviews of the game on their sites, I also say thanks. It's nice to get mentioned here and there around the internet, and I really appreciate anyone who helps spread the word.

And that's prolly all I'm gonna say to the nice people who say nice things. That doesn't make you less important, sorry, but if I spent 400 words thanking people who are nice it's gonna be a boring post.

Before I go into the people who have criticized, a couple of people have labeled this a "Ben304 Game" or a "Game by Ben Chandler". It's probably me being overly sensitive about the issue but let's face it, if you look at the credits it is obvious Steve put more work and effort into this than I did, and it seems a little unfair that this seems a tad forgotten. It's cool to hear that people remember me, but let's not forget that this was most definitely a team effort.

Ok, with regards to the various criticisms... first of all, helpful feedback and suggestions are always welcome! AC, you said you'd been mulling over whether to post about it or not - if you're umming about it, it's probably best that you just post this stuff anyway. Easier to get it said when you feel strongly about it I suppose. Except Dualnames who said he thought there should have been sex. Either that's a Dualnames joke that I totally missed or he has spent too long around forums  

Now, let's break this down!

For the people that thought the puzzles were too easy:

Yeah, they were easy puzzles. Sebastian mentioned to me a couple of times during testing after some tweaking "Don't you think this is too easy now?" and I said "Nope". I wanted to make puzzles that reflect the things Amber goes through during the game - making relevant gameplay in such game was very important to me because doing zany random puzzles would have seemed totally out of place. Interestingly enough, I've posted solutions to all but 2 of the puzzles, and I know that one of those two puzzles had at least one person stumped for a little while. I didn't want the puzzles to get too far in the way of the story, so no weirdo combination puzzles.

To Edmundito who said the puzzles were unengaging... well, fair enough. I did my best to design things that would be entertaining and still relevant - can't expect everyone to enjoy them.

To Leon who asked about the weight difference with a certain puzzle... don't you know that inventories actually distort time and space so that the character can fit everything inside their pants? Items obviously become weightless once picked up, which is why Amber needed to remove inventory items in order to solve that puzzle

With regards to people who thought the first puzzle was kinda off key compared to the others, which were (I thought) fairly relevant to the scene at hand, I totally agree. With the other 4 I had nice symbolic idea of how to represent the emotion... but with the very first puzzle I wanted to just create something that would resemble having a nice day out with a friend. I remembered feeding ducks in the park with my friend Natalie ages ago and it was a very fond memory so I decided I could probably try and base the puzzle on that. Some people seem to have solved the puzzle randomly and gone "It makes no sense". Fair enough. Sometimes puzzles can be accidentally clicked through and leave you going "What just happened?" As much as I'd like to avoid this as a designer, I've not found a good way to do so yet, and I'm sorry if it spoiled the experience for you. I still think it's a pretty neat puzzle.

With regards to the people who thought it was too poetic... well, I'm glad it is poetic. Originally I was going to try and do a game with the (super rough) same basic concept as this game had, that being basically

Spoiler

A journey of emotions represented by different scenes within a single room

[close]

And I really had no idea what to do other than that. I knew I wanted it to have an autumn scene (before Leafshade offered to help the game looked, embarrassingly enough like this and I basically wanted to make an interactive version of something akin to this music video which is my most favourite music video ever). I started discussing it with Steve and he managed to take my crappy and hazy concept and find an actual idea that would work in there, being

Spoiler

The stages of loss

[close]

And then offered to help. If he hadn't offered to help, I would have made something crappy with writing that I've honed only on comedy and every now and then something kinda lackluster that tries to be serious but falls short on an actual message (oh, hello Heed, how are you?) and he would have gone and done something else poetic. I always wanted the game to be kinda poetic, so the fact that he wrote it so made me very happy. Be glad I didn't try to write the parts in this game. It would have sucked.

As for not being able to connect with the characters, well... fair enough I guess. I thought the writing was pretty damn good at conveying what it was meant to convey, but I'm biased because it's our game. I've no doubt Leaftits learnt more about writing doing this game, just as I learnt more about drawing. I know his writing seems to divide people, and it's great that you point out what you dislike. I'm just glad I didn't have the task of trying to convey all the emotions in the game to people through words.

I nag Calin a heck of a lot when we're working on games, so I'll definitely make sure to nag him more about backstory in the future, I guess. We're still figuring out what the hell we're doing, so feedback is always rad to hear.

Thanks for playing ladies and gents, and especially for commenting. If I've missed a point you'd like me to address, point it out and I'll think thoughts about it and hopefully learn some more new stuff.

AngelicCharon, if you wish to discuss anything further or in greater detail feel free to drop me a PM. Sometimes I take a while to reply, but I'm always up for discussion. I doubt Leafshade would mind either but hey, who am I to speak for him?

Man, I've never written a reply this long about a game I worked on before. I feel like such an egoface, but honestly I'm not trying to be like that  

EDIT: And as for the graphics, well I am very proud of them (thanks in no small part to the addition of Steve's breathtaking effect) but still see plenty of room for improvement. Glad to hear that they've gone down so well though!

EDIT2: Also, Fio originally looked like a pig girl. A few days before release Leafshade mentioned this and I was like "Holy crap she does too how are people supposed to like her!?" and went through and redraw all her frames. Call it a weak moment 

Ah great, ProgZ, I'll have another go

Spoiler

There's a bush nearby with berries. Perhaps the squirrel would like to try them?

[close]

If you're still stuck:

Spoiler

Try luring the squirrel towards you with the berries. When he runs on the branch past the acorn, it should shake.

[close]

Still stuck?

Spoiler

Walk to the right edge of the screen and try luring him over again. He should run back, and the acorn should shake. Nearly there, walk back to the centre of the screen, lure him across again, and you have your acorn!

[close]

Spoiler

you can right click! It looks at stuff!

...

...try looking at stuff


...all the stuff

[close]

Site looks great, mag looks interesting... but check your link, it seems to be typed incorrectly.

Otherwise, good stuff!

Woah that game is too cool. I agree with ProgZ, off ya go  8)

Man how can I vote for games when ProgZ's still has me stumped at the first puzzle. I feel so dumb