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Hi adventurers!

Only 3 and a half days left to support a unique point-and-click adventure mystery in the spirit of Gabriel Knight, Grim Fandango, The Longest Journey, and a dash of Tex Murphy!

Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1114977637/detective-di-the-silk-rose-murders

Hey all,
The guys at CounterFrag did a really great feature/interview with me about Detective Di, covering at lot of in-depth ground about the old-school esthetics, the unique story and setting, and much more: http://www.counterfrag.com/detective-di-silk-rose-murders-old-school-adventure-gaming-ancient-china/

It's a good read

Btw, we've been having some real in-depth discussions about the "deduction / reenactment mode" over in the comments section of our latest Kickstarter update:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1114977637/detective-di-the-silk-rose-murders/posts/1149091

Some really cool ideas being kicked around!

I read a book of Di's cases about 20 years ago...I remember the Chinese judicial system being particularly okay about torture methods used right there and then in the courtroom during cross-examination...

Will there be any of that in the game?

To be fair, some countries (ahem) still torture during investigations today

Also, being set in ~700AD, I think it's fair to say that societies as a whole were not quite even handed in general, shall we say.

Let's just say we won't really focus much on the legal system in the game--more the kind of intrepid sleuthing Di Renjie is known for.

Di always stood tall as a figure with great integrity, so hopefully we can shine a light on his actions and how they can resonate with today's audience.

Yes! I've been toying with this idea for years. It would be sort of like in Hannibal: you - playing as the detective - imagine yourself as the murderer/criminal carrying out the crime in flashback, using clues you've found to guide your reconstruction, and having to revisit your theories when new evidence comes to light (a bit like in Phoenix Wright). But I could never come up with a good mystery where I could use it. I'd love to see someone take a crack at it.

Boy you hit it on the head! Our original idea goes something like this: when the player has reached a certain point in his investigation of a key event, he would enter "reenactment mode" (or as you call is "flashback mode"), in which the crime scene is shown in a stylized color scheme (think desaturated with hints of color). As the scene plays out, you see Detective Di acting out the crime little by little. The progression of the scene is "paused" at key moments and requires the player to input the correct answer to key questions ("What device was used to break into the room?"). The scene continues if the player is correct. This would even have a larger impact on the overaching case, as this reenactment could require a revisit if, as you say, new evidence came to light at a later point (think plot twist). Needless to say, this is a complex idea that has many moving parts. Hence...

The reason our Kickstarter page shows a more simplified version of this is because we simply have not finished prototyping the idea, and we didn't want to promise something that wasn't well thought out (not to mention hard to explain, lol). What you see instead is indeed a variation on a mechanic seen on games like The Testament of Sherlock Holmes.

We're hopeful we can end up closer to the desired concept, and it's encouraging to see it excites others as well. Cheers!

PS. Thanks for the support!

THis looks gorgous Minhta.  Backed it on Kickstarter.  Really hope it gets funded. 

Thanks Frodo! I've been working so hard on the graphics sometimes I have trouble distancing myself and seeing it objectively. Sure glad people think its worthy!

I've been following this game for a while, backed and voted, had no idea you were planning to use AGS!! Is the gameplay in the video made through AGS?

Hi Shaun!
A couple of the scenes where you see the main character walking are in AGS. Many others we did in the Adobe suite so we could better manipulate the "camera" and certain animations for the purposes of the trailer.

AGS has always been on top of our list of engines and we've been experimenting with it for a long time. We've just avoided to announce anything official so that our tech guys could have some room to try things out.

Is this being made in AGS?

Yes, that is our intention. We're not pros with the software yet, but we've comfortable enough to know it's the best solution for us atm.

[Detective Di: The silk Rose Murders]

Hi adventurers!

It's already the final days of our Kickstarter for Detective Di: The silk Rose Murders! It's crazy to think that we've been at it for over three weeks now, but the finish line is in sight, and we need to finish strong!

If you haven't checked it out, please do... we'd love to have your support or feedback.

In fact, we kind of need it; it's that close! If you can spare even a dollar, we'd love to count you as a backer--especially, of course, if you love classic adventure games with a unique setting!

Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1114977637/detective-di-the-silk-rose-murders

Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders is a point-and-click adventure game set in a world filled with mystery and charm and inspired by the classics of the genre--games like Gabriel Knight, Grim Fandango, and The Longest Journey.

You play as Di Renjie (pronounced "Dee Ren Djieh"), ancient China's most famous and gifted investigator, as he embarks on the trail of a serial killer in the heart of Tang Dynasty's capital city.

https://www.youtube.com/v/sqErP0MlPIc







For more info, here are some key links:

Steam Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=394367676
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nupixo
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nupixo
Our website: http://www.detectivedi.com