Garland's Quest

[jasonf]

OH Dear... Don't get caught in that trap!..

This is the last 20% barrier that stops most people...

The only way out now is through mate. We'll never forgive you if you drop it (well, of course we will, but you know what I mean)

I suggest a methodical approach. I played this last night and enjoyed it. There are a few things missing, but with a little extra work, it'll work like a charm.

#1 User Interface. There needs to be one. The game starts in play state. Just add a Main Menu for starting a new game etc..

#2 Music & Sound. I didn't notice any (I might have had my volume down though)

I'm loving the new textures and the sprites look cool (the main character could use some more movement in his animaiton, but that's personal taste, not a requirement)

Add some levels, add your extra characters and you're laughing.
Then once you're done, you can add graphical niceties.


The only way I managed to get through the last 20% with Crashblock was by making a detailed TODO: list, making it public and crossing it off as I did things.


Right then... Now, here's how you suck an egg.

[WILL]

Thanks guys! I appreciate your enthusiasm for the game. I really love it myself.

[size=9px]RANT:

However, I'm stuck in the content trap as it where. Artwork comes in so slow that it's a bottleneck. In fact my artist is missing.... again.

It's not only that though. I can't put it all on my artist. I am a little bit strained on other resources too. Plus motivation has been fluttering myself. Maybe due to all the other factors and seeing how it has changed from my original idea of how it was 'supposed to' go.

All that said and done, the problem now is that I cannot see an end to the development on this. I have two other projects on the back burners and it's all too much if I had any ideas and wanted to start something new and fresh.

I want to finish this game, in fact I'd love it to turn out the way I planned with Nem and the story and the boss fights and all that, but it too much to juggle with no help and support at all. I'm sort of at a point where I'm going to reject any game concepts where I do not have at least 1 or two working with me. My projects or theirs.

This project is a great contrast to the one that you and I did Dirk. We worked together on Iron Strike and it turned out great despite all the technical problems. I believe thats how I have to do game development if I'm going to do a project. If you work pretty much by yourself you have all these content related issues.

This is a bad game to work on by yourself because you need content. A point I caught from the guys over at Introversion.[/size]


About the game engine specifically though; interface was planned for Beta and I've not done any sound yet. I was looking at purchasing music from an indie musician on a track-by-track basis. Sound effects either make them myself or find freely available public domain stuff.

The main problem of the interface right now is getting artwork. I might see if I can come up with some sort of procedural way of gathering it.

My goal now is just finishing this game, finish my other ones and moving on to doing something completely new. If I cannot do this and the other 2 ones within 6 months, I'm going to start dropping them one by one.

[jasonf]

What's wrong with using placeholder art instead of the real content?

In paint, draw some really cheezy drakes about the right size and use that for the time being to get the mechanics working properly.

For special effects, make crappy 60's Batman style KERPOW! and SPLAT! effects (also in paint, in garish colours so you will definitely replace them)

If your idea for your design is solid enough, you'll be able to slot the rest of the game mechanics into place, then, once this is done, you'll be able to tidy up the artwork as it arrives.

Spending a day in paint drawing kerpows and splats is better than abandoning the project completely simply because you can't get the right look right now.

I understand how you feel though. It's nice to see the project slowly progressing towards completion, never taking a step backwards.. always progressing. Not very realistic an ideal though. Think about any construction project you've seen.. placeholders are always used.. either to hold something up or to allow work to continue in something else's absence, they're always taken away afterwards and the project continues.

Fortunately, most of the work on the game does take place below the surface, the artwork isn't really a problem.. it can be anything, the guts is in the code. Rarely is the artwork a driving factor in a game, which is why it is possible for teams to work independantly on a game.

You can still build in your boss fights, your extra levels, your extra characters and spells etc. They just won't look very pretty for a little while.

Then once the coding is all done, you can slot the new art into place, make small tweaks and you'll see your game rapidly take its final, very pretty shape.

I do understand your frustration, but please don't give up.
Now is the time to focus on what you need to do, that extra push.



It's best to leave eggs boiling for 3 mins before attempting to suck them.

[Robert Kosek]

... that second (4th I think in the level numbers, as the 3rd appears to load first) level is a bit of a zinger. It took almost all my lives and I still didn't get beyond Mr Eye in the next level. It's pretty good, I must add.

Don't give up, or in. That's the worst thing you can do now! Best of luck in completing this!

[WILL]

I hear what you're saying Jason. And I appreciate your message of not giving up on it. I've just had a nice big realization on the kinds of projects I've been choosing for the last several years.

The specific issues with the boss fights stem from one very simple thing. I've not completely fleshed out the idea in the first place. Which is going to lead up to 2 possible problems.

1) It'll throw off the rest of the gameplay that could be enjoyable.

2) It'll knock the end of my development timeline into sometime next year just tweaking, reinventing and getting all the bugs out (concept and code)

I don't want to get into that at the scale of development I'm doing this in.

I have placeholder stuff in right now. And I can replace the graphics later. However the biggest challenge right now is the death sequences of Garland. He dies a few different ways and I have to figure out how to sub-in for turning to stone, looking shocked, all that. Not so easy when you though that you'd have some extra animation sequences to use. :scratch:

That aside I could always 1980s the graphics and use little poofs and 3D hardware effects to cover up my soft spots as they were. So it's doable. It just makes my original concept less conceivable as I want to actually sell this game, which also looks out of the question in it's present state.

If I can't go shareware with it, then I'll likely just release as Freeware and strip down it's concept to a more casual game with the same storyline, but without the boss fight idea and a few less themes.


EDIT: Oh yeah, just so long as they were not fried in oil.

[WILL]

Some of the levels are a bit harder than others. Not that I can tell anymore as I've pretty much mastered them all while testing.

If you have an idea for a cool puzzle or map design drop me a line and I'll send you the map editor to try it out.


Oh and did I mention that there are cheat codes in this version?

[Robert Kosek]

It's not so much that as much as the steep learning curve. With such a limited amount of lives there really isn't a good way to experiment without getting "deported" and have to find your way back through again.

No real ideas at the present time but I'll let you know if I think of one.

[WILL]

Maybe I should pull a Mario Brothers and have little concept demonstrations or a mini tutorial to show new tips and such as you play...?

Maybe have you unlock them as you complete levels? I was thinking of having ways to hide some of the cheat codes in the maps somewhere and you have to find them.

[Robert Kosek]

At a certain point I say delete the cheats, because for me they do nothing more than ruin a game. Sometimes, depending upon the type of game, it makes things interesting but not in puzzle games. I like a challenge and not the easy out. Sometimes I get frustrated enough for that easy out, but I don't want it.

It's just that, without the manual, the learning curve is steep. For instance the eyes see in n/s/e/w directions, but I never considered that their vision was obstructed by gems. That makes it harder and cost me a good number of lives. Once I figured that out it was no big deal.

[WILL]

Hmm... ok thanks Robert. Knowing that it's a non-obvious concept helps. I think what I might do is have either some easy tutorial-like levels that demonstrate these sorts of simple things such as gems block the vision of the creatures, etc. Perhaps sign posts or message scrolls might be a useful addition to the engine too.

Something to think about in beta.