Menu card for my adventure game

gyroscope

Hi, I've posted this vid for your interest but also for any comments/suggestions/constructive crits you might have. Any of those will be welcomed, thanks!

It shows the menu card and the barest start of an intro for my adventure game project called Ancient Ones Discovery (this is part 1, part 2 is being planned, possibly a third part too).

Please note that the buttons are not correct at this stage; they will be for Credits, Continue and New Game.

The quality's not up to much compared with the original; I think I need a bit more practice getting it to YouTube...

The sound level is low as well; don't know how that happened; so please turn up the volume, thanks.

ZackGS

Looks good

I presume your going to speed it up a tad though right, i can't see someone wanting to sit there for over 30 seconds

IsabelleK

Really nice Gyro!

Any screenshots?

gyroscope

Thanks guys, glad you like it!

InfusedDreams: as you know, stuff can be a bit more relaxed for an adventure game but you might well be right; I'll see about shaving a few seconds off. I don't want to lose the atmosphere that I'm trying to create though...Perhaps it seems longer because I waited over 15 seconds after the buttons appeared to press one of them. Obviously a user will press this straight away. I appreciate your consideration though, thank you! I'm going to make sure that the intro can be skipped as well if wanted.

TheMoonwalls: I've quite a few of my scene backs done, but still working on the inventory and touch stuff at the moment. i'll gladly upload some screenshots at a later date though, thanks for your interest! (Possibly 2 to 3 weeks time).

:-)

juzcook

I agree with ID, it needs to be way shorter, or at least let the player tap to skip through it. Looking good though!

gyroscope

Thanks juzcook; I'm thinking now that you and InfusedDreams are definitely right about it being too long. I'm going to see if I can cut at least 8 seconds, if not 10, and still keep the atmosphere I'm after hopefully. :-)

StormyStudio

Hey, I really like it... the sound track/music is spot on...builds a dark intense mood.

Nice use of particles too.

As the others said maybe a bit shorter.

I'm currently working on the menu for my point and click horror, I'm thinking the nicer the menu the I will try and make sure the game play lives up to it.

Critique for your video...(I'll try and be cruel to be kind, but I do really like it)

- When the word 'Discovery' comes on, I'm guessing its supposed to be flickering on like a light dodgy light switch. Maybe have it flicker faster a few times, then slower,until it becomes fully on. Also maybe add a glow behind it.

- The zoom off at the end after pressing the button, (a nice touch by the way), perhaps make it slightly slower (possibly ease out and speed up as it flies off) and start as soon as the button is pressed.

- Look forward to the next stuff for critique... (I'll put some up soon)..

gyroscope

Glad you like it as well Stormy. You make a good point about the word "Discovery" that it should flicker more, I'll get onto that, and amend the zoom. Thanks for your critique.

I look forward to seeing your stuff as well. :-)

jessicaleahy

It's great. But I agree with the rest of the comments regarding the intro. It should be a bit shorter. But if you want to keep it, players should have an option to skip it each time they try to play the game.

gyroscope

Thanks Jessica. :-) I'll definitely do that.

quantumsheep

Loved it. Very impressed!

Looking forward to what you come up with, especially after reading all the interesting stuff that comes off your twitter feed!

The story should be awesome!

QS

jessicaleahy

No problem gyroscope.:D

gyroscope

:-)

quantumsheep said:
Loved it. Very impressed!

Looking forward to what you come up with, especially after reading all the interesting stuff that comes off your twitter feed!

The story should be awesome!

QS

Hey, thanks muchly GS! That's given me confidence! (Just got to make sure the storyline matches your expectations now....)

IsabelleK

gyroscope said:
:-)

Hey, thanks muchly GS! That's given me confidence! (Just got to make sure the storyline matches your expectations now....)

Could you give any info about the story?
Thanks!

gyroscope

Hi Moonwalls, there's the danger i'll "give the game away" if I tell you too much! (It would spoil it for you if you played the game eventually). But I can give enough info that's included in the intro and maybe a li'l bit more:

Daniel awakens from another dream: the same dream he's been having ever since his girlfriend Samantha left to visit and meet her father for the first time in her memory. The dream involves shadowy figures and voices saying: "Join us! Join us!" with images of caves and a factory haunting him.

He rereads an email sent by Samantha that tells Daniel of the small town community where her father lives, and how so involved the residents are with a group of people called The Ancient Ones, it's almost a cult. She also tells of how these Ancient Ones are coming back to show their followers wonders beyond their imagination. According to her father, their return is imminent and she has reluctantly agreed to go along with her father to meet them when they arrive. Daniel is worried and decides he must go to the town to find Samantha.

That's the intro, not totally planned on the visual side of things yet though....

So the user takes the part of Daniel who finds himself outside of the town, a wall surrounding it. By a large gate, he must find a way in.

Once inside, he finds that the town is empty of people; he discovers that The Ancient Ones have returned, the people of the town, along with Samantha and her father, gone to meet them. Strange discoveries, information about The Ancient Ones, puzzles and mysteries unravelled; that the adventure.

I don't think I'll spoil it too much to say that at the end, a factory is discovered. Or rather, another high wall with apparently no way in. In a TV series sort of way, I'll have the words "To be continued" appear at this point. Part 2 concerns the factory as well as caves, the questions raised in the first part answered. Part 2 of the adventure game will be called Ancient Ones The Factory. What the factory is about, who The Ancient Ones really are and what they really want, what the caves are about and where the people have gone I won't say!

:-)

PS For your interest, I'm developing this for the iPad and might consider amending it for iPhone/iPod Touch at a later date.

jessicaleahy

That's a great concept gyro. Now my mind is itching to know the ending.^_^

whity7

I think that when you make it shorter what you should do is put in a timer attribute and in the timer you should but if touch...

gyroscope

Hi Jessica, I'm really glad you're curious about the ending! I'm hoping to keep the questions flowing throughout both parts of the story, some answered as you go, others left for right until the end.

Hi whity7, thanks for underlining the idea of being able to skip. I'll certainly have this on the cut-scene intro, but not the menu of course. Although I've cut almost 10 seconds off of that, so it happens a bit faster. Still 20 seconds though. But the way I think, if 20secs is too long for a user, they shouldn't bother playing an adventure game! :-)

If there's interest, I'll post the first scene sometime this week if you like. (The intro still won't be finished though, I don't think).

gyroscope

Hi, here's a video update of my adventure game work-in-progress, with the menu screen start up cut by almost 10 seconds. Thank you to all those who suggested that, particularly infusedDreams. As it was, even for an adventure game, it was a bit too casual, I realise now. I've yet to put more flickers in the word "Discovery" as stormystudio suggested, but I will.

I've finished the buttons + added a background in the Menu now. Anyone think the dark green background doesn't work, maybe cluttering a bit, or do you think it works?

All the menu stuff just fades now when a button is selected.

As you'll see, the intro cutscene is not done yet.

There will be fade-in and fade out of scenes eventually.

In the first scene of the game, getting through the door into the next scene won't be that easy; I've a small puzzle to make as well as putting an intercom with numbers by the doors.

The doors opening will be partly animated, so the creaking door effect will make more sense, and I need to redo the open door overlay, as it overlaps with the marbled bar at the bottom.

without making excuses, both main background pics need a bit more refinement.

The kettle won't be in the inventory (as far as I know); that's just as a test! I've yet to get inventory item interaction up and running yet.

That's about it for the moment; any more thoughts/constructive crits gladly received, thank you.

StormyStudio

@Gyroscope

This is looking fantastic, its come on a long way very quickly since the first menu video.

I'm just working on the 'collected items menu' for my game. Its an attribute tracking mind melting situation. I like how you've done yours very cool slide out transition and having the text available for the items you have is a nice touch too.

Good visuals, and nice birds too.

Can't even think of anything critical to say.

Just looking forward to seeing more...

Good luck and please post more stuff soon...

gyroscope

Thanks very much, stormy! So glad you like it all so far.

My workings with the inventory system is a bit head-scratching at the moment as well but I'm getting there; good luck with yours also.

I'll gladly post more stuff in a week or so's time, thanks again! This'll have the scene fade-in/outs, and hopefully the inventory system up and running, a few more screens, and the first puzzle to get through that first set of doors.

In three/four/five months time I'd be really grateful for any beta testers of the game. This is a bit premature at this stage, but if you or any one else would like to beta test Ancient Ones Discovery round about March/April time please let me know, thanks! (I'll also post to this effect nearer to that time). For info: TheMoonwalls has already kindly offered to be a beta tester.

:-)

expired_012

Awesome stuff you've got there

gyroscope

Thank you, artonskyblue! :-)

quantumsheep

Love the atmosphere - it's all certainly shaping up nicely! I'd test if I had an iPad - who knows, maybe I will in a few months?

One thing I'll mention, and you've probably already considered it, is fading in and out for transitions between scenes. I noticed there wasn't one when you went through the big doors.

Looks great though!

QS

jessicaleahy

Now that looks really amazing.:) You really are doing a tremendous job in this game. Kudos to you!:)

IsabelleK

I totally love, when point&click adventure games fan makes a game of this kind! Then I don't afraid of his game quality and that it can destroy quite nice group of these game on App Store (of course there is some crap, but the proportions between good games of this kind and bad, are much smaller than on PC).
Looking forwad to play your game, and as I said before - it would be a pleasure to be your betatester!

jessicaleahy

Well, it's the same here.

StormyStudio

sign me up for beta testing in a few months...

can we play swapsies..? (I'll give you a beta of mine when its ready, for some real honest feedback).

jessicaleahy

Yes, I love adventure games genres. They keep on my toes.:D