I've started making the first floor of the asylum using a mix of new graphics and photos of real abandoned asylums... Looks good, trying to keep image file sizes down which is having a bit of a knock on affect on what how great it could look.
Monsters?
Ok, sort of asking this question as I think about how to do it myself...
In my game, I'm trying to think how to add more fear into the game. So wnat to have 'things' chase you. If they get to the same scene as you, then your killed.
So what I'm thinking is if a monster is on the way to you, the music builds up, your own breathing become more panicked, maybe the outside of the screen gets blurry ( blurry/darker ). You then have to leave that scene and back track to somewhere safe as soon as possible. Similar to the game mechanic in the awesome looking mac/pc/linux game 'Amnesia - The dark Decent'.
GAME INSPIRATION:
(going to play it tonight, in the dark with head phones on).
I'm sure it could be controlled by tracking a few 'monster' attributes...
This looks like it's going to be the number one horror game if you continue with the same progress. I have never seen something like this and will definitely be good. What program did you use for the 3d or animation?
DreamLab said: This looks like it's going to be the number one horror game if you continue with the same progress. I have never seen something like this and will definitely be good. What program did you use for the 3d or animation?
Hey Dream LAb.... the video above of 'Amnesia Dark Decent' is not my game...that's just got some cool ideas in I'd like to borrow...
(My in game stuff can be seen earlier in the thread, those graphics have all been made usingg Photoshop...and lots of images for textures.)
A friend at work was just looking through my sketchbook with all my planning for the game, which has random scribblings of ideas for visuals and puzzles. Game titles, icon designs, lots of maths, and overly complicated messy maps of the asylum with arrows flying from one puzzle to the next.
...
His comment..."Jon it honestly looks like your going insane working on this game...".
Hmm... I do love my sketchbook more and more...its more like the book from 'Evil dead' now than a sketchbook.
If only I can hold onto reality long enough to get the game finished and on the app store then maybe a little bit of insanity will be worth it.
New image from the basement level...(in the game the doors can be opened, there's flashing light a bit like lightning is outside. The image is a mix of pure photoshop painting, and adapted 2 real life photos.
..... Oh and so I can find it when I need it...this is how to post images on the forum.... ignore the brackets) (<)img src="ADDRESSHERE" /(>) .....
Spent the few hours I've managed to find free this weekend working on a new menu system. Too many parental activities (kids parties) this month, so work is going to be slow...
Still though its all looking quite nice, just wish performance was a bit better. Seem to keep asking a bit much of the GameSalad engine...
Updated version of the menu... trying to make it simpler but also cooler...
This version has a few sounds missing that I removed when trying to make it load quicker, eventually got it loading well and I need to put some of the sound effects back in e.g. lift doors opening, button clicks, make the scribbling sound last as long as the text being drawn on. Also might make the 'Dark Asylum' text look like chalk...
The video also shows the 'swipe' hint when you first arrive in the games lift.
It took a while to get it loading quickly...now the only png sequence is the 'Dark Asylum' text being drawn on, everything else is a single still.
E.g. the light that reveals the buttons is revealed with 2 animated actors (with a feathered edge) rather than a png sequence. Looks almost as nice as I had it looking in Adobe After Effects.
Also when the lights in the corridor come on one after another, that's just 3 different black shaped png's being destroyed.
Sorry got distracted for a week updating my old game quake builder. Also worked on an app idea for my work. Still got some work done on dark asylum, so many hours work ahead of me creating artwork. . .
I got annoyed with the loading times just getting to much that I would expect bad reviews because of it.
The whole game story and puzzles are planned. Also got all the reference art work to create each room.
I will tackle it again at some point or maybe think of a way to remake it with better load times or wait for game salad to support jpegs and reduce game project size. Or I could release the lift puzzle by itself for free and see what people think....
T-shirt once said that you could use jpegs with some trickery by replacing files in your project by showing package contents. Then editing the xml file to change the actors images to .jpg. I haven't tried this but it's something that could benefit you if it works. If you try make sure you save a new copy of the game project.
Thinking of possibly releasing it a bit early, with some floors still locked until an update comes along. Give the game away for free and see what reviews are like and let the users feedback ideas for the direction they'd like the game to go...
This idea then got me thinking, would you be allowed to submit a game which is more 'proof of concept' than a finished game, and have a link to a website which asks for funding to help finish the game.... Not sure if thats allowed in the world of apps with apple... just an idea...
stormystudio said: Hoping to jump back on this next week.
Thinking of possibly releasing it a bit early, with some floors still locked until an update comes along. Give the game away for free and see what reviews are like and let the users feedback ideas for the direction they'd like the game to go...
This idea then got me thinking, would you be allowed to submit a game which is more 'proof of concept' than a finished game, and have a link to a website which asks for funding to help finish the game.... Not sure if thats allowed in the world of apps with apple... just an idea...
As I am a little bit experienced in point&click adventure games (also for iOS), I can tell you one thing - don't do it. There is a game called Save Our Souls (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/save-our-souls-sos/id332023470?mt=8). Nice, free game. They realesed just a super short part of the game, so they get many bad reviews (even that the game is free). Now there is an update, but nobody cares any more about it. Finish your game, realese it after few weeks/months after you have it ready, and you are happy with it. Then realese it. Just my 2 cents.
Personally, with the look and mood you've created with this so far, I don't think you'll hear too much complaining about load times when they have really great graphics to look at while it loads. I'd love to see this as a finished product on iTunes.
I'm not into the horror genre in games, but this looks really good so far. Hopefully it will reach the Dead Space 2 crowd because a lot of people seemed to have liked that game, especially for an app store app price, they'll eat this up if it keeps coming along as nicely as it is.
I wouldn't do a short free version though unless its a separate lite version that draws people into the paid version, but you're more experienced in apps than I am so take my advise lightly when it comes to that, ha.
This is really cool stormy. I was just thinking of the same style of Point & Click game coz my wife and kid loves this kind of spooky scenes. I'll definitely bookmark this one. Cant wait for the finish product. Goodluck.
Comments
Monsters?
Ok, sort of asking this question as I think about how to do it myself...
In my game, I'm trying to think how to add more fear into the game. So wnat to have 'things' chase you. If they get to the same scene as you, then your killed.
So what I'm thinking is if a monster is on the way to you, the music builds up, your own breathing become more panicked, maybe the outside of the screen gets blurry ( blurry/darker ). You then have to leave that scene and back track to somewhere safe as soon as possible. Similar to the game mechanic in the awesome looking mac/pc/linux game 'Amnesia - The dark Decent'.
GAME INSPIRATION:
(going to play it tonight, in the dark with head phones on).
I'm sure it could be controlled by tracking a few 'monster' attributes...
Need to think through how it could work best.
any ideas welcome...
(My in game stuff can be seen earlier in the thread, those graphics have all been made usingg Photoshop...and lots of images for textures.)
but maybe now April 25th...
we shall see... I need more free time...so I need a body which needs less sleep...
DL
...
A friend at work was just looking through my sketchbook with all my planning for the game, which has random scribblings of ideas for visuals and puzzles. Game titles, icon designs, lots of maths, and overly complicated messy maps of the asylum with arrows flying from one puzzle to the next.
...
His comment..."Jon it honestly looks like your going insane working on this game...".
Hmm... I do love my sketchbook more and more...its more like the book from 'Evil dead' now than a sketchbook.
If only I can hold onto reality long enough to get the game finished and on the app store then maybe a little bit of insanity will be worth it.
.....
Oh and so I can find it when I need it...this is how to post images on the forum.... ignore the brackets)
(<)img src="ADDRESSHERE" /(>)
.....
Spent the few hours I've managed to find free this weekend working on a new menu system. Too many parental activities (kids parties) this month, so work is going to be slow...
Still though its all looking quite nice, just wish performance was a bit better. Seem to keep asking a bit much of the GameSalad engine...
DL
This version has a few sounds missing that I removed when trying to make it load quicker, eventually got it loading well and I need to put some of the sound effects back in e.g. lift doors opening, button clicks, make the scribbling sound last as long as the text being drawn on. Also might make the 'Dark Asylum' text look like chalk...
The video also shows the 'swipe' hint when you first arrive in the games lift.
It took a while to get it loading quickly...now the only png sequence is the 'Dark Asylum' text being drawn on, everything else is a single still.
E.g. the light that reveals the buttons is revealed with 2 animated actors (with a feathered edge) rather than a png sequence. Looks almost as nice as I had it looking in Adobe After Effects.
Also when the lights in the corridor come on one after another, that's just 3 different black shaped png's being destroyed.
DL
From the most recent video, I expect to be curled up in a corner murmuring 'Swipe... swipe.. swipe...' to myself
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
I got annoyed with the loading times just getting to much that I would expect bad reviews because of it.
The whole game story and puzzles are planned. Also got all the reference art work to create each room.
I will tackle it again at some point or maybe think of a way to remake it with better load times or wait for game salad to support jpegs and reduce game project size. Or I could release the lift puzzle by itself for free and see what people think....
Thanks for asking though....
Keep going... I'm sure there's a pot of gold waiting at the end.
Darren.
Thinking of possibly releasing it a bit early, with some floors still locked until an update comes along. Give the game away for free and see what reviews are like and let the users feedback ideas for the direction they'd like the game to go...
This idea then got me thinking, would you be allowed to submit a game which is more 'proof of concept' than a finished game, and have a link to a website which asks for funding to help finish the game.... Not sure if thats allowed in the world of apps with apple... just an idea...
Finish your game, realese it after few weeks/months after you have it ready, and you are happy with it. Then realese it. Just my 2 cents.
I wouldn't do a short free version though unless its a separate lite version that draws people into the paid version, but you're more experienced in apps than I am so take my advise lightly when it comes to that, ha.