Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

Work in Progress / Night Fall

Author
Message
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 03:46 Edited at: 9th Jun 2003 03:47
Ok.. this is not really a BETA, more like a concept test.
Their is no game made of this right now.
What I have here is a concept that I was playing around with.
Trying to come up with something that no one has done before, I thought of this.
Please have a look at it and tell me what you think.

Is this original?
Do you think it could be made into an interesting game? :-s
Any suggestions?

Sorry no screen shots. That would just give it away.

Have a look. 1.56mb
http://home.att.net/~thetowers/Night_Fall.rar

Randi
The Game
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Dec 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 05:50
It's definitely an interesting concept..and old black and white style movie look in a game...gives it a spooky look...do you have a story in the back of your head already for it?

I am the game and I want to play.
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 07:01
do you have a story in the back of your head already for it?

Ummm.... I'm afraid not.
How about you?
My mind id wide open for any ideas.

I just know I was wanting it to be like the orginal "Night of the Living Dead", and how creepy it was.

Randi
SS1k
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 08:27
If you want, I can wright a story for you.

However, if the project is going to be legaly sold, I expect some cash in return..

Otherwise, I will do it for free!

.:SIDEP0CKET:.
:..>Mind is Thought
:..>Play is Fun
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 09:18
@ SS1k

Well...
First don't call me the 'B' word but...

I'm not sure about you "wright"ing a story.
(it is write)

Any way...
I don't have time to make a game based on some long story.
If you have an idea on a game that would be helpful though.
I just want to do something quick and simple with it.
As I am not in it for the money.
Just to do something that takes up what little extra time I have.

Randi
Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 13:12
Well, why not get a spooky little house modelled, and a spooky little forest, then add some zombi's.

I loved the zombi movies, and you could do a really cool horror game like that, maybe using weird weapons like hammers and chainsaws, and have the zombi's simply walk towards the player moaning about brains, delicious brains.

I have actually thought about doing this myself, like model the house from the movie, and have it so you can put stuff in front of windows etc - the idea being, survive til dawn by killing zombies and keeping them from getting into the house. You could get extra clever and have them gather round the windows, when there's a lot of them they eventually break through. The zombies would'nt need much animating, just a stuttered walk, an attack, a death, maybe even an anim for climbing in windows.


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
The Game
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Dec 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 16:02
I was thinking similar to Van-B's idea but I was thinking of a getting away from a serial killer type of game since zombies has been done so many times though. I had a couple ideas for use of this in a longer game but as you put something quick and simple is what your after.

I am the game and I want to play.
hexGEAR
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 3rd Nov 2002
Location: Naytonia
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 16:28
ha ha, love the cool "olden days movie" fx, pretty original i'd say yeah i'm pretty sure this could be made into an original game, and van's idea sounds great. you wouldn't be the same person that made randi's nightmare would you? if so what's with you and survival horror games?

to live is to suffer, to survive, well, thats to find meaning in the sufferening.....
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 18:14
@ Van B

I had the same exact idea. The only thing my zombie model looked so stupid and I was ashamed of it.
That is why I put in the reeper type model. It looks so much better.
I was thinking about doing all types of bad guys.
I had an idea where I let who ever wants to create a model, of a horror movie character, could and I would put it in the game.
Then at the end of the game, or when you die, credits role like in a movie and they would get credit as if they were playing that character.
You could have...
bats, wolfs, werewolfs, ghosts, ghouls, zombies, axe murders, chainsaw murders, monsters, aliens, devil worshipers, etc.
All things that could scare you in the woods.
People could create houses and such and get credit for scenery.
People could create the weapons and get credit for props.
I say this because I am very limited on what models I can make.
I would need help if I wanted to do your/our idea.

@ hexgear
Yes.. that was me that made Randi's Nightmares.
"if so what's with you and survival horror games?"
That's a good question! and I am not sure of the answer.
Maybe because I was scared to death, in the woods by devil worshipers, when I was in my teens.
Maybe because I like horror movies.
Maybe because I don't care for shooting games.
Maybe a little bit of A,B, and C.

Randi
Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 9th Jun 2003 18:36 Edited at: 9th Jun 2003 18:39
Ahhhhhh - You must have seen 'Pumpkinhead' - he would make a great game character, that's my all-time fave horror movie, without a doubt the most atmospheric horror film ever. I mean it's about revenge, but you feel for Pumpkinhead and it's victims, a really engrossing movie.

"You better not mess with Pumpkinhead, unless your tired of living..."
"His enemies are mostly dead, he's mean and unforgiving..."

If you haven't seen it, get it ASAP - more inspiration there than any other horror movie.

muhahahahaha - the man himself...


My emails there if you wanna pick my brains! hmmmm brains....


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
LoKiDeCaT
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 28th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 00:49
Very nice. I give you full marks for style.

I also like your animated trees.

Loki D'Cat - Modeller, Composer, Animator
Nerdsoft Creations
Machine Specs: Athlon XP1800+, ATi Radeon 8500 64mb, 1GB RAM, Windows 2000 AdvSvr
SS1k
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 05:51
Hmm...we have another person makeing fun of my disability to spell, huh? Well, to try to be kind about it, I realy like the engen you built. Maby if you dont bark at people, and understand were there are getting at, you will have more to this than an engen that might not get anywere.

Hear is an idea. Why not base it off The Ring? You could have a privat detective who is infected by a curse, but a diffrent, more haunting curse. You could have it so the day is in full color and it works like a adventure game, like Myst. But at night, eveything turn old Black and Whtie, and it becomes to survival. Enimes could come from the generated shadows, and can be only scared by light. Other eneimes cloke themselfs in the shadows, waiting for you to make the wrong move at the wrong time. Others use the setting to try to "scare you to death, literaly". You can use regular old fasion wepondary to distroy "phisical manifestations", and use "spiritual" weapons to defend yourself from curse. There are also loved ones that the caracter meets, and must defend them from thease dilusions. Depending if who gets killed, or if they are possesed or not, depends on the outake of the story.

Dose that sound to "amiturish for you"? I ask because I came that whole thing up while I was typing.

Also, if you do want to use this, ask me first. This story is not to be used without my premision.

Bye. -.-;

.:SIDEP0CKET:.
:..>Mind is Thought
:..>Play is Fun
Inkybro
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st Dec 2002
Location: Where I live :)
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 06:01
I don't want to start a big fight here but this is my opinion:

So what if he has a spelling disability, I just talked with him on AIM and he's a great guy. Is that what matters to you? How good someone can spell. Well if I were him that wouldve pushed me out of the DB community, he must be tough. What you said I think is cruel and hateful and you shouldn't have said it.

He showed me 1/3rd of his game's story and it rocks, it's the best I've ever seen, so before you go off and say he can't write you need to look into him more, he may not spell perfectly but he can sure the heck write!

I hope I offended no one, just my two cents.

SS1k
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 07:15
Thanx Inkybro.

However, don`t jump the gun quickly. It seems I have a small band of folowers now, wich I like, don`t get me wrong. I am, however, as much as a newbie in DB as anyother Noob in hear. I also beleave in peace, not war. So, I hope you didn`t take my post as a slap in the face, more like a proof to what I can do.

I realy like the engen. It has alot of possibilitys, the one I wrote is just one of them. I hope you like the idea! However, if not, then thats you. You are the programmer after-all, and you deside what gose into the bastard in the end.

-Peace Out

.:SIDEP0CKET:.
:..>Mind is Thought
:..>Play is Fun
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 08:28
@ SS1k & Inkybro

Yes I was picking on SS1k about his spelling.
After all he was talking about writing a story, but couldn't spell write.
You must admit that is kind of funny.
But I no where came close to being cruel.
Lighten up a little.
Especially you Inky!!
"What you said I think is cruel and hateful and you shouldn't have said it."
Give me a break!!
Quote:
@ SS1k

Well...
First don't call me the 'B' word but...

I'm not sure about you "wright"ing a story.
(it is write)

That is cruel and hateful???

Any way...
And I am not being "cruel and hateful"...
But personally I don't like games that have stories.
They just always seem so boring and you end up just pushing the buttons to bypass the story lines.
So I will not be using your story idea.

Even though you are a super swell guy and probably the next Steven King.
(Ok... that was a little cruel and hateful)
AND A JOKE!!!!

Randi
SS1k
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 08:47 Edited at: 10th Jun 2003 08:50
I think I took it because of the way you put it, into a sarcastic tone. But, when was the last time anyone have sceen an intermediat programmer who is not at-leace a little arogent and Me,Myself, and I focused?.*rolls-eyes sarcasticly ovet at randi* Issen that right Randi? XD

Altho I agree about a story for very simplistic games,(All storys to explain Tetris and Beatem Up games so far have sucked)for a horror or suspence, story is crucal. You know if you do have a crap story if it is boring and you dont want to skip it. Dose that then storys are meaningless in games, no. If so, people wholdent go to the movies anymore.

Take the game Resident Evil for example. If it was just about blasting zombies in a mantion while soliving puzzles with no story or cut-sceens, well, you start wondering why the f#%k you are doing there in the first place! Thus, it becomes meaningless.(Grate example of this:Zombie Revenge for the DC/Arcade)

P.S. Besides, who said all storys in videogames have to be complex? Look at Super Mario Brothers, Dig-Dug, Ms. Pac-Man, Donky Kong, ect. You could use the game idea as the actual content, and wright one sentece that explains everything. Hell, even a 8 year old could do that!

.:SIDEP0CKET:.
:..>Mind is Thought
:..>Play is Fun
Hell IVIonkey
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Apr 2003
Location: Outer Limits
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 11:46 Edited at: 10th Jun 2003 11:48
Heh, relax everybody.

I'm sure Randi didn't mean to belittle you beyond what the irony in your offer demanded. She even said that if you had ideas, she'd be open to them, just not an entire grand story. Often the game shapes the story, rather than the story shaping the game, especially since we're all just lone coders with our own limitations and lives independent of DB (well, some of us anyhow ). I understand where she's coming from; she wants ideas to potentially implement around her game's limitations (time- and technology-related), not something to mold her game entirely.

However, I do think (though it may be too late now since things got off on the wrong foot) that you could have perhaps taken some ideas from SS1K openly, even if you didn't want an entire storyline.

Surely nobody is hateful and cruel here. Randi is trying to be realistic. SS1K is trying to be helpful. Understand and live and let live, huh?


PS: Ever play "Alone in the Dark?" This may be the type of interactiveness you're looking for. Pushing dressers in front of the window so zombies (or dogs) can't get in, searching the old house for clues of the murder while you have your back turned to the ghoul coming up through the floorboards. There's a lot to be learned from this great old game!

Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 12:22
Hehe,

"Even though you are a super swell guy and probably the next Steven King."
It's Stephen King!!! - Ohh the irony!

I checked out that tech demo Randi, it is cool - although the white line at the side should maybe fade out when playing the game, it's a major distraction. It looks very cool at the start, but if you smoothly fade that bit out - it'll make a nice transition, dust and scratches are mostly at the start and end of old fashioned film reel.

The ground texture could be spookier, seems really bright. How about some fallen autumn leaves, fallen leaves gives the feeling of death, if you had those trees bigger, and had simple rotated plain trees and bushes, with a leafy ground - it'd look great - very Blair Witch.


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
Hell IVIonkey
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Apr 2003
Location: Outer Limits
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 13:09 Edited at: 10th Jun 2003 13:15
Oh God, think about the irony, THE IRONY!!!




PS: Oh, SS1k, I love your Myst-to-nightmare game idea! It really sounds like fun, like there's an ominous feeling of suspense where if you don't hurry and accomplish what you need to do during the day, you won't make it through the night. Gonna make it into a game?

randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 13:47
"Stephen King"

HAHAHAHA!! I been waiting for someone to catch a mistake I would undoubtedly make!

Oh and SS1k...
It was sarcastic. I can be very sarcastic. Sorry, but it wasn't meant to hurt.
But you should understand two things...
One is that I am old enough to be your mother. That is if I had you at a very young age.
Second, you really are a very bad speller!!
And Dig Dug had a story? Well what do you know. :-s

@ Van B
dust and scratches are mostly at the start and end of old fashioned film reel.
You have to have dust and scratches, and that line.
That's what says it's old.

The ground texture could be spookier, seems really bright.
That is true. I noticed that. Just wasn't something to worry about for a demo.

How about some fallen autumn leaves, fallen leaves gives the feeling of death,
That's a good idea. But I wasn't aware that they give the feeling of death.
Now I am going to be scared to no end this fall!

if you had those trees bigger
Yes...agree

and had simple rotated plain trees and bushes
VOMIT!!

very Blair Witch
One of my favorites!

Let me make one thing clear.
All of my games that I make I try to make so that females will want to play too.
So many games are just aimed toward males.
There is a big untapped female market.
This is why 'no long story'
We think that they are dumb.
Just give us some action, that doesn't take great handwork, and isn't over violent, and NO MORE SHOOTING GAMES!!!

Randi
Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 14:51
Hehe, stop vomiting on my bushes!

Yeah, keep yours eyes peeled for them autumn leaves in horror flicks, practically every grotesque forest murder happens in autumn . I think it stems from people covering shallow graves with leaves, your never sure whats underneath (maybe some zombies comming from the ground would be cool). The old fashioned tree and bush idea was to give you more trees for less cpu drain, a 3 plain tree can look really good, because it covers more of the tree, like the trees in Stoked are made from 3 polygons, rotated on their axis so it's like a 6 pronged star when seen from above. It does'nt look too bad with firs - and at 3 polygons you could have an entire forest if you wanted.

I think you should go for the alternative household style of weaponary. Like saucepans and hammers - I mean Resident Evil is not a great example of a zombi game - Silent Hill is much much scarier because your not playing the part of a super hard agent with lots of weaponary. It'd be nice to see some zombies that are so hard to kill, the player is actually afraid of them and will avoid them - survival makes a great gameplay facet when you want to avoid storylines.

The only scratch I have a problem with is the thick one on the left, I think it's a bit much for during the game, might distract the eye a little. All-in-all the B&W effect is awesome.

I agree about storylines in games, I'd love to see more free gameplay, like how about GTAVC without a storyline, make money by whatever means necessary, form your own gangs, stuff like that - the player would'nt know when to stop playing .


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
SS1k
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 15:17
Hmm...non-complex story for a femail audience? There is something new.

Thru my reasearch and questioning, most females I`ve asked want a complex and interactives story, due to what I beleave is the socal structre that females like to share information and to be moved to do something.(IE Soap Operas.)

However, if simple it is, I will keep that in mind.

Ya, I also think the game should be focused on surviving than blasting monters. Hmm, maby you could have some player that fight and use up resorces, limmiting you. I dunno, its your $h!t.

.:SIDEP0CKET:.
:..>Mind is Thought
:..>Play is Fun
hexGEAR
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 3rd Nov 2002
Location: Naytonia
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 17:38 Edited at: 10th Jun 2003 17:40
Quote: ""Maybe because I was scared to death, in the woods by devil worshipers, when I was in my teens.""

ha ha ha 4 real? i totally understand now!
Quote: ""First don't call me the 'B' word""
what's the 'B' word? just curious .....

to live is to suffer, to survive, well, thats to find meaning in the sufferening.....
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 19:09
Van B

I was thinking you meant a single plane tree that rotates towards you.
I think that would look dumb as you walk around.
Now the old star-shape might look good, especially far away.

I like my scratch though!
The only thing I don't like about it is, it's too wide and bright.
But it's only 1 and 2 pixels on the bitmap. Maybe I need to use the flag on the image command or something.
It does need to be darker and maybe not there all the time.
Maybe comes in and out.

@ SS1k
First... Soap operas have very simple story lines in them, and it's the same thing over and over.
Second... the most favorite game of females? Tetris! No story line what so ever.

@ hexgear
Yes... it is true.
I am a child of the 80's.
And devil worship had it's moment during that period.

Randi
Inkybro
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st Dec 2002
Location: Where I live :)
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 19:57
Quote: "@ SS1k
First... Soap operas have very simple story lines in them, and it's the same thing over and over.
Second... the most favorite game of females? Tetris! No story line what so ever."


Tetris is a female game? Wow Never knew it

Angeleyes
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 17th Mar 2003
Location:
Posted: 10th Jun 2003 22:05
Hi Randi, great little program you did there. x-d
Its a lot like I have been messing about doing while our main project is being re-worked by the programmers (Oh, the joys of waiting about till they finish) ^_~

If your doing a Zombie game, heres a title screen for ya:


If you like it I will send you the animated one (the fog moves and the eyes glow).

Good luck with your game.

Ta ta for now
Mary

Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 04:03
Quote: "Let me make one thing clear.
All of my games that I make I try to make so that females will want to play too.
So many games are just aimed toward males.
There is a big untapped female market.
This is why 'no long story'
We think that they are dumb."


hmm... are you saying guy games don't have much of a story or girl games shouldn't?
To be honest i've noticed girls care less about storylines, you'll find more will play Quake3 for its senseless violence or TheSims for its pure insanity than you will see one playing something like AloneInTheDark or Noir ... when it comes to computer games girls like them simple and to the point, stuff like WinMine/MiceMen/Tetris/etc...

Once you put a story behind the game somehow they loose interest, and to be honest it baffles me to why because if you see the kinds of films they watch, and thier TV programs they have to be laced with so many misdirectional storylines its hard to follow whats going on, or have a really cute guy in them.

that aside ------------------------
i like the current feel of the game with the Black&White old camera style, perhaps i'd get rid of that line at the side though, kinda blocks the view and is a little bleck - but it really captures the essence of the game.

The storyline of the game, and actual structure though will heavily depend on what you want the player to actually do... i mean there is a new game for the XBox where rather than killing with weapons you have to take picutes of ghosts kinda like "Night of the Dead" the better the capture of it, the more you hurt it until it disappears.

what i'd suggest would probably be, you have that camera effect for ingame movies to add atmosphere, keep with the B&W look ... just get rid of the camera effect for actual gameplay - rather than a first person you could have it 3rd person, and you have an array of weapons that aren't actually weapons but will make things disappear that appear... so perhaps for ghosties you have a touch which keeps them at bay, and for vampires perhaps holding a cross up so they back off - if the main character is female then for bats you could have her do that prissy airslap girls do when things get in thier hair.

The story could be that you have a bunch of friends doing a Saonce(or however you spell it) within some creepy old masion but something goes wrong and you accidentally let out some creepy forces. In the processes your friends disappear so you go hunting around the masion trying to find them, perhaps have simplistic puzzles to find keys and get access to new areas - get your friends free and try to survive until dawn
perhaps have them find out about why the creepy old masion was actually abandoned, have to let some little girls soul free or something lol

you've probably watched more horror films than me to figure out a good story line. If you start in the creepy yard with your mates, and every so often the room they go into have cut scenes of say a ghosties at the window tapping, and when your character screams for her friends to look its gone (in true horror stylee lol)

yup that'd be awesome have a game where you don't actually shot or fight anything you just have the living poop scared outta you hehee

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 04:19
@ Inkybro

Yes, Tetris has female written all over it.

@ Raven
You haven't been paying attention.
That is what I have been saying all along.
Girls, like me, do not want a story with the game.
We don't care about that.
Simple is better.
If we want a story we will go see a movie.

@ everyone
I thank you all for the comments.
But please no more story lines.
And leave my scratch on the side alone.
I am fixing it so that it is not so bold.


Randi
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 06:06
well there is alot you guys wrote within a matter of a few hours, it is alot to take in within a 5min burst read ya know.

but i would like to have why girls want simple games, i seriously don't understand it - i mean every movie or tv show i see you guys can sit there and figure out in seconds what is going to happen sometimes i don't even understand why you even bother to watch (or drag us along) to see them.
I would've though out of everyone who played comp games girls would actually want something that challenges them, seeing as they always seem to want to figure things out ... kinda why it does seem statistically strange that they're more likely to pickup somthing like The Hulk as opposed to a copy of Discworld lol

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
SS1k
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 19th Nov 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 06:36
Hmmm...this is getting very introsting. I hope I have a balace in my audience. I found out that girls like more interaction, less story. Its the drama, not the idea. I think thats why guys like things like 2 Fast 2 Furious. Pritty spectical=good game in there mind. I think mine mixes both.

Hears a simple 1 sentence arcade storyline: You are traped into a B Horror movie, and you must find your way out.

Hay, maby the reson why women like games that have simplicity is because they havent been playing games for that long? I have notes that since the 70`s, men have been playing computer games for adges, and the first games were very simpe. Maby now we guys have lost intrest, and so we complex things for a chalange. Hay, that could explain alot. Us one-tract mind men(boobs, bear, games) like complex games(IE. Madden, Final Fantasy, ect.), and the over-emotional women(Will he brake up? Why hassen`t he called me back, should I call him? Maby, but what will my friends think? Will they leave me..bla,bla,bla.) like simple games. Balace is preserved.

.:SIDEP0CKET:.
:..>Mind is Thought
:..>Play is Fun
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 09:14
I think much of it has to do with the type of story.
Just think of girl movies and guy movies.
A movie that came out recently, that I thought was cute, was 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'.
Now I don't think girls would be apposed to a game based on that story.
But, how do you make a game based on a story like that?
Now on the other hand...
Those 'Matrix' movies are just so stupid to me.
Yet I am sure there is a game about it or soon will be, and many guys will love it.
I think us girls like the simple games because it is just something that we can get into.
It's not cars racing around, it's not shooting at each other, it's not driving a tank, or anything macho, or anything that we don't understand.

This is the challenge at hand.
How do you bring in the girls to the games?

If you could just think how to make a fun game about going shopping for shoes, you would make millions.

I am probably going to go back to my original idea.
It was a game based on 'Night of the Living Dead'.
You start out in a graveyard where the zombies come out of the graves.
The graveyard is full of tombstones, monuments, memorials, and cenotaphs, and the whole place is completely fenced off.
The challenge is to get out with out getting eaten.
Then you are in the woods and the challenge is to find the house without getting eaten.
Once in the house you just have to fight them off until morning when help arrives.
Or something to that nature.

Randi
Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 13:06
I think games like Monkey Ball appeal to females, cute characters, great gameplay, no storyline. There are a few storylined games that are popular with females too, like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Abe's Exodus/Oddysey - all heavily puzzle games as well, but they give the player a lot of freedom, so perhaps it feels more like your involved in the story in these games. I don't think you can generalise too much though, everyone has their own tastes, I know a few women that love snowboarding games, and GTA3/VC.

Sounds like a good plan though Randi, I'm sure you'll put an interesting spin on the gameplay that us blokes would never have thought of .


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
Cras
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 15th Oct 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 13:38
back to the night fall concept... i think it would be cruel to players to make a game of that. I was wandering for about 3 minutes and my eyes started to hurt. Although from first impression it is pretty cool.

about the boy girl arguement... i think the reason girls dont like long involving games as much is because in the back of their minds they associate computers with geeks... and so even if they convince themselves that its not, they'll still not allow themselves to get into a computer game because its 'uncool'. I think girls are much more concerned about 'cool' and 'uncool' so this affects them more than men. Although u'll find quite alot of men who will only play things like tony hawks, possibly due to the same reason.

uk.geocities.com/maniacimagine check it out. ill soon be formally opening it.
Wiggett
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st May 2003
Location: Australia
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 17:19
that is one of the most awesomest demos i've played, you gotta tell me how to do that black and white screen thingy.And as soon as i get my db workin again i will love to help you out with amkign it (free of charge even if u sell it), infact for nwo i could probably just work on soem graphical stuff for it, but please send me the code or a faq on how to make that b&w film look

i need a copy of the 1.03 exe or i cant work on my game anymore
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 17:25
Van i'm not saying that girls don't buy the other titles, cause i know a very small handful that do - but that said most don't like or play them.

When you target a girl audience developing a game the best thing to do is to take everything that a teenager would like, and just put something in there they'd go "Awwww..." at.
But then i can see Randi's point in the movies they watch, because "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was honestly a few hours of really bad, and quite racist jokes, kinda like a very poor attempt at a British Budget Film - but that said i'm not exactly a fan of 2Fast2Furious as it is just a load of tripe.

If i watch a film or want to play a game, personally i want to be fully involved in it ... games where i'm just doing the same thing over and over and over, bore the living poop outta me. You can't see characters develop, what will come next is about as predictable as tommorrow the sun will rise ... generally this just makes the whole thing of games without stories a waste of time in my eyes.

Maybe its because unlike most women and teens when i sit down to play a computer game i want to be entertained for more than 5minutes, i don't have a short attention span so i want something to constantly keep me interested in whats going on.
I know that you could say something like "But if thats true then why do you like Quake3?" but even in that game the enemy your against aren't the same from level to level - they don't all just attack you, and the harder the level the more you have to think about whats going on around you, on the easy levels it is just mindless violence but on the harder ones if you want to win you've actually gotta think about how you play, its why i love Jedi Knight 2 - most of the game is just running around sabering people and such, but being able to use your powers to push back grendaes to the people who throw them or having to use your jedi sight to see a wall you have to destroy to get to the next area.

you know what i mean?
this is probably why to some of us games are just getting way to bloody easy to complete, because they're being aimed at the moronic teen generations now - who don't have 2 braincells to rub together. Thier idea of game tactics is run in shooting and hope everyone dies.

Which also probably is why it baffles me to why thier game of choice is Final Fantasy

bah - this all confuses the hell outta me lol, thank god i only make games that i like

-------------- rant over ---
would be interesting that game though, you gonna do it FPS or 3rdPP?

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
Angeleyes
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 17th Mar 2003
Location:
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 17:37
Ya know Randi, its amazing how men "know" what we like, dislike, want, don’t want, need, don't need.........isn’t it. ^_~

I think your game will be great when you do it and if you want any help let me know.

Ta ta for now
Mary

Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 18:27
My fiance loves Monkey Ball, Silent Hill, Dead or Alive, and she has her eye on the Buffy game for X-Box - so at least I know what she likes.

We can't possibly know what goes on in womens heads, we spend our entire lives trying to figure that out! .


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 19:16
I don't think I have to say this, but I will.
I am generalizing about females.
Of course their are some that love all types of games.
I am sure that some love war games.
But I think we all knew this.

Any way...
If anyone wants to help, they can.
If someone can make a model of a zombie, I can know for a fact it will be used.
My zombie model is just sad!

@ robx
I am about to go to work right now...
but I will be happy to show how I did the B&W effect.


back to the night fall concept... i think it would be cruel to players to make a game of that.

@ Maniac
Well... that's me... cruel and hatefull.
but quite sexy.
and a tease.

Randi
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 20:49
lmao your right Van ... sides i think i'd be lost in all of the misleading doors.

you want a zombie gimme a little while - come up with something cool, hopefully something that will fit too hehee

Quote: "Well... that's me... cruel and hatefull.
but quite sexy.
and a tease."

sounds like most of my Ex's

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
Arrow
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 1st Jan 2003
Location: United States
Posted: 11th Jun 2003 21:11
I don't know about zombies, sure they're scary and creepy but they are sooooooo over done. I would use more non corperal creatures, like ghosts or something. The film effect really gave me a nice detached feeling, like a flashback or a dream. I love the autumn idea, you can so much fun with a dead corn field at twilight. I don't think you go far the sudden scare, the "Bam! a guy just jumped out of the closet" kinda fear. This has the makings of the slow chill style of fear, Silent Hill did a good job of that. Am I ranting?

I think a complete lack of story in this case can work real well. I can imagine the main character just waking up suddenly find herself (if you're gonna do a creepy game of this sort you need a denum draped female for the lead role, ) alone in the middle of surrounded by falling autumn leaves and mosters. And thats it, no more story, you'ld be just as in the dark as the main character.

Teenage Male Geek + Female Remotly Intersted in Common Geek Activities = Teenage Male Jackass
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 00:54
i'm just about to texture, as i've rigged it and it looks good animated a little
but wouldn't mind your thoughts ... i've made everything so that you can have backface culling off - this way you can have some good effects with the shirt cause i'm gonna make a ripped texture for it, alot of the gaps also have bits which you might not be able to see very well which overlap, so when you have the alpha'd texture you'll be able to see the bones and such through it - should look pretty icky




only 941 polys so far, so you can have a few of these onscreen no probs

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 02:57
Wow Raven.
That looks pretty good.
Makes mine look very stupid!!!

I can't wait to see it done.
The bone showing idea is a good one.

Make sure the textures are black & white.
The way I was doing everything was to do all my work in color, then copy the picture into a greyscale image(photoshop).
If I just tried to a b&w texture, I couldn't do it.

Randi
Wiggett
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st May 2003
Location: Australia
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 07:58
well randii'll help with concepts and stuff for now, and i got photoshop so i can convert some textures to grey scale.But you stil haev to tell me how to do the b&w scratch camera image, is it jsut a partially transparent image pasted onto the screen?

i need a copy of the 1.03 exe or i cant work on my game anymore
randi
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 27th Aug 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 08:57
How the B&W effect is done.

There are 3 planes locked in front of the camera.
One has a circle gradient texture on it.
This texture is black going into grey in the center.
The plane is ghosted, and it is timed to fade in and out real fast.
This is what causes the flickering effect.

Another plane is textured with a pure black image that has some tiny dust marks on it and a hair.
The black is set to transparent and the plane is ghosted and set to a fade value.
This plane is rotated randomly and the texture is scrolled randomly.
It is also hidden and showed randomly too.
This is how the scratches and the hair, on the screen, is done.

Now the scratch along the side is a plane that has a black texture on it with a scratch.
This plane is ghosted and the black is set to transparent.
It is now faded out much more, because people thought it was too much.
This texture is scrolled vertically and randomly scrolled left and right.

Now just make a scene thats all B&W and you are done.

I came up with this method when I made this strip film.
I did this strip tease and turned it into B&W and did this effect on it.
It was supposed to be like an old Betty Page film.
I added in some parts where it would cut out and say "SCENE MISSING" every once in awhile.
It was very cool....
and no you can not see it!!!

Randi
Wiggett
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st May 2003
Location: Australia
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 09:41
aww, please maybe if i watch it i can understand how to make the b&w scene
anyway, i can understand how it works but can u send me the code snippet for the flickering times etc, i canmake my own textures etc. cause im thinkin of maybe an old western style shooter in b&w with that cool western piano music. should be able to do it on the trial while i wait to get back to my rpg game.

i need a copy of the 1.03 exe or i cant work on my game anymore
Van B
Moderator
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 11:15
Randi,
Behave now girl - I can hear the hormones bubbling away on all the young lads reading this .

Robx,
Be sure to add a tint of beige to the overlay plains for that authentic aged look. Might be worth adding a dark ghost around the edges too - this will give the impression of the old round camera lenses they used. They would fade out from the outside to the middle too, no reason why you can't scale the outer dark rim to replicate this as well.


Van-B

My cats breath smells of cat food.
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 12:11



oki sorry this is taking so long, i was pissing about with vertex lights for like 2hours (^_^)
i did mention i wasn't gonna rush this though right?

i finally got around to doing the head, and quite frankly it think its a waste of texture ... so bland and not even blended over the seems properly what i wouldn't give for my lil Skinner girl right now - ho hum lol

and yes i know you want it in greyscale, but it'll be easier just to grey it once i've done it fully (that is provided i finish this texture lol)

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 15:03
oki i know this is started to take ages and only a small update as i've only just finished his jacket - but he is starting to look kinda creepy now thou




i hope to have him finished by lunchtime (4am now if your wondering)... gonna give him 3 animations i think for now, Idle, Shuffle & Swing. If you'd like something else then just post and i'll add it to the list or instead of whichever.

Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!
Wiggett
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 31st May 2003
Location: Australia
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 16:05
excellent work raven. what you using to make the models?

i need a copy of the 1.03 exe or i cant work on my game anymore
Shadow Robert
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Sep 2002
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Posted: 12th Jun 2003 17:55
i use many things to make my models
before you ask again note you won't get a straight answer out of me about what i use or how i use it.

i've finished the texture (for now)... the hands need completely redoing as they looked awesome on the texture, then i figured out i'd got them on the wrong sides - so you had the palm on the outside, looked funny but not practical lol

i'll add the alpha in the textures once i've animated fully, and the shoes really need ALOT of attention but i'm just to tired to give a crap about them, after 8hrs of Photoshop7 it is finally getting to me - but hopefully this is good enough for now



Within the Epic battle of the fates the Shadow and the Angel will meet. With it will harbinger the very fight of good vs evil!

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2024-11-21 21:04:45
Your offset time is: 2024-11-21 21:04:45