Demo yes/no? Speech yes/no?

[SilentThief]

Dinonykos, I like your included "help" in the game. Most games have like a demo level you play thru that teaches you various options/tricks you can use to finish your goals, and the part describing opening chests is a good move. I was thinking of this sort of thing after seeing something similar while playing a turn-based 3d combat game called Gladius where you make a school of gladiators to compete in the roman gladiator arenas.

If you have something that is a little different from the standard GoldBox style then it seems you should have some explanation as to how this works.

ST
ps and the artwork is superb too

[Dinonykos]

Originally Posted by SilentThief Dinonykos, I like your included "help" in the game. Most games have like a demo level you play thru that teaches you various options/tricks you can use to finish your goals, and the part describing opening chests is a good move... If you have something that is a little different from the standard GoldBox style then it seems you should have some explanation as to how this works.

Yep, I also included an explanation of how the simplified combat system works in the demo-Level. That level is similar to the Star Trek holodecks or those training rooms of the X-men (I am no expert on the latter, though, but they have something like this, don't they?). You can even decide to deactivate the security system at one point to start a "real" combat, which will get you some extra-experience points. The demo-Level is connected to the 1st level of the game, but you do not necessarily have to enter it. Btw, thanks to Manikus for the hints on demos!

Originally Posted by SilentThief ps and the artwork is superb too

[Arminius]

Genius! I wouldn't have thought of treating the view pane like a camera lense view from the PlayerCharacter's point of view. That looks like it works quite well. Can't wait to try the demo out! That is a great idea to impliment with 3d-models which can easily be spun around and posed without altering characters and then screen capped or saved to flattened image for use in DC.

[manikus]

Originally Posted by Dinonykos This (both approaches) is what I am doing - combined with some additional tricks (of which I assume I am not the first one thinking of them...). In my adventure, there are 4 PCs that cannot be removed from the party (otherwise the game ends ), and I have several sprites for each of them (from behind - looks like stepping forward from the rest of the party, from side, only the faces from behind, annoyed, happy, angry etc.). It is also very nice to change between NPC-walls and closeups of the NPC (using several text events) and to combine NPC-walls with the from-behind views of the PCs (indicating who of the party is actually talking to the NPC).

That's a great idea. I think I will use something like that. So many possibilities are coming to mind that it's making me crazy that I can't work on DC projects now (not until December at the earliest I fear).

[manikus]

I guess I should have read all the posts before responding the first time.

Great artwork as usual, Dinonykos. This looks like a great demo. Having not played it yet, I am going to be so bold as to suggest it be advertised at the FRUA group too. I think when people over there see this, many of them will come over to look at what we're doing now.

[Arminius]

There is one idea I had once that is similar to this. I thought of putting fists, guns, and other weapons or maybe anything the PC is carrying in hand in the view screen like in 3d games. If your not an artist the easiest to use would be rips from the earlier 3D shooters like DOOM, HEXEN, ROTT, etc. Of course it wouldn't be very practical for a DC game since it couldn't actually be used or animated [or could it?!] which is why I bagged the idea. I still may try some experimenting with the idea for other uses though.

[manikus]

Originally Posted by Arminius There is one idea I had once that is similar to this. I thought of putting fists, guns, and other weapons or maybe anything the PC is carrying in hand in the view screen like in 3d games. If your not an artist the easiest to use would be rips from the earlier 3D shooters like DOOM, HEXEN, ROTT, etc. Of course it wouldn't be very practical for a DC game since it couldn't actually be used or animated [or could it?!] which is why I bagged the idea. I still may try some experimenting with the idea for other uses though.

SilentThief had a similar idea a couple of years back. I did up some art for him, but I don't believe anything ever came of this. If I can find it on my HD, I'll post it in the forums here, but I haven't seen it in a while. It might be attached to a thread here or inserted into a response via a link to imageshack. Might be worth trying to do a search of the forums if you're interested.

[Dinonykos]

Originally Posted by Arminius There is one idea I had once that is similar to this. I thought of putting fists, guns, and other weapons or maybe anything the PC is carrying in hand in the view screen like in 3d games.

I do not want to spoil too much, but something like this will be included in my adventure...

[manikus]

Originally Posted by Dinonykos I do not want to spoil too much, but something like this will be included in my adventure...

Don't spoil anything, but feel free to tease us all you would like.

[Dinonykos]

I have just put some new screenshots to the DC sectionof the FRUA forum. Re-reading what I posted here, I think it's time to finish my demo...