The Last Awakening - [Game On Hold]

[Mikee]

Spoiler: GAME OVER

This game is now on hold.  It was a spontaneous idea that seemed well planned out with a solid plot, but after realizing the restrictions of the ABS and my lack of scripting knowledge, I've decided to put it on hold until I've had another game or two under my belt. 

I've saved this post for future use, so obviously, I won't mind if it's deleted.  I'm sorry if someone was looking forward to this and I thank everyone who gave feedback.  I will continue the project at a later date.

Thank you, Blizzard for the ABS, and thank you, Xephyr for the thirst system (I still plan to use this same system in the future.)

Thank you,
Mikee

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/ ... nner-1.png[/img]

The Last Awakening:

The Last Awakening is an action based, sandbox styled vampire RPG with a deep romance and mystery filled storyline.

Spoiler: The History

The Unholy:  A children's bedtime story about a creature who walks and talks like man, but who drinks the blood of animals in the dead of night.  The story was formed when a strange disease was spread through a small town called Melhaut.  According to some history books, the disease was carried by rats who after decades of sea voyages spent in the holding cells below deck, began to mutate their blood cells into an infectious disease weakened by sunlight.  When the rats came into contact with humans, the blood cells instantaneously began to spread throughout the body, consuming the human blood.  Thriving off of it to survive.  But when sunlight became involved, it began to boil and eventually the host died, killing the mutated blood from lack of fresh human blood.  The inhabitants of Melhaut eventually killed each other off, not knowing how to control this new, wild power that soon after became nothing more than a bedtime story.  Or so they hoped.

Spoiler: Story

Griffin (Name is optional for the player) Dralous, a mysterious man with no memory, is found by a priest named Martin one evening during his usual walks through the forest behind his home.  Taking the man in for rest and shelter, he notices an ailment that he would not soon forget.  He is Unholy.  Martin once was infected with the disease and his father, also a priest, had found a cure for the sickness.  Heavily relying on wishful thinking, he teaches and trains Griffin to control his newfound abilities, in hopes to use them for good until the cure takes hold.

Spoiler: Characters

Griffin Dralous - A dark haired man with no memory, found by Martin, the priest near the town of Vair Thenovh.
- More details coming soon.  (It's late and I'd like to do these right (Images also coming soon.)

Martin - A priest with an unusual history.  He hides his identity from Griffin and the other townsfolk in order to reduce fear.

Lily Bianka - A generous friend who also wishes to help Griffin through his journey.

Victor Eures - A famous Slayer who learns of sightings of Unholy near Vair Thenovh.

Ryalt - An ancient Unholy who prides himself on his power and hunting ability.  If he cannot convince Griffin to join him, he will destroy him.

- More details soon!

Spoiler: Title Screen and Psychotic Controls

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/my7evendazelater/AwakeningTitle-1.png[/img]
(The *Last* Awakening was an afterthought.  I might end up redoing this so the word "Last" doesn't look so out of place.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/ ... rols-1.png[/img]
These controls are all subject to change and are just the test setup.

Spoiler: Gameplay Screens

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/my7evendazelater/Screen1.png[/img]
"Vegetarian" Vampire diet.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/ ... creen2.png[/img]
A sad attempt at getting some of the battle animations.  I'm hoping to get these revamped and adding weapon spritesheets when I get time.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/ ... creen3.png[/img]
Showing off some of the forest maps and the random weather system incorporated.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/ ... creen4.png[/img]
Lily and Griffin in Vair Thenovh.

Features:

- Open world/Sandbox style play.
- Action battle system - BlizzABS (Credit!)
- Fully functional thirst system.
- All the many splendid seduction skills for vampire fans.
- Lockpicking.
- Suspicion meter, that, when filled sics an angry mob on you.
- Fully implemented weather system with damaging sunlight.
- Fully implemented day/night system with clocks for time based events (Some side-quest events will be missed if you don't watch the clock)
- A Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask feeling system, where every npc follows a schedule based on the time system.
- Many more to come! (Suggestions open!)

- The thirst system evented by Xephyr is credited to him.  Thanks again, Xephyr!

Features in the works:

- Lockpicking Minigame - Finished!
- Blacksmithing system
- Alchemy based system
- Experience based skill system, not determined by level. - So far I've decided against this, and I'll remove it if I don't have any comments.

The demo is coming soon. (As of now it would only be about 5 minutes of storyline play time and 2 hours of raising hell among villagers.)

 

[Despain]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/my7evendazelater/Controls-1.png[/img]

nobody will ever want to play this game

 

[Mikee]

And why is that?  You've got movement keys, run, sneak, jump, attack, and skill.  The rest of the keys are for your HUD and Map.  All of the gameplay keys are right next to homerow, so your fingers are almost in a standard typing formation the whole tiime.  It's a lot less confusing than it seems, I swear. 

 

[So fist]

The point is you have way too many different commands listed on that map and really your spreading some out needlessly.  For example why on earth would confirm and cancel need to be their own keystrokes?  Why not bundle them with another action that has no effect on text screen and menu displays like run or sneak.

Consolidate them because the worst thing in the world is frustrating control interface.  Such things are the destroyer of many a game.

 

[Mikee]

Umm, honestly, it's because I don't know how to script.  These are the default controls that came with Blizz' ABS.  And when you say bundling the confirm and cancel keys?  I don't know if you're talking about something to do with a script or not, but it seems to me that if you made them one key then how would the system know what to do in the menu interface or when selecting an option from a set of choices in a text box.  Honestly, I could remove some of the keys, but I really have no idea why I'd want to change where they're placed. 

I'll set up a demo tonight and if it's still as bad as you say it is, then I'll start asking around about how to "bundle" them. 

And just so we're clear, I've played through with these controls dozens of times now, and the worst part about it is that I forget I have a defend button and taking screenshots while jumping is a bugger.  The rest is really quite easy to use.

EDIT:  I appreciate the criticism, but I think I'm going to leave them like this, and when I release the demo if I continue to get comments on the controls then I'll definitely change them.  I'm just not sure what other options I'd have to be honest.  I mean, H is the confirm key, and you use it all the time, sometimes even when you're in the middle of an enemy infested area.  I guess I just don't know what you mean.  Thanks though. 

Critiques are what put a game into an actual playable format after the basic idea is in stone, so I do appreciate them.  Anything else?

 

[Xephyr]

The Blizz-ABS controls suck.  you really gotta get the default controls set up instead, man.

 

[coyotecraft]

What is "sandbox style"?

 

[Mikee]

A sandbox game is like Grand Theft Auto.  The Last Awakening has a storyline, but it's very open.  You're able to do whatever you want, whenever you want.  I plan on making many areas to explore, and many people to meet.  There are a lot of sidequests that are all based on a 24 hour clock already:  Meaning that if you're late for an event, you probably won't be able to do it again, or you might have to wait another 24 (game) hours to try it again.

Think of Legend of Zelda:  Majora's Mask.

 

[Cheeze]

....What is up with the Avatar Arrow on the kids head?

 

[Mikee]

First:  What are you talking about?
Second:  Does it really even pertain to this thread?  I posted her to get opinions of the game.  Not a rant on how stupid someone else's control scheme is bad, and how I need to change it.  The game's still in early development. 

I only posted for opinions of the game.  I just put the control setup up there to show the features the gameplay had, such as jump, run, and sneak.

 

[Cheeze]

...Do you not see the arrow on guy on the banner? And yeah, The control scheme is way to complictated. WTF is previous page and next page? And i know Xephyr helped you out on the event system. Credit him aswell!

 

[Mikee]

EDIT:  I retract this statement.  Xephyr does deserve credit for this.

And about the arrow?  I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.  It must just be part of the image?  Oh well.  If anyone else says something, maybe I'll go photoshop a bit more until it looks better...  I think I probably can't see it because I know what the picture was before I added effects to it, so my brain sort of helps my eyes along to understand the image, ya know?  Maybe.

Oh.  And next and previous page?  Umm... lol.  Good question.  I think it's for the menu?  It really has nothing to do with the game, but I didn't want to edit the image (It came with Blizz' ABS' user manual.  I just inverted the colors to match my theme.)

 

[moog]

Does it really even pertain to this thread?   I posted her to get opinions of the game.  Not a rant on how stupid someone else's control scheme is bad, and how I need to change it.  The game's still in early development. 

WRONG. You posted that as a part of the game, so take the critcisms that go with it. If you dont want to change it fine, but dont brush off criticisms.

That being said the control scheme is totally a catastrophe. Simplify it up or as Des said, no one will want to bother with this.

Also Xeyphr what the hell ARE you talking about. I see no arrow either.

 

[Xephyr]

But when he posted the system, he had used scripts that weren't compatible with my abs

wait, what?  the HUD?  the HUD was just to make sure the sp dropped it had nothing to do with the system..?

Also Xeyphr what the hell ARE you talking about. I see no arrow either.

1. spelled my name wrong
2. cheeze is the one talking about the arrow.



EDIT::

on topic, your town map looks really bad -_-'

 

[mawk]

Spoiler: Title and Control screens

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/my7evendazelater/AwakeningTitle-1.png[/img]
(The *Last* Awakening was an afterthought.  I might end up redoing this so the word "Last" doesn't look so out of place.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/ ... rols-1.png[/img]
These controls are all subject to change and are just the test setup.

These aren't screenshots, dude. Generally, people expect screenshots to be of ingame stuff, and just showing the prospective end-user what you can do with photoshop doesn't give him a very good idea of what your game is like.

 

[moog]

2. cheeze is the one talking about the arrow.

my bad i saw your name and scrolled down

i need more sleep

 

[Mikee]

Okay okay okay... this topic is a bit crazy now.

1.  The controls are being revamped tonight.  I'll post a new setup tomorrow for critique.
2.  Title and Control screens aren't screens at all, you're right.  I should have posted a shot of the title screen instead.
(And I wasn't trying to show off with photoshop, it's merely the type of feel I'm going for the game.)
3.  Xephyr:  I'm sorry about that.  I sort of blew up earlier due to frustration and it got out of hand. 

  Xephyr DID in fact create my entire thirst system, I merely modified it. - I will add this blurb to the topic as well.

4.  I truly see no arrow... still.
5.  Yes... my town map DOES look bad.  I'm not a very good mapper, I'm better with storylines and concepts, but I am improving and when I take my time on something, I can usually get a good turnout, so I'll keep at it, and probably redo the town a dozen times before it's done.
6.  Yes, I posted for critiques, and I do apologize for my behavior.  I truly do appreciate the time you took to look at the topic and to let me know what flaws I have so far.  I'll see what I can do about improving and changing what needs to be changed.  I don't really have any excuses except that I'm ornery today.  Yikes.  I guess I shoulda had my wheeties.

And one last thing:  This project is still VERY EARLY DEVELOPMENT.  Meaning that everything will change here and there, and eventually grow into something better. 

Thanks everyone so far, and again, I apologize.  I'll try my best to improve on everything I've done so far.

P.S.  When I asked if the "arrow" deal was relevant, I thought he was talking about my avatar, not the banner.

 

[Twirly]

I don't want to prescribe what script you should use, but blizz abs really isn't the best BS out there :/
I would recommend XAS abs hero edition...
Your story doesn't look too bad for now.
Like other members mentioned before your mapping really could use some improvement. (look at the mapping improvement thread on rm discussion)
Anyway, I wish you good luck with your game

 

[Mikee]

You know, I have the demo for XAS, but I'm afraid that with hardly any scripting knowledge, I wouldn't be able to do much good with the system.  I do love that system though.  It really is amazing.

Maybe I'll copy my game folder and change my scripts, to see what I can do.  I liked Blizz' ABS because it was easy to use for a slacker like me.  However; I suppose I've got to learn scripting sometime or another.  I'm thinking of finishing this one off with Blizz', and then making a sequel with XAS.  That way I can get the playstyle and everything down before I overwhelm myself with the complications of a script.

I'll look into it though.  Thanks, Asdren.  (And the mapping improvement thread too.)

 

[Durastik]

I like this idea alot, but it's not a matter of poor mapping IMO, it's just the tilesets and the mood clash, I would suggest the following:

Combine Forest(Don't confuse with woods), swamp, Mine Town and Forest town(recolours) tilesets to create a more 'creepy' feel, i'd be willing to do this for you if you ever restart the project, I like the idea of a decent vampire game, and I can help with event systems now and then aswell (nothing too demanding, my current project is based on events bar the menu edits).

I think the screens (which are always the first thing people look at) were a little to dull to make anyway really look at your post, but I liked what I saw, I recommend watching sleepy hollow or something similar to get a good feel for the mood of the game.

I think the rest of you guys really jumped the gun on critisim here, i've noticed that alot since i've been lurking my way back here, it seems alot of you have forgotten about when you first started out, come on guys, the point of critisim is to help the designer, thus constructive critisim, and yes, I mispelled it, 3 times...

Anyways, i'm keeping my eye on this project, it has potential, but as with anything sandbox, detail is key.

Peace