26 January 2010

Brought to you in Technicolor


Look! It's your room.

 
This is an almost direct trace of the pen sketches I did previously. The table and computer setup has been replaced with a desk of drawers and some stationary/crumpled paper and I jigged the chair at an angle. Now, there's no perspective whatsoever so judging what's in the foreground and background is a little tricky. I'm going to have to add some subtle clues in-game.

For starters, everything is on it's own layer so it can move back and forth at different speeds, simulating depth (ooh, it's positively philosophic). I'm also gonna fuzz out the foreground and background ever so slightly to give it the whole out of focus look. Because it's popular and all them young 'uns like that sort of fing. And this is all about popularity. In fact I've replaced my main character with a space marine. But really the focus thing does work and I promise not to make it all overblown. I'll possibly darken some of the out of focus stuff in the background. I have mentioned this a bit before but it pays (in theory although I'm getting nothing here) to say it again as a reminder. I haven't worked out where to put the window although probably to the right of the desk. I was thinking of indicating a window on the wall that the camera is looking through but I think that'd be a bit messy.

To explain all the words thrown slapdash across the art, this is the main menu. The game will fade slowly into this as though Mr Whatsit is waking up in bed. That's why the game title (In the Sideline in case it's too much of a stretch to scroll to the top of the page) is at an angle. The game will start at that angle before handing camera control over to the player (see the rotating camera control).

Waking up might look like this

I'm not quite sure if I'll have darkened edges but I'd like to - it just might be a slight performance issue, but I'm sure I can power Flash on through it. The other words are all directions as to what to do. Go turn off the light switch and you quite the game. Have a look at the mounted picture to load up a game. Open the door to start the first chapter (or wherever your current progress is).

I was also thinking of having the room slowly degrade over time during the course of the adventure. Although the character won't actually be coming back to the room, the main menu will persist. It might have the painting taken down (with a brighter patch of wallpaper left behind and you first have to pick up and re-hang the pic), or the wallpaper can peel or the door lock be smashed in and the door swinging open slightly. All of this is to point out the emotional and physical state of the character. It'd start with the bed nicely made for example. I don't know, it might not work or be too much work for me to actually do but it could also be fun. Hey, it worked for Valve.

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