Seguso's Adventure Game Thread

[seguso]

I suppose it could work with a lot of restructuring, but I don’t want to turn this into a verbose game… I like the approach where all the things you can say in the game are clear from the start, and the game is to realize when is the right time to say something.

---

in other news… I am still restructuring some puzzles because the new UI requires a new dynamics, so my plan to have two interfaces is gone unfortunately.

But it works well.

I am also drawing room objects that were previously invisible because you didn’t have to click them anyway (like the naked captain, the letters, the teddy bear) or because they were always covered by objects that you can now pick up (the wall behind the mirror, the table behind the coffee, the floor behind the bucket…).

Also: with the new UI there will be a lot of “playing with the game”. Using objects on characters will be a way to have new jokes. And you will also be able to say silly things to everybody.

---

Another interesting thing is that I can’t have a “look at” verb in my game, or more precisely : I can have it for a few objects, but not for the majority of objects. This is because I can’t allow this:

because if I allow “look at” on containers, it is disaster. (can you guess why?). But I can’t disable “look at” only on a few objects, otherwise you get suspicious. So the look at verb needs to be disabled on MOST objects.

[seguso]

The new interface is leading me to make some unexpected changes, including adding a new room to Dracula’s castle. Why? too complicated to explain

in other news… I still need to draw a character body and several icons; then the game will be playable once again, but I’ll still have to add dialogs for the new object/character combinations, and topic-character combinations, that were previously impossible.

[Guga]

@seguso

then the game will be playable once again

Yes, but when will you release the source code? It’s the last craze in the world of adventure games!

[seguso]

I’ll release the source code to the engine , but I don’t expect anyone to look at it

[seguso]

I’ve started to draw some cut scenes that were missing:

.

This is a secret passage. Next I will do another one when they exit the secret passage into the hall. Then I need to do a couple cutscenes about a house on fire…
then one showing someone taking something on the bottom of the sea.

[Ema]

@seguso

Anyway, @guga finished the game without ever being insulted, except a couple of times when he was figuring out the UI. He didn’t execute any action until he was sure he would be successful. He was playing the right way

Really? After a while, I started messing with the interface with random entries just in order to read more insults…

[ZakPhoenixMcKracken]

@Ema

After a while, I started messing with the interface with random entries just in order to read more insults…

Me too, I ended up reading all the insults, then they restarted!

[Guga]

@ZakPhoenixMcKracken

they restarted

Because you’re too dumb to waste insults that you wouldn’t understand.

@seguso this should be the last level

[seguso]

Ok

But someone else suggested they shouldn’t restart but instead become much more brutal and ferocious…

[ZakPhoenixMcKracken]

At some point, you can install a virus in the client PC. …

[Ema]

If I may, I’d love to take charge of this

@seguso

But someone else suggested they shouldn’t restart but instead become much more brutal and ferocious…

[seguso]

you’re welcome to it

I’m not sure I want them to be ferocious though… I’ll wait to see what you come up with.

[seguso]

Here are the current insults (in Italian):

var cycInsulto = startCycle(djkjkkjk2, x =>
		{
				chosenInsultUntransl = "Braccia rubate all'agricoltura".translatable();

		});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(cdjkcdkj388fe, x =>
{
	   chosenInsultUntransl = "Nonostante tutto ti si potrebbe ancora definire una ragazza normale".translatable();

});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(vivrrjvfjfvjf, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Anello di congiunzione tra l'uomo e la scimmia".translatable(); // sugg: the missing link
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(cvdc84cj43i4, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Intelligente, per essere un pappagallo".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(cdijcidkjddjkj, x =>
		{
				chosenInsultUntransl = "Pappagallo di media intelligenza".translatable();
		});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(f48huchuuj, x =>
				{
						chosenInsultUntransl = "Pappagallo di intelligenza sotto la media".translatable();
				});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(f478hf4uhfuuhj, x =>
		{
				chosenInsultUntransl = "Pappagallo demente".translatable();
		});


cycInsulto.addToCycle(vk347dhd473, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Giochi tre partite a scacchi contemporaneamente, ma le perdi tutte".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(frjirjirkj, x =>
		{
				chosenInsultUntransl = "Persona che deve essere internata per un buon motivo".translatable();
		});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(d45frijfikjfik, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Pericolosa per gli altri e per sé stessa".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfjfvjk33, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "In ospedale c'è un reparto apposito per la tua patologia".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfjfvjk331, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Se mai scopriranno qual è la tua patologia, le daranno il tuo nome".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfjfvjk332, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Uomo che guarda nel vuoto con la bocca semichiusa".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(d1d3jfvjk332, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Encefalogramma piatto".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(d1443jfvjk332, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Se eri in coma, avevi comunque più attività cerebrale".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(d1fvjk332, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Ho visto un batrace con occhi inespressivi, ed era comunque più intelligente di te".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(d1fvfddfk332, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Ho visto un bove con occhi inespressivi: eri tu".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfdfd, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "A cavallo tra l'animale e il vegetale".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfdfd1, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "A cavallo tra il vegetale e il minerale".translatable();
});


cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfdfd2, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Uomo che sussurra ai cavalli, ma i cavalli non lo capiscono".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d2, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Rospo che ha leccato il suo stesso dorso".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d3, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Indossi i calzini con le ciabatte".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d4, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Indossi i calzini sopra alle ciabatte".translatable(); // sugg: on top
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d5, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Uomo che sussurra ai cavalli, ma i cavalli lo considerano un idiota".translatable(); // think he's an idiot
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d6, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Da piccola i genitori ti davano da mangiare le cose cadute per terra".translatable();
});



cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d7, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Foca che gioca col pallone ma lo fa cadere".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d8, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Indistinguibile da una scimmia che preme cose a caso sulla tastiera".translatable();
});


cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2d9, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Uno che ti mette la mano sopra la spalla quando ti parla".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz1, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Uno che ti mette la mano sopra la spalla e non parla, ma annuisce con la bocca semichiusa".translatable();
});



cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz2, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Uno che prova a cliccare cose a caso invece di pensare".translatable();
});



cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz3, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Stolto che invece di rileggere le scene passate prova a cliccare a caso".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz4, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Non c'è provare, Olivia-san! C'è solo fare, o non fare!".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz5, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Andava tutto bene finché non hai mangiato quel panettone caduto per terra".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz6, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Non è così che devi vivere la tua vita".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(fdkjfdkj, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Restituiscimi la mia giovinezza".translatable();
});
cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz7, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Ti droghi, ora ne sono certo".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz8, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Non del tutto adeguata".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dfd2zz9, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Decisamente inadeguata".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(dddfd2zz9, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Ho finito gli aggettivi per esprimere la tua inadeguatezza".translatable();
});


cycInsulto.addToCycle(startoverinsult2, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Se fosse pronta ti suggerirei di giocare in Story Mode, ma, visto che non è pronta, posso solo stare lì a guardarti con compassione, povero figlio".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(startoverinsult4, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Il fatto che non hai ancora capito come si gioca a questo gioco mi dice già molto, figliolo".translatable();
});

cycInsulto.addToCycle(startoverinsult1, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Ho finito gli insulti. Tra poco li faccio ricominciare da capo, quanto è vero Iddio".translatable();
});


cycInsulto.addToCycle(startoverinsult3, x =>
{
		chosenInsultUntransl = "Ok adesso gli insulti ricominceranno da capo a causa della tua assoluta inadeguatezza".translatable();
})

		;

[Gffp]

@seguso

Ok

But someone else suggested they shouldn’t restart but instead become much more brutal and ferocious…

Even if I was curious and entertained by the succession of the insults, as the fellow forumers above, I must admit that I was simultaneously feeling my experience was ruined, and I definitely lost interest to play the game.
In other words: the insult experience was entertaining as much as it was dissociating me from the identification with the player and the willing to play and enjoy the game. At the end, I felt the gaming time was like “wasted”.
Don’t run the risk of turning the game into a parody of itself and of the user experience, which is meant to be challenging, for sure, but enjoyable as well.
Think of it: where Thimbledevs implemented a hint system to bring Adventure game user experience to the nowadays level, you add a insult system which even worsen users frustration.

[seguso]

Yeah, on second thought, I’ll probably remove the insults :). I don’t know…

maybe they were a wrong solution to a real problem.

OTOH, I think you were fustrated by the insults only because it wasn’t clear to you how to play… you were expecting to use that UI to interact and try things and explore.
But this is a different game… the clues are given to you by just walking . Look and talk are all automatic.

I think you were frustrated because you were trying to use the UI for a purpose it wasn’t intended to.

I mean, you can’t be frustrated for using something you should use only once in 20 minutes…

[Gffp]

Then just be a tough game and above all… Shut up while I’m trying!

Do you know what I think? The old, evergreen: make it an option!

[seguso]

@Gffp

Shut up while I’m trying!

but the insults were a way to tell you that you shouldn’t try…

but maybe they were a wrong way to tell you that… that’s the job of the tutorial.

Now I’m seriously thinking I shuould allow you to press the enter button in that UI only once every 2 minutes… You can open it and browse it, but you can only submit solutions every 2 minutes.

But now the UI has changed, so this isn’t very important…

[Gffp]

I think you took that Yoda’s statement too seriously:

[seguso]

that was one of the insults actually

[seguso]

BTW, Return of the Obra Dinn has an interesting solution to the problem of preventing random trial and error: you need to submit the solutions three at a time.

They need to be all correct, and if one is wrong I won’t tell you which one.

I’ve also considered this, but the idea is not easy to adapt… the problem is that, in this game, it’s not always the case that there are 3 puzzles open at once.

But if I could do this, I might avoid asking you why you think this would work…