First room complete
Carbon Based Lifeform
Here we go again!
Awards
Scores
Ratings (show detail)
Overall: 2.4
Fun: 2.1
Production: 2.5
Innovation: 2.6
Respondents: 21
Files
| File | Uploader | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
game idea full.png
Full plot diagram |
richard | 2011/04/24 03:14 |
|
cbl-0.0.3.tar.gz
— final
fixed packaging |
richard | 2011/04/10 05:35 |
|
screenshot-1302003764.png
First room complete |
richard | 2011/04/05 11:43 |
|
game idea.png
The game plot in simplified form |
richard | 2011/04/04 21:27 |
Diary Entries
Day 1: Have Made a Start
richard on 2011-04-04 12:37
I was quite stumped by the theme, to be honest. You'd think by now I'd be more prepared to deal with the themes I don't really gel with. Oh well :-)
So I'm writing a kinda interactive story... side-scrolling platformer. I think that can work... I've got the core of the plot worked out (the player has 9 points at which they can really affect the story, regardless of branching). I'll post the large PNG of the many-branching beast when things are more settled.
I'm fairly confident I can implement the platforming bit with one hand tied behind my back so I've started work on the core scene and actor management code. Oh how I wish I could "yield from" in Python 2.6...
So I'm writing a kinda interactive story... side-scrolling platformer. I think that can work... I've got the core of the plot worked out (the player has 9 points at which they can really affect the story, regardless of branching). I'll post the large PNG of the many-branching beast when things are more settled.
I'm fairly confident I can implement the platforming bit with one hand tied behind my back so I've started work on the core scene and actor management code. Oh how I wish I could "yield from" in Python 2.6...
Day 2: The Game Plot in Simplified Form
richard on 2011-04-04 21:29
I present to you the plot flowchart. You'll see that PyWeek now becomes a simple programming exercise implementing this simple flow.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Day 3: The First Scene (of Many) is Complete
richard on 2011-04-05 11:46
I've finally finished the bulk of the framework for the game allowing me to complete almost all of the first scene.
The graphics aren't going to change much from what you see here.
The graphics aren't going to change much from what you see here.
Day 4: Progressing the Plot
richard on 2011-04-06 11:49
I've now got three scenes (out of seventeen), and they are all relatively complete.
The good news is that I've worked out most of the mechanics of the game. There's just one major mechanic to go really, and it shouldn't be too hard (I should be able to knock it over in the morning on the train into work.)
In terms of the plot diagram, I've achieved this much:
The green bits are where you have significant control over the direction or progression of the game. Red bits are where you can die or otherwise fail :-)
The good news is that I've worked out most of the mechanics of the game. There's just one major mechanic to go really, and it shouldn't be too hard (I should be able to knock it over in the morning on the train into work.)
In terms of the plot diagram, I've achieved this much:
The green bits are where you have significant control over the direction or progression of the game. Red bits are where you can die or otherwise fail :-)
Day 5: Shooting and Plot Clarification
richard on 2011-04-07 11:16
Today I worked on some of the missing actions: the player may now shoot back when it's called for. It's a bit fiddly, and I'm not sure it's player-friendly. We'll see.
I also got some help to sort out some of the niggling bits of the plot.
And then I watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure instead of PyWeek'ing tonight :-)
At this point I'm hoping to complete one or two branches of the plot at a minimum, and all of it if I'm lucky.
I also got some help to sort out some of the niggling bits of the plot.
And then I watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure instead of PyWeek'ing tonight :-)
At this point I'm hoping to complete one or two branches of the plot at a minimum, and all of it if I'm lucky.
Day 6: Not Much Progress
richard on 2011-04-08 21:44
Posting this message on Saturday morning, which is day 7.
Work and hassles with PyPI community noise meant that I was exhausted last night so I watched a bit of a terrible film and played some Just Cause 2 instead of PyWeek'ing.
In the end yesterday I made a start on three new scenes and mostly finished one of them.
I'm hoping to get some quality PyWeek time in today and finish off at least one of the story paths.
Work and hassles with PyPI community noise meant that I was exhausted last night so I watched a bit of a terrible film and played some Just Cause 2 instead of PyWeek'ing.
In the end yesterday I made a start on three new scenes and mostly finished one of them.
I'm hoping to get some quality PyWeek time in today and finish off at least one of the story paths.
Day 7: Some Things, When Exposed to the Harsh Light of Game Testing
richard on 2011-04-09 03:32
... prove to be full of holes :-)
I think there's core problems with the plot structure. With more time and possibly more brains I imagine it might be solvable.
I'll still see whether I can get something worth submitting.
I think there's core problems with the plot structure. With more time and possibly more brains I imagine it might be solvable.
I'll still see whether I can get something worth submitting.
Notes for playing my game
richard on 2011-04-09 22:09
It's quite unfinished.
To get as far as possible in the game don't pick up the gun.
Edit: I've uploaded 0.0.3 which includes a whole lot of missing files. It still has a whole lot of missing game ;-)
To get as far as possible in the game don't pick up the gun.
Edit: I've uploaded 0.0.3 which includes a whole lot of missing files. It still has a whole lot of missing game ;-)
As promised, here's the full diagram
richard on 2011-04-24 03:22
I'd like to thank everyone who tried out my entirely unfinished game.
As promised, here's the full plot diagram that I mapped out. The game sticks pretty faithfully to the far-right branch, all the way down to the docks. I almost made it all the way to one complete story arc, but alas life intruded. Maybe next time Real Life can intrude just a little less :-)
I think that the 9 times theme actually works pretty well with the game that I envisaged. For my game the "theme" was very much behind the scenes in the structure of the game's story arcs. It forced me to ensure there was always 9 points in the game where the player has control ("decision" points in the diagram - but also shootouts or stealth sections) which meant that each of the various paths through the game's stories were fleshed out well - that each act was complete.
I realised quite late in the week that some of the story was quite flawed. I had some help getting the structure mostly right (thanks Toby and Cam for your feedback!) but some of it still makes very little sense. There's nothing that couldn't be fixed though - it's just a case of re-jiggering some of the scenes.
Sorry that I broke the shooting before the final upload. There wasn't much of it, really. Just that one bit in the apartment. The game would've crashed when you left the apartment with the gun anyway ;-)
Oh, one final note. No, I didn't implement the first decision point: gender selection. It wasn't going to have any effect on the game anyway.
As promised, here's the full plot diagram that I mapped out. The game sticks pretty faithfully to the far-right branch, all the way down to the docks. I almost made it all the way to one complete story arc, but alas life intruded. Maybe next time Real Life can intrude just a little less :-)
I think that the 9 times theme actually works pretty well with the game that I envisaged. For my game the "theme" was very much behind the scenes in the structure of the game's story arcs. It forced me to ensure there was always 9 points in the game where the player has control ("decision" points in the diagram - but also shootouts or stealth sections) which meant that each of the various paths through the game's stories were fleshed out well - that each act was complete.
I realised quite late in the week that some of the story was quite flawed. I had some help getting the structure mostly right (thanks Toby and Cam for your feedback!) but some of it still makes very little sense. There's nothing that couldn't be fixed though - it's just a case of re-jiggering some of the scenes.
Sorry that I broke the shooting before the final upload. There wasn't much of it, really. Just that one bit in the apartment. The game would've crashed when you left the apartment with the gun anyway ;-)
Oh, one final note. No, I didn't implement the first decision point: gender selection. It wasn't going to have any effect on the game anyway.