Hacklist [Art Deco] [Noir] [Sci-fi] [WIP]

[Veldrinne]

Hello everyone!

I'm Vel, artist at Caustic Games, who some of you may remember from last year's "The Hacklist": viewtopic.php?t=45666. Today i want to make this a new thread, as the game has changed radically, and we look at it as a new game. I also wanted to share the peculiar history behind the recent changes in development, as we've had many questions that can only be answered by asking you directly. It is important to us that you give us your feedback, whether you like the project or not (especially if you don't!):

“Rejoice, brothers and sisters, for The Answer has been proclaimed. Blessed be those who know how to listen.”
-Nova City foundation chronicles

In a world torn apart by crisis, war and hunger, our old leaders faced a dilemma: either find an answer to the conflict or leave humanity to its imminent destruction. They chose the answer. But this answer was not found, it was built.

Nova City, humanity´s new hope

Nova City is a vibrant symbol of hope and progress. It stands over the ruins of the war-torn world we left behind. Bursting with life and commerce, it seems unthinkable that the city itself is also a massive computer built to house “The Answer”: a system created to govern in the most rational and optimized way, excluding humanity from the exercise of political power. The Answer has brought prosperity to Nova City, and its citizens have lived devoid of major conflicts for over two centuries.


Inside an apartment of this city, you wake up to find a tarot card that someone must have slipped under your door. The message is clear: The Fortune Teller has chosen you as the next victim. Afraid to leave your apartment, you rush to your computer to make a call that will change the lives of many people (or even end them) as the delicate balance of power in the city begins to shift.

Embark on this noir tale of mystery and intrigue that will pit humanity’s reason against our own inevitable emotional nature.

Game & Features

From the start, you have locked yourself in your apartment to hide from the serial killer called "The Fortune Teller". In such a predicament, you’ll be interacting with Nova City and its people through your computer’s screen. From your computer, you’ll be able to make calls, tap into people’s phones and gain access to confidential information. You’ll also be able to hack into security systems in order to, for example, tail someone through traffic light’s camera feeds.

During the course of the story, you’ll be able to create alliances with Nova City’s most important factions, gaining powerful friends (and enemies) in the process.

Hacklist is currently being developed for PC/Mac.



Features:

Emotion Compass: Allows you to see how people feel, and how their emotional state changes as you touch certain topics. This will allow you to call bluffs, understand people better, push them to act in certain ways or set the mood for intimate conversations.

Profiler: You'll have access to police reports for everyone you speak to. The profiler updates itself as new events unfold, and will give you some insights and hints about your contact's personality, letting you know how people may react differently to the same emotions.


Hacklist also presents some new mechanics to the usual VN structure in the form of Apps you can use at any time during your experience:

Skall: A videochat app where most dialogues/scenes will happen.

Watermelon News: A social network where you'll be able to read people's posts and Nova City News.

Remote.hack: Access networks, hack into security cameras, tap phones, and get into other people's computers to reveal their darkest secrets.

The story behind the story...
(and how your opinion will decide the changes we'll make)

So! We're a team of 6 living and working in Caracas, Venezuela. This is a project born a couple of years ago in a itch.io game jam, back when it looked like this:

(and yep... that's me!)

After the jam, the project leads wanted to continue the project. I couldn't at that time because of my job, so they formed Caustic Games to do it. That's how the second version of Hacklist was born. It was a much more polished product, and it had a new cyberpunk/vaporwave style. This version was approved on Square Enix Collective, where you can still play the demo: https://collective.square-enix.com/proj ... -hacklist/

(That's Kentai on the center. They grow up so fast! *sniff*)

(A screenshot of our pseudo-antagonist Clive Jackson. Remember the name, we'll come back to him in a bit!)

The campaign was successful, and we received a lot of feedback that helped us detect some flaws we had. Around this time, 2 of the main artists left the project, and the remaining artist and myself (i had just joined the team) couldn't accurately replicate the previous artist's style, so we were forced to abandon a style we liked in favor of making a new one that we could handle better.


Eventually, we rewrote the whole story, keeping the same characters and archetypes mostly intact. But this story was to be set in a futuristic utopia, rather than the bleak future from the previous cyberpunk setting. After some time, we decided that a futuristic Art Deco setting was perfect for the mood of future, progress and empowerment we wanted Nova City to irradiate.

...And then we hit a pretty hard roadblock: none of the characters we were designing were aesthetically cohesive with either the tone and setting, or the environment itself. So we started to make some tests on styles for the characters...

...then we made some more...

...and MORE...

We finally set out to define the style and technique we would have for the in-game art, and it went down to these three versions of Clive Jackson (the guy i told you to remember from the previous version!):

Aaaand that's where we stand now! we decided internally to go with the third option, as we felt the technique blended better with the background and the character was designed to resemble an Art Deco statue, from the volumetrization to the edgy style from illustrations of the 1920's, 30's and 40's.

The thing is, we kind of went open minded about changing the anime style to something that better reflected the world where the story is taking place, but none of us has seen more than a handful of non-anime visual novels, and have no idea if this art style is actually appealing or if it is, on the contrary, something that would disuade readers.


Here's where you come into play! We need your feedback and opinion about the project, as asking you guys directly is the only possible way for us to know we're on the right track. We would love it if you took the time to watch the concepts, mockups and screens and tell us, honestly, which images do you find more appealing, and if the current state of art style is something you might want to see in a VN. Do you think non-anime style in VNs is something detrimental? or do you think it's a welcome change of routine? Please let us know what you think!

Thank you for reading through the end! Anything you can comment on the project is a HUGE help for us!

-Jorge Veloso AKA "Vel", Artist at Caustic Games

Our Team: www.causticgames.com.ve
Hacklist on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HacklistGame

[Zelan]

Oh, this is AWESOME, I remember seeing this project last year, I thought it looked cool. I'm glad it's still being worked on. ^_^

It's super cool to see the process that this game has gone through - a lot has definitely changed, but I like everything I'm seeing and I think the changes will improve the VN overall.

There is definitely a market out there for VNs with Western art styles. Yes, there's still people for whom "If it's not anime, I won't play it," but rest assured that if your game is good than having a different art style won't kill it. Personally, I love the art style that you're using! I appreciate the polish, too (the fact that you took the time to change Clive's reflection on the counter in each style speaks volumes for your dedication and attention to detail).

[poorlyformed]

I am actually not a fan of anime-style art, and a HUGE fan of art deco, so I am all for this. I really love that third option and the whole look of everything.

[gekiganwing]

From the start, you have locked yourself in your apartment to hide from the serial killer called "The Fortune Teller". In such a predicament, you’ll be interacting with Nova City and its people through your computer’s screen. From your computer, you’ll be able to make calls, tap into people’s phones and gain access to confidential information. You’ll also be able to hack into security systems in order to, for example, tail someone through traffic light’s camera feeds.

I like the promise of external conflict. That's something I've always enjoyed in fiction. (Thinking that life was boring in the Chicago suburbs, delving into every fantasy novel or videotape at my local library that seemed interesting...)

How often will the protagonist interact with people? I can understand that your protagonist wants to stay alive, but will he seem socially isolated because he has to hide?

Skall: A videochat app where most dialogues/scenes will happen.
Watermelon News: A social network where you'll be able to read people's posts and Nova City News.

If you're curious, at least two VNs present a fictional operating system which lets characters talk to each other. One is the freeware project Digital: A Love Story, and one is the free-to-play mobile title Mystic Messenger.

The thing is, we kind of went open minded about changing the anime style to something that better reflected the world where the story is taking place, but none of us has seen more than a handful of non-anime visual novels, and have no idea if this art style is actually appealing or if it is, on the contrary, something that would dissuade readers.

I like quite a few types (categories? styles?) of drawing. I'm already enjoying your art deco illustrations. You might benefit by marketing your story based on what sets it apart. I think it might find an audience.

For what it's worth, I talked in the Unique VN art topic just yesterday. I took a few minutes to think about visual novels which stood out because they lacked one or more of the following elements: 1) art that's somewhere between realistic and exaggerated or abstract, 2) a somewhat placid color palette, 3) human characters in major roles, and 4) text and art completely separated. In the spoilers, I've written some of my off-topic thoughts about animation and comics...

I avoid using terms such as "anime style." There are many titles that I've ignored because they didn't seem to offer more than toy tie-ins, combat, relationship drama, or other commercial elements. While I don't consider myself a fan of arthouse films in any category, I've had positive experiences in the last few years with Horus, Prince of the Sun as well as Tokyo Godfathers. I know that Sturgeon's Law applies just as much as it does with everything else.

Manga is just one part of the worldwide comics scene. At the same time, it's prospered since at least the 1960s, and it's had at least five distinct demographics for several decades. For good examples of alternative or remarkable titles, look through the archives of Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga (active from 2010 to 2015).

One last thought: I think it would be interesting if your story had something to say about life in Venezuela. Think about where you've been, what you've seen, and what you want to say to other people. (Earlier today, I looked at One Last Crane on Kickstarter. I thought its art and premise seemed okay, though not remarkable. Then I noticed that their page stated "Our studio is based in Indonesia." I began to wish that their project had something to say about what makes life in Indonesia fascinating.)

[Veldrinne]

Oh, this is AWESOME, I remember seeing this project last year, I thought it looked cool. I'm glad it's still being worked on. ^_^

It's super cool to see the process that this game has gone through - a lot has definitely changed, but I like everything I'm seeing and I think the changes will improve the VN overall.

There is definitely a market out there for VNs with Western art styles. Yes, there's still people for whom "If it's not anime, I won't play it," but rest assured that if your game is good than having a different art style won't kill it. Personally, I love the art style that you're using! I appreciate the polish, too (the fact that you took the time to change Clive's reflection on the counter in each style speaks volumes for your dedication and attention to detail).

Thank you!!!! hahahaha, yesterday we read this back at the office (i wasn't around for last year's version, but the rest of the team were, so it was a nice surprise to see familiar faces), and what surprised us the most is the fact that you noticed about the reflection! xD in game, the reflection is covered by the text box, so it was almost out of pure stubbornness that we did it

Thank you for taking the time to write! it means a lot to us

[Veldrinne]

From the start, you have locked yourself in your apartment to hide from the serial killer called "The Fortune Teller". In such a predicament, you’ll be interacting with Nova City and its people through your computer’s screen. From your computer, you’ll be able to make calls, tap into people’s phones and gain access to confidential information. You’ll also be able to hack into security systems in order to, for example, tail someone through traffic light’s camera feeds.

I like the promise of external conflict. That's something I've always enjoyed in fiction. (Thinking that life was boring in the Chicago suburbs, delving into every fantasy novel or videotape at my local library that seemed interesting...)

How often will the protagonist interact with people? I can understand that your protagonist wants to stay alive, but will he seem socially isolated because he has to hide?

Skall: A videochat app where most dialogues/scenes will happen.
Watermelon News: A social network where you'll be able to read people's posts and Nova City News.

If you're curious, at least two VNs present a fictional operating system which lets characters talk to each other. One is the freeware project Digital: A Love Story, and one is the free-to-play mobile title Mystic Messenger.

The thing is, we kind of went open minded about changing the anime style to something that better reflected the world where the story is taking place, but none of us has seen more than a handful of non-anime visual novels, and have no idea if this art style is actually appealing or if it is, on the contrary, something that would dissuade readers.

I like quite a few types (categories? styles?) of drawing. I'm already enjoying your art deco illustrations. You might benefit by marketing your story based on what sets it apart. I think it might find an audience.

For what it's worth, I talked in the Unique VN art topic just yesterday. I took a few minutes to think about visual novels which stood out because they lacked one or more of the following elements: 1) art that's somewhere between realistic and exaggerated or abstract, 2) a somewhat placid color palette, 3) human characters in major roles, and 4) text and art completely separated. In the spoilers, I've written some of my off-topic thoughts about animation and comics...

I avoid using terms such as "anime style." There are many titles that I've ignored because they didn't seem to offer more than toy tie-ins, combat, relationship drama, or other commercial elements. While I don't consider myself a fan of arthouse films in any category, I've had positive experiences in the last few years with Horus, Prince of the Sun as well as Tokyo Godfathers. I know that Sturgeon's Law applies just as much as it does with everything else.

Manga is just one part of the worldwide comics scene. At the same time, it's prospered since at least the 1960s, and it's had at least five distinct demographics for several decades. For good examples of alternative or remarkable titles, look through the archives of Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga (active from 2010 to 2015).

One last thought: I think it would be interesting if your story had something to say about life in Venezuela. Think about where you've been, what you've seen, and what you want to say to other people. (Earlier today, I looked at One Last Crane on Kickstarter. I thought its art and premise seemed okay, though not remarkable. Then I noticed that their page stated "Our studio is based in Indonesia." I began to wish that their project had something to say about what makes life in Indonesia fascinating.)

O_O did not expect such an informed reply! and it is VERY welcome! thank you!

Regarding what you said:

-External conflict: It's funny, because we wanted to explore some heavy, REALLY hard choices about social conflict for the opposite reason. To us, rather than something we crave out of the day-to-day boring city life, we're actually doing it to cope with the extremely overestimulating social life. We live in Caracas, Venezuela, and the country is going through some really hard times. So we wanted to reflect how complex the whole situation is, without actually placing the setting on Venezuela itself. So, more than exploring venezuelan reality, we wanted to explore the core of it's issues through the story.

-About how often the protagonist interacts with people: a LOT. It's a VN after all xD The protagonist will not socially isolate him/herself. It's just about protecting your phisical integrity. Right into the story, yo call your police childhood friend, who sends a patrol to watch your building and suggests you stay home until they get the serial killer. Of course, everything spins out of control when certain doubts start to arise

-About other OS-based VNs: THANK YOU!!! we had a hard time looking for these kind of references! so far, mechanically we find that Cibele is the one that comes closest to what we want to achieve: http://store.steampowered.com/app/408120/Cibele/ (still don't know how to properly hyperlink in forums xD)

Thank you for posting the thread about unique VN art. Reading through it gave us some light about issues we hadn't though through. And thank you so much for taking the time to reply with such detail!

[MomoiroGirl]

Well, speaking as someone who LOVES anime, I much prefer the third version of Clive. I think the most appealing thing about the anime art style is how expressive and dynamic it is. So, as long whatever style you choose has that I don't think anyone would mind. Besides, the art in the third version is goooorgeous!