"[mis]tales of ZETA" series official thread

[Chuck]

Ohh, alright that works

[mikey]

the problem with me and ren'py on our own is that there's no artwork. translation: ren'py turns from a visual renai engine to a text-only engine. not what I am aiming for.

Well, we talked about just this somewhere around here and came to the conclusion, that it's not a bad thing to use Ren'Py for whatever complex, but also simple projects. So there's nothing wrong in using Ren'Py as a platform for a text game. And the good thing is, you can simply start with just the working text version and add images later if you want.

[Megaman Z]

the problem with me and ren'py on our own is that there's no artwork. translation: ren'py turns from a visual renai engine to a text-only engine. not what I am aiming for.

Well, we talked about just this somewhere around here and came to the conclusion, that it's not a bad thing to use Ren'Py for whatever complex, but also simple projects. So there's nothing wrong in using Ren'Py as a platform for a text game. And the good thing is, you can simply start with just the working text version and add images later if you want.

I just want to use that engine for the primary reason of simplifying the artwork management and displaying... provided I have artists. lemme check in with Labbit and then possibly send Chuck a PM

[I've gotten a "maybe" out of labbit. the only thing he's saying is "maybe"... don't know what that means... yet. I'm PM'ing Chuck as a backup...]

[clubanimon]

If you need another artist i don't mind lending a hand, my backrounds seem to be better then my character work though ^^;

[Megaman Z]

If you need another artist i don't mind lending a hand, my backrounds seem to be better then my character work though ^^;

in that case, I'll forward the part regarding the BG's to you. (I sent all the details I could think of to Chuck, including BG's)

[Megaman Z]

Just for the recordbook, I will be gone over the weekend until Sunday at about 11:00AM US CENTRAL TIME due to the OA ordeal. I'll check back here when I get back.

[until then, don't post too much in this thread. also, to my TWO artists, Chuck and clubanimon, go ahead and send the pics to me via Gmail (clubanimon check PM inbox for address)]

[Megaman Z]

okay, I'm still waiting for some BG's so I can continue coding (CG's are being considered, but that'll be done after the other coding is done. that way, I don't have to wait for the artists to collaberate and present a pic to me.)

also, this game's engine, the Ren'Py engine, has been brought up-to-date. I'll also do this when a new version of Ren'Py comes out (unless, of course, the game's been released!).

[RedSlash]

You can use placeholder images for now and continute coding. That way you don't have to wait for the artist before continuing on.

What are the tasks to do?

[mikey]

You can use placeholder images for now and continute coding. That way you don't have to wait for the artist before continuing on.

Absolutely. Blank bitmaps if needs to be, or just write the name of the scene in there. Just like in the River Trap bonus ^_^.

[Megaman Z]

okay, I'm wiping the dust off this project.


as soon as I do a couple things with another project to make sure I didn't screw it up completely, I'll get back to coding this.

[Megaman Z]

HUGE UPDATE

just as an attempt to prove to you guys that this project isn't quite dead yet, here's a part of my storyline notes.

TOZ STORYLINE SAMPLE: CH. 0-1
THIS SAMPLE ONLY FOR DISPLAY AT LEMMASOFT.NET, RENAI.US, AND LEMMASOFT.RENAI.US (lemmasoft forums)
[how to read this sample]
[notes, usually scene-based, are in brackets, like this line]
[speech is in quotes]
[character speech has character name, then a colon “:”, then the speech in quotes]

[chapter 0 (intro)]
[MAJOR NOTE: CG artwork may not make it to the final stage of game production. As such, any CG artwork references may not apply to finished product]

[CG: a man (the player’s character, Zeta) is seen running down a dirt path, a mob following him. Among the members of the mob are countless Police officers, two fortune tellers, and a chef.]

“This wouldn’t exactly be the best time for introductions, but I’m afraid that situations prevent me from waiting for a better time.”

[CG: Zeta turns right, following the side street. Scaffolding seen in distance.]

“I am considered an outlaw by the residents of this Japanese town. My friends? …They’ve deserted me. I have to fend for myself now…”

[CG: Zeta kicks out the support for the scaffolding, causing it to collapse.]

[CG: Zeta is on the other side of the scaffolding. The mob is cut off from Zeta]

“my name? …It’s Zeta…”

[CG: Zeta is approaching what appears to be a hanger of sorts built into a hillside. There is a computer console on the right side of it.]

“what I am about to tell you is not fictitious… it is all real…”

[CG: closeup of console, Zeta’s right hand is keying in something on the keyboard. The monitor is barely readable, some of the keyboard’s letters are missing {keys still intact}]

“…so listen carefully…”

[Chapter 1: airport]

[BG: black]

Intercom: “flight 666 to Hell is boarding at gate 13. flight 911 to New York, New York, is boarding at gate 26. flight 1 to Japan is boarding at gate 18…”

Zeta: “I’ll just assume the first two were jokes. I don’t need any more reminders of 9-11… and I don’t wanna go to hell…”

[BG: airport, three boarding gates are seen: 13, 18, 26; in order. Choice of gate is presented, only one will actually forward the game {the other two? Game over!}]

[filler text to delay time.]

[BG: Airport in Japan. Stalls are seen outside, the text on them cannot be determined.]

“Japan… the best spot to take a break after being evicted… or so I thought… regardless, things went from good to fair in a heartbeat as…”

[CG: closeup of one of the stalls, showing a blue-haired fortune teller {????} working at it. The fortune teller’s eyes are focused at the “camera” {at screen, facing user}]

Fortune Teller {short name: Teller}: “Konnichiwa, Zeta-san!”

Zeta: “ugh… you again?”

Teller: “I really ought to slap you for that remark…”

Zeta: “…but out of professional courtesy, you won’t.”

Teller: “…mm-hmm”

“that “mm-hmm” was a “hai”, BTW. Also, “hai” translates to yes in English”

Zeta: “so… how many fortunes have yet to be given to me?”

Teller: “…I was hoping you’d know… guess not…”

Zeta: “it’s at least 10…”

Teller: “oh, well… let’s get started, shall we?”

[CG: Side view of stall, Fortune teller is holding Zeta’s right hand and is doing a palm reading…]
[note: I really don’t believe in fortune telling, I just had to put some method of hinting at the future in there…]

Teller: “hmm… this isn’t exactly the best outlook I’ve seen… still, there’s a chance…”

Zeta: “okay, you’ve sparked my interest. What?”

“there was a moment of silence”
Zeta: “HEL-LO?!?”

Teller: “Oh! Gomen nasai! I forgot what I was doing for a moment…”

Zeta: “so…”

Teller: “I’m afraid this isn’t exactly the right time to tell you this. Also, I am not the right person to tell you it either…”

Zeta: “Nani?”

Teller: “this is what I can tell you: in three days, your life will be permanently changed. For better, or for worse.”

Teller: “also, the hotel you have a reservation at…”

Zeta: “hmm?”

Teller: “…Kamaimasen…”

“what a way to leave a guy confused…”

[BG: Japanese Airport]

“she was right about one thing: I had a reservation with a bilingual hotel. Eigo, or English, and Nihongo, or Japanese, are the two languages they spoke. That made it so much easier to book a reservation there. That was three months ago, and I’m not quite sure that they even recall the reservation off the top of their head…”

[End of storyline sample]

[not all choises are noted in the above sample. that's too long to go without a branch, IMO]

odds are, I'm gonna toss in a monkey wrench on the gameplay that I've yet to see in a game. for those that want to play a guessing game on what it is, here's a hint: the story (and overall game) already happened when you start the game. (no more hints on this until I see guesses here!)

also, it seems our BG artist has gone missing... this may delay the project even farther, because neither me nor Chuck can do decent BG's, and I can't find Real-Life places to match what I want in the game for photo-shooting...

(P.S. there will be somewhere around 15 "chapters". as such, I will switch the completion status from a % to a more detailed stat.)

[bookie]

Are those CG's all full screen CGs? That's pretty impressive.

[ChaoticAtomBomb]

this should be interesting....looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[Megaman Z]

Are those CG's all full screen CGs? That's pretty impressive.

probably, but that will be a collab. between Chuck and whoever is doing BG's.

this should be interesting....looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I'll have a demo eventually... waiting for actual BG's before I get TOO far in scripting...

PyTom, get ready for some python code statement requests for this project... I'm going to want to add a little "something" to the game to really throw people in a whirl (as well as removing rollback, but that I can do myself [I ain't stoopeed!])

[mikey]

I'll have a demo eventually... waiting for actual BG's before I get TOO far in scripting...

Yesterday I offered my view to one of us in his blog on this very same subject. So...

I think you actually should finish your script first. There should be a very good reason to wait for BGs - is there? I would say use placeholders and get a wireframe version working in the meantime. Then, when event CGs are done you can fine-tune your script to better relate to the picture, but if you have more or less an idea about the CGs (you have), that's not going to be a monstrous task at all.

Furthermore I don't think your focus should be on a demo. Demos are not the purpose. And since the game will(?) be free, there just isn't a reason for a demo (other than attracting new staff members, but you can still convince those by sending a project overview if your word or reputation won't be enough).

A demo will break the continuity as it has to be something standalone - I'll quote myself in saying it's like building a house room by room rather than building the entire structure of walls and roof first.

It's not just some blabber, in my time in the game-making company a demo or playable partial build always slowed us down. Not to mention because of the time lost I had to make adjustments to the design because of the feedback and the power of the suits. But we had to do it. You don't.

And so far, none of the completed projects had a demo. Of course it's different if you use a demo for selling the game (as shareware). But even when you do, most of the time you'll already have the game made, because people will want to order it.

My few euro-cents on this subject.