vintage-sierra.net

Ah I see. Well honestly I'm not sure of the exact limitations (or capabilities for that matter) of AGS. I've never used it, except for very small things....

My advice is to check out the AGS website and look at the list of games. If memory serves I think there's even a category for non-adventures. Check some of those out and see what people have done...

Sorry for the double post, as my last one was made 3 months ago.

I figure it's fair to stop in and keep any interested fans informed, as I never intend to go longer than 3 months without posting a new update.

A lot has happened since the last one.

We were going full speed, but we hit a rough spot, and stumbled a bit. nevertheless, we got back to it, and have been going full speed once again since Feb 2nd.

It can be attributed to a number of things. Without including too much detail, I changed jobs twice beginning Nov 20th, as my previous employer (my family's business) went under basically. Nevertheless, I have bounced back, though it disrupted my rhythm a bit.

A great amount of it was also the result of capping the Beginning Game section. Introducing a good number of the secondary characters was lengthy and somewhat difficult, and included alot of dialogue scripting. Nevertheless, it was also quite fun, and has turned out very satisfactory. We are now working on Screenplaying the Arcada and beginning the Middle Game section. There will still be a few more secondary characters to introduce as soon as Roger boards, as well as some background information to lay down and then sweep up. After that, it's full speed adventuring. It will only get easier.

The main throughline regarding the plot objectives and villains is progressing very nicely. The balance of the cut-scenes and "meanwhiles" I think are just right. the suspense is gaining momentum and escalating. The player can feel a sense of purpose/goal, and something to look foreward to, something to anticipate and fear happening. The plot thickens.

During my two-month absence from the team, things became pretty quiet at QG6, but Questcollector had been busy attempting his best at a screenshot for Xenon City. His help is greatly appreciated, and hopefully soon, once he tackles the 16 color sci style, we'll both be able to dish out screens for the game, giving me some assistance so i don't have to do it all myself. I regret to inform you we have no new images to show you this update. We'll aim for the next one.

Mad_C33 has as usual been posting many good ideas for jokes, deaths, and other dialogue and plot points. Vroomfondel has been encouraging as well with his own ideas. Austin2359 may join the team later on, I'm assuming as a programmer mainly, but I don't want to pressure him. Still, he has access to our private dev areas, and has been posting some good ideas and suggestions.

Nevertheless, before beginning the screenplay for the Middle Game, I think I'll enjoy taking a good break from writing for a week or so, and attempt a new screenshot myself. Then get back to it.

I'd like to share some estimated facts about the game's features that I've come up with during my time anaylzing the gameplay for the Starlab Arcada and onward.

I estimate the game to contain anywhere from between 132 and 180 unique screenshots. this may come as a shock, and seem like too much for an adventure game, but the dynamic changes in style and other fearless attempts we're staking will help it to work.

A brief note: additional estimates past the "132" are a result of the impressive arcade sequences we will be attempting, thus counting many of those as screens.

The StarLab Arcada will contain at least 19 unique locations, and locations doesn't designate screens, as each "ship location" can contain more than one screenshot. The Arcada is much larger than depicted (internally) in SQ1/SQ1VGA, but still remains "faithful" to the original, with no major conceptual changes.

The plot for the adventure runs on a screenplay approximately 23 days long. Though, 14 days of it will have passed by seemingly instantaniously to Roger, due to a unique plot ellement. So, it's more accurate to say that the gameplay experience will basically run on 11 days. Story vs. Gameplay, you get it?

The rest of the details regarding this, I am keeping confidential for now. As we forge ahead to the StarLab Arcada, the "puzzle experience" will shift from the simple "narrow" speedy style to the slowed-down "broad" style, with plenty ship locations to explore. Sketching and designing the new Arcada is going to be a blast.

In case I had never revealed this information earlier, here is a list of characters in the game...

Jerry

Blanche (Roger's love interest)

Col. Bodge (taken from the comics, Roger's supervisor)

Butston Freem

Vohaul

Charles Benzeen (Pres. of Nucleotherm. I chose this name based upon the assumption this character is somewhat official, though I'm not sure, and I wonder if it was entirely Trols Pleimort's creation in his novel. If he, or anyone else holds any objections to my use of the name, please feel free to say so. I'll either credit him for it or think up a new name myself. Phew! mouthful.)

Dave

Hugh

Prof. Matthew Frye (Slash Vohaul under an alias name, from the comics.)

Randy

Stuart

Spaztic Rearch Droid

Amongst others (though any in addition to the above will not likely be secondary/important characters. Just bodies.)

I hope this update was interesting enough for you. We are alive and still kicking. We are kicking quite hard actually. Things are running pretty smoothly.

Sincerely,

Johnathon

NEW UPDATE:



Screenshot images previously expired have been re-posted throughout this topic

Here it is, almost 9 months exactly since my last post on this (at the JT), and alot has happened since then.

It is very unfortunate that the project development has been so crippled all this time. I feel concern for fans who have been wishing to follow this project, and I regret how little has been mentioned to explain the cause of this slow-down and the lack of updates.

Anyone continuing to follow my postings (at the JT) after March of 2008 will know that the project has not been completely dropped. You will also recall that I made a little burst of significant progress over this last summer with programmin the game's gui and releasing the newest screen, just priorly posted in this topic.

But this burst was way too short lived, just as the last one (of Jan - March 2008 was). It's ironic how much potential the project has, how well my team and I are set on seeing it come to life, how much I've toned my artistic abilities to the sci medium, and yet how little progress has been made.



But with failure comes wisdom, and with time, comes experience. I truly believe that the longer we decide to hang on, despite all obstacles and setbacks, the more sure we can all be that this project will not be extinguished until it is complete. Furthermore, I have a few more points I'd like to bring to light, which should hopefully leave you with a positive impression for the production of this project from here on out:



When the Outer Edge was concieved, back in December of 2003, and while it was produced by me behind the scenes for the next four years (before I got a team together), it was a naive fans fantasy. Something very good, original, and desirable, yet not something likely to ever come aboutconsidering my status as no more than a desperate fan...

... Since March of 2008 (for the past two years) I have matured both as a writer as well as an artist. Where before I had been a highschool dropout, I am now a sophomore in college with an excellent record and reputation at the institutions where I have studied. I have learned how to make deadlines consistently and I have expanded into several mediums of art and created much literary fiction on the side (always admired and complimented by college professors).


I realize that this information may come as a bit random, and perhaps I've touched upon it a bit already in my less-so-recent postings, but I am simply typing this from my heart, to all those following the Outer Edge: I have full confidence in my abilities and in my decision to finish this project. You can expect to see some good updates soon after this post (I will do my best to update once every 3 - 6 months).

And you can expect production to speed up once again. I do believe that the last screen posted (Roger peering), only produced in 10 days time over the last weeks of my summer, demonstrates how the screenshots production has sped up.


It will be impossible for me to rectify with words in this single post what has transpired over these past two years, and so I do not wish to wear out my welcome and appear bland. I must make this a brief update, but let me give you a little more information:


The script is in the same good state as it was ever before, and it is a VERY rich script

We have all the screens we had before, except the Monolith Burger Interior screen which had been prior posted in this topic. Unprofessional and humiliating as this may seem, I have the humility to ask any fan with a copy of it to come forward and contact me. Why? Because I'm persistent, and I and my team mean business.

The new expected release date for the first version of this adventure, is December of 2014. That is truthfully a very reasonable and possible release date for such an elaborate, rich, and complete adventure game, going at the pace I am (if I ever get another artist to help me who's skills are up to par with mine, that time could potentially be cut in half.) I hope you are glad to hear this news. For, although it seems awhile off, as I've said, I have matured in experience with producing art and writing fiction, and making deadlines. A realistic release date prediction of Dec 2014 is much better than a naive prediction of 2012.

Please stay tuned, and thank you for your continued interest in the adventure.

Sincerely,

Johnathon

P.S. For those of you who don't follow this topic at the JT, I have posted below some more screenshots I have released for the project:


Xenon City Main Capitol Grounds, with Star Wars easter egg (can you find the egg?)



Roger Peering Hallway Clip

Here we are now, 2.5 weeks early for the update. How about that?



P.S. For some odd reason, the file hoster keeps overwriting my newest version with a crappy looking one which was from a much earlier save state. If this screen looks a bit underdone, that's why. If I notice it happens again, I'll try renaming and uploading it again.

I began working on this sprite 3 months ago, but of course I hadn't spent as much time on it as I'd wanted. Progress with the script has been coming along great. Although communication and work with the team as a whole seems to be in a frozen state (we've all got lotsa life business to attend to), we've been keeping in touch, and are as enthusiastic as ever.

Tremendous improvements have been made for the ending game segments, introducing just the right pace of suspense, twists, conflict and climax. Characters have been fleshed out further, and much of the technical design and quality assurance "stuffs" has been contemplated and improved upon. (Yeah, I'm wording that kinda funny, but eh well).

In fact, I'd say plot and screenplay dev has progressed thrice quicker than the art dev. More ideas just keep pouring in, and it's overwhelming at times not being able to draw more quickly just to get the adventure into code and into action. Hurry up and wait, is what you could call how I've been feeling.

But I've also had plenty to tug me away and keep my attention split a little. Pushing myself to the fullest these past couple weeks, I've managed to bring my D minus average in physics up to a C. A bit of personal information, I know, but it has been intense juggling everything. I really wish I could do more and more.

But there's a good momentum going here, and sooner or later, we're going to strike oil. Please stay tuned. More updates in the next 3 months.

Sincerely,

Johnathon and the Outer Edge Dev Team