next »

[Taugeshtu]

A NOTE OF WARNING: Hostile game design!




Pre-demo! Delivering FFFFRUUUUstruation!.
Non idiot-proof JUNE playtest.
Non idiot-proof 1/2 demo.
Player's physics footage.
My twitter account.

Hi there. Yep, it's time has come to introduce myself and my modest laboratory!
Have in mind: english isn't my native language, so forgive me my mistakes)

  Title: MindSpace.
   Jenre: no troubles with this one, it's clearly pure First person Puzzle/Parkour-platformer.
   Story:
There will be place for nanotechnologies somewhere in 23th sentury, that made it possible to fix mind and psychics of a person. So, the game has place in the University, that learns students to do it!
Cola Gray - player-controlled hero, student of neuromechanics department. 2nd year of education is over, but in summer time all students must pass practice.
Doctor Red - Cola's curator, eccentric professor of neuromechanics, transhumanism activist.
MindSpace - computer projection of thinking space of Cola Gray, whoose objective is to shape it in better form.
In other words, Cola Gray is in his own mind to get it works much better)
   What it's all about:
Exploring MindSpace, doing different mind things to get it work better, discovering new edges of soul of player's hero, completing different puzzles and so on.

   Did I said "puzzles"? Yes I did. So, what they are based on?

• 1. Gray has no HP, unlimited "deaths", but he has got property, called Color: gradient from red to white. Getting fully red or white leads to respawn, so best tactics is - to keep it gray, you should think now? No:
• 2. When red or white enough, different parts of level is active - you can see them and collide with them. Including active objects.
• 3. You can swap Color to opposite (relatively neutral) by special hand device - "Switch"
• 4. Your Color could be changed in 2 different ways, depending on situation moment - continiously by standing at white or red surface or (in addition) one-time-per-entry by ShadeVolumes.
• 5. You can pass through "gates", which could be red and white - but only if you are red or white enough.
• 6. You can use moving and rotation parts of level, which state depends on your color.
• 7. You can do parkour! Not much, actially - just wallrun and walljump. And grab. And "lazy" trick. Very, VERY complex equation calculates jump direction just like your brain expext it would be in real world, so all parkour mechanics feels "native" to your imagination. BTW, you can get acceleration on slopes and jump higher. Say "Hello" to Mirror's Edge =)
• 8. Sweet one. You can change gravity by special static devices - "Gravy"

Maybe too much words, actually... Hope you're still reading)))

Eyecandy (Work progress, sort of):

Sweet?

So, what interesting will be in this game:

• 1. Story. Student and professor, who could actially see and feel all student's fears and mind traps. Something like Gregory House and Cameron, but without vicodine and love) Keynote is that you actually has NO storyline. You has storyspace instead, and power to "read" it in any direction. Not all level zones will be represented at start of the game, just a small part. Doing quests will open more and more (or speaking Red and Gray's language, "moar and moar") level zones.
• 2. Graphics. Yes, I'm proud with it - it's simple in geometry, has realistic lighting and coloring and abstract enough you to see something that your mind actually WANTS to see.
• 3. Physics. I was improving parkour formulas since development started in July 2010, till the Universe will blow up. It takes me a lot of work and I hope you'll understand jump mechanics "natively", just as you understand your body.
• 4. Puzzles. Quite simple idea - replace HP with Color brought me a lot of possibilities to create gameplay-active objects, and with them I could construct dozens of puzzles.

What is done:

• 1. Engine scripting. Sort of :D
• 2. Graphics core and setup.
• 3. Gameplay object prefabs.
• 4. Not all assets - including REWRITEN half-length soundtrack (haven't count all songs), sounds, textures, models.
• 5. About 10% scenario.
• 6. Test menu.

TODO:

• 1. Make footprints.
• 2. Update grab system.
• 3. Music beat-dependent objects!
• 4. Fill level with GODDAMNGOOD puzzles.
• 5. Write scenario with "walls of text".
• 6. Build demo!

Wanna read:

• 1. Cheers.
• 2. Cheers.
• 3. Cheers.
• 4. Critics)

[Inanimate]

The Color system is really creative and unique! The gravity switching feels kinda unnecessary and tacked on, but could work well. You also write quite well English, enough to get through it. You have some spelling errors, but nothing too major. It actually adds an appeal.

The graphics look fantastic too; great palette.

[Taugeshtu]

The gravity switching feels kinda unnecessary and tacked on

You probably thought so because of screenshots - they cover in details just few first quest zones, but most complicated puzzles and parkour dynamics (including intensive gravy toggle usage) are placed in so-called "Core" zone.

Here I've got EARLY footage of game physics and coloring, and captured gravy switching gameplay possibilities. Remember - THIS IS NOT HOW GAME LOOKS AND FEELS NOW!



A lot of artifacts there, physics was re-writen after this record and Core zone was re-built, but it shows how Gravy could modify gameplay space and expand complexicity of small areas.

Right now Gravy is even more interesting:
While gravity is changing, Gray is still moving (staying, falling... Wait! Falling?! Why not!), so activating different aimed Gravys in precise time could get you "orbiting" around the level =) Could be useful to get in places, which are inaccessible other ways...

[Taugeshtu]

One moar =) Deep Gray thoughts.

Soon:
gameplay and scenario objects screenshots!

[Aquin]

Pretty striking visuals,  I better keep an eye on you. 

[I_smell]

Why is this first-person?

A- Platformers don't work in first-person cos you can't see your feet on the floor
and B- You can't see what colour you are, which is the whole point of the game

[XRA]

Why is this first-person?

A- Platformers don't work in first-person cos you can't see your feet on the floor
and B- You can't see what colour you are, which is the whole point of the game

Mirrors Edge proved Platformers can work in first-person (IMO), though I do agree that you need strong feedback, more than just a floating body-less camera.

B is a good point... were you planning on showing first person bodyparts that change color or maybe some sort of other indication? (more than just a UI meter)


I like the visuals in that video, I have a couple suggestions:

-it was easy to get disoriented watching it, while you do have sun direction to help, maybe you could try adding a horizon line that can always be used as a reference for up and down, something that divides the blue background.

-you might want to add a player shadow, it can be as simple as using a projector attached to the player camera, projecting a blob shadow, and what you would do is always rotate the projector to be aligned with the forward direction of the sun (directional light). If a projector doesn't give nice results you could try having the player raycast in sun's forward direction, and upon collision position a simple blob shadow plane there, scale it by the distance from the player.  I guess if you have realtime shadows you don't need to do those things, but they could be a faster solution.

-add a subtle ambient 3d sound up in the sky, as the player moves and rotates in the world the sound will subtly shift in stereo. You could also try adding a different subtle sound down below the environment to contrast the upper sound.

[mokesmoe]

I have played a few first-person platformers and they are pretty fun.

This game looks really cool! I hope you have a demo soon.

[unsilentwill]

The concept is really cool, and you don't see many games like it. I like the level design, but maybe it could use a bit more atmosphere. I'm keeping an eye on this for sure.

[Taugeshtu]

A- Platformers don't work in first-person cos you can't see your feet on the floor

Right. I've got some troubles with it in early versions of the game. Then I increased camera's FOV and it fixed that. Sounds, small inertion, FOV - it's the things, that'll make you feel your virtual body.
You may have same questions to shooters - "you can't see how much of your body is covered by wall" - but it's all about kinds of coffie Someone likes espresso, I prefer cappuccino.

B- You can't see what colour you are, which is the whole point of the game

Be sure, there is no problems with indication - different screen-space and world-space effects would tell you that you're in danger (if you are)

first person bodyparts

I'm not sure of it. Character animation is my Achilles' heel Maybe, just maybe there will be procedural legs animation. But it isn't primary objective right now.

some sort of other indication?

Shortly: A LOT of it. Whole MindSpace would tell you your state.

adding a horizon line

Well, here it is:

MindSpace Horizont lines

you might want to add a player shadow

I've tried it in early stages, and I'm not sure if game with player's shadow looks and feels better, than without it. Maybe I should try simple blob shadow...

add a subtle ambient 3d sound up in the sky

Soundtrack is played in 3D from several positions It's quite interesting to discover, "where the hell it's played from?!"

maybe it could use a bit more atmosphere

It's hard to feel atmosphere of the game only by screenshots. Actually, the most powerfull atmosphere-adding tools I use are dialogs, procedural anumations, which plays sync to music and moving Deep Thoughts, painted on the walls.

...cheers...

Thank you all a lot, you really make me love this game again!

[Taugeshtu]

BTW, which Horizon Lines screenshot is better?

[Paint by Numbers]

I prefer this shot.

This game is looking really cool, cheers!

[Taugeshtu]

Right now improving several aspects of the game... Walls of text are dynamic now - you could see how Dr. Red is typing messages to you. Awesome feelings
As announced, scenario screenshot:

[Taugeshtu]

Yep, new one!

It's something about gameplay. A lot of Gates, including some Closed-for-ever, some amount of ShadeForms, which are sadly without final material yet (aghrrrr, couldn't find time for it... They need some special shader, which means a lot of time), some Gravys - and here it is, quest zone which teaches us to use ShadeForms and Gates.

Yes, some geometry was changed, so lightmapping is a bit wrong there (including GI), but it'll be re-calculated when demo will come.

And talking about demo... Yes, it's ready. It's almost ready, actually, but hey! It's fantastic, that I've done it in 5 days since it was announced! What isn't ready yet - baked lighting, closed test for bugs search and translation into English Well, "when"? I have some problems with internet connection speed, so it will be represented to you in Friday or Monday... Also (but it's very unlikely) it could happens in Saturday.

[Taugeshtu]

Still, 2 more to come. About color-related parts (glowing outline represens non-active parts and it's flickering!) and Gates quest zone from indise:

[soyyo2]

Really nice screenshots there
I cant wait to see it finished
P.S.:What are you using to make it?

[Taugeshtu]

What are you using to make it?

Unity 3.0 and A LOT of tools

[soyyo2]

What are you using to make it?

Unity 3.0 and A LOT of tools

WOAH
I MUST learn that unity thingie

[Taugeshtu]

It's just my first unity project))) I has some expirience in dev before I tried unity, so it give me powerful editor and scripting tools with a couple of shaders)

[soyyo2]

you will finish this, right?
I wanna play it so hard! :D