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TIGSource ForumsCommunityDevLogsPapers, Please [Available 8/8]
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Core Xii
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« Reply #240 on: February 22, 2013, 06:40:15 AM »

What were the color-coded masks for near the end?
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dukope
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« Reply #241 on: February 22, 2013, 06:53:14 AM »

What were the color-coded masks for near the end?

I draw the faces as whole, but their individual parts get split up and recombined by the game to make new faces. The masks are where I mark the different parts: eyes, nose+mouth, shoulders, etc. I also add dots to the eye centers, nose tip, mouth center, chin, and shoulders to handle scaling and placement between different faces.

There's a little more info here in this old post: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=29750.msg820306#msg820306
I implemented the bit at the end of that post, so heads and shoulders are also varied now.
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jO
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« Reply #242 on: February 22, 2013, 07:50:28 AM »

I totally missed that face generation post. That is a really nice touch, and seems to work surprisingly well.
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secv
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« Reply #243 on: February 22, 2013, 01:57:45 PM »

Do they have the chance to stop the intruders (with bombs or solo)

Yeah they may or may not get the runner before he throws a grenade. For suicide bombers that you personally let through the checkpoint, there's no chance to react.

Search Photos
Working on the implementation for these. Front is fully NSFW but the back is softcore:

Next step is to place the contraband.

Have you thought about making the search skin color match the person? Seems odd they would be blue then tan...
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dukope
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« Reply #244 on: February 23, 2013, 08:32:30 AM »

Have you thought about making the search skin color match the person? Seems odd they would be blue then tan...

Maybe originally, but sepia colors for the photo felt natural once I implemented it. It's a b&w photo with a yellowish tint so I think it's ok if the varying skin colors don't show through.
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nathenreynolds
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« Reply #245 on: February 24, 2013, 03:32:35 PM »

More progress on the mockup (slightly too wide for the forum, scroll to see it all):


Action
I'd like to include a small action element in the game and from this mockup you can kinda see where it would happen. The wall in the middle is quite tall, but not impossible to climb. If one of the travelers gets restless or desperate they may try to run past the guards, scale this wall, and escape into Arstotzka. If they make it over this wall, an action sequence begins where your cursor becomes a sniper crosshair. You'll have about 3 seconds to shoot them with a tranquilizer before the guards on the right open fire. So you get one last chance to save their life. Or maybe they're a suicide bomber and you're really saving the guards from instant death.


I think that actively including the option to tranq someone is better than the alternative of doing it yourself. However, you might consider having the option to have someone else lethally dispose of the jumper as your action sequence. That way it becomes a moral implication instead of action.
You could determine the lethality of jumpers based on the threat level of each day. A timed choice button press would act in a similar manner as using cross hairs to click on the runner, and stylistically it might fit into the game better. There's an interesting moral decision about pulling the trigger versus just being the guy who made the call. Actually having to pull a trigger might make the game a little too dark, and give the player a little more control over the situation than the theme of the game tends to suggest.
I mean, its an oppressive environment... it doesn't make sense why they [Arstotzkan] should give you any aggressive actions. Wonderfully peculiar game and I'm digging it. Can't wait to see it finished!
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dukope
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« Reply #246 on: February 27, 2013, 08:43:15 AM »

I think that actively including the option to tranq someone is better than the alternative of doing it yourself. However, you might consider having the option to have someone else lethally dispose of the jumper as your action sequence. That way it becomes a moral implication instead of action.
You could determine the lethality of jumpers based on the threat level of each day. A timed choice button press would act in a similar manner as using cross hairs to click on the runner, and stylistically it might fit into the game better. There's an interesting moral decision about pulling the trigger versus just being the guy who made the call.

I read this a couple times but I'm sorry to say I can't understand what you're suggesting. It's possible to build more moral choices into this but honestly the whole thing takes like 5 seconds. It's basically: "Should I stop this guy myself or do nothing and let the guards do it/get killed... Hup, it's over."

Quote
Actually having to pull a trigger might make the game a little too dark, and give the player a little more control over the situation than the theme of the game tends to suggest.

Ok, this part I get and that's a good point that I'm thinking about now. Making it a tranquilizer instead of a bullet takes care of the darkness so I may do that. But having such an action sequence is important for variety. My only concern isn't just to pack as many moral conundrums as possible into one game. I also want it to be fun to play.
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dukope
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« Reply #247 on: February 27, 2013, 08:51:11 AM »

Story Docs
Working on some one-off documents related to the story:


The way I'm setting it up now, there'll be lots of story "threads" involving one or more applicants. Most of the threads will be short (1-3 encounters) but I'm planning on 2 or 3 longer ones and 1 overall thread that spans the entire game. Each thread may have custom docs like this, special news headlines, or customized travelers.
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goshki
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« Reply #248 on: February 27, 2013, 11:23:34 AM »

The way I'm setting it up now, there'll be lots of story "threads" involving one or more applicants. Most of the threads will be short (1-3 encounters) but I'm planning on 2 or 3 longer ones and 1 overall thread that spans the entire game. Each thread may have custom docs like this, special news headlines, or customized travelers.

Glad to see that the game is starting to get some extra substance besides the core gameplay. Hand Thumbs Up Right
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ClayB
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« Reply #249 on: February 27, 2013, 11:43:41 AM »

Have you thought about making the search skin color match the person? Seems odd they would be blue then tan...

Maybe originally, but sepia colors for the photo felt natural once I implemented it. It's a b&w photo with a yellowish tint so I think it's ok if the varying skin colors don't show through.

I just assumed it was the tint of some kind of body scanner!

EDIT: Story threads, yes! :D

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dukope
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« Reply #250 on: March 03, 2013, 04:54:44 AM »

Data Scripting
A few shots of the game's data scripts. 99% of the time I use XML for text-based data but I've branched out a little bit for this game. The amount of text data here has lead me to 2 alternatives: A simple indentation-based format and CSV exported from Numbers (exel for Mac).

Days

This is the spreadsheet for all the per-day settings, traveler placement, news, rules, etc. Often you'll see spreadsheets like this with design logic and in this case I'm able to use the exported CSV data directly in the game. Working in a spreadsheet makes it much easier to follow and edit the progression. If this were XML I'd be constantly scrolling up and down to edit different sections. This kind of thing would probably be even easier with a custom tool but I decided that wasn't a good use of time for this project.

Travelers

Travelers are specified in a simple tab indention format, which is parsed into a node tree by the game. Syntax highlighting is my fav so I've also made a .language file for Sublime Text 2 to color each indented line. Using this simple format I can script each traveler with as much or as little specification as necessary. So in one case I may just give one guy a little bit of custom dialog when he's rejected; Everything else would be filled in randomly by the game. In another case I can force every detail (face, name, dialog, nationality, errors, etc) to build story threads.
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Panurge
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« Reply #251 on: March 03, 2013, 05:09:30 AM »

Really interesting to see some of the nuts and bolts behind this. The story threads sound just perfect.
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Franklin's Ghost
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« Reply #252 on: March 04, 2013, 04:18:34 AM »

Just found this Devlog and read through it all. Great concept and very unique idea, really enjoying it so far.

Will be following.
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Roshirai
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« Reply #253 on: March 04, 2013, 11:01:23 PM »

This is the spreadsheet for all the per-day settings, traveler placement, news, rules, etc.

Is your intent for each day in the final game to be completely deterministic? That is, every game day, from day 1 through 50 or whatever, is mostly scripted as to what story events will occur, and the game has something resembling an "end"? If so, any plans for something akin to an "Endless Mode" that is a long string of mostly random days with the "income generation/family upkeep" metagame attached so that you can keep playing until you get bored/get fired/get shot as a conspirator?

Everything looks great so far, by the way: I'm looking forward to the finished product! I've already picked out

for you. Smiley

The eighties ain't been kind to anyone...
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dukope
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« Reply #254 on: March 06, 2013, 07:27:46 AM »

Is your intent for each day in the final game to be completely deterministic? That is, every game day, from day 1 through 50 or whatever, is mostly scripted as to what story events will occur, and the game has something resembling an "end"? If so, any plans for something akin to an "Endless Mode" that is a long string of mostly random days with the "income generation/family upkeep" metagame attached so that you can keep playing until you get bored/get fired/get shot as a conspirator?

That's basically exactly right. At the moment I'm planning on ~30 days in the final story mode. There will be small branches for some of the story threads, most of the immigrants will have some random properties, and taking care of your family is not guaranteed. Under certain conditions you can still lose but on the whole this mode will be deterministic.

The endless mode is something I'm considering. It depends on how much work it is to set up. Right now I'm feeling it'd be pretty easy so the chances are good I guess.

Quote
Everything looks great so far, by the way: I'm looking forward to the finished product! I've already picked out

for you. Smiley

Thanks! Great song.
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Zaratustra
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« Reply #255 on: March 10, 2013, 07:29:40 AM »

I got one work permit with "until" date of a month after the day, and the person was staying for 12 months. The game didn't seem to have a problem with it.
Suggestions:

* Add tabs to the guidebook (like http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/499/499,1109384428,5/stock-photo-planner-organizer-tabs-176244.jpg).
* At least in the first two or three days, the penalty for wrongly admitting or refusing an entry should tell you straight-up what you missed.
* Maybe instead of a sniper rifle, clicking on a person on the top area just calls the attention of the guards to that person. If they're doing something stupid behind the border, they get taken away. If they're over the border, they're shot.
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dukope
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« Reply #256 on: March 12, 2013, 06:59:06 AM »

I got one work permit with "until" date of a month after the day, and the person was staying for 12 months. The game didn't seem to have a problem with it.

Sounds like a problem with a year wrap-around. I'll take a look, thanks.

Quote
Suggestions:
* Add tabs to the guidebook (like http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/499/499,1109384428,5/stock-photo-planner-organizer-tabs-176244.jpg).
* At least in the first two or three days, the penalty for wrongly admitting or refusing an entry should tell you straight-up what you missed.
* Maybe instead of a sniper rifle, clicking on a person on the top area just calls the attention of the guards to that person. If they're doing something stupid behind the border, they get taken away. If they're over the border, they're shot.

Great idea about the tabs. It's too late for the beta build, but I can get that in the final. For now the game will always tell you exactly what you missed. Runners will only attempt to scale the wall if there are no guards on the left side. And I still feel the sniping is better as 1st person.
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dukope
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« Reply #257 on: March 12, 2013, 07:17:40 AM »

Your Name in the Game


Ok, trying something stupid bold here. I'd like to collect real* names for the immigrants. I quickly threw together some PHP so if you have a chance, want to see your name in the game, and don't mind using a working email, please try it out and let me know if you run into any problems.

Thanks.

* The game has a particular eastern-bloc setting so some names work better than others. Best thing is to easternblockenize it when submitting. That'll save me the trouble of having to do the same.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2013, 08:12:01 AM by dukope » Logged

Jobastion
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« Reply #258 on: March 12, 2013, 08:04:24 PM »

I didn't see this mentioned in the thread, but noticed a change between the old builds and the most recent: Only passports can be stamped in the 0.1.1 build, while all presented documents could be stamped in the prior builds.
I know I don't need to stamp that invalid work permit or travel authorization with Denied from top to bottom.
But it makes me feel like an efficient cog in the machine to stamp each and every document the lying invader has presented while trying to enter our glorious country.
... I mean, I think it adds flavor, and since you're kicking them out anyway, it makes sense that you'd mark each form so they can't be used again by some unscrupulous individual.
If it's already back in, ignore me!
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MegaScience
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« Reply #259 on: March 12, 2013, 11:33:49 PM »

Actually, that might be required. I tried the game last week after watching a video on it, and this happened:



No passport to stamp, so the game was over. If it is intended the passport might not be there, we need some way of denying them.
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