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[SkyBox]

Was this made with Game Maker, or something else?

[Acid]

Also, I think the rape is already interactive enough. On my third playthrough I found out that you can change positions during the rape scenes if you stop and move a little bit. (And you can walk away during the scene and everything will go back to normal, but you can't leave until you finish. )

[Farmergnome]

This was made in the most awesome multimedia fusion 2... Now if The Daily Click would only post it... lol.  Its using the Hardware Accelerated MMF2 build to be specific, I hacked up a pretty average level editor which will probably need some refining at some point.

Just fixed that error 28 bug, uploading shortly.

EDIT: ITS UP.

[deathtotheweird]

Spoilers probably

I knew you could talk to the girl and then return to the taxi and leave in the first version but I just noticed you can return to the taxi after Michael says "I have a decision to make."

I also just noticed you see Eddie in the window of the apartment while you are Michael and then you see Michael in the same window after you shoot Emily.

[angelword]

Why there aren't checkpoints?

[zeid]

Just wanted to say that I think you did a really good job with this. The subject matter is obviously something that doesn't come up in games very often; there are plenty of movies and books that depict rape, but I guess the difference with games like this is that the player feels responsible for the character's actions (Even though they're kind of railroaded them into it; the only way to prevent it from happening is to quit the game). So yeah, well done on handling it with maturity.

I'd also like to say that the presentation is amazing. I loved everything from the menu to the overall art style, and the audio in particular. Pretty sure this is going to get my vote!

That sums up pretty much everything I thought about this game...  It's kind of sad that people pick up such powerful media and are turned away before the message can be fully made.  As can be seen in the comments of your youtube trailer.

[FiaStarta]

Wow, this surprised me. Usually artsy games are pompous, bad technically, bad graphically, or not games at all - most often just a waste of time.

This is nothing of that, it's actually great. The ambience is great, everything works well together.
It reminded me of those disturbing movies of the 70's with that kind of music. I'd imagine new parts in washed out brown & beige instead of B&W, Dirty Harry-style.
The game could have used more choices, though.

Btw I like the SD cab, reminded me of the first leisure suit larry.

[Farmergnome]

Wow, this surprised me. Usually artsy games are pompous, bad technically, bad graphically, or not games at all - most often just a waste of time.

This is nothing of that, it's actually great. The ambience is great, everything works well together.
It reminded me of those disturbing movies of the 70's with that kind of music. I'd imagine new parts in washed out brown & beige instead of B&W, Dirty Harry-style.
The game could have used more choices, though.

Btw I like the SD cab, reminded me of the first leisure suit larry.

The game has 4 endings for Detroit, one for each logical way to finish it. Glad you liked it and thanks for playing.

Just wanted to say that I think you did a really good job with this. The subject matter is obviously something that doesn't come up in games very often; there are plenty of movies and books that depict rape, but I guess the difference with games like this is that the player feels responsible for the character's actions (Even though they're kind of railroaded them into it; the only way to prevent it from happening is to quit the game). So yeah, well done on handling it with maturity.

I'd also like to say that the presentation is amazing. I loved everything from the menu to the overall art style, and the audio in particular. Pretty sure this is going to get my vote!

That sums up pretty much everything I thought about this game...  It's kind of sad that people pick up such powerful media and are turned away before the message can be fully made.  As can be seen in the comments of your youtube trailer.

Read the indiegamer.com posts if you want negative, jesus.  Thanks for playing Im glad you liked it.

Why there aren't checkpoints?

Because the game is shorter than a bees dick, but thanks for giving it a shot

Spoilers probably

I knew you could talk to the girl and then return to the taxi and leave in the first version but I just noticed you can return to the taxi after Michael says "I have a decision to make."

I also just noticed you see Eddie in the window of the apartment while you are Michael and then you see Michael in the same window after you shoot Emily.

Yep good finding, there is more in there   The reflections were a pain in the ass get in for such a subtle hint to the overall story that a grand total of ONE person has found so far... ha, but finally got them in, and the line is "It seemed I had a decision to make...", with emphasis on "seemed".  Thanks for playing dude.

[deathtotheweird]

It's a shame of some of those comments about your game at that other forum. I'm glad the talk of the game over here is more civil.

I've managed to show the game off to my friends non-gamer girlfriend, I told her the buttons and let her play with almost no warning at all. After talking to Emily she proceeded to hit her and she spammed X (not knowing what was going to happen) until Eddie raped her. She got a little confused/sick and I had to pressure her into continue playing (which was easy after she found out Michael had a gun). She just wanted to run down and shoot Eddie and got mad after he kept getting away.

spoilers

she also pointed out something I hadn't noticed which is, when michael is dropping off eddie you do not see michael in the cab, only eddie. not sure if that was intentional or you overlooked that part

[team_q]

Its intentional

[Farmergnome]

Yep, and more importantly, I wouldn't go showing friends without making them watch the trailer, I don't want more hate-mail, especially from people claiming I made them do something

There is a ton of subtle hints sitting around the game, I might compile a list when I can be bothered.

Quick edit:

Thanks to Gamer Limit in Aus for taking the time to contact me!  Thanks for actually doing the research and playing the game.

http://gamerlimit.com/2009/08/edmund-interview-where-do-we-draw-the-moral-lin/

[edmundito]

Played it. My thoughts:

Very interesting game. I think the trailer is definitely much more shocking than the game itself, but I liked some of the ideas you experimented with, especially how essentially you're putting the player into doing something they feel uncomfortable doing (as seen by the comments in this thread) but not making a mockery/"pornolization" of it compared to H rape games. I feel that these sort of subjects you have to be careful with if you wanna go in a more serious direction, because then you have to justify how you present it.

It's interesting how the 'nam stuff is at times very gratuitous and reminds me of a light Contra of being a hardcore platformer shooter-like situation with very harsh failure conditions, though it kind of questions doing all that mine jumping to achieve a very dark end goal.

[Aquin]

If anybody complains about my game, I'll forward them a link to yours. 

[Farmergnome]

Played it. My thoughts:

Very interesting the game. I think the trailer is definitely much more shocking than the game itself,

I think the video is fairly tame compared to repeatedly raping then shooting a girl, then raping her corpse... but maybe that's just me.

[Anthony Flack]

The reaction over at indiegamer is ridiculous. Seriously, it's pathetic. I think this is one of those things that people will actually try to be extra-offended by, because it makes them feel like a better person. I bet people have a more exaggerated reaction when somebody else is watching them play than when they're alone, too. Well done, you passed the empathy test, have a gold star.

For fuck's sake, the story is grim as all hell, but this game is still pretty goddamned mild. God help us if these bed-wetters ever see a PG13 movie with difficult subject matter.

[Anthony Flack]

Also... I think the two timeframes idea is pretty cool. It would be interesting if you could alter the course of events in the 'Nam section to change what happens in Detroit. That could be a neat structure to develop further; two interconnected games that you kind of alternate between, to resolve the situation in different ways.

Because the game's not really about rape, I don't think. It's about how the dude got all fucked up in the 'Nam and what resulted from that, so it's about the relationship between the two "levels". For the rape itself, you could substitute any kind of shocking, destructive behaviour.

[Farmergnome]

Because the game's not really about rape, I don't think. It's about how the dude got all fucked up in the 'Nam and what resulted from that, so it's about the relationship between the two "levels". For the rape itself, you could substitute any kind of shocking, destructive behaviour.

EXACTLY, FUCKING EXACTLY.  Thank you for playing it man... and getting beyond the "omg rape" first impression, as Ive said before, it is about a rapist, but the central focus isn't rape, its just the first theme they encounter playing the game.

Thanks for playing it and keeping a open mind enough to see what its about    Great idea about interlinking the two parts to the game - you have me thinking now...

[Anthony Flack]

I think if they were inter-connected, it'd be pretty neat little two-act structure even for a game about kittens and balloons. There have been games that have played with this kind of flow-on effect, but it's usually been rationalised with some sort of convoluted time-travel mechanic. I liked the way you just provided two scenarios you could flip between... it's completely unobtrusive and natural.

I think you could tell quite a few little game-stories within that structure.

[TeeGee]

Just played it. It's really very good and evocative.

I like how the chosen art style is able to create strong emotions while covering what should be covered. It also leaves more to imagination, making the feeling stronger and more personal this way. Good job there.

I wasn't able to finish the Vietnam part out of frustration of having to start over, but I left it there thinking it actually conveys the protagonist situation well enough for me to understand it had some impact on him.

Seriously, good work, man!

[Stane]

This was powerful! Great atmosphere from the first moment! I really like desaturated colors and overall artistic style. Sound samples are really what pumps the atmosphere here. Tiny little anims of backdrops are excellent. Compelling story!

Congrats.