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[Contrary]

I've got this stealth game in my head called "Future-Robin Hood".

plz use this as inspiration.

[I_smell]

I just did an art test that I like the look of:



if I can get the game to look like this and still work well, then that'd be great.
And I got the name from

.

[I_smell]

Kind of annyoing cos I have to draw everything from like 8 different angles.
Everythin's a bit glitchy n jumpy right now cos I just flipped the script.

Kinda thinking now about how I should redesign the silver suit, and maybe the enemies.
Someone told me it looks too easy and I agree.

[Christian Knudsen]

Holy moley, you're making fast progress on this! Looks great!

[I_smell]

I added some levels where you need to unlock doors. This feels kinda cheap, but it adds a bit more to the levels in that you have to get from A to B, and then back to A. Which is really what stealth is all about I guess.
It's hard to come up with a good animation that says YOU USED THE COMPUTER AND UNLOCKED THIS DOOR! FUTURE SCIENCE! Right now I've got nothing.
You still can't knock out guards but I'm gonna introduce that like halfway through.
If you play through the game twice then you'll have all your abilities from the start so you can kinda go nuts.

Also I'm taking out the thing where you throw rocks. I only used it on like one level, and I'm not really dieing to use it again. Also nobody likes the interface for that fr some reason. So I'm just gonna get rid of it.

After a bit I'll add lasers, dark shadow stuff, and cameras that make swat teams invade the room if you get seen by em. But I wanna avoid anything weird for as long as possible.
I dunno, that's just how I do things. I don't wanna lean on gimmicks or anythin, y'know.

OH and I wanna add some collectibles that force you into bad situations if you wanna get em. I'm playin through Meat Boy right now, I beat the Light World like 3 weeks ago but I'm still lovin this game.

[Miguelito]

This looks wonderful. Can I say that art is really your strong suit?

If I were you, I'd capitalize on that: Use as few pop-up text as possible (like in that last screenshot) and try to convey things like "The door is locked, I need this" via the graphics only.

Red and green blinking lights, and thought bubbles for the protagonist. He has these big, cute eyes and is really perfect to empathize with.
 
Also, when you're manoeuvring through a stealth maze with enemies, you don't want any text boxes blocking your view either...

[mokesmoe]

You could have the door pop open when you use the terminal.

Collectibles sound like a good idea.

[Ant]

Just saw the video and the art style is really top notch.

I think I'd prefer it a lot more if the areas where a lot bigger and tackling guards from behind to snap their necks without being seen or heard was part of the core gameplay. I really loved the first Metal Gear Solid for this type of gameplay. The grey outfit doesn't strike me as very stealthy though.

[I_smell]

The areas will get bigger. I've got one level right now that stretches down slightly, and it's gonna get more complex as it goes.
I don't know how much bigger they'll get, cos I don't want people feeling like they don't wanna try a level again cos it's gonna take too long.

And neutralising guards is somethin I'm about to introduce. On the second playthrough you'll be given the ability from the start, and be challenged to knock out every guard on your way through the game.
I don't wanna give it out right from the start, cos then the game becomes walk in->-choke guard->-walk out->-repeat.

If I were you, I'd capitalize on that: Use as few pop-up text as possible (like in that last screenshot) and try to convey things like "The door is locked, I need this" via the graphics only.

Oh yeah I should do that. I usually do that straight away n avoid text. Don't know why I didn't here.

[VomitOnLino]

Glad to see you pulled through on the path-finding!

Also seconding the notion of the text-boxes. Keep them at a minimum or avoid them all together! I think it would be nice to communicate it visually and for things like passwords you could use a visual keypad that also could be used with either the mouse or keyboard.

I'd use message boxes only when the player seems to be stuck, in order to help him out (e.g. remains in one area longer than X minutes...)

[I_smell]

I'm using text to explain controls n shit.

I think this game is allowed text. When I made Quick Sand I had no text, cos that's like a fast-paced platformer type thing, but this is a way slower game about tactics n shit- this is the kind of game I will put text in.

But for locked doors or whatever, yea I'm switching to icons.

[I_smell]

HERE'S THE WHOLE DAMN GAME SO FAR!

I've bin really tired this week n some stuff's kinda shakey. I'm gonna change knocking on walls to the space bar, takin out all mouse controls.
You can now use WASD aswell.

So is this game fun or what? Is it boring? Does it take too long to get the knockout ability? I'm at the point where I'm about to get really dumb with the levels an make the second half o the game.

[fraxcell]

I haven't played through all of it yet, but I must say I think the level design is a little boring. I would have liked to see larger levels with more options available. Like, maybe you can unlock a ventilation shaft with a terminal and use it to sneak past a hallway full of guards, or maybe you can create a distraction and run past them, or maybe you can get past them using lockers or something... right now it feels like a puzzle where you have to do a specific sequence of actions to get past each level.

Other than that, the visuals are looking pretty awesome, and I love hiding in lockers. I haven't gotten the knockout ability, but maybe that will make it more interesting.

[Peter]

The game is just begging to be more open ended. Maybe set the it in a big base, Metal Gear style, instead of just little stages.

[Kramlack]

Pretty much what Ninjutsu63 said. It's really nice to see an old school MGS type game made in flash, but the level design really devalues that. There's so little going on, and the puzzles don't seem all that complex (I've only gotten into the knocking ability a little bit though). My favourite stage so far would have to be the cafeteria with all the soldiers. If you could make more levels that 'cinematic' and exciting, but also make the puzzles a bit harder, I think you'd have a pretty nice game on your hands.

My final point would be that the art could use some work, but that's probably the least of your concerns at this stage.

[I_smell]

HEY! There was a lull in this for a bit while I did some stuff, but now I'm back on it.

I redrew some levels so it feels more like you're rollin around a huge facility and not just goin through level 1, level 2, level 3 etc.

Then I made 3 more levels that have more interesting stuff goin on. Also I introduced a kind of red-white swat team that'll rush in and fuck up your plan for a bit if you get spotted.

SO CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO

The art's not there obviously.

btw my deadline for this is the end o the month. UH OH!

[I_smell]

Still- the art's not there, obviously. Note that you have to avoid cameras, and you also can't leave unconcious guards within sight of cameras.

I didn't go the obvious route and make you invisible in darkness- cos I don't like that in games. I don't like anything in stealth games that lets you run around like your invisible, I think that breaks it tbh.

These are the last few levels now an I can't help but feel like I've missed out on something. It doesn't feel like a GREAT game, it just feels like a COMPETANT game :/

Anyway I should start on the art n animation stuff, cos I've only got 10 days left.

[I_smell]

HEY HERE'S THE INTRO!!!


4 DAYS LEFT OH NO!!!

[Dataflashsabot]

End of the month! How's this coming because I really liked the demos and there are far too few indie stealth games.

[hyperduck]

This is looking pretty cool, surprised there hasn't been more attention to it. Looking forward to more mate.