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[Uprising Studios]

Hi!
Well, we want to comment a few things about the development.
After thinking about it long time and have analyzed all the possibilities, we reached to the conclusion that if we wanted to make a successful development we had to delete the combat of the game.
While working on the game's demo we realized that we wanted to explore other kinds of gameplay mechanics. The problem with adding combat was that we couldn't focus as much as we wanted on the other aspects.
So we have focused the gameplay on the other elements that define Scarf: Walking with Souls, the platforms, the exploration elements and the puzzly ones. With a huge emphasis in the scarf transformations, which is what we wanted to do since the beginning.


And now we want to show some of the work we've been doing!!

As the name of the game says, Hyke is not the only character in the world. He will be surrounded by souls, and we've been working on the visuals of the souls, specially the VFX.






We have also implemented the Wings Transformation.
You can see a picture here:




And you can see the full animation here!






And for dessert we want to show you the first minute of the demo as we have it now.

[Uprising Studios]

Sorry for the double post, but don't know why the third video has no embedded version

So I put it here

[Bricabrac]

Lovely project. I love the way the scarf moves and its transformations.
Keep up with the good work!

[kythg]

Definitely following progress - how long have you been working on this prototype for? Looks really refined!

[io3 creations]

Looks good so far!

I was going to ask about game engine (as a quick text search didn't find either Unreal or Unity), but found the answer with the Unreal Editor images on the first page.

[Uprising Studios]

Lovely project. I love the way the scarf moves and its transformations.
Keep up with the good work!

Thanks! Regarding the scarf's movements we have lots of work ahead, but we think we're in the right way!

Looks good so far!

I was going to ask about game engine (as a quick text search didn't find either Unreal or Unity), but found the answer with the Unreal Editor images on the first page.

Thanks! Yeah. It's Unreal (you can see it too in one of the last videos we've put xD  )

Definitely following progress - how long have you been working on this prototype for? Looks really refined!

Well, thank you!
Truth is we're not full time in the project so it's a bit misleading.
We've been working in our free time for a year now and our goal is to end this demo and get financing to be full time.

[ElkiwyDev]

Wow, this concept looks awesome! Keep up the good work, I want to see the final product of this 

[Kyle Preston]

Lots of beauty in this devlog. Really excited you're going to make this a non-combat game. 

When will we be able to walk around in this beauty/hear some music for this beauty/did I mention the word beauty?

[Uprising Studios]

Wow, this concept looks awesome! Keep up the good work, I want to see the final product of this 

Thank you!
Lot of work yet to the final product though!

Lots of beauty in this devlog. Really excited you're going to make this a non-combat game. 

When will we be able to walk around in this beauty/hear some music for this beauty/did I mention the word beauty?

Thank you Kyle! Don't know for sure but we have the impression that you think it's beauty , and we're really glad to hear that.
We'll post an update for sound and music, don't know when exactly but hope it is soon!

[TheWanderingBen]

...we had to delete the combat of the game...

So we have focused the gameplay on... Walking with Souls, the platforms, the exploration elements and the puzzly ones.

Exploration is what first drew me to your game. Maybe others won't share the feeling, but exploring is my favourite verb in the platforming genre. I'm so happy you took out combat to focus on the parts that I think I'll like more. I'm even more excited for this now. Keep it up guys!

[io3 creations]

So if you removed the combat, are you going for a puzzle adventure similar to RIME?

[Uprising Studios]

So if you removed the combat, are you going for a puzzle adventure similar to RIME?

We don't know what Tequila are doing with Rime (probably something great), so we cannot compare.
As for what we do know, in Scarf the core of the game will be the scarf's transformations. This will give different abilities which the player must use.
We believe this will give really a different personality.
We also have few more things, besides the mechanics, which we assume in Rime there isn't: the souls, which will be an important part of the game; the story is, most likely, not the same; our extreme poverty    ...

Exploration is what first drew me to your game. Maybe others won't share the feeling, but exploring is my favourite verb in the platforming genre. I'm so happy you took out combat to focus on the parts that I think I'll like more. I'm even more excited for this now. Keep it up guys!

Thank you!! We're glad reactions to removing combat have been positive!



We will make, probably tomorrow, an update talking about Sound and Music in the prototype.

And also we will be in a month in Gamelab (for those who don't know it, it's one of the most important spanish videogame events, in Barcelona), showing the prototype (which we are currently in process of improving!!).

[io3 creations]

Of course, I wasn't implying that every aspect of the game will be the same.

I'm looking forward to what the actual scarf implementation will look like.

A questions: in one of the videos a giant root/branch moved one of the platforms for you.  Will that be explained why or how it did that?   For example, would it be moved for everybody or only certain types of characters?  Perhaps, much like in stealth games, that way is "locked" and you can only access it after you pick up a certain "key" item or ability that unlocks that path. 

[Uprising Studios]

Of course, I wasn't implying that every aspect of the game will be the same.

I'm looking forward to what the actual scarf implementation will look like.

A questions: in one of the videos a giant root/branch moved one of the platforms for you.  Will that be explained why or how it did that?   For example, would it be moved for everybody or only certain types of characters?  Perhaps, much like in stealth games, that way is "locked" and you can only access it after you pick up a certain "key" item or ability that unlocks that path. 

We know we know! Just trying to explain what we think will be the main differences in the case Rime will be something like Scarf

The actual scarf will last a bit, right we're working on improving what we have and trying to implement a new transformation-ability (probably we'll show the progress), so the scarf's normal state is right now on pause. (But we'll get to that!)

As for the roots and rocks moving:
At the begining of the prototype we use that for showing the player that there are paths that can be created with that nature elements. As you move through the prototype you'll have to overcome some test to create that new path. So it is probably something like you've explain.

But, talking about the game's development beyond the prototype, there are certain things about the prototype which don't convince us for the final game. We cannot promise that we finally won't change this nature-movement thing we're talking about, because as we work, we are finding what we consider better ways of creating or finding those paths! (in a closer relationship with the use of the scarf's abilities).

[Uprising Studios]

So, regarding our updates.

We’ve been really busy and we haven’t been able to keep posting regularly, sorry about that.
We want to keep you posted so we’re going to make the update to talk about the audio in the game.

SOUND


One of the important things about the audio in Scarf is the use of a middleware. We’re using FMOD Studio to implement all the audio.
This has allowed has to control every aspect of the audio perfectly and comfortably.

Ambient
The prototype being placed at a meadow area has obviously influenced the audio development. One of the audio areas affected the most by this has been the ambient sounds.
As you can see in the previous videos we’ve uploaded (with real time sound) the ambiental sound looks for something realistic.
Wind, birds and waterfalls are the main components for the ambiental sound.

Hyke
The sound of the main character is trying to represent him as a week but light and quick creature. (Footsteps)
The vocal sounds of him also try to represent this. (Noises, Jump, etc.)

https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/scarf-sound-design-hykes-noises

Souls
In the prototype, the main character must interact with other souls. Creating the souls’s sounds it’s been tough. The sound must represent some kind of childish behavior but also that this are fantastic creatures.
Visually this is represented by some kind of glow that we’ve tried to match with the sound.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-glow-sound-example

Using this sound as base we’ve applied this to the voice’s sounds, creating a mix between a most *real* sound (like the ones used in Hyke’s voice) with this glowly sound.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-voice-examples

For this mix, the sound designer has used cross-synthesis software.
The process has been as follows:

First having recorded the voice and decided what is the exact noise for the animation. (Cleaning, editing and all.)
We have the glowly sound decided and edited, so we have the two materials.
Every voice sound has been processed with the glow sound to have a mix of the two.
This created a sound to close to the glow and maybe not fully understandable as a voice of a soul.
Mixing the original voice sound with this last sound creates an unique voice for the souls.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-voice-process

Altar
To keep this aesthetic with the sound it’s been the idea while approaching other elements of the prototype.
For example there is an altar where Hyke must place a cristal in order to activate a path. The altar’s sound is modified when Hyke activates it.



https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/altar-sound



Scarf
The scarf sound is dived in two. On the one hand we have the normal movement of the Scarf, based on real clothing sounds.
On the other hand we have the transformation process, with a completely different approach.
We’ve used the cloth recordings to keep a base, but with lot of process to destroy it.
The scarf transformation sound has 6 sounds inside of it. We can group them into 3 types.
The first is a sound created with multiple delays of a cloth recording.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/wingsoundprocess01-multidelays-scarf

The second will be the grain base sounds. They are sound created making a cloth recording pass through a granulate process.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/wingsoundprocess02-grain-sounds-scarf-cloth

In the middle of this two groups we have a sound made with plastic:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/wingsoundprocess03-plastic-grain-scarf-cloth

The third group is an optional sounds, between 30 and 60% of possibilities to play, based on crotales rubbed with a bow, you can sense it in the full example:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/scarf-wings-transformation-full-sound

In one of the videos of the last update you can see it implemented!

For the sound design this are a few examples of work. You have in this link all the examples:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/sets/scarf-walking-with-souls-sound


Now, for the music:

MUSIC


There have been many changes from the start until we’ve found the music we think suites the most to the prototype.

The style for the music that has been chosen is orchestral music with the use of harp and tin whistle to approach it a bit to the celtic music.

We can difference between the exploration/walking music and the games music.

Exploration

For the walking music at first we thought about something a little bit active. Not too much, but something. And had to be always running, in loop.
Our composer worked in this piece:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-old-version

After the prototype was evolving our composer and the design team thought that That was going to be too much music input, as you can walk through the map freely.
Our composer wanted something less continued, something more for accompaniment. In the different games there will be time for some music with more melodic and rhythmic charge.
This are the final three walking tracks:
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-first-track
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-second-track
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/exploration-third-track

Games music

For the two games you have to play in the prototype, one about overcome a platform section and the other about playing with one Soul (in order to get the last cristal which will open the path to the temple), there are two tracks which evolve with the progress.

Platforms track
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/souls-platforms-music

Each changes represents the different states of the test. Using FMOD as middleware has allowed to make all the musical changes easy and rhythmically perfect.




Soul’s game track

In this game you’ll have to play with a souls. The game has kind of a childlike spirit. The music tries to represent those aspects.
The music evolves for the two parts of the game, but maintaining the base for the two of them.
https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/playing-with-souls-music

This case is far more complex that the platforms example regarding the evolution of the music and reaction to the game, with a lot of possibilities and parameters.





When you have finished all the games you can access the path to the temple, the end of the prototype we’ve created.
For this you’ll have to cross the map progressively reaching the temple.
So the music tries to make that progression as well.

https://soundcloud.com/gutierrez-davila-celer/road-to-temple-music



Hope you like it! If you have any doubts, don't hesitate!!

[io3 creations]

We know we know! Just trying to explain what we think will be the main differences in the case Rime will be something like Scarf

The actual scarf will last a bit, right we're working on improving what we have and trying to implement a new transformation-ability (probably we'll show the progress), so the scarf's normal state is right now on pause. (But we'll get to that!)

As for the roots and rocks moving:
At the begining of the prototype we use that for showing the player that there are paths that can be created with that nature elements. As you move through the prototype you'll have to overcome some test to create that new path. So it is probably something like you've explain.

But, talking about the game's development beyond the prototype, there are certain things about the prototype which don't convince us for the final game. We cannot promise that we finally won't change this nature-movement thing we're talking about, because as we work, we are finding what we consider better ways of creating or finding those paths! (in a closer relationship with the use of the scarf's abilities).

I see. It's good that you have a reason behind the roots moving the rocks.

Yeah, lots of things can change when you are able to test your prototype.  That's why it's only a prototype.

[Uprising Studios]

I see. It's good that you have a reason behind the roots moving the rocks.

We always try to make everything coherent (probably failed some times though xD)

Yeah, lots of things can change when you are able to test your prototype.  That's why it's only a prototype.

Thanks to that, beacuse sometimes we have problems overthinking what we're doing and pretending everything to be perfect, even though is not a final version

[io3 creations]

I see. It's good that you have a reason behind the roots moving the rocks.

We always try to make everything coherent (probably failed some times though xD)

Yeah, lots of things can change when you are able to test your prototype.  That's why it's only a prototype.

Thanks to that, beacuse sometimes we have problems overthinking what we're doing and pretending everything to be perfect, even though is not a final version

In the end, if it "works" for your target audience then it's all good.   

[Uprising Studios]

Hi!
We’ve been redesigning our map.
After some feedback and testing we’ve come with what we think would be a better way of understanding the different locations where you’ll have to go.
We are using the elements composition to achieve this, also using meaningful assets to mark the areas of interest (such as trunks and vegetation).



This was the original map design. Is kind of too big and baroque for the things you can do in the prototype. We have eliminated areas and as I’ve told previously, tried to highlight areas of interest, such as this one.



This is the redesign scheme (with annotations in spanish):



For example one important area that was kind of hidden in the last version, now we think is pretty clear that you are suppose to go there.



New ability

We’ve also change some other things, as you can clearly see where are the main objectives:
We are making more free the movement through the map. You can overcome the different tests in the order you want now.
For this to work as we want, we are implementing one of the other abilities that the scarf is going to have.
We think now it will be more fun the movement through the island.


first draft


final concept

This transformation (like the wings we’ve already implemented) will improve the movement of the character. This will permit the player to glide, which will be important thorough the game.
When we have some progress we’ll show you!

[Uprising Studios]

Hi!
It's been a month since we posted and we've been really busy with the things we talked about last time: all the map redesign, the implementation of the new ability and working to close a prototype for Gamelab (the spanish event).
We've just come back and it was great, we had lots of positive feedback and we're thrilled.

Regarding the new ability,it's not a definitive version, of course, but we think the idea is clear and the gameplay has benefited greatly.
We want to show you a video of this gliding ability, hope you like it!