The Second Man

[cianty]

@anian: What exactly do you mean by "using the verbs more than once"? Do you find that in some games using this many different verbs they are not actually just as much? I think it works fine so far.

@mode7: Well, progress is coming along nicely but it's still a long way. Considering that I am still relatively new to AGS (though not to programming) I think there's already quite something to play and as I learn how to use the engine I can do new things faster.

I want to separate the game into four parts (not necessarily of equal length, see Monkey Island) and I am still working on part one. So it will still take a few months. I will definately take the time I need to complete it with the quality level I aim for so a realistic release date is sometime in 2011.  Of course it's tiny bit earlier with each of your nice comments. 

[Anian]

@anian: What exactly do you mean by "using the verbs more than once"? Do you find that in some games using this many different verbs they are not actually just as much? I think it works fine so far.

This way interface has many different commands, just hoping that after the decision to go for that GUI, you make a good use out of it, that's all.  The interface does look nice.

[Chicky]

This looks great, can't go wrong with a pistol in the inventory

[Ilyich]

Great screens! Love the retro-vibe, like the premise, look forward to the game. Oh, and nice title.
Good luck!

[Dualnames]

Is your title a reference to Third Man (a movie), or inspired the title by it?

Looks great btw.

[abstauber]

Finally you show us your project I've been excited since you've posted an image in a different thread.
Especially the two last backgrounds look amazing and the roger-vibe over the characters is pretty cool


Good luck with your project! And it seems like the first "bigger" project featuring the 9-verb GUI.
Hooray

[Iliya]

I like the style of this game. Great pixel-art!

[cianty]

Thank you very much, guys!

@Dualnames: Yes, you are pretty right. It is a reference, or more like a bow, to the Third Man. The German title of Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" is (literaly) "The Unknown Third (Man)". So the title kind of refers to both. What I am thinking of when making this game is the old Bond films (up to Dalton) as well as the classic suspense films by Hitchcock plus a few others. I love the mix of feel-good light-heartness mixed with crime and tension so I hope to capture at least a minimum of that in the game.

[Khris]

Looks like I'm the only one so far, but although everything else looks and sounds great, I think the icons are neither fitting nor an improvement. The buttons are bigger than they need to be and thus the whole left part of the GUI looks like something's missing or rather, knowing why this is the case, like a bad substitute.
The buttons with text are supposed to tie in with the action line above them; also I hated the interface of Flight of the Amazon Queen which did a similar thing.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of the game though; like I said it looks great; the graphics are damn impressive for three months of practice.

[cianty]

Yes, the size of the buttons has been bothering me too. Maybe I'll see if I can do anything about that but it's definately not on my priority list. I do appreciate your thoughts, Khris!

[Matti]

Khris, you're not the only one. I was going to say the exact same thing.

Also, I don't like the symbols at all. They don't really fit the overall style and could be more obvious too.

Otherwise, this looks really nice and promising, I'm looking forward to it.

[Snake]

The only thing I didn't like about the buttons were the open/close graphics. Before you gave the comparison, I actually thought it was lock/unlock.

[Iliya]

Who cares about the size of the buttons. As long the game is interesting, and screenshots are great - everthing is fine. Everyone here prefer to say "Everthing good, BUT.......then 2-3 lines critics about something not so important. Criticism is good, but the good words are the thing that makes author to create with a pleasure.

[Dualnames]

Who cares about the size of the buttons. As long the game is interesting, and screenshots are great - everthing is fine. Everyone here prefer to say "Everthing good, BUT.......then 2-3 lines critics about something not so important. Criticism is good, but the good words are the thing that makes author to create with a pleasure.

Not to go off topic, but well, art isn't when you can't add anything, but when you can't remove. So yeah, well from personal experience when someone can't find anything to nitpick I know I'm good.

To cianty: Looking forward to this, and I like the approach you're taking on the story-design.

[Snake]

Okay, guys. Let's not let this get off topic.

Cianty, if you want further advice on the GUI and graphics, don't hesitate to post in the critics lounge. You'll get extensive advice there - which I'm sure you already know that

[cianty]

Well, thanks everyone for the feedback! I appreciate positive comments as much as constructive criticism. I'll be sure to post a few things in the Critics Lounge some time (as I said the GUI isn't up on my priority list right now, but I do look forward to suggestions). Again, thanks for taking the time to look at the screenshots and post up a reply. This is all very encouraging and I welcome the honest attitudes.

I am now having a look at screencast software. Seems CamStudio would do the trick, so maybe I can put together some kind of trailer with a few preview in-game scenes.

[cianty]

I just uploaded a short video to youtube demonstrating the part that has taken me the longest so far: Programming a stairway with a functioning elevator. With the handrails switching between front and background and the elevator going between them, this has given me quite some gray hairs but I think it was worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3I268eMkD4

[abstauber]

Wow - that looks very promising! Also nice atmosphere and great music + sfx.

Love it!


The only gripe I have is the perspective on the left windows, or better: the inner horizontal bars. To match your persepective, they should run parallel. But apart from that, your game already looks awesome

[Snake]

VERY awesome! I agree with everything abstauber said.

One thing I wonder: Will having to use the stairs be tedious?

[Digital Mosaic Games]

Hey! I would just change the icon-image of "pull". For me it's a bit irritating cause it doesn't really shows the action "pull".