Here I'll talk of my AM windows game project called
ASA: A Space Adventure !
EDIT : THE GAME IS RELEASED.
You can buy it (around $8) or learn more on :
http://www.aspaceadventure.fr
English review :
http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/23855
4 stars out of 5 !
1 - what is ASA ?
At the beginning, it's a short film I made in september 2011, which received quite a lot of good reviews.
Here's the pitch : "A cosmonaut was sent to repair an old satellite. He just finished his mission when..."
If you've not seen the short film, which is very likely, I would suggest you don't !!!!
Why ? Because the first part of the film will be used as an opening in the AM game, and the second part might be the "good ending".
So, if you watch the short film, you won't keep the surprise !
For those who don't intend to play the AM game I want to make, or for those who are soooo curious that they really can't wait the release of the game before they watch, you can find the short film here :
http://vimeo.com/30395151
You're warned ! :d
2 - why a game ?
True, it can sound curious if there already is a short film... But hey ! I got so many nice words about the film that I wanted to do more ! And because I loved Riven, and because I think there aren't enough Adventure/Reflexion games, and because I think that "frame by frame games" aren't dead and are more touching than many real-time games, then I decided to make it...
Why did Riven touch me so much ?
Because of the frame by frame progression, first ! I know it can be frustrating in a way, but because the authors of the game chose their own point of view - what they really wanted us to see - then I found the game more immersive than others.
And because I was left all alone in a very strange world I didn't know, with photo-realistic graphics, I almost had the sensation to live a real journey !
This is what I want to reproduce in my game !!!
3 - So ? What will ASA look like ?
Well, you know I don't exactly know yet, but of course it will use the universe I created in my short film. I have written a small scenario that will make us visit a kind of giant spaceship (an ark), and leads us on two different worlds.
During the last 2 weeks, I've been working on some in-game pictures, and created quite a lot of views.
Here are 4 of them that I decided to share with you :
Final game will be in 1024. It shall include some short in-game movies, and a few 360 panoramics when needed. Most of the game will be made of static views, which make the production much easier for me, because I'm alone on this.
4 - Like it ? Need more info ?
Please don't ask every day ! All I have to show will be posted here regularly, if everything goes well ! I may be silent for days and post a lot of things suddenly, I don't know...
As soon as I receive my full version of AM, I try to make a short playable demo, and I'll add a link right here !
My aim is to make the game in 2 or 3 monthes from now on. I don't know if it will do, because I'm all alone on this, and I still have lot to learn about AM, and a lot of work with graphisms.
The final version shall be an independant game for windows, sold for a small price (not decided yet), and distributed via a web platform (like steam, but not decided yet).
If you want more info, just ask
Hope you enjoy my project, and don't hesitate to cheer me up : I may work even faster then !
Edit : Here's a small synopsis of the game.
You're a cosmonaut sent to repair an old satellite. You just finished your mission when you notice a mysterious black cube drifting near you. You're totally hypnotized by this thing and suddenly jump in the space, breaking your security cable ! That's crazy, you seem to have forgotten all the dangers here, and when you finally catch this cube... your oxygen is low and you have no way to go back !!!
But strangely, to you, the most important is that you have this cube in your arms, and that you won't drop it until you're dead ! It now seems so important and fascinating...
Your O? is low and you're all alone with your cube. Time passes. Your O? is low and you pass out...
Darkness everywhere. The end... You can't think anymore, you feel good even if you're about to die, and this is all thanks to the cube.
The end. Your end. Complete darkness...
"Wake up !" says the cube. And suddenly you wake up ! You're not in the space anymore, but on an unknown structure which looks like a spaceship ! But someone takes your cube !!! You can't react, you're still numb ! The thief leaves with your precious treasure, so as soon as you recover strength, you'll hunt down your Cube in the corridors of this spaceship !
When you finally start walking here and there, you lay hands on a small memory card. It contains a part of a story, the story of a certain Philippe Fort?, a french cosmonaut who lived the very same experience than you, but years ago in 2011. He tells with his own words what the Cube really did to him, and how his life started to change, because of its power. You decide to walk in his steps, looking for both your Cube and your future...
PREVIEW DEMO V1
And this is a great day ! I was finally able to make this small playable demo. It's quite short, it has lots of bugs, many problems to solve, but I hope you like it !
Before playing, be sure you have time and are not too tired, and take a paper and a pen
Even if the demo's not very difficult, it might be helpful...link removed : demo v1 not representative of the game anymore.
Don't hesitate to post here all the problems you find, tell me all the things you like and you don't, and all the improvements that seem necessary to you !!! If you can, tell me how long it took you to end the demo, so I can have an idea of the life/length of the full game. Thanks, and have fun !
Haven't tried it yet, but seems great !
I'll never use rapidshare again ! It should be called slowshare !
