Support NeoGAF

[dancrane212]

New update. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192311215/ghost-song-a-journey-of-hope/posts/666239

I like the idea of the Devil Stalkers, reminds me of Bioshock when I would try to sum up my inventory to see if I could take down a Big Daddy or not while it was stomping around carrying out it's business.

What counts as "provoking" them? Would you have to jump over them or can you just run past without triggering an encounter?

 

[Jobbs]

I like the idea of the Devil Stalkers, reminds me of Bioshock when I would try to sum up my inventory to see if I could take down a Big Daddy or not while it was stomping around carrying out it's business.

What counts as "provoking" them? Would you have to jump over them or can you just run past without triggering an encounter?

any attack counts as provoking. That said, almost no weapon in the game (as currently planned) will even damage it at all. Doesn't mean it won't kick your ass for trying. When I say -- You'll need the best weaponry and defenses in the game to stand a chance, I actually mean it. No one forced you to attack one.

In regard to if you collide with them or not before they are in aggro mode, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm still deciding. NPCs (at least, currently) have no collision with the player so you can just walk passed them. Most likely, the Devil Stalkers will behave as non-combatant NPCs in the sense that you can pass through them, up until they're aggro'd at which point the collision may become different.

That's just my current though, nothing is in stone in terms of those types of details.

 

[J-Tier]

Devil Stalkers sound awesome. I hope some terrifying music starts up if you attack them. It would be even cooler if they stalked you into different zones a la Nemesis...

 

[Jobbs]

The sketch doesn't make this clear, but the devil stalker is very tall, far taller than the player. Very intimidating.

Also: In regard to the Ghost Jam I'm planning for next year. It's not in stone yet, but it's a game jam with some prizes fronted by myself and potentially by others as well. If you are a a person/company who wants to put a prize on the pile and effectively be a sponsor, just contact me.

 

[CTLance]

Awesome update.

Hmm, that save randomizer system is cool. Still, this means the player can force certain things to appear in a way that's beneficial to them by simply saving repeatedly until they get their desired outcome. This stuff needs a cooldown timer.

Will the Devil Stalkers interact with enemies as well? Would make for an excellent showcase of their might to see one of them walk unhindered through some acid or other hazard. Or, maybe, have one slaughter a monster effortlessly after I have just battled another specimen of the kind in an extensive miniboss fight. Something jaw-hits-floor style would be neat.


...just for future reference, how far off the screen will the bullets fly? I just know I'll accidentally hit a Devil Stalker. Five steps before the save room. After not having saved for half a day. Wow, I'm already traumatized, and I haven't even played the game yet. Good job, Jobbs.

 

[Jobbs]

Awesome update.

Hmm, that save randomizer system is cool. Still, this means the player can force certain things to appear in a way that's beneficial to them by simply saving repeatedly until they get their desired outcome. This stuff needs a cooldown timer.

Will the Devil Stalkers interact with enemies as well? Would make for an excellent showcase of their might to see one of them walk unhindered through some acid or other hazard. Or, maybe, have one slaughter a monster effortlessly after I have just battled another specimen of the kind in an extensive miniboss fight. Something jaw-hits-floor style would be neat.


...just for future reference, how far off the screen will the bullets fly? I just know I'll accidentally hit a Devil Stalker. Five steps before the save room. After not having saved for half a day. Wow, I'm already traumatized, and I haven't even played the game yet. Good job, Jobbs.

thanks

Save room isn't necessarily near a spot where the random thing you want will happen, and it isn't one spot but one of many. I think it'd be hard to abuse.

Accidental attacking of the devil stalker is definietly something I'm thinking about. It may end up just being a fact of life... If one is near, be extra careful where you shoot.

 

[CTLance]

Maybe you can give audio clues for ~5 seconds before the Devil Stalker becomes vulnerable offscreen. Like, I don't know, a clicking/chittering "speech" noise, breathing/stomping sounds, or even a dedicated background music/theme.

Having chunks of unlucky monsters fly in from offscreen would also be a good clue that a Devil Stalker is around. (Or something else that delights in cutting stuff to ribbons, which would obviously be just as bad.)

As long as the players are warned, they will find a way to get past enemies on screen without spray&pray tactics. I think.

Looking forward to the day you deem your work presentable. Please chuck some artwork and stuff (like in this update) our way every now and then. It's always enjoyable to hear about your progress and have some fluff to nibble on.

 

[J-Tier]

Maybe you can give audio clues for ~5 seconds before the Devil Stalker becomes vulnerable offscreen. Like, I don't know, a clicking/chittering "speech" noise, breathing/stomping sounds, or even a dedicated background music/theme.

Having chunks of unlucky monsters fly in from offscreen would also be a good clue that a Devil Stalker is around. (Or something else that delights in cutting stuff to ribbons, which would obviously be just as bad.)

As long as the players are warned, they will find a way to get past enemies on screen without spray&pray tactics. I think.

Great ideas! I hope Jobbs take some of these into consideration-- especially the bit about monster pieces flying from offscreen haha! Though not sure if that'll be more comical than terrifying (unless mixed with the right sound...).

 

[Jobbs]

the audio cue is something I'm already a fan of. was considering it for this as well as certain other things. I always loved the little signature whistle of proto man.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

the audio cue is something I'm already a fan of. was considering it for this as well as certain other things. I always loved the little signature whistle of proto man.

And look how well audio clues work in a series like Left 4 Dead, particularly for identifying enemies and how much of a threat they might be in their current state of awareness (especially the Witch).

Also if you put this up on Greenlight, I'm sure you'll get the votes you need.

 

[Jobbs]

Posted a new KS update. Some of this is stuff you'll have seen already if you follow my various outlets like twitter. But no matter.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192311215/ghost-song-a-journey-of-hope/posts/711074

 

[Metroid Killer]

Awesome was just thinking about you the other day. Thanks for the update! I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing the crash site in whatever edition it's presented in

Concerning game logo: I prefer the old one. It sorta gives me this 80s/90s feel, similar to Psygnosis' logo. But by all means experiment with it.

 

[Jobbs]

Awesome was just thinking about you the other day. Thanks for the update! I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing the crash site in whatever edition it's presented in

Concerning game logo: I prefer the old one. It sorta gives me this 80s/90s feel, similar to Psygnosis' logo. But by all means experiment with it.

thanks and I gathered from the comments section of my update that most people seem to like the original logo. I think what I'll do is make some adjustments to it. Part of what I'm worried about at this point is I can't remember what font I derived the text from (I often start with a font selection then start changing it) and I'd hate to run into copyright claims or something later on. I'll want to make sure the font isn't using someone else's work, or is a font I'm licensed to use commercially.

 

[UrbanRats]

I also think the old logo was much better.

Not only is more complex in design, but it's more compact and it seems to fit the rest of the artstyle better.

The game looks great so far.

 

[afternoon delight]

Another +1 for the old logo from my perspective. I liked it's 'vibe' more.

 

[nillapuddin]

Love the update, visuals looking very sharp, great progress jobbs

also +1 for the less refined logo

 

[Deleted member 102362]

The visuals for this game continue to look awesome.

Also, another vote for the old logo.

 

[Messofanego]

I love that he'll be going for native 1080p. Any word on the release window for the beta?

 

[Jobbs]

I love that he'll be going for native 1080p. Any word on the release window for the beta?

Honestly, no, but it'll be a while before we're putting out a playable to outsiders. The way I like to characterize things is that -- The results are outsanding, I truly feel that the game is competitive with just about anything else out there in terms of presentation. I'm very very excited about how things look, but in certain ways the overall progress is not as far along as I'd hoped. We had some growing pains leading up to this point, and personally, it took me a lot of work to figure out how to make the game transition to 1080p and look great on the big screen at these high resolutions, because I'd never made game assets remotely this big before. I've spent so much time just on the art side of it, figuring out what it'll look like. The most recent public screenshots are fully how the game looks now, though, and if you like how those look, I think you'll be excited to see it in motion, because it looks even better. If you think back to the old version of the game, the old low res game from before the kickstarter, I always had a lot of layered atmopsheric effects and particles, as seen in this gif. That remains the case now, and it really comes to life.

Making a game with a lot of high res art is a tremendous amount of work, just drawing and drawing and drawing, and that's a major part of what's left to do right now. A lot is behind me, and a lot is ahead as well. The good part of it is that some of the most important stuff is done, and most things related to process are settled now and so things are going along pretty smoothly at this point. The design is also complete, and ironclad.

I hope to have some videos in the nearish future, that actually show what the game looks like now and what it's like to play the game, since a lot of folks still don't fully understand, and I'm really excited for everyone to see.

 

[CTLance]

Let me throw my hat down for the old (campaign) logo as well. The new one is too clean and... modern? The old one had a very tiny "retro" feeling to it (not obnoxiously so, thankfully). I am utterly terrible with fonts and such, so best of luck to ya with that endeavour, Jobbs.

Also:

I feel cold. BRB making tea.

 

[Metroid Killer]

Making a game with a lot of high res art is a tremendous amount of work, just drawing and drawing and drawing, and that's a major part of what's left to do right now. A lot is behind me, and a lot is ahead as well. The good part of it is that some of the most important stuff is done, and most things related to process are settled now and so things are going along pretty smoothly at this point. The design is also complete, and ironclad.

I hope to have some videos in the nearish future, that actually show what the game looks like now and what it's like to play the game, since a lot of folks still don't fully understand, and I'm really excited for everyone to see.

Really good to hear! And yeah I think you have the right approach by waiting until showing footage until the presentation is there and working. It seems a lot of video game fans have problems accepting that things in alpha looks, alpha.

 

[dmr87]

Short update, more at the link.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192311215/ghost-song-a-journey-of-hope/posts/744873

It's worth noting that while in the above example we have the same room between versions, the map has changed and been generally expanded.

Anyway, moving forward, I definitely have an interest in consolidating these updates into one home and giving backers and fans of the game a place to go. Soon we'll have a better website and some forums to facilitate better and more regular communication and community. Maybe have some fun contests and stuff, too.

I plan to have this timed to go along with the video unveiling of the new game, which I hope to have ready late this month or early next (I REALLY want this milestone done before Dark Souls 2 comes out so I can have a moment to myself!). It's really just a matter of going a bit sideways, finishing out some art, and fine tuning some things so they look good in the video. The video will be pretty meaty, and take a load off me because I'll be able to stop describing the game and just let the game speak for itself. You'll all finally see what it's *really* like.

Can't wait for the video!

 

[nillapuddin]

what do we think GAF, lets help Jobbs out

top is recent, bottom is original

which do yall like?

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Original.

 

[Mother Green]

Yup, still favoring the original design.

 

[disap.ed]

Agreeing that the original looks better.
Still don't understand why the "O"s are different though.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Honestly, I like both. The new one looks a little more professional, but the original does seem to fit the style of the game better. As you say though, it might be worth ensuring that font style is not copyrighted, as it's extremely distinct. I also noticed that the two Os are different, which now I cannot unsee.

Anyway, loving the updates as always Jobbs, the game is looking wonderful and I hope you can find it in your heart to bring it to Vita

 

[CTLance]

Again:

I love the font of the older one. What can I say, I'm a kid of the 80s. Heh. The font is nice and fat, the chrome finish takes me back to the times of raster bars and 64KB demos, and the unusual O's keep things interesting, so to speak. The subtle 3D effect of the reflected "horizon" on the planetary overlap compared to the game name, coupled with the tapered borders give it a nice pop, IMHO.

I do have to admit that the more realistic/less stylized planet overlap iconography of the newer version is quite nice - I might prefer this over the old version... but I'm not sure, really. The corruption/dings in the new font is kind of appealing to me. Not a fan of the "boring" thin font and blur, though. That's too ... sterile. I'm not saying I can whip up a copy of this in WordArt or whatever, but it kinda-sorta gives me that vibe. The older font feels far more unique.

 

[Metroid Killer]

The new logo is pretty great actually, not sure if I would prefer it over the old one, but it's defintely getting there. Can't wait to see the game in motion.

 

[Teppic]

I like the new one more, but the font could be better.

 

[dmr87]

Liking the old logo more, there's something sci-fi over it.

 

[Mr_Antimatter]

Looking good so far. The old logo reminds me of the classic Psygnosis logo.

 

[afternoon delight]

Still dig the original more, but I understand if you're trying to distance yourself from "pure throwback" mode.

 

[Weng]

The new one is good, but I also prefer the original. Though I'd like to see how the planetary overlap from the new logo would look with the old logo.

 

[nillapuddin]

I like both versions, but both for different reasons

When I see the new gameplay, I will be able to decide, the old logo reminds me of the flash game alot

Spoiler

(maybe too much)

 

[Jobbs]

thanks guys. I'm still figuring out what to do with the logo. I know a lot of people like the original one, but it seems like it's mostly because of how "throwback" it looks and that by itself is not a reason I want to do things.

Anyway, loving the updates as always Jobbs, the game is looking wonderful and I hope you can find it in your heart to bring it to Vita

it's less a matter of having it in my heart and more a matter of whether the opportunity to do so comes up and is realistic.

I haven't looked a lot into the technical side of things, and I'm not the technical guy anyway, but I have to wonder if we'd have any challenges on a handheld due to the sheer number and size of the graphics used in the game at any given moment.

I'm sure it could be done somehow (on the technical side) but, honestly, it's just not something I've paid close attention to yet, I'm mainly just trying to make the game on PC at the moment.

 

[SephCast]

To me, the old logo is better because it has a more simple feel. Doesn't feel overdone or anything. Subtle and lonely, like the feel (to me) of the game. Great updates so far, really excited for this. Excited to play.

 

[SephCast]

Jobbs, are you on this list? http://news.xbox.com/2014/02/xbox-one-id-xbox-new-developers

 

[Jobbs]

Sorry about the late reply and the necro. But no, I'm not on that list.

I figured it was worthwhile to bump the thread because the first new gameplay video is now up.

Youtube link

I've also finally added the game to Greenlight.

Steam Greenlight

And, of course, the Kickstarter update.

 

[Nohar]

3252 heh?

Thank you for the update, and for the 10 minutes long video.

 

[jett]

Sorry about the late reply and the necro. But no, I'm not on that list.

I figured it was worthwhile to bump the thread because the first new gameplay video is now up.

Youtube link

I've also finally added the game to Greenlight.

Steam Greenlight

And, of course, the Kickstarter update.

Your game looks genuinely awesome. Are you the only person working on it?

 

[Jobbs]

Your game looks genuinely awesome. Are you the only person working on it?

Thank you. Right now I am pretty much it. I've had a little help here and there, and Roger made the music (I can't blame all the bad sound effects on him, though, I made a lot of the sound effects for now!).

I'm wearing more hats than an eighteen headed man in Pheonix. So, I guess, 19 hats. 19.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Sorry about the late reply and the necro. But no, I'm not on that list.

I figured it was worthwhile to bump the thread because the first new gameplay video is now up.

Youtube link

I've also finally added the game to Greenlight.

Steam Greenlight

And, of course, the Kickstarter update.

Looks excellent. Glad I donated to this project.

Quick questions:

1) Is the "spotlight" on you the entire game, or is the effect limited to certain sections?

2) I know you said the sound effects may change so this question may be a moot point, but is the walking sound effect permanent/different depending on location?

Keep up the great work!

 

[SephCast]

Looking amazing man. Keep it up.

 

[Caffeine]

looks great

 

[J-Tier]

Looks great! I love that some enemies are too powerful for you to handle, it's a great way to block a path. I can see where the DS angle is coming from now. Hopefully more of that.

Now I can't wait to see the really scary stuff.

 

[Jobbs]

thanks guys.

Looks excellent. Glad I donated to this project.

Quick questions:

1) Is the "spotlight" on you the entire game, or is the effect limited to certain sections?

2) I know you send the sound effects may change so this question may be a moot point, but is the walking sound effect permanent/different depending on location?

Keep up the great work!

1) the spotlight varies greatly in strength depending on the area. sometimes it's invisible or nearly invisible.

2) I am pretty annoyed with the foot sounds lately.. I plan to overhaul that. among other things.

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Sorry about the late reply and the necro. But no, I'm not on that list.

I figured it was worthwhile to bump the thread because the first new gameplay video is now up.

Youtube link

I've also finally added the game to Greenlight.

Steam Greenlight

And, of course, the Kickstarter update.

Voted.

 

[Mother Green]

Looks extremely good! The Dark Souls influence surely is recognizable. Do you have an estimated release date or is it too soon to ask?
Keep up the good work!

 

[disap.ed]

Just upvoted.

Will the cannon fire light up the environment?