The background for the first levels is ready, so sooner than later will be in Beta. We are thinking about putting more levels in every section, to make the sections longer. At this time you can finish the first 5 levels in about 3 minutes... but perhaps it's just we are too used to run across the levels. Also, in higher levels, with more complicated mazes perhaps it will turn tedious if you get stuck in some maze. We have to test it.
In the meantime, art section goes slow. We are starting to ponder if we should use filtered photos instead of drawings to the cinematic sequences...
More graphics... now we are making the cinematic screens to the story mode. Those will be like a comic that tell us the story (a la Max Payne)
We are working too in the first memory section of the main character. If you don't remember what am I talking about: Every time the main character finds a hidden object in a level, this object triggers a memory portion of something that happens to the main character. When you find all the portions that forms a memory you are awarded with a small flashback that maybe makes you understand what is happening in the maze, who build it and why.
When we finish the cinematic screens, the graphics of the bush section, and the objects you can find, we can start putting all together to make the first chapter of this story!!!
With a playable version, we are feeling more relaxed in the programming section so we center ourselves in the graphic section. We will use 3D objects to represent the tiles that form the maze, switching these objects when you change from one level to another. For example, in the first level you are in a bush maze, so we will use walls with rounded corners to replicate the way these mazes are made. Also we are going to use some objects as atrezzo, diseminated along the maze to provide some clues of the path you made.
Alpha version completed!!! The game now have a splash screen with a fancy torchlight animation, a menu screen where you can select the game and the game itself. In this version you will be a treasure hunter. You have to find the lost treasures of the mazes, one after another, every one bigger than the last resolved. The character now displays animation, there is music for the different screens and it shows orientative messages during the play. The controls now uses a virtual joystick on screen. We are ponderating give this "Treasure Hunt" game as a secret inside the final game.
Dialog system remade. Now it doesn't stop the game till you touch the screen. The dialog screen will show and hide relative to the proximity of a item or character. We added a test item. It is a treasure you have to collect in order to end the level, so the character will refuse to take the exit if you haven't found the treasure. When you end the maze you will enter a new maze bigger than the former one. This start to feel like a game.
Now we have a brand new dialog system to make the game messages or to show the talking between characters. The tiles have been redefined, adding different states for tile, so in a tile you can define the type, the content, if it is usable, etc. and it shows a description when the player it's over a usable item.
We have to finish a playable version right now. One version with a splash screen, a start menu, a level you can start and finish and with some event inside, etc. We now have a sprite for the character but it lacks animation. It just turns in the direction yo
We are losing the track... between the rollback and the last days centered more in design that in programming, we feel we are slowing down. Today has been a total waste, just sat in front of the computer, thinking about the things we have to do, but not doing.
Inspired by the reading of a videogame's design post, we think we have reached the moment of name the project and think about a general visual style to the game and its UI. After a brainstorming we decided that it is pretty obvious that "maze" or "labyrinth" should be part of the name, and there should be an adjetive that gives some idea of what are you going to find, why this labyrinth game is different of other labyrinth game. Every maze game we spotted are just puzzle games, no adventure, no history and no one use shadows but a dark circular mask, so we can use one of these two features.
The history mode will not be the only play mode in this game, so we focus in the shadows. The first idea was "Maze of Shadows" but it sounds like you have to do something with shadows, or you will be attacked by shadows, etc. Giving one more twist, the reason why there are shadows is the light and the dark, so we reached "The Dark Maze"
Rollback made. Goodbye to 2.5D. We are like some days before, but happier with the performance. All the test works, even in old phones and the overall performance is way better. We changed the rendering loop and the touch manager to keep track of wich finger is touching, so we can react one way or another to a touch up event. Now we are starting to think in sound, textures, UI, animations... that seems like a distant task, but sooner or later we have to make it.
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