[Action/Horror] Left Behind: Survivors of Belkin City

[+ CVincent 234]

The alpha demo is not currently available, it is planned to be released soon!

 

 

 

Left Behind is a game revolving around the lives of citizens who now live in a quarantined city. It is an action/horror RPG game heavily focused on story-based elements to build its atmosphere.

 

 

 

Artwork:

•

 

Music and Sounds:

•

 

Story Development:

•

 

Script & Dialogue:

•

 

Mapping:

•

 

Event Scripting:

•

 

Battle System:

•

 

The Safehouse:

•

 

 

 

Introduction Prologue

 

It's either kill or be killed in Belkin city, and you're no exception in this situation. You're not sure how it happened or when it started, but a virus has breached civilian life and has begun to mutate human DNA, the people affected rot and slowly turn mindless as they become savage zombies.

 

As a survivor in this city it's up to you to survive by any means necessary. When danger lurks around every corner you'll face the horrors of life in this post-disaster civilization and meet other survivors who will either help you or turn against you.

 

Among the mutated stands more obstacles in your way. The Advanced Infection Regulation Unit, or "A.I.R. Unit" for short are a private military organization made for the purpose of containing and eliminating the virus. They have constructed a secure militarized wall around Belkin city to keep the infection and any survivors trapped. They have weapons, they are hostile and they will kill anything that tries to escape.

 

The populous of living people in the city has dwindled to near non-existant over the course of a few weeks and you are one of the few who have managed to survive after being abandoned by all former humanitarian hopes.

 

You are a survivor, you have been left behind.

 

 

Introduction Backstory

 

September 17, 2017

 

It's been three weeks since the virus has spread and consumed Belkin city. Over mere days since its arrival tens of thousands of people have died or have fallen to the disease. You're not sure what caused it or when it first broke out, but you're thankful that you're at least alive. It could be a miracle that you got through this far, or maybe it was just by sheer dumb luck.

 

The city is under quarantine by the Advanced Infection Regulation Unit, a private military company that specializes in the containment and elimination of biochemical hazards. Anything that comes near the walls are shot by automated turrets or by patrolling sentries. You've managed to escape the A.I.R's frequent street cleansing by the skin of your teeth as they hunt for the undead and roaming survivors who possibly carry the infection in their bodies.

 

Your life has been horribly derailed since the day it all first hit but you've learned to adapt, you are a survivor. The sound of distant gunfire echoes daily in the streets and over the rooftops of the countless complexes that cross the city. You're no stranger to seeing the bodies of the dead counted up by the dozen.

 

It's now that you've realized just how difficult it is to get by on your own. You've been disconnected from your family, friends and way of life. Civilization doesn't work the way it used to, bartering is usually done at gunpoint.

 

After all you've been through the nights never pass any more easily. Tomorrow is another day to survive. You're not sure what might happen then but you know to be ready for anything. As you find refuge for the night you wonder if you'll survive another day.

 

 

 

Vincent Cross:

• Main character, protagonist

• Male, 25yrs old

 

 

The game is centered around Vincent's experience of survival in Belkin City. Being middle-management for a marketing company in Belkin, he was trapped when A.I.R. Unit initiated the quarantine. His closest family lived in a town outside of Belkin called Marilyn Valley, his old hometown. He has a general set of skills which are improved through his interaction with other survivors and is controlled by the player throughout the entire game.

 

 

Emily Miller:

• Leader of the Survivors of Belkin City

• Female, 26yrs old

 

A native to Belkin, her family owned a house outside of the College district. During the following weeks her father went missing and she unwillingly fell into the position of becoming the group's leader. Her father taught her survival and combat skills so she could protect herself. 

 

 

Allan Miller:

• Founder of the Survivors of Belkin City

• Military Veteran

• Male, 47yrs old

 

As soon as Allan had his first glimpse of the breakout he immediately began preparing for his family's survival. His wife, Rebecca, became one of the first citizens infected by the virus and under its influence she attempted to kill Emily. Allan barely managed to rush to Emily's aid in time and was forced to kill Rebecca to stop her from harming their daughter. Later into the quarantine there was a schism within the group resulting in a fight between Allan and Darren Novak, his challenger. This concluded in the pair falling off a bridge leaving Emily to assume control of the group.

 

 

Katelyn O'Connell:

• Group doctor

• Female, 23yrs old

 

She is native to New York State and is one year away from completing her medical school degree. After deciding to visit her friend in Belkin City, she became a witness to the outbreak when her friend suddenly became infected right before her eyes. After managing to escape the situation she meets up with Emily and Allan who offer to take her in to their group of survivors. Katelyn's strong personality brought her and Emily closer and lends to reinforcing Emily's leadership in the group.

 

 

"Torque":

• Group mechanic

• Male, 22yrs old

 

Torque earned his nickname by being a naturally skilled mechanic. Ever since he was young his passion was taking things apart and put them back together. Half a year before the breakout of the infection he completed his education in Belkin college and worked at a local gas station. His girlfriend who was studying in Belkin college went missing shortly after the first reports of infection hit Belkin. He sees himself as the person in charge of keeping the group's morale up. Despite this he still takes the situation seriously and understands what it takes to overcome their problems.

 

 

Jace McGee:

• Group engineer

• Male, 29yrs old

 

Jace's life has been troubled by constant family issues. His father left when he was young leaving his mother alone to take care of him and developing attachment issues. This lead to Jace eventually having an abusive step-father who controlled the family and moved them around often. Jace moved out alone as soon as he could and eventually his step-father left his mother. Alone and depressed in Belkin his mother died and was buried in its cemetery. Jace revisited the city every so often to mourn for his mother but despises the city thoroughly. Arriving on the last commercial plane to the city he became trapped shortly after the quarantine started.

 

 

Isaiah Walker:

• Group gunsmith

• African-American Male, 38yrs old

• Ex-A.I.R. Unit soldier, went MIA after being turned out for possibly being infected.

 

As a native to Belkin he opted to work in the city once he heard the infection was spreading in the area. Determined to protect his family he abandoned the A.I.R. Unit, and was assumed to be infected.

 

 

Jackson Walker:

• Male, 19yrs old

 

Isaiah's son, Jackson, went missing like many others when the quarantine started. He was presumed to be finding refuge with his mother by Isaiah.

 

 

Jessica Locke

• Hunter Class

• Female, 27yrs old

 

Growing up in Belkin's Orphanage founded by the Christian Church in Belkin City, she was never adopted and grew detached from people over time. In her younger years she always tried to stand out by making herself seem unique, but her opportunity to be adopted never came. As she grew older she was placed in several government funded programs, only to end up struggling through them. She eventually found her own path by fending for herself by all means necessary. Ending up staying in Belkin City during the outbreak, her familiarity with the city became key to her survival.

 

 

Tristan West

• Group trader/inventory manager

• Male, 16yrs old

 

A young teenager who was separated from his parents during the outbreak. After some time on his own he eventually found the group of survivors in the days it was lead by Allan. Tristan tries to block out the reality of the world outside the safehouse by keeping himself locked in, tending to equipment of the group and managing their inventories. He managed to create a bartering system based on point values, making inner-group trading easier based on their individual contributions.

 

 

Note: All maps are a WIP until stated complete.

 

Exterior Design (and for cutscenes!)

(-Updated 10/07/2015-)

 

The following maps are -very- old and do not represent the current state of the game. These will be updated shortly!

Vincent's Apartment

(-Updated 09/05/2015-)

 

Hospital Hallway

(-Updated 09/05/2015-)

 

Doctor's Office

(-Updated 09/05/2015-)

 

 

Note: The class only available to the player is "Survivor", however you will unlock new abilities from other classes as you interact with characters and progress through the game.

 

Doctor: This class focuses on healing themselves and others and has special resistances versus various types of infected. They patch injuries and provide antidotes for illnesses, they can also treat extreme wounds if the proper equipment is available.

 

• While in a team they increase the amount of healing received through medical items and field procedures.

 

Engineer: An engineer builds and destroys. Fortifying a position offers strategic value when one is available, bringing down the defenses of an enemy is also suitable to the role.

 

Gunsmith: Although no skills are currently planned for this class, a character with this class is able to repair, maintain and improve firearms -and- close-hand weapons.

 

Hunter: A hunter is primarily a long range combatant who prepares for combat ahead of time by setting traps. Their skills are particularly handy when planning a combat engagement or escaping from one.

 

Mechanic: These people repair motor and electrical equipment. They are most useful when fixing broken generators which are key to surviving in Belkin City due to the grid power being controlled by A.I.R. forces.

 

Soldier: Using their experience in combat to their advantage, their skills are perfect for crowd control. Multi-target shooting is one of their highlight skills, clearing waves of enemies becomes easier with their knowledge of thrown explosives.

 

• Passively increases the total amount of recovery received.

• Has an increase in damage mitigation while taking cover.

• While in a team 

 

Survivor: The most general class of people who were once citizens. They do not have a particular set of skills useful in combat or aid, however they are fast learners and are capable of learning from others.

 

• While in a team all experience earned is increased.

• Gains passives from other classes.

 

 

Developed Features

• Useful equipment in every situation

• Characters with important plot development

The game has a large focus on the main character's interaction with other survivors. You will become stronger survivor by playing through character story missions.

 

 

Planned Features

• Your Safehouse

Team up with the other survivors of Belkin city and improve your safehouse. Scavenge parts and upgrade it to allow more survivors to join the group. Stash your loot, accept new tasks, trade with the survivors and assemble your team

 

• Switch weapons mid-battle

Have a weapon that's most suitable to your needs in the fight but don't have it equipped? Use one turn to change gear and have it armed and ready!

 

• Scavenging and crafting

Weapons can be upgraded to be more effective in combat, you can also craft consumable items to dispatch a group of enemies much more easily. Use spare parts to upgrade your safehouse.

 

• Custom artwork by renowned community artists.

 

 

(To be updated as development progresses)

 

Art & Graphics -

• RPG Maker: Modern Day Tiles Resource Pack published by Degica (Steam)

• RPG Maker: Zombie Survival Graphic Pack published by Degica (Steam)

• RPG Maker: Futuristic Tiles Resource Pack published by Degica (Steam)

• Additional custom tilework and graphics done by Erik Tucsok and Christopher Hooper

 

• Logo images made on cooltext.com

 

 

Audio -

• RPG Maker: Modern Music Mega-Pack published by Degica (Steam), composer Joel Steudler

• RPG Maker: Survival Horror Music Pack published by Degica (Steam), composer Joel Steudler

• RPG Maker: Futuristic Atmospheres published by Degica (Steam), composer Joel Steudler

• RPG Maker: Cinematic Soundtrack Music Pack published by Degica (Steam), composer Joel Steudler

• Additional Audio: www.freesfx.co.uk

 

Art -

• Hirei, Vincent character sketch

• Mak-Star, character sprites

• 1iamaddoc, weapon sprites

 

Engine -

Built using RPG Maker VX Ace + 

• Luna Engine published by Degica (Steam)

+ Archeia Nessaih, Yami, NeonBlack, Rhyme

 

Graphics -

• Ayene-Chan, paintings and floor carpets

• RPG Maker: Futuristic Atmospheres

• RPG Maker: Zombie Survival Graphic Pack

• RPG Maker: Modern Day Tiles Pack

 

Scripts -

• Moghunter Atelier RGSS3 ATB + Various Addons

https://atelierrgss.wordpress.com/

 

• Khas Awesome Light Effects by Khas Arcthunder

• Khas Pixel Movement by Khas Archthunder

http://arcthunder.blogspot.ca/

 

• Yanfly Skill Item Cost by Yanfly

• Yanfly Weapon Attack Replacer by Yanfly

https://yanflychannel.wordpress.com/

 

• Hime's Map Screenshot Script

http://himeworks.com/

 

 

Apex Vidicus

Story/Script Writer, Creative Consultant

 

Christopher Hooper (CVincent)

Project Lead, Mapping & Database

 

 

• The original Left Behind community 

If any of you see this project at some point, please send me a message. It's been a long time since I've been able to talk to any of you and you're all the reason why this became a thing. Thanks for being an inspiration to this project and for being a part of the original series.

 

 

Support the Project!

Highlight the image and press CTRL+C then use CTRL+V to paste it in your signature.

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by CVincent

[Point08 219]

Glad to see this up in the showroom! I'm excited to see the end result.

 

Keep an eye on this one people, it's going to be a good one.

[Whiona 310]

Aw man, I can't believe I didn't notice your Showroom topic until now. Damn essays...

 

Sounds like you have some great ideas! The quarantine aspects of the plot are interesting - I wonder how those street raids will play out. I also love the ability to switch weapons mid-battle, so thank you for that. I'll admit that I'm a total baby and therefore not normally one for horror games (I couldn't even get through The Last of Us...) but I'll try my best to beat this, I swear. As long as there are minimal jump scares, I should be able to do it.

[... 47]

Maps needs a little details, though. I know they're still a WIPs. But in the Vincent's apartment, the kitchen however looks a bit odd.

 

Aside from that, this looks badass, good job! :>

[+ CVincent 234]

Thanks for the replies, I've been feeling uninspired so the attention helps keeps things interesting for me.

 

 

@Whiona

 

 

Aw man, I can't believe I didn't notice your Showroom topic until now. Damn essays...

 

Sounds like you have some great ideas! The quarantine aspects of the plot are interesting - I wonder how those street raids will play out. I also love the ability to switch weapons mid-battle, so thank you for that. I'll admit that I'm a total baby and therefore not normally one for horror games (I couldn't even get through The Last of Us...) but I'll try my best to beat this, I swear. As long as there are minimal jump scares, I should be able to do it.

 

Missed seeing you around! I'll probably only have a few simple ones thrown in, I want the horror aspects of the game inspired from others such as Witch's House. It should all come down to what I have in the project budget for art. I may end up having to change the genre since it may not end up being as much of a horror game in the end. Either way, it's going to have great emotionally driven story elements since I have a dedicated writer working with me.

 

 

@Skymoon

 

Maps needs a little details, though. I know they're still a WIPs. But in the Vincent's apartment, the kitchen however looks a bit odd.

 

Aside from that, this looks badass, good job! :>

 

Thanks! I first spent most of my attention building the story and not so much the mapping. I just learned how to do parallax mapping thanks to Necromedes giving a tutorial, so I'm going to be making the maps with more detail and with less awkward spaces. A big problem I had was being limited to detail since I could only use so many tilesets per map, I'll definitely give extra attention to the apartment to make things flow together a bit more nicely.

 

I'll edit the post with a couple of pictures some time today once I finish up most of the hospital, it's going to look far different from what I originally posted. You can expect it to be dark and eerie now that I've been working on getting lighting into the maps.

Edited March 21, 2015 by CVincent

[Point08 219]

It looks like things are coming along well! I can't wait for this project to be finished!

 

I know you're still working on the maps, and even mentioned specifically lighting, so you've probably got this on your to-do list already, but just in case: don't forget to make wall shadows fall onto objects as well. Of course, if you're adding your own lighting effects, then the assumption is you will have your own light sources within the walls of the maps. If that's true, then really the whole global-light-source-coming-from-the-left wall shadow thing might be completely unnecessary and you can leave off wall shadows in favor of shadows based solely on where your lights are. Adds more difficulty and complexity to the map/lighting creation process though, so whether or not the payoff is worth the extra time and effort is for you to do decide.

 

Overall it looks great man, so hurry up and get a demo out!

[+ CVincent 234]

@Point

 

Exactly my thoughts! I took off the left wall shading on the maps so I have a better idea of how light sources will affect shading. It's going to be a lot more work than I expected, but the end result should be quite nice. It turns out that I have to do lighting for both day and night on most maps, so it's going to be a bit of extra work. That said, returning to old places in the map should be interesting as you'll end up finding things you may not have seen before.

 

Parallax mapping has been fairly straightforward, but since the game will mostly have a dark atmosphere it will take a lot of extra layering to make sure the shadows are the way they need to be. Necromedes covered shadows in his tutorial so I should be fairly set well for the most part.

 

It will be a little while before the demo gets released. I'm really aiming for commercial quality, so I'm taking care to spend extra time on each piece of the project to polish it as much as possible. Thank you for keeping me inspired, I have a lot to do so it can sometimes be discouraging. 

[Tarq 746]

Cool-looking game dude. I wish a realistic modern setting was used more often; its a particularly good choice for a survival game.

You should be careful using the modern tiles pack though; half your graphics have a chunky black outline (ie. in Vincent's apartment, compare the cupboard in the living room to the drawers in the bedroom). Oh well, I'm sure its something you've addressed now you're focussing on parallaxing.

 

Personally, I didn't dig the whole "Vincent will become a stronger survivor by working with his team. You will unlock more gameplay by playing through character sidequests." thing. Obviously, it make sense to reward players who choose to be more invested in the game but if you basically have to do these sidequests to get decent gear then there's no choice involved really; its just a new form of grinding.

 

Also, have you considered a weapon degrading system? It seems like it would suit this game, and its not too challenging a system to impelement.

 

Anyways, let me know if you ever need a playtester, be glad to do it.

[+ CVincent 234]

@Kaust

 

Thank you for your support Kaust, I totally agree that a realistic modern setting should be used more. I was going it set in the past but I thought 2017 would allow for a bit of flexibility to work on semi-futuristic ideas.

 

 

 

 

You should be careful using the modern tiles pack though; half your graphics have a chunky black outline (ie. in Vincent's apartment, compare the cupboard in the living room to the drawers in the bedroom). Oh well, I'm sure its something you've addressed now you're focussing on parallaxing.

 

I actually didn't pay too much attention to it considering as how it'd be a massive amount of work trying to remove it from each tile and making sure they all look proper without it. Once I add shadows to each of the maps I should be able to hide it from standing out because things will be much darker and more naturally lit up.

 

I'll definitely give a bit of a closer look though, I'm mostly hoping for shadows keeping those lines masked.

 

 

 

 

Personally, I didn't dig the whole "Vincent will become a stronger survivor by working with his team. You will unlock more gameplay by playing through character sidequests." thing. Obviously, it make sense to reward players who choose to be more invested in the game but if you basically have to do these sidequests to get decent gear then there's no choice involved really; its just a new form of grinding.

 

Perhaps I should have worded it better, but I'll get into more detail if it helps explain the idea better.

 

Early on in development I made story progression a main concern. I never wanted the game to feel grindy or ever like you had to do sidequests in order to become relevant. The idea of capturing a state of survival without having too many survival elements in the game is to have a sense of freedom.

 

One could definitely complete the game without playing through all of the character sidequests as they would not be limited to using "weaker" equipment. You would probably get the "bad" ending though, something is already planned for this.

 

Maybe I should explain in greater detail..

 

Firstly I'd like to say that all equipment is balanced in a way that makes them useful throughout the game. I've achieved this by using two types of resists and damage types (blunt and piercing). Both allow me to edit how effective a weapon will be against a certain enemy, or how well your equipment blocks damage.

 

For example if you're wearing a leather jacket you'll have much higher blunt damage resists rather than piercing damage resists. Zombies won't do as much to you, but bullets will put a hole through you and have you on the ground. The same goes for weapons as some will have flat blunt or piercing damage, or even mixed damage to make things easier against certain enemies.

 

The main incentive for sidequests is to play and see more of the game, I wanted the player to feel like they could be a part of the story without being guided all the way through it. This also puts some ease on the development side because we don't have to worry about keeping everything completely linear anymore.

 

The idea of having your character become stronger is more of a suggestive idea, there are no stats that scale in the game so your efficiency will mostly depend on the gear you're using at the time and how well you can manipulate the combat system. (Gonna make an update on that today.)

 

Vincent is a normal citizen and lacks the skills that the other survivors have. Using one as an example, Isaiah will be a core part of your game because he allows you to take broken weapons and make them usable again. If you decide to do his sidequests it will be completely up to you, and you'll get a nice trip out of it as a return.

 

Hopefully that mostly addresses those concerns, I definitely don't want to lose sight of this game being very story driven and character focused. It is by no means a standard kind of RPG, even if there are systems in place that make it function similar to one.

 

 

 

 

Also, have you considered a weapon degrading system? It seems like it would suit this game, and its not too challenging a system to impelement.

 

I hadn't actually, but that's an interesting idea.. I'll talk about it with some people and look into the pros/cons of using a system like that. I don't think we'd actually need it because chances are you'll be using every kind of weapon throughout the game and I don't want to make micro-management too much of a hassle..

 

 

 

 

Anyways, let me know if you ever need a playtester, be glad to do it.

 

Of course! The demo is planned to release this month, and while it's only going to be a very small piece of the game it will need to be updated often to make sure I fine-tune absolutely every element of the game.

[Tarq 746]

I should have said 'weapon durability' rather than 'degrading' in that last post. But yeah, I guess if you're cycling through equipment frequently you'd probly never use a weapon long enough to break it.

 

Even if the game can be completed with just the starting gear, it will always be better to have more of it than to not; I think this holds especially true of a game with a strategic battle system. Even if the game is well balanced, particularly when the game is well balanced, choice is vital. The ability to better adapt to a wider array of circumstances may not be an obvious statistical strength but its still an undeniable growth in power. My only concern was that if there was a high ratio of sidequests to main story in Left Behind then quite a few would likely provide some form of physical reward (gear, money, supplies), alongside the fuller story. So while the difficulty level of the main story has remained static, the player who opted to play through all the sidequests will probably have a much easier time beating the main story. Likewise, if you're ever stuck in the game the most logical thing to do is to hunt out new equipment for an advantage; the same goal as grinding. Blegh, I am awful at explaining stuff.

 

Anyways, good luck with it. I'll await the demo

 

Reason for edit: a better explanation, hopefully.

Edited March 31, 2015 by Kaust

[BigBlueCar 22]

The look of the maps doesn't seem to match with the setting. Why does he still live in his apartment anyway? Have him live in an abandoned space of some sort, that will be more ludo-narrative.

[+ CVincent 234]

I haven't updated the screenshots in quite a while because I've been practicing techniques with parallax mapping, here's a more updated version (yet still unfinished).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something I should stress is that I'm spending a lot of time learning new techniques, rather than pumping out maps at the moment. I'll be sure to get some better screenshots out today, they're desperately needed.

 

Vincent doesn't live in his apartment anymore because he had to abandon it to find safety elsewhere, which lead to him meeting a group of survivors who take him in. He will be returning back to his apartment briefly during the main story, 

 

Also! Hirei did some awesome artwork for me, here's a sketch of Vincent:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven't really updated things recently, but there has been a ton of stuff worked on and planned. I'll get the thread updated nicely over this week, hopefully you'll all be impressed. ^^

Edited April 27, 2015 by CVincent

[Knighterius 502]

Aw man, I can't believe I didn't notice your Showroom topic until now. Damn essays...

 

Sounds like you have some great ideas! The quarantine aspects of the plot are interesting - I wonder how those street raids will play out. I also love the ability to switch weapons mid-battle, so thank you for that. I'll admit that I'm a total baby and therefore not normally one for horror games (I couldn't even get through The Last of Us...) but I'll try my best to beat this, I swear. As long as there are minimal jump scares, I should be able to do it.

Yeah talk about damn essays. I didn't see it til now and it's been ages! YIKES!

 

 

Wow! Looks really well done! ^~^ I can honestly say I'll be following the hype train to Belkin City. ^~^ hehe I honestly loved The Last of Us and even if you say it's in no relation to it I wouldn't care otherwise.

[+ CVincent 234]

 

 

Yeah talk about damn essays. I didn't see it til now and it's been ages! YIKES!

 

Wow! Looks really well done! ^~^ I can honestly say I'll be following the hype train to Belkin City. ^~^ hehe I honestly loved The Last of Us and even if you say it's in no relation to it I wouldn't care otherwise.

 

Thanks Knighterius! 

 

I've yet to actually play the game myself, although I've seen a few short episodes of a Let's Play before. If things are handled properly then I'll have a story that is close to or is as intriguing to that game. My writer is working hard on making sure the script and dialogue is perfect and won't settle for anything less.

 

As for the mapping I'm doing, you can expect it to become much better once I start adding in finer details to the parallax mapping. I've learned a few neat tricks over the last week to make the city look more broken down and dirty.

 

Again, thank you for the interest, all of the support the community gives really helps motivate me to push this project further into something unique. I've got some fun things being worked on now that I can't wait to be ready to show off.

[jaggernaut25 11]

After all the feedback and help you've been giving me over the past few days, I thought I would chime in on yours as well!

 

First - how did you do the effect with the light shining in the window in the first screenshot? That looks awesome!

 

Second - I love your idea and I really look forward to seeing how this progresses. The not leveling up and instead using equipment sounds like a really fun twist on the traditional mechanics.

 

Finally - my only real gripe with it is in the first screenshot, the perspective in the bathroom looks a little wonky to me. It took me a while to notice where the door was located and the wall and floor kind of blend together in my eyes for some reason.

 

I will definitely be following this topic!

[+ CVincent 234]

Thank you for checking out my project jaggernaut!

 

 

 

First - how did you do the effect with the light shining in the window in the first screenshot? That looks awesome!

 

It's a fairly complicated process, so I'll be as detailed as possible here. I'd like to note that I am parallax mapping using GIMP, so if you attempt this with another program it may work differently.

 

 

1.) Create a new layer above all others called "Shadows & Lighting".

2.) Paint the whole layer black and change the opacity to roughly 65%. This darkened the map and allows for the next step to work.

3.) Create a layer mask on this layer and select "layer's alpha channel". This will give you a second layer to work with that will have properties of your shadow layer.

4.) Click the layer mask you're using and paste in the tile you want to make lighting from. Invert the color and flip it vertically.

5.) Use the perspective tool to adjust how stretched out you want the light to be. You can get really creative with this,

6.) Add a slight blur to the lighting and use the dodge tool around the edges to help it blend in a bit more smoothly. You can also use the burn tool if you want it to be darkened a little.

 

7.) Here's a bonus step using the window as an example: Copy/paste the window tile ON TOP of the main window using the layer mask. Invert the color and it should be brightened appropriately.

 

And that's about it! I did a few extra steps that I hadn't mentioned because it's not easy for first time users to get the hang of. There's a WIP update for this map that will be coming out soon using some of the feedback you gave.

 

 

 

 

 

Second - I love your idea and I really look forward to seeing how this progresses. The not leveling up and instead using equipment sounds like a really fun twist on the traditional mechanics.

 

It's incredibly fun to work with. I have much more freedom to make other aspects of the game allow for progression rather than worrying about what level the player has to be. It works nicely for an open world game because balancing becomes a whole lot easier, you don't need to fiddle with as many numbers and it helps keep the player focused on the story rather than just grinding out levels. Plus, it encourages the player to do sidequests in order to get perks in the form of equipment.

 

 

 

Finally - my only real gripe with it is in the first screenshot, the perspective in the bathroom looks a little wonky to me. It took me a while to notice where the door was located and the wall and floor kind of blend together in my eyes for some reason.

 

I'd just like to quickly note that the maps are still heavily WIP, but I'm always looking to make improvements so thank you for mentioning that.

 

The bathroom is still a pretty huge problem room because I intended on having some doors open that the player could simply walk through. I've realized that it really makes a lot of things more difficult and throws off the perspective. I'll probably replace the door with a regular one and see how it works out again. Sometimes simplicity is the best solution.

 

As for the floor and the walls matching, I kind of see it too and it may be due to the tiles being so similar. I think you might also be seeing how the perspective works in this game -- the player can walk behind one tile of the wall to help with the upwards tilted perspective of the map. It's a subtle thing, but I needed something to help with the fact that I'm using tall character sprites.

 

I hope my response cleared that up. Also, if you have any suggestions on details that could be added or changed I'd like to hear them. Thank you for supporting my project!

Edited May 27, 2015 by CVincent

[+ CVincent 234]

We've made a massive amount of progress behind the scenes recently, mostly to tie the story and the characters more closely together. Because of this we've been able to return to the gameplay mechanics and have created a progressive skill system based on story and quest progression.

 

Changelog:

 

• Character sidequests are now a main part of each chapter of the game. In order to advance to the next chapter all sidequests must be completed for the sake of keeping the story enjoyable while preventing the player from missing out on anything important.

 

• Project thread edited to be more up-to-date with current details. Images for each section of the post have been added as well.

 - Character bios updated

 - Lore updated

 - New infected added

 

• Two new characters are being developed, Alexander Woods (an A.I.R. Lieutenant operating in Belkin City) and Dakota Reed (another survivor). 

 

• Skill system in development.

 - Each character has specific skills that will be upgraded as the game progresses. As you complete the main objective storyline and character missions you'll gain perks and skills based off of each character's class.

 

• Safehouse designs are in the works

 - Tristan's safehouse shop is now mostly planned out. The bartering system is being balanced at the same time as I work on custom scripting for menus.

 - Guard your safehouse from invading hordes! You'll need to upgrade the safehouse to push infected away from the area. Two extra characters (who shall not yet be named) will become available to help guard the safehouse at a later stage in the game.

 

 

• I've been experimenting with exterior designs and think I've come up with a pretty solid solution to what once was a major issue. This is a very early WIP of an idea for what one of the office buildings will look like. I haven't added in the lighting effects or much else yet but the idea is to put in a ton of detail behind the glass to make interior design mapping much easier.

 

 

• We've also made a support banner! If you'd like to suggest any changes (resolution, etc) then please either post here or message me. I'll even make a custom one for you if you'd like.

 

Highlight the image and press CTRL+C then use CTRL+V to paste it in your signature.

 

 

There's a lot more progress incoming, the ball is beginning to roll. Keep us supported!

Edited July 11, 2015 by CVincent

[JaiCrimson 22]

I can't say anything for sure until I experience the game itself but I can say that overall, everything looks to be great. The maps are beautiful, although I'm a little curious as to why Vincent has such a luxurious bed xD. Makes me jealous, I want a bed like that! I also really like the story and arcs. I was a little hesitant at first, because it seemed a bit cliche for some characters but after reading everything I really enjoyed the balance between the cliches that exist because such things are actually very much a reality in zombie setting and the original ideas that don't normally make their way into good works of art like this.

 

Be careful with the sidequests though. Not everyone will want to have all the info, some people will play purely for the action and the experience. Therefore requiring all sidequests to be complete before moving on seems a little much. I always believed sidequests were called such because they were optional. I'm not trying to down your idea or anything but realistically a lot of people will rush through the game and not really pay much attention to the story. At the same time, a lot of people will also search for every detail. Just be careful with restricting a players options!

[+ CVincent 234]

Thanks for the post Jai!

 

 

 

The maps are beautiful, although I'm a little curious as to why Vincent has such a luxurious bed xD. Makes me jealous, I want a bed like that! 

 

The maps are getting even better as I practice, exterior mapping has really helped us stylize the game. I'm pretty excited to finish some maps and show them off.

 

EDIT: Also, Vincent had a pretty good job before the city went into quarantine and spends most of his time sleeping if he's not at the office. It'd be considered an investment if all of this hadn't happened.

 

 

 

I was a little hesitant at first, because it seemed a bit cliche for some characters but after reading everything I really enjoyed the balance between the cliches that exist because such things are actually very much a reality in zombie setting and the original ideas that don't normally make their way into good works of art like this.

 

I'm glad you noticed that. We needed to have a balance between common tropes and realistic concepts of how certain people would react to a situation like this. Rest assured each character has a background history that plays into their emotional responses.

 

 

 

Be careful with the sidequests though. Not everyone will want to have all the info, some people will play purely for the action and the experience. Therefore requiring all sidequests to be complete before moving on seems a little much. I always believed sidequests were called such because they were optional. I'm not trying to down your idea or anything but realistically a lot of people will rush through the game and not really pay much attention to the story. At the same time, a lot of people will also search for every detail. Just be careful with restricting a players options!

 

Sidequests used to be optional but we eventually realized that the player would be missing out more than half of the content that the game would have to offer. They main quest is more of a main objective while character sidequests are more of objectives that progress character development. We took advantage of this idea by allowing the character sidequests to be done in any order in their respective chapter; so for example if Katelyn and Torque both have a mission in the chapter you can choose which one to do first.

 

We also give the player plenty of incentive for investing themselves into these parts of the game. To become stronger you'll improve your skills after working with other characters, which becomes extremely useful during combat in the game.

 

As for your concern about players who would play purely for action there will be plenty of it during character sidequests as well. Our mission objectives aren't exactly traditional and require much more than "collect X to advance" for example. I'll have to talk to my writer about putting out a teaser for an action-based quest. 

 

So I suppose to say that I'm sure we'll deliver the best of both all worlds by maintaining story, action and horror in a way that involves the player more naturally in the plot.

 

Thank you so much for your post!

Edited July 11, 2015 by CVincent

[Whiona 310]

Great to hear that the story and characters are coming together! The maps are looking excellent as well. I look forward to seeing the unique skills that each character has.

 

I can see why you might want to make sidequests necessary if they contain most of the character development. If that's the case, however, then I would strongly suggest giving them a different name than "sidequests" - maybe "character quests"? I just came up with that off the top of my head, so I'm sure you could think of something better. The name "sidequest" does carry the implication that the quests are optional, so players might be confused when they find out that isn't the case.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Whiona

[+ CVincent 234]

 

Great to hear that the story and characters are coming together! The maps are looking excellent as well. I look forward to seeing the unique skills that each character has. 

 

I can see why you might want to make sidequests necessary if they contain most of the character development. If that's the case, however, then I would strongly suggest giving them a different name than "sidequests" - maybe "character quests"? I just came up with that off the top of my head, so I'm sure you could think of something better. The name "sidequest" does carry the implication that the quest is optional, so players might be confused when they find out that it isn't.

 

Nice seeing you here again, and thank you for the comment about the mapping. ^^

 

We're definitely thinking of something to call it, we had to change the main storyline to main objective just to keep things simple.

 

Once I start hammering out some more maps I should be able to throw a video together. I'm trying to learn how to use Invenio so once I pair that with these parallaxes we should have something pretty to look at.

[+ Sughayyer 163]

I saw your recruitment thread, must applicants post here or send a PM?

[+ CVincent 234]

I'd prefer a PM since the positions are paid work and it may not be proper to discuss a business deal in public view. I'll send you a message though!

Edited July 20, 2015 by CVincent

[kaz 1,338]

I saw your recruitment thread, must applicants post here or send a PM?

All recruitment offers must be dealt with by PM.

[+ CloudTheWolf 7]

Looks Amazing!