SpaceSimCentral

Any plans to add let a player go on the outside of the ship to maybe access another part of the ship that was closed off or to repair something vital to the ship? With the recent updates to the planet it would be nice to see it all from the loneliness of space :)Duckocide will you have a inventory system in the game like in some point-click adventure games? That you can use to work your way through obstacles or puzzles.

Darkone wrote:
Any plans to add let a player go on the outside of the ship to maybe access another part of the ship that was closed off or to repair something vital to the ship? With the recent updates to the planet it would be nice to see it all from the loneliness of space
Well, If you look at the map post earlier, the "EVA Suits" room is an awful hint right ?!?
Darkone wrote:
Duckocide will you have a inventory system in the game like in some point-click adventure games? That you can use to work your way through obstacles or puzzles.
Seems like an age ago, but progress Video #13 showed the inventory system. One element to it is something called "Improvise". By adding items together, you may make a useful new one. For example, a rope and a hook could become a vital EVA tether. (Progress Video #13 from June 2010)

Hi AllLatest progress video is up... (Intro to the game)

Nice vid man. Really scared me when that base launched that projectile or whatever it was cause my speakers volume was turned up so it sounded really loud, like a cannon fire

SolCommand wrote:
Nice vid man. Really scared me when that base launched that projectile or whatever it was cause my speakers volume was turned up so it sounded really loud, like a cannon fire
Glad you like it. Surprise is something I hope the adventure will have. Plasma blast is part of the mystery.

Progress Video #24 is up. Demo of one of the Sub-games within the Adventure. Comments and observations welcome.

Nice video Duckocide. On the circuit board puzzle was wondering if you will have a few of the IC's with the same color but the serial numbers are different and there night be a guessing game to get the correct one depending on the scorch marks.Quick question on the smoke from the fire, will the smoke eventually effect the environment by causing a cloud in the cabin if not taken care of quickly?Nice soundtrack

Darkone wrote:
Quick question on the smoke from the fire, will the smoke eventually effect the environment by causing a cloud in the cabin if not taken care of quickly?Nice soundtrack
That is a really good question. I want to make sure the game looks great and is playable. This usually means you have to accentuate reality. I've pondered this very subject and tried various things. There are a couple of ways I could smoke up the rooms. The easiest (and least costly performance wise is simple fogging ... fades to a particular colour over distance). The other way is via cumulative particle effects (effectively adding more smoke particles to the scene, swirling and moving around). The latter is can become very costly to performance. Probably the biggest reason for me though is playability. Whatever the technique, if a room files with smoke, it makes it hard to play and somewhat inaccessible? What do you think? I know hardcore simulation fans will want the full on accuracy (I need to keep in mind wide appeal), but as far as a good adventure game is concerned, reality can be twisted ?

I know its hard to please all gamers, but with the wide range of gamers and equipment could you make (without too much effort I hope) this a setting in the game? So if you choose 'hardcore' mode that actually is trying to be as realistic as possible and your actions and the timeframe you do it in really do matter, and of course the user might need some decent hardware for this mode or get lower framerate and responsiveness. The 'normal' mode is for the avg gamer and is what the game defaults to. Most people will play this mode to begin with to see how they do completing the game in the time allotted so if they are successful they can move to the hardcode mode. If you don't decide on game modes I guess you could just make all these special instances a graphic and sound related settings in the setup where the player can turn on various fog/smoke effects, real lighting, blurred vision, etc...Because in hardcode mode you can ramp up the difficulty as well like in the circuit board puzzle... maybe if the player fails the test so many times the board becomes unusable and now you have to find another way out of the room (ie: harder puzzle to solve). Just some thoughts... and I know you cannot program every possible thing to please everyone.

For anyone tracking the progress of this simulation / adventure another progress video has been posted up... One of the things I love about adventure games are the sub-plots and additional backstory information you get along the way. Yeah sure, you spend time solving the current puzzle in front of you, but it's always interesting to find out what lead you to the predicament you are in. Within the Copernicus One adventure, I'm using something called the "Journal Reader" to allow for a browser style approach to story telling. This video shows that in action (it's a standard inventory item you can pull up at almost any time). I've gone for a simple Index and Entry approach to the interface. A very simple mark-up mechanism is used to describe the pages. In this particular video, you can read a memo that outlines why you are on the Copernicus One shuttle destined for Copernicus Base. In youtube HD, you should be able to read it. I'm pleased with this feature as I've spent time simulating a sub-optimal tablet display with interference, screen corruption and power fluctation. As well as backstory and information, the Journal Reader will also be used to weave things like game controls and other instructional information in to the game. When the game is published, I've been thinking that I could release two versions. A normal and reviewer/play guide version. The later could contain an explanation of the puzzles in each location. Anyway, having this browser like feature in the game means I can bring elements of classic text adventures in to the game without suspending belief too much! Enjoy the video

This is a nice touch for telling parts of the story Duckocide, and for trying to remember things like codes for doors or instructions for terminals and or blueprints.

must.... p-p-play...d....d.....d-that........g.....gh.......me.....*beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

Now, the Copernicus One shuttle is not just a trans-lunar transport. Oh no... There is a whole science capability within the vehicle that is starting to appear as yet more challenging locations... Now then, just how are you going to clear the "lock-down"?Things are really picking up with Copernicus One. The adventure engine is working well now and I'm able to get some more loctions and puzzles integrated. This video shows the latest location I've been working on, the "Science Lab". I've mentioned in previous videos that the environment plays an important aspect to the challenges in the game. As well as glimpsing a new location, you are also experiencing another danger on board the shuttle. Yep, it's radiation. Certainly, not something you want to get too much of! So, in the game, certain locations have installed Radiation monitors. If the radiation get's above a certain level, you need to do something about it before it becomes detrimental to your health. I'm not going to give anything else away! I hope you like the video. I think this location works well with the mysterious floral and bacterial experiments present. What you are not seeing in this presentation are some messages on the notice board and wall. That really would give too much away!

Time marches by, and Copernicus One keeps progressing a little further...

Looking good Duckocide One criticism I do have for you is right at the start where you are shown the memos and instructions, they are a little hard to make out against a moving background.

PINBACK wrote:
One criticism I do have for you is right at the start where you are shown the memos and instructions, they are a little hard to make out against a moving background.
It's better when playing for real (I think). Also, you can bring up the crew tablet at anytime in the game. I wanted the tablet to be semi-transparent (kinda futuristic). I'll have a think about it - The good thing about it being semi-transparent (in game) is that you can see what is happening while reading.

Great work on the trailer Duckocide. Has to ruin your day getting sucked outside the ship with no EVA suit :)I noticed in the trailer that Copernicus One says v1.0, you must be getting close to releasing the game? And on the controls help screen I noticed the Xbox controller will there be a PC control scheme as well?

Will you doing a demo of the game Duckocide

Looking good a demo or purchase option would be great

DarkOne wrote:
Great work on the trailer Duckocide. Has to ruin your day getting sucked outside the ship with no EVA suit :)I noticed in the trailer that Copernicus One says v1.0, you must be getting close to releasing the game? And on the controls help screen I noticed the Xbox controller will there be a PC control scheme as well?
Yes, I'll do a keyboard scheme for the PC. I'm probably being a bit lazy on the version numbers - There will be a PC version though.