Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Top Secret Meetings (ND#28 Name Spoiler!)

It has come to the time where the design team has roughed-out the full story and play-through of Ghost of Thornton Hall, and we have begun our top-secret game walkthrough meetings for it!

Ok, since the game is still a work in progress, we are still early in the animations, script, puzzles, and just about everything else, but since the story/play design has been mapped out (yet is still subject to alteration and change), we are giving it a try.

I got to be the first player!! (^_^) I was super excited to volunteer to "play" the game verbally, while our writer and designer narrate and guide the course of the game. It sounds kind of silly to say we verbally play the game, so I'll try to explain it better:

The design team and members from each department sit in our main conference room with their notebooks and pens. (Each member from the department is ready to answer game/art/puzzle/logic questions to help everyone understand how the game will look and work, as well as provide opinions for potential changes.) The designer describes the beginning of the game and then asks what I would like to do next, and provides a rough map. I then say something like "I want to explore Niko's office. What do I see?" Designer: "There is a desk, a mechanical pigeon, some bookshelves and a candy dispenser." Me: "Let's get some candy from the dispenser!" Designer: "It's locked!" And when I encounter a character, our writer provides the information, their dialogue and what I, as Nancy, can ask. Hmm.... I wonder if I could persuade him to reply in different voices...

Here is an example map that we got to look at for The Deadly Device walkthrough (note: I blurred out a few areas for those of you who have not finished the game yet):


It's really fun, and I have to take lots of real notes so that I know what I did and still need to do, as well as what's in my inventory.

Twitter Quote Contest today! This week's prize is a digital guide to Trail of the Twister, and I do think the quote you need to guess is an easy one. No worries on providing a last name. ;)
~Little Jackalope~

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of CAP layout! looks fun! Can't wait!

Future Animator said...

I think that sounds like a fun meeting!:D Eek, can't wait until Thornton Hall, i'm thinking this one will be like SAW, but with more scariness, better graphics and in a different place. I'll just have a hard time keeping my friends quiet in the middle of the night when we play it. They where scared in TMB!

I've seen a lot of those kind of maps:) my dad is a contractor, and he taught me how to read them.

Joshua C said...

See text based RP Game... or maybe voice based RP Game.

Anonymous said...

That verbal playthrough of the game sounds much like one of those text adventures of yore!

Anonymous said...

I would love to work with you guys! Or,atleast sit quietly and watch you guys do this role play thing! it sound awesome and fun. Do you do that for every game? Cool map. I can't wait to play DED.

From me,
Silvertongue.

Anonymous said...

That sound so cool!! I wish I could get to verbally test Nancy Drew games... :(

Claire said...

That sounds awesome!!! It would be fun to be a fly on the wall in that meeting, or to be a member of the meeting. It sounds like a great way to share ideas about how best to shape the game for the development process.