Game Development Community

SciFi Interiors - Feature Creep is a Good Thing

by Alan James · 01/05/2009 (4:45 pm) · 28 comments

Hi Everyone!

I know that some of you think once again that I've fallen off the face of the planet, but really I haven't. And I know some of you were anticipating a mid December release of the SciFi Interiors Pack....at the time so was I.

Things were moving along nicely until I managed to overwrite the "Aged" texture version of the models - all of them - with the standard version. It's not as bad as it sounds, since it gave me a bit of time to reflect on the fact that I hadn't really liked those textures anyways and needed an excuse to revise them.

Then I got the flu. Then my entire family got the flu. Then I got the flu again. Then we passed it around for a while. Then I really got the flu. Then I go better. All this time I was looking and working here and there on the Pack, realizing that it just wasn't exactly what I wanted. It looked good, but it looked plain to me, and I know for content work generic is probably more acceptable than too unique, but I still didn't like it. So I started reworking the pack.

During this process I began to think of things that I would have liked to have had four years ago when I was just starting out, things like a working triggered elevator script, fully functioning door scripts, teleporters, animated fans, etc.. And then I said to myself, why not? You have all of these things in various builds of either Code Name: Monster Island or Mech Combat: Swords of Avalon why not yank them out, clean them up, lean them down and package them up with the model work to produce a very robust solution?

So that's what I decided to do. I also have not been happy with the documentation that I've included in the past. The demo levels to some degree speak for themselves, but I decided to include a "Construction Manual" that looks like some kind of OEM Planetary Schematic Diagram Catalog of the various pre-formed corridor and room pieces designated with the exact model name:


www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/controlCenter001v2.jpg
www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/corridorINTERSECTION4W01A.jpg
www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/corridorINTERSECTION4W01Av2DwRHT2.jpg

Here is a sampling of some of the reworked interiors:


www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image2s.jpg
www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image4s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image6s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image8s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image10s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image12s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image15s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image16s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image17s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image37s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image40s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image41s.jpg

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/Image44s.jpg


I've counted up about 120 various objects, with approximately 50+ of them being corridor/interior pieces or variations, 4-6 doors/door frames/vertical doors, storage containers, ducting, piping, electrical lights, conduits, vents, and just a lot of little odds and ends.

The best ETA I can offer is that I really want to finish it this month...with a rough estimate now at mid month since the reworked models are done again, now it has to be tested and exported again through Constructor so that they won't have any re-sizing issues.

Really appreciate everyones patience on this, but I think that it will definitely pay off with a whole lot of really really good things in the end...=)

Alan

.
Page «Previous 1 2
#1
01/05/2009 (4:51 pm)
Looking good Alan. Might have to include a SCiFi level in my demo now:)
#2
01/05/2009 (4:52 pm)
Pretty sweet, good work man.
#3
01/05/2009 (4:57 pm)
That is beautiful hands down.
#4
01/05/2009 (5:05 pm)
I am definitely buying this content pack when it's done.
#5
01/05/2009 (5:13 pm)
Very very nice Alan! You should let it creep a bit more and create some steam emitters for those vents. Maybe some flickering spark emitters for the wires and lights.
#6
01/05/2009 (5:47 pm)
Thanks Folks!

@Todd, already had them in the works! Basic stuff so far, but definitely were in plan:

www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/screenshot010.jpg
www.monsterpacks.com/newscreens/scifiInteriors/screenshot014.jpg
#7
01/05/2009 (5:47 pm)
Looking good dude!
#8
01/05/2009 (5:49 pm)
LOL very nice.
#9
01/05/2009 (5:51 pm)
totally looking forward to these.
#10
01/05/2009 (6:28 pm)
Awesome textures and looks very atmospheric.
#11
01/05/2009 (6:51 pm)
Day 1 purchase, damn now i need to build a game for that art :) Animated cargo bay doors e.t.c as well ? awesome.
#12
01/05/2009 (7:37 pm)
Alan, that is , i mean WOW. NICE WORK!! HURRY UP MAN!!!!! FINISH IT!!! I HAVE AN ITCHY CC WAITING TO PURCHASE THESE!!!

Truly some nic ework there mate. i look forward to when you realese it.
#13
01/05/2009 (9:35 pm)
Wow! Unbelievable! Freaking beautiful. This is better than many of the "professional" games I've played over the past couple of years.

I say you do a phased release. Just like the TGE and TGEA. Instead of waiting for complete perfection sell what you have now and then release the upgrades for those who purchase it ahead of time, at a reduced rate.

So sell the early adopter package at say 39.99 and the final version at 69.99 for example. The reason you would want to do this is two fold:

1. You'd get really good feed back from the early adopters on what you should add or fix in the final release
2. You'd get paid while you finish your work.
#14
01/05/2009 (10:00 pm)
Heck yeh, illd definetely buy now and get the upgraded features later :)
#15
01/06/2009 (1:25 am)
Wow, absolutely fantastic!
#16
01/06/2009 (2:21 am)
Wow Alan, great stuff
#17
01/06/2009 (7:23 am)
Alan:

The pack keeps getting better every time, way to go man. Great great work from you.

Will
#18
01/06/2009 (7:46 am)
wow love your work. keep it up
#19
01/06/2009 (9:04 am)
These look fantastic! Can't wait for your release.
#20
01/06/2009 (12:27 pm)
Breathtaking, can't wait to stick these into Syranin.
Page «Previous 1 2