64Digits

Beware The Mucky Muck Man

Posted by Sheppard on July 7, 2012, 2:40 p.m.

I've got a game in production called 'Vagabond PI: The Swamp Monster Chronicles.' (Valley Of The Ancients is postponed, I've decided its production will wait until clickteam finishes the Android Exporter) Swamp Monster Chronicles has been in productin for a fair amount of time now, I'd probably say since last November. I'll reveal more details about it in a later blog, but I think the best way to sum up the gameplay would be: Harvest Moon + Animal Crossing + Luigi's Mansion.

Despite having cartoony characters, the game is genuinely creepy. The game is about a homeless detective (hence the name Vagabond PI) who moves into a place called Kudzu Swamp in order to try to solve the mystery of a creature that has been lurking around the area for 3 years now. The area is said to be haunted by a cryptoid simply called the Swamp Monster, a large beast made of mud from the swamp that takes a shape similair to a man.

I've been tossing around concepts for the creatures origins, and possible concepts for revising how the Swamp Monster looks. So far I think I'm very adament on the idea of the creatue being made of muck from the swamp. I just don't find near as much…coolness…in the 'Gillman' concept similair to Creature From The Black Lagoon. Currently, the Swamp Monster looks like this,

I think the idea of a creature that could be anywhere where mud is present in the swamp (everywhere), I know would scare the crap out of me.

Anyway, the backstory for the creature has been written out already. This includes spoilers for my upcoming game but I doubt anyone will actually remember by the time it is released :P

The story is that the swamp monster was once a human and resident of the swamp. This man, Norman, began a relationship with a woman who lived on the edge of the small town in the swamp, her name was Laertha. Laertha was rumored to be witch and said to have lived for several hundred years. Yet, in all that time love was something she never experienced. But Norman was brash, and soon began to have an affair. When Laertha became aware of this, she placed a curse a curse on him that turned him into mud, yet his soul had been and he soon began to inhabit the body of the swamp monster, under Laertha's control. Anyway, this is the current origin story for the monster of the game. The game's story is about discovering this story and try to lift the curse on Norman's soul.

So what do you guys think? Interesting enough?

Comments

panzercretin 12 years, 5 months ago

It looks pretty good (the Swamp whatever I mean), but here's some advice for ya: make sure everything is either completely top-down, or completely 3/4 view. For example, in the screen you're giving us, the boat just throws everything off; it makes everything look all weird and flattened even though it's clearly supposed to be 3/4. I know this game is a work in progress, but definitely make sure to do something with that eventually; it's just killing me, man.

Charlie Carlo 12 years, 5 months ago

What Twinsoul said.

You can still rotate the boat, but it will require a bit more work.

All you have to do is make an animation where the boat is spinning, with different indexes equating to different angles.

IE, 0 = 0, 9 = 90, 12 = 120. This would be 36 frames (0-35) so in Gamemaker speak, that'd be something along the lines of image_index = direction/10. That might be a bit more frames than you're willing to draw.

Otherwise, you could do any factor of 360 and divide it by the complementary factor. For instance you could do 6 frames and divide the direction by 60 to determine what image to use.

If you already know this method, don't mind me.

Anyways, the game looks promising, I like your use of this character to make sort-of-episodic games.

The monster looks decent enough; I'm not sure what you're going for with the design (Whether it should be terrifying, or strange, or mundane, or misunderstood or whathaveyou) so I can't really give you any criticisms. The backstory is so cliche it hurts to think about.

Graphics look primo. (other than the aforementioned boat thing.)

Quote:

cryptoid

As a paranormal/conspiracy buff, this severely disappointed me. :C

Castypher 12 years, 5 months ago

That water is growing on the sand like grass.

Charlie Carlo 12 years, 5 months ago

Quote:

That water is growing on the sand like grass.

I thought that was grass.

It's a swamp, I don't think they have much sand.

I say that, but I've never actually seen a real swamp.

Castypher 12 years, 5 months ago

The boat is floating in grass?

Or if the sand is grass, why would wetland grass be parched?

This image confuses me.

And yes, wetlands don't really have sand. More silt, clay, peat, etc.

…

…Maybe.

Sheppard 12 years, 5 months ago

Quote: Panzermancer

it makes everything look all weird and flattened even though it's clearly supposed to be 3/4

Totally, and yeah, it is on my to-do-list to fix. It is a problem with the trying to have rotation that has caused it to look this way. The boat is 32 directional (the controls are keyboard) so I've been realling having a hard time trying to figure a way to make it rotate and still look good. But I think I've got an idea that'll look okay, so I'm gonna try it.

Quote:

If you already know this method, don't mind me.

I actually use MultiMediaFusion 2, not GM. But yeah, I've been having some 2nd thoughts about the backstory. I really want it to be about someone who's soul was transfuse into the body of the Swamp Monster, and that even though it would be impossible save Norman's life, the character begins to work more toward setting free Norman's soul so the Swamp Monster will leave and Norman can crossover. But my 2nd idea is these 'Muck Men' of sorts are just pawns of a huge creature that rules the swamp and is angered at humanity, but I think we're all too tired of hearing stories about wetland endangerement and deforestation :P

@Kilin, well its yellow grass and weeds actually. It's not because they're parched, it's just their color. In a wetland I don't think there would be much conventional grass to begin with. Plus at the end of these plants growing seasons, they'll turn a yellowish color. This isn't a swamp, it would be a river overflow, but I think this shows what I'm saying-

But mainly, I think the colors just don't look quite right when they're green-

It just seems a little off to me

Castypher 12 years, 5 months ago

Ah, well never mind then. I'm looking forward to trying this out when the competition ends.

Sheppard 12 years, 5 months ago

Nah, this isn't for the competition its just something I've had in the works for a while now.

I'm one of the official competition drop outs.

Castypher 12 years, 5 months ago

WHAT.

Charlie Carlo 12 years, 5 months ago

Quote:

I actually use MultiMediaFusion 2, not GM.

I've not heard of this.

But as long as you have some kind of variables that pertain to direction and animation frame, that method should work nonetheless.

How about the muck Cthulhu turned Norman into one of his pawns. Like, all the pawns are people-turned-grimer. Maybe Mukthluhu turns them into slimeballs for some reason that is seemingly arbitrary to humans, but very important to the Lord of the Kinda-Deeps, like that they offended him by saying its name, or wearing overalls, or owning a cat, or pissing in the muck. With monsters' intentions you have a bit more freedom than with people, because they aren't people, they're whatever you fancy.