Hey! You! Humanoids! Would you like a speaking role in upcoming-mega-hit Technobabylon? Well, the main acting's already been recorded, and that was handled in a professional manner by Dave Gilbert (studio, and everything). So, unless you live in New York and have a time machine, that's not an option. Fret not though, we have another plan!
Several stages of the game require using a contact terminal - the phones of the future. Only a couple of contacts need to be used for the plot, but it'd be unrealistic to have an empty address-book. Then again, it'd be silly to have a whole bunch of people record a couple of sentences to use as dozens of contacts in a list...wouldn't it?
Good thing my middle name's "Silly", then.
The long and short of it: We have a telephone address-book in the game with a lot of extras who might need to pick up the phone. Therefore, we need people to answer these fictional phones and those people could be you, if you fancy the opportunity to be in the game! It's the future, and someone's randomly called your future-phone. What answer are they going to get?
Are you vaguely interested in having a few lines in Technobabylon? Well then, drop a line to extras@technocratgames.com for a more in-depth explanation of what we need. Alternatively, can you think of anyone else who'd like a go at it? Point them in this direction, then!
Friday, 12 December 2014
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
AdventureX 2014
Another year, another AdventureX! I'm now four-for-four, having managed to attend them all since they started in a loft in Didcot. It was a delightful show, and I'm very glad to have met so many folks in the adventure games community - some for the first time, some as a repeat occurance!
Also delighted to have presented Technobabylon to those in attendance. Hopefully I succeeded in channelling my public-speaking skills from pre-school-teaching days, and sold the concept to everyone there. Come to think of it, how could one fail to sell cyberpunk? That'd just be embarassing.
Adventure Treff were filming the event, so they should have footage up within the next few days. Danke schoen!
Also delighted to have presented Technobabylon to those in attendance. Hopefully I succeeded in channelling my public-speaking skills from pre-school-teaching days, and sold the concept to everyone there. Come to think of it, how could one fail to sell cyberpunk? That'd just be embarassing.
Adventure Treff were filming the event, so they should have footage up within the next few days. Danke schoen!
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Poster!
Just in case you haven't seen it yet, this is the delightful artwork of Jen Pattison for Technobabylon!
Bigger version available HERE
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Hello? I can't hear you!
So, two pieces of good news. Firstly, Technobabylon is now playable from start to finish, complete with endings and everything. It's got dialogue all the way through, and should be comprehensible! Now I just have to debug the lot of it to make sure it's stable.
Second thing, which is probably bigger, is that we've started on the voices. Courtesy of Dave Gilbert (Wadjet Eye) and Shelly Shenoy, recording for the game's speech has begun in New York, in a proper recording booth and everything!
Oh, and congratulations to the folks behind Automaticity, who have now signed on with Wadjet Eye as well!
Monday, 6 October 2014
CHISHIKI NEWS: 11/07/2087 - "Grey Goo" incident injures 4
11 - July - 2087
CEL firefighters have this afternoon been called to the Hartgill preparatory school, where the out-of-control growth of a wetware culture has resulted in what is euphemistically termed 'grey goo'. Principal Andrew Mtembe has issued a statement on behalf of the school expressing relief that CEL has been able to control the outbreak before more damage could be done, and reiterated their policy against bringing wetware into the school.
'Wetware', so called due to its gelatinous appearance, is the genericised term for a number of nanomechanical products derived from organic structures. Safeguards are in place in commercial wetware to ensure that replication of the material can only occur within secure factory conditions. Hobbyist gengineers have on many occasions taken it as a challenge to 'breach' new wetware products, and reactivate the material's ability to create
more of itself. Such uncontrolled growth becomes dangerous when wetware no longer responds to chemical signals to cease its reproduction. It is believed that tampering with a recreational product was the catalyst for today's incident.
While the school has been closed for repairs and decontamination, CEL has reported that four students have received only minor injuries, and are being treated for burns and contamination. City coordinator AI Central has stated that the mass has been deactivated, and poses no further threat to lives or property within Newton.
Friday, 3 October 2014
Techno-Babble
At the moment, we're in the process of auditioning voice actors for Technobabylon. Because of the way I write, I use lots of complicated/foreign/made-up words, and have to provide a guide to the meaning, use and pronunciation of them. Perhaps you'd like a look at a few? Don't worry, there shouldn't be much in the way of spoilers...
Wetware
Automeal
An automated
food-dispensing/producing machine. People don't do a great deal of
their own cooking in the future.
Case Specialist
CEL likes to use
euphemisms to describe the roles of its staff. A case specialist
refers to those we might call “detectives” at the moment, whose
expertise in a particular area makes them more likely to be assigned
to a given case.
e.g. “We need to
get a case specialist on this, someone with a background in wetware.”
CEL – Centralized
Emergency Logistics
[“Cell”, like
the organic structure]
Umbrella agency
handling the city's emergency responses, civil order and law
enforcement. Coordinated by the city's overseer AI, Central. A
combination of police, fire, rescue and counter-terrorism, though it
does its best to keep its operations invisible.
e.g. “My name's Dr
Regis, I'm a CEL agent.”
Central
AI controller for the
city. Though it doesn't set policy, it executes that laid down by the
governing committee in the most optimally efficient way possible.
Appears to have a limited personality, but there's more going on
upstairs than most people realise.
Gas Chromatograph
A chemical sensor used
to break down and determine the contents of a substance or surface.
Gengineer,
Gengineering
[Jen-jineer,
gene-gineer]
Portmanteau of
“genetics” and “engineering”, referring to the specialist
practice of modification of organisms' DNA to produce desired results
that may not have otherwise occurred naturally, such as the addition
of firefly proteins to grass to create glow-in-the-dark lawns.
e.g. “I'm a
qualified gengineer, but my speciality is insects.”
Governor
Implanted into the
brain and limbic systems of paroled criminals, produces reaction of
violent sickness and immobility when thoughts stray too close towards
violence or deceit. Kind of a technological “Clockwork Orange”
effect.
Han, Greater Han
Republic
Ethno-Fascist nation
within the territory of the former People's Republic of China
Jahiliyyah
[Ja-hill-ee-yah]
An underground
media/techno-anarchist group, akin to Anonymous or Wikileaks. Name is
an Arabic word meaning “ignorance”, both as irony and
counterpoint to the dominant media corporation's name of “knowledge”.
Also serves as religious metaphor in Islam.
e.g. “The chairman
was trying to hush it up, but Jahiliyyah leaked the film on the net.”
Latha
[Laath-ah, Laat-hah,
or like “Arthur” with an L]
Sri Lankan/Indian
forename, main character of game.
Meatspace
Derogatory and
insulting term used to refer to the real world outside of the Trance.
MMI
Mind-machine interface,
any system used to directly interface the human brain with external
computer systems.
Quantum, Quanta
Currency used by
non-aligned cities and nations based on the value of energy. Singular
Quantum, plural Quanta. A single unit is worth about $0.20 in modern
terms.
e.g. “This project
has cost us a hundred and fifty million Quanta!”
Sconto
The city's social
assistance program for those unable to support themselves. An
umbrella term for social services, unemployment allowance, housing
support, etc. Can also be used to describe those who benefit from it.
Comes from Portugese root (desconto).
e.g. “This
neighbourhood is getting worse, gangs of sconto kids hanging around
on the corner.”
Specialist Emergency
Law Enforcement Crisis Team – armed CEL officers, akin to SWAT.
Also like SWAT, people use “team” redundantly after the end.
e.g. “The robbers
are so dangerous, we've had to call in a SELECT team.”
Synthetic, Synth
Androids using
electromechanical insides and an organic façade on the outside.
e.g. “I lost my
job to a sythetic.”
Thrall
Derogatory and
insulting term used to refer to those perceived to be addicted to, or
spend too much time in the Trance.
e.g. “He's always
got his head buried in the net. He's such a thrall!”
A kind of cyberspace.
Virtual representation of the internet taking place within the
connected minds of those taking part in it.
Wetware
Squishy, jelly-like
mass of nanomachines held together in a gooey substance. One of the
underlying technologies of Technobabylon, used for organic computing,
medicine and construction.
e.g. “I'm using my
wetware to interface with a terminal.”
Wired
The
description of one who has been equipped with the techno-organic
systems necessary to interface with computers using their own brain.
Not literally metal wiring, more like an extremely fine mesh of
wetware acting like a second set of neurones within the brain.
e.g. “I can't use
this machine, I'm not wired.”
Monday, 22 September 2014
CHISHIKI NEWS: 10/07/2087 - European Federation to Adopt Metric Time
EUROPEAN FEDERATION TO ADOPT METRIC TIME
10 - July - 2087
Continuing a long-standing process of standardisation, the Parliament of the European Federation (EF) has today ratified the uptake of metric time across the 64-member union. The measure, signed into law by EF Prime Minister Jacqueline Santini at 06:52:80 (15:40pm), is planned to be rolled out over the course of the next four years. Under the scheme, measure of the time of day is to be divided into ten hours, each with 100 minutes, made up of 100 seconds.
Santini, whose Federalist Party have been one of the keenest supporters of the new policy, greeted the change enthusiastically. 'Computing and commercial time measurement has long been carried out in a metric scale with atomic timing, and the division into 24 hours has itself merely been an arbitrary convention of history.'
While commonly referred to as 'metric' time, the measurement of a day into periods of ten should more accurately known as 'decimal' time. Internationally the EF's policy has gained little traction, in some cases outright criticism, with some leaders condemning the changes as 'unnatural'. The Oceania Cooperative's government was less emotive, issuing a statement that though the change was 'one demanded by the European voter, which we will respect as a democratic institution', they made clear that the OC has no plans to adopt any similar measures.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
CHISHIKI NEWS: 10/09/2086 - Election Season
CAN "BRAINWASHED" MAN SECURE FOURTH COUNCIL SEAT FOR COSMOPOLITAN PARTY?
10 - September - 2086
As the biannual elections approach within the independent city-state of Newton, challengers from across the political spectrum have begun the charm offensive that invariably accompanies such events. Though smaller parties and independents are optimistic about their chances of securing a seat on the city's governing council, the biggest battle is between the Cosmopolitan party, currently holding four of the twenty seats, and the Metropolitan party with three. If Metro can secure another seat, they will be able to deadlock a number of the Cosmopolitans' more controversial labor-export measures. The cosmopolitans are not discouraged, and have announced that Andrew Deane, lawyer and human-rights advocate, to stand for the fourth seat.
Cosmopolitan Party candidate Andrew Deane |
"I believe that it ought to be the right of every voter to be able to trust those that they've elected into power," Mr Deane explained. "It is also necessary that the man on the street should see the technology available to us as not a tool with which we are 'lobotomising the undesirable', but as an aid to socially beneficial behaviour." He has expressed a desire to see this kind of technology normalised, and more widely taken up. Having undertaken the installation of the extensive synaptic wiring required, the Cosmopolitan party claims to be able to have the "only 100% trustworthy" politician.
"He is incapable of lying - to anyone. Like, literally cannot," said a spokesman for the campaign. "Any attempt to do so leads to a surge of tremendous pain, like a migraine." On his campaign tour throughout the city, on the nets, and even within the Trance, the candidate has been put to the test, fielding questions on any topic from potential voters. While the response has been fairly positive so far, some critics are unable to put concerns to rest.
Metropolitan candidate Elektra Crosse has raised her own doubts. "It's a gimmick," she argues. "He'll be run by the same secretive board behind all of the Cosmopolitans' representatives. Sure, he may not be able to lie, but he also can't lie about what he doesn't know. They just won't explain their plans to the men on the ground anymore." Others have expressed skepticism - "how du we kno its even real? wherez the certifikate" asked Smashgasm54, a question that may need to be settled before the Cosmopolitans can rest assured of electoral success.
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
OVERVIEW - Dr Max Lao
<Santiago> I hear
Central's adding a new rookie to the roster. S-E says they've had a
history of disciplinary nuke-ups – even found a rap sheet for them!
<Malu> That's
alright. Give 'em to Regis, with any luck one of the two will quit.
// ** Classified
Partition: Blue-Special **//
Centralized Government
– Staff Reassignment Evaluation
2192840/LAO-MAX-DR
D.O.B.: 25/11/2049
...Academic record
<ATTACHED>
...Service record
<ATTACHED>
...Anti-civil activity
record <FOUND IN SE/68>
Candidate has applied
to be moved from current operation category [CORPSMAN/2C] to new
operational status with Centralized Government, remaining within CEL
as active network. This is candidate's [FIRST] official request for
reallocation.
//Operational
History://
Subject first began
work within CEL at 2C Grade following MSc graduation <June-2084>,
assigned to low-intensity field operations within S-E Network. Lao
has achieved consistently high results in standardised testing (see
attachment), and has always stated an ambition to move into
investigative work as a specialised case officer (SCO), though her
line manager within the S-E Network has filed a number of
disciplinary complaints regarding her conduct in public confidence
tasks. She has been described as “impatient”, seeking to carry on
cases far beyond the remit of a 2C corpsman, believing her own
talents to be “wasted” on patrol duty. Whether justified or not,
her line manager feels that this demonstrates an inability to work
within CEL's command structure.
Nonetheless, based upon
subject's academic background, testing history and city sentiment
alignment, Central determined it a worthwhile investment to sponsor
further training for subject, who recently received their PhD
(Techno-organic systems interfacing) from the Newton Academy of
Sciences.
// Addendum // -
Objection from <D.Walker>
<Walker> Is
Central aware of Lao's anti-civil history outside of CEL? This was
essentially the reason that we didn't take her on as an SCO in the
past.
<CENTRAL> Your
objection is noted, Dr Walker. Based on reports from the incident
filed by [REDACTED], it is apparent that her own anti-civil activity
(3rd degree unauthorised network breach, civic utilities
disruption, petty larceny) was itself aimed at a group posing a more
considerable threat to the average welfare of the city. This,
combined with her subliminal testing index, provides sufficient data
to allay doubts that her loyalty lies anywhere but to the city of
Newton. There is sufficient probability (88.5% +/-) that allowing her
to engage in work with more experienced CEL Case Officers will enable
her talents to be put to better use.
Status:
UPGRADE TO SCO:
CONFIRMED
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
OVERVIEW - Latha Sesame
// ** Classified Partition: Infrared/Noise **//
Centralized Government - Matriculation Report
T8410842/SESAME-LATHA
D.O.B.: 04-September-2067 (est.)
Time in City Care: 19 years, 4 months, 18 days
Academic Overview: 64/81/C (inadequate)
Current Residence: Taylor Youth Center
Matriculation Reviewer: VENTRISS, VALERIE P - Taylor Center Admin
Sent to: MANDALA@318.NEWTON.CONN
<DISPATCH>
Dear Latha,
We hope that you have enjoyed your stay at the Taylor Youth Center. According to our records, you first came to the city in 2067 with a refugee intake from the conflict in South Asia. We are proud to have opened our arms to so many disadvantaged youth, and are glad that you were fortunate enough to have been raised in an atmosphere of safety and social responsibility provided by the City of Newton. The care of the city can, however, only last for so long.
That is not to say that you won't be receiving our support, though. As you now approach your 20th birthday, it is time to make preparations to move into the world of adulthood, and we understand that this can be a challenging change of paradigm. The City of Newton feels that homelessness is an avoidable social ill, and until you are in employment and capable of self-support, you will be provided accommodation in state-sponsored housing.
We wish you luck, and hope that you find that special niche in the city just for you!
Valerie Ventriss
Residential Care Manager
Taylor Youth Center
============================
============================
// OVERVIEW EVALUATION //
<VENTRISS, V>
Who? Oh, Latha, that one...uh...I'll be honest, she's spent so much time in the Trance, I haven't really spoken to her very much since she was about...thirteen? She wasn't bad, she certainly won't be joining any gangs when she leaves Taylor, but you're going to have a hell of a time prying her out of that apartment you're giving her. It's not like she's stupid either, just real lazy, always got her head stuck in the Trance. Honest opinion? The city's got another thrall to look after, and CEL are probably going to find her desiccated body in her apartment in five or six years' time...what? Don't look at me like that, it’s what happens, the way they baby them these days. Just send her the message.
// ADDENDUM - C:CG //
Specialised monitoring to remain in place, though adjustments will need to be made now that subject no longer remains directly in city care. DO NOT provide targeted impetus for employment acquisition, perform broad erasure of net-footprint.
- Not going to be easy, this girl’s all over the net. Social engineering patterns have helped to ensure limited personal contact however, making most of the markers to address digital.
Monday, 11 August 2014
OVERVIEW - Dr Charles Regis
// ** Classified Partition: Blue-Special **//
Centralized Government - Staff Evaluation
1040541/REGIS-CHARLES-DR
D.O.B.: 02-September-2038
Update since Last Review (06-May-2087)
Operations - Active: 1
Operations - Resolved: 16
Complaints logged: 6 (2 internal, 4 public)
<CENTRAL>
It would be an inaccurate and woefully understated view to call Dr Regis an unconventional case officer. His approach to work, involving a great deal of practical casework and the avoidance of perceived "dependence" upon newer investigative technologies available has been a continued source of friction with colleagues within CEL. The other major source of such has been, and remains, his attitude towards interpersonal contact. Rejecting otherwise friendly interaction (+/-11% Social Wellness Index) with other case officers, Dr Regis has a single-minded determination when it comes to his work, at the expense of most other areas.
One of few exceptions remains Dr Lao, who is apparently not only tolerating his work ethic, but has managed to improve her own output ratio through uptake of Regis' unorthodox approaches. Though it is possible to coach colleagues for adjustment to Regis' behaviour on cultural sensitivity grounds, his interactions with the public in the past month may be cause for concern. He is reported to have called an intransigent witness a "Lousy, [CENSORED]ing piece of [CENSORED]", and while not directly making any threats to citizens, these may have been inferred from follow-on statements. It must be taken into account that a successful outcome was eventually achieved, though this approach must not be condoned or encouraged among other case officers.
While this would initially appear troubling, prolonged research into his behaviour has found it inextricably linked to his turnover of successfully-resolved investigations. Previous attempts at corrective attitude adjustment have led to a correlated decrease in performance. His recreational activities outside of CEL, involving [REDACTED - E. Vargas, C:CG] are perhaps going some way towards ensuring overall stability, despite an attitude that may otherwise suggest that intervention were required. As such, it appears more prudent at this stage to keep him assigned with case officers with whom his methods do not generate undue conflict. A course of low-impact social-wellness treatment may be advised however, perhaps involving Dr Lao.
Recommendation to Sector Allocation, Emergency Logistics:
- No disciplinary action
- Schedule meeting with social wellness coordinator [OVERRULED - E. Vargas, C:CG]
- E-mail regarding defacement of cameras (repeated)
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
To protect and server
Hey! Hey! Hey! Guess what section of the game this scene's from?
No, that's a silly answer, why would you even think that? It's the [i]last[/i] section...well, second-last, but I've already made the final one. So...uh...yeah, give me a couple more weeks, and there's going to be a game playable from start to finish! Minor interruption in my productivity for getting married and stuff, but I shall endeavour not to let such trifling matters stand in the way of [b]computer games![/b]
No, that's a silly answer, why would you even think that? It's the [i]last[/i] section...well, second-last, but I've already made the final one. So...uh...yeah, give me a couple more weeks, and there's going to be a game playable from start to finish! Minor interruption in my productivity for getting married and stuff, but I shall endeavour not to let such trifling matters stand in the way of [b]computer games![/b]
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Big Stompy Robots
When I'm procrastinating, sometimes I like to make mechs.
I swear, Technobabylon's still underway
In fact, I'd say there's probably about a month, maybe a month and a half until there's a game that's playable from start to end in there.
And after that, a whole bunch of testing and cleanup and voices and music and stuff. Also, getting married in August, so that might be a little bump in development. *SIGH*.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Yay politics
Hope you remembered to vote in today's European elections! Unless you're not from Europe, in which case, good for you.
Amongst all the woodwork that I'm doing for my upcoming wedding, I'm still finding time to work on a little game called "Technobabylon", which is chugging along nicely, and now has seven of the 11 sections of gameplay completed.
With generous spoonfuls of neon (yes yes, I know it's a noble gas and as such would float away), what is possible the most cyberpunk scene in the game is being engineered for Latha's third section, in which she explores the city's seedy underbelly - both physical and virtual - in order to find some clues about who has been trying to kill her.
With all this in mind, it looks like the game's going to be completable, beginning to end, by July. After that, it's just a matter of giving it sound, and putting MORE STORY in there, so that players won't have to keep referring to the development document. Come to think of it, the dev document is now out of date, as well. Ah well. If you're playing this game, and you're me, then you'll understand the story. It'll be fine.
Amongst all the woodwork that I'm doing for my upcoming wedding, I'm still finding time to work on a little game called "Technobabylon", which is chugging along nicely, and now has seven of the 11 sections of gameplay completed.
With generous spoonfuls of neon (yes yes, I know it's a noble gas and as such would float away), what is possible the most cyberpunk scene in the game is being engineered for Latha's third section, in which she explores the city's seedy underbelly - both physical and virtual - in order to find some clues about who has been trying to kill her.
With all this in mind, it looks like the game's going to be completable, beginning to end, by July. After that, it's just a matter of giving it sound, and putting MORE STORY in there, so that players won't have to keep referring to the development document. Come to think of it, the dev document is now out of date, as well. Ah well. If you're playing this game, and you're me, then you'll understand the story. It'll be fine.
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
if(Hotspot.GetAtScreenXY(cRegis.x, cRegis.y)==hKillzone)Safe=false;
Chugging away, tra la la, one bit at a time. Almost got the hang of this "at least once a week" thing for updating, three times in a month is better than my usual rate.
I'm very pleased to say that Technobabylon is coming along nicely, and still within planned schedule parameters despite being in wholly alien territory at this stage. By the end of tomorrow, the sixth section of the game will have been developed and made playable (though not bug-free, or necessarily entirely comprehensible - that's what comes after), meaning that as a game, it's half-way there!
This last fortnight's work has returned to Dr Regis' story. Without giving anything away, Dr Regis is on the run, and seeking refuge within an abandoned factory in a less salubrious part of town. More fantastic artwork from Ben as you can see, with lots of hidden meaning to the graffiti all over the walls.
Also, congratulations to Wadjet Eye on the release of Blackwell Epiphany. I know for certain how hard everyone's been working on it, and if you're into adventures, phantasms, or New York, I recommend giving it a look!
I'm very pleased to say that Technobabylon is coming along nicely, and still within planned schedule parameters despite being in wholly alien territory at this stage. By the end of tomorrow, the sixth section of the game will have been developed and made playable (though not bug-free, or necessarily entirely comprehensible - that's what comes after), meaning that as a game, it's half-way there!
This last fortnight's work has returned to Dr Regis' story. Without giving anything away, Dr Regis is on the run, and seeking refuge within an abandoned factory in a less salubrious part of town. More fantastic artwork from Ben as you can see, with lots of hidden meaning to the graffiti all over the walls.
Also, congratulations to Wadjet Eye on the release of Blackwell Epiphany. I know for certain how hard everyone's been working on it, and if you're into adventures, phantasms, or New York, I recommend giving it a look!
Friday, 11 April 2014
Nuts & Bolts...
Just wanted to say "obrigado" the ever-talented Felipe Bende for his work on art for the revamped front-page of the Technocrat Games website.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Five down, [int] to go!
Everyone's being so patient, I figured an update might be in order.
First thing to say is that Technobabylon is still zooming along as per expectations. Part 5 is completed and playable, and follows thus-far-unplayed character Dr Lao's attempts to unravel a murder in a laboratory that tailors plants for customers' needs.
Secondly, it looks like the cat's out of the bag through Gamasutra, and the whole world will know that Wadjet Eye is publishing Technobabylon. Woo! Now I just have to fix the website to make sure people don't keep using artwork from the old versions. Sure, it was functional back in 2010, but now we've got the delightful work of Ben Chandler, which ought to do a much better job of encouraging people to play the thing when it's done.
Friday, 21 March 2014
From here, into the unknown!
As folks will no doubt be aware, in 2010 I made a few games called "Technobabylon". Well, the three that were made then were intended to be part of an eight-part episodic string of games. Unfortunately, I'm lazy, and I kept improving. As a result, I never got past making three episodes, and remade the first part several times over.
HOWEVER, thanks to my current working arrangement, I've been powering through the complete Technobabylon, a full-length game based upon the plans for the original series. As a result, it's going to be a long game!
Up until this stage, in the last month and a half of producing, I've effectively been remaking what was originally parts 1, 2 and 3 of Technobabylon. With a bit of rejigging here and there, some polish, and art support from Ben304 and Ilyich, they're looking a whole lot nicer. Even better, this evening I've finally finished off the remake of what was Part 3. The implication, therefore, is that everything being made after this is wholly new. You might have an idea of what happens in the first parts based on the old versions, they may even help you play through again if you've done them before (though there's a bit of alteration in terms of how the adventures play out), but from here on out everything's brand new!
Though, just to make things more complicated, what was part 2 has been split into 2 and 3, making the old 3 into 4, from which you see the screen above. The current plan is for the game to be made of 12 of these chapters, and we're getting through them at a rate of about one every two weeks. So, how long is it going to take? Well, you do the maths, dingus. What am I, a mathemologist?
Bear in mind, that's just the programmy stuff. After that there's cleaning up, testing, voices, testing, proofreading, quality control and testing, but be encouraged - this game's being made, and everything!
I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as to how far along the whole project is, don't you fret. Which reminds me, I'd better amend the website...it's a weeee smidge out of date these days.
Monday, 10 March 2014
Virtual Worlds
I told you I'd update a lot more.
Anyway, a big part of Technobabylon is the characters' interaction with the net through virtual reality. Through a couple of weird coincidences, I stumbled across and was e-mailed by Codafrost, who is in the process of making their own version of the first part of Technobabylon. Where does the VR come in to that? Well, it's been done for Oculus Rift, the Kickstarted virtual reality systems.
It's an early alpha version, and was initially built by Codafrost as a means of testing an adventure-game verb-coin interface in Oculus Rift. I haven't personally got any VR hardware, but it still works - as long as you don't mind crossing your eyes a little.
Even more exciting, we now get to see the other side of Latha's apartment!
If you want to give it a go, it's downloadable from the link at the top.
Anyway, a big part of Technobabylon is the characters' interaction with the net through virtual reality. Through a couple of weird coincidences, I stumbled across and was e-mailed by Codafrost, who is in the process of making their own version of the first part of Technobabylon. Where does the VR come in to that? Well, it's been done for Oculus Rift, the Kickstarted virtual reality systems.
It's an early alpha version, and was initially built by Codafrost as a means of testing an adventure-game verb-coin interface in Oculus Rift. I haven't personally got any VR hardware, but it still works - as long as you don't mind crossing your eyes a little.
It certainly seems like Coda's got a thing for cyberpunk, and apparently has an IP of their own that they're working on. Still, this is an interesting idea, isn't it? Who's to say that if I hadn't started in Unity rather than AGS, that this is how Technobabylon would have looked like to begin with?
If you want to give it a go, it's downloadable from the link at the top.
The Train Now Standing at Platforms 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 has Come in Sideways
Blimey, I'm really, really bad at this update thing, aren't I?
Well, very recently, I decided to say "nuts to you" to my employers. So, no more banks, woo party party. I've decided, in a very bohemian way, to make a go at this game-making lark.
What does that entail? Well, aside from never being allowed near that office again, it means that rather than spending half an hour in the evenings tinkering and tweaking with games, I'm now able to put 6-9 hours a day in, if not more! Previous attempts at finishing projects like Technobabylon have always been hindered by not getting far enough in the kind of timeframe I'd have liked. Sometimes, I get about half-way through a project, and realise I've improved so much since I started that the art doesn't look the same anymore.
Without things like "paid labour" getting in the way, Technobabylon's going to go a lot more quickly. In fact, at the rate it's currently going, it's a matter of months. With a lot more going on, there's a lot more to keep people appraised of, so I intend to keep on updating this information a lot more frequently. Which reminds me, I need to update the website a bit...now, what was the password for that?
Ah well. Have a laboratory. If you've played through Technobabylon before, you might recognise what this is a redo of, courtesy of the ever-talented Ben304
Well, very recently, I decided to say "nuts to you" to my employers. So, no more banks, woo party party. I've decided, in a very bohemian way, to make a go at this game-making lark.
What does that entail? Well, aside from never being allowed near that office again, it means that rather than spending half an hour in the evenings tinkering and tweaking with games, I'm now able to put 6-9 hours a day in, if not more! Previous attempts at finishing projects like Technobabylon have always been hindered by not getting far enough in the kind of timeframe I'd have liked. Sometimes, I get about half-way through a project, and realise I've improved so much since I started that the art doesn't look the same anymore.
Without things like "paid labour" getting in the way, Technobabylon's going to go a lot more quickly. In fact, at the rate it's currently going, it's a matter of months. With a lot more going on, there's a lot more to keep people appraised of, so I intend to keep on updating this information a lot more frequently. Which reminds me, I need to update the website a bit...now, what was the password for that?
Ah well. Have a laboratory. If you've played through Technobabylon before, you might recognise what this is a redo of, courtesy of the ever-talented Ben304
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