02-28-2015, 04:29 PM
Update:
SUCCESS!!
Hello fine people. As you already heard the IP dispute is over!
It caused quite a frustrating and unnecessary delay but I appreciate the patience and words of support you all gave. Thankfully its over and we can now get back to work!!
In the unfortunate scenario that Silver Lake would have caused additional problems I had backup plan with a new location I started working on.. .The Suburbs
![[Image: 0d0015766362398b8ce902ca298e6744_large.jpg?1425153935]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/003/358/981/0d0015766362398b8ce902ca298e6744_large.jpg?1425153935)
If you’ve ever wanted to explore a creepy movie inspired suburb at night this is it. It's a classic movie neighbourhood that’s become mysteriously deserted and you'll explore houses, backyards, tool sheds, parked cars, tree forts and numerous other spots for hiding and gathering materials. Down the street is a large park which has a swing set, tennis court, benches, trees, paths and more. A few lamp posts here and there illuminate small areas of the map...the rest is pretty dark and misty, a few crickets can be heard, and theres a creepy feeling in the air. On the far edge of the park there are train tracks which separate the park from a small patch of trees. Theres a path through the trees that leads into a slightly abandoned area near the river where the cool kids hang out and the hobos sleep. It’s a bit dirtier with graffiti, broken bottles, a run down building and an old bridge. Not a place you want to be caught alone with the killer.
I haven’t come up with name for the location yet…just calling it suburbs seems a bit too generic. A name of the street could be interesting. Send ideas if you have any.
![[Image: 9cb76d3e5613c79c2fff43103922b43f_large.gif?1425154159]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/003/358/997/9cb76d3e5613c79c2fff43103922b43f_large.gif?1425154159)
The focus now is still the production funding plan for Canada Media Fund seen in the PDF. I’m working on the application right now which includes documentation and overview on the project, budget information, and the overall pitch. I’ll keep you updated once that’s complete and ready to be submitted (April).
Website:
The website design is planned to be finished during the end of the week of March 9th, then after that about a week of coding and it should be online shortly thereafter.
Trapping prototype:
Remember, the killer can’t run as fast as the survivors. His strategy is to pick off survivors one by one using stealth tactics and the element of surprise…….not just chasing everyone down.
His main ability is predator mode but he also has a trap ability. The big difference with the trap is this: The survivors can’t actually see the trap..it’s invisible.
The trap is a 1.5 meter invisible zone that the Killer can place anywhere on the ground. Think of it as a simple glowing circle on the ground that only the killer can see and place. When a survivor runs through the trap something bad happens to them: If Amber runs through it the heel on her shoe will break and her ankle will break and she'll be stuck on the ground. Likewise, if Troy runs through his leg will snap. Once a character gets caught going through the trap they've essentially become incapacitated and are now bait for the Killer to arrive and make the kill. The animation of what happens to each character getting trapped depends on their stereotype... The Nerd might drop his glasses and be stuck on the ground looking for them for example.
To save a trapped friend you have to walk up, hold a key down for 5-10 seconds, and it'll help them up and they’ll be freed again. Theres a strategy element for the Killer here though.. Does he execute his prey immediately or does he wait nearby for someone to come help their friend then take them both out at the same time?
Amber, as the scout, is the only player that can actually see the traps..so she’ll need to communicate to other players where the traps are. Thats where strategy comes in as well…if the scout dies then survivors no longer have a trap spotter.
Obviously certain limitations need to be placed on it for balance.. like only 1 trap is allowed at a time and having a trap recharge time in place. The whole idea is to capture the classic movie cliche of someone falling down/getting hurt while on the run and turning this into a gameplay mechanic that feels fun but still balanced. It gives the Killer the strategic ability to catch prey while the survivors are challenged with spotting and avoiding potential hazards.
I've been asked at various times how the asymmetrical aspect of Last Year differs from games like Evolve for example and my answer is that I see this as a slower, methodical, strategic game. It's not so much about shooting as it is about tension, choice making, heart pounding chases, and melee combat (even though there are still weapons like harpoons and slingshots).
We’re modelling the Chad in-game character right now so I'll be updating you with progress on that shortly with various stages of completion. After that is the skinning and animation and test the trapping mechanics in engine.
Thanks again for the patience and support the past weeks all..it really helped move things along and get it resolved quickly. I'm just glad we can move forward on making an awesome project!!
-James
SUCCESS!!
Hello fine people. As you already heard the IP dispute is over!
It caused quite a frustrating and unnecessary delay but I appreciate the patience and words of support you all gave. Thankfully its over and we can now get back to work!!
In the unfortunate scenario that Silver Lake would have caused additional problems I had backup plan with a new location I started working on.. .The Suburbs
If you’ve ever wanted to explore a creepy movie inspired suburb at night this is it. It's a classic movie neighbourhood that’s become mysteriously deserted and you'll explore houses, backyards, tool sheds, parked cars, tree forts and numerous other spots for hiding and gathering materials. Down the street is a large park which has a swing set, tennis court, benches, trees, paths and more. A few lamp posts here and there illuminate small areas of the map...the rest is pretty dark and misty, a few crickets can be heard, and theres a creepy feeling in the air. On the far edge of the park there are train tracks which separate the park from a small patch of trees. Theres a path through the trees that leads into a slightly abandoned area near the river where the cool kids hang out and the hobos sleep. It’s a bit dirtier with graffiti, broken bottles, a run down building and an old bridge. Not a place you want to be caught alone with the killer.
I haven’t come up with name for the location yet…just calling it suburbs seems a bit too generic. A name of the street could be interesting. Send ideas if you have any.
The focus now is still the production funding plan for Canada Media Fund seen in the PDF. I’m working on the application right now which includes documentation and overview on the project, budget information, and the overall pitch. I’ll keep you updated once that’s complete and ready to be submitted (April).
Website:
The website design is planned to be finished during the end of the week of March 9th, then after that about a week of coding and it should be online shortly thereafter.
Trapping prototype:
Remember, the killer can’t run as fast as the survivors. His strategy is to pick off survivors one by one using stealth tactics and the element of surprise…….not just chasing everyone down.
His main ability is predator mode but he also has a trap ability. The big difference with the trap is this: The survivors can’t actually see the trap..it’s invisible.
The trap is a 1.5 meter invisible zone that the Killer can place anywhere on the ground. Think of it as a simple glowing circle on the ground that only the killer can see and place. When a survivor runs through the trap something bad happens to them: If Amber runs through it the heel on her shoe will break and her ankle will break and she'll be stuck on the ground. Likewise, if Troy runs through his leg will snap. Once a character gets caught going through the trap they've essentially become incapacitated and are now bait for the Killer to arrive and make the kill. The animation of what happens to each character getting trapped depends on their stereotype... The Nerd might drop his glasses and be stuck on the ground looking for them for example.
To save a trapped friend you have to walk up, hold a key down for 5-10 seconds, and it'll help them up and they’ll be freed again. Theres a strategy element for the Killer here though.. Does he execute his prey immediately or does he wait nearby for someone to come help their friend then take them both out at the same time?
Amber, as the scout, is the only player that can actually see the traps..so she’ll need to communicate to other players where the traps are. Thats where strategy comes in as well…if the scout dies then survivors no longer have a trap spotter.
Obviously certain limitations need to be placed on it for balance.. like only 1 trap is allowed at a time and having a trap recharge time in place. The whole idea is to capture the classic movie cliche of someone falling down/getting hurt while on the run and turning this into a gameplay mechanic that feels fun but still balanced. It gives the Killer the strategic ability to catch prey while the survivors are challenged with spotting and avoiding potential hazards.
I've been asked at various times how the asymmetrical aspect of Last Year differs from games like Evolve for example and my answer is that I see this as a slower, methodical, strategic game. It's not so much about shooting as it is about tension, choice making, heart pounding chases, and melee combat (even though there are still weapons like harpoons and slingshots).
We’re modelling the Chad in-game character right now so I'll be updating you with progress on that shortly with various stages of completion. After that is the skinning and animation and test the trapping mechanics in engine.
Thanks again for the patience and support the past weeks all..it really helped move things along and get it resolved quickly. I'm just glad we can move forward on making an awesome project!!
-James