Finishing touches

[ekimmai]

Hi folks

I'm just trying to put the finishing touches to a puzzle age I've been working on for what seems like years now. Hoorahh!
But now I'm a little baffled by how to go about a handful of things:

1. Saving animated objects' states: I have read the wiki guide on using python but that just frightens me. I also recall something about alcscript that was written to ease the pain, is this true? Do I still need to use Python at all and where can I find the definitive code for this task?

2. Sounds: Got the footstep sounds but nothing else and no background music. Not sure how long to spend on this and I don't have the facilities to go composing some original masterpiece. Any advise? What is better - music or sound effects??

3. Finale: What to do as a finale in a puzzle age? I've been thinking about this for a while and although my age is only in it's infancy I would still like to have a decent "ending", but how do you reward the successful explorer when no collectables to be given out and no new wonder age to give access to!? I was going to just let people link back to Relto via a linking book but I think that is a bit of an anticlimax and probably involves Python code anyway
Maybe a rollercoaster-type ride is the answer, but there is already excess animation in my age and I don't want to have to spend another 2 months on the finishing touches!
(I appreciate there are probably forums dedicated to this dilemma!)

Sorry about all the points in this post - just sharing my thoughts

Ekimmai

[Marcello]

I am dealing with the same dillema. I have a few environments in mind for an age, but the purpose of being there and accomplishing something is hard for the reasons you mention. As a result it's hard to have meaningful puzzles.

My 2 cents:

Rewards
- Stunning visuals
- Content (a story in a journal or the solution or ending to part of a story offered throughout the age)
- Something working that didn't work when you entered the age
- Access to something new (age, part of an age, etc.)

In UrU or Myst in general something always leads to something more. I just wrote these down from scratch, without any study, so maybe it could be done better. For now this list seems workable. Preferably all elements are combined

For instance I'm working on an age where the explorer has to generate a rainbow (why... no clue yet)
- I will start with a story or part of it to explain enough to have the explorer start (I won't tell about the rainbow yet)
- Throughout the age puzzles will lead to part of the solution. I will use collectables within the age. Much like the pellets. Click something an SDL is set and the result will be visible somewhere else. Simple example: you find red at location X, you click red and on location Y red is added to a bunch of colors.
- Once all puzzles are solved and everything collected something will work. A machine probably. This should also be visibly stunning
- The result of the working machine will in my case be a rainbow. Again this should be a visual worth waiting for (particles anyone ).
- Maybe... just maybe at the end of the rainbow a new book is offered one day.

I suggest combining the above things during different moments of the exploration. Have something small work and make it visible while solving a puzzle to motivate the explorer to go on and on, wanting to see more. Isn't that what Myst etc. for an important part is all about... wanting to see more and being challenged to get there?

[Jojon]

1. ..... I also recall something about alcscript that was written to ease the pain, is this true? Do I still need to use Python at all and where can I find the definitive code for this task?

D'Lanor is our resident praised maker of the holy quickscript -- if you pop over to the "Python confusion" thread, he himself will dispense advice on the stateanimation one. :) For a complex puzzle, you may need to rely more on Python. As for "definitive code", there are infinite ways to reach the same goal.. :P

2. ...... What is better - music or sound effects??

There is no "better" there, I'd say, so, counter question: Which is the mood you are going for?

3. Finale: ....

For me the greatest payoff is the reveal. The last piece of the story puzzle, which makes it all come together -- the "Ahhaaaaaah" moment. :)

[ekimmai]

Thanks for your thoughts Marcello, it's given me plenty more to think upon.

Jojon, I found one post of d'Lanor's on quickscript for animation states: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2162
but I'm still a little confused as to how to use the code; e.g. what is an SDL variable? Is the script in the wiki somewhere?

Not sure what mood I want in my age - it's just a house of sorts with hidden doors, rotating panels, switches etc.
I wanted to avoid complications of a storyline at present so perhaps I'll just stick with he explorer finding a passage to another future age which I can develop (and perhaps add story to) later on......

E

[ardent red]

Marcello's list seems pretty complete, but I'd add music to the list. The music that played upon solving Haven was almost better than the

Show Spoiler

crazy mangree ride thing

and I'm pretty sure that the reward wouldn't have been half as good without it.

Kadish had nice sound effects that really contributed to the feeling of being in a huge abandoned forest- I found that it was the age that had the biggest effect on my mood, even though it had very little music (and the music that played once the age was solved was beautiful, yet not intrusive: the perfect reward). Sound effects are relatively simple to find and are an easy way of adding atmosphere. Music, on the other hand, is slightly more difficult, but can establish moods that would be impossible to create with sound effects. A combination of both is important, I guess- though I'd pay more attention to the sound effects.

[Jojon]

I found one post of d'Lanor's on quickscript for animation states: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2162
but I'm still a little confused as to how to use the code; e.g. what is an SDL variable? Is the script in the wiki somewhere?

Try: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=2806&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

...scroll down to D'Lanor's post.

The quickscripts are part of PyPRP -- you can think of them as alcscript macros, that demand a minimum of typing from you and then fill in the rest automagically, with a few presets. The SDL variable here, is a persistant variable, saved to disk, which makes the game remember eg. that a door is opened, next time someone returns to the age -- each age has its own SDL file.

Not sure what mood I want in my age - it's just a house of sorts with hidden doors, rotating panels, switches etc.
I wanted to avoid complications of a storyline at present so perhaps I'll just stick with he explorer finding a passage to another future age which I can develop (and perhaps add story to) later on......

Nothing wrong with mystery, but a few hints here and there, which strengthens the player's "who the **** built this place and why?!", will greatly enhance the experience, even if you saviour the wrapup for later. The klimax doesn't have to be story as such - just the classic view of the whole puzzle from a distance, is wonderful; "Aah, THAT'S why I had to A, B & C!".

[ekimmai]

Ah, the linked topic and thread look like being a great help - fantastic!

My brain is beginning to brim over with some new ideas for making the age come alive: hints on the walls as to the owner of the premises and reasons for the explorer being there; a few notes left here and there which need to be pieced together - and the goal to access the owner's private vault ......

Thanks for all the guidance and stimuli!!