Snakes of Avalon

[Igor Hardy]

SPOILER

There is no real puzzle in that part, so I'm sure you can figure it out, but if you prefer reading some hints...

While you are near the couple and the pipes are visible at least one newly appearing hotspot is important. Perhaps you actually tried the right one, but not with the correct mouse button, or perhaps you didn't notice that the situation has become a little bit different after Jack drank some beer.

[StarLite]

Ok, I'm going to download the newer version and give it a go. I hope you didn't do any more damage to the poor plant. The thing I like about this game is that you feel the atmosphere of the bar, almost like you're actually there. Well I'm nuts, I always get engrossed in games. Good luck with the contest. 

[Kickaha]

Thanks Igor - got a bit further and am continuing! 

[Kickaha]

OK we got to the closing credits!  Plenty in this game, and it has animations too.  Feels like it's making good use of AGS.

"Brakes" gets misspelt as "Breaks" once or twice.  The limitations on when you can do actions like eavesdrop, or pick up the cue, feel artificial.  The game will appeal to some more than others.

[Igor Hardy]

Thanks for your comments, Kickaha. I'll definitely correct the "brakes/breaks" thing.

Regarding limitations... I can agree that the fact that Jack will sit down only after he had a drink (he says that bluntly) may feel annoying, even if he is an alcohol addict. This was necessary, however, to tell the story in the proper order - I can't see a way around it.

On the other hand, I don't think there is anything artificial about the bartender not allowing Jack to pick up the cue - you can only take it when the bartender is engaged in a conversation and distracted.

[Kickaha]

It seemed to me (and I might very well be wrong) that I could only pick up the cue later on in the game, not at first.  The bartender didn't seem to me to be different when I did manage to pick up the cue, and when he prevented me picking it up.  I may well have missed something.

One option might have been for the conspirators to talk about the weather if Jack was near and sober, rather than tell Jack to leave.  It's difficult managing the story order - the choices in "Snakes" are defensible.  On its own terms this game worked, an achievement as you were up against deadlines.

[Igor Hardy]

Thanks.

The idea with the weather(idle) talk makes sense, and things might have worked better if I thought of it while building that part of the game. Still, I like the fact the player can become aware right from the start that there is some gruesome conspiracy going on - the quest for getting a drink for Jack is not that engaging by itself and I can imagine some people would give up on the game without having the prospect of a "murder mystery" ahead.

As for the cue situation, at first the bartender scolds you if you try to take a stick, but later in the game the he moves in the direction of the exit and talks to a patron at the bar. This might be not that well apparent due to the bartender sprite always facing the front of the screen (budget reasons ). I had one more complaint from a person who didn't understand that the barman was in conversation at this point, but it was in an earlier build.

[Igor Hardy]

The results of the competition are in. And our team lost by 1 vote. 

But we lost by 1 vote to Ben Chandler and Steve Poulton and that's certainly still a big achievement.

Overall, 8 games were competing and almost all were very impressive.

[Igor Hardy]

Hey, we released a teaser trailer for an enhanced version of the game we're preparing for July:

http://www.vimeo.com/12800581

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MFvV6vdyQ8

Please tell me what you think about it.

It introduces the new music by Thomas Regin - composer for the well known commercial indie adventure games Blackwell Convergence and Emerald City Confidential.

Any chance for this appearing in the news at AD?

[ad7venture]

I only watched part because of my modem, but it looked pretty good.

[Imari]

Igor, that looks very funny!  Good pacing.  Very strange mixture of images and styles.