• Log In | Sign Up

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Top Games
  • Search
  • New Releases
  • Daily Deals
  • Forums

Adventure Gamers - Forums

Welcome to Adventure Gamers. Please Sign In or Join Now to post.

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread

Post Marker Legend:

  • New Topic New posts
  • Old Topic No new posts

Currently online

CharophyceanchrissieKeybordz

Support us, by purchasing through these affiliate links

   

Alien Function News and Updates

Avatar

Total Posts: 1167

Joined 2013-02-12

PM

Celebreon - 23 July 2020 03:33 AM

And when I look at Typhil and the gang, it appears they have clothes from a past century or something, with belt buckles and scullery wench outfit and stuff.  IS there any more you can share about this clashing of classical attire against the sci fi setting?

This is the fourth game in the series - Sir Typhil and some of the supporting cast have previously appeared in more of a fantasy setting. I’m guessing they fell through a rift in space and time or something like that.

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

Celebreon - 23 July 2020 03:33 AM

So far the setting reminds me of something like Anachronox, and since I’m not familiar with the rest of the series, I mean like a hard-sci-fi genre, but not too self-serious?
So am I far off, or only a bit off?

Yes, it has a hard sci fi feel to it. It is a comedy, however, although the comedy this time around is likely not going to be quite as silly as in the previous games, tending more toward a subtle surreal style of comedy with perhaps a bit darker humor than the previous games.

Celebreon - 23 July 2020 03:33 AM

So I guess I want to ask:  Do you think the computer terminal and O/S stuff is integrated throughout the gameplay, or is it more of a single-use puzzle mechanic or something?

The computer will be used for many things throughout the game. It is not a single puzzle, but a significant part of the gameplay.

Celebreon - 23 July 2020 03:33 AM

And when I look at Typhil and the gang, it appears they have clothes from a past century or something, with belt buckles and scullery wench outfit and stuff.  IS there any more you can share about this clashing of classical attire against the sci fi setting?

Phlebas is correct. The first 3 games were fantasy. In this game the characters have found themselves aboard a starship with their memories altered. Part of the plot of the game is they have to rediscover who they really are.

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

A trailer now exists for Alien Function!

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

The Steam page for Alien Function is live!

Please wishlist. Even if you don’t plan to get it on Steam, please wishlist anyway. It really helps with visibility.

Thank you!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349640/Alien_Function/

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

A playable demo is now available for Alien Function!

Just go to the store page and the demo button will be at the top. Would love to know what you think after you play it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349640/Alien_Function/

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 5813

Joined 2012-03-24

PM

I’ve downloaded the demo & spent a little time on it - it looks like there’s a puzzle to be solved which requires some note-taking. After I’ve recovered from playing the puzzle-heavy Lighthouse I’ll devote some time to this demo.  Smile

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

I now have a firm release date for Alien Function. It will come out January 21st, 2021.

While the plan was to release this year, research showed November and December to be bad times for indie game releases.

     

Total Posts: 34

Joined 2020-10-21

PM

Hello hightreason

I have watch the game trailer and I have tried to play the demo.

I think a lot of people would probably say that the trailer was a bit weird and too indie to there taste. I personally found it funny and weird in fantastic indie game way. But I am not really sure I would be say it sold me on the idea of buying the game, but was it a free game, I would definitely play it.

Then I tried the demo. And I am so sorry, but the demo really disappointed me. It was really buggy, and I had to restart the game 3-4 times before I just was able to get to the office. And the main issue was that the pathfinding did not work very well. The long walk through the hallways was way too long and to say it honest it was super boring. But okay there was perhaps meant to be some funny voice over there, but it’s just not there jet. And I do en general not understand why that you not have put at least some of the voice acting in the demo. I will say that the dialog without the voice acting felt a bit flat, but I am sure it gets funny and better with the voice acting. I overall like the computer puzzle/story idea, but at least for me the puzzle hints on what I was suppose to do, was not clear enough to really understand what I was suppose to.

I am again sorry this was not a really positive message, but I still hope you will make this into an amazing game. Good luck with your development of the game.

Regards JK5000

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

Thanks for playing it. I’m sorry to hear that you had an issue with the pathfinding. I have heard of one other person having such an issue as well and even got video from that person of the issue. However, it does not happen for most people, including me, so it is a very hard issue to track down. The worst issues are the ones that only happen for some people. The pathfinding is the same as all three of the other games in the series and had never heard of an issue with those, so it is very baffling to me why this is happening and only for a few people. Will continue to try to figure out what the problem there is.

The reason there is no voice acting in the demo is because voice actors like to get payed for working. Since I’m not rich, I don’t record any voice acting until the game is completely finished and all writing is complete.

You are quite correct that there will be people for whom the game is just too odd for them. That is always going to be the case when doing games in a style that is new and unusual, and don’t stick to the same old formula. I suspect it will be just like the previous three games in the series where people either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it, no middle ground. :-)

Again thanks for playing the demo.

     

Total Posts: 34

Joined 2020-10-21

PM

Hello hightreason

I have a guess on what your partfinding issue could be, but I am not sure. I can see when the player character turns, you use some kind of smoothing on the turning. My guess is that you on the smoothing, you have not made the right calculation that shall take in count for the computers different frame rates. On my computer the turning is happening pretty slow, and with my game development experience, I guess you have multiplied the smoothing with deltatime, where you not was meant to do that. I know if you do that, the higher frame rate you play the game with, the slower the rotation would be. And I am pretty sure that the slow rotation is what making the player character walk weird places, and constantly walk into stuff. The issue can also be on the way you slow down player character when he needs to stop, but I am totally not sure about that.

I would also recommend the game to have a v-sync option, because I also had some screen tearing issues. You could also set a limit on the frame rate to 30 or 60 frames pr sec.. This would perhaps also fix the pathfinding issue, but I will not say it’s a good solution.

Then I both understand the issue with the voice actors and do not understand it. Is it not in the voice actors interest that the games sells well? And I am a sure a good demo with some of the voice acting would make the game more appealing to players, so why would they be against that? But okay there is many things I don’t understand.


Reagards JK5000

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

Indeed when I saw the video from the other person, it appears there is some smoothing on the character turning. I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear that there is in fact no smoothing whatsoever. When I play it and when most people play it, he turns immediately and then start walking. This is what makes this issue so baffling.

May I ask, does it only happen for you in the hallway or is it the same in every room of the game? Maybe I just need to redo the navmeshes in the hallway?

I am very picky about voice actors and use only professionals which is why my games have some of the best voice acting in modern adventure games. Voice acting is their job and it wouldn’t make sense for them to do it for free, nor would I ever ask them to.

     

Total Posts: 34

Joined 2020-10-21

PM

Hello hightreason

I sadly had the issue in all rooms and hallways. I am pretty sure the issue is not with the navmeshes. It’s looks much more like an issue with the way the player character moves. And by the way, in case of the smoothing issue, the lower the frame rate, the more likely it would look like the character is turning immediately. But of cause if you don’t use any smoothing, this is not the issue.

And I am happy you are using good voice actors, and they shall of cause not work for free. It’s just too bad you can’t use them in the demo. Especially because I think they are a really important part of your game. But okay if that is the way it is, then there is nothing to do about that.

Reagards JK5000

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

The navigation issue should be fixed now. I believe it had to do with using root motion for movement. So when the character animated, he also moved. And on some people’s computers, he turned very slowly, moving the whole time, so it made him walk in an arc. Now I have it so that he turns without animating which looks a bit more clunky, but no one will have any problems moving him around.

     

Total Posts: 34

Joined 2020-10-21

PM

I agree it looks and sounds like it was a root motion issue. But I still thinks it’s also has do with difference in fame rates, because this could potentially also can changes the speed of your the rotation animation. And fast animation would in this case give none or nearly none issues, and slow animation would give a big rotation arcs that of cause give an issue. You could perhaps have avoided that issue by stopping the root motion, while the rotation animation was running.

But of cause if you happy with your solution, you should just keep it. And the important thing is that you have a solution that works and fixes the issue.

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 76

Joined 2018-04-04

PM

Alien Function is out right now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349640/Alien_Function/

     

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread

Welcome to the Adventure Gamers forums!

Back to the top