First a quick video:
So, last week, I began work on the script for Encompassed. It was a new direction for this game. We had originally imagined Encompassed as a purely atmospheric puzzler, but we were having some issues explaining the core mechanics of the game. We decided to add Voice Overs to explain these mechanics, but struggled with the proper implementation. We needed something that spoke to the player, but also seamlessly integrated with the game play. Cue a story.
For those of you who don’t know, I deign to be a writer. My Bachelor’s degree was in writing (although it was geared toward technical applications) and when I started making games, I did so as an outlet for story telling. The future of good stories is in games, after all. So I set to work on making a story that is interesting, believable, but not too hand-holdy. Last week I began, and finished the rough draft for the game.
Another addition from the last few weeks was the implementation of the adaptive soundtrack by our composer Kevin Anthony. His work is incredible, and I have regularly called him a wizard. If you don’t believe me, listen to the music on this weeks update video. It is faint, and not responsive to the viewer the same way it is to the player, but it is incredible nonetheless.
If you want the full audio experience, you will have to join our beta testing group for details. On this page, there should be a link to that, if you can’t find it, send me a message on facebook, or send me a tweet.
Lastly for the updates from last week, you may have noticed another version of the ball from the intro shows up after both the first levels were beaten, this is another storytelling system that needs a lot more work. I will update this during this upcoming week, and you will see a demonstration on next Monday.
My goals for this week are as follows:
- Edit the script.
- Implement the storytelling experience including:
- Recording and adding voice-overs.
- The moving balls that show the change and progression of the balls.
- Some more marketing stuff. This includes a video advertisement, and this blog post 😉
Thank you all so much for being our fans and supporting us as we work. You are the best, seriously.
-Nick Harmer
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