How things work out on Project AH

Hello everyone!

It's been a week since our last post and we are very happy with our reach so far. Over 200 people have subscribed for our Horror event on the 30th of March and this makes everyone happy, and fuels us for more sweet things to show you!

So, this time, we thought it would be a good idea to share our working methods and our workflow for the project. So how was the idea structured and went into Unity?

The Mechanics (Game Design)

First of all, we wanted to merge core mechanics of 2 of our favorite game genres, them being Adventure and Horror.

We want to keep the original thinking and puzzle part of Adventure games, making people use pieces of paper in front of their PC to write down the clues we give them! We want people to start cross-referencing and gluing together the core hints and images / events they have witnessed in game in order to get a better grasp of the task at hand, how to solve puzzle X? Should we think about spatial recognition and/or riddles? Should we use different parts in the house in an illogical, yet clever and surreal way? Should we just google the answer? Hopefully, the thrill of solving a puzzle on your own will feed their curiosity and help them solve the puzzles on their own.

At the same time, we wanted to keep the horror part that makes horror games... well. Horror games! That comes down to a deranged and mutated creature lurking around in the dark corners of the game environment, always looking for you, waiting for you, wanting to kill you in many ways. The lurking horrors that make you stealth, sneak past them and think of ways to avoid them, since our character will be practically useless against them in pure combat. It all comes down to using your head much more than using your wits.

Combining these two together, we have created a formula that requires the players to be constantly vigilant with their surroundings, and always on the lookout. Being unable to stand in one place the whole time, will sure terrify some players, especially those who take their time into thinking and solving puzzles, because you will never be actually safe...

Spatial Recognition Puzzles and Sequence is playing a major part.
Not to mention the surreal illogical thinking required for some of the puzzles.

The Story

What good would a horror/adventure game would be without the story element? That s the reason for delving deep into the classics: From early Gothic Fiction, such as the Castle of Otranto, to Poe's writings and with a deep love for Lovecraftian lore and the occult, we've written a true horror piece that will shake the very foundations of your sanity, depriving you of your well-earned rest and make you lose countless hours of sleep, engaging you in one of the most disturbing adventures you have encountered so far, in order to solve the ultimate mystery of one's life. 

And the best part?

It's staged in the heart of all that is morbid, in the late 1800s, the end of the Victorian Era, where civilizations' foundations change from the roots up and the occult takes over every dark corner, every little crevice of one's mind.

Just another ordinary looking haunted house. Why the heck not?

The Coding Part 

With a few scratches on some notepad, agony, pain and some brainstorming hours later, we knew exactly what our game needed in order to build up our mechanics, so we got together and in a few days prepared a very draft prototype of the game, white-boxed with dummy graphics. We are going to post about these mechanics in more depth in future blog posts.

Having a clear image of those 2 genres in our head, it was no hard task to implement such mechanics. It would seem that our game had the minimum available mechanics and it was still playable. After looking through the features over a second iteration, we started adding more tasks that add to the immersion of the game, such as better AI, better VFX and better SFX Systems.

THAT door... Is sure to be hosted in another blog post all by itself. Mark my words...

The Audiovisual Part

After the breakthrough we had with the mechanics being programmed and the story being written, we had to marry the puzzles (Mechanics) with the plot (Story) of our game. That combination however could not be seen or heard with the proper props.

It was then, when our artists stepped into the battle field of production and had their say into how the props and models would appear in game, how creepy the feel and aesthetic would be and how much immersion would the audio part add to the game. All that, in conjunction with the main story plot, the mechanics being tested in the prototype scene inside Unity, and the unstoppable flow of ideas from the minds of our art and audio team.

A 3D Head, because i have nothing to share here.

New merits for Team Genesis, Leaking Screenshots!

Hello again, people! This time we got EXTREMELY exciting news for you!

First of all, we would like to announce that Team Genesis won its' second reward in Imagine Cup - Honorable Mention in UX Challenge, climbing to the top 10 of the Games Category in the world once again...!

User Experience (UX) Challenge was about creating 2 documents filled with diagrams covering basic gameplay flow of our game, the target screens and their functionalities, 2 LowFi Wireframes about our gameplay and menu screens as well as one HighFi Wireframe concerning the gameplay.

You can see Imagine Cup's Official UX-Winner Announcement here: http://bit.ly/1kHjeTH

Kudos, team!

Secondly, and that's somewhat even more awesome for sharing with you, we will now leak the first ever "ACTUAL" screenshot of the game, which is actualy the high fidelity wireframe that we submitted over to the UX Challenge.

In the following screenshot we are revealing quite a few things:

1. The characters in 3D !
2. Some of the Rooms of the House!
3. The Whole User Interface!

So... without further ado, behold, our UX Challenge Screenshot:

Note: This Screenshot was taken in January. Trust us, there is MUCH more to show you :)

Things are about to get nasty, as one week remains until our game is submitted for the Greek Finals so now, team Genesis is going on full power! Let's do this!

The Edge of Insanity

The night draws near. The days are passing by like the sharpnel of Sanders' Handgun pierces through the Dire Rats' feeble bodies.

It's getting closer. I can feel it. Everyone here can. Imagine the whole Blackthorn Manor, and now imagine us inside it. It's a complete and utter chaos. Everyone runs around the house, having 10 goals that have to be done yesterday and simultaneously.

It feels as if we are puppets on a string, played by a force unknown. Half of us are wielding code guns and they shoot limitless lines and lines and lines of code to glue everything together. Our project is as unstable as a newly brewed potion. It does have improvements day by day though. Noticable improvements.

The others strive with writting, designing every missing aspect of the game, puting target dummies around the house, so the code gunners can bring it down. Once the target is being set, we unleash the code beasts and they nuke it until it's down.

Talk to other people. Make the game. Build a presentation. Run around aimlessly at times. Scream with agony. Feel the pressure swirling you inside a dark void, ready to consume you. But you will succeed won't you? You will beat the darkness.

Everyone is on the edge of insanity. Developers rejoice, for the time is getting closer..!

That would sum up the environment and feelings of Genesis at the moment, while we are preparing for Imagine Cup. We got less than a month to submit our game (!!!) and we are exhausted and excited at the same time. We hope we can make it! Ohhhh we sure can!

To the updates it is, then! The bots are much more clever now. It's insane! They run around, open doors, steal from other characters, attack them, and even hunt them down to destroy them, they have specific goals in their minds and they just can't get them off their mind. Our characters also have little light bulbs over them, as the AI *THINKS* the next optimal move, based on the current state, the scenario and the user.

We love how smart they can be, thanks to our CodeSquad, we feel that if all the holes of the game are filled and de-bugged to the end, our game will finally be playable..! :D

We'll now leave you with a screenshot of what the user will experience when someone is becoming a traitor:

The Curse of the Rat King - "BOW TO ME MY FOLLOWERS! THE VERMIN SHALL INFEST THIS LAND"

Till next time, more updates coming soon!

It's all about A.I. - And showing off rooms!

Finally! The game now properly locks to one character, and we control him only now! The rest of the explorers now have a very very very BASIC form of AI.

They can think for themselves! They can open rooms, steal from others and even attack them at will based on predetermined design guidelines. They know what's good for them, as such when you complete your turn with your character, you can FINALLY see all the others doing stuff at will. Mostly navigating into other rooms.

But what else you'd expect when the curse has not broken and the scenario has yet to be revealed? Their only goal after all IS ACTUALLY to open up all the rooms discover as much of the house as possible!

The AI to handle the post-curse effects is yet to be written, since we focus on polishing the pre-curse thinking patterns of the characters.

The rooms have also been optimized. Some messy models were thrown away, some others just got dessimated, just enough to keep the poly count low. We have also given the players the ability to tinker with the Video Quality Settings : Low (Without any shadows emitting light) , High (Which really takes the game to another level, if you can handle the FPS cost).

Currently we are focusing on making the game playable by one player. We believe we will reach our goal easily by the week, so we can start wrapping up and adding spice to the game itself the time remaining until the Imagine Cup Greek National Finals.

We are very excited and we hope that every sacrifice we've made so far won't be in vain. We will take this to the very end..!

We don't like not showing you what we are preparing, so here is a quick view of the Ritual Chamber, where the Rat King will perform his Wicked Rat Ritual..!

The Ritual Chamber - Perfect for Spellcasting, Rituals and other Demonic Sacrifices...!

Leaking one of the Rooms of the game and Promotion across the Internet!

It's about time Dementia got some publicity! We had our time on the project and we decided to do some sharing around the internet so even more eyes can see our game!

We want to create the community around Dementia : ToBM, we want people to start talking about our game, to anticipate it coming, we want to go to Imagine Cup Greek Finals and win.

So, for all those guys that managed to get to our blog, we have one huge question:
Do you know someone or have a friend who likes Board Games? Show him this blog!
Do you have anyone who likes online action with a bunch of friends online? Show him this blog!
Does your dog like ghosts? Show him this blog!
Do you know a bunch of people who enjoy horror stories around campfire at midnight ? Show them this blog!

Everyone who likes board games or video games should check us out!

We can't stress it out more - We believe that word of mouth can help spread this idea even further, and generate the amount of audience required for Imagine Cup and success for this game. We believe in our idea, now it's your turn to believe in us :P

We look forward to talking to each and every one of you, to hear out your ideas for the game, and to share as much as we can by the time of development of the game.

Anyway, back to the usual stuff!

We got our monkey programmers on site to create fantastic traversal experiences at the moment! Interestingly enough, the house itself is made of 3 floors (as you already know) - The Ground Floor, where all the ordinary rooms can be found, such as the Kitchen, the Dining Room, the Abandoned Room, the Altar and/or the Hallowed Organ Room.

Then there is the Upper Floor, which is a bit creepier if someone is fond of heights... You never know where you might end up to! Such rooms are the Attic, the Collapsed Room, the Office and the Master Bedroom.

Last but not least, we have the most dark place of the game: The Basement Floor! The Basement has all those creepy rooms that may give more spice to your horror stories, and all those horrible stuff happen there. Rooms of ultimate darkness include the Ritual Chamber, the Incinerator, the Machinery and the Crypt.

Now, what were those "traversal" experiences that we mentioned before? Our explorers can reach the upper floor by ascending the Grand Staircase, found right at the start of the game. Then, through the Collapsed Room, they can fall down to the basement. Their only escape is the Staircase to Foyer which leads to a Ground Floor Tile. Finally, they can find themselves in the Basement after discovering "The Leap Of Doom", a semi-collapsed room found in the Ground Floor that leads directly to the basement. One way!

Currently we are making sure that they reach their destination as requested from the in-game GUI.

Now, for the highlight of the post I would like to share a Leak of 1 Room with you - just to get an idea of what the house will evolve into:

Behold: The Main Entrance Hall, Including Foyer and Grand Staircase Room Tiles !!!

Welcome to the Blackthorn Manor. Dare to Open the Doors?

And with this... I shall leave you :)
Experience the Curse!

Blackthorn Manor Interior : Volume 2

Blackthorn Manor has sure been busy this week. Characters started entering the mansion, exploring the first rooms of the house, they've been having a spooky time, facing ghosts or spectral monsters!

This week, we will keep throwing you more furniture from the Blackthorn Manor:

The Librarian's favored. Once said to be filled with books, now the library
of the Manor holds only the creepiest secrets one can ever know. Only
the fearless may attempt to reach out for the forbidden knowledge the
Manor holds. But what can someone do with such knowledge other than
being a lonelybeing, on the verge of insanity and complete mental breakdown?

Sinners, Rejoice! For the saintly chimes of the Church Organ can

calm your inner self, and aid in purifying your corrupted soul. Let the 

melody calm your spirits and be reborn from sin itself, to a new being.

You are now chosen for a purpose, either it is life or death.

Only the most peculiar and weird objects can be found inside the Manor's
treasure chests. Sometimes it can be a stuffed animal from the child
that used to live there, or you may even find a Rusty Spear to use in
your... adventage if the spirits agree with you that is...!

Books. Holders of secrets known to few. Every page holds a feeling,
every word holds dreaded pain and eternal sorrow. That's because
no ordinary books can be found in the Manor. No sweet fairytales
or steamy romance novels. Only vile tomes of blood and cruelty.
Only hideous chapters on headhunting or Voodoo.
Even grimoires of black magic, undeath and corruption.

In many rooms, you may find a heater that was once used to keep the former
owners of the Manor warm in the cold winter nights. Even if they still work though
they have completely no effect on explorers when the house itself is creepy as hell
and cold blood runs through everyone's veins. Especially when bone-chilling
apparitions wander around the house, seeking to avenge their death.

They may look comfy but noone can guarantee that they won't animate,
hurl themselves at you, or even grow a blade among the comfy pillows underneath.
This is the house of a murdered family after all. Yes they were harmless once.
But times have changed... And so have the armchairs...

You can find plants around the house. Whilist the house is full of evil
entities, these plants somehow give you the idea that there may still
be hope after all, when life is still blooming inside a deathtrap.
What would you do if you were actualy given a second chance?
You know it could be false deep inside you, yet you want to believe.

Angel Statues to greet Explorers in the Blackthorn Manor and
guide them to the upper sections of the house. Some of them can be
found broken, as they are ruined by unknown abominations, others
are still intact and await their demise... or resurrection by greater beings.
Far greater than one can even conceive.

That's all for now, from the Blackthorn Manor. 

We'll catch up next week!!

Stay tuned, and of course... 

Experience the curse...

(  ;...;)

Blackthorn Manor : Interior - Volume 1

Heya folks, how's it been? It's been an exciting week over here, since we had a blast at Infocom this Wednesday, thus the first HexCraft Wednesday without a HexCraft blog post! BUT, we won't let this week go without one, so expect a post about our impressions and personal experiences this weekend.

So let's continue with bringing you the latest information about Dementia : Tales of Blackthorn Manor.

Since we've already "Met the Cast" , we will now move on to giving you more concrete things, other than plain concept art, so you can see where phase 2 of asset creation is getting to. 

This week, we will present you some of the furniture of the Blackthorn Manor, that reside inside it, waiting for you to tinker with them, explore them, search them for clues, and interact with them. Here comes a burst of 3D models created just for the Manor, by our 3D Environment Artist , Menos.

A spooky chair to greet the explorers near the entrance hall.
Sit on it, and your fate shall be sealed. For eternity.

A bed, with unknown history of events occured over and... under the sheets.
I am talking about demonic rituals and sacrifice.

A wooden bench, which can be found at the Altar, for
those misguided souls to pray when there is no hope of atonement.

Wall candles attached on those bloody walls, to bring warmth and light.
Merely an essence of Hope, in this Dark Manor.

A Grandfather Clock, to remind us of time, aging and our life cycle.
All sort of weird stuff can happen at Midnight... Besides Chimes.

What's in the closet? Is it some bloody casualwear? Or maybe a hidden weapon?
Maybe it's the corpse of the owner, in pieces, or maybe it's Boogeyman.
It could, of course, be empty.... Right?

Don't look in the mirror, you may not like what you see.
It may be your reflection, but then again, it may be someone else's reflection.
Sometimes you may even the owner standing right behind you.
LOOK BEHIND YOU NOW!

Some events may occur that depend on these objects, because everything counts, everything can happen inside the Blackthorn Manor. You never know what rooms you'll explore or who will betray the rest. And of course, WHAT he will turn into. These objects add up to the total experience of the curse.

Are you still bold enough to explore the manor?

Till next time.... 

*buwahawhahahwahahahahahahah* 

*flies away*

The Setting of Dementia : Tales of Blackthorn Manor

It's #CreepyFriday! Time to get you the latest of our dark project.

The Blackthorn Manor is an old house, aging back to the 1920s, the environment sure is telling us a lot about the house itself, you can see broken objects on the ground, debris, junk. The house is creepy, dark and noone knows what happened inside. With the fear of breaking evil seals and triggering a horrific curse, we tread lightly as we explore the rooms of the manor. Dark, Dusty rooms which are now infested with hordes of insects and bats, are some of the places with cracky floors that we will be exploring.

You never know what horrors can occur in the Blackthorn Manor...

The house has internal and external sections. For example, you may find yourself picking up objects at the Junk Room, or you may witness the impossible, while being out in the graveyard of the house. Some rooms also can be outside facing, which gives you a greater grasp of where you are standing right now. But then again, being right next to a window is not a safe option when exploring Blackthorn Manor, is it?

Some Rooms may hold a secret, while others may be keepers of cursed items..

The rooms seem so natural, and the furniture seems so cosy, but noone has ever been to Blackthorn Manor without seeing his friends taken over by a horrible monstrocity trying to backstab them at some very crucial point of the night where everyone's flashlights go out and there is no escape from the manor.

Sometimes you may end up witnessing a vision of the dead owners of the house as a mere warning, other times you may find a lockbox with items inside, and sometimes, nasty ghosts or the evil undead may be tempted to attack you based on your will not to freak out when you see them.

...But can you NOT freak out, when you see a burning man running straight at you, or when an animated table is hurled at you? That's up to YOU. 

See you next week, where we will be showcasing some of the characters who have the guts exploring Blackthorn Manor.

...Experience the Curse!