Extraterrestrial Extradition
Schedule:
While I would like to make the actual game, I need to be realistic in my goals. If I manage to do it anyway, then hurray, but let’s not put it on paper as I don’t want to be held accountable :^)
The main thing that I would like to do is the actual ‘atlas’, the welcome-packet to the space-station. This is because it is necessary for the flash-game so making it first is not wasted effort if I go on to make the game.
The ‘atlas’ can be divided into several key parts and these will be my tasks to complete for the workshops. While I would like to make up a easily-deciphered language for this, I will not include it as one of the tasks as I am not sure I can pull it off. It will be an aside, something to add later should I become happy with a mock-language. Until then, english will be used if text is necessary.
Oct 1st to Oct 26th is ~ 3.5 weeks, so I will make 4 main tasks (again with the assumption that if I have time, to do more).
Oct 8: Description of aliens(inc. appearance, behavior, rough culture, etc)
and their planets
Oct 15: Art of aliens and their architecture (maybe the planets as well)
If time, maybe the walk-cycles of the aliens
Oct 22: How the station works, how the trial-system works,
the accepted behavior on the station
Art of the specific areas on the station (specifically at least the
government offices (interior/exterior), and the court-room
(interior/exterior))
Oct 26: Art of the player’s room and how it can be modified
Map of the station, with attention to the different alien areas
Fix-ups/re-dos/added details to art from previous weeks
A rough attempt at the language just to see if it will work or not
Assembling it all into the welcome-packet, and adding the descriptive text
(either in the english of my mock-language if it proves either unnecessary
to understand the text [i.e., the pictures are descriptive enough] or it is
easily deciphered [maybe two versions?])
I would like to get the flash app of exploring the station up with the art developed in these tasks even if I don’t make a ‘game’ from it.
Visual Style:
I can’t decide whether to go cartoon-style or try to do something more realistic. My artistic abilities are a bit of a determining factor here. Then there is the fact this will all eventually go into flash. Now while flash can import any image type, it is better to draw in flash or at the very least using vector art so that it will scale nicely. Obviously a simple drawing style will be beneficial for this (and exponentially be good for animations). So simple is a requirement, with very simple shading.
I like the cartoon-style then for its vibrant colors and its simple style. Here is a random sample blob-monster (forgive the baaad shading. I can’t figure out how to make nice shadows for blobs… I think this is a good reason to not have a blob alien) I quickly did in flash as a rough sample.
