Hi and thanks for the 2.5 update!
This time I've managed to replay it again from the very begin and I've just completed all of the available episodes, extra-modes and all achievements unlocked as well (even though, strangely enough, the percentage of completion is stuck at 93% no matter what I do).
There are some minor translation issues (from Russian to English) with dialogues in the new secret episode in respect to the previous chapters, which are much more readable and fluent, (maybe it needs some proof reading, but is understandable anyway).
Other minor bugs are present here and there concerning: word-spelling, background audios, sound-fx, some animation and the game mechanics in turn-base combat, but nothing that you can't easily spot yourself (if you'll have the time needed for a slow replay of course).
There are only some bugs I'm reporting here:
- 1) With English language selected, some sentences are written in Russian:
[in Extra Episode 2]:
[the following 2 I don't remember where I've seen them]:
[Look on the upper left angle]:
- 2) The language selection choice is not persistent (it's asked again at each game launch);
- 3) In "Mercenaries" mode, in all of those stages where there are the two "Stage Layout" / "General Layout" options, selecting the first one, the character selection list allows to choose "None" for each available character slot so that is possible to start a match with no characters at all (also this cause a RenPy system exception);
- 4) In "Classic Mode" game difficulty, loading from any save slot (created in that game-mode) the first screen always show the Save Window with a typewriter in the background and the save options; only selecting "no" it brings you back to the safe room;
Again, there are then other minor issues that could be reported, but this time, instead of going on making a never ending list of annotations and feature requests, I'd rather like to simply ask you what are your plans for the future.
After the last update, will the development be based only on player feedbacks and feature requests or you're still following a particular road-map?
And if there's a road-map, which features and modifications have you planned that still have to be implemented? Even more episodes?
I'm asking this because I've had some ideas for this game that would need some changes and restructuring but naturally, at the same time, I don't want to interfere with your own vision and style choices.
Basically I was thinking of the possibility to see this game "jumping" into the 3-rd dimension (even without changing the game engine, using the right techniques).
Just consider this: transforming this massive opera (I mean, even fast-forwarding (or "speed running") a good portion of all available contents I've still needed more than 7 hours to complete only the stories again and a total of 8 and a half to reach 100%) the game could have basically tons of new contents that can be added for the coming years without changing anything in the story.
The story script is extremely detailed to the point that animations, dialogues, cinematic cut-scenes and environments/locations are already there to be translated into the 3D world.
Audio features are already interesting at this stage (the old-school-like ambience musics have a really deep impact on the game experience just like in the original game series).
It's also interesting how the static background images used in the episodes are just basically like fix-camera angle points of view so even here the environment and camera design choices would be rather guided already.
Puzzles are already in the spirit of the classic titles and there are a lot of combat elements (that however would probably need a redesign for the sake of a 3D modern game).
In other words, from a game-developing point of view, this product is like a complex middle-stage interactive proof of concept of a potential big product like a real Biohazard game.
There are parts of the story in some episodes, some moments were, after 20 years, I was feeling again just like when I was playing the originals, I've felt something again; and I'm talking about the emotional bond with a character, the situations it's dealing with and the sensations/emotions the way the places it explores are designed/presented can evoke, and not about jump-scares-driven fear or gore/splatter-driven disgust, of which I couldn't care less.
All of these aspects are what had made me wonder how far we could go with a project like this.
There's even no constraint on the 3D part: it could be a 3D-like game, not a full 3D game: that is, RenPy could be used to fake 3D without using 3D real-time models, (the fixed camera angles with pre-rendered backgrounds are a first feature of this kind already compatible with the engine).
But I'm talking too much as usual....well, anyway, let me know what you think, and again
thanks for your work!
TL/DR: If you need the details about those other minor issues I've noticed in the last update let me know as well and I'll post about it in this thread again.