Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Spirits and critters

Oh dear, no posts in here for ages! Dreadfully sorry...

So let's try to wrap this thing up as soon as possible, shall we. Right. I've been drawing little forest spirits for the doc, which is great fun!

Some doodles:



Final version progress:



 And here it is! Mee moo...!




Sunday, November 4, 2012

Updated screenshot

Phew! Finally finished the environment image, I think. I've changed the colour scheme, removed lots and lots of lines, simplified things, removed clutter, added some depth... Also threw in some mist, which may or may not show up very well. Hopefully it looks a bit less twee now.

Old image:



New image:

Friday, November 2, 2012

Updated characters image

The picnic-on-a-hill image has been tweaked based on Tuesday's feedback.

Old:



New:


I've simplified the basket and added some depth, as well as removed/toned down some outlines. Next up is the environment image, eeeek...

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Otis and Fawn!

Managed to finish the picnic picture today. Yay!


Dawwh. Makes me miss summer...

Here's the text that goes with it:

This somewhat mismatched couple is blissfully happy together. They adore going on quiet little adventures, be it ice skating or having  sunset picnics on a hill, and can spend hours sipping hot chocolate and talking by the fireplace.

Otis is methodical and thoughtful, Fawn is impulsive and fearless. They both love cinnamon buns, crosswords and long lie-ins. Their life is cosy, ordered, safe and perfect - just the way they want it to be.

Their structured existence was thrown off-balance when the thin layer of frost made it impossible for Fawn to bring in fresh flowers for their bedside tables every morning. When a patch of darkness appeared out of nowhere, Otis was so badly spooked that he needed THREE cups of elderflower liqueur to calm down. It was clear to both of them that this couldn’t continue, and the decision to go on a Big Adventure was a joint one.

Aaand here's the page:

Friday, October 26, 2012

Characters sketch

Quick update before home time! Sketched out the image for the Characters page today.

I've started doing the linework in Illustrator but it's not really in a show-able state yet... 


Monday, October 22, 2012

Updated feature list

I only managed to rewrite the feature list tonight, but it means that another page is done which makes me very happy indeed.

Feature list

An adventure like no other
Meet Otis and Fawn; two unlikely heroes on a personal quest of interplanetary magnitude.
Enjoy charming, one-of-a-kind graphics and a whimsical world that encourages interaction and exploration beyond the game objectives alone.

Love is all
Experience unique gameplay mechanics centred around the game’s core theme: love!
Use hugs to affect the environment in a positive way and discover secrets.

A darker side of cute
Separate the two characters to see a gloomy, more sinister side of the world. Different characters, objects and puzzles are revealed this way, but Otis and Fawn can’t remain apart for too long without fading away...


Here's the current spread:


I think it could look quite nice printed. We'll see!


Up next is the characters page, which might involve a picture of Otis and Fawn having picnic on a hill...

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Mock-up screenshot

I drew a screenshot today! It was quite fun, although it took far too long. Oh well.

Sketch:


Papa Bear has lost Baby Bear! Awwh! It seems like our brave heroes must reunite the two before they can cross the bridge to the left.

Colours:


Here's what the spread looks like at the moment. The plan is to combine the screenshot with the Feature list in beautiful harmony... I'll rewrite the feature list and sort out the layout tomorrow, because it's a little bit meh at the moment. 

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Game overview

Today I finished the two images I posted earlier and put together the Overview page. I'm not 100% sure of the layout, but I'll give the entire document a second layout-treatment once I'm done with all the pictures.

Here's the finished "hug" drawing, showing the world being all nice and friendly. Dawwh!

 
The world goes dark and gloomy when Otis and Fawn are apart. New characters and objects appear, like the friendly caterpillar who was chillaxing in the fluffy bushes! Who knew?


Here's a JPG of the finished page:

  

If any images appear blurry and meh, right click and select "view image" to view them properly. Blogger's image display is a bit funny...

Friday, October 19, 2012

Story page

Finished a page, hooray! I can't seem to upload PDFs, so here's a jpg:

Click to zoom, then right click and choose "view image" to see a sharper version.


Game overview is up next...

Thursday, October 18, 2012

The ocean's gone...

Right, I'm doing this properly. I keep starting little drawings without finishing them so I'm doing the images for this doc in order, page by page like an adult. >:(

Here's the to-do list: 

Story:
Fawn trying to go for a swim 

Game overview:
Togetherness mechanics 1 & 2 

Feature list:
No image 

The game:
Screenshot/environment 

Characters:
Otis and Fawn drinking tea/having a picnic
Upside-down fox! 

Controls:
Click to move
Click object
Hugging
Inventory 

Business model
Merchandise, stuffed toys 

Front cover
Back cover

Here's the sketch for the "Story" page:

Illustrator progress:
 

Still quite a way to go... Need to sort out her arms! It's really hard to keep the charm from the first sketch all the way through Illustrator...

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Togetherness mechanic

I've been noodling away at some drawings to illustrate the game's key mechanic during the weekend.

If the two characters are close together the world is nice and friendly. Fawn and Otis can hug each other to spread love and make the environment even lovelier. 

Photoshop sketch:


Wasn't happy with this. It looked too messy for what I wanted in the pitch doc... I love the sketchiness but it clashed against the neat vector backdrop, and it didn't look as polished as I wanted.

Illustrator and a paper texture came to the rescue:

  

If the characters become separated in the game the world turns dark and sinister. Different objects and characters are then available to interact with, but Otis and Fawn can't stay apart for too long.

Photoshop sketch:

To Illustrator:


I still need to add some kind of object or character in the environment that changes between the two images, but the base is there.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Backdrop done!

Backdrop done:



Squished it a bit so I could fit more text on top of the sky. Seems to work all right so far! Here's an InDesign screengrab:


God, I need to cut a lot of text... Or add some pages. I'll sort out the page layout and finalise the text tomorrow, as well as illustrate the key mechanic.Whooosh...

Background progress

Quick update before I head home for the evening. I really liked the sketch from before but the dark sky was a bit...dark, so I turned it into a sunrise thing instead. Also, TREES!



Still needs a bit more polish but it's getting there. I really want to make this doc look as pretty as possible... I'm slightly worried that I'm not leaving enough space for text, but I can always squish the composition a little bit and cut some of the text. It'll be FINE.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Some trees

I love drawing trees. My next game idea will be ALL ABOUT TREES.

Style exploration and Illustrator practice for the pitch document backdrop.



Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Page layout woes

I've been noodling away at the text layout for the pitch document:


It's REALLY annoying me. I want a page spread with the game characters, so I've had to shuffle some things around and squish other things together. Not happy. "The game"? I'm not even sure what I meant with that heading - I only added it as padding. I guess a screenshot or something. Bahh... Giving it another go tomorrow.

Right now it's looking like an eight page document, plus front and back covers.



I also did a sketch of what was going to be the page background but ended up a little bit too busy. I haven't drawn properly in Photoshop for ages... Planning to re-draw it properly in Illustrator and either simplify it so it works as a document backdrop or use it as a back cover.

Sleepies now!
Andrea

Sunday, October 7, 2012

ADORE: the story!

Since popping up to Preston for some feedback and direction I have been mulling over the idea of Adore for far too long. It's beginning to solidify, however, and today I finished most of the writing for the pitch document. I'd like to think that it could be pretty damn awesome and sweet.

I'll post the story and game overview here to begin with, and then I'll follow it up with the finished pages as I go along.

WARNING! Wall of text follows:
 

Odd things have been happening lately. 

Last week Otis and Fawn went for a daytrip to the seaside, but when they got there the ocean was gone. Left behind was nothing but a muddy seabed and a few confused crabs. A few days later they went stargazing but they couldn't find the moon, only a gaping black hole where it should have been. The stars didn't twinkle like they used to.

It's much colder than it should be at this time of year. Mist covers the ground like a chilly blanket. The flowers in the woods where Fawn and Otis live are wilting already, but autumn is months away. Little patches of darkness have appeared throughout the forest. They frighten the creatures who live there, who won't go near the shadows. The woods seem strangely silent.

It's almost as if the world was filled with a  great sadness. 

But Otis and Fawn have a camping trip planned, and if the weather doesn't improve they will have to cancel it. Unwilling to risk another holiday, they decide to find out what is going on. Where has the moon and ocean gone? Why have the shadows appeared? And why is it so cold and quiet? 

Game overview 
ADORE is a point and click adventure game for PC, Mac and tablet devices that brings two unlikely adventurers on a journey from their home in the forest to the big city in the north, and all the way to outer space. Explore the environment, collect and combine items and solve puzzles to figure out what lies behind the odd, recent events. 

Togetherness mechanics 
The game features a dynamic world that changes depending on whether or not the characters are near each other. If they are close the environment looks friendly, and the two characters can hug each other and affect the world in a positive way. Spreading love this way makes flowers bloom, little creatures emerge and shadow areas disappear. 

However, if Otis and Fawn ever become separated the world becomes dark and threatening. Different items, characters and places become visible, but Fawn and Otis can't stay in this dark reality for too long without fading away...


Hope that makes sense. I'm not sure if I could prototype the whole world-changing mechanic... We'll have to see how well I get on with Unity. A simple little point-and-click level with two characters should be possible though. Hahaha, I say that now... Gahh.


Cheerios,
Andrea


Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Dino Detectives, part 1

Quick little update for the evening to summarize my fourth and final idea. Well, I say "quick and little", but what I really mean is "lengthy and full of words".

Now, I'm not sure this is even allowed, but I am going to bring back two little characters that can't seem to leave me alone. Yep. It's these guys:



I really liked the concept of a fearless little kid and a dinosaur solving mysteries together. Alex and Melvin have stayed with me. A few years ago my sister told me that she had such a hard time finding good books for my nephew. He must have been around eight years old at the time and he wasn't really into reading. I remember when I was that age and how I used to hide under the covers with a book and a torch for hours past my bedtime... There is something very wrong with the world if a child ever grows up without experiencing that.

Ever since that conversation with my sister I've wanted to bring Alex and Melvin on a bunch of adventures, either in the shape of books or as interactive story apps. This pitch would obviously explore the latter. Having had a look at the hollow and brain-melting rubbish in the"children's books" category of the iOS app store, I'm even more keen to do this.*

I thought that, perhaps, my nephew or some other kids out there might be into crimefighting, prehistoric reptiles... So I did a quick sketch and some scribbles of what I had in mind.


At this point I was using the story from Tiny Dinosaur, but framed as an interactive book instead of a DS game. It would feature puzzles, minigames, little interactions and cool gadgets, not to mention an awesome story. Obviously!

But I can't use the same story. That would be cheating. So tonight I sat down and wrote a little blurb for a new adventure, following on from the events of Tiny Dinosaur. In this tale Alex have met Melvin, and together they have outsmarted the evil Doctor DeVicious and liberated all the tiny dinosaurs in the village of Backwaters. My cunning master plan of establishing the duo as detectives for future sequels needed a story where Alex and Melvin are forced to act when no adults are capable of doing so, thereby earning them some recognition as problem solvers. And, naturally, every good children's story rests on the principle that Adults Are Silly.

Here it is. It doesn't have a name yet, and obviously it needs to be interactivified and it needs some pretty pictures and buzzwords to go with it. But I'll do that later.



Nothing ever really happens in the small town of Backwaters... Except that one time when Alex found a small dinosaur called Melvin in her back yard and uncovered a devious plot to capture a group of tiny and not-at-all-extinct reptiles, but that was AGES ago. Several weeks, at least.

Since then, Alex and Melvin have had the bestest summer together.

But lately, something hasn't been quite right. Alex' parents can't seem to get out of bed in the morning, and yesterday Alex saw their neighbour Mrs Pickles  fall asleep on the pavement when she was walking her dog. And to make it all worse, someone - or something - is breaking into houses all around town, leaving strange dust tracks behind. With the city's adult population snoozing the summer away it's up to Alex and Melvin to figure out what's going on. 


So, something strange is putting the city's grown-ups to sleep for a sneaky purpose. Imagine this with lots of interactive elements, maybe even a branching "choose your own adventure" system, minigames and an inventory full of cool detective gadgets... And a dinosaur. Can't go wrong with that, right? Oh, and I have this really cool idea of how I could get parents involved in the story as well and make the kids to put the iPad down for a moment. More on that next. Sleepies now!



* There are also loads of awesome and amazing storybooks on the app store, but seeing them obscured by fifty different variations of CARS 2 LIGHTNING MCQUEEN JIGSAW PUZZLE STORY RACE GAME made me cry on the inside.