Yes, the graphics are a significant weakness. It's especially noticeable because so much rides on the quality of the art. It could use more subtle animations as well; swaying grass and leaves, moving clouds, etc.

This looks really interesting! I think your games are very cool. I'm not sure why you're not getting more attention here.

Looks nice!

I'm a bit worried that you seem to float between ideas all the time. Maybe it's just a false impression. But you shouldn't doubt ideas to much. Just pick one, make a plan and stick to it. Be tenacious and make the best thing you can. It doesn't need to be perfect. Especially if perfection means that it will not be made at all!

Of course a plan can turn out to be unrealistic. You need to evaluate it once in a while and correct it. Usually that means reducing the scope of the project. But that's better than having to cancel it at the end.

I do, unfortunately. However, AWE is a project I stuck to for the last year. Unfortunately there were long periods that the coder wasn't working on it and there wasn't much for me to do while waiting to hear back. I only ever got two alpha builds from him. The last one was 5 months ago. I hate laying all the blame on him, after all this was my first serious project with the intent to sell and distribute, but he simply wasn't putting much time into it.

Consequently, I had a lot of time on my hands to think about other projects.

So tell us more about I Dream of Ghosts!

It was something I intended to do very quickly but it got bogged down in my perfectionism. It was another idea based on my dreams. It's actually a bit too dark for me at this point. I have another project I like more that I started before I Dream of Ghosts. I might go back to that instead.

Anyway, here's some images from I Dream of Ghosts:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3763968371830&set=a.1807622744412.2097913.1055237085&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3545091620048&set=a.1807622744412.2097913.1055237085&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3792062674170&set=a.1807622744412.2097913.1055237085&type=3
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3763973731964&set=a.1807622744412.2097913.1055237085&type=3

My wife suggested I continue work on I Dream of Ghosts. So I guess I'm not done with games entirely after all.

That's it. I'm out of time and money for my own game projects. I have to try and make some money some other way. This is just taking way too long. I don't have much of a choice anymore. I may be able to get back to it in the near future. We'll see.

Thank you all for being such a great community. It was nice talking to you all and meeting many of you last year. I hope I will get to see you all again some day. I'll probably check in here from time to time.

If any of you need any 3d, 2d, video or design work done, I'm now available. You can contact me through twitter, email or messages here.

shanesemler(at)gmail.com

Greetings!

Hello and welcome!

http://www.blog.radiator.debacle.us/2011/04/ludodiegesis-or-pinchbecks-unified.html

I didn't actually read it but it mentions not games.

They don't get it. The games community gets really nasty as they see everything as an attack on them personally. I don't think we can communicate our ideas any better. They either get it or don't. If they dont, fuck 'em.

Also, I don't know what the hell "NP-hard" games means. And what is all this crap about mastery? As far as I know, that just means trail and error and that's the laziest form of gameplay there is.

I need to see some images before I can form an opinion.

I will add some screenshots to the web page.

There.

Ooooooooooo! Ahhhhhhhh! Niiiiiiice! Wooooooow, that is gorgeous! 8O

I need to see some images before I can form an opinion.

Yeah, I tend to start with a simple concept and it grows and grows until it gets out of hand! I'm currently in the process of paring A.W.E. back down to a more manageable level.

I still haven't played Ico, probably never will unless they release a PC version and that's will never happen.

1. The lighting is indeed very well done. And typically one of those features that players may not notice because it looks so natural. But for a developer, it's a big bonus.

2. Their editor is starting to look very interesting. Will it be available to the public? Will it be expensive? is it PC only? Can it compile for other platforms?

UDK is currently free and you can currently compile for Mac as well as Windows. That will probably continue to be the case.

The lighting is the important bit. Yes, that is very different.