This month, the pressure really was on. We ran headlong into a serious crash between 'script lock' and E3, the annual industry exposition, both of which coincided at roughly the same time. Subsequently, finding the time to document the trials and tribulations of the game's development proved more difficult than ever. Apologies for the delay between this and the last diary
Script lock, the point at which the script is 'locked', is a key milestone in the development of an adventure game. It allows the English voice recording process and the translations to start. Normally, the foreign language versions define the critical path - so the earlier this can take place, the better.- Script lock can only happen once the logic has been implemented and requires a careful balance between the creative desires for a great script, and the necessary functionality of the logic. We are very pleased with the script - believing that it is the strongest so far. We've retained the essence of the previous Broken Sword titles whilst pushing the narrative beyond anything we've done before. Having the benefit of having many of the original team - many of us worked on both the originals - has ensured a continuity.
Next comes the recording. We are delighted that Rolf Saxon will be returning as George Stobbard in this third instalment of the series. Rolf is a really interesting character, whose work in films and TV has been diverse to say the least. Prior to recording the original Broken Sword, he appeared in Mission Impossible. Interestingly, he has also narrated Teletubbies! All this proves what a talent he is, blending seamlessly into a range of roles.
We're really pleased he's back on board. I'll let you know how the recording goes next time.
The other major event this month was E3 - the Electronics Entertainment Expo, which takes place in Los Angeles. Stable playable demos needed to be created on PC and PS2 for both THQ, our publisher in Europe, and The Adventure Company who will publish the game in North America. All hands were on deck to complete sections of the game which would prove representative of the finished title. So we polished up the initial Congo section, and introduced an approximation of the 'action event' into the Paris section. Despite it being a little rough around the edges, we were pleased with how it looked. However, our opinion counts for little. It was the international press we needed to convince. This would also be the very first time that actual gamers and Broken Sword fans would get their hands on the game.
Judging by the feedback we had, we're heading down the right track - everyone seemed delighted by the work to date and, amongst other accolades, the game was awarded 'adventure of E3' by Just Adventure. Tony Warriner was present at most demonstrations - and he's been able to reveal feedback about how people actually played the game. Having grown with the title from concept to playable code, we're often guilty of remaining too close to the game; we can't fully appreciate any little niggles new players might experience.
Tony noticed that players were initially drawn to the game by the graphics and then were immediately impressed by the interface - this is great news, as a unique art style was something we were aiming for.
Once out of the plane, players were already hooked by the gameplay - the pace of which in the plane is ideal and very often they would continue playing either all the way through to Paris.
People liked the Paris gameplay, in particular the Action Event, which worked superbly - despite the fact it still was a little rough. This pleased us the most. The Action Events, as I've mentioned, are a fairly radical element of the game and are designed to add to the cinematic feel of the game. The unanimous response was that the fuss about the introduction of a supposed 'action' element was wholly unfounded. By chance, I met the buyer of one of the main UK retailers who had loved the previous games. He expressed his concerns about the new system, and I was delighted to be able to show him the game - after which he was completely reassured. Tweaky points were also noted. For example, most people tended to scroll the inventory icons in the wrong direction, so this will be reversed.
So while the timing of E3 couldn't have been worse, it did provide us with the first proper feedback and gave us the opportunity to analyse people playing. In that sense it was invaluable.
This month, as I've mentioned, we're heading off to the studio to record the script. We're in for five days of relentless recording. We'll try and supply some rough cuts for the next diary.
Charles Cecil.
Loading...
