Castle Paradox

[Pepsi Ranger]

I'm not sure how many of you saw my recent journal called "Chronicles of a Second Wind" (over in the journals section), but for those who haven't, I finally, after a seven-year on-and-off hiatus, returned to work on the original version of The Adventures of Powerstick Man, which some of you older folks probably remember enjoying at one time.

Even though I'll be following up that journal with another that regards the game itself in the near future, for now I have business to discuss.

Anyone familiar with the original game will know that there are three things that define the game's experience: the parodies, the dialogue, and the "tightened ends." And each is a daunting element to contain by itself.

Technically, I can keep tabs on all three of these elements during any given spot or action throughout the game. But also, technically, I haven't done much with the game since the December 9, 2000 version of CUSTOM was the most recent, and therefore have lost tabs on the various changes that inevitably fell upon the game during the years of CUSTOM's progression.

Obviously, this means playing through the game again to see what's been affected. So far, I noticed that much of the pacing with certain scripts has changed, with at least one going twice as fast as it used to (which is a bad thing considering the original pace contributed to the joke of the scene). I also discovered one incident involving a missing overhead tile that I could've sworn was present during the earlier incarnations of CUSTOM, which was just weird, I think. All in all, the work ahead will be taxing, but within reason, and is only part of the reason why I'm writing this message.

The main reason I'm writing this, besides issuing a moment of relief to all the fans who thought this game's progression was dead, is because I need to test out all the new material I've put in so far. Again, this is something I'm more than capable of handling myself, but, like the compatibility check with Hasta-la-QB+ (and Ubersetzung, whenever that comes out), it's a task better handled with two or three people scouring my tracks.

Right now (and I'll explain this further in the dissertation about the game, whenever I decide to write it), I'm cleaning up some graphic issues that always bothered me about the original version, and I've recently re-imported all the game's music to account for the midi player. I've also added a few new areas to cover a new subquest that acts as an adventure of its own. Both tasks are integral to catching the game up to its current moniker of "The Extended Edition," which involves not only a few new areas in the early parts of the game, but new characters who actually add purpose to the originally flimsy plot. And again, I'm keeping up with the "playtesting" of it, but I think it would be better to get second, third, and fourth opinions.

So, I'm inviting three people to help with the playtesting of The Adventures of Powerstick Man: The Extended Edition, which I hope to initiate by the start of May.

Here is what I'm looking for in my playtesters:

-I need one person who has never played the original game. This is important because I want a fresh perspective. This person should not care that the graphics suck.

-I need one person who is a "superfan" of the game (you know who you are). This person should be someone who is pissed that the game wasn't finished back in 2002. You're needed because I need someone who appreciates the game for what it is, to feed off my new material with (and the new stuff dwarfs the old stuff, just so you know). So, unless Gilbert makes a mysterious reappearance and reads this post, this position is open to the next big "superfan."

-Lastly, I need an "explorer." Both the original and the Extended Edition have loads of branching Easter eggs that lead to new developments, and everything ultimately affects the outcome of the Awards Ceremony at the end of the game. I need someone who likes discovering new places and new characters, and has no problem replaying areas several times to see what new alternatives they can find. What I'm looking for is someone who can check the game for its quality assurance, who might try the weirdest things that most else wouldn't think to do that could call out a glitch in the gameplay. Again, I can do this myself, but realistically, I'm not going to play a game the same way that someone else might play it, so there are things I might not consider that could ultimately ruin the experience for someone who is not in my head.

Having said that, this is how the system will work:

Most of you know by now, I work on the OHR in spurts. With the exception of Tightfloss Maiden and Blind Date in 2001, and At the Risk of Manipulation in 2004, I haven't spent more than a few days at a time working on any single game of mine since I released the original version of Powerstick Man in 2000. This is also the first time since 2004 that I spent more than a few days--two straight weeks to be specific in this case--working on any game for the OHR, and I'm starting to remember why I liked it so much in the beginning.

I'm mentioning this because I know life and other projects will continue to vie for my attention, and there will be plenty of times that those things will win. Realistically, the only way I'll finish this game is if I work on it in segments--sticking with it until one piece is finished, and then setting it aside for a short burst of time. So that's what I've been doing, and will continue to be doing with this.

That means, essentially, that playtesters will only be called when something significant has been added to the game (like an entire piece of the story, for example), and that could mean some long pauses between contact--I don't want to burn any of you out with the game and ultimately make you hate it from having to test every little piece of dialogue as it's added, either, so that'll account partially for the infrequent updates. Odds are, there will be several to many months between playtest requests, which might be a relief by the third or fourth call, though that'll also depend on how much I can crank out in a short period (I've already increased the dialogue count by 25% since I started the Extended Edition, and half of that was in the last two weeks, so there's no telling what the design pace will be here). Most likely, I'll only be calling on you three or four times between now and the final incarnation of Version 1, so there shouldn't be much cause for worry in the burnout department.

For those of you who'd like to see the behind-the-scenes progression of this game, please respond to this post by telling me which of the above three groups you belong to. I'll private message the three I pick, and you can send me your email then.

Please be aware that this game is not a graphic masterpiece, and doesn't aim to become one (that's what Version 2 is for), so don't playtest it for graphics. This game is for those who just like to have fun, and who want to have a long game that they can enjoy every moment playing, and who enjoy finding stuff to do in the nooks and crannies of a game world.

If you want to see where this game has gone since its last release, let me know here and I'll pick the winners in the next few days.

I'll be sending out the file for playtesting once I'm caught up on the retrofitting process, which I don't expect to finish until sometime in May.

Until then, thanks for your interest.
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Progress Report:

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition

Currently Updating: General sweep of the game world and dialogue boxes. Adding extended maps.

Tightfloss Maiden

Currently Updating: Chapter 2

[TwinHamster]

I played three minutes worth of it a week ago, before a blackout suddenly assaulted my power.
And then I kinda forgot about playing it up until now. Can I still be counted in as a Type-One Lab Rat?

[Rolling Stone]

Yo.

Sorry I've been so sparse and/or idle on AIM. It would be my honor to playtest. PSM is one of the OHR classics (Or rather, THE OHR Classic) that I have to see finished before I stop using the engine.
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BANDIT REVOLVER, DOWNLOAD IT OR ELSE.

http://www.castleparadox.com/forum/gamelist-display.php?game=620

[Joe Man]

Man, I played the beginning of Powerstick Man.

Damn my exclusion.
_________________
"Everyone has 200,000 bad drawings in them, the sooner you get them out the better."
~Charles Martin Jones

Last edited by Joe Man on Fri Dec 13, 1957 1:21 am; edited 2,892 time in total

[Pepsi Ranger]

[TMC]

If the playtesting is spread out over several segments, then I would have the time. But what is the Extended Edition exactly, and what would we have to wait for version 2 to see?

[Pepsi Ranger]

Mad Cacti,

Position 3 is yours then. That's pretty much what I need the pos 3 guy to do, so have fun.

The Extended Edition (as opposed to Version 2) is the direct continuation of the game I released seven years ago. Originally it was going to be the same game with added scenes (like the extended edition of a movie), but after giving it a lot of thought this past month, I realized I wasn't going to be satisfied with it until I finished the game I started (not just fluff up the incomplete project I had online), which meant bringing the original game to its intended conclusion. So that's what I'm building here--the rest of the game as it would've been had I not read any public opinions about it.

Version 2 was my original answer to the criticisms about the game's graphical shortcomings. Since going back through the game with a fine-tooth comb and picking out every little problem area was absurd given the layout of my tilemaps (which because this was my first game, I really didn't lay out my tilemaps very wisely, thus making the redistribution of my tiles into separate sets a painfully tedious endeavor, which I couldn't rightly fix anyway until the import tilemap function was added), I decided to start the game over from scratch. So Version 2 became the graphical overhaul that all the critics asked for.

The problem with Version 2 in its initial beginning was that it threatened to erase all the quirky tidbits that made Version 1 such a laugh, since starting over would've meant losing a lot of punchy sequences (both implemented and formerly planned). This isn't to say any future incarnation of Version 2 will be bad, just different, and different is good once the original plan is finished.

The other difference between the two is that Version 1 follows a mostly focused, though seemingly random storyline--characteristic of the comic it adapted, while Version 2 attempts a legitimate storyline based on the book I'll be writing about Cannonball City soon.

So, to break it down, V1:EE is the original version reorchestrated, with added scenes, new characters, and the implementation of the game's finished plan, while V2 is the complete rewrite of the game, following some of the original's charm, but focusing primarily on the main story and its characters.

V1:EE will also be finished much sooner than V2 since I probably won't be touching V2 again until this one and Tightfloss Maiden are released.

So there's the breakdown. Cool?
_________________
Progress Report:

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition

Currently Updating: General sweep of the game world and dialogue boxes. Adding extended maps.

Tightfloss Maiden

Currently Updating: Chapter 2

[Joe Man]

I feel I'm up to playtesting in the #1 spot. The little bit I played got me pretty interested, I just got caught up in life and some computer issues.

I have never playtested before, so I'm not necessarily keen of what the job requirements are, but what I'm able and willing to do is play most days, take frequent, even extensive notes to your standards, and pay for postage in case I don't feel like typing them.

I don't believe I'm the best person for this position, but I think I can do it and it would teach me more discipline.
_________________
"Everyone has 200,000 bad drawings in them, the sooner you get them out the better."
~Charles Martin Jones

Last edited by Joe Man on Fri Dec 13, 1957 1:21 am; edited 2,892 time in total

[Pepsi Ranger]

The first playtest file is ready, and Position #1 is still open. Any takers?

There's still much more to retrofit, so this first playtest will be for the early areas of the game. This includes a slight redesign of the opening dungeon, a new cutscene to begin the long-awaited "story" that players have been waiting years for, three new areas to explore (including one mini-dungeon and an optional boss battle), and a platoon of new characters to interact with.

The rest of the game is still accessible, but I haven't done much with it except for adding a few key characters to further the new subplot. If you're willing to take the game to the end, that's fine, for I still need to see how Ubersetzung treats the later areas. But I'm not requiring that for the first playtest. The areas I need testing for fit within the first two hours of the game.

For whomever wants Position #1, there will be a special file going with it for playtest notes. You can use it to write recommendations, reactions, wishes, etc. It also comes with a release plan (stuff I want to accomplish before I release it to the public). Anything not on the list that should be before release, you're welcome to mention.

Thanks again.
_________________
Progress Report:

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition

Currently Updating: General sweep of the game world and dialogue boxes. Adding extended maps.

Tightfloss Maiden

Currently Updating: Chapter 2

[TwinHamster]