Week 15
At long last, you can finally check out the first Screen-shots from the game. Over the last few weeks you have been able to read about our progress in this section - now you can follow it in pictures too. We are going to post new images regularly. As the weeks go by you will be able to follow the game's progress and the progressive integration of the Game Play.
We've also prepared some new Goodies for you: two splendid Wallpapers for Windows 95, and a new ".mov" file to download. Don't miss these!
The screen-shots were taken on a Pentium 166 with 16 Meg of RAM, without a 3D card. The current version of the game, from which these are taken, lets a player move Uzal around in a district of the city (about 30 buildings). He is moved using a four-button paddle. He can run, jump, step back, turn on his heels, jump, push, pick up an object, get into a protective stance for combat, and cast a spell. Two modes of camera have been implemented for the time being. The first is an automatic camera that follows the character from behind. The arrow keys on the keyboard move his head up and down and left or right (the camera follows the head movements and shows the field of vision). The second mode is a manual camera controlled from the keyboard.
For now we have added just two anti-gravity vehicles (slider) that move through the streets, and a motorcycle. Newt week we will be integrating the passers-by walking through the streets. Making the city come alive is one of the main challenges in Omikron. We have also started integrating the other characters that the player can incarnate, such as Katzeva and Betsy.
For those who want to see what Z-mapping offers (exact mapping), here is one example, and another. Also, go take a look at our sexiest screen shot of the week.
We are continuing to progress as expected, and are still even a bit ahead of schedule. Pierre is working on the shops (fast food restaurants, sorcery stores, weapons dealers). Olivier is putting Aroumsha into real-time and Philippe is beginning the animation of women (the men and women have distinct animation processes). Fabien is fine-tuning the collisions and adding gravity to them. The character can now step up onto a sidewalk or down from one, and can walk on bumpy ground or slopes. The collisions are an essential ingredient in the Game Play. They will, among other things, help determine the zones for setting off the opening of a door, or for picking up an object.
Antoine is improving the engine (especially the covering of one object by another). In addition, based on the insistence of the first publishers we talked to, we have decided to begin working on the installation set-up that will provide us with a demo that can be installed on any kind of machine.
Speaking of publishers, three major publishers came to see us last week. Reactions were very enthusiastic. One of them suggested we come to the US with him to show the game to people in the head office. Two other well-known publishers will be coming by next week. The Game Designs are now ready to go. They will be sent off early next week. Then we move into the next phase, which is a little more complicated: finding a producer. I will probably be going to England and the US in February to present the game.
Keep writing to us. We are currently getting about twenty messages a day by e-mail from people expressing their interest in Omikron. The most interesting e-mails are posted in the room where the development team is working. It helps when we start to get tired...
Autor: David Cage
Source: Quantic Dream
04/10/1997 Week 26
02/24/1997 Week 21
02/17/1997 Week 20
02/10/1997 Week 19
02/03/1997 Week 18
01/27/1997 Week 17
01/20/1997 Week 16
01/13/1997 Week 15
01/06/1997 Week 14
12/30/1996 Week 13
12/25/1996 Week 12
12/16/1996 Week 11
12/09/1996 Week 10
12/02/1996 Week 9
11/25/1996 Week 8
11/18/1996 Week 7
11/11/1996 Week 6
11/04/1996 Week 5
10/28/1996 Week 4
10/21/1996 Week 3
10/14/1996 Week 2
10/07/1996 Week 1
Monday, January 13, 1997