itch.io

Hey!
Thanks for the feedback!

As for your questions and insights:

1. If you   mean the trees in the treeline, I faced a lot of clipping in those when I put them more in-line, but I'll see what can be done.

2. VHS sounds are always harsh if the tapes are distorted. This decision was definitely influenced by my old DAEWOO VHS that barely works, so I had a nice comparison :D

3. Yes, GUI will be kept the way it is.

4. Slippery movement in the free roam sections was actually fixed in the today's update. This shouldn't be a problem anymore.

5. Yep, "The Last Stand" was one of the inspirations for the game. I played it a lot with my father back when we've got our first connection to the internet.  Awesome that you've noticed it.  It's hard to find someone who still remembers that title :D

6. There's are going to be a few more items and one more gun in-game in terms of story progression. I thought about extra guy helping out, but this time I think I'll pass. Maybe it's an idea for the future.

7. You're right about the weird loading times. The game  loads instantly, but FMVs have a few fake loading screens (2-4 seconds) to build up tension in a few places. 

8. Well, as for the meta aspect of the game, dual narrative is a big part of the full story. Whatever happens in a dev's world, impacts the survivor in-game.

9. As for the timer, you don't have look at it constantly. The music will give you a few cues as to when you're close to surviving.

Thanks again for giving the game a chance!

Have a good one,
PB

Hey!
Thanks a lot for your feedback! :D

Glad you enjoyed the demo!
Due to engine's limitation, I cut out all of the sprites   from the videos (frame-by-frame), which took  WAY TOO LONG , so I'm extra glad you like it!
I thought about taking it further in terms of more animations/arenas, but GDevelop doesn't really like 4 animations (that have like 200 frames each) running at the same time (with additional 4 animation variants depending on what's going on in the area). I'm trying to push it as far as I can on the later stages, but sometimes WebGL just crashes leaving me at black screen. I'm trying to balance everything out and optimize the game as best as I can to   give players the best experience possible :D

 As for quick turn,   there's gonna be one more gameplay mechanic that will encourage you to use it later on. Although, I'll think about what else I can do with it on the early levels. Thanks for the tip!

As for the inputs, that's an interesting idea. I'll see what can be done.

Thanks again for your time!
I'll be sure to drop by and check out your project :D

Have a good one,
PB

Hey there!
Thank you so much for stopping by and sending valuable feedback!
I just got around to watching your stream VOD.

As for your questions and insights:

1.  As for aiming in the free roam parts, the game has a slight autoaim that  helps you in a pinch. Hitboxes are generous, so you don't have to be so precise. Also also, the game targets the closest enemy to you when you're overwhelmed (just a little something for casual players to help them out).   In case of fast mutants coming up behind you, quick turn lets you turn around instantly toward them.  Kicking also buys you a few seconds.

2.  In case of sliding, you're losing speed that you've build up while moving around. It's something that I'm still fighting with. GDevelop doesn't really like 3D games (for now at least!), so I have to get creative in every aspect of the code.   

3. Yeah, you're right. I'm not *aiming* for mouse controls. The game uses a lot of sprites already. Adding additional animations for headshots (and other various limbshots) would take even more time to  record and cutout (especially since GDevelop supports only one video per scene, so I had to cut everything out frame-by-frame). What's  interesting, I noticed that my friends  (that are mostly playing casual games) felt okay with the controls. 

4. The thing about slowing enemies down is interesting, but we still have 60 seconds. If enemies spawn let's say after 10 seconds and they're moving so slow, you'd only kill max 8-12 mutants (assuming you'll see the ones that are heading your way), which completely turns down difficulty to zero. Their current speed is already quite slow. In terms of stats, Masked Mutant moves at 25 pixels per second, while Local Football Players runs at 50. The survivor moves at 65 pixels per second.

5.   Someone asked in the chat if that's green screen. Yep, we've recorded everything on green screen and I cut it out frame-by-frame. Each mutant has 4 animations - walking, getting hit, attacking and dying. Basic enemy is made out of 237 frames it total.

6. As for me looking like moistcritikal, I hear it a lot xD

Anyway, thanks for playing!
Have a good one!

PB

Hey there!
Thanks for your feedback!

I left you a comment on your video! :D

Hey Cody!
Thanks a lot for your feedback :D

Glad you liked the FMV-style graphics, dual narration and various gameplay mechanics. It means a lot!

As for the controls (and rotating the camera with A and D), I'm always surprised how people react to it. At first, I thought that it'll make the game too easy. Some love it, some hate it, but funny thing is that casuals feel quite comfortable with it. I also opted for lack of camera controls, because each enemy is made out of A LOT of frames and GDevelop (the engine the game is running on) doesn't like so many high detailed sprites in one sequence (it also doesn't support more that one video per level, so I had to get creative). What that has to do with mouse controls?  

Each enemy has four animations - walking, attacking, taking damage and dying. Basic mutant is made out of like 237 frames. Another thing that made me drop free camera controls was working with actors (well, essentially me and my brother). If you had a free camera movement, you'd probably try to shoot everyone in the head. Here's the thing though, I would have to take into account every body part e.g in case someone decides to shoot the mutant in the leg. That would create even more sprites to cut out frame-by-frame and additional optimization issues for the engine. That's why every mutant has a one hitbox, despite all the sophisticated frame sequences.

As for kicking animations, I'm constantly tweaking it to make it right. It was even slower before, so I guess I'll have to speed it up even more. Gotta be careful not to go overboard. It's really cartoonish on higher speed. What's worse, when I was recording it, I had to stand on my right leg, put my left leg around the tripod and fake a kick in a way that I wouldn't fall on all the gear in front of me. Maybe that's why it's hard to read, but the gist is that you will hit everytime when the enemy plays it's attack animation. You have about 2-3 seconds to react, so it should be enough. When in doubt, just charge straight at them and kick them away :D

Anyway, thank you so much for giving One Rotten Oath a chance!
Have a good one and good luck as well!

Hey there!
Thanks for playing the demo!
I left you a comment on YT :D

Hey, so I'm working on a FMV+FPS hybrid called One Rotten Oath. If that sounds like your thing, demo is already available!

Devlog #4 - Kicking implementation

Hey!

Some of you played the Public Preview and noticed that there's something crucial missing. If you run out of ammo, you either have to  run away or take the hit to keep enemies in your sight. Since melee combat was requested throughout various streams and videos, I decided to implent kicking!

Kicking acts as a parry . In order to use it efficiently, you have to wait until the enemy starts its attack animation. This will let you kick them away for a few meters, thus buying precious time for reloading or saving those no-hit runs. You can also kick while running, hoping to hit the enemy blindly. Using kick that way will slow you down almost to a complete halt. It's up to you to choose your strategy. Kicking regenerates after a few seconds. Shoe icon informs you when you're ready to counter.

New ability will be added to a  next update!

Have a good one!

PB

Hey!
Thanks a lot. Hopefully, you'll like the full game even more. I'll give it my best! :D

Thanks again for playing! I left you a comment on your video!

Hey!
I'm glad you love the art style! Thanks a lot!
Be sure to let me know how's the game for you. Feedback is always useful :D

As for collaboration on sound effects, so far I think we have everything we need for the project. Keep you channels open though! I might have something for you in the future. Thanks for being around and open for indies!

Devlog #3 - Working on new types of mutants

Hey there!

I'm slowly making my way towards the full version. This means implementing new dangers and mechanics. As a sneak peak, here's a new type of mutant that I'm working on. Meet the Office Rat!

Have a good one!

PB

Devlog #2 - Implementing actors to the game

Hi!

Since I'm getting a lot of questions about this, I decided to show you how I've implemented actors into the game.

I recorded the videos on greenscreen, rendered them into image sequences, resized them and cut characters out from photos frame by frame.

Before:

After (before clearing out the greenscreen remains and using a red outline):

Each enemy has its own 4 animations - walking, getting shot, attacking and dying. 

To keep the illusion of the video being played on engine, I never skipped a frame from the  original video. This in turn left me with A LOT of sprites and time spent in photo editing software, because GDevelop doesn't support multiple video clips on a scene. For example, basic enemy (such as The Masked Mutant) is made out of 237 frames in total.

Have a good one!

PB

Devlog #1 - Welcome Back - The great debut, ambitious failure and future.

It's been 5 years, since my last attempt in  game development.  The debut title A Trip to Yugoslavia was a great success. One that led to many great events and made a lot of good memories. I was 17 when it all happened. Then came the Director's Cut, which kept the entire team on the high horse. That's when we've decided to create Purgatorium: A Family Torn Apart - the ambitious projects that simply overwhelmed equally ambitious team.

This brings us to today. An idea for One Rotten Oath came to me without a warning. One day, I was just driving home, thinking about how fun the game dev was from my perspective and how much we all gave to make these experiences possible. Then came the realization. Would I be able to create an engaging, interactive experience just like half a decade ago, all by myself?

I guess time will tell, if you guys are gonna like what's cooking here. This time, I'm working with a great composer - Olga Lewińska. She created all the soundtrack that you'll hear in the game. Mutants are played by me and my brother - Paweł. I'm also tackling screenwriting, coding and FMV recordings. Hope you'll like the new project and I can't wait to tell you more about it.

Have a good one!

PB 

Hey there, nice to meet ya!

I'm a game developer from Poland that already created one title called A Trip to Yugoslavia, back in 2016. I came back to creating games after a hiatus that lasted 5 years, so it's kinda like starting from scratch. Currently, I'm working on One Rotten Oath.

It's a a story-driven 3D time-based defense FMV+FPS hybrid with thriller elements. It terms of story, it's been years since humanity enjoyed its last normal day. Everything lost its meaning, when a mysterious chemical compound leaked from one of the nearby laboratories on the edge of town. Today this event is known as, The Leak.

Chaos consumed the streets and crept into the lives of everyone. Over time, the people who had been exposed to chemicals for too long turned into monsters. Fast, ruthless creatures, driven only by instinct. Those who could, have long since fled. The lucky ones hid in bunkers, some built by themselves and others hidden deep in archival plans of the city. The unlucky ones are slowly dying, or worse.

The game puts you in the shoes of the survivor, whose job is to protect the other people who are still trying to lead a normal life in a bunker. A normal night watch turns deadly, when the only working generator malfunctions and turns off in random intervals for 60 seconds. 

Here are a few screenshots:

Public Preview is already available for free, so you can check out the current state of the project :D

Since, I've already published a few devlogs, I'll quickly post everything up to this point.

Have a good one!

PB

One Rotten Oath

Hey! Thanks for all the kind words! <3
Glad you liked it. Reading these types of comments is always inspiring!

That's right!

I recorded the videos on greenscreen, rendered them into image sequences, resized  them     and cut characters out from photos frame by frame. Each enemy has its own 4 animations - walking, getting shot, attacking and dying. To keep the illusion of the video being played on engine,  I never skipped a frame from the  original video. This in turn left me with A LOT of sprites and time spent in photo editing software.  For example, basic enemy (such as The Masked Mutant) is made out of  237 frames in total.

Hey there!

I'm a Polish indie dev that created an FMV game called "A Trip to Yugoslavia". I released it a few years ago on Steam. After a long hiatus, I'm working on a new project!

One Rotten Oath is a story-driven 3D time-based defense FPS with FMV and thriller elements. The game puts you in the shoes of the survivor, whose job is to protect the other people who are still trying to lead a normal life in a bunker. A normal night watch turns deadly, when the only working generator malfunctions and turns off in random intervals for 60 seconds. 

Public Preview is available now for free. I'd be glad if you could play the demo and leave feedback! If not, that's fine too!

Thanks for your time!

Thanks again for playing!

Hey there!
Thanks for playing. I left a comment on your video. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for playing!
I left you a comment on the video, although Hades beat me to it :P

Thanks for playing! 
I left a comment on YouTube, so I'm not gonna write an essay here. Hopefully, a full version will keep you even more hooked :D

Hey there!

Well, there is a mini-map in-game, but it's an unlockable thing after beating the demo with a highest possible rank. It's mainly useful for finding secrets. I'm not sure if we're going to add a map in the main game by default. It would make things too easy. Plus, as we said in the description, the game is supposed to be kind of hard. Since you're in Purgatorium, getting through puzzles and making progress is rewarding, as well as the exploration and item usage. You have to think and focus on survival, while keeping in mind that you're lost and vulnerable. I think it's kind of good for the scare factor and it keeps players on edge.

Well, you couldn't find the screwdriver, because it was in a different place. A few items are randomly generated around the basement, including key items.

We're contantly thinking how we can make the game more accessible for casual players, but not too easy. We're trying to balance all of the difficulties, so bear with us, while we try to sort this out :D

Also, you have to break something with a pipe near the exit door. Something that's above a 4-digit padlock.

As I said on all of the sites and comments, thank you for playing P:AFTA demo! :D

Thanks for playing P: AFTA demo!

Too bad you got lost there :/
Anyway, I left a comment under your video, so if you have any questions I'll be happy to help!

Thanks a lot for playing and testing the game on Linux!

We were really worried that Linux players would have problems playing our new game, since we had trouble with Linux ports in the past, but I'm glad to hear that everything works.

You don't have to worry about buying the game, since it will be free anyway :P
Thanks for specs. I'll definitely make a note about it later :)

Thanks again for being interested in Purgatorium!

I left you a comment under the video so hopefully, you'll be able to play the game on a proper machine without any lags :)

Hey there!

So lately we've started our second project called "Purgatorium: A Family Torn Apart" and we wanted to share the latest demo with you guys.

Okay, so why you should play it?

It's an interactive FMV psychological thriller with Point & Click elements (Yeah, I know. That's a lot of tags). 

The game (so far) features:

- Different riddles depending on the difficulty level (Easy/Normal/Hard)

- Don't Move system (Where you have to keep your cursor in the rectangle in order to survive) 

- Polish voice acting with english subtitles

- Creepy basement that you're stuck in while playing as a female protagonist

- And all of the things that Point & Click actually needs :P

So, if you're interested check out our demo on itch.io!

https://piotr-bunkowski.itch.io/purgatorium-a-family-torn-apart

~ Piotr Bunkowski
Purgatorium director