Abe HD Ideas

[Phylum]

I'd stick with no until we are told otherwise. It's a possibility, but a previously unmentioned one.

[Manco]

It has been mentioned before.

Very good question Zaarin

The unfortunate answer at the moment is that we don't know. However, I would imagine it would all hinge on whether or not we build out own editing tools or use the ones that come with whatever engine we decide to build the game in.

If we make our own then it would be fairly reasonable to suggest that we give them out to everyone who feels like making their own oddworld maps/models.

If we end up having to use the engine's proprietary editor(s) then that choice would depend on how the engine developers would feel about the situation.

Bottom line (tl;dr):

If it's possible, and we can do so without stepping on any legal toes, then I can't see why not.

[Phylum]

I actually remember reading that now.

Oops.

[sheridanm962]

I hate the disappointing legal jibber, jabber.

*Fingers crossed*

May my mods come to life.... Eventually... If possible...

I should stop with the '...'....

For now.

[Clannfear]

I'll propose to show us some pictures (even if they're "early"). I'm telling this couse then we can together change the concepts of visuals. Fans (usualy) know what is importans to (eventually) add or remove.

[Nate]

It's a good thing JAW are all fans, then.

[Glitch]

Well any pictures I showed you now would be pretty damn boring for you to look at.

[Wil]

Not just boring, but a lot of "What the fuck is that?" and "Is that it?". Maybe, Glitch, you could show off some of your placeholder animations?

[Havoc]

That would be interesting. Unless you guys have a reason to keep a lot of things secret, personally I would love to see as much of the development process as possible .

[Bullet Magnet]

Last time JAW threw us a bone we sharpened it and threw it right back.

[Sekto Springs]

As we should. It's a rare and often missed opportunity for a production company to be so in touch with the fans, and we're doing them a big service by busting their balls. I can think of a few franchises that would have done well to do the same when the production traded hands, but they didn't, and now they're belly-up.

[Manco]

I don’t want to see too much of the development—design by committee combined with unpleasable fans sounds like a good way to fuck up a game—but some regular insight would be nice. Dev diaries, screenshots, maybe the occasional question aimed at us, and an open channel of communication would be awesome.

[Glitch]

Having a transparent development process doesn't mean that we'll be swayed by every bit of feedback we get.

That isn't to say that we'll ignore everything, just that, a lot of people can get behind an idea that isn't feasible, or just simply wont work.

I'm looking forward to sharing the development process, we've been talking about a lot of different ways do that, and I think its about how far we can push that and still feel comfortable with it; obviously if I was spending all my time doing QA's, Dev Diares, and other such things, I wouldn't get anything done.

[Jordan]

You guys could always hire me to do that. I would work for fruit.

[Wil]

I'm a fruit.

[Jordan]

You are quite fruity to be fair.

[Glitch]

Not just boring, but a lot of "What the fuck is that?" and "Is that it?". Maybe, Glitch, you could show off some of your placeholder animations?

No one, repeat, no one, is seeing Abe plodding along with my derpy 5 minute job walk cycle.

oh okay, maybe as a secret unlockable

[tda]

I saw it....................................................................

[Glitch]

I saw it....................................................................

I thought you'd gone bed.

[Wil]

I actually haven't. Post it here, Glitch.

[Glitch]

Why do you assume I have it at home?

[tda]

why wouldn't you??

[Clannfear]

Dear JAW, please show us some animation, screen, s o m e t h i n g. I'm (and I'm pretty sure not only me) thirsty for something new. Hype us guys! That's what we want

[Glitch]

Dear JAW, please show us some animation, screen, s o m e t h i n g. I'm (and I'm pretty sure not only me) thirsty for something new. Hype us guys! That's what we want

I would LOVE to hype you up, but at the moment we're doing the preliminary work, which is all about scripting, placeholder animations, blocking out levels, and sorting out engine flow and animation state machines.

Pretty boring stuff I'm afraid.

As soon as our new environment artist is in we should be able to get started sorting some visually impressive stuff out for you to peruse.

As an example, I'm currently working on getting Abe to climb up ledges. When it works it will consist of Abe (already modelled, images on the facebook) doing some awful animations made by yours truly, jumping and climbing up a rubbish looking ledge made of grey blocks and eventually ending up on a new level. Not visually impressive, but it will have taken a lot of work to get to that point.

What we may end up doing to build hype is other things, like livestreaming a developers desktop every now and again, or doing dev QAs

[Manco]

When it works it will consist of Abe (already modelled, images on the facebook)

So are you reusing the model built for Munch HD then? Because I can’t find anything on the Oddworld Facebook page that looks like a brand new Abe model.

[Glitch]

I think its more a case that we're using Abe from AbeHD for Munch.

I dare say the version we've got at the moment will be tweaked to a certain degree to work in certain requirements, but what's the point in making a new Abe for every game when we've got one that's more than fit for purpose?

[Manco]

Ah, fair point. Wasn’t trying to sound accusatory or anything, nothing wrong with reusing high quality assets.

Might I recommend putting out some more renders of the model for marketing purposes? Even if it’s the same model in a different pose/environment, it still shows that work is being done to people paying attention.

[Wil]

I could ask tda to do this, but he's got so much animation to get done ASAP. Maybe he could split the animation work with Glitch.

[skychase2rebirth]

What will you do for his tattoos ? Looks like Abe already have them. (on the facebook picture)(Abe looks awesome ^^)

[Wil]

Obviously we're going to leave them there as an oversight.