Sertraline
Sertraline Weekly Update #1
#1
Posted 20 April 2013 - 10:48 PM
Because it's the very first, this progress topic will focus on the overall features and status of the quest. In future topics I'll pretty much only comment on the progress I've made that week. This is also a chance for you to ask anything you want about the project, and I'll do my best to answer you.
Sertraline is a shortish, storyish quest that evolved out of Tone of Voice, a project that Robin (Migokalle) and I worked on briefly. Tone of Voice could never quite make it out of the gate, but I kept working on the file until I had something new and uniquely mine. This is that project!
Sertraline is intended to be a light-hearted, easy-paced quest. I'm aiming for something with about the difficulty of an average Zelda game. I hope that each player will be challenged and feel rewarded, but I also want each player to be able to complete the game without being frustrated, whatever their skill level (reasonably speaking).
The tileset being used is EZGBZ v1 - I prefer the organization over v2. There are several additions to the set; I've replaced most of the default Game Boy trees and the palettes have been reworked to be brighter, poppier, and generally more aesthetically pleasing. The sprite palettes have also been edited to work with the new level palettes.
Probably the most significant gameplay factor that separates Sertraline from other quests is the enemy scripting. I picked up some coding skills during my absence from ZC and I've found that there have been a lot of resources (mainly ghost.zh) that make a lot of things very simple to execute. I've coded mostly Z4 behavior to replace common enemies like Moblins, Octorocks, Zols, Keese, etc. Walkers are no longer bound to the grid. I wanted to really overcome the feeling that you're playing a modified Z1, and a lot of that is in the enemy behavior. There are also a few brand-new enemies scripted that take advantage of the Z-axis to force Roc's Feather usage in fights, which adds more item-driven gameplay.
Ghost.zh has also been used to add non-combat NPC's to the game. Animals such as dogs, flies, and birds have been added to make the game more ~whimsical~!
All of the music tracks in the quest so far have been SNES SPC files. I think that using enhanced music is almost always going to sound better than MIDI and sourcing all of them from the same console lends a nice, consistent feel to the soundtrack. There are currently no plans to add MIDI support as backup, unfortunately. SPC files take up minimal space so I don't think it will be an issue for people (as long as you know to just keep them in the same folder as the .qst). I may add MIDI support later if the need for it is significant.
Here are some screenshots to build ~Sertraline Hype~!
And here's the song of the week, for your listening pleasure.
Boards of Canada - Music is Math - Geogaddi [2002]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7bKe_Zgk4o
#2
Posted 20 April 2013 - 11:49 PM
In all seriousness, this is probably the quest I'm most excited for besides maybe Fairy Dream, and it's good to see that you've been picking up the pace on it. I really love the palette work! I hope that you actually finish this! Hype!
Also I'm in it
#3
Posted 20 April 2013 - 11:58 PM
Overall, I have to say that Sertraline is the project I am looking forward to the most at the moment. It is beautifully designed (which is kind of standard for your work, so no suprises here), the scripting is solid and I haven't encountered any bugs yet (good job on the polishing). The best thing about Sertraline, though, is that it doesn't "try so hard", like so many of the projects nowadys do (especially since your old BoE-projet totally falls for that "grimdark"-ZC Quest-cliche, as you've put it). Sertraline has character and atmosphere, the world is bursting with life (literally - there are butterflies flying around the village, dogs walking along, etc). I kind of got the impression that every character in the quest was enjoying their stay at Curtain Beach, which made me bond with the game world far more than any burning-village-intros have been able to in ZC.
Nothing but praise from me here. I also appreciate that you are taking the extra mile and give the palettes and items etc. a graphical overhaul. It makes things feel fresh and new, without loosing it's GB Zelda nostalgia factor.
Here's a question though: What does the word 'Sertraline' mean, actually?
#4
Posted 21 April 2013 - 01:31 AM
Serpentlime is not THE NAME OF THIS QUEST. IT'S SERTRALINE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI love a quest "Serpentlime". Good job on your quest.
In all seriousness, this is probably the quest I'm most excited for besides maybe Fairy Dream, and it's good to see that you've been picking up the pace on it. I really love the palette work! I hope that you actually finish this! Hype!
Also I'm in it
Yes, you are in this quest! Maybe there will be more about you next update as I script some things related to you!
Yes, I think that there is a tendency with a lot of quests (and video games in general) to assume that anything that's worthwhile must be very serious and I want to buck that trend a bit. And yeah, I was definitely part of that with my first real project, but maybe I can make amends with this one.Overall, I have to say that Sertraline is the project I am looking forward to the most at the moment. It is beautifully designed (which is kind of standard for your work, so no suprises here), the scripting is solid and I haven't encountered any bugs yet (good job on the polishing). The best thing about Sertraline, though, is that it doesn't "try so hard", like so many of the projects nowadys do (especially since your old BoE-projet totally falls for that "grimdark"-ZC Quest-cliche, as you've put it). Sertraline has character and atmosphere, the world is bursting with life (literally - there are butterflies flying around the village, dogs walking along, etc). I kind of got the impression that every character in the quest was enjoying their stay at Curtain Beach, which made me bond with the game world far more than any burning-village-intros have been able to in ZC.
Yes, I have what I would call a minor perfectionist streak and I think that's really good for the little details here. I appreciate the small things when I play other people's quests and I hope you all will appreciate the small things when you play mine.Nothing but praise from me here. I also appreciate that you are taking the extra mile and give the palettes and items etc. a graphical overhaul. It makes things feel fresh and new, without loosing it's GB Zelda nostalgia factor.
Sertraline HCl is an antidepressant that's usually marketed under the names Zoloft and Lustral. Without going into too much detail, I was on it for about a week earlier this year- it works for some people but I really hated it and quit taking. I think that it's a very pretty name though and I think that "antidepressant" is really the mood I'm shooting for in the quest.Here's a question though: What does the word 'Sertraline' mean, actually?
#5
Posted 21 April 2013 - 05:27 AM
I like everything but the menu. Fuck that menu.
#6
Posted 21 April 2013 - 12:43 PM
I appreciate the song comment. What do you mean by menu, though? D: Is it the subscreen, or something else?Awesome. Hell, even the song of the week was well chosen
I like everything but the menu. Fuck that menu.
#7
Posted 22 April 2013 - 07:09 PM
I like the idea of making it simple, but I don't really like how you've done it here, it just doesn't fix for me. But hey, everything else looks great! I'll be waiting.
#8
Posted 23 April 2013 - 12:28 AM
I am also glad you are getting along with this quest I hope it goes well
hello
#9
Posted 23 April 2013 - 07:39 AM
Hi Mitch, my balls itch.
I am also glad you are getting along with this quest I hope it goes well
hello
nice font doofus
#10
Posted 01 June 2013 - 03:30 PM
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