Mercury: Cascade into Madness

[Marquise*]

@Matseb2611 Sorry I kinda rediscover our forum that got yet again upgraded and... I just found where are the tread I follow (Maybe that updated since last log in here) and just will maybe be the first to mention that some of your formatting in your first post got broken. So... Hopefully you don't have too many treads like that!

 

[Matseb2611]

Thanks Marquise. Yeah, I've been told already about the formatting. I'll try to get round to fixing it soon. I wonder why that happened.

 

[Marquise*]

@Matseb2611 you are not alone; I am afraid to return to my spriting topic now that my keyboard is in troubles too!

 

[Matseb2611]

About time I made another update. This should be the penultimate one prior to release. So the game is all complete and I've gotten some very useful feedback from testers. (Palladinthug has even written a review on his dialogue workshop) All that I am waiting for now is for it to get greenlit. Still don't know what's happening with Steam since it's removing greenlight soon and replacing it with another system. But hoping they'll get the game greenlit before they change the systems. In case anyone wishes to vote, game's greenlight page is here.

I've also finally made a trailer.

And since I've not shown any screenshots from chapters 10-12, here are a few of them:

Corporate building

Slums chaos

Sidequest with a slightly crazy doctor

Final area

New computer hacking screen. This only really occurs in the last two chapters. Palladinthug has made a background for it so I decided to replace the old one I had.


Thanks for support so far, guys. Hopefully the next update will be about the game's release. Fingers crossed everything goes well. In a meantime, I've started on another project which is being made with MV and will have voice acting in it. You can find a video of the intro cutscene in my recent status updates on my profile.

 

[Marquise*]

It seems to be great! Also, I really want to know if those camera surveillance effect with static and those VHS RGB distortions are available filters? Or if to make my own some day I will have to open up photoshop because it is the only way to get it done? They make the scenes looks less static somehow and more engaging. Though shot trough a camera it kinda feel a social comment over the medias.

Erm... I do hope the person making the 3D modelling one day comes with a way to do some character generator because your female protagonist looks like same actress from Atonement and City of Chains. Sorry for the critique, I know we all have our limitations both in time and assets.

 

[Matseb2611]

Thanks Marquise. Those distortions and effects I mostly added to the trailer with a video editing software (Filmora). They don't really appear in the game, though you can pull similar stuff off with fog effects and the like or certain scripts. I remember there was a script by Zeus81 that allowed visual effects.

And yeah, I know what you mean regarding models. There is a character generator, though it would always be great to have more character pieces. I think part of the reason why they look alike is also because I made them all gothic-looking (since I like female characters to look like that).

 

[Marquise*]

@Matseb2611 Awww... I wanted to do something like in Shadowrun Dragonfall's VHS tape distortions. and about the female protagonist... Ah she is your Uma Trueman! XD

 

[wzackw]

I don't usually like 3D, but I like your character portraits, especially Ryan.

But what do you mean about the risks of the font? There are lots of free fonts out there that can be used, if that's what you mean. A font (and window design) that matches your game could really add some character and flavor!

 

[Matseb2611]

Sorry for late response. Thank you for the comment, Wzackw.

Regarding the fonts, I've heard numerous times that a lot of free fonts online are either pirated or do not allow commercial use or cannot be distributed in a way that RM distributes its files, so it's always a massive risk, because any free font you come across online might not be put there by its original owner or the use of it in a game might not be covered clearly in the font's T&Cs, and I am just staying on the cautious side.

Anyways, a bit of an update for you guys. I was really hoping to release this game in the last month, and it was in fact finished back then, but Steam Greenlight is literally dying and a ghost town, so the game hasn't been greenlit yet. Having said that, we might release it on itch.io in a meantime and hopefully it will see Steam soon enough.

In other news, I've been working on another project for over a month now and I might soon start a thread about it.

 

[Marquise*]

@Matseb2611 ... sheesh... seems that after spriting, I will have a big load to do in fonting!

 

[Matseb2611]

@Marquise* : That'd be pretty great, though I've heard making fonts can be a hell of a lot of work.

Got an update. So we've released Mercury on itch.io for the time being and will see how it goes.
Here is the link to its itch.io page in case if anyone is interested to buy on that rather than through Steam.
Mercury: Cascade into Madness on itch.io

If anyone still wishes to support us on Steam Greenlight, please vote here. It's a rather unfortunate time with these changes happening and this release is going through a lot of resistance, but we'll not stop until Mercury has seen a Steam release.

In a meantime, you might've already seen or not, my newest MV project already has a thread of its own. It will be a shorter project and might already be finished this summer. And if all goes well, I'll turn it into a nice little series. Fingers crossed, with MV's capabilities, we might be able to take this project onto mobiles too, so that we'll not only be confined to PC.
Here is its thread - Renegade Grounds

Thanks for the support, guys!

 

[Marquise*]

Wait a sec... Is that in the same universe than Outrage and City Of Chains? ??? (I think I start to be confused I do remember your fantasy one having a sequel... but...)

 

[Matseb2611]

Yeah, it indeed is. Mercury is one of the playable characters in Outrage. Cascade into Madness is a prequel in a sense and serves as her backstory. Though the other playable characters from Outrage also make an appearance. City of Chains happens in a neighbouring city though but within the same universe.

 

[Marquise*]

LOL... Me and my "But Matseb... your characters looks the same" was especially true as in it was the same! ^^ Hey, you got a gold mine with the Outrage characters and also the politics in City Of Chains it can make you the Stephen King of your own gaming Sci-fiverse.

 

[Matseb2611]

Haha thanks. I am sure there will be future instalments in this universe (haven't planned any yet, but likely will at some point). There is a lot of potential for various sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and backstories here.

 

[Marquise*]

Well I guess I will have to look forward another series after Fallout

 

[Strashiner]

I bought a coffee cake the other day and it costs me 6 dollars. It was worth it.
I had a blast eating that coffee cake, but aw man, it turned to liquid waste.

But man, that was one heck of a coffee cake. Like literally, that was some pretty good coffee cake. It was WELL worth that 6 dollars.

Oh what's that? What about your game?
I guess it's fine.
not exactly worth 6 dollars though.

 

[Matseb2611]

Your opinion is appreciated, Strashiner, but a tonne of other players would disagree with you seeing how many have bought my games at their full launch price. Glad to hear that chocolate cake tasted great though. I too would gladly buy one for $6.

 

[Marquise*]

@Strashiner I saw lot of 6$ things that I do not like and need and never go to the store that it isn't worth my money for the work putted into it!

Hey... it is actually at least 15 minutes worth of works I put on my craft. How much time has been spent on it and what are the expenses you think got into it? You really think Matseb2611 do not even deserves to eat do you? There is no peoples in any countries we slave over under wages who deserves that kinda pounding. They are not paid enough for disrespect, that is a cake that is not worth enough!

(Been a while I haven't seen a cake in my fridge, tho. Must been eaten all away by Marie-Antoinette wanna be. :/ )

 

[Marquise*]

Ack... Just bought Atonement2 and tried to get to Mercury on Steam but it seems lock on Greenlight and... I also tried to search for your Astronomic Games page to see what I had missed!

(Woopse did I necroed and double posted myself here? BTW Dunno why, DC (who just leveled up) just got her clawing paw on my mouse hand like no worries in her eyes and love... I guess she sends loves to you. And I shouldn't worried for you -cuz friend-... (Oh yeah, just typing what I thought the translation would be and she pawtipulated my arm to her closer!))