[WIP] Amnesia: The Great Work [SEEKING TRANSLATORS]

[Your Computer]

@Alex Ros

One thing you have to keep in mind is that Windows users aren't the only ones that play Amnesia. Installing and running full conversions can be difficult in other operating systems if you're aiming at only the Windows operating system. As far as i know, people haven't had any issues installing and running non-full conversion custom stories on a Mac or in Linux. Batch files only work in Windows and Windows is case-insensitive when it comes to file names. An issue in usability expands to user experience.

Deterioration needed to be a full conversion because the author wanted to remove the glow effect for items. If it weren't for things like that, making it a full conversion would be unnecessary. If it hadn't been a full conversion, you probably wouldn't even think about what menu you had to go through before playing. Changing game mechanics is really the only reason why anyone would need a full conversion. Anything else should be considered minor. Any lack in UI consistency is (should be) countered by the immersion instigated by the story itself.

Full conversions also force users to re-apply any graphic settings they had for the original game, which normally requires restarting the game. If i were someone looking to play, i wouldn't want to be bothered with re-configuring the game--i would just want to get straight into the story. You should be able to understand what this means for user experience.

[Adrianis]

Adding to what YC says, if it's mainly about the main menu as a way of immediately establishing an atmosphere for the game to come, the same effect can be achieved by a very brief 'intro' sequence, since the menu is simply a room, simply have that room with the logo as a billboard (as it would have been) as a title screen, you could even then script in some camera movements if appropriate. I thought White Night did that very well, although that was also an FC

[Damascus]

I did some searching, but i couldn't figure out how to turn an image (JPEG or TARGA) into a billboard. I'd like to at least give it a try and see how it looks.

[The chaser]

I did some searching, but i couldn't figure out how to turn an image (JPEG or TARGA) into a billboard. I'd like to at least give it a try and see how it looks.

Billboards only work with .mat files, so make the image a .dds, and, with the material editor, make a material. Save the image (texture) and the .mat in the same place, and later use the billboard with that material.

[Alex Ros]

@ Statyk

I wrote in the first place...

...Anyway, it's up to you what to do...

And I was thinking for a while about your words...

Changing game mechanics is really the only reason why anyone would need a full conversion...

And I yes, after a while of thinking I do agree with you. Game mechanics are truly the main reason why CS should be released as a TC. I was wrong saying that changing menu is enough. Yeah, I was wrong.

But. If the story is SOOO complicated why not to change game-mechanics? Some of them? I am not pressuring, I am not insisting. Why do you guys do not want to change some of key mechanics? I understand that you don't want to. But why?

You got new monsters. You got unique puzzles. You got unique manner of storytelling, divided into self-contained chapters. Why not to change something in the core game-mechanics?

For example, Amnesia Daniel is nervous, sick person, who afraid of his own shadow. And of course he afraid of darkness. Why not invert this with your characters? For example your protagonist could GAIN sanity in darkness. That's just an example.

Anyway and once aging, all and everything is up to you guys, the only authors and creators of the Great Work.

[Miss Rigi]

@ Statyk

I wrote in the first place...

...Anyway, it's up to you what to do...

And I was thinking for a while about your words...

Changing game mechanics is really the only reason why anyone would need a full conversion...

And I yes, after a while of thinking I do agree with you. Game mechanics are truly the main reason why CS should be released as a TC. I was wrong saying that changing menu is enough. Yeah, I was wrong.

But. If the story is SOOO complicated why not to change game-mechanics? Some of them? I am not pressuring, I am not insisting. Why do you guys do not want to change some of key mechanics? I understand that you don't want to. But why?

You got new monsters. You got unique puzzles. You got unique manner of storytelling, divided into self-contained chapters. Why not to change something in the core game-mechanics?

For example, Amnesia Daniel is nervous, sick person, who afraid of his own shadow. And of course he afraid of darkness. Why not invert this with your characters? For example your protagonist could GAIN sanity in darkness. That's just an example.

Anyway and once aging, all and everything is up to you guys, the only authors and creators of the Great Work.

Because changing mechanics needs justification.

[Alex Ros]

Because changing mechanics needs justification.

I am very sorry, but it's kinda very stupid useless answer-comment. Justification-bla-bla-bla... Everything needs justification. It's elementary. The question is what could be a justification for changing mechanics at the Great Work?

[Damascus]

I'm not going to create a justification just for the sake of changing mechanics. Story comes first, and if nothing so far has required a full conversion, I'm not going to go out of my way to do so.

It's not that it's too hard, I just don't WANT to do it.

[Miss Rigi]

Because changing mechanics needs justification.

I am very sorry, but it's kinda very stupid useless answer-comment. Justification-bla-bla-bla... Everything needs justification. It's elementary. The question is what could be a justification for changing mechanics at the Great Work?

Let us refer to your example of the character gaining sanity in the dark. Lacking context, it is in clear defiance of logic, as darkness is one of the most common fears. Inserting such a thing into the story without explanation is the definition of non-sequiturial inclusion. Justification in this instance would be the character's backstory having the darkness as being a sort of comfort, an escape, a place of safety.

This situation is when a change of mechanics is appropriate. But, before thinking "Alright, you have a reason, why not include it?" also consider what good story-telling is. All of the best movies never waste an introduced mechanic. Any detail mentioned ties in well and in a valuable fashion with the story. So, if the aforementioned justification stays in the backstory, it's sloppy story-telling.

Damascus is a good friend of mine, so I am not inclined to encourage sloppy story-telling from him.

Thank.

[crisosphinx]

Hey everyone... Can we calm down a bit? I get these updates too, you know. I am fine with our CS being a CS and not a FC/TC. Menu changing, background changing, new animations, new characters, new items, new textures... It doesn't matter. As long as we get a story AND a game/ mod out there for YOU to play, it doesn't matter how it's shown or played.

Damascus decided as CS is good enough, I back him up on it. I just want people to play our mod. It makes me giggly and giddy inside to see people comments on my animations in this forum. It makes Damascus giggly and giddy inside to see people want to play our CS because it looks pretty good. That's all there is to it.

We've put a lot of hard-work in it, sure a FC/TC would be a great thing to do, but (sorry Dam) Damascus is not a coding genius. No, but what he is, is a great person who is very influential and strong willed. He's passionate about his CS and wants people to just enjoy it. 7 Chapters has been an excruciating toll on the two of us. I barely have time to model and animate, he barely has time to code. We just don't have enough time to make a fully install-able .bat, .exe or .dmg (mac).

The native coding is good enough for us, for the time being. So please don't insult him. He's trying his hardest to make this game amazing for everyone.