With our last update being so long ago, we are sure quite a few of you are wondering what we have been up to these past few months. Well, better get comfortable because we have some news for you!
One of our highest priorities was to wrap up the script so we could move forward with both voice acting and translations and test that all lines show up in the game correctly. With a good amount of blood, sweat, and no shortage of tears (again), we can finally say our script is 100% done!
As a frame of reference, the script for Monkey Island 3 sits at around 56,000 words. Ours is over six times that amount, capping at roughly 355,000 words. That was the main reason it took us so long to finish, review, and proofread, ensuring it was all up to snuff.
Along with the script, testing has been moving forward quite nicely too. Since January, over 40 testers have played through the game, summing over 5,000 hours of testing in total. They have since reported over 2,500 bugs, many of which have already been fixed or are still being worked on. Thanks to their hard work and feedback, we found several areas in which our gameplay (read: puzzles) was somewhat lacking and took steps to fix that.
While many of the game’s puzzles were praised by our testing team, some, on the other hand, were found to be monotonous or not challenging enough. Naturally, we wanted the game experience to be as enjoyable as possible, so we decided to improve those puzzles. That, of course, was easier said than done, as the complexity of those changes varied significantly. Some puzzles were relatively easy to improve. Others, however, proved more challenging. Much like a house of cards, removing or adding a piece made the whole thing crumble, requiring the entire puzzle to be rebuilt from scratch.
But that’s all behind us now! The good news is that the testing team has not given us any negative feedback during the past three months regarding how enjoyable the puzzles are. So, we believe it was well worth the hassle. At last, with all the changes implemented, the gameplay document is now finalized. Now, in the following paragraphs, we could be waxing poetic about how long and complex it is. But, as they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” So, to put things into perspective, check out this side-by-side comparison of the gameplay document for Monkey Island 3 and ours. Let's see if you can guess which one is which.
So, what’s next? Our testing team is now using this finalized version of the gameplay document to re-test all possible paths the game can take, doing their best to try to “break the game.” There’s still quite some work to be done in the upcoming year. We will mainly focus on voice acting, sound effects, and (German) localization. We are also planning on improving our save game and pause features and polishing some of our less stellar animations to ensure the game remains visually appealing all the way through. Oh, and we almost forgot, the final concept for the release trailer is also in the works! Woohoo! Anyway, as always, we’ve put everything in a list for you:
???? 100% of environments and characters drawn and painted;
???? 100% of cinematics created;
???? 100% of the soundtrack composed;
???? 100% of animations completed (We are just polishing and improving some);
???? 100% of script reviewed;
???? 100% of cutscenes created;
???? 99% of game logic assembled (We are just connecting all the endings and paths);
???? 90% of the soundtrack implemented;
???? 90% of cutscenes implemented;
???? 60% of the game tested;
???? 20% of cinematics implemented (This will move fast, now that the gameplay document is finalized);
???? 5% of voice acting executed;
???? 5% of sound effects implemented.
We reckon that all that’s left to be done should fit in a timeline of roughly six months. We are so close to the finish line that we can almost taste it! Looking back, so much has changed. Look at Betty, for example!
AHHH! We simply cannot wait to bring these five long years of development to fruition. It’s been a long road to get to this point, and undoubtedly, this project has greatly evolved over the years. What started as “yet another indie point-and-click game” slowly became something far bigger than any of us could have anticipated. So big that, at one point, it seemed like it had gotten out of hand. But here we are, ready to bring this game to you soon! That said, we would like you to know that the next update will feature the 3 Minutes to Midnight release trailer together with the release date! So, please be patient with us.
Thank you for sticking around, and Happy New Year!
Your Scarecrow Team
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