RE:the tutorial mode voice recording.
-- voice instruction not necessary, just a screen with a static image (or ambitiously an animated cutscene that self-runs -- maybe when you look to your left at the girl she plays the machine next to yours) to demonstrate how to play.

RE: the world's first 3d pachinko game
-- a coup!

RE: interview with a pachinko shop owner next Monday that I will use, as well as pictures of the real parlors, staff, players, games, and underground info on the darker side of the bright lights with Yakuza and North Korean involvement.
-- will you have sound recorded there too? It will be intersteing to see the real parlors and people too.

RE: maximum size I can get a render out of Lightwave.
-- you could set your camera to render quarters of the scene then stitch them...

RE: It mostly looks better in the highest resolution mode and 32 bit depth (comes on at a crappy default 800X600 for people with weaker computers).

-- I didnt think to change resolution. I have 32 bit color, monitor set at 1280x1024, 1 ghz ram -- do many people really run at 800x600? Even on my 'old' P4 800mhz 128mb ram I ran at least 1024x768.

RE: I had a calculator that looked like that a long time ago
I was actually going for that effect . I've had some positive comments about it. **Ah well, can't please everyone.
-- Don't mistake my comment for a negative -- thats actually a bit of happy nostalgia and realistic too. I only meant that the 'off' parts of the numbers could be slightly darker to improve visiblity of the 'on' numerals, not invisible.

I'll think of some way to add more instructions.

I've got it at 800X600 default because a lot of people still actually use such a low resolution, and also because it renders a little faster on slow computers with smaller screen resolution.

I've been taking all you comments into consideration and have already implimented quite a few of them, and fixed most of your bug reports, too. Not sure what is happening with the animation, but there should be another BETA shortly.



Perhaps a bit hard to see in these shots, but there are more special effects for the balls, a new cursor that changes over the handle and more flashing lights.

Is that a mini beach-ball? Looks nice. Its good to see different types of balls in the game.

Particle effects are looking good too

Cheers,
AMan

I couldn't figure out how to play it!!!

Aman: Yep, beach balls, eye balls....

Braxton: K. I get the message. Tutorial mode coming up.


Level 3:

Very funny stuff although the baby didn't dance for me (seems I was too bad!). I'd like to see the girl without always turning to the left and I'd aply some more animating behaviour to the girl - for player animation to investigate more money.
The effect sounds are typically Japanese ones. I think Europeans or Americans like more realistic sound effects (so I feel).
Simple but fine idea, good play sound!

Thanks for your commnets DocJoe.

Time for another BETA.




More animations on the way.


GET IT HERE


Thanks to all of you who have been beta testing. I've included quite a few of your suggestions in this release, and ironed out those bugs you found (I think, please check for me).

Some of the improvements in this BETA:

* More visual and sound effects. Improved graphics.
* A whole new level
* A new way to get Ken Fujino fight sequences by overloading the tulip and targeting the flashing bin (hard to explain, just try it)
* A tutorial mode (press T)
* TAB out to windowed mode
* Numerous bug fixes and tweeking


The only obvious ommision in this update is that the girl's animation hasn't been changed. Andvari is working away as I type to get new, professonal animations with lip syncs out very shortly. Once they are ready I will also program Atari-chan to be a bit smarter when she speaks (not telling you how great you are when you haven't actually done anything, for example).

The tutorial mode was supposed to start automatically when the game started for the first time. This isn't happening, so I have to fix that, however you can still trigger it by pressing [T].

Please give this BETA a hammering. I'm trying to get this out before the GDC.

Everyone who is listed in the credits, please make sure I've got your name right.

This looks fantastic A.Russel, great graphics and very nice model.
Downloads to big for me at the moment but the screens show enough to say...Well done mate.

The load time was very long. When the program finally loaded I was left with the initial start up screen telling me to press space for like ten minutes my entire system was frozen untill I finally had to reboot. I did this three times untill I gave up

Screens look awesome though! Just wouldnt work on my machine.

Lets see if I can remember my system specs off the top of my head
Pentium 1.4 gig mhz
Dell workstation (Precision 330)
512 meg Ram
NVIDIA Quatrro Pro 64 MEG

I will admit that I need a better Video Card, but I can run everything else just fine....It just wouldnt run right on my machine. Kinda upsetting because I wanted to see it.


EDIT:Maybe my machine is just too religious for such games? Naw.JK.

@A. Russel: I think I speak for the whole community if I ask you a very, very, very, very important question we all wanna know: Is there a model for your model or is it phantasy?

If there's a real model...

... I feel your big motivation to program
... you'll never finish your game, because you'll tell her every day to revisite you for some improvements
... You'll publish every month a new game with her
... I have to get know her!