I know, I've been talking about it for quite some time now, but....

Discotheque Of Doom is close to release now !!

(Oomph...(sigh of relief)  ;) 8-)).

The beta-testing is finished, thanks to brell (and Freddy) who did a wonderful job, and to JoeB. who gave me several valuable tips on how to perfect some custom characters. Thanks a lot to you all !

I only have to set the music IDs, make a package containing all the necessary files, send it to the admins....and we're up and running!

For those who don't like custom graphics (or the file swopping that comes attached to it):
even though custom graphics are used in DoD only sparingly, and the mansion is playable with the standard file set (but looks rather strange at certain places), I'll really recommend you make those few steps needed to use the custom file set.... as it really is part of the gameplay:
- the music is important for the dancefloors, for the rhythm of your moves
- the decoration, like paintings and statues are important for the look and feel of the discotheque, and sometimes important for the gameplay
-  last but not least: it's simply more fun (and looks much better, too).

Rest assured though, it's not 20 files that need to be changed.... just 3 folders.  I will supply an easy, straightforward explanation.

Thanks for your patience.... I know I wanted to have that ready at least several weeks earlier.
Now it's only a matter of 2 more days or so.

As a last appetizer, below you'll get a glimpse into one of the inner rooms.....near the central dancefloor.

---

Looks facinating, AquaMat! But when you said Jack would have a party suit on, I thought you meant something along the lines of a tux... :P Look at the graphics! What Apps. did you use? Lemme guess... PhotoShop?  :P

More screenshots! 20 files? Wow... Ted is... lemme count... 19, and climbing. I'm going to chance some other screens, like the buttons, and make more music... already made a chatchy jungle drum theme for when Ted arrives at the mainland! It will even make Freddy have even more a "robinsin cruisoe" feeling!  :P Also got a Opening theme, which I hope you'll have, too!

My little secret with the opening screen: Make a little bass go for 6 seconds, then give it everything you got! At 6 seconds of the song you're at the main menu!  ::)

Hope I'll enjoy this as much as you'll enjoy Ted!  ::) But you said this mansion was for fun, not to be frusterated... that's what the point of games are, fun!  :D

Wingy, I said it's NOT 20 files, that need to be changed...more like 3 !!

And PhotoShop was only one of the tools I used..... and I said before, the graphics are nothing too special. And you got to remember, that when I finished the beta-version of DoD in early January, there was no Dominator yet....nobody had changed Jack's appearance at all (at this point in time).

So when Dominator appeared, of course I was set back a bit.... as it was so beautifully done, as far as graphics are concerned...and especially the JAC character was soo impressive, that all my changes seemed to dwarf in comparison.

Took me a while to get over that.....  but as IMHO the main point of interest in DoD is not the custom graphics per se (they're just the icing on the cake), but the gameplay and my attempts to get the most oiut of the standard tools we have (which don't lean very much towards designing anything that is not castle- and/or spook-related etc.)...and tweak that into a bit of Pop Art, with the added help of some custom graphics...(which are nowhere as "complete" (= a complete new world) as in Dominator for example).

To your other questions: no, I didn't go as far as changing the opening theme, not even the opening screen BTW.
While my original plan was to write & produce completely new music for DoD, I couldn't manage that (as I had to score several films in the meantime and simply didn't have enough time left)....so I decided to include several music tracks I had written some time ago (for other projects), which fit just as well.

Quote:

as I had to score several films in the meantime and simply didn't have enough time left

WHOA DUDE!!!!!

You score for a living??????

I think we could get some kind of reciprocal assistance going here. Although I play several different instruments (most brass, flute, upright bass and bass guitar, harmonica, and a very nasty right hand on keyboards) I am still musically challenged.
We need to talk, I'll email you later today. If your DoD (Wow hard to type that without thinking Department of Defense) doesn't have a mirror ball I might be able to show you how to do a pseudo animated simple one.

BTW, I didn't mean to set you back any with Dominator. As a matter of fact I think my timing was bad there. There seemed to be a LOT of commentary surrounding it and all I wanted to do was see whether something so different would be playable and how much new diversity it would spawn. Wasn't meant to stir up a hornet's nest. I actually have a much more advanced version of Dominator waiting in the wings. Two of the things that bothered me most were the lack of consistency in look of the objects and the music. I've addressed the graphics but not the music.

Whoops, didn't mean to hijack the thread. Sorry....

Joe B

Can you... put DoD up sooner? Becaues in two days I'm going away incase you haven't read my Wingy's going away topic. If this isn't possible, I'd have to go away thinking that I wouldn't be able to play your mansion! (With the pro music!) I thought you said it was 20 files in three folders, (screens, data and music) but its better with only afew. Actully, now that I think about it, its better with more files!!  ;)

BTW: Is there speech in the music?  ::) You said you wrote some. I can think that means writing the notes, but it could mean speech... did you?  :-?

According to my calculations, you made Jack just like I did in StarCraft exept a bit differently. (Well I could, don't know if you could) But what I'm saying is that I could detect all the blue on Jack, and chance the color level to red, and bam, I got a red-jack. Hey, that's the way you could color jack if Mikee's MM - online came out! :p

EDIT:
@Joeb: You should wait till the expansion comes out until you make Dominator II. Then  it'll REALLY be a II with new bad guys, music and yeah!

joeb wrote on 20.03.2007 at 23:52:13:

BTW, I didn't mean to set you back any with Dominator. As a matter of fact I think my timing was bad there. There seemed to be a LOT of commentary surrounding it and all I wanted to do was see whether something so different would be playable and how much new diversity it would spawn. Wasn't meant to stir up a hornet's nest. I actually have a much more advanced version of Dominator waiting in the wings. Two of the things that bothered me most were the lack of consistency in look of the objects and the music. I've addressed the graphics but not the music.

@ Joe....
hope you didn't get me wrong there..... my words about Dominator above were absolutely NOT meant as any kind of criticism about the release date or anything else of Dominator.  It was just a coincidence that you happened to release Dominator at this point in time when I was finishing the Discotheque..... !  No reason to worry or apologise AT ALL....  everybody has the right to release his mansion when he is ready.... and I simply wasn't ready before Dominator.

And as I siad... the custom graphics in DoD are only a small part (of it) anyway.... !

Mirror Ball.....  I remember having downloaded a DAZ model for a ball (and a microphone and a whole lot of other things I never got around doing) !!  I never completed the DJ (and DJ booth) for example ...as it simply got too complicated.
So mitrror ball sounds great....if you happen to have it lying around somewhere....

(I have to admit.... I never got far in my attempts to master DAT Studio   :-[ ::))@Wingy:
When I say "written" that doesn't necessarily have to imply lyrics.... the music is written as well....   :)
About the release date: I try to be as fast as possible....but it also depends on the admins....so I can't promise anything.

@Admins: As soon as you get it this final version of this mansion, put it on the list!!  :P Just make sure you get it out by tomarrow night, at the very least. I have to leave at 8:00 A.M. the next morning and drive to the bus!  :-/

@AquaMat: Pretend you are a jedi and you have force-speed on.  :P

But this is the real question: What happened to the guests of the dance?  :o

@aquaMat:
Not taken as criticism! But the bad timing issue still stands. I should have done a couple of plain mansions and then a minor custom mansion, maybe two.

Yeah, I'll see what I can do about a mirror ball and I do think I have one around. The mike stand is no biggie.

@Wingy:
There's about half a dozen programs out there that'll do text to speech and it is possible to use a virtual voice in a song. The issue is getting the vocal inflections to sound natural and of course you need a GOOD VVoice to start with. Personally I like the AT&T Natural Speech (or is it Voice) voices. I have a couple of them but they're PRICEY! $200 for 2 voices and simple text to speech software. I'm a sucker for Australian accents and one of AT&T voices, Samantha I think, is VERY cool sounding. But again I'm off thread here.......
:-X :-X :-X :-X

Joe B



Joe B

@Joe: Er... I didn't want voice for my music and I never will!  :P But thanks anyways. ($200?? I only earn $25-$30 a week!!) Biggest thing I ever bought was... this computer. $850!  :P Anyways... back to subject...

@AquaMat: Is force speed working?

BTW: Why can't I post on that Alternate of Death topic?? There's no reply button!  :o

Quote:

BTW: Why can't I post on that Alternate of Death topic?? There's no reply button!

Is my name in red?


Ask an admin, I ain't got nuttin to due wit it....

jb

sweet mansion! Kind of like my next mansion, The haunted ampatheatre. My first mansion with custom graphics! Anyway I would love to test it if you need testers...

@ Sam:

Beta-testing is finshed already. Sorry.

That's cool too! that means it'll be out sooner! ;D

Sigh... its not out yet... now I must go to montreal and I'll have to think about what your mansion will be like... while every one els enjoys it...  :( The force is weak with you!  :P

Sorry, Wingy !
I managed to upload everything yesterday... but Freddy needed to work (at his real job!!), so he won't be able to put it up until later today.

You got to understand that Freddy (and myself too) has many other commitments apart from the MM forum.... and even within this forum he has many other things to do, not only the release of DoD.

But how about this: now you have something to look forward to, while you're away !!  ;)

Finally it's out! Oooh... same with Church! Looking forward to playing it.... I think I'll go play it now! Ta ta!