Three's Company

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trialdude
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Re: Three's Company

Post by trialdude »

Welcome to the Dawn of the Final Day. I hope the remaining competitors are prepared. Insert evil laughter here.
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Enthalpy
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Re: Three's Company

Post by Enthalpy »

Final day is tomorrow.

Not prepared yet, but I think I can still be by the end. My case will still be very rough, but at least a complete entry.
[D]isordered speech is not so much injury to the lips that give it forth, as to the disproportion and incoherence of things in themselves, so negligently expressed. ~ Ben Jonson
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Ana_
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Re: Three's Company

Post by Ana_ »

i got an idea a couple days ago and wrote it out today, its complete and submitted @ ~1K frames here's a preview so u can be sufficiently non-intimidated
Spoiler : :
Image
Image Image Image Image
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trialdude
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Re: Three's Company

Post by trialdude »

All right, we've got our first case in a surprise entry from Ana, Last Window: The Secret of the Rancid Burger!
Spoiler : Review :
Synopsis: Kyle Hyde just wants to eat a burger, but upon taking a bite, he realizes it's completely spoiled! Can he figure out how before it's too late?

Writing: This is a case that knows it's silly and runs with it. I was laughing the entire time. The dialogue is witty and snappy, and I have no idea how, but I actually got invested in solving this burger mystery. This case is just so much fun. (The plant ending was especially hilarious.)

Gameplay: The puzzles were a bit simple, but that's totally okay for a case like this. I actually had a bit of a hard time with the spatial aspect of the puzzles, but it didn't really matter since they were so easy. However, choosing dialogue options was a lot of fun, and there's even a minigame or two, which I really enjoyed.

Presentation: This was probably the highlight of this case for me. The presentation really sucked me into the world and left me wanting more. I've never played Last Window, but if it's anything like this, I might have to pick it up. The sprites are great, the music is fitting and fun, and the locations, while sometimes a bit rough, are really well designed (and certainly better than anything I could do). Great stuff.

Theme Relevance: Hits the nail right on the head, with exactly three speaking characters.

In conclusion, it's a little short, and the gameplay was a little simple, but the hilarious writing and great presentation more than make up for that. A very strong start for the comp!
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clcman
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Re: Three's Company

Post by clcman »

Fun/random fact: I have been referring to this comp in my notes and on my calendar as "Three's A Crowd", not "Three's Company." Not that it makes a huge difference, of course, I just thought it was funny.
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
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Enthalpy
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Re: Three's Company

Post by Enthalpy »

For the rule against spoilers, how do you feel about music spoilers?
[D]isordered speech is not so much injury to the lips that give it forth, as to the disproportion and incoherence of things in themselves, so negligently expressed. ~ Ben Jonson
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trialdude
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Re: Three's Company

Post by trialdude »

For the rule against spoilers, how do you feel about music spoilers?


Music spoilers are fine.
I have the stupidest username in all of AAO. Nowhere else will you find one more stupid.
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Enthalpy
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Re: Three's Company

Post by Enthalpy »

Submitted with an hour and a half to spare.
[D]isordered speech is not so much injury to the lips that give it forth, as to the disproportion and incoherence of things in themselves, so negligently expressed. ~ Ben Jonson
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clcman
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Re: Three's Company

Post by clcman »

I'm going to need to dip into that wiggle room period to be certain that my giant mess of variables does not come crashing down when you play it. But the entry IS coming.
Spoiler : Hypeshot to prove it :
Image
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
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trialdude
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Re: Three's Company

Post by trialdude »

All right, next up is Enthalpy's Hero's Turnabout!
Spoiler : Review :
Synopsis: Franziska von Karma is prosecuting a would-be arsonist. All she has to do is have her witness testify, and the case will proceed to trial. Easy enough, right?

Writing: Very solid. Franziska is very much in character, with "fools" abounding. The judge is quite refreshing; it's nice to see a little backbone now and then. The witness is also very believable. The ending was a bit abrupt, though.

Gameplay: There are some really great puzzles in here. I liked the train testimony especially well. I did get a bit lost towards the end, but for the most part, the puzzles are great to play. Excellent showing here.

Presentation: Enthalpy did mention that it hasn't been through playtesting yet, and I found plenty of bugs to back that up. The game even broke at one point. However, the music choices are fantastic, the evidence is well-designed, and the choices of sprites really fit the characters. Not bad at all.

Theme Relevance: I wondered how and if a traditional trial could be pulled off with this theme, but Enthalpy figured it out. Basically, there's no defense attorney: it's simply a grand jury trial with a judge, witness and prosecutor. Well done on that setup.

All in all, a fun case. Could use a little refinement, but it's definitely worth a play.
I have the stupidest username in all of AAO. Nowhere else will you find one more stupid.
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Enthalpy
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Re: Three's Company

Post by Enthalpy »

Spoiler : :
uuuuuuugh

I went through every single path, so I thought there shouldn't be any game-breaking bugs. Do send me the list when you get a chance. I realized a few minutes after I sent you the PM that I forgot to save my last edits, but that shouldn't have been an issue unless you started playing within ten minutes of my sending you the entry.
I already knew I wanted to do a lot of edits between this and a full release, so I don't have an estimate on when I'll showcase.
[D]isordered speech is not so much injury to the lips that give it forth, as to the disproportion and incoherence of things in themselves, so negligently expressed. ~ Ben Jonson
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clcman
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Re: Three's Company

Post by clcman »

I am reporting that AwesomeYears and my entry made it in, and trialdude has at least read the PM.

Three's Company had three entries after all!
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
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trialdude
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Re: Three's Company

Post by trialdude »

And now for the third and final (three entries, how 'bout that?) entry, The New Guy by clcman and AwesomeYears!
Spoiler : review :
Synopsis: You are a technician who just got work at a top-secret research facility on an island, accompanied by your trusty robot friend F.R.E.U.D. But when you arrive, it's completely deserted! What's going on?

Writing: This one's got even less characters than usual, so I'll focus on our main character here. He's definitely written like your typical AA protagonist. In other words, I really like him! He's the perfect way to self-insert into this world. I was also really sucked in to the mystery of what happened on this island, and I eagerly await the resolution.

Gameplay: This entry is not a typical murder mystery. It's actually much more similar to a classic point and click adventure game, with a sprawling world to explore. The entry isn't finished, but it managed to showcase a really cool mechanic, Objectives! It's so simple, but I've never thought to do that kind of thing in the AA editor, and it works really well here.

There's also occasional "psychological evaluations" that the AI gives you. I don't know if they'll eventually have a larger purpose of if they're just for fun, but I had a good time with them.

Presentation: This case is almost entirely custom-made, which probably explains why it's unfinished. So many great locations, and F.R.E.U.D's sprites are seriously impressive. I never had trouble while examining the locations, and everything was clear. It actually felt like I was moving about a huge facility. Standout presentation.

Theme Relevance: There are actually only two characters, the playable character and F.R.E.U.D. Talk about a creative way to answer this prompt! (Fun fact, an AI was one of my personal ideas for this kind of theme. Funny how things work out.)

All in all, this was a great experience, and a great display of creativity! Wonderful job!
And that wraps up the reviews! Now for the grueling task of picking a favorite from these three. Help.
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clcman
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Re: Three's Company

Post by clcman »

I'm glad you liked it! Specific and big shout-out to AwesomeYears for making the F.R.E.U.D. sprites. They are pretty great. (He also made some good music that my eternal music-hosting problems kept from being in the case. Listen to the main investigation theme here. Spybreak001 also contributed some art and edits.

On a side note, I don't know if you did a Stream of Consciousness or anything like that, but could you send me a list of your deductions (if you have any), your theories and your questions about what happened on the island? This case, more than most, requires me to consider what things players will think (being free-form and all that). Thanks!

Your quick and utterly un-me-like case turnaround means that I can probably get back to work on it tomorrow, and, at the pace I am going... (*drumroll*) actually release one of my comp entries!
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
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trialdude
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Re: Three's Company

Post by trialdude »

At last, the award ceremony!
Spoiler : The Winner :
Congratulations to clcman and AwesomeYears for taking the win!
Thanks to everyone who participated! I haven't had so much fun in quite some time.
I have the stupidest username in all of AAO. Nowhere else will you find one more stupid.
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