Normally, the preloader is one of the very last parts of the game that I write.  It’s just a loading bar, so it never seems like the Most Important Thing To Do, but as a result, I always just slap a preloader together at the tail end of the project, and I’m never particularly happy with it, but it’s Good Enough.

But no more!  I took some time yesterday and today to make a really spiffy preloader for Company’s prequel.  The preloader isn’t just a loading bar in this context–in an online game, it’s also the very first thing that the user sees, which means it’s a valuable chance to make a good first impression.  If the user sees that special care has been put into even the loading bar at the start, then they know that I’m for real.

But enough talk–let’s play with the thing!  You can move the mouse left to right to change the “loading status” (left is unloaded, right is fully loaded), and you can also move the mouse up and down for added fun.  In the actual game, the horizontal control will obviously be replaced with an actual progress meter, but the vertical control is cute so I’ll be leaving it in.

Click to try the Preloader Demo

Oh, and I’ve also got a possible title:  ”The Customs of Myself.”  It’s got some class, some mystery, and it clearly recalls the original, so people are more likely to realize that the games are related without being told so.  What do you think?

I hope everyone’s having a nice winter, and if Christmas is your thing, merry Christmas!  Please be sure to thank everyone thoroughly and sincerely if you get any presents.

Here’s a screenshot of the (work-in-progress) visuals for Chapter 4, “The Swamp.”  It’s still missing all of the foliage and detail objects, so you can expect much more densely detailed scenery in the actual game.

I’m still at a loss for a title, but as of now, I’ve got 23 functional levels for Company’s prequel (and they’re coming along beautifully!).  This means I’m more than halfway there!  Ben Jelter has mainly been working on end-of-chapter comic strips, and David Carney is cooking away at the music.  We’re still aiming to be done some time around the end of the year, but it’ll take a little time after then to have the game totally set for release.  Still, it seems safe to expect to see the game go live some time in January.

And because you asked so nicely, here’s a screenshot from Chapter 2.  Note that all of the previous levels shown and this one, too, will eventually be dressed up by Ben to look prettier.

Hey everybody.  I’ve finally (!!!) started working on levels for the prequel to The Company of Myself.  I’ve got a nice roadmap for all 40 planned levels, and I have at least a rough plan for almost all of the game’s puzzles.  This is all much better planned out than the original game, so expect better pacing and a fuller/more satisfying utilization of mechanics–in the first game, for instance, the Checkpoint mechanic is only used in one level, and that’s just plain goofy.

So far, I’ve made “rough drafts” for all eight of the first chapter’s levels.  These will all be adjusted to some extent before they’re ready to ship, but all of the gameplay scenarios, dialogue, etc are working as intended so far.  Since my last post was a massive wall of text, I’ll shut up for a bit and let you look at some screenshots.  Note that there’s still various bits of placeholder art strewn around (the corner of thought bubbles and the doors are most notable in these shots).

Have a nice weekend!