How about some technical insights to spice it up a bit?
- What’s going on with the stratified depth at the bottom of the image? (and the edges)
- Any immediate plans to screenspace blur the shadows? Half-res?
- Anything interesting going on with the leafs on the tress? Some inferred lighting-like lit translucency maybe?
I don’t know what you are referring to by stratified depth?
There are no immediate plans to do screenspace operations on the shadows. That may change. Shadows are good enough for gameplay design right now and that is all that really matters.
We don’t do anything complicated yet for leaves. In fact leaves are currently kind-of broken; you’ll note you can pretty much see through the leaves.
Is there any teaser information on what the gameplay will be like yet? I just got Braid (and am still plowing through) and am now very curious as to what kind of game The Witness will be.
I just wanna say this is really exciting. It’s like watch sim city or something. Watching the island come together really tickles my model train nerve. I hope you keep em’ comin’!!!!
I’ve heard a theory that The Witness will be to Myst what Braid is to Mario. Braid obviously imitates the Mario series in some ways, while at the same time adding twists to it, outright subverting it, and overall saying some very interesting things about the Mario formula – its gameplay, story and underlying concepts. As a whole, all that is, of course, only one of the things Braid has to say. Will The Witness do the same to Myst? Or anything else?
A request: try using the same camera angle if you keep doing this (at least, as much as this is possible …) It’ll make it more fun to go back and flip through all the images later, I think.
This is looking pretty awesome. I’m wonderfully perplexed as to what’s happening on the island – I can see what looks like an old fort, a rocket ready for launch, and a WW2 style pillbox. Not to mention the other blog posts featuring fairly nondescript (but very intriguing) empty rooms.
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Elvis Brevi
/ May 7, 2010really nice!
DOLLS
/ May 8, 2010That’s pretty handsome!
nine
/ May 8, 2010yeah, but REAL islands aren’t squares. Everyone know they’re circles. And have a palm tree in the middle.
Phil Willis
/ May 9, 2010Looking great Jonathan!
You said you already had around 5 hours of gameplay prototyped and working? Any idea how large the game will be when you’re finished?
Best of luck
–Phil
Jonathan Blow
/ May 9, 2010You mean in terms of length of gameplay? No idea. Also, it sort of depends on what the player wants to do, and what you consider gameplay.
Jonp382
/ May 10, 2010Sweet, keep these coming!
Hamish
/ May 10, 2010Wouldn’t it be cool if you could measure gameplay quantity in something other than time? “The game is now 0.4 counterstrikes deep.”
mg
/ May 10, 2010How about some technical insights to spice it up a bit?
- What’s going on with the stratified depth at the bottom of the image? (and the edges)
- Any immediate plans to screenspace blur the shadows? Half-res?
- Anything interesting going on with the leafs on the tress? Some inferred lighting-like lit translucency maybe?
Thanks
Jonathan Blow
/ May 10, 2010I don’t know what you are referring to by stratified depth?
There are no immediate plans to do screenspace operations on the shadows. That may change. Shadows are good enough for gameplay design right now and that is all that really matters.
We don’t do anything complicated yet for leaves. In fact leaves are currently kind-of broken; you’ll note you can pretty much see through the leaves.
Imaria
/ May 12, 2010Is there any teaser information on what the gameplay will be like yet? I just got Braid (and am still plowing through) and am now very curious as to what kind of game The Witness will be.
Jonathan Blow
/ May 12, 2010We haven’t put out any of that kind of information, and it’ll be a while before we do (largely because the gameplay is in a constant state of flux).
It is not much like Braid, though.
tony
/ May 13, 2010I just wanna say this is really exciting. It’s like watch sim city or something. Watching the island come together really tickles my model train nerve. I hope you keep em’ comin’!!!!
mg
/ May 14, 2010The stratified depth turned out to be reflection in the hard-to-see water
Thanks for the response!
justin?
/ May 16, 2010the darker colors from the island a few weeks back looked more… right? i guess it makes it look more realistic? without that sand :s
BiggerJ
/ May 17, 2010I’ve heard a theory that The Witness will be to Myst what Braid is to Mario. Braid obviously imitates the Mario series in some ways, while at the same time adding twists to it, outright subverting it, and overall saying some very interesting things about the Mario formula – its gameplay, story and underlying concepts. As a whole, all that is, of course, only one of the things Braid has to say. Will The Witness do the same to Myst? Or anything else?
Zaphos
/ May 18, 2010This is fun
A request: try using the same camera angle if you keep doing this (at least, as much as this is possible …) It’ll make it more fun to go back and flip through all the images later, I think.
stoo
/ May 19, 2010This is looking pretty awesome. I’m wonderfully perplexed as to what’s happening on the island – I can see what looks like an old fort, a rocket ready for launch, and a WW2 style pillbox. Not to mention the other blog posts featuring fairly nondescript (but very intriguing) empty rooms.
Good stuff.
Entar
/ May 20, 2010Uh oh, strange numbers appearing on a mysterious island?
But really, it’s looking good, keep it up. I’m looking forward to The Witness.