thechineseroom is the name of a development research project I run at the University of Portsmouth, UK. We're interested in first person gaming - particularly, using mods to explore questions about gaming that you can't answer by just analysing commercial releases or theorising about them.
1 comment by chineseroom on Sep 16th, 2009 digg this super bookmark
So we launch Korsakovia in 4 days and I'm already getting cold sweats about the reaction to it. So close to it now, have played through it that many times that I just have no idea if it's any good or not, and all I can see are the things we've have done differently if we were starting it all over again right now. What I can report back from the crazy world of Korsakovia is that a) I think I may be done with Source for the time being... time to move to a more contemporary engine. Just too many things we wanted to do we couldn't without ripping the codebase apart and frankly, we don't have the time or experience for that (or the money). So CryEngine is looking pretty likely for whatever we do next...
And b) whatever its faults, Korsakovia has proved (to me, at least), that you can 'do' an abstract, more experimental story like Dear Esther in a more 'traditional' game setting. Even more than Korsakovia. Don't get me wrong, I've got a massive amount of respect for game writing - frankly, those people giving it a bad press don't, I think, really grasp just how bloody difficult it is to get right - but this has to be our next step: a proper, full game. I'm not talking about 20+ hours of gameplay and a full dev budget, but at least scaling up to a self-contained indie release, on the scale of something like Zeno Clash or The Path - both of which I have a lot of time for, but also think we've got something really different to offer.
So that's the next step. Get this evil little bastard that's taken over my life out into the world and watch it stumble around blindly (it cannot find its eyes, y'see), then crack on with some serious fundraising. It'll probably be a bit quiet in thechineseroom for a bit, whilst I do the rounds, and Adam, Jess and I get our heads together and see what we can come up with - early conversations have included an FPS opera; medical nanotechnology variations on Descent, my old fave rip on Day of the Triffids - the blind squad based shooter, and a little number about a Victorian psychiatrist who suddenly realises he is actually God. So the usual, boring stuff really.
All and any comments and feedback on Korsakovia would be absolutely brilliant. Will also be uploading the VMF and codebase a while after the mod itself as a seperate download. We're looking into making Jessica's music (including a re-mastered version of the Dear Esther soundtrack) available through iTunes, so watch this space for that too. I might *even just maybe* stick the script for Korsakovia up too, if you lot ask nicely...
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Anything you guys make is going to be a beautiful work of art. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for another chineseroom game, because I know it'll be well worth it in the end.
On less-masturbatory, more-quizzical note, that FPS opera sounds interesting. I can't even wrap my head around what that could possibly mean, but I like the sound of those two nouns together.
Great work guys, you really know how to add atmosphere.
can't wait to see what's up next.
Fuckin' love you man. Your mods are amazing. You're the reason I keep gaming. Awesome shit like this. Please, keep churning out the win.
Amazing work guys, great to see others coming up with some survival horror singleplayer mods, mine is under way but slow going at the moment :>
Day of the Triffids,oh yes or The Quatermass Experiment what you think,i remember the BBC Series
fantastic mod, well done.
Superb work,more of the same please
Loved your worked on Dear Esther!! I loved the pacing and flow of the mod, and the atmosphere was mysterious, rich with detail, and very effective. Keep it up. :)
You guys...you have reminded me why I bought HL2 as soon as I could. Quality mods, like this. I remember, a few months in 2004, after purchasing, I told myself "It'll be years for any decent mods come out" and I was right. (To some exception, of course)
Amazingly enough, I have only found out about your mod the other day(Can't continue due to a bug, or I would finish it in one sitting)and looked at Google and found over 2 MILLION people have searched for it. Quite a damn feat.
You've produced quality work far above the normal even in the professional game making industry. You've truly reminded me that people whom making a game isn't their forte, can product this type of product. I feel sad for all those whom are to narrow minded and can't play, no wait "Experience" this adventure you have crafted. You could get a movie deal, or at least a book for all of this.
I have to say, I'm incredibly impressed by the story that drives Dear Esther. If I come across a game like this again, I will be incredibly entertained. Thanks.