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J.theYellow posted:I didn't know Dan Abnett was primary writer for this. He's done a LOT of scifi adaptive writing, including for Warhammer 40k. Used to do a lot of teamups with Andy Lanning for comic books, in particular the 2008 teaming of 6 different D-grade Marvel space-heroes that they called GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. That team lineup (minus Adam Warlock/Magus) ended up being the one they put into the blockbuster space opera with Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon and Groot. Yeah, Dan Abnett seems like a great fit for this kind of game, what with his Warhammer 40K experience in bringing life to a grimdark far future. Another name I recognised from the writing staff is Will Porter, who will ring a bell to anyone who's been following the perpetually constipated zombie survival indie game Project Zomboid. As I understand it, while Abnett was in charge of the overall story Dion Lay and Will Porter were charged with creating all the neat little details like logs, world-building like Seegson's corporate history and other stuff that's easily missed but appreciated all the more when found. Another neat thing about cast and crew: for the Nostromo DLCs (and Nostromo logs) they got the original cast, with the sole exception of (I think) Ian Holm to lend their voices for that extra layer of authenticity.
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Mar 22, 2015 21:14
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J.theYellow posted:I didn't know Dan Abnett was primary writer for this. He's done a LOT of scifi adaptive writing, including for Warhammer 40k. Used to do a lot of teamups with Andy Lanning for comic books, in particular the 2008 teaming of 6 different D-grade Marvel space-heroes that they called GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. That team lineup (minus Adam Warlock/Magus) ended up being the one they put into the blockbuster space opera with Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon and Groot. This explains so much about why I like both of these things.
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Mar 23, 2015 03:06
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My only experience with this game is a stream where the player got lost almost immediately and so nothing happened for two hours. It's nice to see this from someone who actually has pre-existing knowledge of the thing!
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Mar 23, 2015 03:13
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Extra Tasty posted:My only experience with this game is a stream where the player got lost almost immediately and so nothing happened for two hours. It's nice to see this from someone who actually has pre-existing knowledge of the thing! Oh, I do get lost quite a bit, but I have a vague idea of where I'm going most of the time. Helps build tension, if nothing else. The design of the station alternates between working against me with (justifiably) cookie-cutter corridors and working with me with nice, distinct landmarks as I go along, so my competence will be nicely inconsistent in that regard.
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Mar 23, 2015 03:19
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Slight derail, but they had Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy? They really should have put him in the movie, that would have been awesome. Hey TomViolence, thanks for making this a subtitles LP, it makes the whole thing a lot more immersive and tense. Good show so far chief!
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Mar 23, 2015 04:52
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I didn't realize the alien was that close even when you can't see it. Can anyone explain about how the alien's AI works? Why doesn't it just pop out and kill you with zero effort? Funny that Dan Abnett wrote for this game, 40K is the reason I can't play scary space games like this. I played through Doom 3 and DMed a Dark Heresy game around the same time, and now all scary space games take place in the 40K setting in my head. On that note they really need to make a first-person 40K game that doesn't suck one of these days.
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Mar 23, 2015 06:16
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Knowing how the Alien AI works will kind of ruin the game's atmosphere, I wish I didn't know how it works since it keeps the experience a lot more tense.
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Mar 23, 2015 06:41
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TomViolence posted:Yeah, Dan Abnett seems like a great fit for this kind of game, what with his Warhammer 40K experience in bringing life to a grimdark far future. Another name I recognised from the writing staff is Will Porter, who will ring a bell to anyone who's been following the perpetually constipated zombie survival indie game Project Zomboid. As I understand it, while Abnett was in charge of the overall story Dion Lay and Will Porter were charged with creating all the neat little details like logs, world-building like Seegson's corporate history and other stuff that's easily missed but appreciated all the more when found. Here's an interview with Porter and Lay. Here's a part that's great and not spoilery, because we just got introduced to Seegson: Will Porter posted:In 1999 I spent a short while living in North Carolina, which is where – standing six deep in a chaotic McDonalds queue – I saw a sign that read ‘Why not ask about our orange drink dispenser?’.
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Mar 23, 2015 07:34
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 Part3: Tyrannophallus Rex / FAILURE REEL In which we get to know our new roommate. His personal hygiene leaves much to be desired and his eating habits are grotesque. Keep your head down when he's in a bad mood and don't go having any parties because he hates noise.   Dr. Kuhlman A new friend we discover holed up in medical. Know those annoying NPCs you get in RPGs whose sole purpose is to give out fetch quests? Kuhlman is cast from the same mold. For the record, he does not have a problem.  RansomeWe haven't actually met Ransome, but we're getting a feel for his character nonetheless. Channeling Burke from Aliens, he's a corporate slimeball with shady motivations.  Dr. Lingarde Senior medical officer aboard Sevastopol, Lingarde's vlogging sheds some light on our current predicament.   PipebombA simple improvised explosive, notable for being the first gadget we can make that will hurt the alien. Extremely versatile, but costly to produce.  Stun BatonPresumably meant for subduing large space-cattle, this prod is a powerful melee weapon capable of outright killing a human with one jab. However, its primary purpose for us will be stunning working Joes in order to finish them off with the wrench. Does nothing appreciable to the alien, aside from pissing it off.  Molotov CocktailBeloved by dissidents, protesters and guerilla fighters throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the molotov cocktail has been updated for the spacefaring future by vastly overcomplicating its design. The plus side is that we can rig it for proximity and it's a source of TomViolence fucked around with this message at 10:33 on Mar 23, 2015 |
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Mar 23, 2015 10:24
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That's really cool you have to use the keyboard to type codes in. It really makes it more suspenseful that its not one of those games where you get the code and suddenly the door works like any other door. Kinda disappointed at the lack of kill animations in the The other thing that's helping me not be on edge all the time is the fact I am 99% confident in the main videos you don't get caught. So I'm not waiting for the jump scare. Gridlocked fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Mar 23, 2015 |
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Mar 23, 2015 14:52
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I wonder if it'd be better to keep a few deaths in the main videos - you can cut and skip ahead past stuff that's already been shown, but keep at least a couple of the deaths. It'd probably have more tension for the viewers that way.
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Mar 23, 2015 15:16
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The biggest crime of Isolation was not giving me an witty AU Ending in the Nostromo DLC if I decided to bludgeon Ash to death.
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Mar 23, 2015 15:53
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I like the LP so far. I could never play this game for myself, since I
I'm watching the videos in ten minute chunks, then pausing for a while to breathe. Does the tension ever let up, or do you keep playing tag for twelve hours? E: The subtitles get more readable in the third video. Good work. E II: Can you actually use the motion tracker at all on Nightmare, or is it borked beyond repair? Philippe fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Mar 23, 2015 |
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Mar 23, 2015 17:38
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John Charity Spring posted:I wonder if it'd be better to keep a few deaths in the main videos - you can cut and skip ahead past stuff that's already been shown, but keep at least a couple of the deaths. It'd probably have more tension for the viewers that way. Yeah, I was thinking that myself when I was compiling the failure reel. Some of the deaths are pretty visceral in terms of sound, so I might leave some in so you guys can get the full benefit. It'll keep you on your toes, too, hopefully. EDIT: I changed up my video encoding to strike a balance between quality and filesize. Please do tell me if there's a noticeable drop in watchability as a result, as youtube has a nasty habit of munching pixels and rewatching my own videos in 720p is arduous thanks to lovely, lovely internet. TomViolence fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Mar 23, 2015 |
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Mar 23, 2015 18:52
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LoonShia posted:I'm watching the videos in ten minute chunks, then pausing for a while to breathe. Does the tension ever let up, or do you keep playing tag for twelve hours? Medical's the first area where we get to spend some real quality time with the alien. It's also one of the harder areas in the whole game, partly because it's such a shock to the system, but also because it's so claustrophobic. Once the game opens out a bit more and we have more room to run around the difficulty levels off again. LoonShia posted:E II: Can you actually use the motion tracker at all on Nightmare, or is it borked beyond repair? It's certainly useable, but the screen flickers and fogs up and occasionally gives false positives. Usually at the worst possible moment.
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Mar 23, 2015 19:01
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Great choice of music. 
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Mar 23, 2015 19:12
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I'm sure it has been said before but my God, I love how loving lovely 70s-future aesthetics of this game is. For some reason it is that kind of... crap clunky tech that appeals to me the most, not shiny lights or user-friendly keyboards with a voiced computer. Just utter, utter infuriating CRT screens with eye-straining glare, oil-rig tools and jerry-rigged devices. I don't know why I love that so much.
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Mar 23, 2015 22:59
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Watching this game with headphones reeeeeally ramps up the tension, holy poo poo. Awesome job, TomViolence, thanks for this!
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Mar 23, 2015 23:00
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SirDrone posted:The biggest crime of Isolation was not giving me an witty AU Ending in the Nostromo DLC if I decided to bludgeon Ash to death. !xobɒɿɒq ɘmiƚ ɒ bɘƚɒɘɿɔ ɘv'uoY ?ɘnob uoy ɘvɒʜ ƚɒʜw ,yɘlqiЯ
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Mar 23, 2015 23:07
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This game almost reminds me of the Clock Tower games (at least, the original one). Constantly hiding from an invincible, horrible creature while trying to explore a gloomy and frightening environment in between chases.
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Mar 23, 2015 23:47
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J.theYellow posted:Great choice of music. I was wondering how many people would catch onto me using a song about getting repeatedly hosed by a big dick. Also happens to be one of my favourites. With a handle like TomViolence you can bet on hearing a lot more 80s alternative rock, for better or worse. Samovar posted:I'm sure it has been said before but my God, I love how loving lovely 70s-future aesthetics of this game is. For some reason it is that kind of... crap clunky tech that appeals to me the most, not shiny lights or user-friendly keyboards with a voiced computer. Just utter, utter infuriating CRT screens with eye-straining glare, oil-rig tools and jerry-rigged devices. I don't know why I love that so much. It certainly makes a refreshing change from everything looking like a slick, clean iPod. The game wouldn't have quite the same ambience if my access tuner had a touchscreen or all the doors ran off facial recognition tech. The save terminals in particular put me very much in mind of punching in at my old job, though the game's admittedly not quite as stressful. Octolady posted:Watching this game with headphones reeeeeally ramps up the tension, holy poo poo. I would definitely recommend giving the game the dark room and headphones treatment. Nothing quite like getting so on edge I lose my poo poo at something innocuous like the cat barging in my door because she's wanting fed.
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Mar 24, 2015 04:15
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Those are some scary-rear end footsteps. Also I definitely agree with leaving in some deaths. Not knowing you're going to live would add a lot of tension. Sindai fucked around with this message at 05:09 on Mar 24, 2015 |
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Mar 24, 2015 04:36
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Sorry if this has been asked before but just to make certain, from the way you move/look around while saving is it possible to be killed during that?
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Mar 24, 2015 05:04
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ZeusCannon posted:Sorry if this has been asked before but just to make certain, from the way you move/look around while saving is it possible to be killed during that? Absolutely. You can ALWAYS be killed, outside of cutscenes in which you have no control.
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Mar 24, 2015 05:06
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TomViolence posted:I would definitely recommend giving the game the dark room and headphones treatment. Nothing quite like getting so on edge I lose my poo poo at something innocuous like the cat barging in my door because she's wanting fed. There's a window behind and to the left of the couch where I use my laptop. During the first video, my kitten decided to start playing with the drapes, which he had been hiding behind. I knew he was there, but I got the everloving poo poo startled out of me.
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Mar 24, 2015 05:32
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apostateCourier posted:Absolutely. You can ALWAYS be killed, outside of cutscenes in which you have no control. On Nightmare you can allegedly be killed by cutscene damage if your health is low enough. YOU ARE NEVER TRULY SAFE 
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Mar 24, 2015 06:17
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You watched the first film when you were 5? Wow, and I thought I was young for watching it when I was 7. Though I seem to remember my first words on seeing the Chestburster as: aww, it's cute! I was evidently a weird child.
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Mar 24, 2015 10:27
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I gotta say, that Throbbing Gristle joke was quite a pull.
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Mar 24, 2015 11:10
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ZeusCannon posted:Sorry if this has been asked before but just to make certain, from the way you move/look around while saving is it possible to be killed during that? Yep, during the hacking sequences/inputing door codes/saving you are entirely vulnerable. Several times in my playthrough I'd start the save process and then hear the alien roar and be shouting at my tv to hurry up and save. Once you reach the "Do you want to save Y/N" screen you're fine, even if you're killed 0.1 seconds after resuming gameplay it doesn't matter, the save was made and when you reload the Alien won't be directly on you, but man do those few seconds feel like an entirety when the Alien is bearing down on you and you haven't saved in a while.
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Mar 24, 2015 16:14
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Samovar posted:You watched the first film when you were 5? Wow, and I thought I was young for watching it when I was 7. Yeah, that scene in particular had quite the effect on me. Still does, to this day. Can't watch it without feeling this really tight, constricted feeling in my chest. Probably something that happens to quite a few people I bet. As for the chestburster itself, it does look quite disarming compared to the 7-foot monstrosity it eventually grows into, kind of like a hairless, eyeless kitten or somesuch. Tacopocalypse posted:I gotta say, that Throbbing Gristle joke was quite a pull. Not quite sure what you mean by this. If you mean I was kind of pulling it out of my rear end, over-reaching for something "witty" to say in the moment, you're probably right. I've still not zeroed in completely on a fitting tone for my commentary. Also, if I am gonna try and be witty it's probably not best to make jokes about a niche industrial band from the late 70s. Spalec posted:Yep, during the hacking sequences/inputing door codes/saving you are entirely vulnerable. The game really does love doing this to you. Whether you're hacking doors, twisting nuts with the maintenence jack or just saving the game, it really has a knack for making you feel horribly exposed. That's also the reason why I don't tend to linger at terminals, where your view is locked on the screen and can't even flit manically off to the sides as it can when saving.
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Mar 24, 2015 16:32
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TomViolence posted:Yeah, that scene in particular had quite the effect on me. Still does, to this day. Can't watch it without feeling this really tight, constricted feeling in my chest. Probably something that happens to quite a few people I bet. As for the chestburster itself, it does look quite disarming compared to the 7-foot monstrosity it eventually grows into, kind of like a hairless, eyeless kitten or somesuch. You mean that weird feeling that there's something alien growing inside your chest that will soon be born in a spray of viscera and agony? Perfectly normal.
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Mar 24, 2015 17:08
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azren posted:There's a window behind and to the left of the couch where I use my laptop. During the first video, my kitten decided to start playing with the drapes, which he had been hiding behind. I knew he was there, but I got the everloving poo poo startled out of me. Update to this; went to bed shortly after that post, and was somewhat alarmed by the small xenomorph in my hallway... that turned out to be the handle of the vacuum cleaner looking an awful lot like the thing's head. You're doing a good job with this LP, is what I'm trying to get across here.
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Mar 24, 2015 17:29
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My first experience with the chestburster was the end of Spaceballs, so it was pretty much ruined for me by the time I saw the actual movie.
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Mar 24, 2015 17:41
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Loving this LP. I'm another one of those people that could never play this game myself. I am enjoying watching you go through it. I do wish you could take it a little slow at times to soak in the atmosphere of the game a little more, but I totally see why you don't. Can't watch the failure though. That's a bit much.
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Mar 24, 2015 19:30
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TomViolence posted:Not quite sure what you mean by this. If you mean I was kind of pulling it out of my rear end, over-reaching for something "witty" to say in the moment, you're probably right. I've still not zeroed in completely on a fitting tone for my commentary. Also, if I am gonna try and be witty it's probably not best to make jokes about a niche industrial band from the late 70s. Sorry I wasn't clear, I liked the joke because it was obscure. Plus I'm a TG fanboy. Don't worry, dude. Your commentary's good.
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Mar 24, 2015 20:43
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Tacopocalypse posted:Sorry I wasn't clear, I liked the joke because it was obscure. Plus I'm a TG fanboy. Don't worry, dude. Your commentary's good. S'all good in the hood. I'm happy to take both praise and criticism with equal gratitude.
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Mar 24, 2015 21:15
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Speaking of everyone's favourite chest-popping scene, anecdotes from the cast members all agree that they should have known something was up when they assembled for that scene, as they were told nothing about what was going to happen, but the Entire Film Crew were wearing raincoats. So, all those horrified reactions? Pretty much authentic. Only John Hurt was told the barest hint of what was going to happen, and that's because he got to stick his head through the table with the dummy body on it. As for the age-related anecdote for being exposed to the series, I saw Alien when I was 4, and it pretty much permanently skewed my sense of horror quite effectively. E: Forgot that Holm was Ash, and Hurt was Kane. My bad.
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Mar 24, 2015 21:48
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Sel Nar posted:Speaking of everyone's favourite chest-popping scene, anecdotes from the cast members all agree that they should have known something was up when they assembled for that scene, as they were told nothing about what was going to happen, but the Entire Film Crew were wearing raincoats. So, all those horrified reactions? Pretty much authentic. Only John Hurt was told the barest hint of what was going to happen, and that's because he got to stick his head through the table with the dummy body on it. Apparently for a lot of scenes in the movie the actors were just pushed relentlessly and set against one another. Ripley and Parker's shouting match after Dallas dies is pretty much genuine. Veronica Cartwright losing her poo poo during the chestburster scene is a classic as well. I think she got the biggest squirt of blood and she just goes mental. I also read somewhere that Badejo Bhalaji, the actor in the alien suit, had to wrestle Yaphet Kotto down so that he'd finally agree to do Parker's death scene. Between Alien and The Shining I'm beginning to think that to make a horror masterpiece you have to be a sadistic bastard of a director. On a somewhat related note, the making of documentary's well worth a watch, as is BBC film critic Mark Kermode's documentary Alien: Evolution, which I'm sure is up on youtube somewhere.
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Mar 24, 2015 22:09
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I noticed that a part of the Xenomorph clips through the wall at 26:33-34. (Tiny'd incase it was spoilery for folks who haven't seen the latest update.) I couldn't quite see, but does the dead person in the wheelchair at the front door(?) to the hospital sport a chest wound?  (The best shot I could get, TomViolence doesn't stand around and look at it as surviving against the Xenomorph is a higher priority than looking at the scenery!) This is great fun to watch! I could never myself sit down and play this.
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Mar 25, 2015 00:08
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LashLightning posted:I noticed that a part of the Xenomorph clips through the wall at 26:33-34. Yeah, I noticed the clipping thing in editing. A little flicker, very easy to miss. Must just have been the tip of his tail or something. Axel also manages to defy the laws of time and space when exiting a vent in part 1, phasing right through the cover. My theory is that he's a time-lord. As for wheelchair guy, I'm pretty sure it is indeed a chest wound, though it's unclear whether it's a run-of-the-mill gunshot wound or a consequence of xenomorph-inflicted impalement. Or something far worse. 
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Mar 25, 2015 00:15
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