I have been awake for almost 26 hours now!  My head hurts and I can't look at another line of code for a while.  But it's here as promised - The 'Night Train' demo for your enjoyment.  This is a beta release and I welcome any and all feedback on how the game can be improved for the final release in October.  Thanks for your patience and interest.  Enjoy - Paul.

At last. The script is written, the puzzles, designed, the narrative complete. It's so strange to think that this game has taken shape so quickly. Around lunchtime today the script was sent for voicing. Strangely, rather than feeling happy I am nervous. This is the first time in ages that my own personal work has gone into the public realm. But it's more than that... I am anxious. It's finally happening! The first step into a whole new world for me. In what I hope will be a matter of weeks, my first adventure game will be out there for people to play. God knows what they will make of it?

Producing this script has taught me so much about game design. Allowing the player to discover the story in there own time has been a challenge. But, through the process of writing the script as I would do for film, ideas have developed. Puzzles have been woven into the narrative. Designs have changed and in some cases been scrapped. Because I know my story from start to finish and the journey the player will take, the process of creating that world has become much simpler.

Writing a game has posed so many challenges. Writing for television allows for linear thinking. Interactive fiction requires you to think in a much different way. Allowing the player to get from point A – point B in a route that they choose is difficult. Knowing how the story starts and ends is the easy bit, allowing them all the information to get there on their own is another matter.

As this game revolves around a story, scripting has been an important element in the game design. Each line of dialogue gives the players clues on how to progress. The lines of dialogue also need to reflect the information they possess so that information isn't divulged too early in the game.

Narrative also needs to lead the puzzle design. Even though 'Night Train' wont tax many seasoned adventure players, the game design was reworked many times. In the process of writing the script many puzzles were scrapped or redesigned to work around the narrative.

So anyway... It's Midnight on the 11th of may and the script is almost done.

Paul Davies - AKA Xportmedia. Isn't it dramatic!? Call 07894 354 472.