There be all sorts of gators and critters out during the daytime in the swamp, but it ain't them you gotta worry about. No sir, somethin' much worse comes out once the sun goes down...
Vagabond PI:SMC starts whenever a young detective moves into a small house in Kudzu Swamp, a place rumored to be haunted by some strange creature that the locals call "The Swamp Monster."
VPI:SMC uses computer time for determining whether you are playing at dark or light. In VPI:SMC, you'll find yourself up against Monsters, Ghost, Witches, and other fabled creatures of the night. Instead of focusing on battles and such to get work done, you will focus on performing investigations for money. The game cobines elements of appalachian and cajon culture and with some Blue Grass music underthemes.
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2 updates in 3 days, holy cow (BTW, is 'Holy Cow' a hindu reference, or a reference the 'Golden Calf' idol mentioned in the bible? Oh sorry, that's random...) It's like progress is actually getting done!
Anyhow, if you've been watching the updates, you're probably aware that your main transportation method in the game is a small 1-2 person boat that you'll be driving around the bayou.
A feature of the game I think I forgot to hit on a while back is probably being attacked by the swamp monster at night. Pretty much, at night after 8 o'clock, the infamous Swamp Monster will be roaming around Kudzu Swamp.
He will chase after you if he sees you, but he will not walk across dry ground, so he can only get you if you're in your boat. If the Swamp Monster successfully catches you, you will wake up in the town graveyard (for no apparent reason, just to creep the player out). Your energy will be drained to only about 25%.
So the swamp monster sees you driving around at night, you can either 1) Attempt to outrun him 2) Go to dry land or 3)Hit the swamp monster fast enough with your boat and temporarily stun him As seen below-
If you successfully stun the swamp monster, he will respawn somewhere else in the swamp, but he'll be out of your hair until he finds you again.
Today, I added a new feature to the game involving the boat. When I was adding a new resident to Kudzu Swamp, I couldn't help but imagine him as a mechanic. And the only major mechanical object in VPI:TSMC is the boat you drive around, so I came to the conclusin of making the boat upgradeable. Introducing Frank, the boat mechanic and harmonica player of the swamp.
You'll be able to edit 3 possible stats of your boat. Each stat can be upgradeable up to level 6.
I think this a great addition to the game because it gives the players another collectible, which gives them more incentive to do side stuff like selling crops or fish.
So anyway, until next time,
Evan has left the building.
I realize I haven't hit very much on the detective elements of the game yet, but much of it is still in development, like the 'Journal' which works like a mission selection almost. Beta Screens of it look like this so far-
Also, much of what I'm making now is necessary for the cases and story element of the game, making it an equal priority to me.
I also got the clothing store for the game finished, it's simply titled "Bayou Fashion Tent." The store owner Melissa lives in the store and operates it from 8AM-10PM. The clothing is nothing radical, just a palette change of sorts. Your character will still retain signature Vagabond PI look, but you can wear something much more fashionable than beige There are currently only 3 possible suits, but more are in development. Check out some screens-
Also, I've been doing quite a bit of work with semi transparents and lighting effects, as seen in this train car that you start out living in-
Now, I've added a feature where every building has light switches that are interactive. Some will have lamps or lanterns instead, but the concept remains consistent. You'll be able to go into the restauraunt, flip the switch off, freak out the cook, and all sorts of things.
Hopefully in the future, it will serve some purposes toward the cases you'll have to solve, like flipping the switch on at the right moment to catch a crook, or leaving them off and waiting for a ghost to appear.
Sorry for the lack of updates guys. Anyway, I'm still in need of a musician if anyone is interested.
I've been getting some work on the essential elements of the game. One the locations you'll spend a lot of time at during your investigation in Kudzu Swamp is Cabrio's restaurant "Down Home Cooking." Hours 7AM-9PM.
Once inside you can order a meal which will completely rejuvenated your Energy.
Residents of the town will randomly appear as they get hungry. People you don't know will also show up at the restaurant as they are passing through the town.
The entire building is explorable, from the upstairs to the Kitchen in the back. Hopefully this adds to the games realism.
Anyway, next update will hopefully focus on customizing your character, so until next time-
Something looks different...
8 weeks are up, and my schedule has cleared up a tad bit, so I can get some work back on the project First of all, I'm currently working on the characters 'room set up'. This is a very crucial part of the game, and may require a fair bit of coding, so progress will be a little on the slow side. When you character moves into Kudzu Swamp to solve the mystery of the Swamp Monster, he is allowed to live in an empty house in the village...because the swamp monster took care of its previous resident You'll come here for sleeping, choosing missions, and preparing foods [that heal some of your energy when eaten]. Unfortunately, you won't spend much time here, even if it is the hub of your operation. Your house doesn't have very many custamizeable features unfortunately, you'll be too busy solving cases anyway.
In the demo level I mentioned earlier, where the character is living on a train and has to solve cases for the hoboes, you'll see a watered down version of your house. You'll be living in a box car that functions almost exactly like the first floor of your house.
An observation from left to right:
Fridge Honestly I haven't figured this one out yet. But hey its a fridge! I think I'll make it where if you leave food in your pockets when you go to sleep it goes bad, but its okay if you leave it in your fridge.
Poster Okay I'm not attempting to make something sexual here I just decided that having the starting poster be 'Bikini Poster' would be kind of funny. Anyway, this is the only real costumizable part of your room. You'll be able to buy different posters at the general store to hang here. Expect a couple of cool unlockable posters farther into the game...
Journal I've already got it coded. The journal works like a 'Mission Selector.' By approaching the journal and pressing space, you can read it and select cases to do if they have been unlocked.
Telophone I'm not quite sure how he has a cord phone on a train, or a fridge for that matter. Anyway, after events in the game, you may come home to the phone ringing, when you pick it'll start a conversation. Most of the conversations will add a new mystery or case to your journal.
Okay, one last thing. My music creator has reached a pretty busy time in his life as well. So if anyone is interested in making some music for free, and its got to sound like radio music almost, because electric sounding music just doesn't fit the theme of the game, feel free to comment or DC Mail me!
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Wiiman (Evan) 
Vagabond P.I.: Swamp Monster Chronicles
There are currently only 3 possible suits, but more are in development. Check out some screens-
First of all, I'm currently working on the characters 'room set up'. This is a very crucial part of the game, and may require a fair bit of coding, so progress will be a little on the slow side. When you character moves into Kudzu Swamp to solve the mystery of the Swamp Monster, he is allowed to live in an empty house in the village...because the swamp monster took care of its previous resident 
You'll come here for sleeping, choosing missions, and preparing foods [that heal some of your energy when eaten]. Unfortunately, you won't spend much time here, even if it is the hub of your operation. Your house doesn't have very many custamizeable features unfortunately, you'll be too busy solving cases anyway.
I just decided that having the starting poster be 'Bikini Poster' would be kind of funny. Anyway, this is the only real costumizable part of your room. You'll be able to buy different posters at the general store to hang here. Expect a couple of cool unlockable posters farther into the game...
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