TCFH helicopters
NEWSTHE GAMESCREENSHOTSFAQPRESSABOUT USEXTRAS
THE FAQ

When is this game going to come out?
It's taking a lot longer than we thought, but hopefully it's not going to be much longer. We've had to take on some other contract work here and there, but we're not going to quit.

No, but really -- is this game going to actually come out?
Barring both of us getting crushed by a falling piano or any other acts of God or Liberace's ghost, yes. We're working on this pretty much full time (the game, that is -- not getting flattened by a Steinway).

Do you have a publisher?
No, and we aren't looking for one right now. We're developing and publishing TCFH ourselves. We feel that this allows us to have full control over the game.

Where did the Giant Squid go?
Unfortunately, water-based monsters are going to take a lot more work to the gameplay balanced, especially with our first set of cities. We've moved the water monsters to an expansion, which will come out after TCFH ships.

What kind of game is this?
Technically, it's a real-time strategy game...being that TCFH is not turn-based and your goal is to balance your monster's needs for food and destruction while fighting off a variety of military and civilian forces. However, the game has action and "sim" elements as well. It is not a campaign or mission-based game, nor a level game. It is certainly not Civilization or Command & Conquer -- there are no multiple units to control, there are no resources to manage other than your own monster. TCFH is more of a sandbox game, in which you set up a scenario from a variety of options (monster/city/time period) and play it out.

What are the system requirements?
Projected Minimal System Requirements (subject to change):

  • Windows 2000 or XP, DirectX 8
  • 256MB RAM
  • Graphics card capable of 1024x768 16 bit
  • 1 Ghz CPU
  • Sound card, mouse, CD-ROM drive, monitor, power cable, etc.
Recommended for all features and highest game quality levels:
  • 512MB RAM
  • 2Ghz CPU
As for peripherals, we'll be supporting the PC dance pad. We're also considering support for the Logitech iFeel mouse.

Where will I be able to buy TCFH?
They Came From Hollywood will be available for purchase from this web site via mail order (NOT direct download --it's far too big for that)...we send you a CD and game manual.

I'm not located in the U.S. Will you ship overseas?
Yes. However, the game itself will not be localized (translated) for any other countries -- it will be in English only. We just don't have the resources to do other languages right now.

Who are you guys anyway?
We're just two people...a game programmer and a graphic designer. You can find out more than you really wanted to know about us on the About Us page.

Have you heard of the old games Crush Crumble Chomp, Mail Order Monster, The Movie Monster Game, Rampage, etc?
Yup. The idea of a movie monster game has been popular for a good reason! Everyone loves giant monsters...everyone loves massive destruction. That's why we're here.

Is TCFH a 2D game or 3D game?
They Came From Hollywood is a 2D isometric game -- like Age of Empires, X-Com and many other classic RTS games. However, all our monsters, buildings, vehicles and military forces are fully modeled in 3D and rendered as 2D sprites -- this makes for more realistic and varied animations, and allows a level of detail you can't get with true 3D right now. It will also make the transition to a true 3D sequel easier if we decide to do one in the future.

Will the game be available for any other platforms (other than PC): XBox, Linux, Mac, PS2, Gameboy, Amiga, Vectrex, Krups Espresso Maker?
Currently, we're just focusing on the PC version. We don't much care for espresso anyway.

Can you customize your monster?
TCFH's monsters are somewhat customizeable, allowing for a wide variety of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. For example, you can add a contamination trail, armor, death ray eyes, regeneration, etc to a "stock" monster. You can also change the color (whoo hoo!).

Can you make your own monster?
Sorry, you won't be able to make your own new monster. TCFH is a 2D game, and very few 2D games can accommodate that kind of user mod. There are a lot of steps and a lot of tools involved in monster creation -- each monster is created and animated in 3D and rendered as a 2D sprite. Creating custom tools that would make this process easy for players would be difficult, and we just don't have the resources to dedicate to that.

Can you make your own cities?
We are planning to modify our map editing tool so that it can be used by players to make their own maps, but that will happen after TCFH has shipped. Right now, our map tool is quite complex, certainly not something we'd unleash on the unsuspecting public. We'll need time to make it much more user-friendly, and right now we have to focus on the game itself.

How do you control your monster in the game?
The monster control interface is mouse driven...your cursor selects attack targets, places move-to locations, and selects commands. For example, eating people is accomplished by selecting the "Eat" icon and then clicking the mouse cursor on the particular human you wish to consume (mm, tastes like chicken).

How does the scoring work?
Your success is measured by body count (military and civilian) and dollars in damage. The game will track property damage in three categories: direct, indirect, and human collateral damage. Other special goals will be tracked, such as killing scientists and destroying specific buildings.

Will you have more cities? More monsters?
Planned expansion sets include Son of They Came From Hollywood (the cities of Europe and the rest of the world: Tokyo, Paris, London, Berlin, Moscow, and more), Revenge Of They Came From Hollywood (cities on other planets), and Back To They Came From Hollywood (cool places in different time periods: ancient Rome, medieval France, feudal China, Victorian London, the Wild West U.S.). These will come with some news monsters, and we also plan to have new monsters available on the site for download every now and then.

What about a multiplayer option? Can monsters fight other monsters?
At this time, TCFH is single-player only, and you can only play one monster at a time. Right now, we're focusing on the single player, monster vs. humans experience. However, we're planning a multiplayer option as a future expansion for the game.

What movies are these monsters from?
Our monsters are from the films of Harold Haxton (a contemporary of Ed Wood). More info about Haxton and his movies can be found at this web site.

Can I come work for you?
Thanks for the kind offer, but we're not hiring...it's tough enough managing each other.

delicious popcorn© 2004 Octopus Motor
They Came From Hollywood is a registered trademark of Octopus Motor
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