Homework

So my friend Justsometoast showed me a video titled “Sequalitis” and it talked about gameplay and design as well as other stuff.  It was all really interesting, and I went about watching gameplay and playing a few flash games to see what things we subconciously do when playing games an how to design about that.  So here’s a few of the notes I made along with things Justsometoast had already known:

-Games that force you to jump every milisecond are extremely anoying, and to avoid this slopes should be used.

-If you can use tricks to draw a player’s eye towards something they need to see instead of putting text on the screen.

-Instead of telling the player what something does, design the level so they can see the effects of something before they have to deal with it in a challenging setting.

-When hiding things, a player will naturally look in corners and small spaces.

-Backtracking is only enjoyable when it’s scripted in some way, instead of being the same map.

-Don’t make the player “farm” for money or EXP.  It gets old, fast.

-To mix up gameplay, try to avoid sequences that require playing minigames or completely change the style of gameplay, and instead search for ways for the player to use the same tools and controls they have in different ways.  “DAMNIT!  I’m trying to save the world, and you won’t let me pass because I can’t time button presses!”

-A long game does NOT neccesarily equal a fun one.

-If something visually pops out, the player assumes it is important, so it had better be important in some way.

-Open space is usually what the player looks to first, as something probably will or should occupy it.

Alot of this was straight from Justsometoast and credit should go to him for that much.  I wanted to take advantage of a few of these tips and techniques to try some things out.  We talked for awhile and came to a few conclusions. The first being, designing the tutorial level of the game to not display any text or messages.  The player will figure out what they can do based on how the level leads them to it.  There’s actually quite alot more, but that’s really plot spoiling stuff, so I’ll leave you with this to ponder at.

Ciao!

Break Over

I was on development break for a bit, and learned a helluva lot more about using Gimp, writing, and drawing in that time.  I also got a creeper T-shirt for Christmas along with a keyboard so I can compose on an actual intrument.

The creeper T-shirt wins by the way.

But scholarship hunting for college has been an exhaustive effort and I hope it pays off.  To be fair, it’s for a video game art school that apparently wants me, so They’ll probably help me with these development skills…

Anyways, progress mentioning time!

I spent ALOT of time trying to make a better art style.  I hate the way Veyrn was drawn because it made things difficult to animate.  So I’ve completely redrawn his body, and when I get it off paper and on the computer you may marvel at it.  I did manage to redesign his hand however, and I’ll let you compare the new style to the old.

The left hand is the new one, and the right hand is the old one.  Sorry that it’s small, I didn’t feel like changing the size on Gimp.

While doing so, I’ve started on the design of Miza, which has been difficult considering that since she will only compose of two colors, “the outline and fill colors” her cloting and hair REALLY need to stick out.  This will also apply to Soyah, who I’m terrified to start designing, so they need to have several different characteristics.  To combat this, with Miza I’ve given her a witch-like hat, which is a giant difference in the head, as most of them will have the same basic shape, and am trying to put her hair in a ponytail as to deviate more from my plan for Soyah.  On the body, “which I haven’t even started yet!” I have to be alot more original, “I can’t use Paper Mario for any sort of tip as most characters only wear one article of clothing” I need an outfit for Miza that doesn’t consist of any sort of dress or skirt, but still looks villanous.  It also can’t look too serious or too free spirited.  Both would contradict an aspect of the character and thinking about it hurts my head.  I’m considering a jacket of some sort for that part of the torso, but at this point I’m taking any suggestion you may have.

Well, on the programing side, I’ve purchased a book on Java, and it’s pretty interesting.  I don’t think extreme programming development will come in anytime soon unless I get some actual help from a person, but I don’t expect that to happen.  Until then all I can do is refine the concepts, visuals, musical style, and game layout as much as possible when I’m bored at school and am supposed to be doing something else.

Well, I hope you guys had or are having a nice break, and I’ll be sure to post again soon.

Ciao!

Development Blues…

So uh, Still planning thins out, and since this game is in beggining stages I obviously have time to change ideas or concepts and other things.  SO this is what’s going on right now:

1.

Simply put, I don’t want to use Construct to make this.  I have learned that the ability to create large games is very hindered and is only possible with shit tons of memory saving programing things, which I don’t know.

2.

I have a solution, I have recently started doing some spriting for n0rtygames, and after some time I might be able to convince the very kindly programmer to huild me some tools to get started, “it’s not much of a task, he’s gotten games running in 3 days”, if not, I have to find an engine in either Java or C++ to work with.

3.

All the games graphics will be vector based.  The bitmap images take too long to draw.  I’ll still be making sprites, just not for this game.

My apologies for not posting sooner, these were big hoops to jump through.  It basically means that I’m starting fresh, we’re even considering remaking all the current music to have custom soundfonts.  In time I suppose.  If anyone wants to recomend something after this announcment’ “a program, engine, etc…” then let me know.

Ciao!

So yah…

It appears development slowed for a little bit, but it’s been school time so I’m gonna get some stuff done.  I would like to finish working out the ‘bump’ that occurs when an enemy damages you, and am almost finished with that, alog with other tedious bits of programing.  I would like to get up an experiance system along with a few enemies by the end of march, an the glowstick combat system by the end of November.  Until then enemies shall die in the Super Mario Brothers style.  Jumping on them.  A big thanks to CrippleChair for assisting me in getting started on the first of the cave tilesets,  and ideally there will be about 5.  They will each have multiple 128×128 chunks of rock so variety will be there, and I would like to avoid certain things Pixel did, “such as tiles not always fitting together” as that really bugs me.

Music has been going as expected.  Slow.  My skills have improved though, and thanks to piano class I’ve been able to come up with a few compositions that need to modified.  I’ll also try to learn, “and possibly buy” how to use the program flStudio, as it is currently the program justsometoast uses to convert my midis to mp3 format and add onto them.  It’s certainly an interesting program.

While all the level ideas are already in my head, I’ll give a spoiler as to what I would like the first to be.  After Veyrn and Soyah discover that the mirror may be able to help them, and they head off to where a piece is rumoured to be, the Rooted Caves.  After adventuring through various tunnels to get there, the reason for it’s odd name is evident.  The caves are full of roots and plants!  Apparently the plants from the surface have roots growing so deep that they have infested this cavern.  Off of these roots various little plants have grown, making the place much more green than the average cave.  Shortly after exploring, our heros meet the Sunflowers.  A race of walking flowers that live off of the nutrients in the ground and water.  They radiate light off the pedals, that under the right conditions is very bright.  however they are very dim at the moment.  It appears an odd shard of black glass has been found by a younger sapling, and then stolen by a much larger plant.  That plant began to grow more monsterous and has secluded himself far away from the others, in the more dangerous parts of the cavern.  He continues to grow and continues to suck up more and more nutrients, leaving almost nothing for the Sunflowers.  They may very well lose all the nutrients in the ground and water and starve if something isn’t done.  Of course our heros are up the task.  But what awaits them in the Rooted Caves?  Only time will tell.

My hope is to get this far into development by the end of May or June.  This will mean the following is done:

• An experiance point system
• An items system
• A pause menu (the thing I dread right now)
• A combat system
• Soyah’s AI
• Have myself set up for editing, (detrmining which programs to use for what, shortcuts and memory saving tools for the editor, learning Python, etc…)
• And of course deciding who I’d like to assist me in the project.

The last is the easiest part, I have many friends willing to assist.  I would like to leave you with something other than a wall of text to read, so here’s a midi I worked on.  It’s just a short one, that I will reference when I want to make a sad song:

http://www.mediafire.com/?1f7g34vtdwx5v13

I’ve been writing more little tunes than full songs lately, which is what happens when your in piano class and don’t have infinte channels and 128 instruments at hand.

Sorry for the length of time between posts.  I wanted to post something, but had nothing to post.  So I just posted the level idea and whatever else came to mind.  I’ll try to accomplish more so I’ll be able to post more.

Ciao!

 

EDIT:  Apparently I posted the wrong link.  Should work now.

Small update

Just made a few changes to the animations.  As always esc to escape, but jump has been changed to “S”.

http://www.mediafire.com/?yit7a9o39vvdi6g

Ciao!

 

Hey all!

Finally had a chance to finish some animations.  I had made some before, but due to an error I made at the beggining, “one the program couldn’t forgive” I had to restart.  But at least now his torso can move!

http://www.mediafire.com/?vb3x7qoi3avtss2

Controls, (subject to change): Z to jump, arrows to move, esc to close.  The hit box needs a bit more adjusting and the animations could be tweaked a bit.  So just let me know your thoughts on them.  Still to come is looking up, lokking down, facial expresions, hurt, etc…  Wow this is a pain.

Things have been rather slow because I’ve been back in school, (Damn my free education!) so I finished my stuff early to do these animations.  I am taking web design, so I’ll see if I can release the game on a professional-ish site.

One last thing, I can’t stress enough how much joy it would bring me to take a look at my buddy’s blog: www.punchthejugle.wordpress.com

Thanks for checking in again, as it’s been nearly a month >.<

Ciao!

A test

Well I have some stuff set up and I want to make sure they won’t break anyone’s labtop before continueing with them.  The game will be full screen, so I want to make sure it wont crash.  Here’s an exe: http://www.mediafire.com/?hxta8hjinn60007Please

Please report if there is an issue running this.  There is nothing to do really, just please let me know if there is a problem.  To end the program just press esc.  The only thing I could put in to make it interesting was the idle animation, so let me know how that looks.

 

Ciao!

 

Some stuff

So for those concerned, I have figured out how to make and animate the swivel, “professional term is bone” movement!  Also I have basic movement running.  I still have to tweak it to make it feel nice for the game type.  Next is building the rest of the body parts for the main character and testing it to hell.  Once I finish all that, I’ll build the first few minutes of the game and let you guys test it.  Easier said than done, here’s what been accomplished with the body parts:

It needs work.  Then I can do the head and the little piece of scarf!  Any artistic people here  feel free to tell me what’s wrong in detail.  Shoot, I’ll post individual body parts if you want to get really in depth.

Music wise, my good friend JustSomeToast has started a blog on WordPress as well.  You han find it here: http://punchthejungle.wordpress.com/

So if you’re into that sorta thing, then I’d subscribe to that.  He makes alot of good music.

Till next time!

Ciao!

Minor Updates.

So I’ve been working on some programing and having issues with collision and solid objects.  Horizantal movement isn’t too difficult, but gravity isn’t something I’d expect done for a little while.  I had a revelation and decided that since the character would have many animations and whatnot, that I would make each individual body part and attach them to each other instead of drawing a whole bunch of high-res sprites.  On a side note, hit boxes are at least going fine.

Oh.  And for those who use WordPress for blogging, the new layout is killing me.

It has been decided.

To put it simply, yeah, I’m gonna do it.  Before any details let me explain the blog from here on.  Instead of letting this one die, I will simple rename it, change the interface a bit and report on both games.  Your one stop for all HyMyNameIsMatt creations.  And if any of you don’t like the idea of me starting something new,

Now that the meme is out of the way, let’s explain it.

The project name is Murky Oddity.  A light physics puzzle platformer game.

Thie inspiration for this game revolves mostly around this game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0QyzHVbh-E&feature=related

I was looking at the game awhile back and thought that only Nintendo could get away with a game like this.  Now I have realized that they aren’t.

The initial idea was created by a friend of mine, who enjoys writing stories.  I recieved a random text message from him one night saying this:

“You know, I have seen a place in my dreams.  It was a dark place.  There would be green eyes staring jealously at me in the darkness.  Those eyes I fell in love with.  This barrier of black would separate us, though neither of us felt more afraid.   She couldn’t enter the light.  I couldn’t enter the dark.  But our hands could touch when placed on that barrier of black.  She whispered to me from behind it, and I shouted back.  A being stuck in the dark would finally laugh with a boy from the light.  And so she would help him traverse the darkness.  She would pull the darkness away from hazards and skip happily along in front of him.  She could sail around in the dark, while he was grounded in the grace of light.  This could cease to be a dream, should you choose to program it.”

And chosen I have, “after 5 months”.  We both kinda dropped interest for a while, until I discovered the program Construct.  Usually I don’t like game makers, until I saw a game demo called Iconoclasts, “you should check it out by the way” and the creator said he had begun using Construct to make the game.  Since the game was very high quility, I knew that good works could be made with such a program, and the fuel to create began burn.  Before dropping it earlier we discussed ideas for the game for awhile, and since discovering Construct have spent weeks sharing opinions and ideas via text.

Now, the game itself shall be humorous, as we have drifted somewhatfrom the original idea above.  The main character’s names are Veyrn and Soyah, we came up with her name because one time he made a spelling error.  He said “Soyah” insted of “So yah”.  Also a villain named Miza, “like the file name from CS” who speaks in VERY complicated language and a variety of characters met along the way.

The setting is something that sets this game apart as far as I’m concerned.  After a quick tutorial esque level, Veyrn crosses a bridge on the way to his grandfather’s house, and the planks of wood underneath him break, sending him into a dark abyss.  Her in the darkness he stumbles around until he runs into Soyah, who has been trapped for years by a lantern in here path.  Thus the two begin to travel together.  Soon Veyrn obtains his light source and weapon of choice, a glowstick.  Fear the almighty glowstick!

Soon after their travelling stars they encounter the remains of an ancient civilization.  This would feel depressing, had not the ghosts of the people who lived here still been lurking about.  This would be the kind of “hub” area in which you access all other places.  When they leave they encounter Miza and her lackies, who are themselves trapped in this cave.  Miza is a foul person, who is cursed in a way similar to Soyah.  She can enter artificial light, but not sunlight.  Even in light she only appears as a silhouette.  This prevents her from going to the surface and wreaking havoc.  To end her curse she seeks out pieces of an Obsidian Mirror, 7 to be exact.  But will this mirror end the curse placed upon Soyah as well?  Where are these pieces located?  Why are they cursed as so?  Why can’t I think of more dramatic questions?

And thus, Murky Oddity.

Puzzle elements are based around logic and the fact that light acts like a solid object to Soyah.  So a searchlight on it’s side would function as a bridge.  Needless to say we’ve come up with EVERY object that could be used based off of light.

Graphics are inspired by the Paper Mario style, but not exactly.  Here’s the main character sprite as example:

I’m going to update that picture at least 4 more times before I feel it’s finished.  Soyah, “being s silhouette the whole game” has no concept art yet.

The humor is something I am very dedicated to.  So in each level you meet a new character who has also found their way into this massive system of cave and tunnels.  As an example, Kent Bridges, adventurer extraordinaire.  He got lost from his film crew and has no idea what to do.  Despite being a hit on tv, he’s a coward.  A huge coward.

There’s more stuff conceptually, but that’s for the next  post.  Let me know what you guys think of the concept.

Writing is being done by Luccifan45 and I.  Programing is beign done by me.  Music is being done by Punch the Jungle, “same musician helping me before” and I.

Ciao!