Castlevania Dungeon Forums
The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => Fan Stuff => Topic started by: Belmontoya on February 03, 2012, 03:10:02 AM
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I have been creating all new art for a game that is to act as an unofficial prelude to the Castlevania series. You play as the character Enthu Belmondo who lives under the oppressive rule of Vlad the Impaler. Enthu decides to assassinate Vlad to avenge the wrongful murder and impalement of his father. What Enthu does not realize is that Vlad has been favored by the devil, and that destroying his mortal body will only make him stronger.
These few examples of my artwork for the game are just the tip of the ice berg. All of the characters have anywhere from 20 frames of animation to 100 frames. I am hoping for this game to play like a mix of super CV4 and Dracula X Rondo of Blood.
Enthu has all of the standard animation frames as well as multiple directional whipping, crouch walking, rope climbing, stair ascending, horseback riding, and floor slide attacks.
I want the game to play linear like the old school Castlevania's but allow the player to re-visit past levels to unlock secrets and alternate routes.
I know that this art style is different direction for a 2-d Castlevania game, but I think that is what one of the aspects of it that can make it refreshing and unique. I am looking for a programmer or partner to help make this game a reality. I have already created 80% of the artwork needed to complete the game, and about 50% of the sound effects and music, so once I get an enthused programmer on board we can get right to work!
Please contact me if you are interested in bringing a fan made Castlevania game with a fresh look to the community!
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Here are some more examples!
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Also, I welcome any pixel artists or basically any artists of any kind who would like to contribute to this project. More level art and tiles are needed. Texture effects on existing art would help too.
I should also mention that this game features a female protagonist as well; Enthu's sister Elcin. She stands next to him in the "various characters" pic.
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I don't want to discourage you or anything, I think it's great that you are making your own art however it looks to me as though it could use a little work. Currently your sprites are very flat and a bit bright for a horror themed game. I'd like to have a go at editing some of them if you could provide a few screens in a lossless file format, but only for the sake of seeing if I can improve them a little and give you some suggestions.
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Hey C Belmont! No worries, I'm aware that the art still looks a little flat, that's actually been something I have been trying to address. The brightness is another thing I have been aware of. I already pulled that back a lot with the level tiles, but I agree that it still needs more. I realize trying to create a whole new sprite base for a Castlevania game from the ground up is going to take a lot of trail and error, as well as a healthy amount of input from the CV community, which is why I am reaching out on here. But I also think that it is long over due.
I have been a CV fan my whole life and own every title. I decided to start this project because I started to get sick of all of the Iga games re-using the same art and scaling. Not to mention almost every fan game I have seen uses edited konami sprites or at least mostly edited Konami work.
I understand it's going to take a lot to get it right, and I am happy to except any input or help I can get along the way. My e-mail is jeffreymontoyagraphics@gmail.com. Send me a message from your e-mail and let me know what you would like to see and I will send you the lossless files.
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I should also mention that this game features a female protagonist as well; Enthu's sister Elcin. She stands next to him in the "various characters" pic.
Sweet! But...she's not armed with the whip... There is no God :'(
On the plus side you're bringing out large characters that when finished, will have a lot of detail. And I especially like the way you did Vlad. True to his real life counterpart, unlike IGA's concept...
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I intended Elcin to fight with her crossbow. The idea was to offer some variation in the game play when using Elcin. Something more along the line of Contra. I love how in Hard Core Uprising there was a female character that used a sword. It felt like playing as Alucard in a Contra game. I thought it would be cool to counter that.
But not to worry, I have also constructed whip sprites for her. I am considering having different sub weapons available for her, which would include the cross bow. At this point, I am trying to make sprites for many different options!
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My mom taught me that if you can't say anything nice, to not say anything at all.
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Hey MontoyaGraphics I've sent you an email like you asked
on the subject of size I would actually advise you to aim for a smaller resolution, HD sprites are a lot more difficult to make look good than smaller resolution ones even the phenomenal artists working on KOFXIII took (I think) 18 months to create the HD sprites for one character & used 3D models to assist them in maintaining volume and form. You at least wouldn't want your character to be much larger than your average street fighter alpha sprite in my opinion.
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This is a serious message board for constructive comments, Vampire Killer. Your sarcasm is not needed, thank you.
C Belmont, I got your e-mail, just been busy all day writing a paper for school. I'll have sprites mailed to you within the next hour!
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I have taken in to consideration a lot of the comments made and have started to revise certain parts of the artwork to make it look more true to Castlevania. Here's what I have so far.. Any comments in comparison to what was posted above? Next I'm thinking of scaling down some of the characters.
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Large character? It can be done if you use some kind of marionette engine, like the Odin Sphere and Muramasa titles.
Those are quite beautiful.
Here are some things I noticed:
1. as someone else pointed out, the palette of the game in some of the shots is quite bright. For a horror-theme game you want to go with stuff similar to that last picture you uploaded.
2. large also means with heavy detail. Someone mentioned KOFXIII and I agree. Large sprites will take a lot of work and are under more scrutiny than the smaller sprites used for games, that we're generally accustomed to (the stuff of the PSX and DS Castlevania titles).
3. your artwork has an interesting direction but needs a lot of polish. Characters look stiff even in the still shots and the main character looks quite slender. Perhaps you should thicken up your character a tad or make him less tall. What's the resolution in terms of height vs. width of the character? The small sprites of the CV titles usually have a 45-48pixel height for a character, and a width of about 24 (though there's some play room in there for slender characters, etc.). I'm interested in the resolution you're using. It'd certainly be nice to see some larger detailed sprites...
As a side note, it looks more like concept art than in-game art. The mockups look huge, haha. I totally dig the crossbow chick's pose in the concept art, as well as both Vlad and Nosferatu-Vlad.
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Thanks for the tips Jorge. I actually started scaling all of my characters down 70% after I posted that last image last night. I also put them through a pixelation filter to give them a more retro Castlevaniash look and the results thus far have been fantastic. I'll be posting more results up here very soon.
The first level or two of the game is meant to be a little brighter because it takes place before Vlad is a vampire and unleashes the undead. After Vlad is confronted at the end of the first or second level, then the game takes a much darker turn.
Even still, have also started the process of darkening everything!
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This is a serious message board for constructive comments, Vampire Killer. Your sarcasm is not needed, thank you.
C Belmont, I got your e-mail, just been busy all day writing a paper for school. I'll have sprites mailed to you within the next hour!
Castlevania is srs bznz!
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Right you are Corpsecrank. I have completely re-vamped all of this art and will be posting new shots soon. The game has taken a much more true to Castlevania look, but all of the sprites remain original work; I will not advocate sprite plagiarism in this game as so many other fan Castlevania projects have done in the past.
I have also completed a lot of the music, and done a new composition of Bloody Tears. Can't wait to showcase the new look!
Meanwhile, I am still looking for a programmer or a partner to help me with this project! Please contact me if you are interested!
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I will not advocate sprite plagiarism in this game as so many other fan Castlevania projects have done in the past.
I don't know if all people plagiarize sprites intentionally when it comes to CV. I feel that for a lot of them they don't really have a choice. A person with great ideas but no experience in spriting would find it almost impossible to make a game without borrowing some sprites here and there. I'm like that when it comes to programming though I've never borrowed any form of code since I wouldn't even know where to begin (let alone know how it all works :P). Spriting is all I'm really good for, but even then I'm still a novice who needs to gain more confidence to actually sit down and draw up an original sprite from scratch without using a template of any kind. I'm okay but not really good in this field.
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Right you are Corpsecrank. I have completely re-vamped all of this art and will be posting new shots soon. The game has taken a much more true to Castlevania look, but all of the sprites remain original work; I will not advocate sprite plagiarism in this game as so many other fan Castlevania projects have done in the past.
I have also completed a lot of the music, and done a new composition of Bloody Tears. Can't wait to showcase the new look!
Meanwhile, I am still looking for a programmer or a partner to help me with this project! Please contact me if you are interested!
I am not a programmer, but I can be your planner and give you advices for stages, enemies and bosses.
My messenger is orit5020@hotmail.co.il
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Xenocide: I understand that a lot of programmers do not have a choice when it comes to using konami sprites. I fully understand that it takes a long time to make original sprites, as I have been working on the artwork for this game for some time.
However, this is why I am posting on here. I know that a lot of good programmers have made fan Castlevania games with konami sprites. I'm hoping that one of these programmers will take the chance to work with me to create a 100% original new Castlevania game. Perhaps an engine that a programmer has already created could be used and tweaked to make this game.
I have artwork and concepts for a 6 level game. I want to take the best aspects of all the Castlevania linear actions games and combine them to make the ultra CV experience. I have also created sprites that allow the character to ride a horse for parts of the game; this would be something fresh to add to the 2d CV experience.
It's time for a new Castlevania in the spirit of the 16 bit days. Something fresh to look at won't hurt either.
Nadoovi: Any help would be a good thing when it comes to the effort of this game. I'm hoping we can create a buzz to get this whole dungeon forum involved and excited for the chance to have a new Castlevania game and story line.
If there are any story writers, or manga artists who would be interested in helping out with the cinematic sequences of the game, that would be great to!
I have the outline for the story created (which has been enough to create the artwork), but having someone on board who can focus on that and expand on it, would be a welcomed asset.
Help me create the buzz we need to make this game happen! All and any input is welcome.
I will be starting a new thread with updated art within the week. Check back!
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It's just X actually ;D
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Bandwagon time, the graphics are too bright and too stiff. As it is now the screens look a lot like the Castlevani ZERO fangames; big MSPaint graphics that have good potential but are lacking in any depth or character. But I'll wait until you post the updates before I really get into detail.
Also, I absolutely LOVE your Vlad and Orlock. They look really nice. If there's anything you specifically want or need in way of graphics, just give me a ring and I'll do what I can. :)
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Bandwagon time, the graphics are too bright and too stiff.
MontoyaGraphics did mention that the game will get progressively darker as the story unfolds. Think of it as a transition from the age of light to darkness.
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You're right on the mark with that comment X. The game has been designed to open in 1476 with Enthu Belmondo hunting down Vlad the impaler to avenge the death of his father (who was impaled by Vlad). After killing Vlad, Enthu discovers that the Prince has made a deal with Death for eternal life, in exchange for the souls of his impaled victims. Enthu realizes the sinister motivation behind the cruel Impaler's forms of torture. Along with resurrecting the fallen Vlad, Death also grants him an undead army of his fallen troops. Enthu discovers that the only hands that can destroy the Dark Prince are the hands that destroyed his mortal body, or a Belmondo family member related by blood. Enthu embarks on a quest to assassinate Vlad the Vampire for good.
Basically level 1 will be brighter, and you will only face natural living enemies until Vlad the man is destroyed. After that, the game takes a dark turn as the world of Castlevania unfolds. Even still, I have darkened and remade all of my level tiles for level 1.
Dracula 9, I check out Castlevania Zero and cringed when I saw it! I can see why people would be weary of a CV fan game being made of original sprites after that monstrosity. But I promise my game will look nothing like that! If my original posts brought that to mind, I promise you the updated material is a far cry from that game. It's understandable that my screen shots may look stiff, but you really have to look at them with the context of knowing how everything animates before you can fill in those blanks from a still shot. The animation is smooth and detailed, unlike the rigid Frankensteinesque animation of Sonia Belmont in the Zero game. It also bothered me that they went to the trouble of creating all new sprites for their game, but did not bother to create an original protagonist. In my opinion, new art is the opportunity for new everything, and that should be utilized.
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Quick question. Why are you using the unlocalized (and likely mis-romanized) form of the Belmont surname? Just curious.
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I was using that for a few reasons. 1 reason is that in Castlevania 1 on the NES that is how they spelled the name in the credits. I thought it would be cool to use it for Enthu because it separates him from the official Belmont name by a degree, and it offers a cool story element later, for example; He changes his family's name to avoid Vlad's assassins.
The last name is still up in the air though. In all honesty just the name Enthu would suffice for him. The Belmondo thing is just an idea I have been experimenting with.
Thanks for the question. I should mention that I'm open to story ideas too!
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That's a good reason. I was just wondering. I think it fits well with the first name and sounds more Romanian-ized as well. I'd say keep it like that.
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To me the name 'Belmondo' comes off sounding more Spanish then Romanian. I have to wonder if there is a Romanian translation for Belmont...
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I agree with you X. Being of Spanish descent, that makes it appeal to me all the more. :)
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There really is nothing wrong with using existing game sprites to make a new fan game. Original artwork is better but for a fan game and for most people who are not artists or spriters it is fine. I actually find spriting to be harder than creating smooth HD graphics. The problem with a sprite is that it must be exact. One misplaced or miscolored pixel and it shows like a sore thumb. With full color smooth hi res graphics you can get away with a lot.
I would like to see a gif animation or something though. Right now all you have posted are stills.
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I have made significant changes to the graphics since I posted these stills. The HD look has been abandoned for a more retro 16-bit era pixelated look. After doing comparisons and getting some feedback on here I feel that it's a better fit for the game. I want it to vibe with the Castlevania world, while still being an original work. That's proven to be a difficult task, and it pains me to see some of the little details get lost in the pixel translation. But it's worth it to give this game have the look and appeal it needs. I will be posting new screens and most likely some gifs this weekend.
I really would like to include people from this forum in the development and programming. I am aware that there is a lot of talent on here and I think it would be really cool to get a good group of people to collaborate on something fresh and new.
I also could use help with level tiles, and more frames for the enemies.
I don't think there's anything wrong with re-using Konami sprites. I just think that since there are so many people who have made decent fan Castlevania games with re-used sprites, there must be some programmers out there would like the chance to create something with it's own unique and original look.
I already have the groundwork for the engine laid out. I just need to make some adjustments and add the programming for diagonal whipping, floor slide attack, and stairs. When and if a programmer wants to join me, they will have a good start on things already.
Ideally I would like to have a team consisting of the following:
2 Programmers
1 or 2 more sprites artists
1 artist for the cinematic sequences
Anyone who is interested in being a part of a truly new Castlevania game should contact me asap.
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Here are some new shots. I placed in a false health and stats bar just to give it more of a in-game look. I'm still working on editing colors and what not so the gif animations will have to wait a couple days. I don't want to post the old animations because so much has changed since then.
But anyways, this is a taste of the direction I'm headed in with it now.
The Countryside shot with the horse is brighter because this takes place before the undead are unleashed (level 1).
I've decided to let you all take a glimpse at Death (still in the works)..
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I actually planned to do what you want. I am in the process of building a game using a mix of the original sprites with slight alterations mostly color and some frames I created that are for the most part original.
Once I get a game done though I want to start building sprites from scratch to use in an all original game. That is a long long ways off. I will be lucky to even finish one game. I am still worried that using something like multimedia fusion is not going to do the job I want. I may have to learn how to build a game from raw code and go that route if I find multimedia fusion is to limited for my taste.
I mostly worry about physics and how solid and polished the game feels. If the controls aren't tight enough the game is going to feel sloppy and awful to play.
By the way those sprites are reminding me of old school pc games for some reason. Not that they are bad sprites but they seem off somehow. The shading seems to be smoother than the rest and the edges seem like they are blending with other things not sure what advice to give you there. Have you considered taking a classic sprite from one of the 16 or 32bit games and compare it while doubling the size and palate? Basically create a sprite with somewhere between 2x and 3x the size of the konami sprites and double the number of colors.
I find that at 200% to 300% the konami sprites are large enough for a 1920x1080 game window. The sprites when enlarged to that size are not going to be the same size as they were in the original game however. They are still about half the size they would normally be which results in a zoomed out view of things. That is a good thing in my opinion but it probably depends on who you ask.
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Hey Corpsecrank. Thanks for posting!
I have been comparing my sprites to konami sprites along the way. I have made huge progress in that regard as you can see if you look at the original examples posted on this thread and compare them with the current uploads. It's not perfect yet but I feel that I'm headed in the right direction.
I'm not sure if I understand what you mean about the shading seeming smoother than the rest? Smoother compared to what? Other Castlevania games? I am going with a 16-32 bit era look for this game. With the huge improvements I've made in the past in week in mind, I am confident I will get this game where it needs to be visually. The important thing is that I know what NOT to do with it!
A Castlevania title with new sprites always takes a little getting used to. I remember when Dracula X came out on the Turbo Duo and I thought it looked terrible compared to CV4. But I warmed up to it (little did I realize I would still be seeing sprites used from that game in official CV titles almost 10 years later). This game will have a new look, and will likely take a little warming up to as well (but hopefully not too much).
I am interested in the game engine you are working on. If you're interested in combining our efforts let me know. Otherwise, your critiques, as always, are welcomed. I absolutely agree with you about the controls and physics being tight.
I have been talking with some people over this last week that are interested in making this a group effort. I feel that this is a really unique and cool take on this game as it relates to the Castlevania universe. I like to think of it as a alternate re-boot for the 2Dvanias. I want to bring the eloquence of CV4 and the cinematic elements of Dracula X together, along with a plethora of new ideas, to create a new vision of the ultimate CV 2d action experience.
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:)
Hey Montoya..
I see you seem to have quite the initiative to make such a game..
Although i would recommend you downscale EVERYTHING when it comes to the graphics..Since large ones are a lot higher detail wise.
Otherwise,it seems fine.. :P
The fact that everything seemed to be scratch made is nice as well..
GOod Luck! ;D
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This guy reminds me of me in my early dungeonite days...
Just saying.
Anyway the origional character stills you made gave me a very nostalgic NES feel,
like on the metal gear NES manual.
Kudos and great work uhhh... MontoyaGraphics!
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Thanks Donoffrio and Mr. Shaft.
I am indeed very motivated to make this game, if not a little obsessed! I have every intention of drilling away at this until it looks perfect. I am definitely trying to evoke a sense of nostalgia with this game, Shaft. It makes me happy to know I've managed to pull that off with original work.
I have observed some of your work Donoffrio, and it has a nice quality to it. If you are interested at all in helping me with the sprites for this game let me know. I could use a lot of help with enemy frames and any ideas you might have to improve my main character or the look of any characters.
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Thanks Donoffrio and Mr. Shaft.
I am indeed very motivated to make this game, if not a little obsessed! I have every intention of drilling away at this until it looks perfect. I am definitely trying to evoke a sense of nostalgia with this game, Shaft. It makes me happy to know I've managed to pull that off with original work.
I have observed some of your work Donoffrio, and it has a nice quality to it. If you are interested at all in helping me with the sprites for this game let me know. I could use a lot of help with enemy frames and any ideas you might have to improve my main character or the look of any characters.
Why thank you Mont..
I might be interested in spriting out a single sprite of Enthulu.. :P
But a single sprite so you can use a base for.. :)
Would that be fine?
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Yeah that would be great! What is your e-mail? I'll send you what I have for him so you can have a look.
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;D
Here's the spriteset,as promised..
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1217.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd381%2FDonoffrio%2FEnthubelmont.gif&hash=a3c51d80e41dc266aa54d9836b8e2e8abc7862c3)
Basically its Sotn scale sooo yeah,you might wanna downscale pretty much everything if you intend to use these.
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;D
Here's the spriteset,as promised..
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1217.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd381%2FDonoffrio%2FEnthubelmont.gif&hash=a3c51d80e41dc266aa54d9836b8e2e8abc7862c3)
Basically its Sotn scale sooo yeah,you might wanna downscale pretty much everything if you intend to use these.
Wait...didn't he say that he wanted to go for a new style instead of recycling the Dracula X/SotN style? :-\
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Dear god!
I got everything wrong! Terribly sorry,montoyagraphics for wasting your time!
I didn't bother to read the few earlier posts in the first place.
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Don't worry about that! That's actually really cool looking. I like the standing pose you have him in. It will be really cool to have SOTN compatible version of Enthu!
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Oh and by the way, thanks Donoffrio! You certainly didn't waste my time! That's an awesome looking version of Enthu. Makes me want to see him in action!
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BTW Thanks for the Mr Shaft. ;D
That sprite would look great.
Hey, have you thought of any bosses?
Because if you want me to I can design some for you Montoya Man. ;)
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I would love to see what you come up with Shaft! The bosses that I do have are Vlad (human and vampire form), Death, and Medusa.
I think it would be cool if three of the bosses in the game were demons who help Enthu become stronger after he defeats them. For example; Enthu could face the demon Andras in level 1 as the main boss after he kills Vlad. In this battle Enthu defeats Andras but does not kill him. In exchange, Andras gives Enthu the Vampire Killer, which has the power to vanquish the undead, as he promotes discord and quarreling and wants to see the young Enthu cause trouble for Vlad and Death.
Here is a link with a picture and information about Andras http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/92/andras/ (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/92/andras/)
There could be a demon who would better fit this scenario.. But I'm not sure.
Here's a list of demons, if you get any ideas let me know! http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/demons/ (http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/demons/)
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Hey Corpsecrank. Thanks for posting!
I have been comparing my sprites to konami sprites along the way. I have made huge progress in that regard as you can see if you look at the original examples posted on this thread and compare them with the current uploads. It's not perfect yet but I feel that I'm headed in the right direction.
I'm not sure if I understand what you mean about the shading seeming smoother than the rest? Smoother compared to what? Other Castlevania games? I am going with a 16-32 bit era look for this game. With the huge improvements I've made in the past in week in mind, I am confident I will get this game where it needs to be visually. The important thing is that I know what NOT to do with it!
A Castlevania title with new sprites always takes a little getting used to. I remember when Dracula X came out on the Turbo Duo and I thought it looked terrible compared to CV4. But I warmed up to it (little did I realize I would still be seeing sprites used from that game in official CV titles almost 10 years later). This game will have a new look, and will likely take a little warming up to as well (but hopefully not too much).
I am interested in the game engine you are working on. If you're interested in combining our efforts let me know. Otherwise, your critiques, as always, are welcomed. I absolutely agree with you about the controls and physics being tight.
I have been talking with some people over this last week that are interested in making this a group effort. I feel that this is a really unique and cool take on this game as it relates to the Castlevania universe. I like to think of it as a alternate re-boot for the 2Dvanias. I want to bring the eloquence of CV4 and the cinematic elements of Dracula X together, along with a plethora of new ideas, to create a new vision of the ultimate CV 2d action experience.
You are on the right track with these graphics. You have the right idea. But I grabbed a screen you posted and made some notes in areas I would work on if it were me.
I am attaching the image to this so check it out and if your not sure what I mean just ask I will try to explain it.
One of the biggest things I think I notice after looking more closely is the palate is way off. What I mean is that there are lots of colors but no actual definitive palate of colors. That makes things look off. The background for example is much closer to having a set amount of colors as is the skeleton. Not perfect but closer. The plant on the left uses one set of green while the ground and leaves on the trees both use a completely different set from each other and from the plant. So three sets of green just in the environment makes it look out of place. The ground is super vibrant but the plant is washed out in comparison and the tree leaves are really dark compared to both. If you matched them to one another in brightness and contrast they would fit together much better even though the actual shade of green might be completely different.
Where I noted soft objects transitioning with hard edges you could make the edges of the soft objects more defined and then the transition wouldn't be so harsh. Those soft objects could use some more defined inner details like the plant on the left for example could use some hard lines inside of it to define the detail a bit.
Just basic polish though. It is really really difficult to create stuff like this from scratch and your not doing half bad with it really. It just takes going over the graphics again and again touching them up and polishing them until they all look exactly the way you want them to.
I don't normally critique other people's work so don't think I am trying to put down your efforts at all I just wanted to point out a couple things and hopefully help make this a success for you. It's hard to do good work without input from others on what they think after all ;)
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What a relief..
Im glad you liked that sprite of Enthu I made,mont!
Say,are you planning to use it in any way? :0
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Corpsecrank
I'm glad that you pointed those things out because I've actually been well aware of pretty much every knit pick that you just pointed out.
As far as the palate colors go, I should let you know that I am still in the process of re-scaling all of my art. In the case of the bush that you pointed out as being mismatched from the rest of the level- there is a reason. I made that bush originally for a different level and added it in there last minute because that area looked empty before I uploaded it on here. I have yet to adjust it's color to match the forest level, but I'm glad you noticed that too because I have been planning on fixing that, it's just low on my priority list right now.
Now on to the subject of the hard edges. Let me tell you that I have been trying to find a way to fix that for over a week now! It's very frustrating. The problem is that all of my sprites are originally drawn with a 1 pixel thick black outline. It looks good with the HD style, but after I scale the images down 70%, or increase the pixel size, the black outline gets a gray haze around it. The only way I have found to (almost) fix that problem is to fill all of the blank space around the image with black. After that I scale the image down and re-fill the area around the sprites white. This eliminates the grayish haze, but I'm left with fragments of remaining black outlines in random areas. I've tried so many different re-scaling techniques and using smart images but nothing seems to work.
This is a huge problem because it has the potential to put a ton of work on my plate going over the outline of every sprite again. But I will fix it by hand if it have to before the actual game is finished. The only reason the sprites still look like that right now is because I am still in the experimental phase with colors and scaling. It wouldn't make sense to go through and do all that by hand until I am 100% sure of color palates and sizing.
If anyone has any ideas of how to solve this problem with an easier technique than going over every sprite by hand, please let me know! You will save me countless hours.
Meanwhile Corpsecrank, you should know that I am and have been well aware of those issues and will indeed fix them.
Thanks for your input!
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It makes sense to me now. You are scaling the graphics the wrong way grasshopper! When you scale you are losing quality hence the hard edge issues going on.
What program are you using to create this with? I know a few great ways to scale graphics without any loss of quality depending on what you have on your machine to work with. The easiest way if you have no semi-transparent pixels is to simply zoom in or out in your program and then take a screen of the image at that resolution and pull it from the screen. You have to make sure when you zoom that you have a full % you will get blurring if you have things zoomed to say 50.78% so try to keep the zoom in a full amount 50% 75% etc.
If you have anything that is semi-transparent you run into issues but there are pretty easy ways to deal with that also.
I just had to upscale some sprites that had semi-transparent pixels so I know the woes of scaling stuff believe me.
That could solve a whole lot of the issues you have right now. I would like to solve the scaling issues you have and then see what your graphics are looking like. Once we see how that effects things I might be able to help you work out some of the other issues left behind.
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I am using photoshop CS5 for effects, color editing and scaling, and simple MSpaint to draw. I also have Illustrator but I haven't used it much for this project.
I'm glad to hear that you've dealt with this problem too. What's your e-mail? I'll send you a png of some of my Enthu sprites if you want to have a go at it. I appreciate your help!
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Donoffrio
Thanks for your Enthu in SOTN style contribution. I already changed the standing pose I was using for Enthu to one based on your sprites. I thought it looked very natural. I am also leaning more towards a color palate in the direction of what you created.
But using the SOTN scale for this game isn't likely because a part of the point of this game is to give it a new look.
With that said, I think your sprites look great and we should try to complete a full set of frames for him. There are bunch of people on here programming fan games in the SOTN style that I'm sure would love to use a cool character like Enthu in their games.
Thanks again! You're very talented!
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I am using photoshop CS5 for effects, color editing and scaling, and simple MSpaint to draw. I also have Illustrator but I haven't used it much for this project.
I'm glad to hear that you've dealt with this problem too. What's your e-mail? I'll send you a png of some of my Enthu sprites if you want to have a go at it. I appreciate your help!
Yeah I use cs5 here also. I can do one better. I will record a video on how to resize sprites using photoshop and using illustrator. You actually only use illustrator if there is any transparency and if the conditions are right. Unless that happens you can use photoshop and it is easy as pie. I up-scaled all my graphics for my game project using just photoshop.
Let me pull up some of my graphics and record the process so you can see it in action.
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Awesome! There are no transparencies, so I won't be using Illustrator. I'm much more comfortable with CS5 anyways. Thanks man!
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Well the video was up. It was removed due to length. I must have been just over. Let me break this into 2 parts for you and re upload them. I will cover each method in separate videos this time around and post each. I won't have time tonight but I can have them up in the morning so check back then.
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Awesome! Will you post a link on here to the CS5 video?
Thanks again!
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this is an idea i thought of-
'lilith: queen of the succubi'
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Chun-Li called. She wants her thighs back.
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Thanks for your efforts Shaft, but I'm afraid this isn't the style I'm going with for this game. It looks very Dark Stalkers/Street fighter, which isn't a bad thing- it's just not a good fit for a mythological origins game.
I appreciate your time and work! :)
Thanks again!
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@Montoyagraphics
No problem!
If you need my input on anything that's sprite related..let me know.. :)
But I still might help you with your sprites though..i might be able to edit your current enemy sprites in the size that you want for your game. :p
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Awesome! Will you post a link on here to the CS5 video?
Thanks again!
Yeah I sure will post the links for you here. I got a call first thing today and had to work or I would have put the video up already. I am actually not done working yet so give me a bit and I will get the vids up here for you in a couple hours.
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Ok the first video is uploaded. I am rendering the second and uploading it next.
This is full HD so you will be bale to see that the quality of the image stays the same during the resize process.
http://youtu.be/bIh6uhCD03s?hd=1 (http://youtu.be/bIh6uhCD03s?hd=1)
Second Video is up and covers sprites with semi-transparency.
http://youtu.be/ZpqVu5eXLGw?hd=1 (http://youtu.be/ZpqVu5eXLGw?hd=1)
Third video is up covers tracing for infinite scalability. This one is really just for those who wondered about tracing and what that meant. This is really more useful if you work in flash and want to lighten the size of the file and do certain things with the sprite that cannot be done using a bitmap image type.
http://youtu.be/UW2p9QvxfTw?hd=1 (http://youtu.be/UW2p9QvxfTw?hd=1)
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Can't everything covered in your videos be done by simply resizing your image in photshop with units changed to percent & the resampling set to nearest neighbour?
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don't worry montoya, it's just a concept image. ;)
i'm makeing more designs and elaborations. ;)
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Okay, ;D so how about this andras study.
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Can't everything covered in your videos be done by simply resizing your image in photshop with units changed to percent & the resampling set to nearest neighbour?
If that were so why would I have made vids. Resizing with exact amounts in photoshop does not always work especially on things that start out small. Scaling tends to cause a loss of detail in photoshop and other programs so I started doing this because it is still really fast and easy and never fails to produce precise results.
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Thanks Corpsecrank!
That was a cool tutorial. It still didn't fix my problem though. I can re-scale the sprite down without a problem, but when I try to use a the filter: pixelate>mossiac>set to 2 on it, I get gray haze around my outlines. I thought it was the re-scaling doing it, but it turned out that I was wrong.
I've tried just about everything and it looks like I'm going to have to just run the effect, and then edit everything by hand. It will have to be my final phase in the sprite creation of this game. It looks much better than the high detail sprites.. So it's worth it.
: /
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Oh and Shaft, I appreciate your efforts for my project, but I think we're just on different pages here with the art direction.
Thanks anyways though!
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Thanks Corpsecrank!
That was a cool tutorial. It still didn't fix my problem though. I can re-scale the sprite down without a problem, but when I try to use a the filter: pixelate>mossiac>set to 2 on it, I get gray haze around my outlines. I thought it was the re-scaling doing it, but it turned out that I was wrong.
I've tried just about everything and it looks like I'm going to have to just run the effect, and then edit everything by hand. It will have to be my final phase in the sprite creation of this game. It looks much better than the high detail sprites.. So it's worth it.
: /
Ah ok I know what you mean exactly because I also used that same filter and setting to make my richter HUD icon for my game. I took some richter art and cleaned it up then scaled it down and pixelated it the same as you are doing for this. The filter is going to cause that no matter what you can't avoid it. It is a side effect of the filter "blurring" the pixels into a pixelated state. You would have to redefine all your edges again manually like that. I don't think pixelating them with a filter is really the best option but coming up with a better solution isn't exactly easy either. The only thing I can suggest is to run over the sheet by hand after it is done and reshade all the pixels with a more exact palate since pixelating the graphics changes colors in the sprite. That would allow you to correct any damage the filter did while also fixing the color issues. I know that sounds rough but that is kind of what it takes making sprites. I generally go over my sheet 5 or 6 times just correcting color alone.
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Right. I'm not worried about the work or time it's gonna take to do it. I was just hoping to find a faster solution so I can make my example screen shots look cleaner.
I'm still editing a lot of Enthu and other characters sprites, so meanwhile you'll have to just keep in mind everything we just talked about when you see my example screen shots. I've come a long way and you gave me some good advice on color palates within level tiles. I look forward to getting some more feedback from you on my level concepts. You've got a good eye Corpsecrank and I appreciate your advice.
Donoffrio, I would love to have your help with the enemy sprites!
I'm gonna work my ass off on the sprites for the next month or so and then I'm gonna focus on programming. I have to give my self a deadline for this kind of stuff otherwise I'll never get it done, because I could seriously spend my whole life refining this stuff. Hahaha.
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Okay, I'll continue to give concepts though. ;)
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you whole work seems a lot different than other kinds of fan/whatever you call it - games.
that alone makes it interesting.
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you whole work seems a lot different than other kinds of fan/whatever you call it - games.
that alone makes it interesting.
Yeah I think that was one of the first things I noticed.
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Thanks guys. It's a big undertaking making all of this stuff from scratch. It's very important to me that nothing in this game is re-hashed. Simple, fun and challenging are my main focus here for the first game. I'm an old school Castlevania fan from the pre-SOTN days. I like the challenge of struggling with a falling stalagmite or false floor tile; not trying to remember what ring I'm supposed to equip in which room or what have you.
I really wish Konami would just hire a new developer to reboot the 2Dvania's, but I don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon. So I'm going to do it myself. If anyone wants to help me, hop on board. I could really use help with the programming end of this. It is very difficult to try to program a game and create all-original art at the same time. I know there are plenty of people on here with experience making fan games with SOTN sprites. I urge some of you to step up and be a part of something new. I have groundwork laid out for this game in gamemaker, but I am open to any software if I can get someone motivated and who follows through to collaborate with me. If we can get the right people together, this will be a better game, and will be available to the public sooner.
Meanwhile, I will continue posting new screen shots with new characters for the next 3 or 4 weeks, while I refine them.
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New reboot also means new logo.
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Hey Montoya Very nice Logo. It's eye candy and it's original which means two thumbs up!! Also i feel like calling you Inigo. yeah, Inigo Montoya, remember him he's after the 6 fingered man in the princesss bride. Awesome classic for sure!
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New reboot also means new logo.
Yeah that is a smokin logo if I do say so myself. I think I like it more than the one for my own game but I had some restrictions for the one I used which was to follow the style of the original using the text from the more modern games.
I am getting ready to redo those tutorials actually. I will update the links once I do. My new mic came today and I wanted to redo the vids with some much better audio. the $10 headset mic isn't cutting it lol. I figured while I was redoing the videos I would just show an example of how standard rescaling methods destroy quality. The first video is going to show a side by side view of both results so that you can get a good handle on just how different they are.
Anyhow keep up the good work you are making excellent progress. This project of your is really shaping up fast!
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Las, you killed my father.... Prepare to die! Hahaha, great movie.
I'm glad you guys like the logo. I whipped it up the other night. I wanted to make the logo include the Order of the Dragon emblem in it. It makes a lot of sense for a game centered around Vlad the Impaler.
Another thing I've created completely from scratch for this game is music and sound effects. I essentially have a recording studio in my apartment, so it's all studio quality made stuff. I'm on the fence about using live actor voices or text for cinemas.. I want the cinema's of the game to flow partially animated (like the Dracula X Rondo of Blood scenes).
I'm trying to give the score old school elements like using dry lo-fi drum sounds. It's a very moody and eclectic mix of ambient, upbeat and sometimes jazzy music. Again I must cite CV4 as the main influence. This, like the graphics is a hard thing to balance.. I'm going for a retro "theme" with all of this. "Theme" being the operative word.
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Yeah I hear you with that retro theme thing. I been trying to mix old style elements with more modern stuff. My title screen follows the original games title in almost every way but I did update a couple things like the text using the more modern style while still retaining the old colors. I actually sampled the color in the brightest parts of the gradient from the original games title. I added a cloudy background behind the castle rather than a plain black background as the original had. The original game also used those lame film strip edges which made no sense in the original game at all like it does in cv3 where the story rolls out like an old film. In the original game the film strips on the title screen are so vague you might not have even realized at the time what they really were or meant. So I did away with that element.
Still gotta get me a bad animation made up for the title screen though. That's all that is really missing from it now.
I have a lot of classic stuff going in that mostly plays on the original nes game. There will be plenty of other elements both original and from the more modern games but I want to really focus on drawing a lot of attention towards the classic themed content in the process.
For audio I am using remixes mostly. probably no voice as I prefer text it feels more natural to me and effects probably recycled from other cv games not sure. If I found a good source though that could change but for now that is the plan.
I will go original the next time around probably Right now I want to get something that works and perfect that.
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I'm curious if this is a metroidvania game that you are making or not. I'm wondering what the differences of our concepts are. You are clearly as passionate about this as am.
I'm telling ya man.. We should join forces.
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I'm curious if this is a metroidvania game that you are making or not. I'm wondering what the differences of our concepts are. You are clearly as passionate about this as am.
I'm telling ya man.. We should join forces.
Yeah metroidvania style. I love the old games but sotn changed the way I play castlevania forever lol. I keep finding myself torn between stage by stage style and free roam but I want to do free roam with this game. I keep coming up with things that could go into this game without even trying really. I feel like by the end of this I may have to go on a mad feature pruning session just to cut the game back down to something that makes sense. It is possible to have to much stuff in a game. Well most times. There are a few exceptions to that but not with this type of game.
I keep wanting a castlevania online lol. Who was that guy that made that castlevania online flash movie? I want to kick his ass for making me want a castlevania online game now.
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What do you mean? Harmony of Dissonance is 6 player online co-op. I personally wasn't very impressed with it though. Didn't seem to have any sense of purpose.
Yeah sounds like our projects are pretty opposite in that regard. I am going for an evolved stage by stage action game. I want to get a really solid engine down for this first title and then do a sequel that is open world in the style of Simon's Quest.
I'm avoiding the metriodvania thing though, I feel like that horse has been more than beaten into the ground for the last decade. If you can bring something fresh to that genre though, more power to ya!
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I tell you what then since you and I are starting on opposite ends and finishing on opposite ends when both engines are solid maybe we should trade up.
That harmony 6 player co-op doesn't qualify as online multiplayer to me. It lacks the kind of depth and purpose needed and is really just multiplayer using an internet connection. I know that whole line sounds all contradictory but it's hard to explain. I mean just because the other players CAN be states apart doesn't really make it much different than 6 players all in the same room all wired together with the devices playing a copy of hod together. So it sucks.
No my idea of a castlevania online would be more like hundreds or thousands of players can connect to a sever where they access a rich online castlevania world. You login and select one of your characters then it takes you back to the last town you logged out in or whatever. From there you can party up with anyone else logged in and go from there. Maybe go on quests to complete certain tasks or go hunting for better gear or experience to level up and get tougher. Maybe have some open areas full of enemies where all players can be traveling through killing stuff and some areas that a party can enter and clear like a stage. A lot of cool stuff could be done.
That was kind of what I meant with castlevania online.
When both of these projects are complete we should get together and trade off some of what we did so that you can make the type I am making and I can do a stage by stage game. I think that would be a great way to move forward from that point because it would save us both a lot of time. What did you decide to use to make your game with?
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Your idea sounds awesome to me. That would be way funner than HOD for sure. I also hated how far zoomed out everything was. It was cool that you could view the whole map at once but it just didn't seem right. It sucked all of the mystery out of the game.
I gotta say though, don't you think it seems a little backwards to try to make the huge open world online multi-player game first, and then make a linear stage by stage action game second? Seems to me that it makes a lot more sense to do the simpler game first. This would give you more time to focus on making the engine solid and fun. Then after you have that finished and all in place you can release the game. This gives you a chance to create a buzz about the sequel with the first game(which you will need for a multi-player).
I have the beginnings of the engine made in gamemaker. It is very solid feeling. But it's not so far along that it couldn't be switched to a different program. You can basically walk around the level with Enthu, climb ropes, and get a feel for what the speed of the game would be.
Think about it! I still think we should join forces. I've got a couple other guys on board already. I like your charisma. You seem like you're serious enough to follow through with a project like this.
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Well it would make sense to you I suppose to make a stage based game first. The thing is I already have experience with server based online games and building a client that runs on that server. I prefer that to building simple stage based single player games actually. But I am trying to find a better way to build this. The thread I started has a video showing issues I started running into with MMF2 so I am looking for an alternative at the moment.
As I mentioned in the other thread if I were using flash I could simply learn action script as I built this and I would at least have the advantage of being familiar with the environment of the application and knowing action script is a plus since I animate in flash. But I didn't want a flash based game so I decided to try MMF2.
I may very well just code this from scratch. I already started learning C# a couple weeks ago and I may just use this project as a way to continue learning it and go from there. I haven't decided yet. What I do know is that there are much better ways to build a game than using MMF2 or some other canned engine. If I go from scratch I would be able to fine tune everything and tailor it specifically to my needs while still allowing me to add anything I want later on in development.
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You do know that gamemaker 8 can do all of that right? And for anything you run into walls with on it you can use GML which can do anything java or C++ could. It's just a more user friendly interface for the simple stuff.
They made huge expansions with gamemaker 8. But I'm sure that you know that already, so this is probably old news to you.
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Plus you talked about doing a stage by stage game after this. I'm wondering what your reasoning is for wanting to do that secondly?
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Plus you talked about doing a stage by stage game after this. I'm wondering what your reasoning is for wanting to do that secondly?
Well I don't want a stage based game primarily. So I would rather hammer one of those out after I get the game I want done.
I found 2 new game engines to try out tonight. Both look like possibilities but I will have to get into them and see how they handle before I know. I actually looked up a list of game engines on wiki and went through it to find what I have. Both allow free use and alteration. One of the engines actually allows C# integration so if the engine had a limitation I would be able to code in the parts i need using C# and I like that idea a lot. That engine is technically 2.5d but you can use all 2d is you want. It even supports blend modes like photoshop uses which is a big plus.
But like I said I need to check these out and see what they look like before I move forward.
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Damn... And here I was building one from scratch!
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Damn... And here I was building one from scratch!
Well technically that really is the best way. I mean you have the best control over everything programming from scratch. I would much rather do that but I would first need to program. I am learning but I don't have what it takes to go from nothing to a game engine yet.
I found 2 options that are pretty good. One is similar to MMF2 in the fact that it is an object based conditional builder so you place objects and set a condition and response. It is however far more capable than MMF2. Let me just attach a screen of that one so you can see how similar yet different it is. It allows event handling by creating event sheets for objects and those sheets can be included in other sheets as well so it is a real time saver.
But the other option is ORX and that looks like the best way to go. You can make shit happen with only a couple lines of code. It is however all data driven. There is no fancy GUI so you are stuck looking at a lot of code and nothing more. It allows you to work really fast though. The one guy said with artwork prepared he was able to create a side scroller in as little as 20 hours with it! This actually looks like the best option to me since it allows me to program in things I need that are not there. It pulls all graphics from a sheet unlike some of the other tools I used. That makes managing the sprites a lot easier. You could for example have your psd with your sprites in it on layers where you can easily manipulate and adjust the entire sheet for a character. Then you save it out as a png or whatever and then include that in the game and call your frames of animation from the sheet. I think a lot of games do that but most of those crappy object based editors force you to bust up graphics into a lot of little files blah.
Anyways making progress again so that is good. I want to at least try that constructclassic before I start learning the other one since that is going to take up a lot of time lol. I want to see just what that can do though it looks to good to just ditch without trying anyways.
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GML which can do anything java or C++ could.
Hahahahaha.
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi37.tinypic.com%2F2m4auj7.png&hash=0fd6c112a0a10db1a8c4e49ca2fb08fb6ca420f3)
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I'm sorry Uzo is something funny? If you have some actual information on how gamemaker 8 can not do a 2D side scrolling game effectively and efficiently, please dig up the maturity to actually explain yourself rather than mocking other posts.
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And by the way, the gigantic picture that looks like it was drawn by a 4 year old was really necessary. Thanks for letting everyone know what laughter looks like.
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MONTOYA STOP STOP STOP I'VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.
Uzo knows what he's talking about. TRUST ME. Flaming the guy's one of the worst possible chocies you could ever make, ever. lol PTSD
Uzo's got a lot of experience in C+ programming, and while I stick to GM8 myself, there ARE things that GML is lacking that C+ can perform. I don't know speficially what those are, since I don't know C+, but Game Maker, as good as it is(and it IS when used the right way. Hell, my fangame's in GM8 and it runs pretty damn smoothly, and I've seen exceptional games made in it), DOES have its faults, and I've seen uzo's Dimondsoft CV video from ages back, and it looked fantastic, and I have no doubt he's improved since then. So he knows his stuff.
Java and C+ have a lot more possibilities open to them, since they're not as limited to one or two specific styles like GM is (correct me if I'm wrong, anybody. Don't wanna look like a dick). So, even if he was a total smartass about it, Uzo was right in that post.
And I actually kind of like that pic. js
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Good show, D9. I'm honored. Feel free to take a break, I'll handle it from here.
I'm sorry Uzo is something funny?
Yeah, I think that was pretty obvious. I actually laughed out loud when I read it.
Wow, where do I even start... Other than the fact that I have complete control over every single aspect of the program with C++?
The ability to manipulate the graphic processing pipeline alone sets C++ with DirectX a million years ahead of GameMaker. I'll guess GM doesn't have any HLSL support at all, right? Not to mention audio pipelines, custom resource management, window handle controls, specific and customizable multiple monitor interfacing, multiple keyboard/mouse/gamepad interfacing, etc etc etc etc etc. The list goes on and on and on, because the possibilities are limitless. Just even at basics, C++ has a monumental amount of base level language features that GM doesn't even come close to supplying. C# is even more impressive in this aspect.
Not to mention I can port it to XBOX360 in a snap if I felt so inclined. Hell, it could even be a dual build setup.
All of this, by the way, leads to insane potential for optimizing. Run side by side, my engine has incredibly less, to no, lag on older and or cheaper systems compared to say Esco's SotN:H demo. Not knocking Esco though, he did a great job with what he had to work with, but GM's optimization is stunted because of it's general purpose nature along with it not letting you tamper with the real inner workings of the engine, especially graphical processes.
PS. Under typical circumstances; Java sucks for games. It's a pretty versatile language, and portable, but it's slow and inefficient to run making it not viable for high level game programming. It still has distinct advantages over GameMaker though.
And I actually kind of like that pic. js
It does have a certain charm to it, doesn't it? While...
And by the way, the gigantic picture that looks like it was drawn by a 4 year old was really necessary. Thanks for letting everyone know what laughter looks like.
...some people here just have no appreciation for classic reaction images it seems.
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Uzo is actually right I mean that was exactly what I said in my last post in not so many words. Programming from scratch has unlimited potential while using a pre-built engine has limitations which I quickly ran into and really I expected using MMF2. That is why i dumped MMF2 so quickly. I have enough experience with software alone to know that MMF2 is just not going to come close to what I need.
Construct is a hell of a lot better in the fact that is utilizes DX9 etc and that gives you a lot better on screen result. Everything is drawn totally smooth and fluid at all times with pretty much 0 lag. But run that same app on an older machine and you start to see noticeable lag from certain things happening. Construct has to be the best option for building without coding from what i have seen. I tried GM8, The Games Factory, MMF2 Developer and a couple others so far. They only really work for very simple games nothing more. Construct may have the potential to go a bit further but it still has a huge limitation compared to a data driven engine.
That is exactly why I settled on ORX which allows me to program anything I need directly to the engine in C++ or Objective C or even LUA from what I hear. Because of that and the sheer amount of control over every detail of how the game is built and runs I had to choose it. That means I am committing a lot of time to learning. I am everything BUT a programmer at the moment. I started learning C# and I am just going to continue learning it as I build this game. I only paused learning C# because I couldn't remain interested with nothing to apply what I was learning to. This solves that issue and allows me to learn as I create something new. Awesome!
I also have to agree that java should never be used for games with the exception of simple browser games those run ok with it. I say that because if you look at the PSP emulator written in java it runs like ass even on the most powerful desktop money can buy. Java is a great language but it sucks balls for game programming because it isn't fast enough. I am very partial to Objective C for just that reason it is very fast and it works great for games too. The server I used to run was all C# and it was blazing fast. Just another reason I chose that language. I am the most familiar with it but not exactly proficient in it.
But I'm not taking sides just saying this stuff is totally true. I been there done that with a lot of this myself.
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I'm glad you finally wrote something useful on this thread Uzo. I never meant that gamemaker is superior or anything of the sort. I just meant that from what I understand and have experienced with it, it is very geared towards 2d action games (what this happens to be). I was working with a programmer on this very game a while back who was trying to build an engine on Java and it was not coming out right. It took him 10 times longer to create an engine that was 10 times crappier than the one we built on gamemaker. I was basing my statement off that experience. I shouldn't have thrown C++ in the mix, but it is notorious for having a difficult learning curve (congrats on your skills with it).
Being faced with creating this game with a very small team and probably mostly on my own (as it has been); I need something user friendly and efficient to program it with. It's not practical for me to consider programming this on C++ on my own when I have such a huge work load with the art/music/sound (as I will not use any unoriginal creations for this title).
I'm well aware that C++ is incredibly versatile, but this is going to be a 2d action platformer in the style of Castlevania 4 and Dracula X. Do you really think that gamemaker is the wrong choice for this, with all of this considered? The way I see it, it's the only choice unless I can get a person dedicated to just the programming.
I have an idea Uzo. Program for this game and show me how superior it really is for side scrollers. Hahaha (reference your picture to see what this laughter looks like). : P
P.S. is that supposed to be a leg shooting up in the air in that laughter picture? Because it looks more like a crooked elephant penis.
I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
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If you want superior to game maker use construct it is the same type of software but much much better. I am currently tossing together a stage based game just to show that this can do the job. I am pretty confident already that this software can easily handle creating a scv4 or dracX style game in little time. I plan to do just that without putting loads of time into it. I am just going to use existing artwork and music and a few things I have no choice but to create and make it function well as a display of this applications ability.
So far I am having excellent luck with it. Everything works and works well. I have not needed to look at a single tutorial or ask for any real help outside of asking someone on the forum how to create a "frame" called a layout in this application and what you create each stage on. It was kind of tucked away and was the only thing not totally obvious. I find this software very easy to pick up and roll with and without needing any explanations. I may need to ask questions at some point but so far I have made everything happen just by sifting around and finding what I needed in the app and then using it. It is that damned easy.
Quite a difference between this one and MMF2 day and night really. Still not anywhere near as good as a data driven engine coded from scratch but hey for a fast and playable game with half decent quality this is the best choice you have. As soon as I get a couple more things in this and some time I am going to post a video. Hell in a couple of hours I have almost as much content into this game as I had in that video for MMF2 that includes finding my way around new software and creating graphics etc everything basically. Amazingly fast compared to what I was getting done in MMF2 it took almost 3 days to get to this point. Again the very reason I ditched that junk in such a hurry. Time is everything as we all know when building a game.
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I never meant that gamemaker is superior or anything of the sort. I just meant that from what I understand and have experienced with it, it is very geared towards 2d action games (what this happens to be).
No. What you said was quite clear; GML can do anything C++ and Java can. This is not remotely true in either case.
Being faced with creating this game with a very small team and probably mostly on my own (as it has been); I need something user friendly and efficient to program it with. It's not practical for me to consider programming this on C++ on my own when I have such a huge work load with the art/music/sound (as I will not use any unoriginal creations for this title).
I'm well aware that C++ is incredibly versatile, but this is going to be a 2d action platformer in the style of Castlevania 4 and Dracula X. Do you really think that gamemaker is the wrong choice for this, with all of this considered? The way I see it, it's the only choice unless I can get a person dedicated to just the programming.
Didn't stop me. Show you have what it takes to make a high quality product, and a team of talented people will come to you. As it is, what you have graphically and conceptually is place holder at best. Build the engine with basic place holder material, and then go find an artist or two with that as your prototype.
I have an idea Uzo. Program for this game and show me how superior it really is for side scrollers. Hahaha (reference your picture to see what this laughter looks like). : P
My estimated rate for that would be $10,000 up front $10,000 after. However, I don't work on projects that I'm not directing if I don't see potential in them. I'll have to refuse.
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"I have an idea Uzo. Program for this game and show me how superior it really is for side scrollers. Hahaha (reference your picture to see what this laughter looks like). : P"
You clearly didn't catch my sarcasm. Not interested in working with you. I'm sure you know your stuff, but you have a bad attitude.
Again as I said, I meant that gamemaker is more than capable for 2D side scrollers (which it is). You took that out of context. As far as my work which you described as "place holder," I already am an employed 2d sprite artist. This is my personal project, but I'll take your opinion for what it is- your opinion. I've had established people in the industry compliment the work I have done for this game (which is still in progress).
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Uzo's dimondsoft CV game looks like the programming is smooth and sound. But it's the same old stuff again, re-hashed sprites. I didn't see one original thing in that game. I'm sure there was plenty of time to focus on programming with that project as it was completely unoriginal visually (and no, editing konami sprites does not count as original work). I don't know how many times people on here think we need to remake SOTN. It's ridiculous.
I think the Castlevania 2d franchise has become very stagnant and it's this non stop re-hashing of SOTN to blame for it. At least I'm trying to do something different and I'm actually putting real effort into it, (unlike those shitty Castlevania Zero games). It doesn't look perfect yet, and even when it does, it will take a little getting used to (as we are all so accustomed to the SOTN style). But I'm forging ahead, and I won't stop.
I've been playing and collecting Castlevania games for over 20 years, and I have a unique idea for something new to do with it. I'm going to push forward and get it out, with or without support of certain people on this forum.
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Montoya, dude, not to prod, but I was being completely serious. You DON'T want to get into an argument with Uzo. I've done it multiple times with the exact same attitude you have now(though in different contexts, of course), and I've lost every single time.
You clearly didn't catch my sarcasm. Not interested in working with you. I'm sure you know your stuff, but you have a bad attitude.
His reply to your "offer" was just as sarcastic as the original post. I'm no employed programmer or anything, so I can't say if twenty grand is appropriate for full-game programming or not (but in this day and age, it doesn't sound extravagent), but I can assure you that he was about as serious as Spongebob on that one.
Again as I said, I meant that gamemaker is more than capable for 2D side scrollers (which it is). You took that out of context. As far as my work which you described as "place holder," I already am an employed 2d sprite artist. This is my personal project, but I'll take your opinion for what it is- your opinion. I've had established people in the industry compliment the work I have done for this game (which is still in progress).
While I like the potential of your project and am grateful for my involvement in it, Montoya, I've kind of got to be a bit of a dick on this particular one.
He took nothing out of context. You said that "GML which can do anything java or C++ could."
I've been working with Game Maker for the last six years, and have dabbled in Java and C+ in the past three. I am obviously more experienced with Game Maker, given my time with it; but there are STILL things about it I don't know, and from the tiny, basic functions of Java and C+ that I DO know, I can and will back Uzo up in saying that GML is a shadow of the two. GML is good for what it is; a simple, easy-interface program designed for simple games. That is NOT to say that Game Maker can't be used for higher-quality games (see: Esco's SotN:Hacked! project, Soldexus by Phenopen, and my own game, Adagio of Decay). I'm not bragging on my game at all, but the physics I've gotten are quite close to replicating the Dracula X games, and I rarely encounter bugs that require immediate fixing. I get enemies-in-walls and stuff all the time and those are easy fixes.
But I digress, I've gotten too off-topic here.
C+'s possibilities, are, well, very damn near to being endless. Can Game Maker port its stuff to a 360? If it can, I would sure as shit love to know how it's done. But I don't really think that's doable given GM's massive structural limitations.
On the note of GM's lackings, I would like to point out its disgustingly limited alarm system. if you use Game Maker, Montoya, you already should know what I'm talking about. My boss's AI is so severely limited that it almost hurts me to look at him. The moves he HAS sequence and work just fine, but the sheer number of them drives me insane. Thanks to the crappy alarm system, which causes the Chance function to fall short as well. Game Maker doesn't have GIANT OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS flaws, but a TON of little flaws that affect other elements and flaw them. It's a domino effect and that really drags GM's capabilities down.
One day, GM might be at the same level as Java and C+. It's unlikely, but possible. But right now, it's not, and Uzo is completely right in his own regards.
I also really want to know where and how you are employed as a 2D sprite artist. Really. I am not being sarcastic, I have never heard of an actual spriting job in this day and age, aside from getting PayPal'd for custom work. Do you have that, or a legit, 9 to 5, salary-paying job? Because if you do, I seriously frickin' want one, too.
Also, having one group of people shower you with praise does not give your work the essence of pure gold. EVERYTHING has a flaw, Montoya, EVERYTHING. Be it an off-placed pixel, or a support beam that's .07 degrees off, NOTHING is perfect. If anything, you should be thanking Uzo for telling you where your project's shortcomings are, so you know what needs fixing. I know his attitude ain't the most pleasant, because that was the cause of all of our prior arguments, but once you look beyond the somewhat snide comments, there's actually a darn boatload of help just-a sittin' there waiting to be docked. It's taken me about two years to swallow my own immature pride and thank the guy for his non-sugar-coated criticisms, and I've gained an invaluable resource in the process(why is my nose turning brown, wtf is this confounded sorcery). Once you can do that yourself, Montoya, you'll look back on stuff like this and kick yourself for acting like a fool. And you are, and I say that in such self-righteousness ONLY because I've been where you are plenty of times in the past and now see my old tantrums as nothing more than foolish past mistakes.
Just stop arguing with him, because you will lose in the end, and take his opinion for what it truly is(and not "just and opinion" like you called it), a critique from someone more knowledgeable than yourself, and improve your skills from it.
Because getting uppity when someone finds humor in a blatantly ignorant post, or says that your project needs work, will not get you any of the support you both need and even ASKED for.
I also find it amusing myself that you started this thread asking for a programmer, and you just told one of, if not THE, best programmers on this board that you don't want his help. Wow.
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Uzo's dimondsoft CV game looks like the programming is smooth and sound. But it's the same old stuff again, re-hashed sprites. I didn't see one original thing in that game. I'm sure there was plenty of time to focus on programming with that project as it was completely unoriginal visually (and no, editing konami sprites does not count as original work). I don't know how many times people on here think we need to remake SOTN. It's ridiculous.
I think the Castlevania 2d franchise has become very stagnant and it's this non stop re-hashing of SOTN to blame for it. At least I'm trying to do something different and I'm actually putting real effort into it, (unlike those shitty Castlevania Zero games). It doesn't look perfect yet, and even when it does, it will take a little getting used to (as we are all so accustomed to the SOTN style). But I'm forging ahead, and I won't stop.
I've been playing and collecting Castlevania games for over 20 years, and I have a unique idea for something new to do with it. I'm going to push forward and get it out, with or without support of certain people on this forum.
Originality doesn't mean jack shit if the original material is poorly executed or just plain shoddy. Case and point, your own sprites. They're by no means terrible, but they do need considerable improvement if they're to evolve from the static MSPaint line drawings they are now into smooth, fluid graphics.
I'd also rather play a game with re-hashed sprites and spectacular programming than a really shiny, original content game that can't play for shit. Just a thought. My game has plenty of either original graphics or highly edited and/or improved graphics, but right now I'm more focused on bugfixes and getting the gameplay right, because nobody will want to play a gilded game.
Editing doesn't count as original? I call bullshit on that one. If I take Simon Belmont from Castlevania 1 and edit him into a completely custom character to the point that you can't even tell it's SImon anymore, you're telling me that that's unoriginal? Originality as you make it out is blatantly overrated and too many people cry over that than they do decent gameplay, and it really needs to stop.
And the Castlevania ZERO games actually had some good gameplay, the animations were just crap. Which is exactly what I'm talking about. ZERO was quite fun to play, despite its utterly atrocious graphics. Rusty's another good example, and its sprites are just plain crap.
Playing the series for 20 years does not give you the seniority you're implying it does. I am a mere seventeen years of age, and have been playing Castlevania since I was about eleven. Six years. Doesn't mean jack shit to a retro wizard like yourself, right? Who cares. Experience does not constitute ability, not in the way you say it does. My old man's played CV since it first came out, but does he know how to program a fangame of it without a hitch? No. Does he know how to create the monumental amount of work necessary for a fully-original game? Probably not. But that's my point. Your personal experiences with CV and your own personal loyalty to it does not, I repeat, does NOT give you a head up over evryone else here. People on this forum are not here to compete for MY CV KNOWLEDGE IS BETTER THAN YOURS HURR HURR, they're here because they all love the series, and want the company of other fans to gain insights and differentiating opinions on the series, and where it may go in the future. It's not a damn contest, stop acting like it is.
The reason why people want a SotN remake so badly? SotN was a fan-fucking-tastic game, but like all great games, there are a few things fans would have liked en masse to see, but didn't. Maybe somebody wanted a more elaborated relationship between Maria and Alucard. Maybe somebody wanted to have a boss fight with the Master Librarian(actually, that'd be pretty fucking sweet). Who knows. But there's always those two or three things that most fans either wanted or didn't like, and when someone with the talents to fix those things come along(Esco, Esco, Esco!), hell YES the fans will get a bit glompy over them. It's a part of every fandom, get used to it.
I would like to point out, for any reply you give me, Montoya, that nothing I just said was taken out of context. I replied to your posts SOLELY by the tone that your words implied. Just want to make a note of that before theings escalate even further.
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The reason why people want a SotN remake so badly? SotN was a fan-fucking-tastic game
Thank you!
I been playing since CV1 on the NES when I was like 7 I'm 29 so I have over 20 years playing the series at this point. That single statement coming from someone with only 6 in puts a fuckin smile on my face given that sotn was my favorite of the series. When they moved away from stages to a non-linear exploration style it changed the way I play and view the game permanently. I prefer sotn and the gba/ds games to the stage based ones. Not that I dislike those stage based classics but falling in holes and dying or touching spikes and dying is kind of old school isn't it? I mean I played those kinds of game for over a decade and that was enough for me. I like being able to move freely about the castle and save my progress etc. The rpg elements made a great addition because you can change your character at will instead of grabbing a power up. I guess the point is that limited lives and continues and power ups and pits of death/spike traps are like 1990s game mechanics that just aren't as enjoyable as todays mechanics are. Yeah I know not everyone feels that way but I do.
Hell if you get right down to it I think every game should have some form of online play. Not that limited kind either where only X number of players can join a game that is essentially the single player with more dudes on the screen. I mean all out online multiplayer with it's own features. It just seems like a step backwards to not include what seems like a standard feature these days.
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That was quite a rant Dracula 9. As far as taking things out of context, I'm not sure that you did or not, but you would be the first person I have ever met to have 100% effectiveness at extracting tone from mere text. So I have to take your disclaimer with a grain of salt.
I'm not trying to pretend to be an experienced game programmer. I am a graphic designer. As far as what program is superior, it really doesn't matter to me, so that is a useless argument. I am most familiar with gamemaker, and from what I have read and understand, it is well fitted for a 2d action platformer. So we can end that debate here. It was my error to not specify that I made my comparative comments about gamemaker, java, and C++ only in the context of 2d sidescrollers. Even in that context, I'm sure that C++ is more effective, so again, I retract that statement.
Uzo: You may be a talented programmer. But it takes more than solid programming to make a good game. It takes a good concept. Maybe you have that too somewhere, but all that I saw from the clips of your game was SOTN. In fact, you could have told me that was SOTN and I would have believed you. I did read a comment that you were using the SOTN art as "place holder." I hope that was true. And if it was, please, show us what you have.
I am interested in working with programmers who are enthused about creating something new, not remaking SOTN. This is why I have no interest in Uzo. His inability to see the potential in my project is inconsequential. I have received encouragement and excitement from experienced and successful game developers, and they see the potential for this project. If I need programming advice, I can get it from my own sources or even a book. I have absolutely no intention of kissing Uzo's ass just because he's managed to impress people on this forum with his knowledge of C++.
I value original artwork, and original concepts. It's cool to pay homage and have influences. But it is useless to repeat what someone else has done, unless it's a learning exercise. And no, Dracula 9 editing sprites does not count as original work. There is a difference between taking a page of Richter sprites and editing it until it looks like someone else vs staring at blank screen and creating something out of thin air, if you can't appreciate that and recognize it, then your opinions on art aesthetics are questionable to me. This project is it's own seed and given time, the tree that grows from that will stand out all the more as I refine it and hone it. And I'm not talking just talking art here. I'm talking story, characters, music and sound. Not one pixel of this game will have ever appeared in any other game before it, and I am proud of that. If you can't see where I'm coming from with that, we'll have to agree to disagree.
Uzo and Dracula 9: Was it not made clear earlier in this post that my art for this game is still in progress? Please save your final judgements, for my finished project and note the improvements I have made in just a couple weeks. Thank you.
I do not pretend to know anything about CV that I do not know. I have been playing the game since I was old enough to hold a NES control and I am 27 years old. I own every physical copy of every game, from imports to cameo games like konami world. It was my favorite series long before SOTN came around, I've watched it evolve, and plateau in the 2d genre. My motivation for my games concept comes from this perspective, and not a delusion of self grandeur. I'm not trying to take anything away from anyone else's experience with CV over the years. I am simply explaining mine.
Corpsecrank: I need to remind you that SOTN came out in 1997... It is very old school by today's standards (sorry to remind you that we are old). And staged based games are as popular as ever, don't believe me? Read some reviews of Hard Core Uprising (the latest Contra game). It's fabulous. These games took playing chops to beat, not just hours and hours of free time, that's why I love them. And on top of that SOTN was not the first open world Castlevania or the first to allow you to save your progress; in Simon's Quest your progress was saved by means of game codes. But I'm sure you already know all of that. My point is that a stage by stage game is in the same boat as the rpg style; both are old school. The great thing is that games like that still have appeal, and probably always will. I like what say about making the online features more prominent Corpsecrank, and I agree with you that that hasn't been done well in CV yet. I'm excited to learn more about your concepts. And I want to say again that I have greatly appreciated all of your input on my game so far! Thanks.
Dracula 9: Every 2d game that Iga has released since SOTN has been the same concept other than minor differences, and it was a concept that he stole from Metriod to begin with. You have so many SOTN clones to choose from with the Konami release's alone, why the hell do you need to make more? Again I say, it's ridiculous. The fact that they all re-hash the same sprites is only second to the fact that it's the same damn game concept over and over again. Thank god that Iga developed LOI or I would have very few positive things to say about his reign other than SOTN and DOS.
Castlevania has a split fandom. There are those who want to see SOTN over and over again, and there are those of us who want, and welcome something new. Lords of Shadow is a godsend in my opinion, and of course the whole community backlashed at Mercury Steam because their game was different. I am trying to appeal to those who want something new in the 2D genre as well, and trust me, while they may not be the fans that nerd it up on these forums; they are out there and there are plenty of them.
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Alright well replace old school in my statement with archaic. Basically my point is that those mechanics are some of the oldest around. Not that people don't still love them and want to play them but I don't after 2 decades of it anyways. Sotn is actually what 15 yeas old now? I keep thinking 12 but that is wrong. Anyhow even 15 years later the game mechanics used are still pretty much the standard. Newer games have built on them just as sotn built on the metroid mechanics. It's a constant evolution. So I prefer newer game mechanics to older ones. sotn is actually the limit though anything older and I have a hard time keeping interested. The GBA and DS games are still using the same old stuff that sotn did and to play them I don't feel like what I am playing is really a rehash of a 15 year old game. So those mechanics still work very well now.
I don't know how well contra would work as an open world game. That series is awfully hard to change without pissing off all of the fans entirely. But I can't say I would enjoy playing more contra today even if it used the same type of mechanics it did in say the alien wars. Even if they improved the control, graphics etc it's still the same to me and I played my fill years ago.
I'm not exactly alone on that either. Most of the people I know as much as they love the classics just can't sit through one today for that reason.
Anyhow to each their own I'm only saying that is how I feel about it and I know there are others like me.
By the way haven't we gotten way off topic here? How is progress?
Also if game maker is working for you stick with it and change to something new next time if you want. There is no reason to use anything other than what is actually working for your project. I mean hell I prefer code to these cookie cutter engines but I am still doing something with one anyhow even if it is nothing spectacular. I am also doing a stage based game though I prefer open world. I do that just for guys like you by the way.
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I still think that CV4 offered more sophisticated mechanics than SOTN. It sounds silly but something about that game seems almost realistic. I have gotten more non fans turned on to CV with 4 than any other game in the series. It was one of those magical moments in video games that rarely happen, like FF7. I've said it before and I'll say it again, that game is a huge influence on me.
I'm not sure what you're talking about with Contra as an open world game.. That sounds like a bad idea to me too! You really should check out Hard Core Uprising though. It's really awesome. The online co-op is much better than HOD too.
I've spend a lot of this week working on a tower defense game for a different project. Not so much by choice, but yeah.. I did manage to make some cool costume changes for Enthu- made him look a little more like an assassin. I did a lot of work on the score, and started some sprites for a boss. I probably should have focused more on level tiles as that still remains my biggest weakness.
Oh, and I should mention that my brother is a kick ass C++ programmer. He wants to program this game and is planning on getting on board after he graduates in a couple months (going to school for video game programming). So it may very well end up being a C++ game anyways. He's been involved with the concepts this whole time and also helped with the earlier character designs for Enthu. I probably should have mentioned that earlier, but I'm still not 100% sure if we want to go that route.
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Oh make no mistake scv4 is one of my favorites from the series also. Up until sotn it was my favorite and still is my favorite of the stage based games in the series. I think the use of mode 7 and some of the crazy ideas they put into that had a lot to do with why I enjoyed it so much. Dizzying backgrounds and rotating stages was absolutely amazing at the time. I think some of the coolest parts where the mode 7 background stage the rotating stage and the clock tower I mean riding a chain through a stage hanging from the whip was to badass!
So yeah I think that game also has influence on me as well but I prefer to leave stage by stage play and the oops you didn't jump far enough stuff behind.
By the way. What does destructible terrain sound like to you? Good idea? I keep rolling that one around in my head but I am still having a hard time coming up with great ways to make that happen. Mostly does the terrain regenerate after the area is left or is it a one time deal. In a stage based game having it be a one time deal is a sure thing but in an open world what would you do? Simply make it a one time effect or just let it regen each time the area is loaded. Just looking for some opinion on it.
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That's a tough one. What is the point of destroying the terrain? To unearth health reviving delicious roast beef? Or to get to secret rooms? I think that if you're going to have multiple players in at once, then perhaps it should regenerate? There's plenty of areas in CV games with destroyable bricks. I always thought it would be cool if they would have had a scenario where you have to destroy a floor tile to keep a hoard of zombies or some kind of enemy from getting at you.
Pitting jumping will never die! I'm an old school Prince of Persia fan too. I love that kind of stuff.
Sounds like your making a 6 stage CV4 inspried stage by stage game too? That's exactly what I'm trying to do man.
I'm working on my concept for the Death battle in my game right now.. I'll post it up soon.
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If destroying the terrain is just meant to be fun & mostly unimportant then you might as well make it come back, but if it's important to acessing new areas or requires the player to have a specific item in stock you would probably want it to be a one off thing. Think of The legend of Zelda, it's got grass, small rocks, big rocks & Bomb walls some only need to be destroyed once while others are actually fun to destroy over again.
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Right on C Belmont. I used to run around in Zelda on the super nintendo just cutting grass for fun. I don't know why but somehow I could entertain myself for a long time that way..
Anyways, I whipped up this quick example of a cliffhanger Death battle I've been dreaming up. You fight death while trying to scale the castle walls of Peonari. Death's sickles not only hurt you but cut the ropes that you hang on to for dear life.
Still need to add a lot of detail to the scene, and as we all should know by now, this is not the finished graphics!
Let me know what you guys think of the concept.
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So if you don't kill him faster than humanly possible, you're going to fall to your untimely doom. Neat.
Sarcasm aside, fighting Death on foot in the Classicvania games is already hard enough. Now why do you want to turn it to a nightmare by adding a stage gimmick on top of it? How about just making that some sort of a chase scene and having the real boss fight atop the walls?
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Ohhh. I like the chase scene idea!
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Remember though, you will be able to block the ropes from being destroyed by the sickles by attacking them. I've made sprites for diagonal 45 degree downward as well as upwards and straight up. I know this sounds kinda crazy, but I'm thinking about having the crouch button separate from the down button.. This also is just an idea at this time, but when I have ideas, I make sprites for them. I think it would be sweet to be able to whip down towards the ground without crouching.
The Death rope battle thing is meant more to be an offense/defense game. But I still like the idea of making that a chase scene.. It might be cool to have death stalk you like that a couple times actually. Kind of like in rondo.
Thanks Vlad!
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And I should add, this would make you able to whip diagonal up and straight up from a couched position as well.. Kinda cool if you think about it. There are all kinds of situations where that sort of thing could be handy.
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Nah you guys missed the idea I was getting at. To be more specific I mean stuff that destroys the environment around the player. Certain actions would cause the background to be destroyed as an effect type of deal to add depth and detail. Kind of like the ledges in sotn in the area before the clock tower with huge blue skulls in the area below those ledges. The ledge crumbled away permanently. After the clock tower you had those elevators that lit torches as you rode them and that was a one time deal also. I wanted to go a bit more extreme with that concept and make all kinds of stuff destroyable and in different ways. Just a thought though not sure if or how I would use it.
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The Death mockup reminds me of the Death battle from Soul of Dracula. Nice concept.
As for destroyable terrain, I'm getting the image of the hero whipping a ceiling column to fall onto a boss chasing him, or knocking a tree down onto a small fire and burning a horde of enemies. Or something like that.
And I should add, this would make you able to whip diagonal up and straight up from a couched position as well.
I can't wait for that. I am quite curious how you're going to pull that off.
Also, I just want to say that you misunderstood me. I'm not angry or anything towwards you, so much as the manner in which you responded. But that's over and done with. Bygones.
Oh, I also want to ask, is that castle wall a 3D object or static? It looks like it would move around directionally of the player.
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I like this death battle concept. A great break from the: hey I enter boss room, battle starts -> end.
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Careful adding a button to crouch. I think that would be difficult to get used to even after playing the game a while. The less buttons that need to be pressed to get results the better. If the controls start getting to complicated it slows things down and makes the game a task to play.
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The game would still only use 8 buttons. I think its a really cool way to set this game apart too. I'm gonna set it up in my beta in a couple weeks and I'll see how it feels. The idea came to me while playing CV4. It bugged me that I had to jump to whip diagonal down, or use the whimpy nimble whip..
I want my cavern level to have really tight claustrophobic moments too- this would really be cool for that.
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A good, easy way to give a cavern stage a claustrophobic feel is to put a circle of light around the player, and the rest of the cavern is either too dark to make stuff out or pitch-black altogether. The circle of light would only illuminate areas directly near the player, and torches would be illuminative as well. If you did this, you'd have to make the light large enough to see traps and enemies that'd be hard to hit/dodge in the dark.
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A good, easy way to give a cavern stage a claustrophobic feel is to put a circle of light around the player, and the rest of the cavern is either too dark to make stuff out or pitch-black altogether. The circle of light would only illuminate areas directly near the player, and torches would be illuminative as well. If you did this, you'd have to make the light large enough to see traps and enemies that'd be hard to hit/dodge in the dark.
This sounds like that one corridor in Harmony of Dissonance. If you don't have those damned glasses you can't see s**t anywhere around you.
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Yea or that spiked area in sotn that you needed the echo of bat to navigate.
But hey to add to the effect you could make stuff crumbling down all over and larger objects falling in front of the character redirecting them to make it feels as if they are going to be buried alive any second.
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Yeah I like both of those ideas. I'm working on some of the cavern level tiles now. I want to have some areas where you have to crouch walk to get through, while fighting off hordes of rats, bats, and other vermin.
The game is also going to play off the Nosferatu thing by having the plague of rats that was so famous from the Nosferatu films.
I want to make the rat as common as the bat in my Castlevania. I've always though that the german take on Dracula was way scarier than the Bela Lugosi style Count.
Jeez... I feel like I'm giving away too many of my ideas on here.. It's whatever though, I like the feedback you guys give me.
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I am actually losing time at the moment lol. I installed win8 consumer preview last night and spent the entire night just fighting with display drivers. I had about 7 hours into that alone and only now this morning have a working set in. It still has a few issues nothing major.
From what I can tell all of the important things I use still function. Once I get a few more things worked out in 8 I will be able to continue my projects. I like to get in on things early and adapt quickly it's important to me I guess. Not really for the feint of heart though I will say that.
So far I have had a mostly enjoyable experience with 8 as an OS and with bleeding edge tech issues aside. This OS is going to completely change the way we use technology for the foreseeable future. There is a lot to say about all of it which I am going to save for another topic but this is a big step forward.
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Yeah.. I'll be moving on to 8 when I get a new computer. I really want to get a new pc for Planetside 2.. Unless they port it to PS3.
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Here's an early look at what I am working on for inside Peonari Castle. This would be the level after the Death battle scene.
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That background is looking fantastic. A lot better than earlier stuff I saw. The palate looks a lot more definitive than before.
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I'll have to apologize to my adoring fans for the delay here. It's hard to write up something like this after a stay at the hospital.
Uzo's dimondsoft CV game looks like the programming is smooth and sound. But it's the same old stuff again, re-hashed sprites.
I guess you don't pay attention much.
I did read a comment that you were using the SOTN art as "place holder." I hope that was true.
Oh hey look you finally did. Try and keep up this trend.
I am interested in working with programmers who are enthused about creating something new, not remaking SOTN. This is why I have no interest in Uzo.
Or not... Make up your mind already.
I didn't see one original thing in that game. I'm sure there was plenty of time to focus on programming with that project as it was completely unoriginal visually (and no, editing konami sprites does not count as original work).
Nothing you saw was edited sprite work. Meaning, everything from past CV games was indeed from past CV games, and anything that wasn't, was completely hand drawn from scratch. Oh yes, that's right, there was actually new pixel art in there. And I'm not counting the frog in the window, that's actually a smiley from an old forum (inside joke). The fact that you didn't notice anything new says two things. One you don't have much of a keen eye. The other is, our work is so pro you couldn't tell the difference. I'll take it as a compliment.
Here is also the key difference from you and me. An understanding of the development cycle. A prototype comes before any hard visual work is to be realistically done. If your industry buddies didn't teach you this already, I question their knowledge and experience. This is basic level stuff.
Especially in this case it makes a lot of sense. Get the engine going and you'll have not only a head start but also have a better outlook on what will be needed visually and can prepare for things in advance. Use what you have to help build that foundation first.
Uzo: You may be a talented programmer. But it takes more than solid programming to make a good game. It takes a good concept.
Here's the part you seem to be misunderstanding, and the real kicker of all this. I hope you've payed attention so far because this rolls back to the concept of prototypes and 'displaying talent to attract talent' concepts mentioned earlier by me. OK, ready for this?
I was never a programmer. I'm a producer/creative director/game designer/writer/character designer/manager. I learned programming as a necessity. Why? Because ideas and scribbles don't mean SHIT. Everyone has ideas, and yours are no more important or worthy to anyone else than the millions of others floating around. No one cares about just ideas. People want to see something real. I learned coding out of a necessity for this very reason. A programmer isn't going to drop into your lap over a few place holder scribbles like this. You need to display true talent to attract someone who is going to spend this much time on your ideas. In the gaming business, that's almost always needing a prototype. That is what I did, and now I'm swimming in talented people (including industry workers), developing the best fan game that will probably ever grace the community, if not for a long time to come.
We're holding out on showing much of anything at this point because of the utter shock and awe that will be bestowed upon the fanbase when we hand out a true look at what they're going to get. It's not just because of totally new graphics music and story, but because it's a completely revamped game design and evolving it in the way it should have years ago. Taking the best of the series and pushing it all that much further.
Of course someone like you isn't going to change my plans and cause an early reveal with some petty egging like you have been doing. At this point I have what I need from the old demo video, and there hasn't been any reason for me to show such incomplete work since. You're not special; You'll have to wait just like everyone else.
Man, didn't D9 tell you not to go down this road?
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The utter entirety of Uzo's post.
(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc06.deviantart.net%2Ffs70%2Fi%2F2010%2F258%2F8%2Ff%2Fdestroyed_by_derp12-d2yrfq1.png&hash=db6c1242ec996fc636b81463c886c21312879af5)
Man, didn't D9 tell you not to go down this road?
I would like to vouch for my intial warning so that I don't get complaints against me down the road.
We're holding out on showing much of anything at this point because of the utter shock and awe that will be bestowed upon the fanbase when we hand out a true look at what they're going to get. It's not just because of totally new graphics music and story, but because it's a completely revamped game design and evolving it in the way it should have years ago. Taking the best of the series and pushing it all that much further.
You know he's going to gripe that you have "no proof," right? Not that that's going to faze you or anything, just giving a very probable heads-up.
Montoya, at this point, I'd just swallow your pride on this one, because it's like I told you; you won't beat Uzo in this area. Personal justifications have no substance here anymore, and Uzo's given irrefutable fact after fact and that alone makes his case outshine yours. Just let your personal vex with him go, and get back to discussing your game. There's no point in fighting on your feedback thread because you won't get anything of value, except maybe a headache. :/
EDIT: I hadn't caught this particular bit before, and I feel the need to address it.
Castlevania has a split fandom. There are those who want to see SOTN over and over again, and there are those of us who want, and welcome something new. Lords of Shadow is a godsend in my opinion, and of course the whole community backlashed at Mercury Steam because their game was different. I am trying to appeal to those who want something new in the 2D genre as well, and trust me, while they may not be the fans that nerd it up on these forums; they are out there and there are plenty of them.
So you really think that CV's fandom is THAT black-and-white?
[Insert "Bitch, please" meme here]
If that's what you think, I may have to seriously consider ceasing my involvement in your aspiring project. Not that you'd care. I'm sorry, but that kind of ignorant statement drives me just plain bonkers. YES, there are SotN-nerds who obsess over it and its similarities, and there are "old CV is too mainstream" people who wait for new-style games.
But there are those of us who are TRULY open minded enough to be both. And I consider my self just that. I love, love, LOVE SotN, and DoS, and PoRk, and OoE. But I like it when CV, or any series I like, takes a new twist and turn. Why? Because seeing a new game style that I hadn't even expected throws me off the linear path I have come to expect, and leaves me guessing for future installments in aforementioned series.
That being said, Lords of Shadow, as far as gameplay, and even parts of the plotline, were involved, it's hardly as "nothing-to-something" original as you say it is.
Lords of Shadow gameplay: Full-on explorer with heavy platforming and terrain maneuvering (see also; Devil May Cry, God of War, Dante's Inferno, etc., etc.)
Lords of Shadow plotline: Go on a bigass legendary epic quest, slaying legendary beast and demons galore, in search of personal purification and to be reunited with your loved one. Oh, and the final boss is Satan. (see also; Dante's Inferno)
That's not to say I hate LoS, I actually quite enjoyed it. It was refreshing to play a Castlevania-titled game and not say "oh, boy, giant bat boss, where's my axe/stopwatch," or "last stage, big staircase, Dracky in a chair, giant bat form, dead). And I don't hate those elements, either. But Lords was a nice blend, in my opinion, of Uncharted, Dante's Inferno, and God of War, but still managed to maintain that melancholy, dark Gothic feel that it uniquely Castlevania.
So your point kind of falls apart in my eyes. It's too black-and-white and makes no effort to acknowledge the grey area in the middle, and that really bothers me. Fandoms are unique, spontaneous, and eccentric as a whole, and are subject to any and all constant shifts based on the object of their fandom's growth, or lack thereof. Why on earth would you say that that's not the case? It's just baffling to me.
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Wow, Montoya this thread really has turned to shit in the last few days. I'm surprised Jorge hasn't popped in and given a few people in it a quick smack by now. :-X
A word of advice: don't waste your time arguing with people. Whether they are worthwhile contributors, or just forum trolls, it is your game. Do what you want to do, put it out there, and then you can improve on it as needed. But if you have something tangible out there that can actually be played, and is NOT just videos/pics/concept info, etc. people will be much more motivated to want to contribute. This is because the majority of projects out there become nothing other than a dream. I for one don't buy into hype at all, and don't believe someone intends to finish their project until i actually see some kind of release being done. Other than that, it's just BS to me. 8)
On that note, game maker should work fine for your needs. I had countless people tell me when I first started that I would never be able to get 3d working right in my game with a 2d engine, or that the sound system was trash, or controller support was lousy, etc. etc. blah blah. The bottom line is the majority of people who say that just didn't know what they were doing, or were too proud to ask for help with the issue. So they never solved it. It is not perfect, but unless you plan on spending AGES coding the whole engine from the ground up in some language (which most people never finish), game maker (or a similar game creation program) is a good way to do it. :)
Also, don't waste time arguing with Uzo: just use the ignore feature. Believe me when I say I did, and this place became much more pleasant after. ;D If he continues to troll in a thread of yours even after that, just report it to one of the mods or admins. He has been warned already several times about how he behaves.
I'm not quite sure what the heck has come over Dracula9 that he is acting the way he is, but honestly if he ever acted in this manner when addressing me, he would instantly get dropped on the block list too. He knows better, and I am honestly a bit surprised to see him acting like this.
All in all I think you have been very gracious, and shown way more patience that I would have in this thread. But if you really plan to actually make this project a reality, I recommend you focus mostly on doing what has to be done for it, and not so much on posting on a forum. Otherwise, it's just more talk to me, and that's it. 8)
P.S. If you need a place to put up progress pics, videos, and updates I recommend just making a simple blog (I use wordpress).
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@ Montoya. Hey it is great to see you are still very adament about your project. That is good. Like most people i'm realizing the sad truth, "if you want something done gotta do it yourself". It is not a phrase i like to put out their, it is not a fair phrase at all. People could help, maybe they should, but most times they don't. I'd suggest like ESCO and just trying getting game maker pro 8 or 8.1 and try learning how to code in stuff. I am on the same page right now. Start small and work your way up. Maybe just ask around too if you don't know how to code stuff in. THe game maker forum i'm sure will help. Unless you are very lucky and find someon with teh same dedication as you(but is a coder) your game will not get very far. If you take the initiative to learn how to code you control the field and now do as you please. Plus then others are more likely to help you. Don't give up though i see you really want this. I would sit down and try some tutorials, but find ones that explain how to do and not ones that just show code. I also recommend code not drag and drop which imo seems half assed and simple. Ok well i hope this helps and ESCO makes a pretty good point. We are both trying to help, but i would just ignore negative critisim by others and take it one step further, do for you what othesr won't. Watch how quickly your bandwagon followers show up. On one other note.....their used to be someone( i don't remembre the name) that made a super mario bros 3 engine(fully loaded with every player,baddy, and boss you could think of in all the marios',plus all the suits) This would help you big time if you did mario stuff. But what i'm wondering is if they could build a CV,metroid, or zelda fully loaded engine to help out other coders who may have a hard time figuring out how to code in certain aspects of the game. It may be worth the time to ask. That would be nice huh? Well i for one would tell you to look at code from example in some of those engines if you find them. Just google them i'm sure something will come up. This is a good startp perhaps but learn from tutorials as you go. I am not really a true coder yet so i'd advice taking advice from one like ESCO mainly. I'm just trying to help here, that's all.
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I'm not quite sure what the heck has come over Dracula9 that he is acting the way he is, but honestly if he ever acted in this manner when addressing me, he would instantly get dropped on the block list too. He knows better, and I am honestly a bit surprised to see him acting like this.
Is it really that much of a surprise? :-X
To be brutally honest, I take a bit of offense to "He knows better," but getting mad over something so trivial wouldn't do anyone any good. But I do want to make note that it does bother me.
I'm just a little peeved that I've been almost exactly in Montoya's current position(in regards to Uzo, anyway), and I remember losing every battle with Uzo and being a tad paranoid on other forums and wary on the Chapel. It bothers me to see someone with potential in an area where my own potential had largely failed squandering their possibility with the same meaningless arguments I got into.
That said, I'm still going to point out one's follies if they are in need of notice. If I sounded like a dick (and I'm sure I did), it was only as an even-toned response to Montoya's occasional snide tone. Snide by my interpretations, at least.
But you needn't worry, Esco, because I highly doubt I'd ever address you like that unless you said something extravagently stupid, like "Belmont should be in Twilight," or something. Which I don't think you'd likely ever post to begin with. I'm just textwalling Montoya because he HAS made a few ignorant posts. That's all.
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NOt that its any of my business. But i'll prod for the hell of it by saying that people don't need to be pissing off others for no reason irregardless of who is talking to who. It is a direct line of bs that shouldn't be tolerated. I'm pretty sure the reason people join a forum is too have fun,make games, talk about the latest games coming out etc. Not to down the hell out of someone or their hopes and dreams. Honeslty, @ Montoya if i knew how to code well enough i'd help you. At least put out a base engine with a ton of enemies,bosses etc so you can make your own game,plus a tutorial on how to change what code to get diffrernt results. But either way people here should be supporting one another with their projects(not really enough of that), so on an so forth. It is somewhat implied that whoever is coding a game should by all means have the final results at least mostly their way. But to make light of the topic, if someone else's ideas should be better than theirs then their ideas should go in, in so far as they are part of the topic. The final decision should ultimetely lie with the coder however on that one. Either way Montoya i seriously wish your project the best of luck. But take it from someone who knows,(me), take initiative to learn what you can and then ask for help after. Things may come easier that way. Unfortunelty we are living in a very me,me,me based society. It is not what others can do for someone,but what they can do or gain for themselves. This is the wrong approach ultimetly at looking at things,but unfortuently you can't change others minds's. People loose respect for others in those regards.Not that it outta come down to it,but you may have to do the bulk of the work yourself,sad to say. Even though your an artist. YOu may need to learn code effeciently if you are to be succesful with your project becoming finalized. I honestly wish i could say otherwise.
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Right I mean shit the only reason I am even putting any time or effort into a game built with construct is so that others who come here and want to make a game without coding it all can use construct and my example game as a base. I have no interest in using construct beyond that but I think it could help others around here. I don't see certain others who shall remain unnamed attempting to contribute anything useful like that.
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It's kind of pathetic Uzo that you feel it necessary to come on this thread and relentlessly bash my work. Anyone who reads this thread can see that clearly no one agrees with your criticism. While I have had constructive critiques, the over-all reception of what I am trying to do here has been very positive. I think the truth of the matter is that you really are a forum troll who lurks around bashing on other people's games that show potential because you can't stand the thought of someone's game bringing something new to the table that you have failed to come up with on your own. It's obvious you had been watching my thread as you waited until a made an oversight on a comment about game programming software to chime in. You're like a disease that shows up when you least expect it. Gross. Go back under your bridge you pretentious troll.
And the fact that I didn't notice any of your so called "original" work in your demo does not reflect positively on it, genius. It only goes to show that what little bits of originality you do have are conformed and may as well be plagiarized. I am working on a new art style, not just new sprites made in the SOTN style.
And trust me Uzo, no one is sitting at home right now counting the days until they get to see a glimpse of your game (ok maybe Dracula 9 is, haha). I had never heard of you before you stunk up my thread, and once you stop wasting your time here I'll have forgotten you just as quickly. Going around on other people's forums and bashing their games is not going to make yours any better, which from the looks of it lacks any sense of identity, so how about you stop wasting your time and go work on that? Oh and don't worry, I won't try to egg you on to show any of it because I know it's a super top secret project and you can't afford any of it to be leaked... LOL. It's a fan game, get over yourself. I am willing to bet that it looks just like SOTN, original or not, and you know it. Using SOTN sprites for your place holders would certainly lay the foundation down for that outcome.
Thanks again for the laughs Uzo. Don't bother posting on here again because you will not be acknowledged.
Dracula 9: Seriously dude, you need just get it over with and confess your love for this Uzo person. You're embarrassing yourself. And by the way, don't worry about my Axe Knight, I'll finish him up on my own. And "Destroyed" Dracula 9, really?? I think not. You sound like the wimpy kid in a 2nd grade playground that follows around the bully talking smack so he can act tough. It's a little sad. It seems to me that the only person Uzo has really destroyed here is you D9.
Corpsecrank: Thanks for being cool man! If it weren't for your contributions on this thread I would probably pack up and move on. Which I will probably be doing soon anyways, but I would like to keep in contact with you though. I think the look of my game has improved thanks to your input. Thanks again.
Esco and Las, thanks for your advice too. I have been programming this game in gamemaker. I am almost to the point where I can start adding in enemies. So the advice you game is luckily what I have already been doing. My brother is a programmer and will be joining me on the project, I've just been impatient waiting for him to graduate so he has time (just a couple more months). Meanwhile I'm trying to build the engine in gamemaker. I also belong to a game production company, and I am planning on pitching this to the team when we finish the project we're currently on. I'm not sure how keen they would be on doing a fan game, or if CV is really their style, but we'll see. I have a feeling that when they see the daunting amount of work I have done for this, they may want to go forward with it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. But meanwhile, I totally agree with the "do it yourself" motto.
I am well aware of the me, me, me thing Las. Your totally right that everyone wants to make their own game. I just knew that most people here make fan games with SOTN art or art contrived from other games. I thought I might luck out and find some partners here who would rather work with me to make something with a fresh look. Trust me, I've been working on this game for a long time, there is now way in hell I will ever let the project die.
Thanks again to all of you who have given me constructive input!
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I suppose the show's over since you completely copped out and didn't bother reading anything I said there, missing the point entirely. Nice display of inflated and unwarranted self importance there though. It was a good run.
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All I can say is, "lol".
There is a moral here. Never argue with Uzo. He has amazing taste. You will lose. And no I am not being sarcastic.
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All I can say is, "lol".
There is a moral here. Never argue with Uzo. He has amazing taste. You will lose.
Lol
And no I am not being sarcastic.
Nah not sarcastic... maybe just a bit facetious. ;)
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That's a sad opinion of taste. I prefer to get my game creation tips from my sources who actually have successful games to back it up. Not delusions of grandeur.
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...Not delusions of grandeur.
Welp, nice knowing you, pal.
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Right here, still working on The Rise of Nosferatu. Not going anywhere. Get used to it.
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Not going anywhere. Get used to it.
That's nice to know. Nobody should have to leave due to a bunch of bad and immature high schooler attitudes. Experiences both good and bad happen here and Jorge is very good about keeping the piece. If you feel that you're having problems with some members here you can U2U Jorge and he'll give those who're responsible a reminder of the rules and if necessary, ban them for a time. I personally have had one or two bad experiences with uzo in the past so you're not alone there. He did tell me once that I needed a swift kick in the head and that was because I was sticking up for one of my favorite authors. To this day I don't know if Jorge dealt with him after that comment or not but whatever. Anyways back to your topic. Your game; don't get discouraged or stop because of other peoples' ignorance. Keep going and you'll eventually finish ;)
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Thanks X. It's good to know that there are a few decent people on here.
As for my game, there should be a playable demo up by June or July. I kept trying to tell these guys that it's not just a bunch of art stills. Myself and a couple other cats have been programming this game for a while now. And for the record, Gamemaker has been working great. If we run into any major problems with it then we'll look into other options. Either way, this is far from a pipe dream. That's the point that seems to have been missed by a few people.
I'm simply on here trying to recruit any people who get what I'm trying to do and why. Not because I am helpless to do what I need to on my own (which I never was on my own to begin with). Of course I would welcome someone who is enthused about the CV series and the idea of a fan made reboot to help out with programming, art, music or whatever they can contribute. People seemed to have mistaken that for weakness. I hope that puts things in perspective for you all.
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Dracula 9: Seriously dude, you need just get it over with and confess your love for this Uzo person. You're embarrassing yourself. And by the way, don't worry about my Axe Knight, I'll finish him up on my own. And "Destroyed" Dracula 9, really?? I think not. You sound like the wimpy kid in a 2nd grade playground that follows around the bully talking smack so he can act tough. It's a little sad. It seems to me that the only person Uzo has really destroyed here is you D9.
This is the last time I'm going to say anything at all, because I know that if I keep this up, I'll end up with some manner of infraction against me, if this post itself doesn't give me one.
If you see me as the wimpy bully kid or whatever, that's fine. I've never really cared what people thought about me as a person anyway, in spite of what my previous posts may imply.
Uzo destroyed me? You're partially right. And you'd have known that if you had taken what I have previously said to heart. But to recant; I've been in your shoes, dude, I really have. And that was only two years ago. I get where you're coming from, but if you can't take the "bad" crit with the "good" crit, you'll never improve. Sorry, man, but that's just how it is. It took me two long years of being paranoid on various forums, spriting boards and otherwise, because I didn't take any of Uzo's, or Serio's, or anybody else who gave me non-sugar-coated advice. And in my honest opinion, that's the road you're heading down. THAT'S the road I told you not to go down, not the road of fighting Uzo, though it DID sound like that. So you are half-right, Uzo DID leave a negative impression on me for some time. But I've realized my follies, and moved on past that.
As for the Axe Knight, that's fine, he's all yours. I told you in PMs I had other things to work on, most of which were school-oriented, so I'm sorry if I didn't give you any real updates. Now, I'm guessing you're pulling me from the help list because of what I've said to you, and that's okay. I'm not being sarcastic or anything, it really is okay. While I would have enjoyed working with you on this project, you've decided that I don't fit your bill, and I'm fine with that. You've got your own opinions and views, and while I've made it quite clear that I don't agree with most of them, I will respect them for what they are and not pursue interest in working you any further, unless you give me the go-to to do so.
The "Destroyed" thing was a tad much, I'll admit that.
But when it gets right down to the grit, Montoya, I've not held any resentment towards you, despite the snide tone of my prior posts, and I'm actually a little bummed that we couldn't work something out. You've got a great graphical and conceptual potential as far as I'm concerned, and will accept the discontinuation of my involvement as you have made clear. In my eyes, I see you as I saw myself a while back, though in a different scenario, and that, along with my aforementioned disagreement with your opinions, is the only reason I've been as hard on you as I have. I truly am sorry if you've taken what I've said, if anything, personally offensive, but it is how I feel. I can't really change that, but I will, after this, stop preaching it to you.
I hope in the future that we can work something out, because I really do like this project, but in the meantime, I'll stick to merely word-of-mouth feedback.
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Geez, I haven't been on the forums in a few days, what the hell happened in this thread?! Looks like another match has been added for next months Wrestlemania....
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The same ongoing problem that has been happening the last few days. Flaming from members who should know better and just general rudeness towards people who want to discuss anything.
It has happened to a few of us now and we are getting sick of it. It's uncalled for and probably the very reason this place feels so inactive.
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The same ongoing problem that has been happening the last few days. Flaming from members who should know better and just general rudeness towards people who want to discuss anything.
It has happened to a few of us now and we are getting sick of it. It's uncalled for and probably the very reason this place feels so inactive.
What the heck man. I thought that I felt like I found a new home here at the dungeon forums, but in the last few months it has felt kinda inactive. When I first posted here it was all sorts of busy. I haven't even heard from Jorge too much. He seemed pretty level headed to me..I wonder if there is anything we can all collectively do to bring back much need enthusiasm to the forum? Maybe it's time for a full forum redo..but that's not my call. I would suggest however making it mainly for CV fan games, that would at least bring in new members and I don't think it would cause too much drama, as every thread would be for a different fan-game. I think most people are enthusiastic about fan-games...
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Here's a little sample of some of Enthu's animations. This is the standard whipping animation. It is set against a sample of tiles from the tomb section at the lowest levels of the Cavern level.
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Oooo whip animation! It looks smooth too. Whenever I've cranked out a Belmont sprite character I always start out with the whipping animations for some obscure reason.
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Thanks! Originally his primary weapon was a spear. The body movements for the spear attack were completely different. I didn't decide to switch him to the whip until a few months ago. It was a serious overhaul because originally he sprites were designed to have the spear always visible. He held it while he walked, crouched, jumped, everything. I don't know what but it used to bother me that weapons magically materialized when you hit the attack button.. LOL. On top of that all of his sprites were asymmetrical, so he was always holding the spear with the same hands. It was a nightmare going back over everything and redrawing all of his arms.
That's one of the most rewarding parts of doing this though. Going back and looking at how much progress I have made.
All that I really have left to do for him now other than minor costume and palate modifications is to finish his horseback riding sprites. Which are very difficult. There is a very unique movement in the arms and shoulders when a person rides a horse. I'm really close though.
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Wow. That's actually a lot smoother than I would have first imagined.
The only things I would say need improving are the coattail falling and a frame of the whip itself.
The frame right before the whip is fully extended falls noticeably low in the animation. I'd either raise that up a bit, or add another frame in which the whip is partially extended, partially still swinging.
As for the coattail, it goes from fluid movement to flat on his back with no real transition. I would say it needs just one frame where only the bottom portions of the coat need to still be airborne.
Those two aside, it really does look good.
Thanks! Originally his primary weapon was a spear. The body movements for the spear attack were completely different. I didn't decide to switch him to the whip until a few months ago. It was a serious overhaul because originally he sprites were designed to have the spear always visible. He held it while he walked, crouched, jumped, everything. I don't know what but it used to bother me that weapons magically materialized when you hit the attack button.. LOL. On top of that all of his sprites were asymmetrical, so he was always holding the spear with the same hands. It was a nightmare going back over everything and redrawing all of his arms.
Something like Eric in Bloodlines, I'm guessing?
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Thanks. That's awesome that you noticed those 2 things because those are the very last two things I was trying to fix on him. That one frame of the whip as it passes his head actual used to be a little lower. I raised it last night before I posted but the whole time I was thinking, "maybe that should be even a little higher." Haha. I should have went with my gut!
The Coattails have been a bitch this whole time. That was another thing I changed last night. They used to stay at a side view but I felt that it should follow the way his back turns so I added that last frame in. But you're right, and I noticed that too, it needs one more airborne transition frame.
I'm glad those are the only problems at this point, they are super easy fixes. I'll fix both tonight.
Thanks again D9!
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Very nice animation on the enthu.gif whipping sprite. Let me make a quick suggestion though. When he moves forward to whip....i sorta think he'd lift his leg a tad and it would come out landing a tad further out do to his arm extention. Just trying to give you a constructive tip. Otherwise a very nicely animated enthu whipping gif. IS he the main player? Looks pretty cool!!
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Oh I forgot to answer your last question. I was more influenced by Kilik from Soul Calibur. He had frames for combo moves and everything in the beginning. Eric in Bloodlines was definitely on my mind too though. But once I put a whip in his hands, there was no going back.
Thanks Las. I actually used to have his leg lift higher just like your saying, but I studied footwork for using a bullwhip, and surprisingly, that's not a very natural way of doing it. The back foot pivots, as the front raises slightly and more slides forward. His front foot raises a few pixels (it happens fast). When it raises much more it starts to look unnatural. But I'll keep in mind what you said. Maybe sliding the front foot out a little more wouldn't hurt. I'll play around with it a little more and see if it makes an improvement or not.
This is Enthu, he is the main character of the game! Thanks for the input!
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Nice! :)
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This is Enthu, he is the main character of the game! Thanks for the input!
nice work! one thing, his left leg is forward when his coat-tails land in front of him. it seems unnatural, they should arrange themselves behind him unless he steps forward with his right leg (which would be cool too), just a thought.
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Thanks Omen!
Yeah it's a tough call with the coattails. The thing of it is, (and I can't tell you how many times I went through this whipping motion myself wearing a jacket with coattails) is that while the left leg is leading, he twists his back so that it faces the viewer. Since the coattails are connected to the jacket which is on his back, they naturally follow the twisting of his back and not his legs.
I'm working on the last couple coattail frames, I'll post the new results up soon. I think maybe having the coattails rest at a little more of angle might help too. I know it's right to have them follow his upper torso, but perhaps I could pull them back a little. And like Dracula 9 said, there still needs to be one more airborne frame before they rest.
Man I tell ya though, those coattails are gonna be the death of me!
Thanks for the input. Your whipping animations are looking good too!
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;D
Mont,would it be okay if i included the one sprite of Enthu on my signature? (see below)
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Of course man! I think you should do more frames for him. He looks bad ass.
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Agreed. Two thumbs up Donofrio!
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:)
Thanks you two..
maybe i will sometime.. :P