Topic: ANATHEMA - Classicvania Coming to Steam

[X]

Welcome Gren4 

[piscesdreams]

Hello everyone. So, here is the big announcement I was mentioning the other day...we are looking for sprite artists to join the project for 16/32 bit graphics styles.

After hearing the Steam Greenlight feedback, we have decided to revamp Anathema in a different art style. Anathema will be converted into a sprite based game, which is honestly how I wanted this game to be from the start. There are many reasons for this, and in the end, we think this will help cement this game better and give it a larger advantage on the playing field. I personally like the 3d sprites, but I am not an artist and was working with what I could do. But in the end, it is something that we feel needs to happen. The characters, story and idea remain the same.

The biggest reason for this is it takes so long to animate and render graphics that I cannot focus on the overall game design and coding in the way that I want to. Some animations take hours to render, and my pc is basically unusable in the meantime, slowing down progress.

The second reason is we want this game to be as accessible on as many pcs as possible. The demo alone is over 500mb for one stage! And while I load most graphics externally to cut down on file size, it is just huge. We want this game to run even on 32bit OS platforms and the file size limit will be a major problem for them. This will also allow even lower end pcs to play the game smoothly.

So all that being said, we are looking for sprite artists that are capable of human characters, monsters, backgrounds, etc. As of right now, this is an unpaid position until the game launches. However, once the game launches you will be paid from the sales based on how many artists join will determine exact percentages. It is possible we will launch a Kickstarter in the future to pay for artists work before the game launches.

This may come as a shock to some people, but unfortunately to make this game possible and more appealing to a wider audience, it seems it must be done. But that is fine with us because that was the original vision anyway.

So, if you are an experienced sprite artist and are interested, please message me here and we can work out the details. There must be a certain level of quality to the sprites and animations to really bring the game to life, and I just cannot bring that excellent animation quality myself with the art style as it is now.

Thanks everyone for reading! Please get in touch if interested!

[Gunlord]

Hmm...well, I respect your decision. Still, this is a pretty jarring change, and has problems of its own; like I mentioned elsewhere, good sprite artists are hard to find, and harder still if they won't get paid until the game launches. A kickstarter might be nice, but you'll be in very stiff competition with Bloodstained! D: Since you've already got so much work done, I would honestly recommend, if not sticking with the rendered graphics, at least keeping them on hand in case you don't find spriters D:

[piscesdreams]

I've tried converting the 3d graphics into sprites in Photoshop and it is just plain awful looking. I was hoping for a magic fix.

Maybe I can bribe PlotTwist and Jop somehow

[darkmanx_429]

I must say I was kinda disappointed in hearing this news bro. This is a HUGE change.

Using rendered graphics, your game definitely stood out from the crowds.

And yes, you have more than stiff competition if you change it to sprites! I don't even think you have the budgets, resources, or artists some of these other sprite based games have to compete.

Finally, I think you are being kinda jaded to your core fan-base that initially got behind your game as it was!

In my opinion you should just leave it as it is and if you wish to add to it in the future you can. (I.E. an updated build.)

If you are going to start a sprite based project, you should just do it completely from scratch as a separate title. (The more games you get out the better) It doesn't necessarily have to be this game.

[Jop]

I've tried converting the 3d graphics into sprites in Photoshop and it is just plain awful looking. I was hoping for a magic fix.

Maybe I can bribe PlotTwist and Jop somehow

I send you a pm.

[VladCT]

If you're going the sprite route, don't forget to make the style distinct enough. Also, I think you can use the models for high-res sprites by drawing over them, like they did in KoF XIII and BlazBlue.

[Lelygax]

You really should continue with these pre-rendered 3D assets, you have something unique here that shouldn't be wasted IMO. Also it would be a lot easier to find people that can animate your models than people that can sprite everything, from characters and items to BG.

[X]

You've come this far already. It would be best to continue your game as is. I'm all for a new sprite-based game but maybe you should reserve that for a sequel, or perhaps a mini-game within your game? Trust us you've got something good going right now and many here feel that redoing it in another format might ruin your project entirely. I've seen this happen several times already. Games that were nearing completion and the authors decide to change it because they feel it might be better in this format, or maybe that format. Then everything just falls apart and they're not sure how it happened, except that it has already happened and are left with nothing to show what they promised to their audiences. Stick with your current guns as they're already sounding off on quite a promising game.

[piscesdreams]

Anathema has been greenlit on Steam!

Thanks everyone for all of your encouragement and kind words. In light of Anathema being greenlit we will stick to our guns with the art style but expand on it to make it more unique and better presented overall.

When I wanted to revert to sprites it was my hope of just making a game that Castlevania fans wanted to play, but I was apparently wrong in thinking this was not the desired art style. I am happy to be wrong in this case.

Development will immediately progress forward and it we have been given crucial feedback that is graciously appreciated.

Thanks again everyone for having our back and being the voice of reason. Game development is very tough and sometimes the negativity can get to a man.

But what is a man...?

[darkmanx_429]

Anathema has been greenlit on Steam!

Thanks everyone for all of your encouragement and kind words. In light of Anathema being greenlit we will stick to our guns with the art style but expand on it to make it more unique and better presented overall.

When I wanted to revert to sprites it was my hope of just making a game that Castlevania fans wanted to play, but I was apparently wrong in thinking this was not the desired art style. I am happy to be wrong in this case.

Development will immediately progress forward and it we have been given crucial feedback that is graciously appreciated.

Thanks again everyone for having our back and being the voice of reason. Game development is very tough and sometimes the negativity can get to a man.

But what is a man...?

Yep don't listen to that crap man!

[X]

But what is a man...?

Only human. Glad that you're staying the course and looking forwards to your success 

[Jop]

This is good news, wish you all the luck in your project, since i made a lot of art for this project it will be a waste if i dont show so here is:

(click to show/hide)

          

         

         

         

         

 This help me a lot so thanks piscesdreams.

[X]

Looks like you had fun Jop 

[piscesdreams]

Jop did some great work on these and will definitely be in the special thanks!