Topic: Simon's Curse, metroidvania game based on Simon's Quest

[Wanhus]

That's next on my list. Need to revamp the original garlic its not useful.
Still prolly gona do it the way it was suggested, unless other suggestions that I deem superior arise.

EDIT: Finally got the button schemes done for the controller. Had this list to be done, before I can consider releasing a demo.
Now it its coming to completion. Things still needed to be done before possible demo:
-Finish a certain boss
-Add few more death animations (requires most work due to drawing)
-Add few more sounds and edit few Optomon songs*** DONE
-Small inventory rework (mainly item positions)
-Maybe do something about werewolf's (they turn near ledge even while in air, minor fix)

[Wanhus]

I need a bit of help...

Could some one do a 3-4 frame animation of cyclops bashing the ground ones?
(Or if you want completely new animation using walking base for one handed swipe attack, or both both would be best)
here is the base:


Also if possible I would much appreciate for cyclops eye beam charge animation 3-4 frames (stands still, no actual laser beam needed)
Here is his normal walk:


I really need help on this, I can draw but I'm a very poor animator. Thanks for the help.

Getting close to demo release. IF all goes extremely well maybe on wednesday but dont count on it. I think next week.

[Wanhus]

Hiya!

I have been doing a lot of stuff for the game a lot has changed and its good.
Thou sadly I'm not going to release a demo any time soon, thou all except the few missing boss frames are done + plenty of other things.
Like I posted earlier...
-Finish a certain boss (still missing the frames)
-Add few more death animations (requires most work due to drawing)***DONE
-Add few more sounds and edit few Optomon songs*** DONE
-Small inventory rework (mainly item positions)***DONE
-Maybe do something about werewolf's (they turn near ledge even while in air, minor fix)***DONE

Even reworked the garlic so now its actually useful.
Also put the wooden stake back thou don't know where/what/when/why to use it.
Lots of stuff has been done, sadly wont spoil much.

[X]

Hey 

The wooden stake's only purpose in SQ was to shatter the crystal ball that held Dracula's remains. It did nothing else outside of that. The Garlic I know did damage enemies but only if they encountered it on the ground, so I'm curious as to how you made it more useful.

If you're still looking for boss frames you could check out the spriter's resource. They have the NES CV games all ripped with complete boss animations, last time I checked.

[Wanhus]

Hey X!

Yeah I'm not sure what to do with the stakes as of yet.
But it will be a single use item in this also.

Garlic is actually a proper weapon now and its not just garlic its blessed oils, blessed garlic oil extract.
When hitting target is splashes all around making a greater randomized area of effect.
Also looking in to it repelling enemies, it did it before but it does not work well against all types so i scrapped it.

Yeah I have all the ripped sprites I can handle.
Problem is making new ones =)
Like I posted in previous post.

[X]

I forgot to mention that the Garlic's primary usage in-game was to summon a stranger in a graveyard. The first hooded figure gives you a silver knife. The other gives you a bag (for whatever reason the bag serves I dunno).

[Wanhus]

Yeah, the silver dagger giver has been in the game for long now =)

[Wanhus]

So a question...

1.Do you you want when hit on stairs, simon to drop of form the stairs?
I currently have it not to fall from stairs as i found it very irritating.

2. I'm considering music swaps aka area swap zones similar sotn, etc metroidvanias.
Where music volume goes down and you get area transition.
Reason being that it feels weird when new area and music just pops out all of a sudden.
Would you find this area swap zone a nice thing or bad thing?

Also, no this project has not died or even slowed down. Just don't want to spoils stuff so I have nothing to show.
Currently been drawing a LOT i mean a lot of backgrounds and tiles.
Also remade some old graphics some chances you can find in the first post as i swapped SOME of the old images.


comparison images:

[X]

For question 1, I believe it's best to not have falling off stairs when taking a hit. It was never a thing in the original SQ and it sounds like you don't like it either. Best to go with that 

For question 2, Having the music fade out then in for transitioning new areas sounds interesting. You could also take it a step further and bring in some new music to help differentiate said areas.

[Foffy]

I would say, if possible, keep it true to the actual games. So, if damaged on stairs, you eat the hit on the staircase and freeze for a second or so after hit. If all else fails, look at Simon's Quest for the gameplay model to follow. Just don't follow the glitchy stuff where if platforms are equal to instakill water levels that if you duck and get hit it's counted as drowning on land.

For the second bit, again, the games have transition areas where the music stops. Now it's probably hard to have a connecting hallway with no music out in Wallachia, so maybe do cave rooms. Do keep the concept, though.

[Wanhus]

FOFFY In original simons quest if you got hit on stairs you fell down, most often to watery death.
In my game you can even use items on stairs. And no worries while on stairs you are immune to blocks =D

Also transition areas don't need to be caves or hallways they can be anything.
Like leaving a town you enter a suburban forest area or a town watch outpost, etc etc. Thou some areas in simons quest are natural transition areas like manor screens.
Thing I'm most worried that will the transition areas feel useless, thou I never found then useless in metroidvanias but that's why I'm asking.

X I got new music by Optomon. He allowed me to use his music for this project. Thats one of my personal favorites


But thanks to you both for replies hopefully more will answer my questions.
I'm also going to upload a video of me playing the game soooonissshhhhh, so in about 1-30 days (prolly the later than add 20 extra days) =D

[X]

I know that tune. Got the soundtrack he made before the project was cancelled 

[Wanhus]

Yeah shame it was very pretty simons quest, with great music.
Wanted to play it on my nes =D

[Aridale]

yeah Optomon is the man. You guys see Holy Relics?

[Foffy]

Pardon me if this has been asked already, but how are you approaching the town and mansion design? I've been replaying Simon's Quest over the weekend in gearing up for Bloodstained (I usually go through many older 'vanias when a new one is about to release) and I am really soured on how everything is so samey. I'm playing a ROM hack that even adds an overworld map and everything has such a similar layout to it I still wouldn't be able to name locations based on screenshots because there's always a mirror template of that same space elsewhere, usually. The towns and mansions are especially bad because none of them are interesting aside from the two """bosses""" that you can fight.

Also, how do you plan on tackling dying and the endings? Will it follow Simon's Quest to a tee or would you take liberties with the strange life/continue system and maybe make the ending one where Dracula doesn't peek a hand out?