[C+C] Top down RPG: sprites and stuff

[japie81]

Scripts and parent objects are very useful for that kind of thing, and also clever use of folders in the resource trees in GM helps a lot to keep overview, as well as good names for resources and variables and such, so you instantly know what something is or does by its name.

[thewizard]

will this be a mouse driven game

[Skaz]

First, I'll be overly enthusiast to say it's going to be anything. Might very well remain a bunch of sprites... But if it's going to be a game, it's not going to be mouse driven, if by that you mean click and move ala baldur's gate. It would be more like a twin stick shooter, move with keyboard, aim with mouse. Character facing the cursor. Click to whack.

[Decroded]

When I saw this I instantly wanted to play so obviously you're doing something right 

I don't think GM is prone to make project collapse. Incompetent coders are

GM is fragile software prone to all sorts of crashes and loss of data and its worse since Studio.
Unfortunately there is only so much you can do to protect yourself.
File - Save As a new iteration more often than you should need to is probably best.
Don't create iterations by copying folders though it will shit itself eventually and can corrupt resource trees, backups and all sorts of nastiness.

First, I'll be overly enthusiast to say it's going to be anything. Might very well remain a bunch of sprites... But if it's going to be a game, it's not going to be mouse driven, if by that you mean click and move ala baldur's gate. It would be more like a twin stick shooter, move with keyboard, aim with mouse. Character facing the cursor. Click to whack.

For inspiration maybe check out an old DOS/Amiga game called Cannon Fodder.
It was an awesome mix of light strategy and reflexes and there aren't many similar games.
There might be a sketchy Windows version somewhere but I emulate it under Dosbox (I found runs better after some tweaking if ur real keen) or perhaps Amiga emulator.

[Skaz]

Well, I'm happy to know there will be at least one beta tester But I won't start this project as long as my current project isn't finished... Speaking of wich, I might show some of the pixel stuff here. Nothing I'm really proud of, but it's not terrible.

I mark your word on GM, I'm already making backups every day. I put the whole archive in a .7z and archive it. I already had problems, especially objects I think I hadn't deleted that disappeared, object appearing in double, really weird stuff. So weird I'm not even sure it happened :p But I had to use the backup, so I'm happy to do it.

I played canon fodder on... game boy! It was a long time ago. Not really what I aim for, it should be focused on the control of your character, don't know how or even if you'll be able to handle several characters.

[Decroded]

yep thats GM for ya.
even things like accidentally pressing save then compile (stupidly tiny buttons right next to each other in a toolbar u cant even customise) too fast has caused GM to hang for 15mins at which point I killed it and recoded the last 30mins of work.
and watch out for them updates, every once in a while there's a major f-up...

[Skaz]

We approach a year anniversary of inactivity in this topic, and I haven't been much active here since. What happened?

I made some stuff, games to be precise, and released a prototype of top down action-adventure-space-thingy game. Here is what the first version looked like:



Astonishingly, it wasn't good a giving people the desire to try it. So I added some art to the mix, "you don't catch flies with vinegar" or something on those lines. It looked like this:



The art is not brilliant, it was made as a requirement more than anything. There are no sprites animations. To anyone interested, here is the link to the devlog at tigsource: Click me!

After that, I started working on a top down adventure engine in game maker, which is under great progress. I remade a dwarf sprite (because of course there are dwarves) to test the engine. So here is another dwarf low resolution turnaround, with more "realistic" proportion than my old one I made for a long dead platformer project.



The old one for reference purpose:


The next project, when the engine is ready, is a short game, mainly to test the engine and see what I can do with it, and it will feature dwarves, monsters and a deep dungeon. So a lot of art will have to be done, I'll keep you in touch!

As usual, any constructive criticism is highly welcome.

[Skaz]

Made some dwarf women for a change.



What do you think? And don't tell me they're fat. They're DWARVES! :p

[lachrymose]

I like them! Sexy dwarf women Whoooooo!

[Skaz]

I like them! Sexy dwarf women Whoooooo!

You tell me! Some people fantasise on Elvish women... What a lack of taste! Dwarves women are the sexiest. Period.