AuthorTopic: Lock please.  (Read 7548 times)

Offline Terley

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Lock please.

on: April 24, 2007, 02:22:41 am
- title screen wip, any help with this would be great.

- update, slight progress overall.
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8939/level10ma9.png - fourth version
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1549/level7vk5.png - third version
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9076/level7ep4.png - second version
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/728/level5hi0.png - first version

- another update on walking animation, finalised.
- update on walking animation, right arm swings now. and cut down the frames to make it smoother.
- walking animation

please view in x2.


it was originally just this below.. its basically how the screen would look.


I've bin mostly messin around with the floor tiles, i've got a lot of tweaking left to do but for a start I do feel its goin pretty well..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPAR

my ideas for this game is based on a shop I work at called SPAR, whereas each level is devised from certain sections of the shop, in this case its gonna be a fruit and veg level. So the tree for example will resemble broccli, bushes, rocks will all be some sort of vegetable. The enemies will possibly be like.. a carrotman, or tomatoe. It should look pretty good when its finished.

I've still gotta work on the Sky which is really gonna be a nightmare, also I've gotta add some sort of background and water below.

It's all layered in photoshop, the back platform has 40% transparency, as do the trees, they just stood out far too much and feel it gives it better readability.

The character still needs to be worked on, i'll work on some animation soon so im gonna be really consintrating on gettin im right, he's supposed to be a shop worker in uniform.

any crits would help, but im really on a short deadline so if you think I need some major changes please let me know, i've got so much more to do and I don't want to spend the whole time tweaking this and then realise it has a major flaw just before the deadline.

Cheers guys, for any help your willing to give.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2007, 03:04:10 pm by Terley »
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Offline Rydin

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Re: Level mockup - still in early stages

Reply #1 on: April 24, 2007, 04:14:34 am
I think it looks good.  Perhaps a bit repetitive though, but it seems like you've got it under control.  Otherwise I guess there's really not much else to say about the level--its pretty much just an enlarged version of the mock-up you had, which is very cool I might add  :y:.  I actually really like the mood of the colors you've used though...it's got a real natural, rainy-day feel to it.   I can't wait to see what this turns into.  Keep on pixelling!
Man cannot remake himself without suffering for he is both the marble and the sculptor.

Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup - still in early stages

Reply #2 on: April 24, 2007, 01:18:33 pm
thxx glad you like it, im really tryin to tackle the repetition issue but I suppose it really looks obiously tiled from an overall view in places, gets a bit confusing sometimes but i'll crack it eventually.
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Offline coffee

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Re: Level mockup - still in early stages

Reply #3 on: April 24, 2007, 02:42:27 pm
I like this.. tho it seems a little emtpy. Looks like you are a lot in to the details, so prehaps a nice background or just rainy clouds as you say.
One more thing.. The background tiles?(the ones that i dont think you can walk on?) they are a lot lighter. And i think you should try doing those colors at the normal tiles too. They are a little too bright.

But it looks really great i must say!

good luck

Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup - still in early stages

Reply #4 on: April 26, 2007, 12:23:48 am
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9076/level7ep4.png

updated a bit more, hopefully this doesn't look too empty anymore.. Continuously tryin to tackle the monotony issue.

I brought the platforms closer together so they all look walkable, I just wanted a slight change in contrast to give the illustion of depth to the level. I took your advice about the tiles looking a bit too vibrant coffee, the lightest brown with the rock colours was slightly too bright.

Created a bush  :) , its not something the character can bump into or anythin, just acts as general foliage as does the tree, i'll add a slighly smaller was for variation.

added some rocks too, they were originally just gonna be uncollisionable objects but its always nice to have rocks to jump onto, plus it can keep monsters in a certain area leaving safe spots, if ya get what I mean.. may even have small rocks here and there to just blend into the bg.

The clouds are really starting to dawnt on me now, id love so advice on how to tackle em..

EDIT- had a go at animating my character, whatcha think?

« Last Edit: April 26, 2007, 03:12:49 am by Terley »
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Offline snader

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 26/04

Reply #5 on: April 26, 2007, 10:07:38 am
the hands move as if he's holding an assault rifle/smg, but i cant see the gun. it just looks like he's holding a pistol in his left hand

how about some bulges in the rocks to break it up?
allso, which places are walkeable? i would guess only the front 2, and not the back one, but there's little to differentiate them by

and it needs some enemies ofcourse =3

Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 26/04

Reply #6 on: April 26, 2007, 10:27:00 am
I was thinkin he could punch with his right hand and shoot with his left, i suppose it does look a bit awkward thx for pointin that out, It should be relaxed by his side swinging throughout the animation and raised during the punching animation.

All three platforms are supposed to be walkable, I didnt think the back one was too faint..  :'( but yea I see whatcha mean. I wanted to right it into the code that when you walk onto the platforms further away you too become slightly fainter to give the illustion that you are further away. I'll work on it.

thx for the comments.

[EDIT] - this fix the arm movement?



plus I made it an 8 framer, I wanted to add 2 extra frames to show only briefly to emphasise the step but it just laggs the walking cycle.

Updated the level too, should all look walkable.

snader im gettin to work on designing some enemy sprites now ;D
« Last Edit: April 26, 2007, 11:26:09 am by Terley »
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Offline vellan

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 26/04

Reply #7 on: April 27, 2007, 02:10:25 pm
just personal preference, but i far prefer run cycles to walk cycles for action games. walking does not add the look/feel of "action" that running does.

If you look at all the classic action platformers, 99% have the main character running.

Offline mangust

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 26/04

Reply #8 on: April 27, 2007, 02:39:39 pm
Nice atmosphere!
Something edit you walk (you -> my):
->
To draw on frame his foot (you have strange bend in knee) and move body - you have movement of a robot, not a man.
See this in frame.
I hope this help you.

Offline gliding

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 26/04

Reply #9 on: April 27, 2007, 03:07:15 pm
The small clip of it looks pretty nice, however, I'm not really into the full screen capture of the mockup. Your tiles seem a little grainy, and/or over-textured. :/

Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 26/04

Reply #10 on: April 28, 2007, 05:53:04 pm
>update>

thx good advice mangust.

This isn't gonna be a full screen mockup, its a project for college where I have to design 3 levels plus starter screen, These levels will be mounted up along with mockups below capturing gameplay. with the correct screen size, with the health bar, lives, time etc (a bit like the original mockup shown below.)



I may be a bit too grainy, but its honestly too late to just scrap it and start over cus im working to a deadline.

I just felt the need to design a snipit of the level, obviously an actual level would be about 5 times longer than this, but my aim was to capture the right atmosphere.. this is actually supposed to be a darker (harder) level, which is slightly more complex.. After im happy with this to a certain degree Im gonna start on a beginner level, which would be much brighter and easier.

well for now I've updated it slightly more, still tryin to tackle any tiling errors.. added more slopes for variety, plus a new plant. trying to work on this as much as possible, but im in work all weekend and theres only so much time in the day..



thx for the comments guys..
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Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 2/05

Reply #11 on: May 02, 2007, 01:46:54 am
Update..


its coming together finally, should be done very soon.
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Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup + animated character - update 2/05

Reply #12 on: May 15, 2007, 09:08:26 pm
Bumpage, update.

Updated it slightly, not too much done cus i've had to concentrate on other parts of the project a bit more.. Still desperately need to add in some monsters, and possibly more foliage.


Here's a title screen thingie, still heavily a wip, but im workin on it. Originally made from this image I created for the game, to go on the packaging and possibly to blown up for a poster.
- http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/9390/smallercz6.jpg -
Yea its based on myself.

Still intenting to make an ending screen. And some ingame mockups, instead of a demo level mockup.

Again any crits greatly welcomed. Deadline's 7th June.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2007, 09:23:37 pm by Terley »
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Offline Terley

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Re: Level mockup, character and title screen wip - update 15/05

Reply #13 on: May 18, 2007, 03:03:57 pm
Lock please, im not getting any feedback
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Offline pixelblink

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Re: Lock please.

Reply #14 on: May 18, 2007, 05:27:19 pm
that's a bit drastic dude. I think you've just ignored some people's advice altogether... a bit grainy, repetitive, etc.
I really think that there's nothing dynamic about this mockup. Everything very plain and there's not very much contrast. Wroking with sprites that small doesn't leave much room for character either, but I think you could pull it off given the motivation.
How about some baddies or powerups? How about some variation in the tiles? Something different than trees and rocks to add?
There's so much going on in that dirt that the sprite gets lost, IMO.
I hope that's enough critique for you to carry on now. Cheers!

Offline Terley

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Re: Lock please.

Reply #15 on: May 18, 2007, 05:51:15 pm
I ran out of time for this now, I don't have months to wait for advice, these pieces are long overdue and I've got so much more to design with just 2 weeks left.. As I said im working to a deadline, i've not totally overlooked anyones advice, I've had to be realistic with what I could achieve within the deadline, It being too grainy is a valid opinion, but would involve me re-doing a lot of the level which is time I really don't have. I've constantly tried to address to monotomy issues throughout the progression of this level, Im still working on adding some baddies and items, it's just hard keeping on top of several things at once, this is only a small part of my project.

The screen will be 200x200 within that canvas the characters will look fine, this is an overview of a level to be used as a demo to be playable for my end of year show in 3 weeks.

thanks for the comments, Im definately going to continue past my deadline but im only concerned about hitting my targets for the moment.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2007, 05:56:01 pm by Terley »
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