Something I've learned from reading random peoples suggestions for games, is that most of them are idiots who like to suggest the first thing that pops into their mind.

Like, saying a fantasy game needs chainsaws, as an example.

I STILL THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA 

Aw, no! 

You must find a way to circumvent this!

[EDIT:]

Nice, Alec just told me about this.  I totally missed the post.

EDIT:  Tee hee, this is fun.  Get in on this hot fire!

Oh, far out.  I liked the original already, but if you can make him even better...  I'm not gonna argue.

[@BMcC]

Processing Plant:

[awesome]

Very, very cool!  And well thought out.

BQ is gonna have some incredibly nice levels. 

Stuff (whatever's being processed) starts dropping from that red spot right above and in front of you onto the conveyor belt.

I think this should be a meat processing plant.  With cute bunnies heading to their demise.  :D

If that doesn't motivate the player to get the scientist, I don't know what will.

Mmm...how far can he fall again?

I'm not sure yet.  I'll figure that out with this build.  (The original concept said five tiles, by the way, which sounds right to me.)

@BMcC:  We want Real Time Lighting and Shadows in GB's mansion!   

I had raytracing in place, but shinygerbil convinced me to take it out.  Oh well.  :\

Akhel-Xion:  I'm a little late, but WHOA.    If you two aren't going to be pxln these mockups, I might have to start on one a bit later.  My pixel finger is itching.

Yes, I want to see some PIXELS.  Mockups, at least.

Though, the Dungeon level could use a lot of animation/details too...

I don't feel like posting my pixel Anims for some reason.

What?  Do it!  And then post MORE.  :D

[- Death from spikes- Death from lava- Death from axe (could be generic hit-by-enemy animation)- Death from guillotine (could also be generic... unless you want to have some fun)- Death from fall- Executioner winding up his axe swing- Executioner swinging his axe- Executioner hit- Executioner KO'd- Executioner out- Executioner waking up- Executioner standing, maybe looking around suspiciously- Executioner's skeleton- Rats running- Rats stopping and standing- Maybe rats pausing and then jumping to attack- Any details/props you can think of- Lava bubbling, bursting, gurgling]

If you leave out wall/floor blocks will the level wrap around? (like Bubble Bobble/other game I can't think of with wrapping)

I was thinking yes.  It'll cause trouble for death pits, but I'll work in support for those too.

Maybe there could be a few rats scurrying about just to make things seem active.

When I was brainstorming some stuff for this map with Derek, that was one of the elements, actually.  I... guess he forgot to mention it?

Yeah, I want to have a rat enemy that scurries back and forth, maybe in and out of holes in the background, as well as purely background rats that run around and stop occasionally to look at the camera with their glowing red eyes.

There was more stuff, but I can't remember right now.  I'm sure it'll come to me as the level comes together.

For the bricks, maybe some random mold in one or two corners of the dungeon would work.  Just to give it more grunge.  How about a torch or 2?  Someone could animate that.

Yes, grunge, decay, and damage would all be great for this (dungeon) map.  I'd like to see more asymmetry in the walls, especially.  Torches, torture devices, restraints, and stuff would be great foreground and background details if anyone wants to tackle them.

Think I might grind out a rat or flamin' GB some time for the lava pit-o-death, just incase he gets some lava splashed in his hair.

Please do!  That'd be great.

For this build we need these animations/grapics (so far):

- Death from spikes
- Death from lava
- Death from axe (could be generic hit-by-enemy animation)
- Death from guillotine (could also be generic... unless you want to have some fun)
- Death from fall
- Executioner winding up his axe swing
- Executioner swinging his axe
- Executioner hit
- Executioner KO'd
- Executioner out
- Executioner waking up
- Executioner standing, maybe looking around suspiciously
- Executioner's skeleton
- Rats running
- Rats stopping and standing
- Maybe rats pausing and then jumping to attack
- Any details/props you can think of
- Lava bubbling, bursting, gurgling

Question; what if you knock the Xecutionr nonconscious before he's on the platform? I think you should be able to push him...or does he get back up? And just for fun, maybe have some other things around that you can drop into the lava, too?

He would get knocked out for a period of time, but yeah, I think pushing him would be fun, good idea. 

As for other objects -- definitely.  The point of the Dungeon level is less to make a good level and more to include all the Milestone Two goals in one stage.  If you could think of any movable/pick-up-able objects that might fit in a dungeon, that'd be great.

I think the Executioner looks awesome, but I'd like to see a walking animation that's more weighty like: STEP, pause, STEP, pause.  I don't think he'll move too much, and I was thinking there should be a nice thump sound with each step, and a little screen shake, to make him a bit more ominous.

That'd be awesome if you got him on the platform and hit the switch just as he was waking up.
"Wha...where am I - Oh $#!t, it burns!! aughtathuataedjngurglegurgle."

Haha, yes, this is just how I'd like it to be.  Perhaps this could be an animation that always cues when you drop him into the lava?

Okay dudes, I think I'm caught up with responses now.  If there's something I missed, feel free to repost.

Otherwise... keep the goodness comin'! 

Like Adam said -- I feel terrible already, but there's only more to come.

Jack didn't waste any time.  He seems to revel in stuff like this.  What a monster.

but on the brighter side, SCMRPG is on the front page of TIGS...

Ugh, yeah...   

I think now might be a good time to post a string of happy games.

[EDIT:]

Holy crap.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070416/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting

EDIT:  "The deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history."

Hey, I like this.  The gravity stuff is real cool -- I think it could be (and should be, considering how much work it'd be to implement) the core element of a new Theme, perhaps Space Station or something.  But the part I like best is the alarm going off and the level going MAD when Guy grabs the disk.  That's nice!  It makes me think of other uses for that device... like a rolling boulder dropping in a Temple stage, or a beast being let loose in a Jungle stage.  (EDIT:  If designed right, it essentially makes the stage two stages in one.)

Cool stuff!  Keep those ideas churnin'.  I also appreciate how much detail you went in to with the map and description.  That's gonna help, thanks. 

Metroid Fusion on the GBA has a recurring hunter character that works pretty well - there were a couple chase segments that really got my heart going.

Yes!  I thought that was rad -- my favourite part of the game.

But those segments were canned, if you know what I mean.

[...] Leave no path unexplored! [...]

Heck yes.  I like your style, kid! 

[...] I'm not saying it'd be easy, but games have a big space to explore... a solution to this conundrum might be out there, somewhere. [...]

Also very true.  But Anthony 'Flak Cannon' Flack articulated some the difficulties that would arise quite well, I think.

[...] but if you assume these demos slam your machine because they look so dang good, then you are at least 95% wrong!  The amazing thing about these demos is not just how good they look period, or how little space they occupy or require for download, but they are generally VERY fast and efficient programs [...]

Is this... true?

[...] indie games can't look like this because there are only a few people in the whole world that are good enough programmers to make this stuff, and they're busy making demos [...]

Pfft, BAN-worthy. 

Seriously, gimme a break.

EDIT - for examples of games that WERE made my demoscene guys check out:
http://www.riddickgame.com/
http://www.housemarque.com/
Pretty, huh!

LOOKS LIKE PLASTIC TO ME 

Don't complain. My computer is a Duron 950mhz with overheating issues.

I'm on a Speak & Spell... with Windows ME. 

hurray! i'm officially helping out on this project now.

Sorry, your signature's too big!  :D

[...] OK.  So I took B, X, Z, D, A's ... everyone's advice and made some changes. [...]

This is great, dude.  It looks really fun!  It'll be neat gettin' everything working in-game. 

Here's an alternate baldy death just for you.
Welcome back

waaaaaaaaaaaaa

Aw, thanks. 

Yeah, feel free to tackle whatever you're motivated to do.  And, as Data suggested earlier, if we have good multiples of animations, I'll rig up randomization for them.

[EDIT:]

If that were a game, I can envision how the TIGSource review would look ...

"I’d probably have a bit more to say about the game if it would run on my (shoddy) laptop. But it doesn’t. The screenshots and trailers look sweet, though!"
 - BMcC

EDIT:  It is a valid point, though...  I hate it when games only run on the latest-and-greatest machines.  (And I'm disappointed when they don't run on my Average Joe machine.)  Do we really want to see that graphics pissing match in the indie world?

Also, I doubt a game that looked like that would be compelling.  The coolness of that video depends on the camera movements, the scene changes, the abstract effects...  I don't know how you'd be able to fit gameplay in there without reducing the graphics to a visualization.

But for what it is -- very cool!  Any more links?  Is there an established King of the Demoscene Videos?  I'd like to see that.

pics plx

kthnx

Of me?! Whyever would you want to do that to your eyes?

Oh, it's not about what I want to do to my eyes... 

[...] specially that girl that likes to travel to mexico.

Hahaha, ba-ZING.  :D

[Re: Throwing/Weapon Animations --]

Re: Throwing/Weapon Animations --  I'd like to have a few generic animations that we could "attach" item animations to, ala Castlevania.  Like, maybe a slash, overhead swing, and drawing a gun animations.  That would cover nearly everything, I think.

I wouldn't worry about the size of the item pickup -- it's fine if the actual size of the item being used is different.

Also, for switches... I like how it was done in Game Boy Donkey Kong.  Mario would grab and lock on to the lever and push/pull it in the direction you pressed.  It was nice and tangible.

[EDIT:]

(e-peen increase)

so, how many internets do you want for that story? i'm offering no more than nine thousand, for only a house that grinds can bind a mind in time.

Hahahaha, what the heck.  :D

EDIT:  I still haven't seen it yet!  But important people (to me) have said some very good things, so my anticipation has only grown.

Well!  I'm back now.

I'll make a proper response to all these posts tonight real soon, and start pulling together the dungeon level.

Everything looks really great, guys!  I'm pumped. 

How about an unarmed player charecter versus a heavily armed antagonist?  Sort of like that lion thing in the first level of Out of this World.

Yes, I've always liked these sorts of things, when done right.

It's something I want to explore in future games...  I can imagine some great tension and mystery coming from a single opposing global AI, particularly if incorporated into a vibrant game world.  (I.e., as an element of the game, not as the game itself.)  Many great gameplay situations come to mind...