next »

[DrDerekDoctors]

Hullo! I've been working on this for ages but I've only really knuckled down and made lotsa' progress comparatively recently. The latest thing I did on it is get the moving platforms working (believe me, I was dreading this task) and so I'm hoping it'll be full steam ahead from now onwards (until I get to the enemy AI, at which point it'll be "ICEBERG! DEAD AHEAD!").

Ptoing is on graphical duties (although the tiles in these images are WIP, he's still figuring out what kinda' colour depth he wants to go with) along with mucking in on the design. The engine's being coded from the ground up with a few bits brought over from my previous one (Retrengine, which I used to remake Exolon (http://retrospec.sgn.net/screenshots.php?link=exolon) and Wizball (http://retrospec.sgn.net/screenshots.php?link=wizball)). This one uses SDL, though, as it just seems nicer and less "DO THINGS THIS WAY, DAMMIT!" than Allegro was.

World collision supports the usual things (slopes, jump-through platforms, etc). The moving platform collision, as it stands, is really very lovely and will allow for all kinds of fun crushing, maiming and ferrying. Although as it stands it doesn't allow for jump-through moving platforms, although I'm gonna' see about adding that as it'd be nice and it's pretty simple with how my collision code works (my tiles are basically four-sided heightmaps).

It'll be a Metroidvania game - because they're my favourite - and it's set on the eponymous Phantom Island, which is a Bermuda Triangle like location in the sense that people generally end up on it by accident.

Design wise it's a mish-mash of elements from dozens of my favourite games, I'm borrowing bits and bobs from Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (PSX), Switchblade (Spectrum), Spelunky (PC), Solomon's Key (Arcade), Snow Bros (Arcade), Fire 'n' Ice (Atari ST), Emerald Miner (PC), Diggers (Amiga), Feud (Spectrum), La Mulana (PC), Waterworks (SAM Coupé!), Alien 3 (Megadrive), Rakugaki Showtime (PSX), Miner Disturbance (iPhone), Spooked (Spectrum) and many, many more.

Although I'm using the Metroidvania model of unlocking rooms within an area, I want to make it so you use the abilities extensively once you're in them, rather than them being used just to get you over the threshold and then never again. However the actual temples in which the game (which are kinda' the "worlds" of it) unlock via a Mario 64-esque mechanism of collecting enough orbs as I think this will lend itself to far less linear gameplay within each temple.

I plan on updating this thread weekly with developments although this first week will be minimal as I'm redecorating and then going to Edinburgh.

And now, some tedious screenshots! (linked, because they're frame-busting)

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/map_editor.gif

This is the macro level map editor. It allows you to move rooms around and link 'em an' stuff. Better that than a honkingly huge tilemap.

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/tileset_editor.gif

This is the tileset editor. See the glorious amount of tileshapes and boolean properties I have! Mwu-ha-ha-ha!

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/tilemap_editor.gif

This is the tilemap editor. See the... Um...
Tiles.

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/entity_editor.gif

Entities! Get your entities! Only a couple have been made so far, as you can see. They're all defined by descriptor text files.

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/path_editor.gif

And this is the path editor. Rather than Bezier or Catmull Rom splines I've rolled my own by having separate movement curves on each axis (using sine waves). This gives you really nice consistent speed along the path without a lot of the bunching around nodes you can get with some spline types (i.e. it saves me a normalisation pass).

I'm thinking a late 2012 release, realistically, because it's gonna' be a big game in terms of content. Lotsa' plot in there, but told in as non-intrusive a manner as possible. Also hopefully lotsa' humour.

[Savick]

I'd like to see the star of the show. 
Or did I miss where you put that in >_>?

[DrDerekDoctors]

Uh, no, he ain't in there as Sven and I haven't exactly locked down who he is. He started as a wizard, but we're thinking more along the lines of an explorer at the moment.

[Savick]

Uh, no, he ain't in there as Sven and I haven't exactly locked down who he is. He started as a wizard, but we're thinking more along the lines of an explorer at the moment.

Explorer Wizard? Can't go wrong with Indiana Potter. Or maybe that's a terrible idea.

[Ishi]

I like those tiles so far, and that editor looks rather comprehensive!

I like the sound of making all the abilities properly useful. Any idea what sort of abilities you'll be going for?

[ptoing]

I shalt post stuff here as I get stuff done!   

[Bones]

I'm excited to play a game from both Ptoing and DrDerekDoctors.    
BTW looking good gents, look forward to seeing what's to come.

Also quite the neat looking editors you've got there Graham.

-Bones/Souly

[DrDerekDoctors]

Well, obviously there will be some pretty "bog standard" ones, like your wall-jumping or being able to stay underwater for long periods, but the more exotic ones will be magnetic boots which allow you to walk on any side of metal platforms, a grapple swing, a Solomon's Key like ability to pull certain platforms out of the background and push them back in, a simplistic water simulation thing (like Terraria's, but with pressure simulation - I got the algorithm from an old game called Waterworks) which allows you to manipulate water to solve puzzles, summoning zombies and remote-controlling them to do your bidding (like in Feud) and a bunch more. I'm also making it so the "achievements" of the game are built into the fiction of it and are fun challenges which you have to figure out and which have tangible rewards that can further assist you in the game. Also fire will have a large part in the game as a system you interact with with it spreading and causing platforms to collapse or become weak, etc.

And cheers, Souly. This game is gonna' be my magnum opus - I'm sticking everything I've ever wanted into it so it plays like a buncha' slightly different platform games depending on what room you're in (in order that the player can easily identify the two-or-three gameplay devices they'll be using in that room and not get confused, and also to maintain variety). I'm at the stage where I'm certain I can program it and I think I've got the design chops to pull it off.

[Alex May]

Looking hot, lads.

[ptoing]

BAM!


This stuff is just a test and not final in any way, but I like the general direction. It's 8 colours per tile as a rule of thumb, Which I think I will try and stick to for most things

[Heavy Stylus]

Cracking stuff there chaps.

[peanutbuttershoes]

following this. 
Looks oh so crispy so far.

[Ashking]

ptoing
teach me how to be awesome like you

[happymonster]

Do you want any C&C?

[Ardbob]

BAM!
This stuff is just a test and not final in any way, but I like the general direction. It's 8 colours per tile as a rule of thumb, Which I think I will try and stick to for most things

Beautiful...