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[MallowyGoodness]

Oh yeah Even Alive and Even the Ocean sort of exist in the same universe, but there's not really a canon in the traditional sense because Even Alive has all these discrete vignettes with different fantastical elements that aren't even necessarily consistent across the book.

But yeah it's like the same character, Even, so they are connected

I'm glad to hear that, it's neat knowing there's already established story to the universe.

Also can I just point out that it's weird that you're the graphic half of the team and you have no avatar?

I guess the "bossfights" will be platforming-centric since it seems there is no combat. You going to do stuff like those bossfights in Super Meat Boy (like, running from a killer machine/lava, racing an enemy)?

I haven't really played SMB so I don't know the extend of how interesting the boss fights are, but I would probably be really disappointed if all bosses were just platforming. I'm not sure what mechanics have been established, but I can think of lots of ways you could fight a boss without actually having a weapon, makes me wonder if there will be any projectile reflecting going on with the shield...

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

So I thought more about bosses, and the world design of The Ocean in general, and I am wondering whether or not to just scrap them.

I will have to think hard for them to fit well into The Ocean's world. I have been thinking about it, and bosses are a lot of time investment all around the board for payoff that could have resulted in more levels and traps and stuff. And there are a lot of levels. so in the sake of time I might cut bosses in exchange for a wider variety of areas - The Ocean really is quite big and I don't want to not finish it.

And. I guess the bosses just dont seem to be fitting naturally into The Ocean so I don't wnat to force it for the sake of forcing it. I have more liberty since the design of that game is more "my own" instead of depending a lot on speciic games (anodyne and zelda).

[Conker534]

don't do it if it doesn't fit

[AD1337]

13. CUT. IT. OUT.

[MallowyGoodness]

You could do a very low number of bosses so that you can take the time it needs to make them good and fit in well without sacrificing as much time as you would if you did a lot of bosses (and lots of games have low boss counts anyway).

I don't know how well it work out from a workflow and design aspect, but you could also potentially just make the core game first and then think about bosses after you have something that could be released and cram them into old areas.

[RedPandaWasTaken]

To be honest I was just curious at how you would implement if you were gonna do it but if doesn't fit don't do it.

All I care about is going fast.

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

I could see bosses fitting in two ways...one way would be kind of, I don't know, cliche, a little spoiler-y, the other way would also be cliche and sort of jump into the realm of like some anime sorta thing which ISN'T BAD but like not what I want to go for and well yeah hm. That was vague.


I spent 1-2 hrs forcing myself to map out more of the world in The Ocean. It is like the easiest and hardest thing at the same time, ugh, mentally taxing. but. once it is all implemented that will be cool.

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

jon is sanity checking me on the stuff i was designing/planning today. i think we have made good progress and then we will be like, really well planned with The Ocean ...


anyways here's a song. i was thinking it's for a beach area (the end instruments will b different, I just like writing with piano and harp), but idk. 

http://tindeck.com/listen/neac

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

planning planning etc

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

i didn't do much today. things on my mind, went home from my apartment. tomorrow will do more probably.

though jon sent a neat gif today and we figured stuff out via email.


actually we settled a lot of stuff with the story in the ocean so that's good. i think i already said that. like to the point where i can jump around and design areas wherever.

[kittakaj]

Here's said gif, the idea is that I wanted a simple animation for a tree in the wind, but the way trees are made is very tile based so I can't just animate a single tree image.

I had the idea of just having each tile animate slightly in a very simple way (shifting down and up a pixel) and having all the animations offset from each other, and it works pretty well. hopefully it'll look good in game

[☀]

whoa that's sweet.
it really fits that aesthetic the nature seems to have, sort of broken looking u kno.
I wonder, would it be practical to wave the foliage like that in-code? that could be a really interesting visual effect. It could have a really smooth wave and be controlled dynamically, like if you jump past some foliage or wind blows. It would really reinforce the wind/nature idea in the game I think.

[kittakaj]

yeah I think part of the draw of this method is the simplicity--just really basic animated tiles. dynamic wave stuff might be cool, but i don't know if it would be worth the hassle and processing power.

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

we need new signature pictures

[☀]

yeah I think part of the draw of this method is the simplicity--just really basic animated tiles. dynamic wave stuff might be cool, but i don't know if it would be worth the hassle and processing power.

yeah, definitely. I guess I'm just unfamiliar with GM's performance/ease of implementation. the simplicity makes the animated tile method a clever approach.

you guys make me wanna try GM

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

This uses haxeflixel + flashdevelop (i have no idea how to use game maker). But I feel like you could probably do this in game maker as well.

Yeah I do think that having it be more animated would be cool (and totally possible performance-wise). Jon's approach is pretty neat-o though and I think more stylistically unique so we'll probably just stick with that for the time being.

[☀]

This uses haxeflixel + flashdevelop (i have no idea how to use game maker). But I feel like you could probably do this in game maker as well.

Yeah I do think that having it be more animated would be cool (and totally possible performance-wise). Jon's approach is pretty neat-o though and I think more stylistically unique so we'll probably just stick with that for the time being.

dang, why do I keep thinking you guys use GM I've done that like 5 times already
yeah I agree though

[Sean Hogan (seagaia)]

unpagin beauty

[kittakaj]

Just sent sean a massive email with some hopefully good story/gameplay ideas. we're trying to figure out how we want to approach the idea of items/collecting. there will be precious few if any items that directly affect the mechanics. there's so much going on with the shield and light/dark stuff that we don't want to muddy it up with more attribute altering and then make it so we can't balance the area designs well. Like, the minute you add double jump, it just breaks every environmental puzzle where jumping high is an issue, etc, etc stuff like that.

but at the same time, we don't want items to feel totally superfluous.

but we need something otherwise it won't be as satisfying to explore areas.

so we're coming up with some interesting ideas that will hopefully pan out.

I grew up using game maker! I'd still go back to it some time maybe. I made this in college: http://sandbox.yoyogames.com/games/198304-burd :D

[kittakaj]

maybe i'll make new signature things and a image for myself one of these days