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TIGSource ForumsCommunityDevLogsMADHOUSE
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phubans
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« on: March 26, 2014, 02:14:51 PM »

Hey TIGSource, long time no see! I thought I'd try to keep a devlog here for my current project:

MADHOUSE

...is a retrostylized top-down PvP shooter with a "comic horror" theme. The original game was developed in 2004 through 2007 and garnered a small online following as well as a positive reception at two TIGJams, where it was played in a tournament among 20 players. For years, I have wanted to bring the game beyond local multiplayer and into online play, and that is one of the major goals of this current project.


Apart from online functionality, the new game will feature graphical updates, design improvements, and entirely new gameplay features that include sprinting, jumping, strafing, and two planes of depth (upper and lower levels that can be traversed via stairs and jumping). Graphically, characters will now feature 8 directions of movement instead of 4. Instead of only having two players, up to four players will be able to play 5 different game modes including Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and Last Man Standing, in the format of "every man for himself" or as teams, locally or online.


[fig 1.1] When it comes to visual directions of movement, four is a bore, but eight is great!


[fig 1.2] In the original game, melee weapons were cheaply animated by rotating a sprite in front of the player character. In the new MADHOUSE, melee weapon animations are baked into the character sprites themselves for all 8 directions.


[fig1.3] Character Select Screen Mockup - Nowhere near final!

11 of the previously playable characters will be present, along with 4 new ones, to make a total of 15 playable characters, each with their own unique stats and special abilities (want to know more about the characters? You can read up on their non-essential-to-gameplay-but-nonetheless-entertaining lore here!)

All of the original weapons - Bombs, Chainsaws, Shotguns, and Flamethrowers (to name a few) - will also be included, as well as a few new ones in more exotic flavors such as Freeze Rays, Saw Guns, and Hyper Cannons, making a total of 20 different weapons. There will also be new power ups as well, including Jetpacks, Suicide Vests, and Night-Vision Goggles.

Players will battle across familiar (albeit completely redesigned) stages like the Graveyard, Sewers, and Abandoned Carnival, as well as some never seen before locations like the Junkyard, Egyptian Tomb, and Laboratory. There will be a total of 10 diversely themed stages each featuring their own unique gameplay mechanics.



[fig 1.4] All stages have been redesigned from the ground up with the new gameplay mechanics in mind.


[fig 1.5] Redone tileset for the Graveyard stage. Still a work in progress, but already a major improvement over the original tiles.

This is all roughly 3 months of work that pulls heavily from the previous game's content, but this is a project that's moving full steam ahead, so expect more and frequent updates! In the meantime, if you'd like to check out the original game, you can download it here. But be warned; this version of the game is over 7 years old now and doesn't reflect the quality and amount of new features that will be implemented in the new game! Also, for the full experience, play it with a friend!

Apart from all of this, there's a ton of "under the hood" features and balancing that can't be seen here, like "smarter" drops from chests, better character balancing, and critical special abilities (to name a few), all of which are detailed in the 40-page and growing design document that I'm writing. The game has also attracted the interest of a legendary game musician, who shall remain nameless until I can get further confirmation that he's on board with the project.


Hopes for the future:

Aside from just working on the game and having something substantially playable ready for you guys to try out at the next TIGJam, I'd like to consider hiring a talented and reliable artist to help re-skin the game with hi-res graphics, along the lines of the updated version of Spelunky. "But phubans, everybody knows you're broke! How are you going to hire an artist?" This is where Kickstarter comes in. I do plan to get this game Kickstarted in the modest neighborhood of $10 ~ $20 K, but if I can find someone who's on board with this project and push that up to $20 ~ $30 K, then there's a good chance that the game will feature a graphic mode that goes beyond pixel art. That said, I still plan on going forward with doing pixel art for everything in the game, because I think it would be great to have the option to toggle between both "classic" and "new" art styles.

I want this project to be my full time job throughout 2014, with a push to have it released in 2015 (possibly with ongoing updates that add the rest of the content if we can't have it 100% complete by then). MADHOUSE is a project that I'm super passionate about and very excited to work on, so I'm looking forward to posting more updates, and I hope you are excited, too!
« Last Edit: April 10, 2014, 11:51:35 PM by phubans » Logged

cactus
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« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2014, 02:25:55 PM »

Sweet! ScreamyToast Right
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supershigi
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« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2014, 02:28:32 PM »

This is exciting, Paul! I had a great time watching the Madhouse tournaments at TIGJam.
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« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2014, 02:30:30 PM »

get fucking hype
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eigenbom
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« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2014, 02:33:10 PM »

Sweet, good luck!
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Conker534
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« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2014, 02:39:16 PM »

awesome
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« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2014, 02:40:06 PM »

HYPE
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Alec S.
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« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2014, 03:17:12 PM »

Awwwwwww yeaaaaahhhh.
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ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)
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« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2014, 04:04:52 PM »

o
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Tuba
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« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2014, 04:22:07 PM »

 My Word!

I'm interested
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« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2014, 04:40:03 PM »

(Always Be Bozo)> Crazy
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« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2014, 04:50:28 PM »

Man this is so cool!! Shocked Good luck with the game and the kickstarter!
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« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2014, 05:04:02 PM »

 Toast Left Gentleman
Nice looking stuff here! Looks like its going to be very fun to play this!
(following nao!)
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« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2014, 05:19:40 PM »

Woooow!

Saw this on twitter, had me signing up on the forums to follow!

I hope for your success!
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« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2014, 05:33:32 PM »

Tbh, that was the first game I ever played on my computer that I had to download.
Good luck!  Smiley
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« Reply #15 on: March 26, 2014, 07:14:36 PM »

*cough But is it free?.... *cough
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« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2014, 07:18:03 PM »

phubans is finally buckling down to remake madhouse?

about goddamn time.
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Ant
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« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2014, 11:48:13 PM »

yiss fcuking finally phuban-san godspeed  Hand Thumbs Up Right
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« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2014, 12:42:46 AM »

Seems really interesting  Cool
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phubans
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« Reply #19 on: April 07, 2014, 01:18:45 PM »

Just wanted to pop in to say thanks to everyone for showing support and let you all know that I'm still working on this!

Here's a little more about the current state of the game:

Our current build uses the graphics I've done so far and features movement, sprinting, jumping, collision, melee attacks which cause knockbacks and blood, and recognition of the upper and lower levels of the stages (you can walk on upper areas and jump down to lower ones, as well as go under the upper areas). It also recognizes how sprites and tiles are supposed to be layered with each other. There is currently support for two controllers.

I've got the movement animations completed for Butch, Zero, Bozo, and Ragman. The attack animations are completed for Butch, Zero, and Bozo, with their respective unique melee weapons being shown in the animations. I'm about halfway through having Ragman's attack animations completed.

I've started drawing some of the secondary weapon sprites for all directions. So far I've got the Chainsaw, Magnum, and Shotgun completed. Next up is the SMG.

I've laid out the base tiles for the Graveyard level with the exception of having the tiles for the upper levels placed, because we currently don't have support for that layer. I also haven't added all of the detail for that level yet, but once I have that done I'll post some pictures to show what the level will look like.

The level design for the Graveyard, Meatlocker, and Area 52 are complete. Up next is the Abandoned Carnival.

I've also been playing around with how the game will look with some lighting effects.

That's all for now. I might be doing a stream sometime this week of me working on stuff so people can watch if they want! I'll post the link up on my Twitter if I do that.
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