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[standardcombo]

Squeezed in some work on the Bronze Mine between packing boxes. This is another one of those mini-dillema situations where, it should actually be a copper mine to be accurate (copper is turned into bronze), but the end-resource is Bronze. I could convey the accurate knowledge by naming the level Copper Mine, but then you are collecting Bronze and it is therefore less casual.

Having some trouble with the perspective but I think it will be solved when the parallax layers are moving.


                   12 BRONZE                  #
 ,' \,-' \ _    _/ `-.   _,--'|`-./'\,-'||`.__#
/         V `,-'      \ /     ||     \\ || // #
                       V     /()\     \\||//  #
                            //||\\     \()/   #
              ,;;. O       // || \\     ||    #
             │¯¯¯¯│¯\     //  ||  \\    ||    #
__.__.__.__._└()()┘-|\_.__.__.__.__.__._||__._#
`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`||`¯¯`#
        -                    -          ||    #
     │       -                       -  ||    #
  -  ║ O  *            -                ||    #
     ┼/|\/     -                  -     ||  - #
      / \                               ||    #
    -                    -            - ||    #
-                -                      ||    #
          -               ,;;. O       /()\   #
      -              -   │¯¯¯¯│¯\   - //||\\  #
__.__.__.__./¯:-,.__.__._└()()┘-|\_._//_||_\\_#
`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯,:¯| | |\`-._¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯`¯¯//¯`||`¯\\#
        / | | | ||¯`-,¯`-._        //   ||   \#
_-,__,-:| | | | || | |`,_--,_/`--,-,__,'-,_/`-#
|' |'| || | ' | |' ' | ' '| '| | '|' | ' '| '|#
                                    _         #
    _         .-.         " ,      (_)        #
   (_)                  ` -                '  #

[Leon Fook]

Well a quick search through internet shows that Bronze is an alloy consist of copper, and other stuff. So it's hard to call it Copper Mine, since you're not getting copper and since there's actually a mixing process between copper and bronze, and not simply extracting, i'd say that would quite confusing if the player doesn't go for a internet search.

[standardcombo]

[JobLeonard]

OH SHI

[JLJac]

How can you be so insanely good at ASCII animations? o________O I've never seen anything like it... It's supernatural~

[standardcombo]

Thanks, its unfortunate i dont have time to make death animations for these... Would be so much fun. Using the venerable "blinking away" method.

Also, i did some testing with gray variations to give the characters depth and it worked well for this guy, i hope to roll that in some time later. Not something i can add now as it would need to be applied everywhere, being so close to content complete for the alpha.

[Lemmily]

loving the ascii animations! Amazing!!

[standardcombo]

Well a quick search through internet shows that Bronze is an alloy consist of copper, and other stuff. So it's hard to call it Copper Mine, since you're not getting copper and since there's actually a mixing process between copper and bronze, and not simply extracting, i'd say that would quite confusing if the player doesn't go for a internet search.

I agree. Bronze Mine it is. I'm not going to include that mixing process although the design could support it. Too hard core. There would also need to be a source of tin.

[standardcombo]

The move went great and getting back up to speed in the new place.

It was good to take a short brake from development and put the design into perspective. I've figured out the missing structure in the storyline, and am in the process of designing characters and dialogs. I've also decided, for now, to drop the gate system. While the system is already implemented, and it's a shame to throw away work, three things contribute to this decision. First, the change in game pacing was a bit jarring and not intuitive enough to understand the role of consumables. Second, the player was burning through content too quickly in the gate model.. I can put those levels and enemies to better use in the 'normal' mode. Lastly, switching between items to preserve consumables was not really fun.

A study of shields:

  O  
 /|()
 / \

  O_
 /|))
 / \  

  O _
 /|(O)
 / \'

  O/\
 /|)(
 / \/

  O|\
 /|)O)
 / |/

  O__
 /|)O)
 / \¯

  O.v.
 /||O|
 / '^'

  O.-.
 /||O|
 / '-'

  O_:_
 /||O|
 / ':'

  O|¯|
 /|)O(
 / |_|

  O.-.
 /|)O(
 / '-'

  O/-\
 /|)O(
 / \-/

  O_|\
 /|)O(
 / |/¯

  O_|_
 /|)O(
 / \_/

  O┌|┐
 /|│O│
 / └|┘

  O┌╥┐
 /|│O│
 / └╨┘

  O├┴┤
 /|│O│
 / ├┬┤

  O╓─╖
 /|│O│
 / ╙─╜

  O/o\
 /|)o( three sockets
 / \o/


WEIRD SHIELDS:

  O.)/
 /|Oo;
 / ')\


  O()¯()
 /|¯)"(
 / \'¯'


  O  _
 /|() ()
 / \(")
    

  O_(_)
 /| (∞)
 / \ "


  O_(_)
 /| {oo
 / \  "


  O_ \/
 /| {oo
 / \  "
    
    (¯v)
  O_ )/  
 /| /(  
 / (-_)

[s-spooky g-g-ghosts]

Neat shields, man, as always, just some of them don't seem to be recognizable enough.

    (¯v)
  O_ )/ 
 /| /( 
 / (-_)
for example

How exactly would the player use a shield? Would there be a special block animation? Because at the moment it doesn't look like there is room for it.

[standardcombo]

It's true some are less recognizable, but that's part of the purpose, sketch many variations and see what sticks.

Mechanically, the shields will reduce incoming damage while others give a % chance to cause enemy attacks to miss. There will be special abilities as well, ranging through usual western rpg stuff. The stone slot 'o' indicates where shards can be attached. Shields can only be equipped on the right side.

There's a special shield that is supposed to be part of the storyline, which is why I'm doing some work on these.

There's a 'rotation' animation which is to play when you attack with some items on your left hand but I'm having some issues and the engine will need some work. Also mocked up a shield bashing ability, I'll have to look for it and post later.

Edit: Found the bash animation. Note: Raccoon art by llizard/ejm.


Shield rotation:

[JobLeonard]

You manage to give a sense of depth and volume to an obect represented by... like... 4 by 3 characters

You know what you are?

A goddamn and an ASCII in one

[The Translocator]

How on earth did you make a curved sword swing out of ASCII? And at that resolution! You win.

Edit: Just realized the hammer guy was a gif. 

[Peltast]

Really impressive art!

Not sure if this has come up before in the thread, but do you have an art background in, uh, non-ASCII mediums?  I'm curious if this was self-taught or if you had any experience with animation already.

[standardcombo]

@Peltast I usually program games, but I did this course on classic animation a long time ago and I guess it stuck around. It's mostly just practice, I worked on this ascii style for over a year, on and off, before deciding to make a game of it.

@The Translocator The best results seem to be when the objects and animations are designed to fit the constraints of the medium (eg Mine Walker legs). There are a few structures and combinations of symbols that work well together. You play around with those and see what comes out. Often if I take the opposite approach, as in, there is something I want to make but I try to convert the idea to ascii, it's difficult to get right. An exception would be the larger dudes as there is more resolution to work with. For example Bronze Guardian (hammer guy) was a top-down design and it turned out good. Backgrounds fall kinda in the middle there, while there is more resolution I have to keep the proportion under control.

@JobLeonard Depth is something I can still explore more, the shield rotation kinda just worked by accident. I didn't have high hopes for that animation at first! I've done some tests with gray scale variations and it helps to give depth.

[JobLeonard]

Accident schmaccident! I stand by my earlier assessment that you are an ASCII Ninjawizard.

[standardcombo]

Concept for Dysangelos, the Messenger of Bad News

                                              #
                                              #
                                              #
                                              #
    .                _,._     _        *      #
               .   .' .' `   (( .   |   ,     #
                  /  /        ¯  \  |  /   .  #
                  |  '        ._  \ | /  _,   #
 .         *      \   `.__,/    `-.\|/,-'     #
                   `._  _.'   ---- {o} ----   #
                .     ``       _,-'/|\`-._    #
                              '   / | \   `   #
                                 /  |  \      #
                                '   |   `     #
                                              #
                                              #
        _    __     _,__   _/\_-,_   /'-,_/\_ #
-¯\_/`-' \_,-  `-,_/    \_/       \,'        \#
                     -                    -   #
      -           O            -              #
-            -   /|\                          #
                 / \     -         -          #
                                        -     #
                                            - #
           -                     -            #
                  -                  -        #


Final Art:



In-game mockup:

[JobLeonard]

For some reason, I think those are weird flappy arms and hear him say

.

[s-spooky g-g-ghosts]

Are you sure you're not an artist or something? Do you draw non-ASCII stuff?

[standardcombo]

I draw some non-ascii, usually rougher things like paper prototype stuff, placeholder art, storyboards etc. I am fortunate to work with some incredible production artists so it only makes sense when it gains us speed somehow. As a hobby, not anymore. No time!

What about you guys?