TIGSource Forums

Alright, first off, I've been lurking here for about a month, and all the kickass work on here has given me enough motivation to actually make something and put it up.

I've had some different ideas for games for a long time. And I've been messing around with programming ,off and on, for the last eight years or so. One of the biggest hitches I've run into, is my lack of artistic skill. But I think I've worked out a usable art style for myself. It isn't original in any sense, but it works.

This took all of one morning to make, so it's not very refined. I'm thinking, a platformer. Now I started out the "Little Dude" (as I've named all his files on my computer) without the Stache, then add later on a whim.

What I'm wanting from the community here is, critques on the style (both the character and the small piece of level) and whether to keep the Stache or not. FYI, it's only a Mockup.

http://www.efx-construct.com/Little%20Man%20Showcase.swf

Stache

I think the character is fan-stache-tic as is. </awfulpun> Personally don't think he blends with the level that well, it's too colorful for such a serious looking fellow.

Honestly. He looks like he'll knock your fucking teeth out. BAM.

EDIT:Maybe take away the outline on the stache. I think it would look better.

Maybe something to this affect
(http://www.efx-construct.com/Little%20Man%20STACHE%20idle%20Zoom.jpg)

Most certainly stache.

I want to have your lack of artistic skills.

Also, mustache. It makes him look like one of these "Strongest Man" guys in the circus.

Stache or no stache is never a question that needs asking. The answer will always be stache.  :gentleman:

The newer 'stache is good.

You should give 'Stache Man a killer one-two punch. He just looks like the kind of guy who'd be a rowdy drunk, and by rowdy drunk I mean someone who'd clobber you with the bartender.

Maybe allow him to choose whether or not to shave it off near the start of the game?  It does seem like a philosophical choice to me, one that might very effectively be left to the player themselves...

As a man who has enjoyed the benefits of a thigh tickler I say of course! The 'stache must stay.

And a pipe and a monocle  :D

That seems like a good idea.

(http://www.efx-construct.com/Little%20Man%20Supersize.png)

Is this what your all looking for?

(http://i44.tinypic.com/our292.jpg)
ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG~

Yes.

Is the monocle string pinned to his nipple? :o

Stache. I think it's pretty much unanimous at this point.

I think the stache should be a powerup like the mushroom in Mario.

Alright, another little question. Left or Right Style of Leaves?
I pixeled up another little update.

Should I use the style of leaves on the left or on the right?
(http://www.efx-construct.com/Level%20Test%202.png)

You like them clouds too?

And a new shirt?
(http://www.efx-construct.com/New-Shirt.gif)

I rather preferred the original leaves...I think the light leaves at the top of the left tuft look a bit weird; the right ones look quite tiled to my eyes. 

Don't particularly like the cloud.

he can't tuck it in?

No tucking. Well, maybe some tucking.

And you liked the original leaves better? I guess man hours don't always mean better quality. Those original ones took all of two minutes, while the new ones took about two hours.

I'm going to try a city scene next.

well what are your thoughts about them?

I'd say that make the border some other colour than black. Now it looks like there's a chunk of green -stuff- in the tree :D

I like the guy, by the way. Nice running.

Stache all the way, avatar looks so much better with one. Kinda looks out of place without one

If you ever refer to his fists in this game, you better call them "dukes" or they will never measure up the the wicked stache.

Alright, throwin' out some ideas. I've been working on actually incorporating my stuff into an engine (for now, I'm using Multimedia Fusion 2). But I've also been using the built in image editor to make level graphics.

Here's one that I actually liked. I've been using it to test styles. I was thinking of using the black outline to delineate collidable surfaces, while those merely with a shaded outline are going to represent the foreground and background (it won't be how the engine recognizes them, it is only for the player). Does that sound snazzy, or should I start looking for a day (even though this is only a hobby, and already have a day job, so your jest means nothing... fail)?

(http://www.efx-construct.com/Cave%20Level0000.png)

Also, the image is a little wide, I got a zoom function working, ingame. And apparently, that requires a butt-load of work in MMF2. So I wanted to show it off.

Sorry, all the completely black work is WIP, I just haven't detailed it all yet. As for zooming, the viewport seems to be great for zooming out, not zooming in, which is what I wanted to do. So I cheated, I just use Active's for everything, the character/level/eventual enemies, everything; and luckily, Actives have a scale option. So it's not really zoomed, it's scaled.

Some more work on this last level. This time, I've incorporated the black outline officially as what can interact with the player. See the little dude standing on that platform? See how the chains are not outlined? That's 'cause he's going to pass right behind 'em. I actually had a lot of fun making this level (fyi, it's still not finished, i.e. that whole right side still in black and gray).

(http://www.efx-construct.com/Cave%20Level%202.jpg)

And now some detail ZOOM:

(http://www.efx-construct.com/Cave%20Level%202%20zoom.jpg)

Looking good.

I personally prefer the green shirt. He just blends into the brown landscape with his grey one. A main character needs to pop out.
Of course, with the green shirt he blends into the grass. Another color, perhaps?

Stache.

If I may suggest: shades of burgundy always look nice and match with very little found in nature. Make it dark and vivid for classiness, or sort of faded and greyed out for somewhat reduced classiness but a more subdued look. Considering how vivid and bold the art thus far is, I suggest the dark, vivid shade of burgundy, probably RGB 140,0,88.

Alternatively, there's always blue, but make it too light and it blends into the sky and make it too dark and you've gone and made the 'stache less awesome. (I know this would make the 'stache less awesome only because I tried it myself.) I suppose a navy blue or a shade I've come to call "maru blue" (RGB 124,164,192) might look okay, but it'd contrast a bit much with the bold colors of the rest of the game.

Looking nice! I like the sky gradient; though surely it should be vertical, as opposed to horizontal.

Also, does the game have a name yet? Because at this point it's starting to make sense to call it 'Stache or No Stache'.

If he calls it that, the most dangerous enemies must either be variations on the scissors or wielding oversized scissors. Loss of 'stache would be game over.

It'd be like Samson, except more stylish. Maybe he's a relative?

Or at least a Ghosts 'N Goblins type affair (or was it Ghouls 'N Ghosts? Was it an "'N" or an &? I DON'T KNOW ANYMOOOORE AAAAGH) where your mustache is your armor. Use hair growth formula to restore fallen mustaches!

Ghouls 'N Ghosts was the sequel.

Maybe make him more ripped, but still wearing a shirt and such? I kind of think he should be dressed up like those old-style boxers.

I also approve of the idea of shaving the moustache. Perhaps you can shave your moustache if you want to, and then it takes some time to grow back, and various game elements work differently depending on whether or not you are currently wearing a moustache?

Maybe different mustache styles mean different attacks?

Some more work done. I've taken some of those color suggestions to heart, so here's a new improved Little Guy:
(http://www.efx-construct.com/New-Shirt2.gif)

Here's a flag (this took a while to animate):
(http://www.efx-construct.com/Flag.gif)

And, here's the beginnings of the first boss. I'm going to end up programming the first boss battle as the premier:
(http://www.efx-construct.com/First%20Boss%20Beginnings0000.png)

The little guy looks like a Victorian-era banker now. A banker with a GRUDGE.

A GRUDGE and a 'STACHE.

This game is automatically a required download.

EDIT: Flag is nice but what IS the boss?

Silver stuff is the armor, the wheel is on the side. It's like an evil carriage thing.

He isn't quite done yet. It's just a preview image. It's going to be Half-Tank, Half-Knight in Armor, and all steampunk like.

This gets cooler by the second.

I think it would be interesting if everyone in this game had a stache, including but not limited to outside their masks or helmets.

... ... But that's just me.

Man, this is looking sweet for so early in progress. I love your little design for the first boss. So far...

• Your animations are great! I love that latest running anim, and your walking cycles are very good.
• I like how you have the rocks and grass in that SWF example, except the shading under the grass makes it looks like it look like its flat and floating over the dirt.
• I don't like the burgundy rocks. Too many shades of color compared to everything else. Makes it look all bulgy while everything else is a lot flatter. Try shading them more like you've shaded the character and the grass, and everything will fit together a bit nicer.
• Another way to put things "into the background" is to sort of darken/lighten and reduce their color saturation a bit. That way the brighter, outlined stuff will "pop" into the foreground more.

Great stuffs! Can't wait to see more :)

It's not just you.

I fixed that for you good sir.

Alright, this was all sort of put on hiatus since I got out of the Air Force (moving back home, getting a new job, so on and so forth). But my life's a little more stabilized, so time to get back to work.

I'm thinking of doing the style a little bigger. So here's an updated mustachioed hero:
(http://www.efx-construct.com/Update%20Little%20Guy.png)

And here is, evaluating his new pimp ride (not sure if it will be usable in game, or if it will only show up at the beggining of the levels):
(http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Steam%20Truck%20-%20Little%20Guy.png)

That's awesome, and looks worlds better than your previous version.

Also, this game needs 110% more,
(http://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters/dudley-sf3end4.png)

Alright, sweet, some new stuff. I haven't sittin' on my hands with this thing. It's just that, the next part I'm working on is larger than what I've worked on so far (it's a steam-zeppelin). So here we go:

It's a little big, but here's a concept sheet I scribbled on tonight:
(http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Concept_1.jpg)

Here's an updated (and pretty much finished) Steam-Truck:
(http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Steam_Truck.png)

Here's the Zeppelin so far (i've gone back and forth on little details, that's why it doesn't look like I've done a whole lot on it):
(http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Steam_Zep.png)

And... Here's my first attempt at dithering. It's a metal eagle, and a painted version to be emblazoned on the tail:
(http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Eagle_Close.png)

I definitely would like some feedback on the dithering, never tried it before.

Another update. I'm almost done with the Steam-Zep, probably a few more days and it'll be finished.

Click on the link to go to the full sized version:

(http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Steam_Zep_3_detail.png)
http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Steam_Zep_3.png (http://www.efx-construct.com/img/Steam_Zep_3.png)

The corner right below that orange ball is really really dull, I think it could have some sort of motor or wing or something!