I would also add that the trees blend into the cliff too much. The game being in motion would probably solve this (assuming parallax scrolling is used and they move at different speeds) but in a screen shot it makes it look rather flat.

Add some shadows from the trees. Even if the shadows wouldn't fall on the surface behind them, add them anyways. The world looks flat and stylized enough that it won't stand out too much.

Well... since it was only an honorable mention....

"The letter you hold in your hands is electronic in nature. It is coded to your DNA. It has just released a highly-developed viral agent, also coded to match your genetic profile, into your bloodstream. This virus will kill you in 2 hours unless you can deliver it and this letter to the following identity. The virus will then sync with their DNA, vacate your body, and return you to your former health. Be warned that the virus you carry is valuable to the corporation that created it, and their agents are now tracking you. This is not a hoax...Do not delay... "

Chain is a first-person adventure game that combines racing, shooting, exploration and puzzle-solving. Players assume the role of five different citizens living in a near-future metropolis; each character must find and deliver the letter to the next person in the chain or perish.

Chain puts the player into the shoes of five ordinary citizens, one at a time, who by virtue of their life experiences and possessions, have unique ways of navigating the open-world city and overcoming obstacles. Each citizen is comprised of four descriptors (from a pool of 26, see below) that determine what they are capable of. Each time the game is played, the members of the chain are randomized, allowing for near-limitless replay.

Upon being infected, each citizen is given the name and approximate location of the next member of the chain; it is up to the player to determine how they get there, be it on foot, car, or public transportation. Along the way, they will have to evade capture by the corporation's agents.

By using the advantages each descriptor offers, the gameplay can be a mixture of combat, puzzle-solving, stealth, or racing. The exact method the player chooses can be anything they wish, but the descriptors determine specific character strengths. For example, any character can use a gun, but those with weapon-specific descriptors will perform better.

Combat involves the use of non-lethal weaponry (the corporation needs you alive) to take down enemies. Players may also use found items as blunt instruments to knock foes unconscious. Injured players can make use of Health and Toxin kits to heal themselves, but these items, as well as all weapons not currently in use, occupy inventory space.

Puzzle-solving gameplay involves solving timed logic-based puzzles, such as security systems and computer networks. Players can also opt to use "Techkits" to hack through these puzzles if they are in a hurry. Techkits are also used to unlock vehicles, access doors, and even upgrade weaponry, but must be purchased with credits or found.

Stealthy players can stick to narrow passages, interiors and rooftops, or pass unnoticed through crowds. By avoiding open areas and ‘acting normal', players can avoid detection.

Finally, players can try to outrun their pursuers on foot or using ‘borrowed' vehicles or public transportation. All roads and rooftops are open to players, and the majority of buildings are accessible. Thrilling footraces are the norm.

My first thought; don't get caught up in the terrain destruction / construction as the overall play mechanic. Instead, make it a complimentary element and not the sole major feature.

Imagine a platformer where the character is able to manipulate the world around him. For example, dredging up chunks of earth to absorb incoming attacks, to create platforms to climb, uncover hidden rooms, etc. Nothing MASSIVE like completely tearing up the level, but small manipulations befitting a platformer instead of a terrain-mod game.

Maybe on the player's first playthru or in the introductory level, they're just a typical platforming character, and maybe introduce something like a bomb that can cause terrain deforming (but on a very small, simple level). The player would see it and go "Oh, that's cool, I can mess with the terrain in this game". Then, using an RPG-like skill or class system, allow terrain deforming to make an appearance as simply one (of several) ways in which to play the game. Perhaps the player builds a warrior character who doesn't really experience terrain manipulation (though pixel-perfect environments are still really cool for him to experience), that just happens to be his experience. The potential, however, is there...

One of your skill / class options would be the terrain manipulator class, which is a crappy combat class in terms of traditional platforming games, but with the manipulation of the environment can more than make up for it. Maybe they're telekenetic and can manipulate not just the environment, but lifting up enemies and dropping them off cliffs (even better; digging out the cliff and tossing enemies over it), or using one enemy or chunk of manipulated terrain as a shield against incoming enemy projectiles.

So you have this terrain modification-heavy character you can play as, but if the player decides not to take on that role, you still have pixel-perfect collision detection and that can lead to all sorts of interesting things.

If you arrange a long row of modifiable terrain spikes that the game recognizes as a player-killing hazard, maybe one character gets past it by having a really long jump. Another manipulates the terrain to make platforms out of the spikes, or tears down chunks of the ceiling to use as platforms. Another tosses (or psychically manipulates) enemy bodies into the spikes and uses them as platforms.

Maybe the deformable soil can be used by another character as a special, navigable terrain; they can 'walk through' the deformable soil, passing as a whispy spirit past the danger entirely.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about; the same obstacle, but many ways to complete it.


I guess I'm just thinking of giving the player lots of ways to overcome obstacles and having terrain modification as simply one method instead of the absolute focus. The platforming, however, is still the main drive of the game. Try not to think of them as puzzles so much as just... different ways through the same stage.

You could get literally images of the entire levels from... videogameatlas? dot com? I don't recall exactly but I know such a site exists.

http://www.vgmaps.com/

Simply indispensable for anyone studying the history of level design.

Retrogames, those sketches are awesome. Remind me of the sketches in the D&D Player Handbook.

Thanks for the compliment. Most of them are just quick sketches during meetings, lunch breaks, that sort of thing. They're also pretty small; the lizard-man and sword I posted first were both full-page, but the others are crammed onto a single sheet of copy paper.

And since I hate posting in art threads without adding art... some more traditional weapons. The very observant might notice a certain Legendary game series' symbolism scattered throughout .



Both of those sheets are less than a month old, so that's probably the most recent thing I've drawn. Fine point ink pen and Mechanical pencil to shading.

@Retrogames:
I think your sketches/designs could improve greatly if you took some extra time to plan out your lines a bit more.  The sword for example could be a really great design, but it's suffering from the lack of fundamental structure.  Often people will mistakenly think that having a good underlying skeleton is only useful for anatomy, but they couldn't be farther from the truth.  *any* great design has a great underlaying flow.  For more rigid things like weaponry, I love to hug curves around straight lines in ways that compliment the most basic frame.  For swords in particular it's important to keep in mind that the handle should probably support follow the same line flow through the center of mass of the entire sword.  Yours currently doesn't do this.

Thanks for the feedback, and even taking the time to sketch out an example of what you mean (I removed the image when quoting for the sake of space). I think the whimsical design and the uncommon usage of this type of weapon is what's coming off as structural flaws, because in your example you've placed the hand guard at the rear of the weapon. The sword's main attacking edge is facing left, not right.

(Warning; brief tangent into weapon design ahead.) There are essentially three ways to classify swords based on how they are used, as seen here (lower right); thrusting, slicing and chopping. It's this third group to which my sword belongs; a heavy, weighted tip ideal for wide, sweeping chops. The kukri knife (examples 17, 18, and 19) is an example of this; the forward swept blade is ideal for chopping, and the Nepalese Gurkhas were known for using the Kukri to chop off an enemy soldier's head with a single stroke.

(Before I go on, I can't recommend that book enough, by the way. It's a fantastic resource for all forms of weaponry with a lot of detailed diagrams and examples, especially of international pieces that most people don't usually see.)

In the particular fantasy world in which this sword would exist, heavy armor is very uncommon, limiting (but not stunting) the development of thrusting weapons. The common sword in this world is the chopper. The culture of the world is also ocean-centric, seeing the sea as a deity. Like the prevalence of cross-guard swords in the Christian world, the weaponry of this culture favors long, swept 'wave-shaped' swords.

Granted, it's still a fantastical weapon that might not be practical on the battlefield, but that's what fantasy is for, no? If it looks impressive, has a distinctive silhouette and matches the cultural trimmings of the fantasy world, I say it fits, and at least it's not another massive 6-foot solid steel butcher's knife ala Cloud, right?
Here are a few more examples I decided to scan, both to further illustrate the kind of look I am going for as well as to keep this post from just being a wall-o-text in an art thread. I added arrows to show the intended forward-motion of the weapon.


(Above) Relatively quick sketches hammered out during a creative meeting. I started on the Glaive and Staff first, which is why they're more detailed. In this one you can see the sword's hilt curves, and the thinking here is that it works like an axe haft; it allows a second hand to grip lower and pivot the force of the swing like a lever.

Again, this is a good example of weapons that look cool but probably wouldn't work. That staff would be completely ineffective as a weapon (and in many ways it's not meant to be used as such, being more of a ceremonial item).

And no, I have no idea what I was thinking with that Mace.


(Above) Somebody said "Glass sword" and I ran with it, so that's the reason behind the stained-glass motif. Again, you can see that the sword is intended to chop forward, and there's even some 'reinforcement' on the leading edge above the hilt for parrying blows on a non-edged surface.

As for the Glaive (which, if your browser is anything like mine, is cut off by the forum, so you may have to right-click and open the image in a new tab or window), the general idea here is a two-handed chopping / slicing weapon. The reason for the odd placement of the handles is so the weapon could be gripped in two hands and the center area used to block attacks. It's not realistic at all, but it looks cool, and about all I was going for in that case.


(Above) Same kind of thing, again, and the two-hilt approach moves to the sword as well. The glaive has almost a scythe-like handle too... except it's really kind of facing the wrong way, so that just wouldn't work... 


(Above) Rammed two scans together for this one. Generally the same thing again. Despite the size of the drawings, the left-most weapon is actually a dagger. You can really see the axe haft hilt in that middle example though.
They're all crazy looking, but I hope it's cool looking as well. I'm glad you posted and have the critical eye to spot the issues like balance and structure. I put a fairly decent amount of research and thought into the design of this unusual style, so I'm glad there are people out there looking at fantasy weaponry the same way. Again, thanks for the post and I hope I didn't come off as too defensive in tone.

I dunno, i really like the one he made...

Thanks for the compliment. Dan's eye for detail picked up on structural issues, and to be honest, considering these are concept sketches, they probably are off-balance. They're very usual-looking weapons and I'm glad someone picked up on what would be considered flaws in most weaponry. In fact, I'm flattered that someone is looking that closely at my sketches in an analytical way to pick up on such details. He has a very valid point and I'm glad he took the trouble to post. I hope I explained my thinking behind the unusual designs clearly enough.

Retrogames, those sketches look absolutely fantastic.

Thanks. Like I said, they're both pretty old. And both drawn at work... at different jobs...

Found another one, but I'm not posting it as an image... waaaaaay too big.

http://home.comcast.net/~retrogames/short2.jpg

I have a whole folder of these... Really should get around to scanning and merging them all together into one giant world map...

Did a quick avatar for my fiance today. She wanted something shaman-esque and related to water for her guild's Rift forum.


Took an old drawing I did, cut out part of it that she liked, and mirrored it along the horizontal and vertical.


Painted under the line art, cleaned it up a little (but not too much, I knew it had to go down to 80x80), scaled it down.


Aaaaand... I guess I'll throw some of my other recent scans in here...



... Both of those are more than a year old... God I need to get back in the habit of drawing more.

Absolutely.

I enjoyed the Auntie Pixelante article and would be interested in seeing that expanded. If you're up to it, go for it. I read a similar article on Castlevania III's first level a while ago, let me dig it up...

Fake Edit: Here it is; http://gamecareerguide.com/features/869/good_games_bad_design__episode_.php

Something I suggested for a survival-horror-style remake of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was to shift the character to the extremes of the screen, thus preventing the player from seeing what's happening behind them (e.g. traps that have just sprung or enemies creeping up from behind).

Here's an example;


That was actually a fun little project, and Simon's Quest actually already has a lot of traits that define the genre (despite the fact that it predates the term 'Survival Horror'). I especially like the bit about destroying candles for items inadvertently makes it harder to see what's going on.

Apart from RPGs (where the number-crunching essentially defines the genre), any game where statistics were originally used to simulate action and/or dynamic values can now be done via actual gameplay actions (i.e how high you can jump, hard you hit, etc.) and graphical indicators. I'm not saying numbers are bad, but depending on how you wish to present your game, you can honestly do without them.

In terms of seeing how much damage the player (or the enemy) will cause, I would consider taking AndrewFM's advice and having parts of the bar shaded to show how much damage either will cause, with one caveat; follow ezuk's advice and not reveal this information initially. Include it after you've attacked once, after you've taken a photograph, or via some kind of tool / ability the player character obtains. For example...

The first bar shows a shaded area; this is how much damage the enemy will cause if he hits the player. The SECOND bar takes that information and applies it to the entire health gauge; each hit from the enemy will take off one division of health. An enemy that causes less damage would look more like this, where the divisions are smaller;

Again, I would keep this information hidden until the player attacks / photographs / earns the ability / whatever.

I also think that labeling equipment with symbolic ratings rather than numerals can help 'de-math' your game. If you decide you'll have 5 weapons in the game, of increasing attack power, you might identify them with stars, bullets, or an appropriate symbol rather than say "+5 attack power". Obviously a *** Weapon is better than a ** Weapon, for example.

Finally, I'm not a fan of the multi-bar method Jakman4242 suggests. Having small pips representing additional health bars the player has to burn through (or "x2", "x3", etc... as iffi mentioned), at least to me, suggests a degree of tedium, even if the fight itself isn't actually tedious. To me, that sort of thing is saying "Look how much more impressive this enemy is; instead of having one health bar, it has two! That means it's twice as hard!". I'd much rather see smaller chunks taken off the same bar than see the same chunks taken off multiple bars, if that makes any sense.

Greetings,

My name is Will Armstrong IV and I'm currently an unemployed hobbyist game designer. In the earliest part of the last decade, I contributed to three shareware titles that received fair to middling success;

• Trinity: A Tri-ominoes clone for the Mac. Was featured on a MacWorld demo disc and was a surprise hit (by shareware standards) in Japan. I was responsible for the sound design and testing.
  
  
• Eternity: An elemental-themed board game for the Mac and PC. I contributed to the early concept design, produced all of the sounds, made some pre-rendered 3-D art for the game's four victory states and tested it thoroughly.
  
  
• Runestone: A deviously defensive board game for the Mac and PC. I designed the game mechanics from the ground up, produced all of the sounds, developed the visuals and provided most of the testing.

All three were done by the now-defunct Divinity Software.

Since then I've been to college where financial issues prevented me from completing an Associates degree in Visual Communication (with a focus on Interactive Media). This was back in 2003, however, so the only things I learned that are applicable today were "Don't let colleges lure you in with false promises" and "You can learn things better on your own". Most of the classes were focused on programs I already knew (Photoshop, etc.) so I generally consider it a Huge Waste of Time™. (Disclaimer: I didn't turn out so well, so don't take my experience as gospel. Go to college!)

I'm currently unemployed and spend my time hammering out design concepts to keep myself creatively occupied (I get irritable when I don't).

I maintain a poorly-updated blog at http://level-1-design.blogspot.com.

I am an Aries, enjoy long walks on the beach, am not into Piña coladas (you can buy me a Gin & Tonic or 7&7 any time, though), and am currently engaged. Sorry ladies.

[Race:]

I like Zelda, okay?

Very interesting approach to a Zelda MMO. I've been fleshing out a Zelda MMO to help refine another design concept I've been stuck on. Said project is becoming too complex for my tastes and filtering it through Zelda's elegantly simple design has been a help.

I won't post the whole thing, but here's a few snippets;

Race:
Race is selected at the start of the game, and represents the visual parameters of a character as well as which special benefits they receive. There are three initial races, with three additional ‘expansion’ races planned. Each race receives one racial benefit that acts very similar to a tool, ability or Special Item and one racial benefit that resists a specific kind of damage. There are no additional benefits to one race or another, nor does the player’s race limit their selection of weapons, tools, or abilities.

Default Races: Human, Hylian, Kokiri
Expansion Races: Zora, Goron (Male only), Gerudo (Female only)

Abilities:
Abilities are a special game element that players utilize to defeat enemies, explore the game world, or customize the way their character handles various game features or mechanics. Each ability falls into one of three groups; Courage, Power or Wisdom. Via the Triforce gauge, players must select how many abilities from each group they wish to use; as they increase the number of one ability type, they reduce the number of abilities they can use from the other two. A maximum of 6 skills from any of the three groups can be utilized at once.

Example Power Abilities:
-Brutal Strike: A powerful blow that pushes enemies back and knocks them down.
-Leech: An attack that injures an enemy, transferring their life force to the player.
-Empowered Weapons: Weapons are enhanced with raw, untamed energy.

Example Courage Abilities:
-Dash Attack: Charge forward towards the enemy, knocking them down.
-Down Thrust: Slam down from mid-air, pushing away and injuring nearby enemies. Increased damage against knocked down foes.
-Energy Beam: When at full magic, attacks launch a small projectile.

Example Wisdom Abilities:
-Seal: Temporarily imprison foes in a crystal.
-Enchant: Weapons are empowered with magic for a set number of attacks.
-Flame: A radius of fire surrounds the player.

Tools:
Tools are special devices that players utilize to solve puzzles, defeat enemies or overcome obstacles. Players do not start with any tools, but will pick them up constantly as the game progresses. Up to three tools can be carried at a single time, with only one active. Some abilities allow for additional tools to be carried. Some tools have a magic cost to use, given in units. Tools cannot be destroyed.

Example Tools: Bow, Boomerang, Roc Feather, Pegasus Boots

Weapons:
Weapons are used by players to inflict damage upon enemies or interact with the environment. Players do not start with any weapon, but will acquire them by the end of the introductory quests. There are 6 different weapon sets that players can use, with each set having different strengths and weaknesses. Only one set of weapons can be carried at a time though some abilities allow players to carry additional sets.

Weapon Types: Sword & Shield, Staff/Greatsword, Whip, Hammer/Axe, Spear & Shield, Dual Swords.

Armor:
Armor items are used by players to reduce the amount of health lost when an enemy injures them. Players do not start with any armor, but will have the opportunity to acquire them by the end of the introductory quests. There are three different armor sets that players can use, with each set reducing the player’s Magic when equipped; the heavier the armor, the greater the reduction of the player’s Magic gauge.

Armor Types: Cloth, Leather, Mail

Seeds:
Seeds are special items that grant the player a temporary boost to a variety of different elements. Seeds are found scattered around the world and come in six different varieties. Players can carry up to 3 different seeds in their seed pouch, but some abilities or items can increase this amount. In order to receive the benefit of a seed item, the player must consume it, removing the seed from their inventory in the process. Players can only be under the effects of a single seed at any given time, but the effects are permanent until the player uses a different seed.

Seed Types: Armor, Energy, Life, Pegasus, Razor, Wisdom

Instruments:
Instruments are special items that allow players to not only produce music with other players, but to quickly travel between locations when the correct melody is played. Players will obtain an instrument (based on their selected race) at the end of the introductory quests, but can choose any instrument they like later.

Instruments: Cello, Conch Horn, Drum, Harp, Ocarina, Tambourine

Magic Mirror:
The Magic Mirror tool (unlocked at a certain point in the game) allows the player to take on the guise of an enemy race for special “Skirmishes”. These player-versus-player encounters assign one team as the monsters and one as the heroes; players can decide which team they have a preference for, but occasionally balance will require players be dropped into one or the other regardless of preference.

Players assigned to the “Monster” team take on the role of various enemy races. There is no direct correlation between heroic or monster races; player can choose which monster race they wish to play as via the Skirmish sub-menu. Players will also find a variety of customization options for each race in this same sub-menu.

Monster Races: Moblin, Wizzrobe, Miniblin
Expansion Monster Races: Darknut, Stalfos, Lizalfos

I'm not sure this would be my ideal MMO, but it's pretty close; no levels, no classes, no grinding, just skill-based exploration and personal achievement in a multiplayer environment. I would probably require content creation tools as well.