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[SHilbert]

Hi guys, I'm working on a platform game! I just got back from GDC so I am really inspired to work on it. However, I know I have trouble staying motivated so I thought I would start a post here and show you guys what I'm working on, as I work on it.

I have not chosen a title for the game as I am still working on the backstory, but essentially you are an iguana and you have to do important things.

Download Demo (March 18 2010 - 425 kB)
*** Requires .NET Framework 2.0 (which you probably have) and XNA Framework 3.1 (which you probably don't) ***

Screenshots:







Videos:

Recent gameplay videos here!
(Please ignore icky test enemy sprites for now!) In case it's not obvious, he's swinging a sword; the animation is not that great.

Other stuff:
My blog is here. I am going to try to update it more often now, but in the past it has varied between daily and monthly updates.

[J. R. Hill]

That's actually a lot better animation than I expected.  Cheers!

[SHilbert]

That's actually a lot better animation than I expected.  Cheers!

Thanks! I guess I should clarify: the attack animation is not especially clear as to what exactly he's doing.

[J. R. Hill]

Yeah, I think it would do to have him holding the sword in the idle stance and the running/jumping animations.

As it stands right now, his idle stance looks a bit awkward, like he's reaching out and holding a doorknob.

[Fork and Beard]

The hat makes him look like a postman and the trousers make him look like an ice-cream salesman. Either way he's going to need a van.

It looks very slick. The puffs of smoke are a beautiful thing.

[Peter]

Heh, actually looks better in motion than in the screenshots. I like the design of the player character. Pirate lizard? Animations are pretty good too, but the walk cycle would probably benefit from some inbetweens.

Also, the character sorta slides around on the first two platforms in the first vid. If they're ice platforms, it's alright, but otherwise it's sorta distracting. I guess I'm just nitpicking though.

[SHilbert]

Yeah, I think it would do to have him holding the sword in the idle stance and the running/jumping animations.

As it stands right now, his idle stance looks a bit awkward, like he's reaching out and holding a doorknob.

Yeah, I see what you're saying about his hand. Kind of wanting to do a refresh on the player, it's one of the first things I made and there are various things that bother me about it.

The hat makes him look like a postman and the trousers make him look like an ice-cream salesman. Either way he's going to need a van.

It looks very slick. The puffs of smoke are a beautiful thing.

Haha, actually it is not a hat but his crest (reference pic here), which you might as well think of as the equivalent of hair. Don't ask me why it ended up looking so overstylized, this is a character design I came up with when I was like a fifth grader

I am actually really bothered by the white pants because they do not look stylish at all. Looks too much like a leisure suit.

Heh, actually looks better in motion than in the screenshots. I like the design of the player character. Pirate lizard? Animations are pretty good too, but the walk cycle would probably benefit from some inbetweens.

Also, the character sorta slides around on the first two platforms in the first vid. If they're ice platforms, it's alright, but otherwise it's sorta distracting. I guess I'm just nitpicking though.

Yeah, I see what you mean about inbetweens. As for the sliding -- actually what is going on there is that he is attacking while walking, which doesn't stop you from moving but the attack animation doesn't have moving legs, so it looks a little wonky. Not sure how to fix that efficiently -- I don't particularly want to have to break the sprite into a top & bottom part, or duplicate animation frames and draw attacking & not attacking versions.

Thanks for the positive comments and feedback, guys 

[Fork and Beard]

Haha, actually it is not a hat but his crest (reference pic here), which you might as well think of as the equivalent of hair. Don't ask me why it ended up looking so overstylized, this is a character design I came up with when I was like a fifth grader

I am actually really bothered by the white pants because they do not look stylish at all. Looks too much like a leisure suit.

My mistake. You're creation is anatomically perfect. It's weird, but now I know it's a crest I think he looks a bit like Tom Hanks... very clever SHilbert. Everyone loves Tom Hanks.

[JMickle]

Hey this game looks great, I love the friendly style you got going on! My only problem is the really slidy graphics, as others have pointed out. I would suggest increasing the speed of the animations, and have the running animation start further into the run, rather than from standing. That always fixes this problem for me.

My mistake. You're creation is anatomically perfect. It's weird, but now I know it's a crest I think he looks a bit like Tom Hanks... very clever SHilbert. Everyone loves Tom Hanks.

Your post wasn't purple, what's going on??

[Fork and Beard]

Your post wasn't purple, what's going on??

Lol. I was asked to stop posting in purple, and whilst I think it's a shame to have the colour functionality go to waste, it's probably not worth pissing folk off over. So I'm in black.

[JMickle]

Well, if you ever miss it, feel free to drop me a PM written in purple. 

[jotapeh]

I am actually really bothered by the white pants because they do not look stylish at all. Looks too much like a leisure suit.

And just what exactly is wrong with Leisure Suit Lizard

[SHilbert]

My mistake. You're creation is anatomically perfect. It's weird, but now I know it's a crest I think he looks a bit like Tom Hanks... very clever SHilbert. Everyone loves Tom Hanks.

TOP SECRET DESIGN DOCUMENT EXCERPT:

PLEASE DO NOT SHARE, TRANSMIT OR OTHERWISE DUPLICATE OR DISSEMINATE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW

And just what exactly is wrong with Leisure Suit Lizard

You know, this game is not about the lizard trying to get laid, but if it was I would use that as the title in an instant.

I have not gotten much done in the last few days due to spending most of my time flying home from the GDC and photoshopping pictures of Tom Hanks, but here is an explosion animation I made in the airport:

[Fork and Beard]

I have not gotten much done in the last few days due to spending most of my time flying home from the GDC and photoshopping pictures of Tom Hanks, but here is an explosion animation I made in the airport...

That's hysterical, as is the Hank pic. It looks like he's trying to pick the green stuff off -  when nose picking goes wrong!

But enough off topic. Get the explosion in and post a demo already...

[SHilbert]

Demo posted, see original post. This is a super early demo. It is not very long -- about what you can see in the videos -- as that is the only level I have populated with (test) enemies.

Also, this is the first time I have released to the public as such, so please tell me if there are any issues with getting it to run. Most people should only have to run the XNA framework installer and they will be good, but we will see.

[Fork and Beard]

No joy for me I'm afraid. Would not run. I'm using Windows7.

No real help with any errors messages just this in the event log...

Faulting application name: Platformer.exe, version: 1.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4ba24b87
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdbdf
Exception code: 0xe0434f4d
Fault offset: 0x0000b727
Faulting process id: 0x%9
Faulting application start time: 0x%10
Faulting application path: %11
Faulting module path: %12
Report Id: %13

[SHilbert]

I think I have an idea as to the problem, can you try downloading this one?

http://www.shilbert.com/platformer/Platformer-2010-03-18-b.zip

[Fork and Beard]

I didn't have XNA 3.1 installed booooooo! I just downloaded the XNA framework yesterday. Turns out I downloaded 3.0 NNNNOOOoooooo! Assumed I was up to date. Apologies.

Game plays lovely. Love the little camera shake when you plummet off screen. Feels quite solid already. Reminds me of a game on the Amiga where you played an aladdin-type character. Started in a dungeon and you hacked you're way around with a sword... wish I could remember the name... no matter.

Good work on this. I'm sure it's going to be a belter.