next »

[threesided]

Well, it's been quite some time since I've touched this, and I still am not sure where this concept will ever head, but it's a concept nonetheless that I'm passionate about, would love feedback on, and want to share with everyone... again.

To whet your appetites, here is all the new stuff I've managed to generate in the last week, some still WIP, and a couple you've probably seen already:




If you want to take a look at everything thus far that's led up to here, here's the old thread I had going for this. For the sake of not making people have to look back through that thread, I've started this new one.

Now. As this is a game development website, and this is the devlog forum, it would logicall follow that I give you an idea of gameplay, and my general mission for this project. If you'd like to take a look at all the other stuff I posted way back when as a refresher, look HERE

Gameplay

As it stands, gameplay is farthest from my mind, as I am first and foremost an artist. Therefore, the most strongly developed part of this entire thing is the story and conceptualization of setting and character. It would make sense therefore that this play out like an adventure game, a la monkey island etc. However, I actually have little experience playing adventure games, I've never played any of those types of games as a kid or even now. But I do know that this would be more about exploration and character development. It wouldn't be action heavy, if at all. This is probably the most underdeveloped section, but also the most open to suggestion and collaboration. Controls would be simplistic, straightforward, and uninhibiting. Everything should flow, and the game would have to be immersive in nature. No visible GUI while playing. Little need for an extensive menu. These are kind of what I have in mind.

Of course, this brings my whole thing to the biggest limiting factor. That being that the only current incentive to play would be to see the story and overall concept unfold. It would be nice (and naive of me) to think that this would be enough to keep people interested, but I mean, let's face it: that's just absurd.

So I come to you, the fine people of TIGS with my arms open, and my heart and mind on the line. I thoroughly encourage all forms of comments and crits, suggestions, and cookies.

So this brings me to my final reason for making this: help. I need it. Want it. Badly. I've decided I'm one hell of a writer and artist, and I can carry these responsibilities fairly well. But when it comes to programming, composing, and in some cases animating, I'm not quite there yet.

So if you think you

-Can program
-Design
-Compose
-Make pretty pictures or animations

Let me know. I am open to other artists who wish to get in on my vision as well. Pixel skills would be preferrable, but not mandatory. Just a like-minded artist would be nice. The more the merrier.

Of course, I must not, at this time, we're looking at a development budget of $0 dollars. So commitment is not expected, simply appreciated, and any help you would like to give would be nice. Nothing full time at this point. I simply need people to bounce ideas off and have something sent back.

To all of you, I hope you like what you see.

Scott a.k.a. Mr. Trianglehead

[Kevin]

This is looking beautiful. All of the artwork in this and the other thread is fantastic. Without knowing too much about it, this strikes me a pretty similar to an idea I've been wanting to develop for some time, in that I have an image of a world, characters and story floating around in my head, and I'd like to make a "game" (for lack of a better word) that would focus more on story, atmosphere, etc. than game play. Something more like an interactive story than an actual game. All that to say that if that's what you're going for here, I'm totally digging it.

As for story and characters not being enough to keep people interested, well... I read novels and comics and watch movies purely for the story. I'd likely be just as absorbed by a game that focused heavily on story with limited interactivity as anything else. It's just be a different kind of absorption. Again, more like a storybook than a game.

Your concept art alone has already more than peaked my interest. Hell, at this point I'd play just for the artwork. It's really quite pretty.

[AaronAardvark]

Of course, this brings my whole thing to the biggest limiting factor. That being that the only current incentive to play would be to see the story and overall concept unfold. It would be nice (and naive of me) to think that this would be enough to keep people interested, but I mean, let's face it: that's just absurd.

I agree with Kevin here.  I think you're greatly underestimating the value of setting, character and story.  A great many games I've played, I've picked up based purley on the appeal of the story, characters and setting; and the ones I've managed to play for any significant amount of time has been a result of those same three things.

However, I actually have little experience playing adventure games, I've never played any of those types of games as a kid or even now.

That is a great asset you have.  Don't rush out to play adventure games to see how you "should" be doing things.  Rather, try and crystallize that idea in your head.  Write down all the details and really think about what you want to represent on screen.  The closer you get to implementing your actual ideas instead of doing things the accepted way, likely the more appealing your game will be.

[Flink]

Oh my, it has begun! Ive been waiting for this since you "ended" the development last time. And the only suggestion i have now is to "No visible GUI while playing" is that you could use a wheel menu, like the one in Full Throttle

You get no gui on the screen while walkig around but when you click on an object you will get this wheel menu where you can choose to pick up, use etc. Could work?

[sereneworx]

It's back! Hurrah!

I have no ideas to lend at the moment, but I absolutely love the aesthetic, and hope that you get somewhere with this

[andy wolff]

ooh, I was wondering what those skull-head-person sprites were for.

this looks amazing and i wish you much luck in your endeavors, good sir

[threesided]

I've been working really hard to get done what is essentially the hardest part of this whole thing as of right now: Animating the main character's walk cycle.

Worked on 2 more views when i should've been doing schoolwork, but here they are essentially, minus so detailing.


Something still looks a little weird about it to me, but I've been staring at it all day, so maybe someone else will have an easier time figuring that out.

[Xion]

the hands are moving in too straight a line forwards and backwards, rather than in an arc like a pendulum.
The legs, though, are rad. You might have to redo the ones on the old anims to keep up to the new standard set by these ones.
though it does look like the far legs are moving too far down, or the near ones not enough. Maybe my eyes deceive me though.

[Seth]

he's got a very short stride, which is because his legs should be bending much more at the hip than they are, it looks like he's walking just by bending his knees

i think that crit goes for the original walking anims too

[threesided]

After what seems like an impossibly long time, I finally have (to the point of at least roughs) all 8 directional walks for the boy. I'll display them here in all their glory for you to look at, and point out glaring flaws. The leg's shading for the diagonal ones are not done yet, I just wanted to get this out here, one to bump this, and to let everyone know, I've made significant progress in terms of environment conceptualization, and these walks obviously. I'm in the process of developing poignant NPC's and writing more points of interest for the plot.

Without further ado:


         




Seth: I still need to fix the upward diagonal walk's legs still as per your suggestion.

:3

[Xion]

the forward diagonals, the hips, they do not move. They do not sway. As a result he's walking straight-legged and unnaturally just to take a normal stride. He needs some bend in those knees. I still think the up diagonals are the best so far. And the sideview ones are, I think, the weakest of the bunch.



look-see how the legs lift, not just "lifting" but really "LIFTING", with every joint in action, bending at the hips, knees and ankles all, and more than just a few degrees. Albeit possibly more cartoony than you're going for, this example still looks more natural, more loose and fluid, where as skull boy is very stiff. Very, very stiff. No joint movage. No hip swayage.

[Pigbuster]

Nice to see this being worked on again. It looks pretty damn amazing, and I love the concepts going on behind it.
I think I asked you to send me the script or something back when you first made it, but I have no idea what happened with that. Eh.


A tip for making a walk cycle: Don't look at it as a loop, look at it as a movement. Animate the cycle as though the character is moving forward, keeping the feet planted. After the cycle is finished you can shove the frames together into a loop.
...that sentence was confusing, so hopefully this will help:



I've done this with your current walk cycles, which should hopefully make the issues more apparent.

(Sorry for the lousy quality.)

As can be seen here, he walks at very different speeds in each direction, and there are noticeable hesitations in most of them when his foot touches the ground. Of course, both of these problems aren't very serious if you program it so the velocity is constant, but that'll cause a fair bit of foot-sliding in the animation.


Also, while studying cartoony walk cycles is the best way to learn the core elements of the movement, it seems that you're going for a more realistic movement for the Boy, one without drastically high foot lifting. In that case, Eadweard Muybridge did a bunch of walk studies that should be good references.

[threesided]

Wow, Pigbuster, that is a monumental help! And definitely really points out what works and what doesn't. I definitely (wrongly) assumed that when they move, the intended fluid bob would occur, but clearly it doesn't. It's so hard to picture movement properly when the character is in the same spot, so thank you very much for that.

Also, I can still send you what I had written before, although the progression has kind of changed a bit to make it more ambiguous (when you read it, and if you get back to me, you'll know what I mean).

I'm finally done classes now until next September, so I will have a lot more free time to fine tune everything and really start pumping out some environments and solidifying concepts.


My call for programmers, artists and composers still stands, of course I realize that not being being paid for the work is kind of a deterrant, but if anyone knows a thing or two and can help out in any way, it would be greatly appreciated. Hit me up with a PM.

[Renton]

Didn't catch the thread when it first started but I remember the first mockup from another thread. Great to see that this is actually in works.

[Inanimate]

Yeah, when I was a wee lurking lad, I remember seeing those, and just being astonished at your awesomeness. Glad to see it again, Triangle.