Support NeoGAF

[V_Arnold]

Jobbs, I have to say that you are onto something special with Ghost Song!
Tried out the test, and the feel, the responsiveness and the atmosphere is absolutely top-notch.

I did not like the jumping animation, however. Might be that the game actually slows down during that which distorts the frame speeds, but it is just not as smooth and fluid as other stuff in it.

 

[Jobbs]

Jobbs, I have to say that you are onto something special with Ghost Song!
Tried out the test, and the feel, the responsiveness and the atmosphere is absolutely top-notch.

I did not like the jumping animation, however. Might be that the game actually slows down during that which distorts the frame speeds, but it is just not as smooth and fluid as other stuff in it.

thanks remember, the graphics, character, animations, etc, of this are all rather old. I'm basically starting over in the unity build.

Stencyl's not an efficient performer, at least, not the way I used it, which was one of several important reasons I decided not to continue developing it as a flash game.

Also I'm noticing in this stress test build I made I think those shiny objects I'm spawning in the atmosphere must not be despawning properly because the frames are going down over time.

edit: the new game also has diagonal aiming, in case anyone's going to ask about that.

 

[V_Arnold]

Indie-GAF, now it is my turn to reveal a project, and I would like to ask for some feedback as well, if possible!

The game is titled Project Contendo (work in progress).

It is a fantasy SRPG (think of Heroes III meets X-Com - yes, permadeath is a thing!), with plans for frequent replayability. It does not rely on stat creep, has multiple (subsequent) difficulties, a completely user-controlled squad mode and a city management part as well (not focusing on townsfolk but rather on the fighters and casters themselves) - and I am still trying to wrap my head around some other, currently "Hidden as ****" aspects - but I plan on making this the game into something that I would want to play for the next few years, or potentially more.

Now, while the content itself is being developed alongside the engine (currently: HTML5, mainly focusing on PC/Tablet, but plan on expanding to an installable pc version as well, and then some other platforms too), I would appreciate a visual feedback. These are early mockups and very basic animations. My illustrator has expressed worry whether this style will be sustainable in the long term. The game is in pixel-art strict mode, therefore the plastic style seen in other indie, low-budget games are clearly out of the question. My pictures are in 1* zoom, but the whole game would default to 2* zoom which actually looks cool "ingame".

My personal opinion on the looks is that it has that retro feel while having a potential to be varied (custom armors, new hair/skin colors, custom weapons) enough so that no one gets bored of it. We are open to criticism, though. (And, all being sad and done, this is currently a 2-men project, with the focus on the gameplay). The background is the blandest possible, but of course there will be more interesting ones in game: think deserts, mountains, dungeons, crossroads in time and space, etc (And the last one is not a typo!)

And a few animations as well - the effects layer is missing as of yet, but hey...

 

[lordfroakie]

"What is a good, free and simple application for making video game music?"

Do you mean like music in general or specifically "chiptune" stuff?

Chiptune

 

[Ashodin]

Arnold that looks awesome!

 

[Popstar]

Our artist drew head shots for our website bios in our in-game style. I had to share mine.

It looks like we'll have our trailer up today too! It will be nice to finally be able to talk about what I've been working on since the summer.

 

[MaritalWheat]

Absolutely love that art Arnold.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"Chiptune"

Try FamiTracker. At first glance the interface may seem arcane, but it's actually really simple. A youtube tutorial series.

 

[Jobbs]

"Chiptune"

Try FamiTracker. At first glance the interface may seem arcane, but it's actually really simple. A youtube tutorial series.

Kinda sorta self promoting here, but Roger (my partner on Ghost Song) made a chiptube tracker a while ago called Pulse Boy. Incidentally, I did all the art and graphics on it (not that those are terrible important in this type of program).

Click demo track then click play to get an idea what it sounds like.

 

[Jobbs]

It is a fantasy SRPG (think of Heroes III meets X-Com - yes, permadeath is a thing!), with plans for frequent replayability. It does not rely on stat creep, has multiple (subsequent) difficulties, a completely user-controlled squad mode and a city management part as well (not focusing on townsfolk but rather on the fighters and casters themselves) - and I am still trying to wrap my head around some other, currently "Hidden as ****" aspects - but I plan on making this the game into something that I would want to play for the next few years, or potentially more.

Looks pretty good to me, and I like what I hear about Permadeath. I have an Ironman game of Xcom going right now.

Re. the looks you asked for opinions on -- The sprites are really great, the background is bland. I see definite potential here.

 

[V_Arnold]

Arnold that looks awesome!

Absolutely love that art Arnold.

Thank you, guys, it warms the heart to read this : )

Looks pretty good to me, and I like what I hear about Permadeath. I have an Ironman game of Xcom going right now.

Re. the looks you asked for opinions on -- The sprites are really great, the background is bland. I see definite potential here.

Thank you as well! Yes, the backgrounds will need work, but I shall pass this to the illustrator, and new versions will be improved.

 

[Santini]

Chiptune

Since you mentioned "free", I'd also recommend checking out PxTone (very cool, English-translated manual and guide to video game music making here), as well as Bosca Ceoil.

PxTone was made by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya (Cave Story), and Bosca Ceoil was made by Terry Cavanagh (VVVVVV and Super Hexagon). Both have different workflows, but are relatively easy to use, with Bosca Ceoil being the easiest to start messing around with, in my opinion.

 

[Servbot24]

When announcing a new game do you guys think it's a good idea to advertise it as a metroidvania? Obviously it's a great genre that is well-loved, I'm just worried if the indie scene is oversaturated with those types of games and it will cause people to look past it if that's our label. Plus I'm a bit wary of comparing my game too much to other ones.

 

[Ashodin]

When announcing a new game do you guys think it's a good idea to advertise it as a metroidvania? Obviously it's a great genre that is well-loved, I'm just worried if the indie scene is oversaturated with those types of games and it will cause people to look past it if that's our label. Plus I'm a bit wary of comparing my game too much to other ones.

If you won't call it that, other people will. Jobbs' game is unabashedly a metroidvania.

 

[JulianImp]

When announcing a new game do you guys think it's a good idea to advertise it as a metroidvania? Obviously it's a great genre that is well-loved, I'm just worried if the indie scene is oversaturated with those types of games and it will cause people to look past it if that's our label. Plus I'm a bit wary of comparing my game too much to other ones.

This is something Servbot and I've been debating, so we'd love to hear what other IndieGAFfers think. Personally, I'd say name-dropping other games while talking about yours should be avoided as much as possible, since by pretending our audience knows about the games we're referencencing we're actually making the community more in-bred, when we should be doing the opposite.

I've experienced this a lot with a workmate and friend of mine who barely knows a few games (mostly older ones), so when I use gaming lingo I often end up having to explain what that actually means, which has slowly made me realize how much we tend to rely rely on game comparisons to get a point across.

"Metroidvania" has kind of become a viable sub-genre definition on its own, but I think the term is still too obscure for non-gamers, even if calling metroidvania games platform/adventure games wouln't fully describe them, either (as the incremental player upgrades that allow access to new areas are a very important part of metroidvanias).

I'd rather say it's a game where you explore a game world and slowly collect tools that aid you in its traversal than both using genres (not specific enough) or gaming lingo (not widespread enough) to define a game.

 

[V_Arnold]

This is something Servbot and I've been debating, so we'd love to hear what other IndieGAFfers think. Personally, I'd say name-dropping other games while talking about yours should be avoided as much as possible, since by pretending our audience knows about the games we're referencencing we're actually making the community more in-bred, when we should be doing the opposite.

I've experienced this a lot with a workmate and friend of mine who barely knows a few games (mostly older ones), so when I use gaming lingo I often end up having to explain what that actually means, which has slowly made me realize how much we tend to rely rely on game comparisons to get a point across.

Is not it context-dependant, though? I mean...when we talk about our games here on GAF, it is more likely that the point will get across as opposed to doing a reveal in a trailer or simply putting out a website. Or talking about it to others. There are definitely keywords and concepts to avoid when talking to those about your game that are not well versed in genre definitions, but when amongst gamers, it is a naturally occuring event that helps to compress length by putting labels on long descriptions, imho.

 

[Jobbs]

I can't think of any other quick and easy way to describe a metroidvania than just saying "metroidvania". I seriously can't. That's why I describe my game that way in unofficial capacities. Clearly I wouldn't put "metroidvania" on the back of the box (if there was a box) or whatever.

 

[Ashodin]

Awww yeah clicking on Map stuff

 

[Blizzard]

Awww yeah clicking on Map stuff

Haha, I moved the mouse over the icon right as the hover thing appeared and nearly freaked out.

 

[BurritoBushido]

how are you and BurritoBushido liking it so far? Have you came across anything that you wanted to implement but wasn't supported?

I dig it. So far my only limits have been my own programming ability, but everything I've tried to do I can usually work out. Definitely helps to take a look at examples and guides on the forums and the site.

Question for my fellow Construct 2 users. Im doing a runner game and i've got the camera set to follow my character using an "Every Tick" command setup. Very basic very easy general tutorial stuff etc.

Here's the thing...with that on I cannot get a dash to work for my character. At most he will sort of "oomph" forward slightly and then nothing. He just doesn't seem to move forward no matter how I code it. Im guessing the issue has to lay in the camera catching up to him and creating an illusion that he didn't do any kind of dash but then the stage should still have zipped around noticeably shouldn't it?

Im at a bit of a loss here as a decent running game that tries to do some of the Robot Unicorn stuff shouldn't have this much trouble setting up a dash. Im open to suggestions...Im an artist trying to think like a coder here.

Not sure how you're going about it but off the top of my head I would imagine something like this:

(constantly move right)
Every tick
> Simulate Control Right

(if in dash state, increase max speed, and subtract delta time from a timer variable)
if dashing == true
> Set Player.Platform.MaxSpeed to 200
> dashTimer - dt

(once the Timer is down to zero, disable dashing, reset maxspeed and timer variables)
if dashTimer <= 0
> dashing == false
> Set Player.Platform.MaxSpeed to 100
> Set dashTimer to 0.5

Also if you're on the latest stable build, C2 has a debugger now (thank God) so you can look at all of your variables while running the game. Give the debugger a try to see if things are working the way you think they are.

When announcing a new game do you guys think it's a good idea to advertise it as a metroidvania? Obviously it's a great genre that is well-loved, I'm just worried if the indie scene is oversaturated with those types of games and it will cause people to look past it if that's our label. Plus I'm a bit wary of comparing my game too much to other ones.

Yeah, I feel like you run the risk of looking dumb when you dont call it for what it is. Like the Respawn guys saying that the mechs in Titanfall aren't mechs. But really, they're mechs and they just look silly saying stuff like that.

 

[Ashodin]

I dig it. So far my only limits have been my own programming ability, but everything I've tried to do I can usually work out. Definitely helps to take a look at examples and guides on the forums and the site.



Not sure how you're going about it but off the top of my head I would imagine something like this:

(constantly move right)
Every tick
> Simulate Control Right

(if in dash state, increase max speed, and subtract delta time from a timer variable)
if dashing == true
> Set Player.Platform.MaxSpeed to 200
> dashTimer - dt

(once the Timer is down to zero, disable dashing, reset maxspeed and timer variables)
if dashTimer <= 0
> dashing == false
> Set Player.Platform.MaxSpeed to 100
> Set dashTimer to 0.5

Also if you're on the latest stable build, C2 has a debugger now (thank God) so you can look at all of your variables while running the game. Give the debugger a try to see if things are working the way you think they are.



Yeah, I feel like you run the risk of looking dumb when you dont call it for what it is. Like the Respawn guys saying that the mechs in Titanfall aren't mechs. But really, they're mechs and they just look silly saying stuff like that.

Ahhh yeah that's what I was trying to explain. Changing the speed of the player for a short duration would simulate a dash.

 

[Popstar]

Anyone here have some Photoshop pipeline experience?

My artist needs to define some points in an image which he can then export and I can read in.

I was thinking he could place an object in a specially named layer and then I could write a script that embeds the position as metadata to be exported into the PNG. Sound plausible?

 

[Crazymoogle]

It looks like we'll have our trailer up today too! It will be nice to finally be able to talk about what I've been working on since the summer.

The Darkest Dungeon. Looks great!

Didn't know you were on GAF. I think this is the point where I'm supposed to tell you Tyler knows best... (Or maybe I did know and forget?)

Hope to see more of the the game soon.

 

[Mystic River]

Anyone here have some Photoshop pipeline experience?

My artist needs to define some points in an image which he can then export and I can read in.

I was thinking he could place an object in a specially named layer and then I could write a script that embeds the position as metadata to be exported into the PNG. Sound plausible?

the easiest way to avoid layers and decoding images is to embed your data in the image filename, that's what I am doing so I avoid extra unwanted information on my sprites and make it easier for me to debug/program, time is precious especially if you are a very small team, but it depends how much data you want to store.

 

[r1chard]

Just had someone offer to buy my android game from me. It's in the android store, has a few thousand installs and is free. The company he mentions seems legit (they have a bunch of free games. Just wondering whether this has happened to anyone else?

 

[RelentlessRolento]

really loving everyone's work <3 keep it up! can't stop, won't stop!

Kinda bummed that I have had to pause a bit for developing my game due to having to prepare for a large artist programming and arduino workshop I am doing as part of my grad research -_- more time consuming than I wished.

It'll be nice to get back to getting it going. Thankfully the time away has given me more ideas to implement that will benefit it overall.

 

[Popstar]

The Darkest Dungeon. Looks great!

Didn't know you were on GAF. I think this is the point where I'm supposed to tell you Tyler knows best... (Or maybe I did know and forget?)

Hope to see more of the the game soon.

Thanks! Now I have to try and figure out who you are

the easiest way to avoid layers and decoding images is to embed your data in the image filename, that's what I am doing so I avoid extra unwanted information on my sprites and make it easier for me to debug/program, time is precious especially if you are a very small team, but it depends how much data you want to store.

Amount of data will probably grow as the system gets used more and more. Likely too much to store in the filename.

 

[Mystic River]

Thanks! Now I have to try and figure out who you are

Amount of data will probably grow as the system gets used more and more. Likely too much to store in the filename.

well I use also many photoshop scripts for that, I stored some information in the layer name besides the filename, I am using 2d sprites in tiles but the script puts each group of layers into a file and use some layer name information to do things during the export to png process per sprite, then the tile set builder use that information to build the xml files and puts everything into a sprite sheet atlas that my game can read, so I didn't have to write much code to do all of that.

So, what you mention it is possible to do, you can try inside photoshop itself so you don't waste time writing a png decoder or other things, but if you need specific things put embeded inside the image and need to convert image colors to some numbers or parameters then photoshop scripting won't make it, so you will have to write an external application by yourself. If you give more details on what you are trying to do it would be easier to help you

 

[Bollocks]

What's the best way in Unity to get the angle of the surface you're currently standing on?
I want the character to slide off if it's too steep. first person view btw

I came up with:
Raycast straight down
Raycast 2nd time straight down, slightly ahead of you
calculate angle between the two
if > slide angle, push char forward(gravity will also push him down)

Store last position and compare with current position
But what if I'm standing still? It would give me the same position = no angle, even on a 70° surface.

Seems like method#1 is less error prone?

 

[ymoc]

Indie-GAF, now it is my turn to reveal a project, and I would like to ask for some feedback as well, if possible!

The game is titled Project Contendo (work in progress).

It is a fantasy SRPG (think of Heroes III meets X-Com - yes, permadeath is a thing!), with plans for frequent replayability. It does not rely on stat creep, has multiple (subsequent) difficulties, a completely user-controlled squad mode and a city management part as well (not focusing on townsfolk but rather on the fighters and casters themselves) - and I am still trying to wrap my head around some other, currently "Hidden as ****" aspects - but I plan on making this the game into something that I would want to play for the next few years, or potentially more.

Now, while the content itself is being developed alongside the engine (currently: HTML5, mainly focusing on PC/Tablet, but plan on expanding to an installable pc version as well, and then some other platforms too), I would appreciate a visual feedback. These are early mockups and very basic animations. My illustrator has expressed worry whether this style will be sustainable in the long term. The game is in pixel-art strict mode, therefore the plastic style seen in other indie, low-budget games are clearly out of the question. My pictures are in 1* zoom, but the whole game would default to 2* zoom which actually looks cool "ingame".



My personal opinion on the looks is that it has that retro feel while having a potential to be varied (custom armors, new hair/skin colors, custom weapons) enough so that no one gets bored of it. We are open to criticism, though. (And, all being sad and done, this is currently a 2-men project, with the focus on the gameplay). The background is the blandest possible, but of course there will be more interesting ones in game: think deserts, mountains, dungeons, crossroads in time and space, etc (And the last one is not a typo!)

And a few animations as well - the effects layer is missing as of yet, but hey...

It looks like a modern iteration of Aethra Chronicles, and old school pc rpg that I simply adore. Is it turnbased?
If the gameplay is going to be anywhere near that, shutupandtakemymoney.jpg

 

[V_Arnold]

Ymoc: Yep, turn-based! : )

 

[ymoc]

Ymoc: Yep, turn-based! : )

Awesome : D
Looking forward to more news about your game !
When do you expect to release the game (I'm assuming it's still a long way from finished) ?

 

[V_Arnold]

Awesome : D
Looking forward to more news about your game !
When do you expect to release the game (I'm assuming it's still a long way from finished) ?

I will start asking people around to participate in the "closed" beta around 2014 maj-june realistically. No assets are currently made for this game as we are developing a puzzle-rpg for mobile/tablet/pc in the meantime (that kinda started without us, by a close friend, and we joined forces with them for that project. There, I have the luxury of having not one, but two artists! ). That game should be out by 2014 jan/feb, and from there on, it is full force Contendo focus for me. But the full game still needs a whole year to get out.

 

[Anustart]

Seems there's a bug in my game!

If I slant any platform/ground and move the player across it, he just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Whoa baby.

 

[eot]

@Arnold I like the character art, the mage in particular. The tiling in the grass is pretty noticeable though. (I know you said it's placeholder but just pointing it out )

 

[V_Arnold]

@Arnold I like the character art, the mage in particular. The tiling in the grass is pretty noticeable though. (I know you said it's placeholder but just pointing it out )

Thanks! Well, I guess that one simple solution (beside varying the ground panels more) is to make a random list of objects on the field and scatter them randomly across the field while making sure that they are not lined up.

 

[ymoc]

I will start asking people around to participate in the "closed" beta around 2014 maj-june realistically. No assets are currently made for this game as we are developing a puzzle-rpg for mobile/tablet/pc in the meantime (that kinda started without us, by a close friend, and we joined forces with them for that project. There, I have the luxury of having not one, but two artists! ). That game should be out by 2014 jan/feb, and from there on, it is full force Contendo focus for me. But the full game still needs a whole year to get out.

Sound great!
I'll be drooling by next summer!! Please feel free to give more info about the project anytime!!! Good luck with the puzzle-rpg game, hope it goes by the schedule so you can get your ass straight to Contendo after that's out of the way!!!

Man, two artists sound like a dream hahaha. I'm currently also doing a project with my brother and I know what a one person more can\could mean : D
We've been working on it since this spring so when I'll have some media ready to show, I'll be sure to come back here.
It's a point&click adventure game mixed with a unique "combat" system (oh boy oh boy mustn't say anything yet!). The game will feature hand drawn graphics, we'll compose and record music by ourselves, so it's going to be just amazing when finished
I'm sure I'll be able to post some stuff by the end of the year!

 

[razu]

Just had someone offer to buy my android game from me. It's in the android store, has a few thousand installs and is free. The company he mentions seems legit (they have a bunch of free games. Just wondering whether this has happened to anyone else?

Yeah, all the time! But I don't want to sell my project, so I just ignore them. I assume they're bad news.. but maybe not.

 

[timetokill]

What's the best way in Unity to get the angle of the surface you're currently standing on?
I want the character to slide off if it's too steep. first person view btw

I came up with:
Raycast straight down
Raycast 2nd time straight down, slightly ahead of you
calculate angle between the two
if > slide angle, push char forward(gravity will also push him down)

Store last position and compare with current position
But what if I'm standing still? It would give me the same position = no angle, even on a 70° surface.

Seems like method#1 is less error prone?

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, just use the normal of the contact point (at your character's feet).

 

[Exano]

Hey guys. I just launched Square Dance, a brick breaker spin-off on Android and Kongregate

You can check out the trailer Here!

The game breaks off from brick breaker by showcasing 60 unique handbuilt levels, 12 bosses, and a class/ability combo system that dictates how you'll play through that session. I also made an Endless Mode, which procedurally generates millions of potential brick breaker levels (Last I calculated, was somewhere over 40 years of playing before you'd get repeats)

Let me know what you think! I'm having a hard time getting feedback about the game, so any criticism, compliments, hate, etc. I'd love to hear =p Right now I'm having a helluva time figuring out how to get this game out to people, and getting reviews on the android market and whatnot. I suppose its another step in the process to learn =p

Thank you for this thread! I've learned that I'm doing press releases bass ackwards, along with a few other things just from reading the last 20 or so pages. Hopefully I can clean it up and maybe get lucky and have a review or two posted somewhere. Ya'll are awesome!

 

[V_Arnold]

I'm sure I'll be able to post some stuff by the end of the year!

Looking forward to it!

Exano: Your games looks promising! I had a nostalgia rush just by looking at the two pictures! Does it work on low-end mobiles as well?

 

[Jobbs]

Getting these to match up in every pose has been trying, especially in the asymmetric poses that call for the arm being held out (like these aim poses) because they look totally different from either side. I keep making little tweaks and changes, which has a rippling effect on all my completed frames. But I hit a milestone today by finishing up the last of the basic aim animations (which is a very big job).

If you can believe it, I have all 8 aims for this done, 8 angles for aerial shooting, and 8 angles for crouch shooting.. oy...

I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this character. Most of what I have to do now is the "fun" stuff that doesn't involve aiming.

 

[Ashodin]

Oh man Jobbs, so good. Can't wait for more action!

Map Update. Readability needs to be there. And professionalism!

AAAAAAA this is so awesome

 

[r1chard]

Yeah, all the time! But I don't want to sell my project, so I just ignore them. I assume they're bad news.. but maybe not.

Thanks!

Oh man Jobbs, so good. Can't wait for more action!

Map Update. Readability needs to be there. And professionalism!

These look great - but I'd lose the translucency in the dialog. Unnecessary noise.

 

[Blizzard]

Thanks!


These look great - but I'd lose the translucency in the dialog. Unnecessary noise.

I agree with this suggestion. In addition, I would suggest that the buttons would not have a delay in appearing. Sitting around and waiting on an interface to respond so you can click a button can annoy players (or at least, it can annoy me, and I'm clearly the most important player ).

It's like a second delay for me in the GIF, but it could just be my web browser. On a touch screen it might make sense so I might take this suggestion back.

 

[Ashodin]

I agree with this suggestion. In addition, I would suggest that the buttons would not have a delay in appearing. Sitting around and waiting on an interface to respond so you can click a button can annoy players (or at least, it can annoy me, and I'm clearly the most important player ).

Hmmm I'm uncertain on the delay on the buttons - they are very slight of a delay, and it's in place to prevent players from accidentally skipping content.

The transparency thing can be modified, I suppose. I really like that it looks like overlays though.

 

[Five]

Yeah, one of the things I hate most about certain interfaces is when the interface takes too long to be interactive.

You can still do effects and transitions on stuff, but it should be interactive as soon as possible. For example, maybe the buttons start at half opacity and fade into fullness without delay but are active the whole time. Or maybe the effect isn't a fade-in, but a shimmer or glow of some type at start.

Otherwise, it looks pretty good!

edit: accidental skipping is a good reason, but I'm not sure this is the proper solution. Is it the text that you think could be skipped? Maybe that stays on screen while the game transitions to the next area so it can be read, or something like that.

Overall, not a big deal, but in general less menu lag should be sought after.

 

[Ashodin]

Thanks for the feedback, with it I was able to shorten the time AND fix a potential bug.

 

[Five]

Nice! Fixin' bugs is what making games is all about, haha.

 

[Servbot24]

I like the transparency but I think you should move the GO and BACK buttons so that they're not tangent to the border.