I'm not sure whether to put this uner "Programming Help" or "Programming Ideas" because I need help with a programming idea.
I basically have been re-learning all the basics, and have a pretty decent tilemapper/scroller engine done. The thing is I don't really know what to continue on with. I thought that I would have figured that out by now...anyway, I'm open to suggestions. I'm thinking about an arpg kind of game (like zelda/corbin), mainly because it's an awesome vector for a story, but figure that this is a lot of work in this, and seems to be a huge undertaking. I also have been thinking about making a game like Jackal for the NES.
Never be scared of a huge undertaking! You can make it as big as you want and as hard as you want (those two things correlate).
With an ARPG it's just that you will have to do map design and story design which you won't need for other games. Also it requires a textengine, battle engine, particle engine, map engine. But that isn't really hard to make and you'll have lot's of fun making it.
May I suggest Half-Life 2d...atleast a non sword or magick ARPG? Can't checkout Jackal page doesn't work.
"They say that sea was created by a man named Maarten Zwartbol, a long time ago...." - Duck, an old Corbin version
Well, if the Jackal page doesn't work, it's basically a top view, drive-around-in-a-jeep-and-shoot-things-while-avoiding-those-who-shoot-at-you type game.
Maybe I'll try and combine the two. Have the guy walk around and have a story, then jump in his jeep and shoot stuff.
Wow, I've never seen that Jackal game before! I think that would be a really cool game on the calc. We need more fast pased games, and less RPGs. Besides, RPGs take long peroids of time to make, and the authors usually never finish them, or the procrastinate for so long that people loose intrest, as well as the auther. Go with Jackal!
ha ha ha...Jackal! I remember that game! I still have it for my nes! In fact, when I was trying to come up with game ideas...this one popped in for a few days! I actually have some 16x16 Greyscale sprites of the jeep that look pretty close to the original. (which were a tad bigger.)I can certainly give them to you if you wanna make this game! Also another idea I had which you could certainly take is Kung Fu for the nes. (which I also have) I have the graphics made in Greyscale 32x32. Walking animation and fighting animation. I touched them up to look more kung fu like with character looking more modern. I had at one time planned on making it, but if you want to use it be my guest!
Oh and Jackal rocks...I think I'll go play it right now! A fairly simple concept, but it was great fun, it was even funner with 2 player!
You will have to go with 8x8 sprites or else it will be unplayable, you know that right?
And I like the idea, though it will be a challenge to make smoothscrolling and projectiles with 16bt coordinates (atleast if you've never done it before).
"They say that sea was created by a man named Maarten Zwartbol, a long time ago...." - Duck, an old Corbin version
the main issues I need to work out now are bullets / collision and maps. I want to plan out the maps and the system before I dive into much else. In games like TVF or Corbin, did you guys just make one huge map and access it little bits at a time, or did you make smaller sub maps for each area? For Jackal, I don't think it would be do bad to have one map for each level, since they aren't that big, and mostly just scroll up as you progress. Then I could have a different tileset for each level...this is going to be a lot more work than Quadropong was.
Good to see you want to make thorough planning before start!
In TVF I have one big map per level (mostly 60x60 tiles). I use one general tilemap. You'll have to see what suits you best. If your levels use mostly the same tiles make a general tileset in your engine if your levels very much differ in tileuse you could go for tilesets per map.
In an old project (which might be finished soon) called Asghan. Alex uses a different map per region (so no big map which you access one at a time). He distinguishes between overworld, nature, village. He also uses differents tilesets and he defines per map which set it uses.
"They say that sea was created by a man named Maarten Zwartbol, a long time ago...." - Duck, an old Corbin version
Good planning is key. I've already seen how easy it is to program yourself into a corner, as it may be. But if you think about what you need first, you can plan around that.
One area I'm seriously lacking in is graphics. Any helpful links for like pixel design or art? I doubt I will try take graphics directly from Jackal. I think the conversion would be pretty ugly.
I think I'm going to use one map and tileset combination for each level. Each level looks pretty different (or so I would assume...I've only gotten to the end of the 2nd level (which reminds me, I should probably beat the game too)). This way, I can use certain areas of the tileset for certain actions (walk-over, action tiles, etc), and keep some regularity among the code.
A good engine for this game is more import that graphics. Graphics are important for this game too, but if the engine sucks, the whole game will suck, no matter how good your graphics are.
HAHAHAHA...no kidding. I'm seriously tired of xbox. Mine is about to become a webserver or something. Or a doorstop. I'm back to ps2 now. Upgraded to the smaller version a month or two ago, and just got Metal Gear Solid 3 and GTA:SA for Christmas. Suhweeet!
Ha ha sweet...MGS3 is a damn good game...I think the best in the series thus far. GTA: SA, what more has to be said!
Like I mentioned before I had some 16x16 sprites of the jeep...but I can't seem to find them now. I am sure I have them somewhere, if not I can whip them up in like 5 min. They are very true to the original!
