The VG Resource

Really very well done ! The ground is only the thing missing to make it complete.
And cave rock irregularities is also well made, they seem very natural.

I think you start to see how you can use that in a full game, and maybe making a scenario ?

This area has actually already been written into the game, actually. It's a waterfall filled cave.

While I never got to drawing water, this map below is where the water would flow outside.



The map for the entry area still hasn't been mapped out, yet. Though, the concept does exist.



This area's main purpose is to serve as an alternate way to get yourself to the other side if the bridge ever goes out. It's pretty dark, as you'd expect. And usually, entry is forbidden due to the fact most who come in never return out.



Here's some more screencaps now the map is starting to be finalized. Well, with a lack of water, that is.

Water will be a challenge to make it, as it have to be animated and realistic through the color palette you will chose. But you could find easily examples on the Spriters Resource.

Been working more on the items menu. Got the Key items, and icons working.

And yes, I know it's confusing with the whole "torch" thing. Originally was going to use a old-fashioned flame-based torch for lighting. Until I realized how it made no sense to store it without burning yourself. So I sorta made that as a joke.

Oh, and the text is referring to this character:

Great stuff so far! The font could use some work though, especially with the lowercase f. I'd also recommend making it anti-aliased to fit with the rest of the game's graphics.

(01-24-2018, 09:06 AM)Snessy the duck Wrote: [ -> ]Great stuff so far! The font could use some work though, especially with the lowercase f. I'd also recommend making it anti-aliased to fit with the rest of the game's graphics.

Maybe, but I don't think the text should be anti-aliased, I find that the original look add a good feel to game ambiance.

More map progress, some of them have been redone a bit. The details are slowly clicking into place.

Also, cutscene stuff is getting worked on, now. The example below is pretty rough, but it works.

The cutscene black bars effect is very appreciable !
I am getting very interested by using your "engine/framework" you done in one of my adventure games. Will he be open to use, or maybe you have already an idea of a game project to use with ?

So, the game's development has been semi-restarted. This is due to the fact there was many issues with the fact I wasn't researched upon proper game development, and I did everything by what I felt fit the original development of the game. Ranging from lack of ideas, to even not even having a game design document (ouch).

The artstyle will actually be updated a bit. Sprites will be larger, and less deformed in order to support better animation quality overall. Though, they use the same design styles overall.

Some of the areas will be intact, the major differences will be that generally, everything will be designed to fit together first, than just clobbering what works. As a sense of cohesive flow is required for such a large-scale game.

Due to this, updates are going to become very slow. As I want to plan everything out before working on real meat of the game.

Edit: Example of the newer Sprite design, they're taller, and more resemble people than before.

Been changing up design methods since I now have a Game Design Document.

The formula now follows:

1. Write down an outline/brief story

This just contains the sequence of events, pretty simple stuff.

2. Expand upon the original story, make it functional

AKA: Turn the story from an outline, to a narrative plot that has a start, raising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

3. Write it into a script

This section just sums up the events, what happens, and where things take place and such.

4. Storyboard.

Turn the script into a rough storyboard that visually show cases what happens. This way, things can be further clarified.

5. Plan out rough map designs.

The best way to do this would be to just have an order of events first, then turn it into small boxes to represent locations/events with arrows leading to where.

Rough character design ideas can be thrown into this section, too.

6. Plan final maps

Now that the rough ideas have been done, drawing out the maps in final can be done. With details on what goes where, and the overall visual theme.

Now the final character designs are drawn.

7. Start adding content into the game.

This can include drawing in the assets with placeholder sprites and tiles. At this point, the game should be playable with just placeholder content.

8. Finalize content.

Start drawing in sprites, tilesets, sounds, and music. At this point, the game should be playable in a testing state.

9. Test, report, fix.

In short, test the game for bugs, report them, and fix them. Just polish before release.

Seems a good development strategy.
Looking forward for the story !

What's this? An update?! Yeah. I forgot about this thread.

Basically, been spending time writing. I've also created a "gold system" on a list that I check daily, so I can ensure development is going well. Once it's gole, it's done.

Planning:
• Story – outline – Gold
• Story – screenplay – Starting to write Act 1
• Locations – text only – Gold
• Locations – full maps – not started (write after screenplay is gold)
• Characters – text – Gold
• Characters – designed – not done (do after screenplay is gold)
• Game Design Document – Gold
• Story-boarding – not started (do after screenplay is gold)
• Item list – not started (write after screenplay is gold)


Mechanics:

• Mechanic ideas – written, not explained
• AI goals – not written
• AI and NPC movement systems – not written
• Battle mechanics – not written
• Follower system – documented, not fully written

Visual:

• Player and NPC sprite style – being redone
• Battle visual style – beta
• Item sprites – not done, only examples built.
• Tilesets – need to be redone
• Text boxes – fine for now

Audio

• Menu sounds – beta
• Music – is none right now, will be added later
• Ambient sounds – none
• Battle sounds – none right now
• Sound panning – ?
• Sound volume based of location proximity – to be added

Little thing. I have good news, and bad-ish news.

The good news is that I have enough screenplay written up that there's a chance for a possible demo soon.

The bad news is that I'm building the game from scratch, since it was built with spaghetti to the max, and it's obviously affecting how the game runs. I'm much more organized and overall better at cleaner design this time, so it shouldn't be an issue at all.

So…I’m going to assume this game is dead, right? Really hoping development is still going, but if there hasn’t been an update in four years, then that’s what I’m going to assume. Quite sad, if you ask me.