A Friendly role play competition where people choose to make games for one of two or a computer to be released on the launch day.
The games have to be made within the Consoles/Computer's limitations which will follow in my next post.
Each game will be reviewed in a mock magazine (I hope you guys can help me with all this) and the final review scores will ultimately affect the success of the three formats.
Everyone is free to choose which format they make their game for.
Any screen size (but no scrolling on 640x480 or more)
You choose your own palette, sprites can use any of your available palette
Mode 0 60fps - 16 visible objects on screen at once - 12 colours
Mode 1 30fps - 32 visible objects on screen at once - 24 colours
Mode 2 30fps - 64 visible objects on screen at once - 32 colours (4 pixel scroll)
Mode 3 60fps - 32 visible objects on screen at once - 12 colours (8 pixel scroll)
.Any mode can display a 256 colour static screen, it can have Text or Buttons.
.Supports all MMF2 extensions.
.Music can be Midi,Mod,OGG,MP3.
.8mb maximum game size (after compression Minus MMF2 runtime)
.Supports key board, multi button controller, mouse or any other Peripheral you can think of.
.No flicker
2. 8 Bit games console
Mode 0 - 32 visible objects on screen at once - 8 colours
Mode 1 - 32 visible objects on screen at once - 16 colours (They must be double width)
.60 frames per second
.Always Smooth scroll
.320x240 or 320x200
.You can use flicker to get around the object limit.
.You can mix modes mid screen so long as there are not new colours used and the mode .1 section only ever has 8 colours within it.
.1 layer only
.Music can be midi or mod (or chip tune sounding ogg,mp3,etc)
.1mb maximum game size (after compression minus MMF runtime.)
.Fixed pallete
3. Handheld
As above but
.160x144 screen size
.Sprites cannot contain more than 4 colours
.Special two colour mode that doubles on screen objects to 64
I'm in for the 8-bit console if you let us at least a month to do it.
As for the magazine, I could try helping with graphics. But no reviewing for me, my english skills aren't develloped enought for that kind of writing.
I know what im gonna do already so i'll start!
Edit: One question, Can you make it scroll x+320 ata a time. Like you are still in the same frame but it doesn't look like it.
DaVince This fool just HAD to have a custom rating
Registered 04/09/2004
Points 7998
19th March, 2009 at 16:25:42 -
Flip screen isn't quite the right term for it... (Flip screen actually usually mean that you draw anything that's on the video backbuffer to the screen - something that's irrelevant for click games.)
I don't Click anymore, but I do have some game creation tools I could use to make one of these. Can I still join?
I'll try to keep this topic alive. But really if you guys are interested could you keep posting with something?
Here is an example game i'm working on. It's taking longer than I thought because it's really hard to make nice graphics with double width pixels and such a weird pallete.
This uses the 8-bit console's mode 1. With a mode 0 status panel.
You can pick objects up (by pressing 'Down') and throw them at enemies (Fire 2)
Don't do a Mario on them! slimes hurt!
Uh... you can't actually die yet. Makes it easier to test, lol.
Heh, all three of those screenshots have exactly 15 different colours.
Andy UK: So that' s what you meant by "double width".
I was sure that it had to be stretched in both dimension, which would look like a 160x120 resolution. To late to turnaround
I personally can't think of a console who's graphics were streched only horizontaly, but I haven't seen everything. I'm just curious; Was there really one which did that?
It still kinda feels authentic anyway.
I actually based the graphics on the Amstrad cpc version of Titus the fox. Don't know how many are familiar with the game. But the graphics are very good for the humble ol' Amstrad cpc. The pallete for the '8-bit console' is actually the same as the Amstrad's pallete too and it has it's own double width pixel mode so it's good to look to for inspiration.
I'm actually putting all my time in the level editor for now(nearly finished), so the graphics are at beta stage.
I wanted to make a 8-bit game at first, but I can't come up to something good with this palette. There's not even a gray, and personally, I need many shades. So this is gonna be for the home computer.
As for the actual game; aside from the frames generating, the player movements is all I've coded, and I haven't really planned on the exact goal of the game. That bird's probably going to be harmless though, with the game play somehow focussing on dodging
"Features"
Level editor:
-Supports background, foreground and actual surfaces
-Tiles rotation and flipping
Platform movement:
-Exact 16 pxls jump
-Slopes climbing
Aha! fantastic stuff.
Yeah the 8 bit palette isn't great, however there is a grey in there. Look at the center of the image i posted.
I'm actually currently working on two games myself, but i thought no one was actually interested since there were very few posts. I guess you guys are just busy working on games
I asked Rikus to make a front page news post for the competiton but ive not had a reply to the dcmail i sent yet...
Here's some inspiring mockups for the Game boy for you guys to learn from. I was unable to participate cause I hadn't joined at the time. But there is some nice stuff in this challenge.
Plus, if you look hard enough there, you'll find plenty of retro style posts to get tips and info from. It's not that hard to get nice looking graphics Andy.
All platforming problems can be mostly solved here:
Well, i did mean I found it hard to make good graphics with double pixel width and that specific pallete.
If the guys are pixelation have a forum with those specs I'll find it more useful.
What is the time limit? is there even an end date? I'm working on a game that /may/ qualify, but it's not due for completion for a fair while yet, so you may be all done and bored by then. Ho humm.
Not to be off topic(In case I am) but I think it'd be pretty cool to remake some of our games for different platforms. (Not literally, but with different graphics and the like.)
Say, AndyUK released Buzz the squirrel for the PC. What if he made a Gameboy version? The graphics would be lower in resolution and probably shorter music loops and such. Idk, it just sounded like an interesting idea.
n/a
Poobical Has some jaffa cakes in his coat pocket 3
Registered 27/11/2008
Points 54
14th April, 2009 at 23:59:18 -
I have a slight problem. When coding it in TGF, it runs at 50fps, and I can't alter it in MMF2 otherwise it screws up the timing. You don't mind if it's 50FPS? (Its the handheld 8bit)
It's levels 1 and 4.
The game is for 8bit handheld. The aim of the game is to fight through bosses (guardians). You get a choice of what weapon you want to use at the start of each level. (you can also turn on Pick-Ups in the options menu that gives you weapon pick ups randomly through the stage)You must destroy the guardian to proceed. Just a quick easy game. Not too easy, not to hard.
(oh Alt + Enter for full screen)
I like it, it's well made. The boss' life counter does get in the way though. On the second boss i just couldn't see it shooting at me. The first boss did take an awfully long time to kill...
Other than that I can't see anything wrong with it
.
Poobical Has some jaffa cakes in his coat pocket 3
Registered 27/11/2008
Points 54
15th April, 2009 at 22:43:24 -
Yeah, the bullets in the second level have been changed to green now.
First boss took along time? Mmm, perhaps I could cut down the meter to 1000.
The boss life is there because I've got influenced by Gunstar Heroes. Thanks for ye comment.
Btw, Arnold's Adventure is really good. Really does seem totally retro! Defo a keeper on my laptop.
I agree completely. First boss was just tedious, and second one I couldn't see what was going on (at which point I got bored and stopped playing).
You should add a double-size option - that wouldn't be against the rules I don't think, seeing as it's not actually increasing the resolution as such.
Also, why don't you add normal shoot 'em up levels between the bosses? I can't help thinking it would be more fun. But then, personally I *hate* boss battles in any game.
Oh, and I nearly forgot - you need a visual cue to tell the player when the first boss is charging its lasers - I had music playing so I kept getting zapped without warning, until I realized there was a sound effect for it. The same may apply elsewhere, I'm not sure.
Thanks I kinda rushed Arnold's adventure so it's probably as buggy as hell. Then i threw in some of my own lame mods because i can't keep asking Davince to churn out a billion tunes for all sorts of stuff.
Could the counter could be moved up so it's out of the way? or is there a reason why it's a bit further down?
.
Poobical Has some jaffa cakes in his coat pocket 3
Registered 27/11/2008
Points 54
15th April, 2009 at 23:19:17 -
Cheers for the criticism, Sketchy. I've just put the first boss down to 1000 and allow more hits to damage the boss. I could easily put in a visual cue to the laser attack.
However adding in normal level would be difficult, due to the 32 object limit, however I could give it ago. Actually while writing that, I feel like it'll pad out the game more. Considering I've done seven bosses, I could just add in seven levels, and forget the 15 boss structure.
Thanks for the advice.
(The counters down there, just like Gunstar Heroes, although I could just move it up in the top right corner or something.)
(Done the edits to the bosses. Works alot better )
Poobical Has some jaffa cakes in his coat pocket 3
Registered 27/11/2008
Points 54
16th April, 2009 at 17:12:26 -
Yeah I know RedEchidna just with those type of stages there are more bad-guys and stuff on screen. (Bad Dudes + There bullets + Terrain) However I have made some flying levels, which add more depth to the game.
There isn't a deadline. There doesn't really need to be one at all really.
There's always a few people that spot competitions late and want to get involved but can't due to time constraints.
Just think of it as holding off on the launch dates until the launch lineup is ready.
I don't want to act as an organiser, it's just an idea I had and decided to share. So it's basically still open to suggestions for anything.
You know what? I'd rather start a new one if anything.
Instead of having competing formats to make games for it might be good to just have one format and the best game becomes the game that is bundled with it at launch.
You don't bundle the best game, you bundle a game which looks good, then you send the best game later.
At any rate, I think you should start with Gameboy 3-color monochrome.
Edited by Watermelon876
Awesomeness is Watermelon.
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This is Koji. Copy and paste Koji to your sig so he can acheive world domination.
You should definitely restart it in a month, but with a deadline this time.
Last time, I kept on delaying my project until I eventually forgot about it.
I always thought this was a great idea for a competition. Andy, I know you don't like too many rules in competitions, but most people like to have a deadline. I also think that making a couple of "template" MMF files would help people get started at the correct window size, etc.
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I'll help with the magazine articles. 
That is, if you'll let me. 
Edited by Fish20
