I am confident I can write a story that doesn't suck.
Also I just thought of a great idea. A top-down shooter starring none other than TDC's own deceased mascot: Mitch. It'll capture the essence of TDC. We can also add some online multiplayer functionality. It will be awesome if we can all pull together and make a game to commemorate Mitch.
Awesomeness is Watermelon.
*／l、
ﾞ（ﾟ､ ｡ ７
l、ﾞ ~ヽ
じしf_, )ノ
This is Koji. Copy and paste Koji to your sig so he can acheive world domination.
I could probably write a story but if it wasn't funny it might be contrite, cliche' and terrible. I actually really like to write!
I also like to do the bigger cutscene pictures used at the start or end of a game. If the artist(s) responsible for the game's sprites has his / hers done first I could work off those and do up a couple big stills to overlay the story on if nobody else wants to. I mean going and doing whole sprites and animation would be a pain in the ass but I wouldn't mind drawing a few pictures that matched the main artist(s) work to help contribute that way.
Some examples in my work:
Edited by Del Duio
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Originally Posted by Del Duio How about something like this:
It's feudal Japan, and you are in the Emperor's employ as an elite Samurai warrior sworn to protect the people. One night while out riding your horse you spot a streaking fireball from the sky and moments later a thunderous boom fills the air. Thinking it could be a potential threat, you set out for the crash site... The object was a meteor, and it's made a giant hole in the ground. Looking over the side there's no bottom as far as the eye can see and it's dark as all hell. Suddenly shrieks and screams abound from the hole, and they're headed your way! With no time to call for reinforcements you grab your trusty katana and short bow and jump into the pit, ready to take on all who stand in your way!
If we do a story, it should be something simple like this (though maybe not something so tired and used). We can show all this with action and just use text here and there if it's necessary.
All this talk about story is all well and good, but it's starting to flounder. Everyone pay attention to Jon's direction and stay focused. We'll get stuck in the story phase otherwise.
I agree with Del Duio and Fish20. Have him jump into a hole/portal and then you're not limited to Japan. Much better for creativity.
Mr. Lambert, I think you should take some sort of hardline approach to clamping down on the ideas. Or put people in positions where they make the final call on different elements of the game.
Also, I think the vibe of this game (the samurai part anyway) should lean towards the snes side as opposed to 8-bit.
I could do the research on the samurai and other elements we think up. I do really well on my reports, and writing something quick up for TDC wouldn't require a lot of neatness and what not.
I could do the research on the samurai and other elements we think up. I do really well on my reports, and writing something quick up for TDC wouldn't require a lot of neatness and what not.
If you want to take the cutesy japanese look, great. However if you guys decide upon a more realistic approach this game is the one to look at. (sorry to repeat myself)
Some gameplay mechanics to take note of.
.Enemies knock you back but don't actually damage you on contact.
.There are two layers on some levels that you can (only) jump between with the double jump move.
.There are various power ups lying around levels one of which is an 'extra hit' that takes the form of a sort of hand shield and a sword you automatically use when attacking close to an enemy. You can also use it to block enemy shurikens.
.One of the power ups is a bomb which adds a little element of risk/reward to the game.
I was thinking more in terms of snes games and their lighter color palette versus the actual style of that game. I imagine it having a more realistic graphical style like shinobi.
Originally Posted by JustinC Mr. Lambert, I think you should take some sort of hardline approach to clamping down on the ideas. Or put people in positions where they make the final call on different elements of the game.
As I said earlier in the thread, my plan was and is to select a Coding Leader, Design Leader, Graphics Leader, Music Leader, and Sound Leader, and we six people will begin to make these "hardline" decisions. As of now, I am still looking for someone to head up coding for the game, as not a single person has volunteered, and the other four leaders are to be searched for oce we as a community decide what the mood and theme of the game are (so that graphics people will be able to draw, music people able to compose, sous people able to record, and design people able to coordinate it all to the story and make crucial design decisions.
If you want me to make some hard decisions now, I could say that the game will be about a horde of demons that have escaped the underworld through a portal from the underworld or some such place, and you play as a samurai who must defeat the demons and seal the portal to save the world. During your quest, you learn that the demon world is beginning to merge with your world, increasing the urgency in closing the portal.
The game's mood would be serious and somewhat dark, as the world is potentially ending, and this would be reflected by somewhat realistic graphics using darker colors and details. The music would be somewhat similar to what you hear in fighting games like Soul Calibur.
You all, if you were fine with that, could then talk about how the portal opens or how the worlds merge together, what the demons look and act like, how you will close the portal, and things like that. If we can decide on this, I'll be able to establish Design, Graphics, Music, and Sound Leaders.
Then the plot could revolve around either a demon, or a human (or both) who opens the portals themselves. He/she is the one responsible for the portals, and perhaps at the end of each level, the character will either fight this demon-master himself, who will improve as the game progresses, or, he will leave one of his strongest minions to fight you, which will probably mean more variety of bosses, but more time to make up the concept, graphics, etc.
Just a quick idea, how about the game starts with a portal being opened near the protagonist, who is taken by the portal, and while he is taken through every other portal that has been opened, he realises he must return to this original portal, where the demons will eventually enter, where he then finally defeats the demon lord thus saving his country/village/world/whatever?
Originally Posted by Del Duio Serious or no, I think the entire story could / should be summed up on a single screen in a single paragraph.
We don't need no stinkin' novel!
Well, I'm thinking of something along the lines of the Ninja Gaden cut-scenes. In any given game they only amounts to a page or two of dialogue. The animation is vary basic, mostly stills that are moved around. I don't think that's asking too much.
I don't know, here is a link to all the cut-scenes spliced together again, Dose anyone think I'm underestimating how difficult cut-scenes of this style will be to do? I mean, we don't have to do as many as in that game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLqwsXebHQ
"Oh, my god! A lightning monster just ripped out this poor woman's eyes, and your mocking her shrubbery!" - The Spoony One
Really, only a vague story is important right now. I'd say that the main thematic elements are there, the Samurai hero, the Demon villains and minions, and the world which is being slowly merged with the Demon realm. The stage right now is Design - how will the game play, what will make it fun, what challenges are possible, how can such challenges rise in difficulty, what controls or abilities are there to master, how will boss scenes pan out? All questions that need to be answered.
This is still wildly up in the air, although now Jon has set a mood for it (I'm trusting his posts, since they are realistic, and he was basically voted to lead anyway), that narrows it down somewhat. Looks like time for a Design Leader to step in. I'd gladly offer, but my available time is iffy, and I'm prone to disappearing for days.
At least start discussing it more, and leave story to a different thread, or to writers to figure out in their own time. Has anyone started in chats about this yet? So far all I've seen is this thread, and it's going very slowly.
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Edited by Del Duio
Coding Leader
