The new vending machine is sweet.
The new tree's canopy is too small for the trunk, though.
And can we have more flower styles?

Okay, thanks about the pengubot!
I was rereading the old pages, and noticed that by reusing a post for the Main D-Doc, I kinda messed up the readability of the thread, so I'll recreate the d-doc below and revert the first one to its original state.

Edited by Ninja Crow - 08 April 2010 at 9:53am

MAIN DESIGN DOCUMENT

    Main entries are numbered
    Sub entries are lettered
    Notes are numbered
    e.g. '13.A.2'

    Depreciated entries or notes will be struck then eventually removed

1. Water animation.
   Image: (1)
   (1.3 for general water behaviour questions)

2. Tilesets.
   2.A. Ground (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
   2.B. Background (1)
   (2.13 for general tileset questions)

3. Level Elements.
   3.A Midground.
   Image: (1) (2) (3) (4)
   (3.A.4)

   3.B Foreground.
   Image: (1) (2) (3)
   (3.B.4)

   3.C Collectibles.
   Image: (1) (2)
   (3.C.6)

4. Jump.
   Currently a quick take-off with a bit of float to sweeten the apex.
   Jump height is about 2 1/2 times his body height.
   (4.6)

5. Programming.
   Game Maker, and any questions about it.
   5.A Animation.
   5.B Utilities. Suggested so far: Colour Replacer.
   (5.C)

   (5.1 for general programming questions)

6. Wilbot's Animations.
   6.A Walk (1) (2) (3) (4)
   6.B Jump (1) (2) (3) (4)
   6.C Die (1) (2)
   6.D Struck (1)
   6.E Misc (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
   6.F Falling
   6.G Tipping
   (6.H)

   (6.6 for general Wilbot animation questions)

7. Num Nums.
   (7.2)

8. Enemies. Names will be WIP
   Enemy designs are 'as cute as possible'.
   For many of these enemies, when Wilbot jumps or lands on their head, they will bounce up, turn upside down, then fall off the screen - defeated.

   8.A Bunnybot
   (8.A.3)

   8.B Whalebot
   (8.B.1)

   8.C Crocbot (2)
   (8.C.1)

   8.D Spikebot
   (8.D.1)

   8.E Bouncebot
   (8.E.1)

   8.F Pandabot (2) (3)
   Splits into two smaller bots when stomped.
   (8.F.2)

   8.G Neckbot
   Extends neck to keep Wilbot from bouncing on its head (when stunned will retract its neck).
   A hit on its head at any time (whether it's been stunned or not) will defeat it immediately.
   (8.G.4)

   8.H Pengubot (2)
   (8.H.3)

   8.I Caterbot/Wurmbot
   When stomped, will lose a segment, and won't be defeated until all segments are gone.
   (8.I.3)

   (8.5 for general enemy quesions)

10. Off Topic...
   (10.3)

13. Mockups.
   Images: (a) (b) (c)
   (13.6)

15. Title & Title Sequence.
   "!Strange Atoll"
   (15.5)

16. Hosting.
   Current possibilities are Google Sites and Blogger.
   (16.2)

17. Palette.
   An awe inspiring set of only six total colours per System!
   System One Palette
   (17.5)

18. Music.
   (18.3 for general music questions)

19. Font.
   Image: (1)
   (19.1)

21. Bosses.
   21.A Rhinoboss
   Must stun to get horn to retract so that head is vulnerable to attack.
   (21.A.2)
   21.B Dracoboss
   (21.B.2)
   21.C Bigboss
   (21.C.4)

   (21.2 for general boss questions)

22. Powerups.
   For powerups requiring a recharge, a small bar will appear above Wilbot's head and follow him until it drains and disappears.
   Damage from enemies or environment forces the bar to drain faster.

   22.A Jetpack
   (22.A.1)
   22.B Hammer
   (22.B.3)
   22.C Pogohammer
   (22.C.1)

   (22.3 for general powerup questions)

23. World Structure.
   3 worlds, called "Systems", with 3 levels each, called "Programs", with checkpoints, and a final, independent System (with no interior Programs).
   There will be a unique look (tileset) for each System.
   Each Program will have a unique palette-shift version of their System's tileset.
   (23.6)

24. Level Design
   Most levels scroll horizontally, but some will scroll vertically as well.
   (24.8)

25. Monster Design Document
   Link to MONSTER DESIGN DOCUMENT
   (25.1)

26. To Do List
   Currently for World One.
   (There are eight finished out of thirty-six items.)
   Link to TO DO LIST
   (26.16)

27. Team Banner
   Image: (1)
   (27.1)

28. Story
   One seemingly ordinary but beautiful morning, while our hero Wilbot and his best friend (Zinabot?) are enjoying the view of the ocean with Wilbot's trusty spyglass, a strange object comes into view over the horizon. It's an atoll island system that seems to be moving under it's own power! Curious, Wilby jumps on his boat and sails across to investigate. Once there, he will eventually discover that the evil Bigboss is bent on taking over Wilbot's home!
   Wilbot will have to destroy the Batteries in each Program, and the Motivators they power in each System, that drive the island, to save his home. But each Motivator is protected by a very formidable boss!
   Bigboss will try to discourage Wilbot from continuing the fight by robotnapping Zina, but Wilby will rescue Zina from the lava dragon, Dracoboss, and then defeat Bigboss in the game's final System. But Bigboss is very powerful and crafty, and it'll take all of Wilbot's skill to defeat him, and save his home, and bring happiness back to the Strange Atoll!
   Some more details and discussion here.
   (28.7)

29. HUD
   Wrenches for lives, stack in a row at the lower left corner.
   (29.1)

30. Swimming
   Discussion of how Wilbot interacts with the water.
   Wilbot is short-circuited and destroyed by water unless he has some kind of powerup.
   (30.3)

32. Goal Post
   Discussion of how the game's Program goals will look and act.
   The first two Programs of each System will have a Battery to destroy/deactivate, so there won't be enough extra power to run the shields of the Motivator which is at the end of the third and final Program of each System, and guarded by a boss.
   (32.4)

33. Cost
   Absolutely free to any who wish to play it when it's finished!
   (33.1)

34. Stage Selection Map
   The use or even need of such a map is still under discussion.
   (34.2)

Next Item:
(35.)

Thanks!

Edited by Ninja Crow - 21 August 2010 at 5:31pm

Just an idea of what the ice could look like.  I'll revise the dimmesnsions and whatnot later.  :P

@ crozier: thanks for letting us use your stuff for inspiration!

@ Robinhood: Cool ice pattern - I especially like the beveled top edge, making it look a bit 3-D. I was trying to make something icy myself for the Pengubot PJ submission, but couldn't quite get the blank areas to work, so I just put in some crystals :P

@ Photocopier: yes it looks confusing, but only because organisation is very difficult. In order to make responding to questions very easy, every single individual question needs to have a number. The first number is the category, so if you have a question about level design, then your question should start with a "24" and so on. If none of the categories match, you can use an unclaimed number to start a new one!

That's what the green numbers are for: Since it's almost impossible to keep track of which numbers have been used already by looking around all the posts, all you have to do is use the green number in any category, because it's the most current number that hasn't been used.

Some categories have sub-categories, like say an individual enemy from the monster list. So if you wanted to ask a question, say, about the Pengubot, you would look to the Monster section, then the Pengubot subsection and find that the number to use would be "8.H.3" which is the green one and shows that no other question has had that number.

It keeps it tidy.

Hope that explains things,
JD

quickie mole sketchish thing

echoechoecho 'dead project?'

This is my idea, I hope you enjoy!

Giant robot

Walking


attacking



xD

For hosting:

GitHub - freshmeat - SourceForge

Familiarizing yourself with a proper version control system has a learning curve, but it's worth it in the long run.

EDIT: what are you coding this in?

Edited by Hatch - 28 April 2010 at 11:05am

@ Hatch - thanks for the links, Ninja Crow is gonna code it in GameMaker.
@DGH94 - Oh yeah, that too.  It's already on the to do list if I remember correctly.

dA is an art gallery. DropBox is for sharing large files and syncing various computers. Those sites I linked are specifically for managing software development projects--one should always use the right tool for the job.

Basically, a version control system tracks every change you make, and allows you to roll any of them back to any point. This applies to both code and art. You can set up stable exes for everyone to download, and people can also grab the "bleeding edge" code and build the exe themselves if they have the tools and know-how. Those sites also provide other related services like bug tracking, project-specific forums and wikis, and so on.

When you sign up, they'll create a code "repository" for you. You create the game files and make the art on your computer, and them you "commit" them to the repository using client software. The repository automatically tracks all changes and who made them, and allows you to roll back to any point, compare different revisions, etc. A complete tutorial is beyond the scope of this post, but some googling and poking around GitHub's help pages will get you on the right track. As I said, it will take some getting used to, but the benefits will pay for the learning curve over time.

I'm reluctant to attempt to sell you on the idea. I fear that I will A) succeed, and feel responsible if you find yourself in over your head, or B) fail, and feel responsible if you end up using a solution that comes to be painful as your project grows. (the Goldilocks outcome, C, where I convince you and you're happy as a clam, is not considered)

I will say that it works fine for any size project and it doesn't care what kind of files you use (GameMaker format = no problem). I encourage you to look around the various repositories I linked to and see if you can find projects comparable to yours. Honestly, just looking around inside a project as a user rather than a developer will give you a good idea how the system works and why it's the de facto standard for open source development projects, large and small.

Hi guys, here's something I've been doing in between programming (because squinting at pixels is such a relief from squinting at code...):

     

I know my first suggestion for the neckbot was that you have to bounce on his body to make the neckbot drop down so you can then bop his head, but it also occurred to me how fun it would be from a platforming perspective to have it so that you have a stair-step jump, from body to head - and you would be allowed to bop the head at any time that you feel like jumping up to it.

This two-part jump is similar to the original idea, but seems like it would be faster or more fun - plus you can use the neckbot as a useful object to help you reach platforms that are otherwise inaccessible.

So what do you all think?

The legs lack the strong 3D identity that the rest of the body has.

Thank god, more posts, i thought this was dead for one moment then...

so yeah...

Thanks for the C+C Ninja, This project is soo awesome it HAS to exist...

Edited by bannanawalrus - 12 May 2010 at 9:39am

Thanks for the turtles, BW & DGH.

If Robinhood likes them, and we have time and space for them, they should be fun additions.

(p.s. if you still think they need work, go right ahead and keep revising them if you like, otherwise we'll save any necessary changes for when they have to be animated etc., in case there's anything needed to make them fit with the game engine.)

Oh, sorry DHG, i didnt see it .

Edited by bannanawalrus - 13 May 2010 at 10:56am

@Ninja Crow only - You have my full permission to use any graphics and sprites I have created for engine tests.  And for anything else you need.

I've just noticed this thread has been visited more times than the FAQ or the rules...

Edited by bannanawalrus - 15 May 2010 at 2:09am

XP

<honk honk>
Heehee, thanks, Jeremy!

Thanks for that flattering acronym, bannanawalrus, and those are terrific ideas - I'm perfectly happy with you keeping up the flow!

An overworld map is not a bad idea (and I realise I have been sort of assuming there will be one, the whole time) so I guess there will be one going into it unless someone has a brilliant argument against the idea.

Thanks for the sprites, Robinhood - they're cute, and will be very helpful for the game engine (yeah, no worries about the delays, that can all be handled by code and game timers).

Thanks about the giraffe. I hope I did your style proud!

No worries, Wilbot is merely estivating.