Messages

1

Games / Re: What game made you afraid?

« on: January 11, 2008, 12:30:42 am »

I've felt severely apprehensive only twice while playing video games.

Metroid II was the first time... That game just creeped me out like nobody's business. That music they played for when you first encountered a metroid terrified me!

And actually, the other time was when I was 17 or so playing the first Halo. When the Flood was first introduced, the scene right before that... really, the entire level really got my heart beating. I wasn't actually -scared- like I was playing Metroid II, but I was definitely on the edge of my seat. When you actually saw what the flood was, I was immediately no longer pumped.

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Off-Topic / Re: Pixel art

« on: January 11, 2008, 12:25:18 am »

I'm expecting the game to take about 2 years to complete, and it's been... I think... 8 months so far? We just entered full production (from pre-production) actually.

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Games / Re: Making my own video game: Where to start?

« on: January 11, 2008, 12:21:15 am »

Well, I started making my own game about 8 or 9 months ago... The first thing you're going to want to do to get started is decide what game you're making. Each type of game requires different things, so it's best to know that first. Are you making a game like Aquaria, Breath of Fire or F-Zero? How ambitious are you willing to be? Do you have experience with this kind of thing already?

What are you good at? What do you enjoy?

Try to come up with a solid concept with a lot of details. Make yourself look like a pro. The more planning you have under your belt when you first get started, the less likely you'll get halfway through something before you realize it can't be done the way you're trying it.

Then you'll need to think about team members. Are you able to solo it? If not, what sort of resources do you need? Will you have to pay for them? Can you program, draw, make music? If not, who can you find to help you with those things and how much will it cost?

For me, I knew right away I would need a LOT of artwork, programming and music that I wasn't able to make myself. I picked up some extra hours at work so I could afford what I needed, then I started asking every person who seemed talented that I could. Be warned, it could take you DOZENS of tries before you pick up a full team you're happy with. It took me almost 7 months to get my team together. Just try and be patient and don't get discouraged if it's more difficult than you might have anticipated.

The creators of Aquaria were lucky they fit so well together and, between just the two of them, they could do everything they needed. That's rare and it's why games that come out as well as Aquaria are rare. My team is 7 people, including myself.

That's how you get started, I think. Decide what you want to do, figure out how to make it happen and then do everything in your power to get the ball rolling. The first few months are some of the hardest when you're starting out from scratch. ANTICIPATE that so you don't lose hope right at the beginning.

Patience is the name of the game here. Don't rush ANYTHING. One of the wisest things I've ever heard is "More speed, less haste." Remember that when you're getting started. Impatience will kill you ever time.

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Off-Topic / Re: Random youtube stupidity

« on: January 10, 2008, 11:56:31 pm »

Here, I'll continue with some randomness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2UIQz2W0ss

SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THIS IS EVERYWHERE!!! Aside from it being weirdly hypnotic.

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Off-Topic / Re: Anime!

« on: January 10, 2008, 11:51:17 pm »

My 3 favorite anime series I marked with an asterisk! Woo!

(Currently watching!)
Gintama
Magical Project S (PRETTY SAMMY!)
Magic Knight Rayearth

(Series I've watched all the way through)
Love Hina
*Mai HiME (The most heart-breaking thing I've ever seen! >.<)
Mai Otome
DearS (It actually gets good at the end if you can get over the insanity near the beginning)
*Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu
Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid
Dragon Ball Z (It's over nine thousaaaaaaaand!!)
Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne
*Cowboy Bebop (Just brilliant...)
Outlaw Star
Tenchi Muyo
Tenchi Universe

(Series I've watched all the part way through)
Pokemon
One Piece
Pretty Cure
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball GT
School Rumble
Sailor Moon (Yes, I'm comfortable enough with my masculinity to admit I like Sailor Moon!)
Bleach
Full Metal Panic
Full Metal Alchemist

Yeesh, that's more than I thought I've watched, and I'm even leaving stuff out! Uhg, I need to get a life!

6

Off-Topic / Re: Favourite Movies

« on: January 10, 2008, 11:35:40 pm »

My top 5 list of favorite movies actually changed for the first time in years, lately.

1. Princess Bride

Absolutely my favorite movie! It's so clever and funny. Probably the best cast movie I've ever seen, too. Andre the Giant was such a perfect actor for this film.

2. Children of Men

This movie probably has my favorite camera work in it, as well as really, really good acting. Clive Owen became my third favorite actor after this. The biggest thing, though, was the plot that seemed so absurd and unexplainable, but it was depicted so realistically... it really disturbed me. I felt funny for days after watching this.

3. The Lion King

I don't care if it's a "kids' " movie! The story was great, the songs were awesome, it was beautiful... This was actually my favorite film until I had seen Princess Bride several years ago.

4. Independence Day

This one wasn't necessarily great cinema, but I saw it when it first came out and I really loved it. It felt so... patriotic to me. (this being before 9/11, when patriotism took on a different meaning) All the people of the world uniting to face their enemies was absolutely touching and that speech by the president near the end still gives me goosebumps.

5. The Messenger

This movie was actually very poorly reviewed and a lot of people hate it. I guess I don't blame them, but I thought it was fantastic. The fact that Joan of Arc is my favorite historical figure makes me a little biased, though. =P

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Off-Topic / Re: Pixel art

« on: January 10, 2008, 11:26:13 pm »

It may be in bad taste for me to do this for one of my first posts here, but it really is appropriate...

This is a screenshot from a game I'm working on. I didn't do the graphics, for the record.



I don't understand how someone could say this isn't art. Maybe, MAYBE you could say it's somehow "below" more traditional styles or techniques for making art, but I sure wouldn't.

I do, however, think you could make the case that some of the first video games' graphics wouldn't necessarily be considered art...

Maybe art is more what something is intended to be? A lot of old video games weren't trying to be artistic. Maybe pixel art  and/or video game graphics became "actual" art the first time someone intended them as such?

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Games / Re: Games We've Loved...

« on: December 31, 2007, 04:28:59 pm »

Hi everyone! This is my first post here... and...

ZOMG HALO.

I think a LOT of people sort of dislike this game out of spite. Any time something gets too popular, some people who aren't active fans of it start hating it out of principle (See: Titanic and Independence Day)

I'm speaking specifically about the first Halo game, not 2 and 3 (though both were really good, in my opinion).

Halo did a lot of things that a lot people don't give it credit for. The story for that game wasn't terribly gripping, but it was a perfect method for moving everything along. The setting was awesome, though. I remember just stopping at a cliff to look at the ring for a while and marveling over how cool it was.



Then all the other things they did right... introducing grenades in the way they did, the 2 weapons only system, integrating vehicle combat and control the way they did and the shield recharging system (allowing you to duck for cover until they recharged, which totally changed the way an FPS was played)... The enemy AI was the best for any FPS ever made at the time too (and it stayed that way for a good, long while too)... every weapon had its own strength and weaknesses.

Maybe I sound like a ranting fanboy right now, but aside from just being a really good game, it changed how First Person Shooters would be designed forever and was the most fun I've ever had with a video game.

However, despite this, I don't think it'll ever take my #1 favorite game's spot..

Secret of Mana

SoM was one of the first games I -really- got into. The graphics were really bright and pretty and the story, though it was tragically distorted because of the lack of variable width font, was awesome if you could get past the dialog.

I don't know that any one part of this game stands out as better than every other game (except for, perhaps, the soundtrack, my favorite of all time... but that's a harder thing to judge than something like graphics or gameplay), but this was the first time I really felt part of a video game. I remember what it felt like to FINALLY get to the Imperial towns for the first time, or what it was like to see the bigger story events unfold near the end of the game.



Ahh, that felt good to finally rant about these games again!