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Messages - LadyLala

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1
Journals / Re: Ghost Bird
« on: August 24, 2016, 05:51:39 am »
This is really coming together! Awesome post!

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Journals / Re: Mini Monster Maker - First Game
« on: July 28, 2016, 07:50:40 am »
But, if it not interests you, so I will not bother.

Oh don't say that! It does interest me! In fact, I have been doing a lot of art deco style work lately, and you guys have inspired me to try that type of style for a game UI. It's unique to say the least!

Don't worry - as far as games go, I think everything is interesting, even if I personally might not pursue it right away.

Besides, it's these conversations with peers that help solidify direction and goals; even if it's learning what I don't want to do - that's still helpful to know!

3
Journals / Re: Mini Monster Maker - First Game
« on: July 25, 2016, 10:38:16 am »
And what you can get is just learning.

This is my only goal, at the moment. To learn how to make games, all kinds of games. Until I understand how they function, how to create them, then thinking about a successful game is premature.

My self-teaching method is usually:
1. Decide I'm going to learn something
2. Create small, easy projects based on what I want to learn, and do them
3. Make a ton of mistakes and learn from them
4. Use my new knowledge to make something good (finally).

I have taught myself many things this way, and it continues to be the easiest way for me to quickly absorb massive amounts of data.

So, please bear in mind that the first goal for my first few games will be simply to make them work, and understand how they work. Then, I'll decide what type of game I'm actually going to make (for the one I try to make for everyone else, not just for learning).

I had wondered for a while how viable that approach would work for animation in a game. This technique may fit pretty well with your particular art background (and mine-- although you're far more advanced than I am :P )

I have always loved Disney animation too. I think plenty of games utilitze a hand-drawn 2D art style already - I don't think that it's impossible - that's why I'm teaching myself how to do it! I think it would be quite fun to make a few little games with hand-drawn animation sequences and character movements.

I know for sure that many 2D games (and even some 3D games, on certain screens/areas) have hand-drawn background art (you can tell it's hand-drawn), and some of it is quite nice!

4
Journals / Re: What are you working on?
« on: July 22, 2016, 12:10:43 pm »
I'm working on a platformer tower defence fusion game where you complete missions to get parts to design towers in the 2 minute time period between invasions.  :)

That sounds like a fun idea! Do you have a project thread I missed?

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Journals / Re: Mini Monster Maker - First Game
« on: July 22, 2016, 11:54:24 am »
Haha, you're right! I'll have to fix that when I add more frames. Here's another silly doodle animation - this time more on-topic than this thread has been lately....

When I drew the basic sketch for this monster, I drew each part of the creature on a separate layer. So, this is me playing around with the ability to manipulate the same drawing instead of redrawing each frame.

Not too great, but it's part of the process.... Having some fun!

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Journals / Re: Mini Monster Maker - First Game
« on: July 22, 2016, 11:04:51 am »
I hope to post a new animation soon, when I get another one I like enough.

Here we go. I've just finished the keyframes on a new animation - I have a lot of video of myself doing  BMX tricks, it makes a great reference and since I'm the one doing the action, I think I can draw it easier. I'm drawing in wireframes until I like the motion; then I'll go back and do the linework.

I've been watching a lot of 2D animation tutorials on YouTube, and learning about keyframing and action arcs, thank you to this community for pointing my faults and steering me in the right direction. I'm enjoying all these doodles, but sometimes it gets repetitive in the tweening stage - so I don't tween unless I like it enough!

7
Journals / Re: PENGs Adventures
« on: July 22, 2016, 09:38:45 am »
Great Thank you so much LadyLala !

You're very welcome! Send along other screens if you would like, I'm happy to help.

Something else to note - you may have trouble with copyright using other people's trademarked characters in your game - I would hate for you to get in trouble or have your game shut down because of something so easily changed. Can someone else confirm? I think it might be safer to use your own bought or created sprites, and avoid using characters like Mario in your game.

Otherwise the concept seems good and has a lot of potential for fun! Can't wait to see the progress.

8
Journals / Re: Biotech Valley
« on: July 21, 2016, 07:09:53 pm »
Aha, excellent - now knowing the context, I like it even more. Nice work!

9
Journals / Re: Mini Monster Maker - First Game
« on: July 21, 2016, 06:34:37 pm »
I think the best engine to use would come down to whether or not you're trying to make a game like the original Myst, or like the 3D reboots. I can't imagine Stencyl not being the easier engine to work with for the original style... but for a 3D game with 3D movement, Unity ought to be the best choice.

While I haven't played the 3D reboots, I just feel like a 90s style doesn't resonate the way it used to.  That's not to knock the game at all! It was awesome for the time. But the technology has advanced, and so people's expectations have raised with that. The original Myst may have been 2D, but for me, it felt 3D (it was so long ago, but now that I think about it, you're right - it was a lot of panning animated shots).

More than anything, the experience was immersive, which, sure, I think could be accomplished with Stencyl in a 2D way. But to me, when I play immersive games now, I tend to feel frustrated if I can't freely explore the way you can in a true 3D game. I can imagine this future-game I someday make being a blend of my favorite 3D solo RPG type games with a puzzle and strategy-based long course story quest line (instead of the typical RPG type killing mobs for exp, farming for items and crafting materials for better gear).

But honestly, it is too premature for me to even consider such things.

I'm not saying that you would want to make a Stencyl 3D games, but it is a possibility. However, as merrak stated, Myst was a 2D game. It could absolutely be made in Stencyl.

You are absolutely correct, of course. And perhaps I expressed myself poorly - I'm thrilled with Stencyl. I'm having a blast. I think it's ideal for games and apps too (hey I started here first, I think it's a great tool). I just think sometimes by choosing the tool that is made for the job at hand, you can focus more on the creation of the game, and less on making it work the way you need it to. That's why I'm using stencyl instead of teaching myself advanced javascript! Knowing that if I need to figure out how to make Stencyl work beyond it's capabilities - I could - it's amazing. And you two are proof of that with your builds!

That being said, maybe by the time I figure out what the heck I'm doing, you brilliant masterminds will have the 3D Stencyl Engine purring like a well-oiled machine!

I'm glad, in either way, to make new friends here and discuss games in a way I have never even considered - it's fun! I think I might like making games more than I like playing them, which says a lot!

10
Journals / Re: Mini Monster Maker - First Game
« on: July 21, 2016, 02:04:15 pm »
Ahaha, Oh man. I missed the Hero's Quest one I guess, bummer! I never played it, but I bet I would have liked it judging by your similarity in taste it seems.

Yeah, back in the day, Myst had the best graphics I had ever seen for a game, and the way the game and the story unfolded was masterful. The story in that game was what made it compelling, imo, graphics aside. I remember taking notes on some of the screens just to remember certain details I thought would be necessary for later puzzles! I had a whole notebook filled with notes... for a game! Ahahaha. Who takes notes on a game? Me, that's who. I'm such a nerd sometimes.

I would love to eventually make a Myst game too - I think that's my end goal - it'll take a lot of time for me to get to that point though - I'm still struggling with basic 2D animation! I'd like to migrate to learning Unity once I've figured out basic gaming techniques in Stencyl... as I think the myst-style games do better in a 3D world. And while Merrak accomplished the creation of an isometric possibility in Stencyl... (which is incredible, don't get me wrong, I still can't get my head around that yet!) I think I'd rather use Unity for 3D games (from what I've read, anyhow, I haven't done a whole lot of research about 3D game engines yet... it's not time for me to really think about it!).

Anyway, as you can see, I haven't really let myself get ahead of my skills... baby steps! I'm going to create some basic 2D games that probably no one will play... but it will be the necessary learning experience I need to make something people will actually enjoy.

 I also have a lot of goofy and silly stories, but not a whole lot of mystery stories, so that's something else I need to work on.

I wish there were more hours in the day so I could learn everything as quickly as I want to! (darn life gets in the way)

So anyhow (sorry about my rambling), besides the client's space race game, what else are you working on lately?

11
Journals / Re: Biotech Valley
« on: July 21, 2016, 12:27:29 pm »
You have done a nice job summarizing my book!

I really like the special effect animation you just posted - especially the way the monster's eyes get big and his mouth opens. When will the effect take place?

12
Journals / Re: PENGs Adventures
« on: July 21, 2016, 11:48:50 am »
Hi there! Cute premise, I think you should finish it too!

Since you're not a native english speaker, I figured I might help you a bit also, to make the writing sound smoother for native speakers. My suggestions follow your quoted copy.

Quote
Hi!

This is Peng the Penguin

He hates to live in a cold environment. Every day, he dreams from a warm place, a beach, the sea and the sun. He is not happy where he is at the moment. And this makes him sad.

Hi!

Meet Peng the Penguin.

He hates the cold. Every day, he dreams of a warm place with a beach, the sea and the sun. He's miserable where he lives right now, and it’s sad.

Quote
But you can help this little guy. Become a team with Peng to help him to escape into a better world, where he can live in peace, in a warm place the rest of his life.

Don't let him hang

Help him. You are the only change he will ever have!

But you can help this little guy. Team up with Peng to help him escape the cold and find a nicer place where he can peacefully enjoy a warm home for the rest of his life.

Don’t leave him hanging!

Help him out. You’re the only chance he’s got.

13
Journals / Re: Biotech Valley
« on: July 20, 2016, 12:24:25 pm »
A question:

The guys in games usually prefer get power: explode and destroy all, solve complex challenges, get powerful itens, compete more and that sort of thing.

The girls in games usually prefer get control: customize the character, can wear different clothes, get rare items, socialize more and that sort of thing.

In your opinion, what there and what's not there in games that girls like more?


My favorite parts about games (in order of how much it's important to me) - Note that I'm probably a pretty typical girl gamer - but these are my own opinions and preferences, so take that into consideration!

1. Leveling Up and Controls - there's something awesome about the feeling of reaching the next level. If a game doesn't have a great leveling system, I tend to quit it early on. It's got to be easy at the beginning (instant gratification) and get harder as you go (more challenging to keep it interesting). The controls have to be simple enough to learn fast and not feel awkward to play. If a game has nothing good except these two things, I still might continue to play it because it's still fun.

2. Customizing Character - You got me here. I love to make my character look like me. Or alternatively, I like to have blue hair. Go figure. Having more options (I know, it's crazy how many art files you need...) is better than having no option at all. If you're going to offer customization, do it right... give a lot of choices. Otherwise it feels disappointing.

3. Puzzles - I love, love, love environmental puzzlers like the old school Myst PC game (one of my all-time favs). I like mental puzzles like the Survive game (for android phones) I also love physics puzzles and spacial puzzles: Smash Hit, Cut the Rope, Alto's Adventure,  Osmosis, Angry Birds. I like all kinds of puzzle games though: I play chess and poker, I like 2048, Sudoku, Crosswords, Words with Friends...

4. Social - I admit I love the social aspect to games. I like a game that has an unobtrusive chat that I can hide out of the way if I want to, but if I just feel like chatting with my in game buddies, I can open it up and be goofy with them for a break in the action.

4. RPG Character Roles - When I play RPGs, I usually play healers or support roles, preferring not to hack and slash as much as spellcast and assist my team through the game. Integrating other types of character roles besides the hack-n-slash would appeal to more girls. My favorite RPG of all time was Everquest, but I play a lot of RPGs, they're my favorite type of game. Some other ones I've played and liked for different reasons: WoW, Maplestory, Order and Chaos. I've played D&D style card games, to me they are not as fun because they lack any control to the action and immersive gameplay.

5. Action/Timing in Platformers - I started out playing games as an adolescent with Super Mario Bros 3 (on Super Nintendo) back in the early 90s. I wouldn't stop playing until I beat the game.  I love these types of skill/reflex/timing games and always will, and play many variations on this genre all the time. My second game was the Lion King game for Super Nintendo when I was young - again, a 2D platformer, but with some nice challenges and great artwork. In platformer games, I don't mind that the character is a boy so long as the storyline and action follows that. If the story is good and it makes sense that I play the character in the story, then playing a male toon isn't weird. It's when there's no plot and I'm forced to play a boy for no reason that I get annoyed.

6. Story - In all games, if it's got an engaging story, it could be boring gameplay but I might still enjoy it. I think I'm weird in this aspect - but I really love to read books, so that's probably why I feel this way.

7. Artwork - Even though I'm an artist, I've played a lot of games that I love that look terrible. That being said, if the game art is nice, I want to play it longer. If it's awesome, I'm glued. I've played games that had a bad gameplay but nice art - ultimately I enjoy them somewhat, but not as much as games that have nice gameplay but bad art. The best, obviously, are ones that have great gameplay and at least decent artwork.

8. Adventure and Surprise - I love games that take me to a new place or time. Ones that offer a new reality. People play games for a lot of reasons - for me, I like to explore and find hidden maps, easter eggs, and unlocking special challenges that you can only do if you really explore and dig around.

9. Competition - I like to be on the top of the leaderboards. Having a social aspect to scoring is always appealing, I think regardless of gender.

I hope this helps you out, but if not, let me know - I'm happy to explain!

14
Journals / Re: Space Race Run
« on: July 20, 2016, 10:38:14 am »
I might need to recolor the mine if it blends in too much with the background.

You could also just give it a glowy background element to help with the contrast.

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Journals / Re: Space Race Run
« on: July 20, 2016, 10:34:54 am »
Scratch my responses on controls because guess what, the client changed his mind AGAIN... hooray. Now it is going to be touch based without any forward or backwards flight. The fuel is going to be static (even though he specifically requested that it be moving in a circle). And the speed is going to be double as fast (even though it was going faster than what he requested).

Yeah, I'm a web developer professionally - I never start development or production until all design documents (mockups) are approved. It helps mitigate the last-minute revisions (although there are always some minor tweaks that get requested, it's usually never anything big - usually minor copy changes).

After a lot of experience working with clients, I have to say, getting the concept right (and on paper with written approval) before you start is the best way to keep the price low and the frustration down. Limiting revision rounds in the contract is helpful too, it gives you a legal basis to charge extra if they exceed that number of revisions.

Next time, try a storyboard signoff requirement - you won't start any real production until that happens.

I hope you have an easier time going forward, and I look forward to the next version. It was pretty fun once I used the joystick instead - although no meteors did damage on collision (probably something you're still working on - I get it, no worries), so I felt like a superhero with some crazy force field.  I kept saying as I passed by them unscathed, "Take that, you lazy asteroid!"

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