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Plan for Pablo Alonso
Plan for Pablo Alonso
| Name: | Pablo Alonso |  |
|---|---|---|
| Date Posted: | Jan 26, 2005 | |
| Rating: |  4.3 out of 5 | |
| Public: | YES | |
| Comments: | YES | |
| RSS Feed: |  or Subscribe with  . | |
| Profile Page: | View profile page for Pablo Alonso |
Blog post
A 3d platform game based on a Mexican prehispanic legend
This a 3d platform game, we're currently in the art development process, and trying to get a good understanding of torque so we can get started with the programming.
The game has 5 levels with 22 enemies and two main characters, it will have the elements of most 3d platformers like puzzles, jumping collecting items,etc.
It sounds a bt too much for the first project, I'm sure art wise we can do it, but I still lie awake at night trying to figure out how to solve the programming issues.
This are the main characters:
And a couple of the monsters:
An animation of this last one
We're looking for people to help us out, specially programmers sincethat's our more troubled area(big surprise)
The game has 5 levels with 22 enemies and two main characters, it will have the elements of most 3d platformers like puzzles, jumping collecting items,etc.
It sounds a bt too much for the first project, I'm sure art wise we can do it, but I still lie awake at night trying to figure out how to solve the programming issues.
This are the main characters:
And a couple of the monsters:
An animation of this last one
We're looking for people to help us out, specially programmers sincethat's our more troubled area(big surprise)
Submit your own resources!| Eric Elwell (Jan 26, 2005 at 03:49 GMT) |
| Michael Cozzolino (Jan 26, 2005 at 04:20 GMT) |
| William Lee Sims (Jan 26, 2005 at 04:36 GMT) |
| David Montgomery-Blake (Jan 26, 2005 at 05:02 GMT) |
| Joshua Dallman (Jan 26, 2005 at 06:02 GMT) |
"It sounds a bit too much for the first project..."
I started work on a VERY similar platform project of similar scale as far as levels, enemies, etc for my first project. I was certain that the advice of "keep it simple" didn't apply to me. But it was a LOT of stress to move the project forward because there was so much involved and so many unknowns. I'll never forget chatting with Alex Austin at IGC (programmer/designer at Chronic Logic, makers of Gish) about my design. He looked at me incredulously with a raised eyebrow and said, "Wait, this is your FIRST project?!" Everything I saw and heard at IGC told me to keep it simple, yet I was going against that because darn it, I had a vision, and I knew if I just pushed hard enough I could do it. Well if you push hard enough you can shit a brick, but that doesn't make it pleasant! Well long story short, a quarter of the way into development I placed the project on hold (a hard thing to do in the pride swallowing dept, especially given the number of projects that end up with a similar fate and the passion I had for that particular title). I am now instead working on a small, simple, fun game for a first project. I'm sleeping SOOO well at night because there's not a single unknown variable, everything is under control and easy to handle. It's still hard work, but it's a breeze compared to before. A few more simple fun games like that and I'll be ready to resume the "dream" project. And the added experience I'll have will make the second go-around at it a lot better.
Anyway, I don't want to discourage you in any way, but part of why I thought it wasn't such a big project was because it was so easy to get the art assets (2d and 3d). Well, art doesn't make a game any more than code makes a game. There's a lot of cracks between components, and those cracks add up to work greater than the whole.
If you consider simplifying the game, here's a general direction. Instead of platformy A to B kind of levels, re-design the game to have more arcade style arenas. Make some kind of game mechanic or play mechanic that's so fun that the loss of exploring areas doesn't matter. Maximize replay value. Keep the number of unique enemies to under 6, and try for no more than 3-4 environments, but 5-10 variations of levels per environment, with increasingly difficult puzzles or traps or what-not within them.
Just my two cents... ultimately, you may not have the experience I did and have no problem doing your pet project up right. But it's something to consider.
Final thought -- will this be a bilingual game? There's a good niche market for a game in Spanish because nobody seems to be bothering to do it. And you should also consider hiring a writer to do a 4-6 page illustrated essay exploring the historical value of your characters to add a quick, easy, and cool educational component. Like reading the side of a cereal box when eating your sugar cereal in the morning :)
Good luck and keep us all posted!
Josh
| Pat Wilson (Jan 26, 2005 at 06:08 GMT) |
If you plan on it being bi-lingual, design it with that in mind now (I'd actually suggest this to EVERYONE making a game regardless of weather they are going to localize it or not, they think). Use the scripting language to just make a string table, and don't hard-code any strings into the engine.
Keep us posted.
| James Laker (BurNinG) (Jan 26, 2005 at 06:18 GMT) |
| Pablo Alonso (Jan 26, 2005 at 06:23 GMT) Resource Rating: 4 |
@Joshua
The idea is to make it bilingual, as for the educationational component I always cared a lot about it, am working on this project wih an antropoligist that has devoted himself to create books, animations, interactive cd, etc that containn info about prehispanic culture in an accesible and fun way, so this is a perfect venue.
@Pat
Thanks for the advise, this is one of the problem that's been haunting me from the get go, not so much the text, but I still haven't figured out how to solve the lypsinc on the cut-scenes... other than avoiding cut-scenes of course hehe
| Jeff Tunnell (Jan 26, 2005 at 06:27 GMT) |
-Jeff Tunnell GG
| Josh Williams (Jan 26, 2005 at 07:07 GMT) |
If you're worried about programming stuff, I'd start looking around here for someone to team up with. I don't think you'll have a lot of problems finding someone talented and reliable if you set the scale of the project realistically and show off more of this art.
Good luck!
Edited on Jan 26, 2005 09:06 GMT
| FruitBatInShades (Jan 26, 2005 at 09:39 GMT) |
@Josh: That is the most lucid, well explained thing i've read here for ages :o)
| Matt Harpold (Jan 26, 2005 at 10:44 GMT) |
(Seems to be a few of 'us' around)
The artwork looks amazing. Keep up the good work. :)
| Sikosis (Jan 26, 2005 at 10:54 GMT) Resource Rating: 3 |
| Nauris Krauze (Jan 26, 2005 at 11:31 GMT) |
| Grugin (Jan 26, 2005 at 11:39 GMT) |
| Pablo Alonso (Jan 26, 2005 at 14:45 GMT) Resource Rating: 4 |
I'll be realeasing more artwork eventually, I'd like to show the arwork along with the finished modelleds and we're still working on that.
@Josh
In your opinion what's the best way of getting someone to team up? Help wnated ads? forum? a dev snapshot?
BTW we are not only looking for programmers if any1 else is interested in helping there's a lot to do textures, interiors, music, etc... I get tired just thinking about it :)
| Anthony Rosenbaum (Jan 26, 2005 at 14:49 GMT) |
| Josiah Wang (Jan 26, 2005 at 17:22 GMT) |
I think the theme of prehispanic mexican legend sounds really neat. Right now I'm envisioning really colorful stuff, and it's just marvelous...
neatos! I'll be keeping my eyes on this one
| Joshua Dallman (Jan 26, 2005 at 22:25 GMT) |
| Joe Maruschak (Jan 27, 2005 at 16:10 GMT) |
| Thomas Glennow (Jan 27, 2005 at 18:04 GMT) |
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