Sburb Development Project Thread

[Tuxedo]

Plus, there would be nothing identifying your character as 'your character' if it's 8-bit.

Also, maybe none of you have played an 8-bit game, but there isn't much in the way of design, so if you add non 8-bit effects to an 8-bit game(Music, graphics, particles, etc) then you just come off as lazy and imcompetent as a creative designer. I would personally go for a 32-bit goal than 8-bit because you are offered more in terms of graphics, music, and the like.

8-Bit was a bad description, really. I'm talking closer to something like the A Boy and His Blob remake for the Wii. The graphics are large enough to enable unique designs and costumes, but they still retain a pixel-y appearance, and that is more what I'm reffering to. Mega Man style 8-bit sprites would be much too small for the character customization that I'm proposing. Basically, instead of the hand-animated appearance of the characters in hero mode sections of the comic, more like a combination of hero mode body designs and proportions with the more spritely animations of the characters in normal form, if that makes any sense at all!

[Swilly]

I'd look at games like Dark Cloud to figure out how to make a proper Sburb.

[0dalesque]

Okay, THIS is the thread I'm subscribing to. (I'll probably subscribe to the former thread to update myself on how far you all have gotten. C

Awesome job, besides that.

[Cauchemar]

Awesome project you have here.

Just an idea I got about prototyping. The first message of this topic seemed extremely worried about the necessity of limiting the amount of prototypings, mainly because you had to draw each sprite independently. Since as we know them, kernelsprites are really drawn, they have clear darker lines to show their details.



This approach can stand some combinations, but it is really limitating, because too much lines means a lot of intersecting with random effects, and the main body can have trouble to really connect with the limbs convincingly.


But what if you were to adopt an identical approach to the enemies' customization?



Most of them are less about outlines and more about plain patches of color.




If we just renounce the dark lines for the kernelsprite in favour of a more Impish-like look, we obtain this.





Okay, it doesn't look as aesthetic as the normal Jaspersprite, but the spirit of the thing is kept alive, right?

Well, this look allows A LOT more combinations without ugly, glitchy-like results, effectively giving the player a lot of freedom in the prototyping.

Added benefit:





The enemies can use the exact same parts, reducing both the time for the creation of the sprite parts and the final resources the game will use (since the program will just have to allow a different color to a patch/part).



To put it shortly, both the graphic resources and the mechanics of combination should be exactly the same for the kernelsprite and for the enemies (with an added "randomness" for the enemies, since they will have to take their parts in the library of all pre-Entry prototypings).

[darkDetective]

Hey guys, just figured I would give you all an update since apparently people are still posting here occasionally.

Project is on indefinite hiatus. I am planning on recruiting some people who live in my general vicinity and getting some of the details hammered out more precisely before continuing officially, since it was impossible to get a majority of the online team to do ANYTHING. If I get the majority of the team local it will hopefully lead to actual progress. There still may be a few people who are online and working on the project, but I have learned that the majority of people pretty much just join and forget about it.

However, the fact that Hussie has stated that Homestuck will last for another year and a half at least is nice, it means I have plenty of time to hammer out the details and get the project started before Homestuck ends.

I guess I will be on here occasionally to answer questions and such though.

[Frost]

If I get the majority of the team local it will hopefully lead to actual progress.

Wouldn't be so sure. I mean, folks have proven a bunch of times that it's possible to run a video game development team over the internet, so I don't think the communication medium is necessarily the problem here. Nagging somebody in person isn't usually much more effective than nagging them through e-mail (although it is a heck of a lot less socially acceptable).

I mean, I guess meeting up in person would lead to much faster brainstorming and coordination, but it wouldn't have much of an influence on the really time-consuming things (programming, art, music composition), which are mostly solitary activities.

[darkDetective]

From what I noticed at least it did make a difference. I would assign tasks and for the majority of the team they would come back week after week with nothing done, and attendance at meetings was shifty at best. There are people I will definitely come back to because they did great work, but others not so much.

On the plus side, we did get some good progress. After some of the details get hammered out we will have Pesterchum in game support, a fully realized world generation system, and backed by Nic Cage and Betty Crocker themselves. (okay, one of those not so much)

I did learn from this that the "I'm your friend not your boss" approach is very inefficient, so I will have a more iron fist in the process now without going overboard.

[MaskedClaus]

The way you say "one of those not so much" it sounds like either Betty Crooker or Nic cage is going to support you, but not the two of them...

More seriously, good luck with your project!

[darkDetective]

Nic Cage has no money anymore. ;P

But yes, I will continue to work on this regardless. At the very least I can be proud to say that my project got further than any of the past ones.

[applepail]

Um... Can I help? I'm not so good with computers, but if there's a spot open for world/character design or story development or something I could help. I'm pretty good at that sort of thing. As an added bonus, I'm homeschooled, so I have a lot more time that's not being eaten up by school work and such.
Anything I could lend a hand in? If there's not that's okay, but I'd really love helping out with this! It sounds amazing!

[Cooler777]

Okay, but what about prototyping a dead player?

[robomatic2]

Could I help? I'd do whatever I could.

Also, is prototyping dreamselves to godtier in the sprite going to be a thing?

[ParanoidHombre]

I swear to god, I just scrolled down and saw Doggie-style somehow.

Huh.

[UnstableCreature]

I May Be A Little Late To Say This, But Please Keep Up The Good Work. I Think This Is A Wonderful Idea.

[El Ninja Monkey]

Oh god I hope this doesn't die.

[TurnTechGeneticist]

I fully support this and hope to beta test it when the beta does come out.

[Systemic_Hysteria]

It may be a little bit late, but I think that Sburb would be excellent if it was modeled after Terraria.

[Yuri]

Well I hope this one isn't like other ones, and is really finish unlike the other.

[darkDetective]

Just so everyone is aware, I am working on getting a panel at Anime Central right now to discuss the game, the hurdles in making it, and the possibility in continuing the project.

EDIT: Wait, nope, apparently the deadline has passed already. I'll figure out another convention to go to then. :/

[Mijimaru]

Oh... my... gog! I can NOT wait!

[darkDetective]

Alright, so this probably isn't going to post since my phone hates the forum, but what would you guys think about a kickstarter for Sburb? Funding would make it 100 times easier to find good coders and designers and would actually give me free time to work on the project.

The game would still be free of course, and I would have to check in with the Hussmeister since he is REALLY stingy about people making money off his work, and even if it is donated I could very well wake up next to a wolfhead if he doesn't like it.

[auratusCarassius]

Alright, so this probably isn't going to post since my phone hates the forum, but what would you guys think about a kickstarter for Sburb? Funding would make it 100 times easier to find good coders and designers and would actually give me free time to work on the project.

The game would still be free of course, and I would have to check in with the Hussmeister since he is REALLY stingy about people making money off his work, and even if it is donated I could very well wake up next to a wolfhead if he doesn't like it.

Well, I'd say check with the Huss, yeah, but I can probably put in a few bucks for it if you get approval. Send a little ask around tumblr if you like; you'll probably get more attention and feedback on it there.

[Frost]

Alright, so this probably isn't going to post since my phone hates the forum, but what would you guys think about a kickstarter for Sburb? Funding would make it 100 times easier to find good coders and designers and would actually give me free time to work on the project.

Seems like a bad idea. Tying programmers and designers to you using money will lead to a much less healthy relationship than if they'd come voluntarily- for one thing, they'll leave as soon as the money runs out. As an inexperienced game developer, you don't have any way to realistically budget for time, so the money is much more likely to run out prematurely, leaving you with a lot of very pissed-off backers. Also, most indie game programmers will expect some kind of long-term payoff for their effort (ie, royalties) rather than a flat fee, so the project would have to be a commercial one- and I'm pretty sure Hussie wouldn't allow that.

On a more local note: these forums are extremely optimistic about a Sburb game. Most forum members are also teenagers or students with very limited disposable income. Not to put too fine a point on it, you've never developed a game, and you're in absolutely no position to claim that you'd be able to do so (even if you have access to plenty of $$$). Exploting that optimism for money (even money that wouldn't personally benefit you) would make you sort of a scumbag. And since you've said that such a kickstarter would give you free time to work on the project, I get the impression that you want to take a slice for yourself, which would elevate you from "scumbag" to "pseudo-conman".

These forums are saturated with programmers who are big fans of Homestuck. The Something Awful forums, among others, have a similar Homestuck fandom and excess of programmers. If you're anywhere close to being able to make this game, and if you really do have decent leadership skills, you should have no problem finding reliable volunteers, without needing money to make it happen.

[fireStorms6]

I'm very interested in this production of the project, and look forward to seeing it. Keep up the amazing work. This is truley and great fan innovation.

[Tarmalade]

Blargg i hope this is still going smoothly