Anyone Interested in Doing Art for an Original Game?

[BydoEmpire]

I've been poking at an original, fantasy-themed arcade-style game but I've stopped making much progress. I don't have the time, patience or skill to do the artwork for it, so I've been getting the game up and running with tiles and sprites from sample projects. It's getting to the point where I want to see it start to look more polished, and the enemy design will influence their behavior and gameplay. It all ties together. If I had a collaborator who could actually make some cool enemies, background, etc. I think I'd have the push I need to keep on it. You can think of the game as a fantasy-themed Frenzy: go through mazes shooting enemies, picking up magic items and treasure. Anyone out there want to make cool monsters and dungeon tiles and help me sort out palettes?

[Fragmare]

Like Gaunlet/Dark Chambers?

[BydoEmpire]

Like Gaunlet/Dark Chambers?

In the same ballpark, I can definitely see a comparison. I wouldn't say either is an inspiration for this, though. I'm not particularly a fan of either of those games.

[peteym5]

Do you have any graphics editing software like Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, or Gimp? You can use the zoom function and edit the image per pixel. If you are using the 7800 Basic, you can save the image as PNG format with a bit depth of 4 colors.

[Fragmare]

I can probably throw a few pixels your way, though i'd say the "serious" overhead fantasy Frenzy clone has already been done (and quite well) with Dark Chambers... maybe it would add some originality if the graphics were done in a J-RPG/anime type of style?

 

What dimensions were you looking at for the main character sprite block? 16x16? 16x32?

[EricBall]

Just a suggestion - don't put the cart (graphics) before the horse (code).

 

In addition to the size of the sprites, the artist is going to need to know the graphics mode / palette. And for anything other than static sprites, they are going to want to know something about how the sprites move and need to be animated. ROM space might also be a factor.

 

You can do a lot of coding with temporary sprites and be in a much better position to know what you need the artist to provide and the limitations they must work inside.

[BydoEmpire]

Yeah, that's all true EricBall, I'm just a little impatient and want to see something coming together. There's a lot of work that can be (and needs to be) done with placeholder sprints & backgrounds.

[kiwilove]

I do have the time to work on something - it depends whether I can work in with you or not? And I don't mind tinkering around with the graphics - until it comes right in the end.

 

I do suggest looking at some sprite sheets - and use those for temporary purposes in the meantime. Chances are I'll be using those as a start off point - and then custom edit them into something different.

 

For the graphics guy - it does help enormously - if there was a graphics editor available.

Like for the sprites - to show them animated, and then able to make changes on the fly - test it - then go back to edit it a bit more.

 

Likewise for landscape graphics via some kind of tile editor - where you can edit the tile and place these tiles as a landscape as such - tiles being redefined characters as such. Animation can be possible here? Hopefully there are some graphic editors around - that can be of use?

Asking you to write such an editor - may be too much of a chore - but it'll be worthwhile - if you want the best graphics possible.

Because it is a real chore to have to insert graphics into a test program to first see how does it really look like? First checking within an editor - does allow a designer to work quicker/better.

 

Just give a few examples of how this game looks like? eg. Legend of Zelda (SNES)? Soul Blazer (SNES) - it can be for any platform - that I can look at.. to see what impresses you? If I'm not that creative - I'll simply tweak a game's graphics - to be different, so that it doesn't retain it's original look.

 

You can check up on what I have done - via looking up Laser Hawk and Hawkquest - for the Atari 400/800 etc computers.

It should then be easy to see what later work I have done. I have done stuff to run on PC, ST, SNES, (Gameboy Advance), and Atari 8-bit -- but have only worked with 2 programmers so far..

 

I am use to using a lot of graphics animation in the later projects I'm involved with - and I'll say do animations where possible - even in the landscape?

 

Harvey

Edited July 1, 2018 by kiwilove