Help needed with graphics

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Help needed with graphics

Postby Harvester » Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:13 pm

Dear all,

I know this section is for AM projects, but since most users don't read the general chat regularly I think, I dared to put this here. But of course I'm not above the rules or anything, feel free to put it wherever you like. And if you don't, I promise I will move it asap I find help.

I'm currently working on a 2D action game, which will be free for download but I hope will reach the quality of average non-free indie games. However, for that quality I would need some prerendered graphics, mainly of charachters. So here's the deal:

I have the whole engine up and running with all game functions implemented (I will list the major ones below) and most of the story and game design written. That means, the whole just needs to be filled with the actual content, that is graphics, sounds, music, level design and the scripting of actual events, which is not a big issue by the way.

The game is played from bird-perspective, see all traditional space shoot-em-ups or the classical GTA series. The story is told in comic strips with little animation, fully voice acted, like in May Payne. I can do the scenery myself, but I would need help with the different charachters. More exactly, I would need about 10-20 different enemies, let's say 10 different civilians, and the major story charachters. The enemies and civilians are ought to be rendered only from the top view, supposedly in 16 positions in a 360 rotation (since I want them to have a little shadow and have nice shading), plus they all have some minor animations like dying, which are enough to be rendered in one direction. Only the major charachters need some serious work, since they should be unique and rendered in more positions for the comic strips. The numbers may seem huge, but consider that since they are only rendered from the top view, some differences can even be added after rendering for your convenience.
Oh, and I almost forgot the main point of ease: the game will be mostly black and white (greyscale to be more precise), with only some colours here and there, so you don't need to think much about realistic texturing.

What I offer in exchange is placing you in a major place at the credits, can provide a link for your site on the future site of the game, and that's it. Not much, I know, but it's free, I do it without any serious investments, at the moment only myself, and I guess I won't profit a cent from it.

What I can guarantee, that with your help the game has 99% chance to be done and released. As I have said, it only waits to be filled up with content, hopefully no technical problems may come into the work.

About the major features in brief:
- 2D action game with fastpaced, gory action
- nine distinct weapons ranging from a simple pistols to flamethrower and rocket launcher
- a dark but cynical, sometimes morbidly funny storyline with unique charachters
- a fully destructible environment, that is, all buildings can be erased from earth, player may set flammable areas on fire that spreads, enemies may be torn into pieces, etc.
- different orientation of story according to gameplay style (that is, player has chance to act ranging from massacre to precise action or stealth).
- built in stealth system with stealth executions
- a sort of AI (at the moment that's what I'm the least proud of, but I hope I can improve it... even in it's current status it's okay for a shooter game I think) that attacks, guards post, retreats to reload, flee, etc. according to it's personality
- dynamic music, following whether you are sneaking or in the middle of action

That's all I can think of now. Not very conviencing it may be, but as soon as I have some graphics ready (I try to do the whole myself at the moment... ) I plan to create a demo that will feature these things but not give away much from the story.

Thanks for any help in advance,

Harvester
*** www.nikotinzenekar.hu <-2011. album titled 'Mese' free to download! (5th button). *** www.mydarkmind.atw.hu <- under construction for a while.
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Postby Mystery » Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:52 pm

Hi Harvester,

Sorry for my ignorance, but I still have questions, I'm just not familiar with such types of games:

Do you need pre-rendered 3D characters only from top view (or better said from birds eye view)? And pre-rendered "dying" animations from top view?
Or do you need 3D characters to render them yourself? Or did you think of drawn 2D characters?
How do you solve this with weapon changes?
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Here

Postby Harvester » Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:28 pm

I need all you mentioned in prerendered format; I guess most people won't be willing just to give me the 3d models they worked on hard on purchased. Only the main charachter has more weapons, the enemies are best to be rendered together with their equipped weapon. But since all charachters are quite small, not much details are shown, so even a long rectangle might look like a shotgun or so :D I hope I can do the shooting effects and everything like that myself. The main charachter's weapon changes is solved in a way so that it consists of two separate object, one is the charachter, the other is the weapon, and they are sticked together to look like one.

Harvester
*** www.nikotinzenekar.hu <-2011. album titled 'Mese' free to download! (5th button). *** www.mydarkmind.atw.hu <- under construction for a while.
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Postby juhuwoorps » Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:07 pm

I dont really understand what you are searching for.
Do you have an example?
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Postby Mystery » Thu Feb 25, 2010 6:27 pm

Something like this? Or bigger? (this is just quickly done to check with you what you need):
Image

What image type is better (since it has to support alpha/transparency): GIF, PNG, TGA?
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Okay

Postby Harvester » Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:41 pm

Okay, then I'll post concrete data :)
I need them from top view.
For normal ingame charachters (not the ones in the comic strips) I think 128*128 is enough, quite small, fast to render. If they are either too small or large, I can resize them myself :)
I prefer PNG.
I'll upload an example asap.

Harvester
*** www.nikotinzenekar.hu <-2011. album titled 'Mese' free to download! (5th button). *** www.mydarkmind.atw.hu <- under construction for a while.
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Oh well.

Postby Harvester » Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:27 pm

Oh well.

I found some fine models online that seem to fit my needs, so I'll try to figure this one out myself. If I happen to fail, I'll inform you all and continue my seeking for help :) Thanks for all interest.

Harvester
*** www.nikotinzenekar.hu <-2011. album titled 'Mese' free to download! (5th button). *** www.mydarkmind.atw.hu <- under construction for a while.
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Postby Mystery » Fri Mar 05, 2010 12:24 am

Okay, good luck! :D
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