Thursday, June 20, 2013

What would you want in a template?

Well, I'm in the midst of animating the player sprites, and as usual it takes a while. No matter the resolution.

In other news,

Either before I finish the current game, or at the very least afterwards, I plan on releasing a template for making H platformers (for Game Maker Studio). It will essentially contain everything you need to create a basic platformer without any real coding (aside from filling in blanks). Everything will be set up so that all you actually have to do is create the graphics, and make use of available templates for player types, moves, enemy types, etc. I'll also be including tutorials on how to use it, as well as instructions on basic game design, pixel art, and music.

As it is, I figure I'll start off with something simple. Something that allows you to make something like Megaman or Castlevania, basically. Not only because it will be easier to create in such a way that will be simple for anybody to use, but also because I feel like too many developers attempt to create massive complicated projects despite a lack of experience.

That being said, I'd like to know what kind of stuff you'd like to see in such a template. Keep it simple, for now, stuff like RPG elements can be added later, if people can actually finish some basic projects.


Anyhow, time for sleep.

52 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. As always, thank you for your hard work!

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  3. Thank you for this! I can't wait to see what you'll release!

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  4. Well, as long as you're asking, why not something simple-ish like the old classic platformers? If you jump on an enemy, they die. If you get hit, you die. Something like that? Maybe throw in a powerup that gives you the ability to shoot something and an enemy that shoots death-stuff so that you can add projectiles into the tutorial.

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  5. This is a great idea. I wouldn't use it,(since I can already make games of that sort anyway) but I would love to see more noob-friendly development resources become available. Anything to get new people making games is good in my book!

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  6. Well, when I think of a template I always think something simple drag and drop (like a mario world creator) so I can't offer any idea on this part, though I admit I like the idea and may have to tinker with it myself.

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  7. I'd say three modules are needed for the base template or game builder:
    1) A system to set up and design PCs and monsters. Including art, animations, AI, and controls.
    2) A room/screens designing system, which lets you populate rooms with platforms, obstacles, enemies powerups, and save points.
    3) A mapping system, that lets you connect the rooms, order levels, and create final versions of games. Possibly with two types available, one being level based, and the other being one big map.

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    1. I agree with this, an organized template system where:
      1. art is stored
      2. sprite animations
      3. sprite models
      4. computer AI and moves
      5. player controls and moves
      6. background doodads are stored in the sixth,
      7. the level creator/combiner (or further broken up if necessary)

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    2. Keep in mind that it would be a Game Maker Template, it would not be a program on it's own.

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    3. Fair enough, in that case I'd say that the template should include means of doing to things that I specified above as the basic requirements to complete the first version.

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  8. If you release such template in the future, i'll make a shrine in your honor, because I suck at programming platformers XD.

    I'm spent a lot of time playing Megaman/Metroid/Caslevania games, so I think any of them (or a combination of them) can be used as a guide for a template. As The Dark Master said, a map/room system would be awesome, although it isn's so important to the core. I guess a template that allows you to easily change speed/physics variables could be really useful, because all platformer games use different proportions and scales when coming to jumps, hitboxes, etc.

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  9. How about a handler of the sex-grapple events: Player down > player/enemy contact > sprite sex, allowing also users to set sex duration, speed, (and debuff/damage?) and sound effects. I think that's probably the most important if it is to be a H-platformer template, though probably the toughest thing to do.

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  10. Script for gallery mode, and I mean something more traditional, tried and working, akin to SpacEscape (among your links still listed as Mitsuko X) rather than Eroico would be nice. As would the script for changing animation so several eemies can use the hero/heroine. Maybe also script for idle animations when hero/heroine is being grappled/assaulted (so onlookers can cheer, do their own things, not just aimlessly still wander left and right).

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  11. Dear god that sounds lovely, to bad I’m a cg artist but I’d mess around with it for a while
    Otherwise I’m not sure what I would want to see in it until I was messing around with it.

    Also just in case it hasn't been said before a tutorial would be nice

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    1. He said in the post that he'd make tuts :P

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    2. dammit i skimmed

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  12. Kyrieru, can we actually expect some Ryona content for the game?

    For example grapples with 1 or 2 enemies holding and beating the heroine, some throws and attacks that make the heroine dazed/seeing stars etc. Beind dazed could also lead to the girl being powerless to defend herself against groping and touching etc. Doesn't need to be the harder stuff (guro), but it would be quite a let-down, if there wasn't at least some kind of Ryona in there. A beat-em up is perfect for that.

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    1. No, my games will never contain Ryona. There will be violence, yes, and there will be sex, but there will never be sexual violence or violence that is excessive or meant to be appealing.

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    2. Mad respect brother, though I'm not that much into porn/hentai i do love your games and im glad to hear that. Technically your games are rapey but are vanilla compared to the rest and that makes me really happy. (really can't stand that sick crap) And though the other game sounded interesting, I am super excited for the new one with Martial Arts. Shit's gonna be tight son.

      Ps. if i can't back fist someone i will be really disappointed
      PPs. no i wont

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    3. Isn't vore a kind of ryona? Also, considering you are making a martial-arts based game I think there wouldn't be out of place non-h grapples, like a enemy that could bearhug you from behind so others can rape you in the front. I'm not into hardcore ryona however I think grapples would be imperative in a martial arts game. Just my opining though

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    4. I only do vore when there's something sexual about it, characters are never say, actually "eaten" or digested.

      In terms of grapples, there may be some. My point was that there will never be anything overtly brutal, like animations of the protagonist being repeatedly punched in the gut, being choked, etc.

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    5. Of course, hardcore vore or heavy Ryona would push the game into StudioS' zone, and that is too brutal for most people. Not anything against heavy ryona fans, but most people prefer their ladies in a single piece o.o

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    6. Maybe the term "Ryona" was not entirely appropriate here.

      It really doesn't need to be overly brutal or anything. Some examples from other games in terms of the "strength of the content" would be Death by Degrees (with Nina from Tekken) and even Street Fighter itself. In Street Fighter you could stun the enemy by hitting him several times in a row for instance, also you can throw them and Zangief has a bearhug, too.

      Other examples might be Streets of Rage or Final Fight etc. They all have some grapple and throw mechanism ... minus the hentai part of course.

      So I'm only talking about light or standard "ryona" content, if you will and nothing other beat em ups haven't already shown in the past numerous times. For the time being, I'll certainly be watching the further development.

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    7. ^

      Just do not call it ryona, that's just incidental violence inherent to fighting games.

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  13. I would love to get my hands on it I wanted to make a game for a while, I pretty much have a story and character designs down just lack the ability to program and make sprites.

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  14. The Metroid community has been waiting for something like this to be released publicly for literal years...
    I'll be watching to see how it goes.

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  15. Are we going to see mostly monsters, like in kurovadis, or mostly humans (or human like things) like in eroico? Personally, I'd prefer monsters, but I'd like to hear what you have to say.

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    1. Monster girls be my favorites. Actually, any chance for that futa TF on the PC coming back again, possibly as something that sticks beyond a loss?

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  16. How about the ability to jump on an opponent to pick them up ala Super Mario Bros. 2? Or just the ability to grab an opponent and manipulate them with a physics engine?

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    1. Hehe, throwing enemies at enemies...

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  17. This is a wonderful idea, it would really help me out as I am the kind to learn from experience and actual examples. I'm sure you will create a more than competent template. The only mechanics I would like to see available myself is a command/input system where you can easily set up some sort of movelist type thing for the player (like a Hadouken input) and some sort of grapple system.

    These two combinations would most likely help me enough to create a sort of Kirby-like game. Where I take an enemy in an inhale-like state (a grapple) and then use the enemy's moves to my leisure. That would be perfect.

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  18. just wondering but like you said in a earlier comment (about the type of) is there going to be vore in this new game? (i guess i could say your type is my fav type of it since i hate any type using ryona) just wondering

    and with the template thing, that sounds awesome, i always wanted to make a game (for fun anyways and i guess like castlevania SotN without the bad VA'ing lol) however i'm a bit to stupid to get all of that stuff XD

    any tips for a derp like me? lol

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    1. Kurovadis had vore, so i guess this one will also have. About making games, if you're using GameMaker you can check the official forums and tutorial pages to get started, and if you're trying to program the harcore way (Java, flash or C), i'm sure there are a lot of forums on the internet that can help you

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  19. Will it be possible to showcase games made in your template? It would be neat to see all the different games people come up with here.

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  20. Throw us a bone by showing a nice template of how you made Kurovadis, it's pretty much a good start for newcomers like myself to be making games!

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    1. As far as I remember, it seemed like there wasn't much of a template with Kurovadis; he's trying to do newer games with more 'order', and I'm guessing this template will be used as a base for the next game.

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    2. Kurovadis was a mess, programming wise. He claimed that it was a complete chaos and I think he rewrote it at some point. That's the reason why he made a template when making Eroico.

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    3. Well, I'll put it this way. I make templates for myself as a framework upon which I can make anything, but I still need to write code specific to the game I'm making. For instance if I want to make a game like Castlevania, I still need to program the player controls and define how sub weapons work, since it is unique to that gametype.

      The templates I make available will be that specific code already completed, but written in such a way that it can be easily manipulated to make variations of that gametype. So for instance, you could not make Kurovadis with the template without knowing how to code, but you could make Unholy Sanctuary.

      I'll most likely release variations of the template for different game types, and then later have a version that is more flexible, but still easy.

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    4. it really was, i decompiled it out of curiosity, do you always do code as scripts? because that was a lot of scripts, i felt it could have stood to be simpler in some places

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    5. The current game is a lot more organized than Eroico, and the coding is a lot less non-nonsensical. I mostly work in scripts, since it's much more efficient and flexible the more you learn to use game maker.

      When it comes to a public template, on the other hand, most of the scripts you won't ever even deal with.

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  21. Oh this would be amazing if it could help teach or even create a game. I just got into messing around with Game Maker and I swear it's frustrating just starting out. For example I was trying to find a command that would allow to put the player character into a grapple o capture state for a grab attack but I honestly can't find anything on this sort of thing. >_<

    But getting away from that I hope to see ways to add sub weapons and possibly more combated ordinate designs to the platformer..or just something like. If player gets caught with this attack make them get capture and if player is down make this capture state happen.

    Voss

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  22. I'm doing sprites for a sidescroller beat'em up project (something like a Strider with a fighting game-like combat system), but I don't have programmers or real programming experience, so this could be useful to at least test and demo my graphics to get someone interested in helping with the programming.

    As for what I'd like to see, some of it is not simple, you'll see what's doable and what's not for this template:

    - Street fighter-like special move inputs
    - Combos (chains, special cancels, etc)
    - Grabs/throws
    - Blocking/parrying
    - Mobility options: running, double jumps, wall bounces, air dashing

    For the enemies, being able to make them shoot projectiles.

    Complex stuff like combos / parrying will probably be too much work, but if it can be done it would be of great help. Anyways even something basic could be extremely useful.

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    1. In your case, I think you should create a site/tumbler/deviantArt account or whatever to post your art and spread your research for a programmer... a simple template would hardly allow what you intend to do.

      ... that said, I am a programmer with too much free time. If you're making an ecchi/hentai game, I would be glad to help.

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  23. reverse rape, monster girls, and perhaps leaving out things like those jump and hit boxes like in eroico.

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    1. None of those things will have anything to do with the template, thats the part thats up to the game designer.

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  24. Now a bigger question...
    Would a game made with said template be be allowed to be sold?

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  25. Good god, I love you.

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  26. proper collision checking for movement, atm my games act the same whether i hit the side of a solid block or the top, and i'm sure ya know how this can cause issues )like not falling when holding in the direction of the side of a block)

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  27. How about an ammunition count and a means to upgrade the amount of ammunition you can hold?

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  28. I think the most important basic stuff would be
    Vertical Collision (Solid floor/ceiling and passable floor/ceiling)
    Horizontal Collision
    Gravity/Falling
    Jumping
    and jumping/dripping through platforms.

    This is mostly stuff I'm having issues with, and they seem like the kinda basic staples that go into a platforming game. stuff like weapons, health, enemies, RPG stuff can be figured out later or asked around on google for specific game types or design elements, but I think this kinda stuff goes in every game, so...I dunno, ha...
    Thank you.

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