General Project Thread & Feedback

Hi uk_resistant,

We still don't have any written "requirements" or "test" for contributors, for now it depends on "how well your results will be helping our development".
Actually, we are in the need of Emerald Hill BG so it'd be great if your contributions will be related to it!

 

Hi,
First off let me say I am very excited about seeing Sonic 2 in HD! I'm a computer science major, and when I'm not listening to the ever intriguing lecture I am playing Sonic 2 :-D

For anyone that is interested: I own http://www.Sonic2HD.com and would love to donate it to the project, maybe as a blog of sorts to inform everyone of the project's current status.

Cheers,
Louis

 

IMO, the less work spent on publicity, the better. Highly publicizing it just increases the chances of it getting noticed on the cease and desist level. Besides, those 5 minutes every day/week/whatever could be better put to use organizing the effort here.

 

To be perfectly blunt, I don't give a damn if they send us a C&D. Unless I have a legal notice saying that I am about to be sued, without question, for monetary compensation or something retarded like that, then they can fuck off as far as I'm concerned.

And even then, we can just move the server to Sweden or something.

 

I think that the CG-like art used for the badniks is going to clash with the vector looking art used for Sonic and company, and I'll have to see what the CG backgrounds look like before I make a statement, but if they're to look anything like the background used in the above picture I say no way, it wouldn't work at all. Recreating the old backgrounds to go along with the current style of sprites would make much more sense, though I'll have to see what you have in mind for "as CG as possible".

 

Haha, you've got balls my man. Alright then. I guess I should put more into this...

 

Well, We can recreate the backgrounds in CG but with some effects (See Killer instinc 1 or 2 for arcade). I mean, if we use CG backgrounds, we can render a lot of 3d images for a background (just like Rare did in KI) to make something like paralax scrolling... Altough is not real paralax scrolling... It'll be good if we use CG, but with a "vector art" style, lets say "Toony".

 

Well, I never said such a thing...

 

Likewise, my NeedleMouse engine doesn't break any of their copyrights. If they send the project a C&D, I don't have to stop development of my Graphics engine.

I actually began writing it with the intent of shopping it around, actually.

 

Tweaker, I like this attitude. Willing to move all of Retro to Sweden just for this project, it shows me just how much you want to see this happen.

 

I'm not worried about what people have to do, I'm worried about what people will do under pressure. People can become real bitches once they've been threatened a little. It pleases me when they aren't.

 

*quote*

Hi uk_resistant,

We still don't have any written "requirements" or "test" for contributors, for now it depends on "how well your results will be helping our development".
Actually, we are in the need of Emerald Hill BG so it'd be great if your contributions will be related to it!


actually if its ok with you, id like to have a go at the special stages, as im from a more 3d background then 2d vector. Id like to build the levels in 3d (or at least sections to tile) then deliver them how you need them, I.e 3d file format or 2d renders.

one thing I would like to know is, will you be going for a vector/flatshade style with the special stages or not? to me in sonic 2 they always seemed to be going for a more cgi look, which I think would be a great style to HD up in the new special stages...

 

Feel free to experiment! :D
However please keep in mind that characters need to blend in correctly!

(As for now, we'll use renders, not 3d files directly)

 

do you mean that the special stage characters need to blend in with the special stages or do u mean that the vector characters need to blend in?

 

I mean to paste in like this standing frame:



And see if it blends correctly with the style you want to use.

 

Special Stage characters I assume would match the style of the level. I think the Special Stage character sprites are more amenable to CG anyway, so we may want to consider an entirely CG Special Stage. The SS sprites in the original certainly look more like CG than standard character sprite art to me. As Vincent said, feel free to experiment. The SS is a different environment that no one has done any artwork on yet, so matching the existing artwork isn't much of an issue.

 

cool, id like to try something a lil more dream like compared to the existing artwork. is there anychance of this actually being 3d or will it just be 2 images animated? im hoping it's the former...

 

No, there will be no realtime 3D graphics in normal gameplay, there will be no skeletal animation, and there will be no key-framed animations with inbetweens! It's entirely sprite based with one possible exclusion of the special stages.

And frankly, the easiest way to do this is by using the source material and creating vector art to match it and slowly adding in extra details while sticking to the pallete. That way it's easy to keep everything in sync with the style.

 

Better start saving up, if you want to pay $300/month or more, and not be able to talk to any of the support team because they don't speak English.

Also, please don't make assumptions that I'll sit here and twiddle my thumbs while Sega's legal team attempts to come after me (because that's who they'll go after, the guy that has the [email protected] email :P)

Should that happen, I'll probably just move Retro to my German server anyway.