[StephenUK]

To start, I wasn't sure if this was supposed to go in here or in E&RE, so feel free to move it in the wrong place. Secondly, although this may come across as a list topic, it is actually intended to be an in depth discussion which will hopefully be useful to anybody who wishes to create a hack or fan game.

The idea of this topic is taken from a post which MarkeyJester made at SSRG, which is as follows:

Quote

For those of you who do not know, I'm currently making some major alterations to the engine in a Sonic 1 disassembly, it's almost as ready as I need it, and I have a very huge sprite sheet of improved Sonic 1 sprites with smoother animation which I plan to patch to it. The reason for me doing this is that, I plan to create a major hack of some kind on top of it, I mean major as in, turning it into a new Sonic game, but without going too mad (I don't plan to spend my entire life on it).

However, I don't know what makes you all tick, sometimes I get lucky (See Pana Der Hejhog), sometimes I don't (see Sonic 1 50hz faster edition), but to do this properly, I want to get deep into your thoughts with a serious effect, what are you looking to see in a new Sonic Mega Drive/Genesis game?

Before anyone jumps the wagon and says this is an ideas thread, in one frame of mind, yes you are right, but not in the same context, ideas threads are often created by those showing their ideas but not in action, and may never actually get to the stage of making them practical, not to mention that most of the time the ideas are either stupid or cliché, and the thread is only built around a conversation over "their" ideas and nothing more, hence why we trash them.

Let's think of this as a community gathering of ideas, a provided marketing research of what the scene is interested in, this opens up room for more conversation. Of course, you are not forced to share your ideas at all, if you would like to keep them to yourself, then that is entirely your business and no disrespect to you. As most of you will have a lot of creative ideas, this will leave a lot of open room for multiple future hacks, and I think it would be great for those looking to make a hack, who are interested in knowing what people would like to see, will find it here.

Hell play our cards right, we may end up with hacks congenial to us as a community rather than just the directors, like we usually keep getting.

I would like to further ask that you don't be silly with your ideas, be honest, be straight, otherwise the thread will fill up with a load of crap, and will have to be deleted, I don't want to have to do that.

Hopefully this topic does not fall outside the rules (if it does I apologise) and some decent discussion can come from this. The more original ideas, the better, as a lot of hacks these days seem to be based around the same few concepts (homing attack, making Tails fly, adding Knuckles etc). Many people claim this is due to lack of ideas, but with this I'm hoping that people less interested in the actual hacking aspect can still put their ideas forward and maybe see their ideal hack appear as a result in the future.

So, what do you look for in a Sonic hack or fan game?

[Felik]

So you want to make a hack to please other people instead of having some fun and making something that'd entertain yourself?
Hacking is your job or something?

[Dario FF]

Felik, on 09 May 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

So you want to make a hack to please other people instead of having some fun and making something that'd entertain yourself?
Hacking is your job or something?

I believe it's more like seeing if someone comes up with a cool idea for a hack that is fun to do.

[Candescence]

Personally, I'd like to see a Sonic platformer that breaks away from the typical level structure. I mean, bloody hell, Mario did that with his first 3D outing, and everyone loved it.

A metroidvania comes to mind. Sonic would be rather well-suited to that kind of gameplay structure, I think - the Adventures, especially SA1, had that "get new abilities to access the next area" thing, for starters.

[StephenUK]

Felik, on 09 May 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

So you want to make a hack to please other people instead of having some fun and making something that'd entertain yourself?
Hacking is your job or something?

Some people, such as myself, get as much enjoyment out of the actual hacking process as they do out of the final result. That's almost like saying I shouldn't enjoy cooking a nice meal for someone else to enjoy just because I'm not paid to. It's not intended as a statement that people should please others in the community and not please themselves in what they make, it's there for people who enjoy the entire process and want to put something professional, fun and exciting back into the community which will keep others entertained as much as themselves.

This post has been edited by StephenUK: 09 May 2012 - 11:06 AM

[Machenstein]

Game Gear levels. That is all.

[ashthedragon]

Yes, Game Gear levels is the go. also that metroidvania idea is very good.

[Jayextee]

StephenUK, on 09 May 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

So, what do you look for in a Sonic hack or fan game?

Above all, good quality original content. Fun. New features I can take or leave, but without those first two items they're moot. Markey is good at those, it's a shame he left.

[ashthedragon]

Now I have an idea...how about making a game similar to mickey mania? I mean, go trhough various historical sonic levels and moments, starting black 6 white and turning color, and of course incluiding game gear leves as well as megadrive or even adventure levels? And getting items metroidvania style all the way. Something like our own Sonic Generations,but retro style

[Billy]

I'd like to see more custom bosses! I'd imagine that they're a really big challenge to create and flesh out, so I understand why most hacks lack them. Though, even variations on the existing bosses are cool as hell IMO.

[Tanks]

Here's what I'm thinking... Anyone can make a Sonic hack and keep the classic style. And anyone who knows me knows that I definitely think the classic style gameplay is all holy and sanctified and should not be meddled with unless a good sonic game is to be made with it.

With that said, however, I think it would not only be a major feat for sonic hacking, but also be quite fun, if you were able to somehow replicate the Rush engine to some extent using Sonic 1 as a base. I would definitely applaud you for this. Push that old hardware to its limits. See if it can match that more modern style of gameplay. I'm not arguing for an exact replica, but something along the lines of similar engine and gameplay style.

[Tyty]

Tanks, on 09 May 2012 - 01:43 PM, said:

With that said, however, I think it would not only be a major feat for sonic hacking, but also be quite fun, if you were able to somehow replicate the Rush engine to some extent using Sonic 1 as a base. I would definitely applaud you for this. Push that old hardware to its limits. See if it can match that more modern style of gameplay. I'm not arguing for an exact replica, but something along the lines of similar engine and gameplay style.

This is actually a really awesome idea. I've always figured that with the classic sonic level design, modern sonic style is really fun. You can even keep the physics the same and just add boost, since Rush has some wonky as hell physics.

Hell you could even add the homing attack, as long as you use it smartly.

[dsrb]

Billy, on 09 May 2012 - 01:32 PM, said:

I'd like to see more custom bosses! I'd imagine that they're a really big challenge to create and flesh out, so I understand why most hacks lack them. Though, even variations on the existing bosses are cool as hell IMO.

This. The (very) few I've seen have had me really interested.

Also, badniks need to actually pose a challenge; let's have some with programming, shall we? rather than just sitting or moving in a pre-defined pattern and perhaps popping out a projectile or two every now and again.

Something else that needs to pose a challenge is platforming: not in a cheap and/or Marble Staircase Zone sort of way, but in a way that would be rewarding, requiring skill and timing and all that to succeed.

[ICEknight]

Despites something filled with original content that resembles the original style, the hacks I'd love to see the most would be faithful ports of non-Mega Drive Sonics to the Mega Drive/Mega CD/Mega 32X (the latter only if the extra colors, graphic effects and sound quality would require their usage).

These "hacks I'd love to play" include, but aren't limited to:

• Sonic Advance
  
• Sonic Chaos
  
• Sonic 4 Episode I
  
• Sonic 1 GG
  
• Sonic Triple Trouble
  
• Sonic Rush
  
• Sonic 2 GG

[Caniad Bach]

Have there been any hacks that have used the Mega 32x?