Sonic and Sega Retro Message Board: ManicRemix - Viewing Profile - Sonic and Sega Retro Message Board

I almost never post-- However this was so compelling that I just had to give my input!

I see what you're going for here, please read my entire post:

I remember long ago I used to play that site called Neopets, you've heard of it, right?

Within Neopets, there was a game called Snow Muncher. It was a simple but addicting game. Its gameplay mechanics are fairly simple, watch this video to see what I mean:



Now let's break the game down:

*Your goal is to reach the bottom of the level without overfeeding you Polar Bear. However, the only way to reach the bottom of the level is to feed your Polar Bear.

*As you progress through the level, your Polar Bear slowly gains "Weight". 5% per block, until he reached 100% and dies. However in the game there are special potions hidden called "Bloat-B-Gone", once touched it relieves 50% of your bloat percentage. However, these are usually hidden under other Snow Blocks, and if you aquire thr Bloat B Gone and do not move quickly enough the snow above will fall and kill you.

*Throughout the levels, you have several challenges. Obviously the first being your Polar Bear becoming bloated. Secondly the ever ticking clock, once it reaches 0 regardless of your progress within the level you die and start over. And third being the risks. Your Polar Bear is currently at 85%, and Bloat-B-Gone is just a couple of bites away. Will you risk getting further Bloated or crushed for slight relief? Or keep progressing and seeing of you can make it down in time? Or perhaps will you take the previous risks to reach a diamond for extra points?

Now we ask, why would users even take the risk of losing the entire game just to increase their score with onr Jewel? Well on Neopets.com, there a these things called "Avatars". They are small images that you can unlock, and can be use as an Avatar on the site. These are highly sought after, snd only the best players have very many at all.

Well in this game called Snowmuncher, once you aquire a certain score you are awarded an exclusive and hard to obtain avatar. Additionally if your score is within the Top 3 for that month that you are awarded a Trophey, which are just as rare and sought after as Avatars. This gives the users potential reasons to take risks.

Now let's connect that to Mario. The "New Super Mario Bros." titles, there are both Red Coins & Golden Medals.

Red coins are aquired a certain way. One must pass through a Red Ring to activate Red coins, which disappear after a short period. 8 Red coins appear, and collecting all 8 will grant the user a prize.

Now here's where we use startegy with this feature:

In the New Super Mario Bros. series, you have the ability to retain powerups. For example if you are Fire Mario, then you collect another Fire Flower, then this Fire Flower is then stored and can be accessed at any time to relieve you. Now the red Coins will always award you one Power-up above your current Power-Up. Lets say youre Small Mario. Then getting all 8 coins gives a Mushroom to become Normal Mario. If Normal Mario gets all 8 coins he is given a Fire Flower. If Fire Mario gets all 8 coins then he gets a life.

Now, let's say you're Racoon/Tanooki Mario, and you have a Fire Flower stored, and you want to eliminate your Tanooki/Racoon Power and have Fire Power + a stored Fire Flower because an up coming enemy hates fire. You find a red ring which grants 8 red coins. You would then purposefully damage yourself so that you become Normal Mario and then collect all 8 coins to aquire another Fire Flower.

Then we have Gold Medals. Each level contains 3, usually risky and difficult to aquire. Now why would the player risk their life tl aquire these Medals? In various Mario Titles, these medals are used to unlock new Levels & secret areas. The user feels a desire to aquire medals because they a) Grant a Gold Star status to that user when all are aquired and b) they unlock new levels & areas. It's a win win. Now where is Sonic lacking that risk or strategic game play?

While most modern Sonic Games contain a similar Red Ring system, how do they really reward the player? By unlocking dull & hard Sonic Simulator levels that play just like the level whose red rings you aquired just to play this? By giving extra music/artwork? There is no risk factor that will ultimately effect you abilities & gameplay throughout the level, other than aquiring Super Sonic which usually requires you to simply press forward. Now what I'm seeing with Mario Bros. is that you want to jump on as many Koopas as possible to encrease your score, or that you will take the risk & brave that Blue Crab for a hammer. Sonic offers risks not nearly as complicated or thought provoking. You don't think "If I finish this level at x time, then the Rainbow Level will be unlocked" or "If I risk my life to get this Red ring, then I may defeat x enemy later on".

Overall, I see no obvious single screen game play.

Truner, on 24 May 2012 - 08:09 AM, said:

I love everything you listed but the homing attack, it feel very unnatural. If it could be turned off by option, then great.

I'm a bit torn... While Rom hacks are fun, Fan game engines are near limitless, but harder to get perfect physics. It really depends on what you want. Everything you listed above sounds like it'd be much easier to make with a Rom hack (Except maybe the cut scenes, which I'm not sure if that is possible to do with Sonic 1/2. I've been interested in that however...). Now if you wanted Sonic XG Style graphics, then you'd obviosuly go with an engine. It all depends on your personal terms, and I wish you luck.

---

Now on to my own problems...

I'm apparently getting that "Overflow" glitch, where the Ram isn't prepared to hold that much art or something, I end up with this:



I've seen the solution to this problem before, but I cannot recall where. As you can see, I've replaced Egg Man's image with that of Tails'. Eggman's Image was merely one side of a image doubled & flipped over to make one large image, since both halves of him are the same. However, since I replaced it with Tails image (Obviously larger), it casued these weird graphical glitches. Solutions?

And then another thing... Would anybody here happen to know where exactly it it does not allow the act to end until Sonic moves to the right? I've set up a Sonic 3 type ending where he poses at the end of an act, but since he does not move to the right to the right, the act does not end because the Final score counting & "Has passed Act X" hasn't been triggered yet.

BlazeHedgehog, on 25 April 2012 - 11:30 PM, said:

Um...

I've searched through the MKDD ISO for such software, and there is none (From what I can find). Then again, I could have simply missed it.

A guy named Thakis, created the BMD Viewer 2. He also created Yaz0Dec to decompress the Yaz0 archives and convert them to .arc, then Rarc Dump to extra all files. The software is at http://www.amnoid.de/gc (He even includes the source). The BMD Viewer 2 can export any BMD/BDL model as a common .3ds model. (With an exception of DS BMDs (Which are used in Super Mario 64 DS), which are more like NSBMD models and are not supported by the BMD Viewer 2) (This also seems to be an easier way to rip BMD/BDL models without 3D Ripper DX)

I know Thakis, and he assured me that he knows of no Software in Mario Kart Double Dash, and that he created the BMD Viewer & BMD Viewer 2.

BDL is just like BMD, except BDL has the added MDL3 section for better texture handling, and first appeared in The Legend Of Zelda: The Windwaker

(All just to clear up how these models can be gotten)

Anyways, nice work. Super Mario Sunshine is my most favorite video game of all time (And Sonic 2), and Bianco Hills is my favorite level, so I will most certainly try these!

Oops... Tried, not Tired. :p

The thing about the awesome backstory was a joke. I just couldn't imagine a Random Person coming in and asking to be a programmer Flat out. I'm not adapted to this community too well.

By make it, I was implying my current post count. It's possible, but operating with such a small amount is straining. I understand it is to help keep the community Clean of Bad/Trollish users.

I really wasn't trying to randomly insert myself into this project either. I wouldn't know exactly who to contact, and how it would look coming from a trial member. I saw no other way to approach this Subject, then to come here, publicly. Perhaps the story was long, however I just don't see any other way I could have explained.

I still think the wisest idea would be to use an existing engine. I'd like to help, but I assure you'd have to wait for everything to register (From what I'm learning), and then there is the task of creating the Engine itself.

Converting the Assembly code to another Language shouldn't be too hard, but there is then the task of making it read new files, display, reaction, ECT.

From my own point of view, it looks like the Enginge it's self would be original to Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

Like in Sonic Generations, for example. There is a Graphics Engine, Also known as The Hedgehog Engine. Then there is a Physics Engine, called The Havoc Engine.

They are both separate, of course. If one wanted to, they could create a game based off of Sonic 1's Physics Engine, but use an advanced Graphics Engine, for 3D.

Talk of a modification of Taxman's Retro Engine to display HD Graphics have been talked about. The same should be able with any 2D Sonic Game. However, a Genesis cannot handle this because it can only display certain resolutions, and the Ram Disk would probably implode.

We'd need something more powerful, like a Computer. It would have been very Much possible to base Sonic 4 off of Sonic 2's Engine. Display and Reaction are completely separate. One handles what happens. Does Sonic touch Object 4? Is Object 4 bad? Did object 4 hurt Sonic? Object 4 is bad. Release Rings or Activate Death.

The Graphics are only a visual representation of what is going on, and the The Graphics Engine can be highly advanced, while the Physics Engine is poor.

I've presented this Idea for other Games, like Giving Mario Kart Wii Super Mario Galaxy's Graphics engine.

I'm not saying this should be easy, but it shouldn't be too hard either. Especially if it's compiled into a Program on a computer, which can handle both Sonic 2's Engine & Hi-Res Graphics.

I'm not Lost. You can have a moderator track whatever they'd need to.

Well it wouldn't have been awesome without a boring Back Story! Right? Plus, I didn't want to jump in and say "Manic Remix! Make me programmer! Bye!" Anyways, I'm not too confident I'd get any role within this project.

There are 1000s of Better programmers who Know what to do, and they are already taught exactly everything they'd need to do. There are also other Engines. According to the Wiki Page, the use of the Retro engine was first in Favor. However, during that time it was unfinished.

Well it seems good enough. Sega even thinks so.

I just wanted to see if I could help. You know, just genuinely nice. It would be sad for the Sprite Makers & Music composer's work to all Waste away.

About it being beautiful and amazing... Well, aside from the crazy security system, it is. It plays well (As far as physics), it looks nice.

Truly, I saw the situation and I wanted to help. In all honesty, I wasn't too sure about it. The moment I posted that I had thought "OH MY GOSH Did I just commit to create a Game Engine?!".

The best thing to do, would probably be to use an already existing engine, or someone who has already learned what I'm currently learning now.

Like said above, I tired to step up, but it wasn't responded to too well.

And if I don't make it here, I can still try my own Engine. Good Luck, and I really hope everything goes well!