D-Series: Black & Blue / Sonic 1: RSI

Well, I figured instead of bumping the old topic in the Member's Lounge it would be a better idea to put this here. I need to clean up the site (read: lower the graphic content in menus) and add some stuff there, and the board that I put there I'm going to take down because it's kind of a waste. If I get serious with other 4FE projects then I'll open a 4FE board, but until then this will suffice.

So, I've been doing a lot of preliminary work (read: I haven't coded shit yet) for the Black & Blue RPG. Among other things, I have a nearly complete listing of all the areas to be used in Chapter 1. Comes out to 98 areas, not including houses, shops, inns, and buildings of that nature. For a complete listing... wait about 10 hours, I'll upload it to the site later tonight.

I was considering the size of this stuff the other day, and I realized that it would be a ridiculously huge file size. So what I may end up doing is splitting the game into its Chapters and making a separate fileset for each, with a password system set up so that at the end of Chapter 4, for instance, you get a password for Chapter 5 that tells it what to include. That fun stuff. Will it actually decrease the size? Probably not, but it's worth a shot.

Chapter 1 is still going to get beta testing and then put out as a "demo" of the game. It's still quite a ways off though.

The "non-fanstyle" version of it (read: no fan characters, not entirely based on the D-Series comic) may actually extend beyond Sonic Adventure 2, perhaps even as far as the Shadow Arc, and depending on what is in Sonic 06, perhaps that as well, if it wraps up the story nicely.

If I can put together the entire "Action Field" setup of the game (read: going from Map A to Map B, etc) then I'll have it beta tested and released as a "demo" too, which should be nice because it'll feel like a Sonic game, no RPG elements involved.

I need to go through the Soundtrack YET AGAIN, because I can never find an efficient method of organizing it. Anyone who wants to make something for this game: the current focus is Chapter 1, which takes place on South Island. Sooo, if you have any themes from Sonic 1, Sonic 1 GG, Sonic 2 GG, or S&T/SChaos that you like, feel free to toss it my way. Tweaker has been throwing TONS of awesome stuff at me, so hurry or you'll miss your chance ;P Don't hesitate to make a track for a theme that's already taken on there, nothing is permanent. (EDIT: One unusual one I'm interested in is a mix of Green Hill Zone and Mecha Green Hill Zone together, but sounding a little eerie or minor or something a bit "non-happy-ing".)

The first hard step in this, is making 16-bit versions of the 8-bit game levels. Should be interesting to try, but eh. I may enlist in the help of others for tile design (with due credit given of course). Then it comes down to the map editing, and trying to get the 16-bit ones to look and feel just like the 8-bit ones.

I'm anxious as all hell, can't wait to get down to the nitty-gritty.

 

Well, interestingly enough when I had it there, one of the first things said was that it should be here, lol.

This game will involve a bit of tweaking, and based on the primary engine I'll be using it will be sort of a retrohack. But if LocalH or Hivebrain think it should be moved then yeah this could just as easily be in Member's Lounge.

When I upload the area info tonight, there'll be some basic info on each spot. Namely, what its name is, which sections it connects to, if it has music, if it is a pre-made area, if it is not-pre-made and/or 8-bit, or if it is completely original.

If you (or anyone for that matter) want to take a whack at Turquoise Hill (preferably based on Green Hill tiles/edits) then that'd be a cool thing to start with. =P

 

Now now, chums, let's have FUN in this topic =D Or something.

I suppose it should also be noted that "minimal" is a light way of describing how much effort has been put into Black Side as of yet.

 

I think we need a special cameo from some of our lost friends. Keep an eye out in Spring Yard *hint hint*

 

Nah, I'm going to run with Sonic 3 style sprites. If you still want to do a few bits for concept/advertising purposes, then that'd be cool though ;P


On another note, I think that for Speed, instead of measuring it in arbitrary units (I.e. SPD 85 or whatever) it'll be written in MPH/KPH (there will be an option in the menu to switch). So, for instance, when Sonic starts the game, his base Speed would be something like 50MPH, and the first Shoes he gets will be +5MPH or something.

Characters in battle, enemies as well, will not always be at "Max Speed". Instead, they will float around between 1/3 - 2/3 max. They can acheive status effects that will give them Max Speed, 1/2 Speed, Slow (1/6 - 2/6 max speed), Stop (0 speed), and the like. There'll also be stuff that gives +N% or -N% speed as well as +R or -R MPH/KPH, capping at "0" or Max, the difference between 0 and "0" being that "0" is the slowest possible speed, 0 is stopped.

I think it could be interesting to use.

 

Normally I'd keep this bit to myself for lollerifics, but I'm always a huge fan of when RPGs (or any games really) put subtle references to other things in them, especially (but not exclusively) in teh way of items and weapons. But instead of just working on my (admittedly limited) range of things to pull from, is there anything you guys wanna see get a nod in this? Can't guarantee it'll make it in, but hey, if it is then you'll know it pretty easily =P I already have a few things lined up. But let's see what you guys wanna see.

 

The problem with messing external (rather than internal) save files is that the size can start to build up over time, not to mention with a password system there are room for "bonuses" and the like. On the other hand, there has to be some kind of "universal" file in case you want (or need) to use an earlier point of the file. Then again, it may just be one massive game instead of seven split-up chunky chapters. Who knows.

I like the idea of a Mario cap being in there, and I am 100% for giving Ristar some face time. I don't think swords will be used much if at all in the game, so the Masamune is highly unlikely (at least as a sword). Making a "Brownie" something is easy, and almost definitely in there just out of simplicity.

I have a feeling there'll be a whole lot of references in Mushroom Hill.

 

The 39% is how many/much of the total set of levels is finished, and that number is basically composed of all the levels from Sonic 1, because all that would be required (minus some events tweaking) is to port them directly.

Currently, no 16-bitting has taken place yet. Actually, right now I'm trying to collect the existing tiles so that I know what I have to work wth and how much extra I'll need to put together.

EDIT: Just to clarify (because now I see what you meant), the percent progress thing is for the whole of whatever category it's in ("Level Design" for instance), and the "Current Bit" thing basically says what the current/next step in the process is.