Special Stage Development

I actually think we already have the background done...
Interesting find though, at least to me...

 

Is this a running program or just a render?

 

God, I think that look pretty nice so far! Keep the good work up!

 

That's excellent! Has any 3d artwork been established aside from the obvious rings? Oh and I'd start adding lights to that scene if I were him, everything's a little bland.

 

Don't think so at the moment. Synergy's first release is just a proof of concept to show how it worked. And boy does it work great. It's going to look bland until the artists start properly working on it. There have been a bunch of concept pictures made up already. Just look a few pages back to see what was mocked up if you haven't seen them already.

 

Hmm, a full TOD cycle in Endless Mode.

 

Would the idea of having the final stages having a background that changes slightly the farther you go be out of the question? The area outside the tube would be in the air, with the clouds above everything in the distance. As you continue the tube "rises" higher and higher. Past the clouds, and eventually into space with stars everywhere when you reach the end.

Even with no idea of how programming works I know it would be a pain to do, though. I just wanted to know if the idea sounds good and if it is worthy of the time it would take to create.

 

I really like the ideas here, but somehow, whenever I try to run it, I just get a blue screen. And when I press tab, it crashes. It might be because of the computer I'm using, (as I'm currently at college) but just in case, here's the log.

LOG: Log initialised.
KERNEL: Registering vertex type (p3n3t2).
KERNEL: Added handler for levels (0).
KERNEL: Added handler for models (1).
KERNEL: Added handler for materials (2).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (sky.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (blob.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (blob.mat).
PLAY: Initialising tube node.
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (blob.mat).
PLAY: Initialising profile curve.
PLAY: Initialising base meshes.
PLAY: Initialising final tube mesh.
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (tube.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (ring.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (mine.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (mineSilver.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (mineRed.mat).
RENDER: Vertex shader did not compile, but no error was reported.
RENDER: Vertex program did not compile.
MATERIAL: Error initialising shader program, material load aborted.
RESOURCE: Failed to load resource (chaos.mat).

However, I looked at the YouTube vid posted earlier, and I must say, it's looking good.

 

Looks like you need the latest DirectX, but as you're on a school computer that probably won't be an option. I'm working towards eliminating the dependency on D3DX by compiling the shaders offline in advance, which should alleviate some of the version problems already seen, though it's always worth making sure you're up-to-date

 

Well, if I manage to get onto my computer during the next week (as it's half term next week, and it's one of the few times when I could get onto it) I'll see if I can play it then.

But still, I can't wait to try the demo version of the Special Stages. Heck, I might even try and make a few myself when I can.

Speaking of that, once the engine for the Special Stages has been completed, how are you going to go about making them? Will they be made exactly like the Sonic 2 counterparts, or will there be completly new ones? Although I guess the later would happen if it allows for full 360 degree loops.

 

The stage format isn't set in stone so I wouldn't make anything too elaborate as it won't be the exact same format in future It will come with the original stages which will be built using the editor, and if this is integrated into S2HD then obviously these are the ones you will play during the game. I'm not sure what the Sonic 2 HD team plans to make customisable or not, but at least as a standalone program we can then look at extra piece types and so on for the editor.

 

Well, I look foward to seeing this get better. It's just a shame that I'm more of a technical person than an art person, otherwise I would try and help with regards to the art style of the stages.

But, looking at what has come before, I really like Hamneggs's idea of textured glass for the floor.

 

Hey guys, I'm new here, and I came here mainly because I wanted to contribute ideas and feedback for this Sonic 2 HD project.

On to business: I am looking at Synergy's Special Stage concept, and while fading distance far into the background seems like a good idea at first (no more bombs popping out of nowhere to hurt you), I feel that it might change the gameplay mechanics around a bit too much. One of the reasons why some of the Special Stages are rather difficult is because you really can't see what's coming in from where, especially as the half-pipe goes on a downward slope or twists left/right. I clearly remember bombs on the bottom of the pipe at one part in the last Special Stage in Sonic 2 (the black/dark coloured one) just as it goes downward, using the element of surprise to crash right into you if you were not expecting it at all.

Transparency is also a good idea, but it should not be too much as to let you see too far off what's coming at you, to preserve the element of surprise. Besides, too much transparency can be quite distracting in a real-world gameplay scenario. The same apply to textures; as Canned Karma also said, textures might not be in line with the original theme of the Special Stages. However, until we see a mockup it's difficult to judge whether it might be a good idea or not.

 

Hmm... Maybe the farther away a tube is to Sonic, the less transparent it is on screen? Example: If a tube is really close to Sonic, it could be about 80% transparent where as if it's far away, it might be about 20% transparent. Not sure if transparency is a good idea but that could work.

 

I think I've struck a happy balance with the following: very slight transparency so that you can see the diamond background but not what's coming through upcoming corner pieces; a vertex shader that squashes distant tube vertices into a point to look more like the original (and which means corner pieces are more of a surprise); and scaling the objects so they appear only at a set distance, which allows the required reaction times on the part of the player to again be similar to the original. Once the next demo is out you can judge for yourself as it really needs to be seen in motion.

 

I think that it should be the reverse of this: less transparent nearby (so that you can see the full BG of the stage) but more transparent the further away it is. And, the transparencies stack when looking through more than one plane of glass, (like in the corners) so that it's harder to see what's coming up around a corner.