Hey Retro, I could have sworn there was a basic Q & A thread for fan-games yet now I cannot find it, if this is posted in the wrong section, please inform me. I come to you today with a few questions about fan-games and MMF2 in general. 1) I know the sonic worlds engine runs at a specific resolution (I can't think of the exact figure off the top of my head), I assume this is because it is the resolution that best mimics that of the Megadrive / Genesis thus making Sonic games look most at home and ensuring the graphics are in proportion. My question is, if the resolution was doubled and each sprite / graphical asset had increased detail, do you think it would look aesthetically pleasing? or would it be difficult to play because of the larger size? 2) This is more of a general idea regarding both fan-gaming but more original content. How do you stop people from stealing your ideas or characters?
The easiest way is to not share them until they are done. Also make it clear that your stuff is copyrighted. Number 1 rule though is don't say 'don't steal' because it draws attention to the fact that you don't want it stolen. I think it would look fine as long as you remember to include contrast. Unlike with 3D, you don't have the luxury of including shadows and depth to allow easy focusing on the character and important elements, however if you make the background a soft colour and the foreground a sharp contrasting colour then it should be fine. Look at S2HD and see how they do it. It's the best 2D example I can think of off the top of my head where they have increased the resolution. Either way, I'm not certain on this question so you might want to look at more experienced people's answers :P
I think that doing the above with increased details would look rather good if done right. Remember, a fan game is a fan game, you don't always have to follow the traditional formula when it comes to art style. And I don't think it would make the game difficult to play as long as you keep the scales proportional to the classic sprites that you are upscaling. (Im being random now) It would make the game weird if lets say you have a sonic thats half the size of one of the loops , and a badnick thats like the 6x6 pixels or something. Anyways be creative ! Its a fan game ! 3D model by Vince of Sonic ADR, with Experimental Proof of concept Paint shader system by yours truly. Be inspired ! And go for it !
