General Project Thread & Feedback

Ha ha, maybe I could get myself a tablet with those donations. :P Honestly, though, you don't have to donate, though I imagine it would help with some things.

 

Thanks for the offer IllumiNaughty, but we officially refuse to make any money out of this. ^^

Our passion, dedication and your support - only, is the fuel that's making this "impossible dream" a concrete reality.
We're not ready for an official "Release Date" announcement yet, but I can say it's getting amazingly there, day by day.

About extra content plans, expect part of the new extra-features "in" and "after" AR!

 

I'm fairly sure Metropolis Zone Act 3 was done purely out of convenience because the level designer had more time than expected (one of the few things that ran ahead of schedule!)

 

Grounder from AoStH is in the game? Sweet!

 

Hahaha, I'll send you mine and just leave me with the extra money *laughs*

Yes, indeed, this is turning better each day, sometimes people here don't really know what's inside the "staff's box"... and we got some nice freaking surprises :3....and Candies =3~~

 

You can't be fairly sure, now that different inside sources have told us otherwise. =P

 

I am thinking about a full length Death Egg, or at least a better intro. Sonic 2 lacks the use of the gravity spinner (Used in Sonic 1 Scrap Brain Act 2, Metallic Madness Zone 2 in Sonic CD, and Carnival Night in Sonic 3) and also introduction to the reverse gravity added into Sonic & Knuckles. Those things would fit Death Egg.

After Sonic gets off the aircraft rocket thing that Robotnik escaped Wing Fortress, there is a missing sequence between the docking of Death Egg and the boss fights. What it will be is up to anyone who is interested to work on the whole Death Egg level. The sequence most likly should be a playable zone where people finally can listen to the whole music track :P
Nothing is decided or final though.


About including of lost levels such as Hidden Palace, I am myself against making up a story for why those levels were included into the game in the first place. The worst scenario would be to include Hidden Palace just as it was in the last beta, and just leave it as a lost level accessible from the level select. I want Hidden Palace in Sonic 2 HD.

Now, I don't know about the most hated thing. Multiplayer is planned into Sonic 2 HD. Adding different rules, modes, whatever is the easy part. Making it fair is another question. Should it even be fair? It will be huge amount of discussion when this gets a reality, I am sure.

One way to keep Sonic 2 HD alive long after is has been released is to include a system where internet noobs basically live inside the online gameplay. Attracting such people are easy, by just adding a way for people to think they are Shadow the Hedgehog.... *shot*

 

But... that would mean ADDING to the game. I thought this project was about CHANGING the game, for the better. Admittedly it is a great idea, but it would be going beyond what Sonic 2 was. If that level editor is implemented (even externally, not part of the final product) then there will likely be infinite amounts of DEZs circulating anyway.

Players would be required to manouver down a trench and skim the surface, then jump into a small exhaust port only two meters wide to fight the final boss =P

Do that then. If these beta levels MUST be in the game, they don't need a story. They don't even need to be completable, really. Just sit there and look pretty.

 

I like the idea of having levels for DEZ especially the idea of starting from the spaceship dock. But I've always treated DEZ like the final zone in Sonic 1 so I find it welcoming to just go straight into the boss fights. To have a short, pointless level just for the benefit of the music is a waste. I would rather see great level design, new badniks, new gimmicks and new traps for DEZ in a 2 player versus mode or time attack mode. The same goes for the other scraped levels. Then there be no need for new boss designs or how you would get to these extra levels (the suggested method to get to HPZ through the emeralds) or where you would put them in the game. Just keep these new types of added editions separate from the main game because at the end of the day they are not cannon.

 

What about having the idea of a boss Time Attack mode, a la Eggman's Revenge?

 

No rings.
Sonic only.
FINAL DESTINATION!

On a serious note, that sounds like something worth adding. I think if we do this we should use the egg robo from Sonic and Knuckles instead of having Robotnik piloting the bosses.

 

Reminds me of something I thought up the other day. You know how in Sonic Advance 2, the bosses are a bit more... lively than average. I was wondering how hard that would make the very first Sonic 2 boss. Timing will play a MUCH bigger role. Just brainstorming here, could be used for EXPERT Mode or something.

Oh, and EASY Mode could get rid of those pesky flipping blocks in Chemical Plant.

 

If there was an optional setting to replace the standard bosses with more complex bosses like in Sonic 3&K's Marble Garden, Mushroom Hill, and Lava Reef, I'd be all for it.

Here's an alternate boss I thought up for Emerald Hill (using the same Drillmobile):

Boss fight will be constantly scrolling to the right. It begins with Robotnik appearing and chasing after you (left side of screen). You can hit the boss by jumping and slowing down in midair, landing behind him in the process (Robotnik on right side of screen). When you get behind Robotnik, he'll turn around and drive across the screen, and appear behind you again (left side). Since this is the first boss, and because this incarnation is harder, there are actually TWO ways of defeating him. One, hit him eight times. Two, just outrun him for about 40 seconds. Robotnik will hit some obstacle which smashes his vehicle instantly.

 

Just an idea. But for a full DEZ could it be kind of a chase where you have robotnik in the background of the level appearing in several places as if he is trying to reach a place before sonic. suck as he could bee seen appearing from lifts, moving along moving platforms, or on conveyor belts. all of this is in the background of course, or some could even take place in the foreground. Just an idea im throwing out there.

 

Fuck it, here's a list for expert boss ideas.

EHZ: Screen scrolls to the right.
CPZ: A treadmill instead of a steady platform.
ARZ: 2 arrows shot at the same time, and standing on top of pillars is now impossible.
CNZ: The gap between the wall and the flippers is filled now. No spin dash + jumping off wall any more.
HTZ: Robotnik has longer invulnerability for starters... There isn't much other stuff I can think of :0
MCZ: Only one third of the level is passable terrain now.
OOZ: Forget about hiding below the platforms. The attacks come simultaneously now. Robotnik will have less time above oil now as well.
MZ: I had a cute idea of giving the tiny Robotniks lasers as well, but I'm not fully done on that one yet.
WFZ: An extra platform wouldn't hurt, now would it? Whilst we're at it, the laser takes less time to charge.
DEZ: Possibilities are seamlessly endless on these two. If you REALLY want to go brutal, they can even be fought at the same time.

 

Advanced Aquatic Ruin Zone Boss:

It begins with a very high Totem Pole (20 heads) blocking Sonic's path. When he enters the boss area, the other Totem Pole shoots out of the ground, blocking his escape. Robotnik floats above the heads, smacking the totem poles at a faster rate than usual. Each time he hits one, in addition to arrows firing out of the mouths, the entire arena sinks a little.

That's all I have so far.

 

It would be best if these expert bosses were seperate from the levels, so as to limit rings. A normal boss rush unlocked for completing the game, then an expert boss rush for completing that one (with no rings?) I also like Gambit's Egg Robo idea, but perhaps only in the expert version (as Knuckles has harder bosses in S3K)

CPZ: ALL of the ground can turn away. That may be a bit much, though.
ARZ: I was thinking that the arrows last until another arrow has been fired and is in position, but once you land on the first arrow, the ground crumbles away (and as stated before no standing on pillars, make them higher).
HTZ: Only one hit per rise above the surface, and... more fire :3
OOZ: You fall right through the oil like in CPZ so + - you can't hide beneath the platforms   , and there are two lazers.
WFZ: Smaller area, faster platforms. This might not be hard enough though.
The rest I don't have the foggiest about. I really don't see how having the first boss scroll makes it harder

Better yet, two of each. Fight two Silver Sonics, then go on to fight Egg Robo and Robotnik, each in their own Egg Destroyer (do they have an official name? I'll call them ED for short). That could have a little problem with both of them homing in on the same place, though. I suppose Just heightening ED's defence is an option, or making him taller so he can't be hit until he is bending down.
This is actually a very good idea. I was playing Robotniks Revenge earlier and was thinking it was a good solution to the DEZ perplexity. But this is even better.

 

Props to JakeyBoy.

In other news, shouldn't we have like... an idea database? There has passed some amazing stuff here, but I don't really feel like browsing 118 pages.
I remember the endless bonus level one, which sounded grrrrreat!

 

I've always called it the Egg-Mech.

Anyways, two at once? Nullify the homing, and have targets go to the edges of the playfield; one Egg-Mech walks, whilst the other shoots it's arms. Possibly as a 'pinch' phase, they could mix it up with both shooting arms, OR land narrower-in, giving Sonic/Tails less breathing room. Just not both walking, there ain't the room for it.

 

...I think I've got it! I know where to put the Death Egg Zone Music! I've been thinking about it so long, and I finally got it!

Make it replace the boss fight music of the Wing Fortress Zone.
3 Reasons:
-The boss fight music is kind of played out by now.
-It's a good length. The music is simply unfitting for a zone, but that corridor is far too short. A hard boss fight should be a good length.
-The song may enhance the claustrophobic feeling.

When in Death Egg, a dead silence should set the mood in the beginning. Maybe some ambience, such as machinery or vents could be played instead. I have no idea what music has to play when Sonic grabs hold of the escape pod towards Death Egg though.