If we make unlockables, we should have something like a Nightmare Mode and a Boss Rush mode. The idea is that both could be completed upon reaching special conditions, fore example, the boss rush mode could be earned by collecting all seven chaos emeralds and completing that game 100% by traveling through every zone. The Nightmare Mode could be unlocked by completing the game any % without collecting a single ring. The idea for the nightmare mode is that it'll be much harder, but much more forgiving in some places (Sonic starts out with all seven chaos emeralds but the ring cap is 50). There could be new level layout designed to be harder without using lame speed traps too much, and there could be new mid and end bosses, reaching up to be screens or tens of screens high. And when you beat Nightmare Mode, you unlock something really fucking special (as opposed to just special) since the challenge is designed to be akin to beating a bullet hell shooter without dying.
I think it was already established that only Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles would be playable. There really isn't a need for anyone else to be playable—even Nack would be a sort of tacky addition. Besides that—and take it from the guy who had the character ideas for Megamix—extra characters isn't really a good way to increase replayability in a more "professional" Sonic game. Megamix had them because I thought it'd be a neat extra; but Megamix in and of itself is sort of a mixture of a bunch of different Sonic games with some new material added to the bunch. Project Retro is meant to be something totally new. So let's make it new!
I agree with no extra playable characters, I think it would be much more interesting to try and get the villians we do have more involved with the game as thats something thats missing from sonic games, too many heroes and not enough decent bad guys. Oh and I did pick out two things from that massive post that I thought were useful. Level specific springs seems like a nice simple way to make things feel unique and new without much effort. And you mentioned blaze shaking the water off her in the water levels, well a while back on the old sonic 4 forum I mentioned the idea of having level specific idle animations like in Ristar, shaking water of in a wet level, shivering in a cold one etc.
It sounds like a nice idea, but tiptoeing would only increase his chance of being impaled, due to his entire body weight being balanced on an even smaller area than if he were walking normally (or some similar equation. Physics isn't my strong point).
This is correct. If half the touching surface area is halved, it's about as good as the weight being double or thereabouts. Therefore, if I had to walk over spikes personally, I'd either lay a carpet out or get some reeeeeal big boots.
Unless you're talking about a huge line of spikes, I don't see the point in this, as you could just jump over the spikes. As for the whole tiptoe thing, it's pretty much common sense. Why else would people say it's better to crawl on ice?
Because the main source of weight in the body is the head, therefore the centre of gravity. It's basic physics - lowering the centre of gravity makes balancing easier, especially on unstable surfaces. Totally different to lowering the surface area touching something. Think of it this way; the weight a thing has will be distributed evenly between touching surfaces. For a single spike, tiptoeing or not will make no difference; the touching surfaces are a single point (The spike) versus whatever = impaled. Versus multiple spikes (And as of Sonic 2 onwards, you never really saw a lone spike, they were usually in sets of four), touching all of them with the same surface would be the optimum way to cross them without being punctured - why do you think people can lie on beds of nails without suffering multiple punctured. It's sub-GCSE level science.
Personally, I would've thought the centre of gravity would be somewhere in the torso, considering it's more massive than the head.
Well, the centre of gravity doesn't actually literally mean the centre. A person's head is smaller than their torso, and due to the packed bone matter of the skull, and high water content in the brain, has a greater weight:size ratio, therefore more massive (Meaning the quality of it having mass is proportionally greater). This is what makes it affect balance greater. Am I making sense? I could re-read this, because it's been a while since my GCSEs, but I'm pretty sure I'm correct.
I was going to outright agree with you on this, but then I remembered how fucking everybody thought it was awesome that the electric shield attracted rings. Electricty causing magnetism? Again, basic physics. Good design is in the details, my friend. Whether or not an idea gets included is totally and utterly dependent on intelligent discussion, like we've been having.
Wasn't it already agreed though that the Metal Shield would allow Sonic to walk on spikes? I agree with Jay, intelligent discussion does help with ideas, but there's no reason to do it when a move has already been decided to be put into the game.
It was, I think. And it makes sense, given the fact that in Sonic, a shield is like a large encompassing sphere, meaning that greater surface area is present. Of course, with it being hollow, there's surface tension to think about also. Good job it's metal, then. =P
Well one idea I've had for Sonic 4 is that Robotnik's base is like a big robotic base with legs, and Sonic's story basically revolves around chasing after it. It's a simple idea but gives the game some thematic unity. You know how many of the levels in S3K cameo'd the Death Egg in the BG? Yeah, it'd be like that but on a grander scale. So in act 1 of the Tropical Zone, you'd see it stomping about in the background foliage, and in act 2, it would not be in the BG, but half way through the act, the screen would lock, the foot of the grand machine would smash through the ceiling, and leave again, like those false alarm boss battles you get in S3K. Then throughout the game this would be a reoccuring theme; maybe you can spot the machine in the bg on stages, maybe in the Canada Zone you'd see the bases footprints in the floor as you run around, or in the underground zone you'd see a hole in the ceiling (in the BG), shaped like the machine, where a glimmer of light would shine through. Then, stages later, with the objective quite clear, you'd encounter Robotnik's base. The first act would be you chasing after it and running around on top of it, and the second act would be inside of it. Anybody like?
GNA: I absolutely love that idea, and it would be really compelling. Just imagining it made my adrenaline pump. It's a great concept that could be expanded on. Maybe it could be the Super Sonic boss that you fight in space. We could make a few screen high and have it be loaded with weapons that stun Sonic, and some that shower him with rings for a few seconds for fairness, and since they'll be moving through space and if we make the spray range wide enough it would only be useless enough rather than totally useless.
I love it! It does remind me of the third level of R-Type Final, though. Not such a bad thing, I love the series.
I think this game desperately needs a map screen, and thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that there should be one more addition to the main game which will add some nice flexibility. If there was a map screen of some sort, Perhaps you could swap your character between each level if you want to. When running through this level, you may find this one part horridly difficult and just impossible to do with Sonic. So after failing and dieing, you are taken back to the map screen, where you can choose a different character. Just a thought.
But each character has a different story route. :/ I like the idea of a map screen though. Since this is pre-adventure and post-S3K, it could be a sort of primitive predecessor to the Adventure Field system. And that's something to consider; if we're trying to make this a "Sonic 4" in excecution, the game needs to fit comfortably between S3K and Adventure without causing any problems.
THIS IS NO LONGER A SONIC 4, STOP IT. The title of the game is 'Project: Sonic Retro', not 'Sonic 4', so we can stop worrying our fucking asses off about how this will work with the plotline of the other games. It's damned stupid how I always see people talking about things that have already been discussed in the old forums and mostly finalized. The map screen was an idea made so that it could be on the save screen/stage select, and not be used in-game. We can argue about the semantics over again, or we can start coming up with fresh new ideas, like GNA and others have. I ask you to please read the linked thread so we can all stop yakking about shit already discussed.