Original Project Discussion Thread

Personally I think this game's plot should involve Metal Sonic in some way. He's an awesome but highly over looked character.

Plus if he was playable it would create a different twist on the story as it would be from an evil character's perspective, and the bosses could be different too (Like he could fight Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles at the end of a stage instead of Robotnik. Tails can make plenty of random machinery things to fight with).

Also I think Knuckles should be in the game regardless of plot. However, he would only be an unoptional character and have nothing to do with the story. He'd be in there just for fun. Kind of like Amy could be.

And if Metal Sonic is in the game I have a sprite sheet I made for a Sonic 1 hack you could use if you wanted to (Bascially I modified Sonic CD's sprites and Sonic 2's sprites and took ideas from Chaotix and Triple Trouble Metal Sonic) Also if anyone's interested please post about it then I will upload the sprites. If no one wants me to upload them then I won't.

 

<!--quoteo(post=210010:date=Jul 23 2008, 08:23 AM:name=Phoebius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Phoebius @ Jul 23 2008, 08:23 AM)

Just a note, the 5th row shows Metal Sonic's charging for a spindash and the 6th row shows Metal Sonic after releasing from charging the spindash. He does spin when he jumps though.

Oh and I used that RotSprite program XenoWhirl made a while back to get the other sprites.

Hmm, looks like the dying sprite is missing. No matter it's the same as the one from Sonic CD anyways, just with updated shades. I also have a signpost:

 

<!--quoteo(post=210013:date=Jul 23 2008, 12:29 PM:name=Dark Sonic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dark Sonic @ Jul 23 2008, 12:29 PM) [/quote]

ProSonic sprite/animation files use sprite sheets (to make things convenient for spriters). So go crazy with these things.

 

I like the idea of adding Metal Sonic to the plot. I've a couple of ideas where he could be.

1. Do something similar to SSZ3.
2. Make him a boss fight.
3. Make him part of the final boss à la Sonic 2.
4. Entwined with the story somehow.

I'm just throwing out random ideas.


Bunch of nice looking sprites there, Dark Sonic. Loving the various concepts used.

 

Just reposting the music I did since it got lost in a swarm in replies :P

http://www.box.net/shared/n1obvw80ks

http://www.box.net/shared/ip24v1j40w


Would I be goodfor making music for this?

Also Iknow it's not needed right not but I think it is, every Sonic fangame has the danger of having a crappy fanfic-ish story. I have some ideas I could bring to the table, if we had a kind of brainstorming session on IRC maybe. I would push for making this a worthwhile game not just retrowankery.

 

I like how muteKi has good music theory, but if I remember right his actual compositions are rather lacking (no offense). I think we should have some dedicated music composers as well as music overseers, which could lead to some basic musical concepts being adhered to as well as some solid, memorable composition being in the game.

Remember, Sonic music is notorious for being extremely catchy and memorable. This is something that can be very hard to replacate, but extremely rewarding in the long run.

 

Soundtrack by Wetflame and dust hill guy.

You know you want it.

 

I had an idea for my hack (which I may either pick up later or convert to this upon release) that was basically Sonic and Metal Sonic competing for Chaos emeralds. The third act of each level would have been a race similar to SSZ3 or a fight like in Sonic 2. Also some fights against Robotnik (as Sonic) or Tails and Knuckles (as Metal Sonic) would have been included as well.

If we're going for new sprites for each character, like how they have changed in all the original games, we must remember to design a new Eggmobile for Robotnik.

 

theme of sonic the hedgehog.mid? =P

I might try my hand at some composition, actually... I don't do it much, but I've never tried to do a serious Sonic-styled tune. Could end up pretty fun to make. :D

 

A "Sonic 4" is definitely within the realm of possibility, but nobody in this thread has correctly defined what needs to be done.

Firstly, the game needs a clearly defined purpose. The main purpose of the original 16-bit titles was to sell the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Thus, those games were designed to exploit and demonstrate the advantages of 16-bit hardware over the 8-bit hardware of yesteryear. The purpose of this game (Sonic 4) will mostly likely be along the lines of "to entertain the sonic fan community, and revive appreciation of the Sonic franchise." I'm pretty sure there are objections to this purpose; everyone needs to consent to a solid goal for the game before any concepts or ideas are even taken into consideration.

The reason is because the goal defines what is a necessity to the completion of the project, and what is a novelty that could be cut if we have to do so. All these ideas roaming around are not cohesive; some will be used, others will not. If we try to use them all, we're going to end up with a clusterfuck of mediocrity. I cannot emphasis it enough.

After the goal has been decided, the medium through which we'll complete this goal needs to be decided. The game needs a direction to follow and a consistent theme to go by. It needs to be specific and optimal to our goals. This is a hacking community - if most of the posts in this thread are any indication, the subject will most likely be "an accurate representation of the original 16-bit Sonic titles." But who knows? Maybe recreating the 8-bit titles would more effectively achieve the goal of creating this game. This has to be decide in writing.

EDIT: Questions that a subject needs to answer

Then, as Tweaker mentioned, research needs to be done on the subject so that we know to what extent we will be accurately portraying it. I don't think we are genuinely trying to completely copy SEGA's design work. We are only replicating a subset of the subject matter that will best fit our goals for creating this game (though that subset may end being really huge, anyways). The classic series are an entertaining exercise in exploring speed and gravity. Research had to be done on those elements so the game could accurately portray them, giving players a sense of realism that they could then deliberately defy to their satisfaction. These are the kind of things we need to further investigate.

After we've tackled that problem, we'll know what to design and how to implement it. We design the game on paper and then, if it looks alright and we're still interested in it, then we can start creating tangible resources. But not until then. Seriously.

 

I have an idea for where sprite style could go actually.

See --
<!--quoteo(post=207969:date=Jul 18 2008, 07:17 AM:name=Phoebius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Phoebius @ Jul 18 2008, 07:17 AM) [/quote]

You know how Sonic CD has a motif that is consistent between stages (the shapes on the floor)? I've already seen a few people (myself included) using a similar pattern to that which is seen here (a "checkerboard" of bumpy-looking alternating shapes), so why can't it be a theme which is consistent between stages?

 

Way too much effort. It's hard to get people to work together on anything at all as is.

Also here's another music I did:

http://www.box.net/shared/s642f9lc8o

 

No it's not too much effort, it's putting effort by going above and beyond what could be done and making it into something we want to be great.

 

Well I know you haven't thought much of my previous attempts either, but I'm still willing to give this a shot.

Also: Everyone, please, enough talking about the plot! It's a major MAJOR distraction at this point.

WE NEED CONTENT. The plot can be fit around the content and vice versa.

 

There's nothing wrong with talking about the plot. You need to ave an idea to make everything come together, so you have some kind of direction.

You need to have direction before you start making content, or else you're just shoving together a bunch of Sonic related sprites and bits of level design into a game.

We need to work on the general direction first, the point of the game, which unfortunately, involves the plot outline. The story may define new abilities, characters, and stages.

You can't rush things too much.

 

Screw content. We need to design what the content will be used for, first. That includes plot, which gives the game direction.

 

Yes but my point is, regardless of plot we need generic sonic levels. It's very easy to happily go along talking about how clever your story is without producing anything tangible or useful for the game. Whatever the plot is, we already know we need tropical/ice/city/etc. levels.