Original Project Discussion Thread

I came up with a quick doodle for some level shit. I know this kinda theme's been used in the Game Gear games, but I figured for a Sonic 3 sequel, why not? Problem is, would the track hopping idea work?

 

<!--quoteo(post=210523:date=Jul 24 2008, 10:44 AM:name=Sonic Warrior TJ)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sonic Warrior TJ @ Jul 24 2008, 10:44 AM) [/quote]

Holy shit, make more.

Sprite this now.

 

Best idea ever. D=

For the track hopping, probably could scale the sprites of Sonic.

 

I'll see what I can do. I gotta leave in half an hour for work, so hopefully I'll think of something by then.

Wait a second. How about a mall level or something? Sonic could be running through this 4 or 5 story mall, dealing with escalators and circular flights of stairs and shit.

Drawing time.

 

More frames. I'm working on the simplest stuff before I have to go for reangling things. Also, will we be suing the amount of walking frames a s S3, or S2/1?



Also, ignore the S3 sprite, I just didn't finish that one. I'm looking for feedback.

 

Pretty good, although I think we should do a few more custom frames, while keeping this style instead of using all S3&K ones.

 

Well, it worked in Rush Adventure.

 

But would the prosonic engine support it?

 

By the way.<!--quoteo(post=210538:date=Jul 24 2008, 02:07 PM:name=Armada)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Armada @ Jul 24 2008, 02:07 PM) [/quote]I think the running sprites looked better with mouth, and the standing one without.

 

I agree, maybe even add some to make the animation smoother. I always felt S2 beta's walking animation for example was pretty good considering they used 12 frames instead of 6 or 8. It makes a big difference.

 

More sprites:

Readded the mouth and changed the shine on the head to try and show Sonic's brow. The walking frames are proving to be a bit troublesome.
EDIT: Just a note, I was trying the standard 6 frame motion at first. Specifically Sonic 1's.

 

I think they look great so far

<!--quoteo(post=210523:date=Jul 24 2008, 01:44 PM:name=Sonic Warrior TJ)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sonic Warrior TJ @ Jul 24 2008, 01:44 PM) [/quote]
Wasn't this a Rivals level?

 

I think the track hopping could be done with a sprite resize and a check on that size, if they're on very different feilds. Otherwise, I'd say it's a simple variable check.

 

<!--quoteo(post=210523:date=Jul 24 2008, 07:44 PM:name=Sonic Warrior TJ)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sonic Warrior TJ @ Jul 24 2008, 07:44 PM) [/quote]
Reminds me of the roller coaster level in Bubsy...

I could potentually help sprite this level if I have time. I'm liking the idea so far, but it shouldn't be over used.

 

Don't know why it reminds me of the second level in Crackers, but it does.

And I like it.

 

These two posts say to me this is retro wank, and not an honest attempt at a new Sonic game. Not because of the decisions but the reasoning behind them. 320x224 looks fine but we shouldn't set out purposely to use that resolution. If it works, it works. If we want to use a higher one, we will, or more an likely, use 320x240 which is better fit to a computer screen - I mean why WOULD you use 224 outside of retrowank?

I don't see the issue with setting it post SA2. You don't need to have all kinds of characters popping up. Adventure was a great game and 2 was good too. Don't blame the failures of what came AFTER that on those games. It wasn't until Sonic X started airing that people starting really bitching about SA2, before that it was just a few hardcore retro dudes.

IMO, it would be more meaningful to take the ideas from those games and use them in ways that work, instead of ways that don't, which is what happened in a lot of SA2 and games after it. Instead of running away from the problem.

You can often do interesting things with stories that have gone off the rails. In comic books, you get a lot of great stories reworking crap or poorly executed ideas. Heck, most comics read no better than Heros' script.

A Sonic 4 should be something more in the spirit of the originals than the newer games, but it doesn't have to disregard the newer ones. Just saying they're "too much of a mess" is an excuse, and you're disregarding a lot of things that have become integral to the series.

Adventure at the very least fits in with the feel of the S3K games, and the sequel, like it or not, matured the plot and was the first game to draw question to Sonic's origins.

 

I thought the whole idea was to make this as if Sega had made a Sonic 4 right after Sonic and Knuckles? I don't really see why we even need to think about if it's before or after Sonic Adventure, as the story should be just basically beat robotnik to save the animals/earth. It's not like we're going to have a deep story here, are we?

 

I say 320x224 because that's the real pixel resolution for the Genesis (and subsequently most Sonic engines). The output is at 320x240, but with a small vertical border to make up for unused pixels (usually the same color as the backdrop).

That's not the point, though—Sonic simply works best at that resolution. Everything just "fits." I've seen engines which take Sonic and add higher resolutions, and the sense of speed and overall feel of the game isn't the same, perfect physics or not. That's why I think the experience is best left to the original resolution.

If I were to suggest this game to be "retrowank," I'd just say to put it on the Genesis. That isn't the issue here, though.

 

I was of the impression that the point of it was because Sonic Team's latest follow ups have been of poor quality, so we'd make our own?

The thread title doesn't mention Sonic 4.

What Sonic 4 would have been like is silly speculation because the Genesis/Megadrive would have been at the end of it's life. Sonic X-Treme could well have ended up as Sonic 4. We have no idea what Sonic 4 would have been, we're takng the Capcom approach of same thing with a couple of new gimmicks.

This could be something very special.

 

I really like the track switching idea, and that is PRECISELY why I don't want to see this done for the Genesis; this way we can have more than just one background and foreground layer. I really want the track switching idea like that quite a bit.

I'd also like to see a desert based on the art and construction of the American southwest. This would be a palette that uses lots of coppers and teals. The art should have something like a sandbank on top of a pattern similar to a southwest-styled blanket or rug. This uses a lot of square patterns, made up into diamonds and lines and things.

Here's a rug with the sort of idea that I have in mind, though I would use more coppers and tans than teals: http://www.justsouthwesternrugs.com/asp/sh...93&settab=1

Also, I'd like to see a bonus stage based on the mine level seen in this video, where there are multiple tracks that Sonic is [grinding?] on, and can collect rings and power-ups. At certain points on each track there are fan-bots (in place of the ghosts) and portals to take Sonic back into the main level (in place of the big mining carts). It's about 2 minutes into this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjzvJInM3I