Original Project Discussion Thread

Can we call the team SET ARK? :P

 

Nice, that perfectly explains what I suggested before regarding motivation.

The majority of contributors we have is "casual" contributors, that means they don't want to be in the project to follow a schedule, but they just want to give in something to our database. (Fortunately many of them does follow the actual goals, like Flare with EHZ BG , Exodus with Springs, Blast Processing with Starpost)

Then we have "Coordinators" and "Staff members", which are the real workforce of the project, and are producing something(including level tiles) you'll see soon.


That's why I suggested:

If Sonic 4 will require casual Contributors or not is up to the project Leaders to decide, but for sure, it will require many motivated individuals to do an actual and real work.

 

"Team names" or even the actual title of this project are unimportant yet. This isn't the Gruntmaster 3000 (Invisible, inedible cookie for identifying the reference). Getting the focus of the project just right is of utmost importance.

One thing to bear in mind is that we don't have to think of any sort of target audience, marketing or any of this destructive superficial shit -- we have enough people here who are fans enough to justify the existence of the project; so concentrating on the actual important material will not only be possible, but should be the main concern.

 

<!--quoteo(post=208252:date=Jul 19 2008, 02:21 PM:name=Phoebius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Phoebius @ Jul 19 2008, 02:21 PM) [/quote]
That's actually a good idea for a bonus stage, it could be done in the style of Sonic Triple Trouble's biplane Special Stage.

 

I think this would be better as a smaller project (though still using ProSonic) to be honest.

I mean, pretty much every fangame since ever is trying to be "Sonic 4", each with a differing view on what the definition of a good S3K follow-up is. I'd recommend simply constructing a group of about 5 or more people (Phoebius as the designer, someone as a strong leader, and some worthy programmers/spriters) and making it a more personal project.

 

You're forgetting one thing: Sonic Crackers is actually an early version of Chaotix: the ring system, the style of music ect.
Another thing: Mighty is a clone of Sonic, as each of his sprites in Chaotix matches each of Sonic's Crackers sprites.

And this is Sonic 4/Sequel to Sonic 3, not Sonic 3 itself. If this was Sonic 3, then we might have used the Sonic 2 sprites. But Sonic 3 was already made, and came with a new sprite style. We should follow this. We shouldn't backtrack. I could come up with some sprites in the S3 style, but like the sprites posted earlier in the thread.

I'm in for this project.

 

Anywhere in magazines where you see "Sonic 4", usually they're referring to Sonic and Knuckles, not Crackers. I'm pretty sure Crackers was something completely seperate.

Also Phoebius and Trunks 4 project leaders.

 

Hmm, I might actually be able to help with this one, considering I can't make HD sprites. :P

 

Sonic 4 fangame... ironic that the last of the "original" series will be on a "Genesis", Beginning, console. Just saying, we should put work into this game, without need of name. Almost every unusual title of the English language is already in a Sonic title: Chaos, Drift, Crackers?, Advance, Unleashed, Heroes, ...the Hedgehog. We need something unique and says "the happy ending." I'm lost for ideas on names, but how about theme? We don't have a theme. All we argue about is what it should look like. Not what it should be about. In these games, we want to destroy whatever Dr. Robotnik has invented. Sonic 1 was "save your animal friends", Sonic 2 was "destroy Robotnik's spaceship and save your animal friends," Sonic 3 "Destroy the Death Egg," Sonic & Knuckles was "Just kill the greedy bastard." Oh, and collect the chaos emeralds. I just think we should try to have a more original theme, and build a game around that. We should see Dr. Robotnik afraid forhis life. Build a game that builds up to that, and in some way Dr. Robotnik should be a badass like The Joker in The Dark Knight (if you've seen it yet). The bad guy needs to be bad, and scary. Not like Santa Claus dressing up like a clown.

Bottom Line: Screw the name. Build a theme, like Dr. Robotnik being too cynical, maybe destructive. Sonic Adventure 2 barely scratched the surface of evil with the Eclipse Cannon thing. Just make him EVIL NOT JUST BAD.

 

The same was with Sonic CD, I bet that Crackers was in development by another team(of course) while Sonic 3 was in development, would make sence.

 

There really isn't any need to concentrate on villain evilness. The original games did not do this and it would be unfaithful of them to act as though Robotnik were some really really evil guy rather than just a self-serving, somewhat clutzy antagonist. Making the bad guy scary would be a phenomenally bad mistake when it comes to making a spiritual sequel. What should be worked on however is villain sneakyness. Lots of interesting events where Robotnik does end up trapping the player. I'm thinking trap rooms with visual monitors showing his face in one stage, Knuckles style events where Robotnik comes along and flips a switch or jumps on one once in a while, and even some times when they backfire. It's part of the character in the way it used to be.

The only Sonic game that depicted Robotnik as anything more was SCD (mainly through art and music), and I'd say that falls under the other category of Sonic games, if only because it's wildly different.

 

Looks like this somewhat impressive thing may have beaten us to Sonic the Hedgehog 4...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D93gwzCsynM...feature=related

 

I support this project. Because it doesn't conflict with mine.

I know a few of these were mentioned before, but I want to reiterate my own opinions because I AM NOT A ROBOT. >8|

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles; Sonic & Tails, possibly any combination of those 3, as playable characters.

As for the design of the robots, almost every Sonic game has them based on insects and related arthropods, with 1 or 2 exceptions within the game. Whether we continue that trend is up to you guys, but I personally would prefer we deviate away from it, as its so overdone in everything.

One of the things some of the games had was bosses based on badniks in the game, not arbitrary robots/machines with Robotnik driving them. We could have a few of those, with perhaps some of the bosses looking like Honey-I-Blew-Up-The-Kid-versions of retro Sonic badniks.

I'll post more if I think of any. I think it's a good idea for us to post all our ideas now, before we get to doing any work...

Anyway, this project can succeed only if it is tightly coordinated. We need to pick a leader before art and other work is thrown around needlessly only to end up discarded. I volunteer myself as I'm good with organization (to a fault), and would like to hear your input.

---

Edit: Weeeaaakk storyline. Old awesome Sonic storyline was hairthin and that's what made the games so much fun. No cutscenes, no dialog, no sensible between level transitions.

 

Is it just me, or am I seeing 30fps right there? That's not good at all.

Also, looking at Tails' gameplay, the physics are way beyond whacked out, there isn't any gravity it seems.

 

The framerate issues of that game have been solved already, that video is from an ancient build.

 

Assimilate it!

 

Hrm.

I don't like the negativity in this thread. Maybe we're not ready for another project after all? Hell, were we even ready for the one we had? I mean, it only was as successful as it is because we got massive publicity, but it's less likely such a thing will happen here. I want to do this project, but does everyone else? And is everyone else ready to swallow their pride and do what needs to be done to make this succeed? I don't know. People coming into this thread and showering it in pessimism certainly doesn't help, though, I can say that much.

 

I think we're ready, in a sense. We can do it, if we believe so long as we manage to get a solid structure in place. There are so many talented and passionate people here, we just need to sorta tone down the negativity and turn towards constructive criticism.

Or, a [dissent] tag.

 

Now you know how SonicTeam feels.