Special Stage Development

I have no idea why people are trying to cripple the game play of the special stage for the sake of the difficulty. Wouldn't it be best to wait and see how it plays out when the special stage layouts are playable. I rather have the special stages sped up than have crippled visuals if it's for the sake of the difficultly.

 

So, what about the nebula then? bigger enemies = different difficulty. Easier to spot, easier to kill.

Sorry about going off topic, but its a point that needed to be brought up in my opinion.

 

I agree to a point, but they shouldn't be a pushover. I'm waiting until we can play a test or something before I make any final judgements on that stuff.

@Synergy
That looks about right, it'd be cool to keep the horizon line like the original but that's pretty much impossible to do in true 3-D when it's going to be curving around and all that. Also, I knew about the transparency issue where there's simply more stuff there that the engine has to render at all times. Couldn't we implement some quality settings that turn things like that on and off?

 

How about the transparent parts only display the background? And if not, can the LOD be stepped down for the transparencies and kept full for what isn't covered by the glass?

 

Just got an idea. how about we make only the inside of the tube transparent? The track in front of you is transparent, but when you see the upcoming turn or hill ahead through the floor, you can't see the objects inside of it because it is opaque.

I don't think this is coming across to well written out I may have to make and example.

That isn't as game-breaking as potentially being able to see traps seconds ahead of time. Besides the hitbox will be the same and they can just resize the nebula if they really need to.

 

The only problem with this idea is, you'll know when something's going to happen BECAUSE it becomes opaque, so I suppose technically it wouldn't make much difference

 

It might be possible to hide the tube under glass, I'd have to think a bit on how to go about implementing it accurately though. The second idea expands on the first, so if the first were possible I suppose it might be possible to use a low quality mesh for tube pieces through glass (or possibly those in the distance generally).

 

I suggest Synergy to keep those tubes 100% opaque at this point.
A basic special stage demo with good gameplay and 3D models proves to be a challenge on its own.

 

Well as vincent said, here is transparency at it's best:

4:20 in this video:
Sonic 3D Blast SS's

This is what I would kill for in what we're doing. That's rainbow road in that video almost!

EDIT:
Gambit actually said that. Man, I get you two confused all the time!

 

Because I hate waiting. Jump directly to 4:20

 

Anything beyond what was originally intended will just cause a split in opinion, with some liking it and some not. I get that the project is happy to add a little to the original designs, but starting to change things completely such as taking out stripes for something of your own choice is a bit too far, in my opinion. By upgrading the original look to use modern hardware while also taking advantage of it to produce some effects or polish the original style further, you're not going to disappoint anyone.

 

Personally I think the design of the tube itself is fine as it is. Anything additional to it would just be far too busy.

 

The overall feel and base design should remain intact, but I think there could be some potential for things to get changed up a bit. I dunno what yet, but I'm sure I'd be able to come up with some interesting ideas when I'm not tired and give it some time to float around in my head for awhile.

 

Texture idea for the part of the yellow that resides at the upper edge of the tube:
It could be a cool bumpmapped or heck, parallax mapped light thingy.

 

Hamneggs, starting at that image is messing with my eyes. There's some sort of optical illusion going on there, it looks as if the pattern is slowly moving to the right.

Also, could you explain in a bit more detail where that is supposed to go?

Is it supposed to be a counterpart to the arrows on the floor?

 

Eww..these are freaking old... I made 3 sets of emeralds, but only the first and third one were "cool" and glossy at the same time:



These are the V3 (sprite imitation ones). and these one were the V1 set, glossy, and my own interpretation. There are some Sonic sites using it for some "challenges and things" (They asked me first of course)



I suppose the 3 styles of emeralds set I did are in the database. Or at least the V1 and v3 ones.

 

You know how the track is like a half cylinder, right?

You know how the yellow acts like a frame for the blue regions, correct?

Well the yellow lines the edges of the half-cylinder, and cuts across the rest of the tube.

Perhaps at where the yellow at the edges cross with the yellow that follows the circumfrence of the cylinder we could put these light thingies.

AND LOOK!


I think Ill draw up some extra frames for M.E.'s bomb and make it have the light pulse. Or at least the frames to do so, as I can't figure out how to animate it.

 

My thought on that is that each special stage could do with having their own independent themes instead of different colours being the only difference.

 

Seeing as the track and everything is in 3D, I assume the best way to do the bombs is to create them in 3D too? That way, as the bombs get closer to you, they won't end up looking a little strange because they're spherical, rather than a 2D object mimicking a 3D appearance.