For the past 2 years, i've been thinking of making a sonic fangame, or kind of. I just wanted to make a fresh new game, not because everyone will like it, just cause i wanna get something out to the world and stay there to everyones eyes. Everyday I come up with something new and soon that idea box will soon explode... i think Im a muisican and kind of a artist, but has no experience on sprite animation and basic stuff how a game should be and choosed sonic because of, me understanding Sonic's (Or fast pase platforming in general) level design and the game as a whole, mostly cause i grew up with does early game. I should also mention that, the game i wanna create is going to be a md style game (S1 - S3&K, maybe KnuxChaotix and S Mania) And also should i add, that im working solo.. like.. only me __________________________________________________ But now... comes the important stuff I wanted to make it in Clickteam fusion 2.5 with Sonic World Engine, mostly about skipping with computer language But how.. * Do I start * Where should I start with sprite animation (Cause dammit its my game) * And what the hell should I focus on the most _________________________________________________ I will like to add.. Yes i have watched this guide i've have been making rom hacks before, but nothing big and im not afraid of scrapping the project not wanna seem rude. but i want to know what the hell im getting into. thx -kolix
As for actually plotting pixels, just whatever program that allows you to plot individual pixels works. I've seen people use stuff like Paint.NET, GIMP, and even MS Paint, but there's also dedicated programs for doing pixel art in, some even allowing you to easily make animations out of those. Look up some of them and see what you like. Overall, though, it's just about drawing out individual frames and piecing them together in the game engine. Pixel art in general isn't that much far off from traditional art, just usually on a much smaller scale (and sometimes with a more limited palette). With that, there's a lot of emphasis on how you should place the pixels. There's a number of resources out there that'll show you techniques and shit used in pixel art to help you get the most out of what little resources you give yourself, but you can still give it your own style. Overall, though, the rules on lighting/shading, shaping, etc. that you see in traditional art also apply here. As for what you should focus on the most in the game over, in my opinion, definitely level design. To me, that's what makes or breaks a Sonic game, it's what makes a game fun or not. Definitely take some cues on how the Genesis games and Mania due their level design, see what other people like or not like about them, and apply it to your own game. I haven't a clue on how Sonic Worlds (or Clickteam for that matter) works, so I don't really have much to say, except immerse yourself in how it works and don't be hesitant to ask for help.
Before you make a game proper, I'd suggest following Lake's CF2.5 Not So Simple Sonic Worlds tutorials. I'm working on a Sonic fangame in CF2.5 too, and these guides helped me a lot to understand how CF2.5 works, the structure of the engine, how to properly make importable assets, how to import some features of Sonic Worlds Delta... As for sprites, there was a thread around here where @Ritz, who is a fantastic sprite animator (seriously check out his twitter, it's mesmerizing) where he explained the ideal learning process for "pixel painting". And maybe you don't need this, but please hear me out: write down all your ideas. Make a Google doc, or an actual notepad, and write/doodle the things you want in a level. That's pretty much it. Best of luck with your project!
@Rudie Radio Waves Well thanks alot of the tips! I'll be updating as soon there is a serious problem or the game is acutally playeble or something else
I see myself reflected here, somehow. I have notes for fully developed fangame concepts and a lot more less baked ideas that would probably take the rest of the century to make real if I have to do them alone, and, well, I'm alone in this. XD My main issue is I'm really good on the "mindmade" stuff, but far worse on the handmade one, so I can't afford investing the needed time to fully go for it, I'm just doing bits when I see it viable and hope that I can code the engine someday (I'm doing the pixel art first even if it's just average because I'll need something to work with). The second issue is, partially because of the first one, I have no way to find a team to work with, and even less of a chance of being the head of any team. Now, to answer your questions a bit, do the art before making the game itself, you can do almost everything before actually touching CTF as long as you take cues on how high the characters jump or the springs launch them upwards. Think of how would your mechanics and gimmicks work in-game and if they would ultimately be fun to you (re: don't do what Sonic Team does) before drawing or implementing anything, and remember you can work on paper before doing it on your computer, you don't need the fully made tiles to design a level on a sheet, for example. Music seems to be your strong point, but it's something that can be worked towards the end of the project, so do it only when you finally need it or, at least, when you can't progress on anything else. Of course, if you're good and quick enough, ignore this last advice and make the music whenever you feel like it. On a side note, I'd suggest to also take a look at gamemaker, it has coding but there's a lot you can do using code blocks instead of writing the actual code, and I think that tool is a lot easier to work with than fusion ever was, but that's me. That said, go for it! I want to see original ideas, just be sure they're not the same as mines.
