Code a game comp - Go Nuts! - Aug 18th to Oct 18th 2020

[MrmediamanX]

ya guys can have some of my mojo, I got plenty ... MOJO FOR EVERYONES!!!
just finished the main title screen, time to take a break.

[Derron]

I have to confess: I do not like it. Looks "ugly/a mess" to me as it is a mix of "scaled pixels", vibrant candy colors, title font with gradient/color bar effect, pixel art ... and so on.
I assume some stuff is animated (eg the block area is surely rotating front back front back or so) but it looks a bit ... it contains too many different art styles.

So I hope you just want to fool us a bit by presenting some rough "previz/sketch out" ... you can do better - so do!


bye
Ron

[Steve Elliott]

It does have a pixel art style with the central character, but then everything else is very soft n blurry in comparison.

[MrmediamanX]

I have to confess: I do not like it. Looks "ugly/a mess" to me as it is a mix of "scaled pixels", vibrant candy colors, title font with gradient/color bar effect, pixel art ... and so on.
I assume some stuff is animated (eg the block area is surely rotating front back front back or so) but it looks a bit ... it contains too many different art styles.

unleash your inner kawaii Derron 
Depends on the res of the image, could do with a cuter title font/typeface though.
the title tilts while the blocks scroll. the only thing I want to be pixel art are the portraits ... makes sense.

So I hope you just want to fool us a bit by presenting some rough "previz/sketch out" ... you can do better - so do!

lets hope so.

Ah I know why It looks blurry now ... Dang it.
all the title screen elements are textures applied to sprites,blitz3d uses aliasing on textures by default.
due my G-card setting running texture quality to low everything comes off as extra blurry. fret not though
all I need to do is set a few texture flags,use cleartexturefiltering() and disable the aliasing 

[iWasAdam]

love the main character - not a lot else.

You are meant to be playing a game - NOT the UI

see an example of what it 'could' look like:


Look to candy crush - the king of this sort of style. it is the top for a reason:
no UI
big and friendly
all the styles mix together perfectly

I know you are going to say "but my game is different because..."

the answer is: too different no one will like or play it - make it 'more' like (but different). make it a game and not a BIG ui with a tiny game at the side. If that means changing the game - THEN CHANGE IT! Dump how it plays and use a different method. if the play wants tiny graphics, then find a way to use it with big graphics you use 3 block together - why not 2? Dr Mario??

the title screen - I have no words. well a few.
background is all about voxels - is your game about voxels or features voxels?
is your game 2d or 3d or a well constructed mix of both?
It is attractive or a pig covered in makeup?

think quiet, but lively. calm but frenetic. It should be oooh yu, not eww gross...

[iWasAdam]

title
starblock du pon??? ditch the du pon
syntaxbomb/gonuts/mx logo: get rid - you are cluttering up with cruft that will go out of date faster than lime green flares
dark background makes everything look like its been in a coal hole - do it nice, or dont do it
I counted 8 different fonts - you should have no more than 3

Again - look at candy crush - see how they do things, look at different studios take on candy crush - look at plants vs zombies

I'll give you a 45% with 60% for the concept. see if you can get your score to 80%

[Xerra]

I'd like to see it moving before I make any judgements. I'm inclined to agree with Adam about the Du Pon bit. Unless it's a reference I'm not aware of to the actual game.

Can you pop a video up of that title screen so we can see what's changing. I think a static screenshot is doing it no favours.

As for those logo's, I've been a fan of doing the same and sticking them somewhere on the title screen but I think they don't fit there. Stick them in the credits somewhere, if you have a separate screen that shows them. They are no longer really going to be relevant when you put the game out there and the judging is done. You could always stick it back on the title screen if you win the competition perhaps.

[MrmediamanX]

Look to candy crush - the king of this sort of style.

I want to steer well clear of it looking like a mobile game if that makes any sense,making it look like one is easy. it's certainly not candy crush.
it's a columns style clone, if there are examples of games of that format I'll take look ... yet all results I searched for resemble something akin to this just with more empty space.
Using a combination of 2d and 3d, getting the amalgam of such a complex aesthetic is most tenuous.
there's my challenge. From what I've seen king has yet to make a puzzle game with a "kawaii" aesthetic stylistically.
There all rather 'western' looking.

background is all about voxels

Not voxels but low poly.

starblock du pon??? ditch the du pon

not "du pon"  , DE PON, DE-"they" [the blocks in this case] PON-"upon"[block stacking] think 'panel de pon' in terms of naming convention.
The titles a keeper. 

I know you are going to say "but my game is different because..."

The game has a power meter gimmick, yep it's different,in a lot of cases differentiation have given
birth to some great games, even some of which venture far from the norm or obvious yet are of a similar genre.

I counted 8 different fonts - you should have no more than 3

Technically 4 fonts in total, but still I need to get the 'Hot tools' out for this one and limit the tones and size of them.
looking into title font logos, the fonts type faces for title logos tend to stand by there own accord and how many are used barely matters, they just follow an overall theme with most titles using 2 to 3 alone.

All & all very interesting, there's still plenty of time I suppose,Dare I go pastel? Hmmmm. 
   

[iWasAdam]

LOL

OKydoke... I've just been inspired. Not sure I can pull it off. but how about a space shooter that is timed to the beat?

[MrmediamanX]

it's cool.

rhythm space shooter? like 'Beat Hazard:Ultra' or 'Rhythm Destruction'?

[iWasAdam]

very interesting video - thanks

[Steve Elliott]

My first screenshot for the comp.  It's a blend of 80's Crossfire and Bomberman - plus my own ideas...

[Matty]

Greetings,

So I've started working on a game - a match 3 game, with a side game that is part of it - it's a little different from most match 3 games I've seen (which isn't many)....

A question I have though is whether or not I should just go ahead and buy some sprites / graphics which will indeed make it look much, much better or if I should do my own graphics.

Currently it is merely coloured boxes.....ie drawrect commands.

[Derron]

Artificial stuff...like gems, blobs, jellies.... Could be done by you in a computer gfx programme. But if your side twist thing requires backkdrops, huge characters etc ... This will require assets done...uhm... Better.
You could still create assets...as previz/rough idea so that your artist knows what you imagine.

Or checkout what others offer on finished assets (cheaper) and design around it...ennsure it offers all or even more assets than you need, else you end up with the need to extend. This can be hard to achieve thrn.


Bye
Ron

[Qube]

My first screenshot for the comp.  It's a blend of 80's Crossfire and Bomberman, with a touch of Robotron...

It's alive, IT'S ALIVE! - Nice touch on the faded player showing the direction it's moving in.