Panjoust - A New Simple Platformer

[Monk]

Oooh, a wood-wasp (at this size pretty much just colour bits "brown" or "grey" for wood/metal) sounds like it could be a fun version, and possibly more in keeping. Good idea.

I've also wondered about simply removing the legs. Not sure how easy it would be - shouldn't be TOO hard - but at the smallest size they aren't "doing much" for me, just providing clutter. We'll see

I wonder if there are any other critters I've got that could be useful? I'm now wondering if I've got a more realistic insect or two that I could use (butterfly, hmmm - not so much!) as "giant versions"...? Hmmm... See, that's one of the dangers. Looking around and going "Actually, that could look quite nice..." and voila, a whole new species to animate :rolleyes

It only LOOKS like I turn these renders around quickly and easily. In reality, beneath the surface my legs are paddling madly to try and get things done in time to "make a difference". Any difference, pretty much, but hopefully helping rather than hindering.

"simple animated water" - oh, how often I have heard that phrase! Actually, I don't have the time/skill combination to approach the quality and level of Amigo Bandito Crujiente's backgrounds. As someone who intended to offer a single dragon-type creature flying left->right, I'm already impinging more on the project than perhaps I should. It's just fun, and it's fun knowing that if I don't have the time or inclination I can stop at any moment to do something else (like make some low res mesh, or earn some money, or something). Trust me - you don't want me doing the backgrounds, or suddenly there will be a whole story involving time travel, dystopian future city settings, underwater levels, aliens, land-bound but huge dinosaurs traipsing across a prehistoric landscape... it just goes on and on! Better all round, I think, to leave me tinkering with a character or two than to get me involved in the scenery! But thanks for the vote of confidence

I'm hoping to contain, or at least dampen, my enthusiasm for THIS game very soon so that I can refresh my memory on where I was/what I was doing re torpor's "Geometrically-Inspired" game. Because that also looked like it could be huge fun for a Monk-shaped person to play and, perhaps, contribute towards

Ta,

 

[Monk]

Hmmmm - this guy may suffer the same basic problem as the spikey guy - too much lovely detail that you just can't see

He's deliberately slightly "stiffer" than the Wyvern, hoping to look more "mechanical" yet retain some fluidity to the movement. Kinda like... well designed, but from someone who doesn't really understand how a living dragon moves.



Err...

 

[PokeParadox]

Hmmmm - this guy may suffer the same basic problem as the spikey guy - too much lovely detail that you just can't see

He's deliberately slightly "stuffer" than the Wyvern, hoping to look more "mechanical" yet retain some fluidity to the movement. Kinda like... well designed, but from someone who doesn't really understand how a living dragon moves.



Err...

Well on the lovely detail front... this is where you need a pixel artist that knows how to represent more detail with less pixels to retrace the frames.

 

[Monk]

Well on the lovely detail front... this is where you need a pixel artist that knows how to represent more detail with less pixels to retrace the frames.

Sounds reasonable. It probably wouldn't hurt to put in slightly harsher colours to bring out details like the horns though, even as-is.

I should probably have stuck to fleshy dragons and ostriches - they don't TEND to have such clearly delineated tiny details in their construction ( or ?)

I'm kinda hoping to give animating a brief break while I rummage around and see if I can find my working files/details for torpor's geometry-based game. Give this thread some time to round out where I should head with the wasp, pteranodon, and steam dragon (if anywhere) or if I ought to go back to thinking about the troll throwing rocks instead.

Ta,

 

[foxblock]

I like that mechanical dragon, it could add some variety to the game and imo it also fits in the medieval style of the game.

But as you said, you should make the details bigger and remove the smaller ones to make it more usable, also some wooden elements could add to the overall look.

 

[MarkoeZ]

Monk: Great! past days have just been work for me, no time to try stuff. but tomorrow night ill probably have time to try things in the levels.

I think the wasp would look good, especially with some wood added. Metal dragon, not sure yet. Can't exactly say why though, might be some of the things posted by you, Fox and Poke. various Dragons: ill just have to try.

Thanks, and Cheers!

Edit: Been reading up every day ofcourse, so i have some plans about implementing the various atacks

 

[Monk]

No worries. Paying clients have decided that I actually have to work for my living, so my character work may get a bit spottier for a bit. My priorities will probably be animating the Pteranodon (because that's the most promising which still needs animating) and then tinkering with the wasp to see make it more wooden than yellow paint (which will probably just mean brown instead of yellow, at sprite resolution).

Steam Dragon, while I think it has potential, is on the back burner. I think I know wher eI'd go with it, but I don't want to commit with my current workload.

Ta,

 

[Jourdy288]

No worries. Paying clients have decided that I actually have to work for my living, so my character work may get a bit spottier for a bit. My priorities will probably be animating the Pteranodon (because that's the most promising which still needs animating) and then tinkering with the wasp to see make it more wooden than yellow paint (which will probably just mean brown instead of yellow, at sprite resolution).

Steam Dragon, while I think it has potential, is on the back burner. I think I know where I'd go with it, but I don't want to commit with my current workload.

Ta,

It's quite nice, although I think to add to the steam look maybe some brass or copper elements would help.

 

[MarkoeZ]

Hiya peeps,

I've been haunted by work and connection problems for the last few days so i did not get as much done as i wanted to. I did manage to make a small video though, of the updated dragon grapics (the actual attack will be more of a dive, this is just about the animation) and the first version of the wasp is also flying in there.

Youtube

Cheers!

 

[foxblock]

Looking great, I still would go for the steam-wood-dragon

One question though which bothered me for some time now:
How is this game actually called? You do not seem to be quite sure either
Is is PanJoust or PandJoust?

foxblock out

 

[foxblock]

Great, double post, frickin lags -.-

Here is the important bit again:

Hiya peeps,

I've been haunted by work and connection problems for the last few days so i did not get as much done as i wanted to. I did manage to make a small video though, of the updated dragon grapics (the actual attack will be more of a dive, this is just about the animation) and the first version of the wasp is also flying in there.

.

Cheers!

 

[MarkoeZ]

One question though which bothered me for some time now:
How is this game actually called? You do not seem to be quite sure either
Is is PanJoust or PandJoust?

foxblock out

Prefix

* Pan- as a prefix (Greek πᾶν, pan, "all," "of everything,"

joust (joust, jst, jst) also just (jst)
n.
1.
a. A combat between two mounted knights or men-at-arms using lances; a tilting match.
b. jousts A series of tilting matches; a tournament.
2. A personal competition or combat suggestive of combat with lances: a politician who relishes a joust with reporters.
intr.v. joust·ed also just·ed, joust·ing also just·ing, jousts also justs
1. To engage in mounted combat with lances; tilt.
2. To engage in a personal combat or competition.

Think that's good.

Cheers!

 

[fusion_power]

Hiya peeps,

I've been haunted by work and connection problems for the last few days so i did not get as much done as i wanted to. I did manage to make a small video though, of the updated dragon grapics (the actual attack will be more of a dive, this is just about the animation) and the first version of the wasp is also flying in there.

Youtube

Cheers!

Wow, you really can play this game, I wish I would have that skill.
Maybe try an Joystick Support so I can plug in my Arcade Stick into the PC (or Pandora) and force some success with pure Hardware-Power. ^^
The Dragon looks good, I think with the finished Animations like turning and so on it is perfect. Still doesn't match with the rest of the (compared rough) Sprites but he already fits well into the game-concept.
I guess, the Dragon tries his dive attack only when the player is underneeth? Could be very challenging, not only to fight the level itself but also watch out for a huge chasing and fire breathing Dragon...and maybe limited time..:lol:

 

[rohezal]

Sounds strange but what resolution do you use? 320x240 or 800x480 or is it chooseable? I would love to see panjoust to the freerunner distro gamerunner (its a linux mobilephone): http://gamerunner.sourceforge.net/index.html

What are the specs for panjoust?

 

[Jourdy288]

I like the music, but (a note to the composer) will there be sort of a victory theme? I'd really love that.
Not pushing for it or anything, just think it'd be a nice addition.

 

[PokeParadox]

Sounds strange but what resolution do you use? 320x240 or 800x480 or is it chooseable? I would love to see panjoust to the freerunner distro gamerunner (its a linux mobilephone): http://gamerunner.sourceforge.net/index.html

What are the specs for panjoust?

Penjin itself lets you change the resolution but the game mechanics would have to be coded with this in mind in order for everything to "just work".

If the phone has SDL the game could be ported... whether or not it would be ported is another story.

 

[MarkoeZ]

@jourdy: i allready have over half an hour of various music from Nick May, including victory music. it's just not included in the demo yet because of upload limits, and i want to keep some new stuff for the full game

 

[Monk]

@jourdy: i allready have over half an hour of various music from Nick May, including victory music. it's just not included in the demo yet because of upload limits, and i want to keep some new stuff for the full game

I must admit, I've wondered briefly at times if I should have posted so much online - the wasp, for example, might have been a nice surprise (I don't think I would have gottent he Wyvern as good as it's been, stylistically, without peer support tho so, although that would have been a better/nicer surprise... meh, too much thinking too little time!)

 

[may88]

I like the music, but (a note to the composer) will there be sort of a victory theme? I'd really love that.
Not pushing for it or anything, just think it'd be a nice addition.

@jourdy: i allready have over half an hour of various music from Nick May, including victory music. it's just not included in the demo yet because of upload limits, and i want to keep some new stuff for the full game

It's handy being Nick's Dad. You get to preview the music. That's my boy!

 

[MarkoeZ]

It's handy being Nick's Dad. You get to preview the music. That's my boy!

And he's doing an awesome job

For those interested: samples from most tracks are included in the youtube video's , but they are selected more for the video continuancy (dunno how to spell that in english, and too tired to look up) than for level style. And all the compression makes them far less clear then they sound in-game.
I already have tunes for every levelset, special music for tight timelimit levels, menu music, victory music, etc. etc...

Sounds strange but what resolution do you use? 320x240 or 800x480 or is it chooseable? I would love to see panjoust to the freerunner distro gamerunner (its a linux mobilephone): http://gamerunner.so....net/index.html

What are the specs for panjoust?

Well the first focus is to get it ready. But after that, Pokeparadox and i are already thinking about more platforms to be supported by Penjin. And that would be me mostly thinking, and poke doing the main part of the coding, he's the engine wizard

And it would be quite easy to scale everything down 50% eventually, but some graphics might need to be replaced/reworked. Pixelart responds weird to deleted pixels

Cheers!