These Look Better

(yup)

Killaz

Locked 'n' Loaded

(bitches)

To Rollin

Would you like to itemize my task list? More specifically, list the various particle effects we shall need (ex smoke from carriage engine). Maybe you could scan some concept art of where all the particles shall be. Random Side Note: Maybe Necropopolis should always be snowing ash.

Particle Engine

Make it so, Mr. Tom.

Good stuff guys

Chandon: I love your sounds! The engine backfiring is awesome. I'll put them in the game and see how they sync up. You should try to make the vacuum sound next, that would be satisfying.

Rollin: You have great ideas and I'm affraid of giving input because as a programmer I'll just take the easy way out and say we shouldn't incorperate the tough ideas (ex. climbing, adjustable limbs on the carriage, etc). I enjoy the difficult programming task you are coming up with though (so far they are all plausable), so keep them coming. At some point though we need to consildate a final list of requirements (sooner than later hopefully), so I have more direction for programming. I am in the process of putting the vacuum and plow which are looking good! Oh yeah, you had a question about physics. Applying force and torque to one connected body has an effect on the other! So rotating the cannon the opposite direction the carriage is moving will slow the carriage down.

Sound it out

Made some engine and cannon sounds and sent em to you guys. Let me know what you think.

I tried to add to the overall feel of the Necrocarriage by making a rickety diesel engine loop pack complete with backfires.

The cannon loops are all pretty similar with a BOOM and a reload sound. I just changed some stuff with the BOOM in every sample.

New Suggested Controls:

When inside Necrocarriage:

Left-click and drag to reposition cannon, spotlight, plow, and vacuum.
While repositioning:
Right-click and hold to use vacuum/charge up cannon shot. Release to fire cannon.
'A' to move carriage left.
'D' to move carriage right.
'R' to exit carriage.

When outside Necrocarriage:

Mouse aims weapon and light.
Left-click to fire weapon.
Right-click to switch weapons(?). (Are we letting players have more than one weapon at once?)
'R' to use "switches"/talk to characters/pick up object/drop current object/enter carriage (while near carriage entrance).
'A' to move left.
'D' to move right.
Hold direction towards climbable object to begin climbing.
While climbing:
'W' to climb up.
'S' to climb down.

And a Bit About Climbing

I continue to hold that climbing over debris is cooler and scarier than being able to jump over it.

So how, from a design, art, and programming viewpoint, do we make this happen?

I suggest some sort of "attach" key (be it a separate key, mapped onto whatever key "uses" or "picks stuff up," or simply something that happens when you run your character into debris he can't walk over). While "attached," the character can only climb up and down (so we'll need the 'W' and 'S' keys free for this- pick up/use should be remapped to 'R,' and to enter or exit the carriage, the player should just press 'R' as well).

Also while attached, the character's sprite needs to change from two linked sprites (mouse-movable torso and keyboard-controlled legs) to a climbing animation that can be cycled forwards and backwards.

We'll need to figure out what button works best for climbing (I think the 'automatically changes to climbing when the character runs into a climbable obstacle' idea is best, so that the player will be able to carry objects up debris when necessary) as well as how to tell when the character should stop climbing and return to a normal character state.

Sweet

Hey Tom, I was checking out the new version you sent last nite. Looks great. I noticed something: When I drove the carriage off the left side of the background I went into free fall but I could control how the carriage was falling by rotating the cannon. I just thought that was really awesome. Can you also use the cannon to upright the carriage if you land upside down?

Controls Once More

So I've been thinking about how to activate the vacuum. If 'left click and drag' is how you position it, 'right click and hold' could be the suck button.

This would work for the cannon, as well. Instead of having three extra keys to rotate the cannon left and right and fire, or mapping the cannon rotation and firing to the mouse, we can just re-use the cursor idea:

'Left click and drag' repositions the cannon, 'right click and hold' builds up firing power, and 'releasing the right mouse button' fires it.

Then we'll just need three additional keys, while in the carriage: move left, move right, and exit.

However, there are couple of things to consider:
If we do this, it won't make any sense to keep the keyboard rotation for the character outside of the carriage. We'd have to use mouse aim. I guess it wouldn't be so bad: We can attach the flashlight to the end of the player's gun, and try to make it really dark outside of its range.
We can keep the player's facing and movement (torso and legs) separate, so that the player can retreat from zombies while firing (good idea from Chandon).

It'll make the game outside the carriage a lot like Abuse (which is something Chandon's been driving for)... Might not be as scary, but might be more fun to play with while it's in the development stages. Which is important.

Fuck the Order

I totally mixed up the order on the plow and vacuum neck parts on that list down there. Shit.

Just look at the picture, I guess.


...I think both the plow and vacuum need more neck segments. Just play with them? I guess?

The Order

Here's how all the parts are supposed to go together (for now). The vacuum looks like it might need a little tinkering.

Here's the order:
1. vacuum body (bottom)
2. chassis
3. wheels
4. plow neck part one and vacuum neck part one
5. plow neck part two (note tricky placement) and vacuum neck two
6. vacuum neck three
7. plow head and vacuum head

Thought that knowledge would make your job easier. Tom.

And a Little Flair

I thought the vacuum needed a little sprucing-up.

I think it'd be cool to make rags hanging off the Necrocarriage, and have them sway a big as it moves. Any thoughts?

Another Fucking Lamp

Just trying to make it look less sloppy.

Suckaz

Here is the vacuum. The segment at top is the part that connects to the chassis; the one at the bottom is the vacuum head. I made three slightly different connecting parts which you can make the neck out of- it'll probably take 7 or 8 of 'em.

This is my last part for the evening, I'm afraid; I'll put up another part tomorrow though.

Mr. Plow

The plow will probably need more than one neck part (as will the vacuum). I figured we could just flip one. Maybe it needs three, even?

Arguing about controls some more

Chandon:

There are more things than the cannon and light to control. I've mentioned the other things quite a bit. (First link is what the carriage will look like when it's done. Kind of.)


"Taking freedom of movement away from the player doesn't make the game scarier, just more frustrating."
-- What about the Resident Evil series? Alone in the Dark? Out of This World? That is exactly what they do to the controls to make the game scarier... and not being able to mouse aim is nowhere near as limiting or clunky as having to steer your dude like a car. Heh

Anyway, I'm off to do some more parts or something.

Structure of Sound

Short answer:
No need to put the sound files into any folders - just zip them and send them.

Longer answer:
All the Textures I organize into folders because the tools I'm using to code, Visual C# Express and XNA, supports it. However, XNA compiles all the sounds into one file, so there is little or no reason to organize them.

Directory structures

Hey Tom, when I send sound files should I zip them with a directory structure? I'm organizing them as I go...Let me know

Go back to that other part

Um, you'd better go back to the beginning Rollin. From what I see in the demos and screens so far there's like 2 things on the carriage to control, the cannon and the light, so I don't see how being able to toggle them on the fly would be a problem...maybe I missed something in the main idea? I really like the mouse control thing and I still don't understand how using the keyboard makes it easier to control when you can just point a cursor, click and release.

About the commander controls: There's a pretty easy way to get around the "less vulnerable outside the carriage" thing-- just make the commander or his weapons weaker. Taking freedom of movement away from the player doesn't make the game scarier, just more frustrating.

Anyways, the screenie looks pretty awesome once again. Love that fog.
Also, can you start sending me the major updates on the game Tom? Thanks!

Awesome

That looks great!


I am also excited about the sprite scaling.

Foggy Background

I wear my cannon to the side

The carriage is moved with A and D keys and the cannon now rotates with Q and E. The space key fires the cannon, but the only game event triggered is the cannon sound. So maybe next I'll work on fixing some bodies, limbs, treasures, and such in the ceiling to be shot down. Oh yes, Sprites can now be any size on the screen independent of the texture size. For instance, the following screen shot shows off the a lamp light which is a 64 x 64 PNG scaled to the 65th degree to cover the entire screen - all to save on download space. Rollin.

And Here's the Thing About Powerups:

I was thinking they'd be one-shots that you could suck up and activate (as bonuses). Having them as "collectibles" requires that there be an Inventory, which requires that there be a Heads-Up Display (which is what we're trying to avoid with the fuel-tank icon system).

Also, being able to collect multiple parts and powerups is more confusing (muddying the simple Bust-a-Move-ish mechanic).

I do think that holding a button down to charge the cannon is a good idea. I also think that repositioning the cannon with the cursor might work- instead of 'cannon left' and 'cannon right' controls, I mean. I don't think the mouse should be locked to any one part at any time.

Also:

I was thinking the 'S' button for enter/exit might get in the way, but then again, a lot of platformers use a mechanic like that... We'll just have to see, I suppose. Having the controls in one familiar area is a benefit to the player (who, we must assume, does not want to spend time learning our specific control scheme).

My reasoning for 'Spacebar' as fire (when walking around) was this:
Depending on what Tom wants to do, we may or may not have a mouse-aiming mechanism for the walking character. Having 'Spacebar' as fire when walking makes sense if there is no mouse aim, as it'd be the cannon's fire button and the fewer the controls (and the less they change) the better.

Not having mouse aim, I feel, would make the walking character feel more vulnerable... Which is what we want. We want the player to be wary of exiting the vehicle. If they can fire all over the place all the time, jump over obstacles, and have their own light source while walking, there aren't nearly as many reasons to stay in the clunky carriage- In fact, some areas might be easier without it (which is something we desperately want to avoid).

So yeah: I think the player, while walking, should only be able to fire in front of them. I think climbing is a better idea than jumping (much creepier, more physical, and time-consuming- making the player feel more vulnerable), though it may be much more difficult to implement. So we'll get what we can out of that.

Um

Again, I like the idea of having one button for "suck up and shoot," but having to hold down the mouse button for so long is annoying and makes it easy for the player to make mistakes.

As for the simplification... Adding "toggles" and having to switch between parts in order to control them makes the game way, way more difficult to control- not simpler. I don't think the cool Kirby feel is worth the sacrifice. Because there are so many parts to manage- which is partially what this game is about, having to manage a rickety 'steampunk' machine- the player needs to be able to access any of them at any time, without having to cycle through.

Keeping it Simple?

Ok, there's a lot of info here for the control scheme, but I think it's too complex. Here's my ideas for the cannon and carriage control scheme and some examples on how they would work using some ideas from existing games. I'm going to try to express my ideas here as clearly as I possibly can:

Cannon Controls

I think it would be most satisfying to control the cannon with the mouse alone kind of like a turret.(Anyone remember that old platformer Abuse? This is what I'm thinking of.) Hold mouse 1 to suck stuff up. Depending on what is sucked up one of 2 things should happen:

--If it's a powerup or something, it stays in the Necrocarriage and the vacuum keeps sucking up stuff.
--Body parts, rocks, etc are too big and "get stuck" in the chamber, so you'd see an icon or other representation in the chamber until the button is released and it goes flying. Velocity of the projectile is related to how long it was "charged up". This would work sort of like the "Kirby's Dreamland" games.

So, in short, here's a little scenario:
1-->You run across a powerup and a big rock or something.
2-->You direct the cannon with the mouse and hold Mouse 1 to start the vacuum.
3-->The powerup gets sucked into the Necrocarriage first as it is lighter and smaller. It stays with your collectibles. Still holding Mouse 1.
4-->The rock gets sucked into the Necrocarriage second as it is heavier and larger. Still holding Mouse 1.
5-->You see the icon/representation of the rock in the chamber. Still holding Mouse 1, the power level of your cannon is charging up.
6-->You aim the cannon at something and release Mouse 1. The object goes flying out of the cannon and crashes into stuff.

I think this would be TOTALLY FUN. Also, there's the added advantage of being able to control the carriage and cannon at the same time. Plus, it's a pretty natural and intuitive movement.

Now, how to control the other stuff?

I say we use a toggle instead of mapping the cannon to keys and everything else to mouse cursor. It doesn't seem like using the mouse cursor to shuffle stuff around would be an efficient way to control things in the heat of combat. So how about something like this:

A and D: move carriage left and right

W: Jump the carriage (once you can do that)

Tab: Leave the carriage (I think S would get in the way too much from all the FPS and stuff I play, haha)

Q: Swap part (switch between plow, propeller mount, w/e)

E: Toggle between cannon control and spotlight control (swaps mouse function)-- I think this would be a way to streamline the controls, also you could position the light in a different direction than the cannon in order to use the light to provide some covering fire from your crew while you ready up a cannon shot.

Maybe if you wanted to still use the cursor we could have Space be the cursor toggle? I don't have a good idea as to how much is going to be stacked on the carriage, so it's hard for me to say.

As for the commander dude, I think we should go with the standardWSAD style controls with Mouse 1 to shoot and Mouse 2 to interact, just for the sake of familiarity. I think commander should be able to jump a small height or maybe climb over stuff with W, as the zombie corpses may get in the way of his movement. S can be a crouch kind of movement for him to pick stuff up.

Lamp Version 2

(Without that pixel halo.)

Buttons (And the Things They Do)

Okay, we have to start thinking about how the player is going to control everything.

Right now, we have two buttons- left and right. These control the carriage's movement (and most likely the player's when they exit the vessel as well).

We are planning, so far, on having a few "positionable" parts- ones that the player can move with the cursor. These include the vacuum (used to suck up body parts/powerups, which then appear as icons in the fuel tank), the plow (which is the player's "hand," used to push shit around that needs pushing), and the spotlight (used to show machine gunners where to shoot).

[quick aside: powerups would be a good way to get screen-clearing explosions in the game]

[another quick aside: can we make it so the machine gunners can tell what is lit up and what isn't, Tom?]

What do we still need to have controls for?

1. The cannon. We could have it controlled by the mouse as well (repositioned by dragging with the cursor) and work in Chandon's "hold and release" idea, too: Hold down the mouse button (or another button, I suppose, like spacebar) to build up launching power, then release. Then we could do tricky stuff like using arcs of fire to shoot at bosses (so we could have the player aim at legs and other weak points).

However, because the cannon is a central control element, we should consider mapping it to the keyboard. It's unlikely the player would have to move the carriage and aim and fire the cannon both at once, so we could do something like use 'A' and 'D' to move the carriage, 'Q' and 'E' to turn the cannon, 'Spacebar' to fire the cannon, 'W' to jump (when the appropriate upgrade is unlocked), and 'S' to exit the carriage (unless you guys think this would get in the way too much). Then the player's free hand could be used to manipulate the other parts with the mouse.

2. The character (outside of the carriage). He needs to have big, big titties. Wait- I mean a control scheme. It should be as similar as possible to the carriage's. I suggest:
'A' and 'D' to move, 'W' to pick something up, 'S' to drop something, and 'Spacebar' to fire/interact (when near a character). The mouse could be used to reposition your tiny flashlight, perhaps.

Screenshot Looks Good

I think it's important that the lamp rattle around a bit (like the guts). YES TO RATTLE

Regarding

Okay, lots of good ideas in there. Here's feedback on ya feedback:

1. As I said before, "carriage breaking down" level is awesome. I like the idea of different parts being collected... New tire, gas, engine part, lost crew members (that could follow you home? I think normally wounded people should have to be carried, but that would be too hard if the carriage is a level away- unless you could still shoot and move as normal (or could set the wounded down to fight))... We can just have a light coming from the end of the guy's weapon for the duration of the level (or maybe all the time? Hmm).

...How's the lighting system going, Tom? Haha

2. Side quests, I was thinking, would be built into levels- extra rooms that you could "complete" if you wanted to. The broken hearse with tophat-wearing sinister dude is a must.

3. Zombie carriage boss fight is a great idea too. However- and this needs to be kept in mind for boss fights especially- the player doesn't directly control his side guns (meaning they can't be the method with which the bosses are defeated). So we can't really do things like "have the player shoot out a boss' legs." Unless we do something differently.

4. A golem made of zombies sounds neat.

5. Tentacle worm monster sounds something like The Great Grand Intestine Dragaeon (though I'm imagining it as a big weird sock puppet monster)... I think there should be a whole level devoted to its guts, and acid pits are a good idea for one of the environmental hazards. Other idea: Undulating tunnels! Can we make level parts move, Tom?

6. Here's the thing about the "one button for cannon and vacuum" idea: I like how I imagine it would feel, but the player would have to go to the body part, hold down the button, then reposition to where he can get the shot he wants, and then release the button to fire. That would be annoying... I think the part needs to be stored, just for ease of use.

7. Targeting computer = good (but maybe too technologically-advanced? What tech. level are we dealing with?),
carriage jump = maybe good (I worry about level design as well. Maybe if it was a "required upgrade" at some point in the story, like how Castlevania or Tomba work? ...Other required upgrade ideas: propeller engines for the underwater level, plow?, tire chains?)... Also note that this would require yet another button. Which we need to discuss. (buttons)
crew weapons = definitely
tire chains = good (maybe required for certain areas?)
disguise = hmmm. For one thing, the crew members already look like zombies, so how do they disguise themselves? Scent? Either way it's difficult to portray visually. Also: I don't want to think about doing two sets of animations for every character just 'cos they have a new hat on.
air strike = also hm. I think we should have a screen-filling explosion once in a while, but I think we need to justify it well.

So yeah, lots of great ideas. Way to go! Claim XP

Screenshot!

Um ok

Well, here's some feedback and ideas in bullet point form...

Backstory

-Rollin and I discussed this: The residents of Necropopolis are sentient zombies, but their brains decay after about a century causing them to go crazy, sort of like Alzheimers.

Bossfights and Level Design

-rescue crew level, necrocarriage breaks down and you are stuck as the commander trying to find parts, rescue crew members, etc until you can get the carriage up and running. Possible set up: floor gives away after bossfight (giant necro worm that comes thru floor and walls weakens it?); necrocarriage falls to it's certain doom and bounces off hills throwing the crew all over, necrocarriage is broken but commander survives. You start next level as commander with a peashooter and a light, have to rescue your crew so they can repair the carriage and continue, covering them the whole time from minor zombie attacks.

-side quest levels: you come across a broken down hearse and help the dude repair his ride, he helps you progress somehow, later on the same dude is a boss fight?

-boss fight against zombie necrocarriage-zombies pushing around a derelict carriage and firing themselves out of the cannon, their cannon can suck up your crew members, etc.

-huge boss that throws the necrocarriage-- maybe that golem Rollin mentioned? I think he should be made of a bunch of zombies or something cool like that. He can be defeated more easily by shooting his legs and causing him to fall, then hitting his weak spot.

-tentacle worm monster thing that bursts from the floor, zombies crawl out of the holes he leaves behind and you have to fight them all off.


-regular zombie turns out to be a boss that refuses to die: only way to defeat him is to weaken him then suck him up with the vacuum and shoot him into molten lead/spike pit/mouth of a bigger monster or something like that

-zombie boss that puts himself back together, only way to defeat him is to blow him apart then kill the parts one at a time before his hands crawl back to his corpse and put it together

-huge boss that swallows your carriage, you have to fight your way out of his insides while the level of stomach acid is slowly rising and come out of his ass. I think Rollin mentioned something like this already, but the acid thing would be cool.

Feedback n Stuff

-I like the art! It's lookin good.

-Key Item idea is a good one, way better than "find the yellow key for the yellow door". We can expand this.

-Vacuum/Cannon idea: This basically makes that game mechanic into Undead Bust a Move. Sounds pretty cool, and it will add a better strategic element to using the cannon. Here's an idea for cannon mechanics: make it the same thing as the vacuum. Hold Mouse1 to suck up stuff, release to throw.

-Upgrades idea: I love RE4, so YES. Currency for upgrades by finding treasure in the clumps of body parts? That would give you an incentive to not just leave the clumps alone. Some other upgrade ideas:
--targeting computer to show cannon's firing arc
--ability to jump necrocarriage over stuff (this would probably be a late game one, if you got it early it would defeat some of the physical puzzle ideas)
--upgrades for crew's weapons (flamethrowers, grenade launchers, gatling gun, etc)
--tire chains for more traction 'n undead crushin
--disguise? disguise your crew and self as zombies, letting them pass unharmed. This could be the expensive and temporary "invulnerability" type powerup that would be useful when jumping out of the 'carriage and picking up key items.
--underground air strike? Heh, might be cool...I love screen filling explosions.

Also These Are Fun As Well (ATAFAW)

The middle one looks right to me. I think? Let's see!

Just for Fun

See how the top two (50% and 75%, respectively) work on the carriage.

Wheels and a Lamp to See Them By

I thought the lamp would look good right there on that little platform-thing. I had to rotate it slightly.

[Edit: I forgot about the cannon mount when placing the lamp. Just make it look nice, Tom!]

Cannon Mount

Here's the thing that connects the cannon to the chassis. It should look like this:

Gameplay-wise, we can handle this in two ways: either the connector basically provides a visual of the cannon's possible arc (which would be rather small) and the cannon sits between it and the chassis, or the connector moves with the cannon and just becomes a part of it (basically used just to cover up the joint).

I'm personally a fan of the "visual arc" idea- I think the cannon's turning arc should be very small (smaller than the 45 degrees we talked about earlier, Tom). This will force the carriage to move more, which equals another obstacle and more zombie-killing.

Let me know how it works out (post a screen).

Fuel Tank Version 2

I'm not entirely sure why the fuel tank ended up with a "halo" around it, but here is another shot at it. Let me know if it works (post a screenie).

Most Important Points to Discuss/Vote On:

1. How the cannon/vacuum and zombies work. See below.

2. Should environments be sleek black/white profiles, decorated with backgrounds and objects? I think yes: It'll emphasize the lighting system (which is important for the player's defense!), make levels easier to create (don't have to paint everything), and most importantly, we might be able to make levels out of vectors or lines or something instead of huge fucking textures (this is a main problem that we need to work on. Tom?).

What Do You Think

...about the basic gameplay mechanics, as outlined?

The goal is to get through the level and beat the "boss." To progress past certain points in the level (or to make certain areas easier) you need to clear rooms full of dead bodies with the "collect body part with vacuum, fire it out of cannon at matching body parts" system (while fighting zombies that form from groups of parts that lying on the ground, as well as spawn on their own) and collect different "key items."

Certain key items must be picked up (and delivered?) by hand, which adds another layer of strategy: setting up a defense with your carriage's parts (lights and machine gun nests) before exiting to pick up an item or wounded character or whatever.

Physics system also adds another level of gameplay: physical puzzles. These could be as simple as a stack of coffins in your way (which must be plowed), or as complex as a boss fight (the Great Grand Intestine Dragaeon must be knocked unconscious so that you may enter his maw and travel down his guts to whatever is making him go crazy)(=need to hit some boulders suspended above him with cannon fire while avoiding his attacks).

This game will be about putting the player into the world through the use of art, lighting, ambient sound, physics, setting, and story. It'll be an epic journey, homes.


...Right. So specifically: What do you think about the "I pick up an arm, the arm shows up as an icon in the fuel tank, then I fire the arm from the cannon at a group of arms above, which explode and send more dead bits down from the ceiling" mechanic? That is the one I'm not certain about... Other ideas:
1. The arm (and any other part) could just supply a set amount of fuel, which can be used to fire your cannon or move your carriage (this could lead to "out of gas" scenarios, where the player is forced to leave his carriage behind for a long time to go get some fuel... but if you like that scenario, we could put it in with scripting as part of the story and still maintain the "Icon" mechanic). To do this one, we need to figure out how to show different fuel levels in the fuel tank.
2. There only full bodies stuck in the ceiling, but the different bodies and zombies are different colors. Vacuuming up a certain color dead body will make the fuel tank glow that color, and that is the next color the cannon fires. You match colors instead of parts up above. With this one, we could still have set amounts of fuel, which we'd need to show, but we'd also need to figure out how to make the fuel tank glow, etc.
Also, what would separate bodies from zombies? Perhaps just a set amount of time, and then the body becomes a zombie? Or maybe the zombies are their own color- so you can tell which ones will turn into zombies when they hit the ground- but when sucked into the fuel tank, they give you a "bad shot" which infects any bodies caught in the explosion with the zombie curse. This takes away one obstacle (not knowing which bodies will turn into zombies you need to defend your vessel from) but adds another (can't risk picking up zombies with the vacuum).
There are other ways we could approach this, too- it's our main gameplay mechanic, and we could go pretty much anywhere with it. Maybe you need to purchase ammo for the cannon with money found amongst the corpses (so conserving cannon fire becomes as important as firing the cannon quickly, precisely, and strategically). Whatever we pick will have a heavy impact on how the game feels and how the other gameplay mechanics function...

So we should vote on it.
Once everyone gives their opinion and thoughts, that is.

Chassis Springs

Cool ideas Rollin - this is why I like working with you!

About the carriage... I think I could attach springs from 5 or 6 points on the chassis to the guts which, given enough tension, would make it seem rather rickety.

Little too drunk to code right now, but maybe tomorrow.

Another Idea: Upgradeable Stuff

There should be merchants periodically (like the RE4 Australian dude) that can hook you up with new parts in exchange for cash (which falls along with powerups, keys, dead body parts, and zombies). Ideas for upgrades:

Chassis: Bigger/grippier/faster wheels, different movement parts (submarine propellers for underwater level?), more armor... We could make different "leg" parts that moved differently, too.

Cannon: Bigger cannon.

Fuel tank: Holds more parts? More powerups? That can be cycled through?

Lamp: Brighter.

Spotlight: Brighter.

Machine gun nests: different types of weapons, more nests, more guys per nest, bigger machine guns...

Plow: bigger plow. Plows and lamps or maybe spotlights shouldn't necessarily be attached from beginning of game- maybe you have to earn 'em!

Vacuum: sucks better.

Oh yeah, and

Hand weapons: Different hand weapons. I'm torn on this. I don't want the captain/leader/player/whatever to be too powerful when he's out of the carriage- he should be at his most vulnerable then. It's a gameplay balance. We'll just have to see how the stuff plays out once we have more stuff in the game. Stuff.

Oh Shit I Almost Forgot

Tom! Can you make the two levels of guts have a bit of "give" between each other and the chassis? I want it to feel rickety! It'd be cool to see stuff bounce when you go over bumps.

Possible or no? Likely?

You Guys Let Me Know

..when you're done reading my damn novel.

Tell me what you think, too! Do it by gum

Notes on: Gameplay

So basically you're making your way through these caverns (I suggest we use physics to our advantage in level design- make lots of physical puzzles to overcome. Zombie piles, ramps, bridges, and barricades are good examples).
The different parts of the Necrocarriage you command do different things. They, along with your own character, are the agents with which you act upon the world. The different parts so far are:

Chassis (with wheels) - Allows you to move your cannon around, and protects you from the dangers of the Deep.

Machine Gun Nests (left and right) - Keep zombies off your back (as long as they can see them in the lamp or spotlight).

Lamp- Provides a radius of light around your carriage (so that machine gunners and you can see).

Spotlight - Is movable and provides a focused beam of light in one direction (this is how you control your gunners, basically- by directing their attention. They'll fire at the closest zombie they see automatically and constantly).

Plow - Movable and used to interact with the objects in the world (push 'em out of your way).

Vacuum - Used to pick up fuel for the cannon.

[Here is the first point of contention.]

Cannon - shoots dead bits from the ceilings.

Fuel tank - Could either be used to store:

"Liquid fuel" from vacuuming dead bodies- kind of like "energy," you can spend it to fire your cannon (maybe to move around as well?). Neither Tom nor I know how to make this work.

OR:

"Icons" from vacuuming up specific body parts (or powerups)- The idea is that we have a whole shitload of single body parts (arms, legs, heads, and bodies) stuck up in the rafters, along with a few goodies ("treasure," meaning powerups, money, and "keys"). You use your cannon (loaded with a certain body part (or powerup), which shows up in the fuel tank as an icon representing it) to dislodge parts from the ceilings. Similar parts, matched up together with the cannon shot, explode (perhaps the more the parts next to one another, the bigger the dislodgement?), showering you with body parts.
Unfortunately, when you get enough body parts on the ground together, you get a zombie (which reanimates (and turns into an animated sprite))!

Your goal is to fend off zombies and solve physical puzzles while collecting powerups to help you "clean" better, money to purchase new parts with, and the all-important "keys," items which unlock a new part of the level you progress through on the way to the BOSS SHOWDOWN (which is another physical puzzle)!

BUT you have a narrative goal as well- see Notes on: Story.


Other random ideas:

Keys should have to be retrieved by hand, as should refugees/wounded. Having to set defense up and then quickly exit your carriage should be a key gameplay point.
You are vulnerable when outside your carriage.

"Keys" are things like parts for an elevator, trinkets long lost and desired by gatekeepers, an elderly explosives expert (who can help you through that wall!), etc. I don't think we should use actual keys.

The level design- TOM: What do you think about making full color objects and such for the levels, and then making the environments just be simpler profile lines? All the environmental objects could still be there, but the physical ones (like tumbling boulders or rickety bridges) could be stark shapes. It'll emphasize the dynamic lighting (which is an important gameplay element), probably (?) make levels smaller in byte-size, heh, and also make levels a bunch less of a hassle to actually make.

When zombies are accidentally used as cannon ammo, all the parts they dislodge turn into zombies(?) What? Does that make sense?

So far my ideas for levels are: Upper crypt level (lots of vaulted, square spaces filled with bodies), Garbage tunnels (caverns which end with the Intestine Dragaeon), Guts level (where you're traveling down the bowels of the Dragaeon- there HAVE TO BE UNDULATING INTESTINE-CAVES, and an underwater level (Dragaeon poops you into the sewers, where you have to swim as a submarine through zombie-infested waters).
Other ideas: Mushroom-cave gnome-zombie-fightin' level, Fight with a Golem, a refugee camp infected with zombie-plague.

Citizens should look like zombie hobo desert bandits. Some combination of those things.

Are we going to just call 'em zombies? I'm down with that, but let me know if you guys have ideas for the setting, story, maybe characters, stuff. Things.

Notes on: The Story

So here are my ideas so far:

You (the Player) play as the leader of a team of "cleaners" (fix-it men/soldiers/garbagemen) for the ancient and epically-gothic City of the Dead: Necropopolis. You have been sent by your Mayor to figure out what's wrong with the Great Grand Intestine Dragaeon- your city's ultimate refuse-disposal unit. It's always taken care of your city's body and waste disposal needs; however, in recent months it's grown more aloof and ...less hungry.

You and your cadets delve deep into the underbelly of Necropolis, seeking out the creature's lair. After making your way through a series of obstacles (some zombie, some not- other citizens of the City lurk within these caverns!), you come to the Dragaeon's nest. It's gone rabid! You are forced to subdue the beast, and then venture inside it's maw for the source of the trouble!

...Of course, then you go on an epic zombie-killin' adventure. That was just the first level (maybe the second). I'll upload a sample level soon (hopefully tomorrow). Helps to visualize.

Notes on: The Necrocarriage

1. I need to clean up the fuel tank (and future parts)'s edges.

2. It's starting to look sort of para-militaristic. I want it to seem like a military-grade hearse/garbage truck.

3. I think all the citizens of Necropopolis (including the hero and gunners) should be zombie-like. Some of them will talk and interact with us though. More on that in "Notes on: Story"

4. The cannon. Maybe it's not too big? I think perhaps it should have a very small turning arc, and that a good portion of the gameplay should be driving through zombies and other hazards while maneuvering towards a good vantage point for your cannon. More on that in "Notes on: Gameplay"
I still need to make a little "rail" piece for it, though- to cover the seam between chassis and cannon- looks sloppy.

5. I think the wheels will look right once everything's on. (machine gun nests, plow, vacuum, lamp, spotlight)

6. Speaking of which: I think the different parts should have hitpoints, and zombies slowly will take them away... When one part runs out of hitpoints, it's destroyed (but the rest lives on- until the chassis is destroyed). When the chassis is destroyed, or your character has been eaten, you... don't win.

7. Upgrades? Something to think about in the future. Basically, I'd make a new part, Tom would put it in, and you could swap it out (either at a set point or whenever you like with keyboard commands)... This could lead to things like physical puzzles (you need to have a plow equipped to move something, you need a firehose to put out fires, etc.), as well as a reason to make "treasure" valuable (See Notes on: Gameplay).

Facelift

Things are looking damn good Rollin - definitely the right choice to add color.
Here is a screenie - see you if you can find Waldo!

Two Things:

1. The backgrounds on the parts I'm posting are showing up white. Hm.
2. The parts also look a bit squished. Hm.

I'm sending you the files, Tom.

Two More For the Heap

The Guts of the carriage, parts one and two. (Part one goes on top of part two; the character should go in-between when he is inside the carriage.)

It's All Coming Together

First three painted parts:

Chassis, Cannon, and Fuel Tank.

Currently Workin' On:

Giving the carriage a fresh coat of paint (and finishing all its parts).

Rumpelstiltskin

Holy fuck - I haven't seen that Logo For a while! Also - Good to see everyone posting!

Gear+REASON+Chandon=Sounds

I am still needing some gear before I can make much headway on sounds. Some of the REASON projects I've been working on would be appropriate background music though. Right now I have one of these MIDI controllers on order. It's cheap, but I'll be able to make some sampled MIDI fx once it arrives. Next semester (September) I get a discount on Protools gear also, so I will be able to put together a little porta-studio and we can make some real bomb-ass zombie growls, weapon noises, that kind of thing. Ill send some of the tunes I've been working on shortly.

Fucking Sunday

Hey Chandon

You have to post/send the sounds before claiming XP. You want our whole system to come crashing down?

Also: Those were some cheap hoochies.

Intestine Dragon

City of Bulbs

The One on Top

Is how I'm thinking it'll look in-game (with black background); the one on the bottom is the actual file. I'm thinking adding the background color in the engine is a good move?

Look At All the Mushroom People

I play well with others mommy

I've updated the physics simulator to communicate with the game code, which allows for some interesting potabilities. Currently, if any zombie limb collides with another object the squish sound is played.

Gun Teaser

Camera

The camera now follows the Necrocarriage, so the game is essentially ready for some backgrounds. I'm thinking about doing a little character sketch in the computer, because it would be really rewarding make the hero get in and out of the carriage and watch the camera follow the proper acting object.

Terrain Teaser

Layers are working

I can now layer sprites in any order I would like. Isn't that nice! The physics update is not yet upon us, so no mechanical angular rotations for the carriage limbs. Rollin give me some background drawings!

More TODO

Zombie and machine gunner animations should come next as far as I'm concerned. I need to work on making the environment scrollable. I still have finals, but maybe tomorrow or Thursday I'll get started again.

Alright So I'm Back

How 'bout you guys? How's it going? What is next on the agenda?

Looks Like

you're on the right track!~

Almost done with finals and such.

Hmm

SOngS

Did you guys get those songs I emailed you? What do you think?

Maintain Radio Silence

I'll be back sometime between the 11th and the 14th of May.

Loops of Fruity

I remember you had one particular techno-punk song that was really bad ass- it used a weird guitar filter or something to make cool noises. You still have that one?

Not that that was a very good description of it or anything...


I think we should make that song dedicated to the Imperial Guard and put it in the soundtrack.

Yes to spikes

I vote yes to traction spikes!

Or maybe tire chains.

Ran across a treasure trove of old fruityloops songs-- will send some after I remaster them.
It will help fill out the soundtrack nicely, I think.