Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Scrolling Platform Games (was: Loki)

["Igor Izyumin Jr." <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Sunday 03 February 2002 21:08, Michael wrote:
> > Just download snes9x and a couple of roms.  The emulator is nearly
> > perfect. It should be playable on pretty much anything above a P-100.
>
> Actually Jenni may have a SNES in our storage somewhere but it'd probably
> be easier/cheaper to buy a new one than go all the way to Columbia. I
> never had my own NES/SNES during that time period so it pleases me to hook
> such things up now that I can afford them. ;)
I have a SNES with quite a bit of games, but it's dead.  Maybe I'll buy a new 
one on ebay or something.  They've became a collector item now.  I don't 
really care, though.  The emulator works just as well.

> Now that you mention it I sorta kinda remember that. Maybe that's where I
> got the idea. I was also considering including an optional feature to
> include maps between levels in the way some of the Mario games did. To me
> that seems more interesting than just fading from one level to the next.
Yeah, that's how Donkey Kong Country games do it, too.  I like that, as well.

> > And also the fact that it is very difficult to develop 3D engines.  It
> > becomes almost like making movies - lots of money and very talented
> > programmers are needed to create just the engine, and the gameplay does
> > not receive nearly as much attention.  Games which try to focus on
> > gameplay are either released half-baked or become vaporware (like Duke
> > Nukem Forever).
>
> Are they really that more difficult than the scrolling platforms were to
> write at that time?
Yes.  Scrolling platforms are easy; 3D stuff is not.

> 3D engines are pretty well understood concepts now
> days and the hardware is largely abstracted so that most game designers no
> longer even have to do much in the way of cool hacks to get the needed
> features.
Oh yes they do.  Each new engine has to have good graphics, and they have to 
use some kind of optimization and stuff.  Besides, 3D is inherently more 
complex.  Just calculating projectiles and collisions in 3D is very hard.

> Hell they don't even do much that's interesting with the
> engines. Platform games etc had interesting concepts like areas that had
> different gravitational rules, mirror worlds, etc. I've seen few such
> features yet translated to 3D shooters. Hell I'd love to see Commander
> Keen 3D. That pogo stick would be pretty cool in 3D I think. They said
> that CK3D was being worked on so maybe I'll get to see it yet. :)
I don't know... The 2D game looked good, but the 3D one will probably look 
awful.  That's my gripe with 3D graphics - it's not even close to Toy Story 
graphics, and it looks awful.

> Captain Comic, Jill of the Jungle, etc. I do think Jazz Jackrabbit was one
> of the coolest games ever made and I absolutely loved the Christmas
> expansion they gave away. I think that was some of the most fun I've had
> with a game.
Yep, I agree.  Those were really fun, and Jazz Jackrabbit had awesome 
graphics and sound.  I think I beat all the Jill shareware games that were 
out there.

> I want to create a generic engine first before working on any specific
> games but if there were special features in that game it might be good to
> list them so I'll remember to include them.
A very neat features is when layers scroll at different rates.  The stuff 
that's farther away scrolls slower than the foreground.  Also, image 
backgrounds would be nice.  Basically, look at Donkey Kong Country graphics 
and try to make something like that.  Here's a link with a few screenshots.  
Shows a few neat features of the game.
http://www.emulazone.com/ScreenShots/Snes/DonkeyKongCountry/index.phtml

> I was considering a Jazz Jackrabbit sort of game about an ongoing joke I
> have online with some friends.. where one Bunny is a James Bond type
> secret agent and another is a Bunny modeled after Q. I was thinking of
> having it so in single player games the player could pick which they
> wanted to be or trade off or on multi-player games each would be played by
> one of the players. With the energy and fun of Jazz mixed with some secret
> agent jokes. Sort of Austin Powers with Bunnies. ;)
That would be interesting... Multiplayer platform games.  If that is done 
well, it could be pretty awesome.  The only problem is how would you compete?
-- 
-- Igor
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