Old school Isometric RPG hardship

[YanBG]

I've done that, draw them over a base character sprite, but if your shadows are soft/gray(not solid black) there might be issue with overlapping.

 

[vlzvl]

I've done that, draw them over a base character sprite, but if your shadows are soft/gray(not solid black) there might be issue with overlapping.

I am also using big sprite sheets (i call them atlas), saved as PNG for transparency and i also use XML fies which contains the information for images etc. where a specific image starts, how big it is and the name of it. Then i just load both using some PNG library and pugixml.
I am also packing all of my PNGs automatically using some C++ library that packs rectangles, then i use the resulted vector (list) of rectangles to automatically render all images in a dynamically generated texture (in OpenGL), then save that texture in a file. There is not fear of "overlapping" or blending errors on rendering because i leave 2 pixels when i am packing the images's sizes.
I guess this can be done easier using an X application but in my games i use a bazillion resources, each type of which may have dozens and dozens smaller. I find it easier to code something in C++, then do automatic building.
I even create my sprite animations but cutting their parts first and animating through XML. Not elegant, but it does the job.
I hope i am not topic

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

I started on the combat system, its still really just one large bug. All this has made me realise what I long suspected:- I'm a terrible programmer, my code is one large ball and its just a mess.
I'd like to fix it all but it will probably have to wait for a few weeks before I try some more.

 

[YanBG]

Looking good, i like the tiled vision radius! Were the characters made for your game or are they placeholders?

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Looking good, i like the tiled vision radius! Were the characters made for your game or are they placeholders?

Pretty much everything is placeholder until I do the art properly. I made these character for the game using 3D models and taking photos, so most likely these will be in the final cut one way or another.
I would like to have them modular if I have time but that can wait a while.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Spending some time on art again. I am making lots of progress, the wife remains unimpressed with the art standard of course. And I finally figured out shadows for the engine. What a relief.

 

[YanBG]

Looking great!

 

[DavidBVal]

You're on the right track.

 

[YanBG]

Now that i think about it, maybe the lack of shadow makes the characters look disconnected from the terrain. How do you plan to add it? Armor and weapon pieces might make it complicated.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Now that i think about it, maybe the lack of shadow makes the characters look disconnected from the terrain. How do you plan to add it? Armor and weapon pieces might make it complicated.

Probably just use an oval shadow. I see a lot of games do that.

 

[gaussgunner]

Probably just use an oval shadow. I see a lot of games do that.

Yeah. You can render ground shadows in your sprites but that looks unrealistic in other ways, and nobody cares.

 

[YanBG]

Any news?

I've been experimenting with a lot of stuff lately, cut the character into pieces and added more equipment sprites, tried angled shadows created on the run. Also i have some ideas for the houses, this is with 15 degrees roof:

Spoiler

I have a version with 20 degrees, thoughts? Updates and changes should be easier because the models are prepared to render the spritesheets(positions don't change) directly. Making the tiles double in size(128x64) is just changing the render percentage.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Any news?

I've been experimenting with a lot of stuff lately, cut the character into pieces and added more equipment sprites, tried angled shadows created on the run. Also i have some ideas for the houses, this is with 15 degrees roof:

Spoiler

I have a version with 20 degrees, thoughts? Updates and changes should be easier because the models are prepared to render the spritesheets(positions don't change) directly. Making the tiles double in size(128x64) is just changing the render percentage.

Looks good. Do you have your own level editor or are you using Tiled?

Regarding roofs, are you planning for multi-levels or just single?

I've been planning to make a batch of one thousand tiles and a couple dozen animated characters and I will make these free for anyone to use.
Really, the only part I'm missing is a decent iso engine + editor.

 

[YanBG]

Looks good. Do you have your own level editor or are you using Tiled?

Sadly i don't, it's all just coded. I think it's faster than placing by hand(i've changed it so many times). Also i entertain the idea of random generation(dozen towns) and large worlds but the algorithm needs to be way more advanced so the scenery looks good.

I might switch to in-game editor and manual levels. It will work like a survival game where you can place the walls for your own house, then just save the map and load it as a seed.

Regarding roofs, are you planning for multi-levels or just single?

Do you mean 2nd floor? Haven't thought how i can implement it. Right now i'm trying to add houses with cross section.

I've been planning to make a batch of one thousand tiles and a couple dozen animated characters and I will make these free for anyone to use.
Really, the only part I'm missing is a decent iso engine + editor.

Sounds good, i've spent some time also to increase the automation of my blender characters rendering. All animations, angles and equipment is grouped and rendered into spritesheets directly(requires python library), it takes few hours but only 1 click.

There are some iso engine projects on the GameMaker marketplace, but any would require knowledge of the software i guess. Even if there are standalone programs, you'll always get to a point wanting to change something. I think that's why in-house engines made awesome games back in the days.

 

[YanBG]

Hey, hasn't been much time, but how is progress going? Busy with your regular job?

I was thinking, the way you started you can't pay out of your pocket to artists(too expensive) and would have do everything yourself which is slow or Kickstarter! :D

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Hey, hasn't been much time, but how is progress going? Busy with your regular job?

I was thinking, the way you started you can't pay out of your pocket to artists(too expensive) and would have do everything yourself which is slow or Kickstarter! :D

I've been busy with my job and child. I am still working this, but actually am taking some time to focus on my real life drawing skills.
I also play classical guitar and have been working building on my repertoire so that's also sucked a lot of my evening time up.

 

[Davaris]

I've been working on old skool game art too.

hero

Spoiler

@

dragon

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d

orc

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o

 

[Joined on the 4th of July]

I've been working on old skool game art too. Here's a hero

Spoiler

@

. Here's a dragon

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d

and here's an orc

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o

.

that dragon looks like a dog

 

[Davaris]

that dragon looks like a dog

There's no doggies in this world. Only wargs allowed!

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Back when I was looking for an isometric engine:-
https://forum.unity.com/threads/renamed-asset-have-to-pay-again.549544/

I'm not usually one to hype, but every time I get involved with Unity I become more convinced they are complicit in scams.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Hey, hasn't been much time, but how is progress going? Busy with your regular job?

I was thinking, the way you started you can't pay out of your pocket to artists(too expensive) and would have do everything yourself which is slow or Kickstarter! :D

Still working on it.

 

[YanBG]

Good! Any updates? Try to focus on content for just one screen, like very good backgrounds and characters, to get people hyped.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

I reworked the engine and UI. Its now possible to make the entire game from an "engine" interface. I fucked up the dialogue trees though and am a bit stuck on that.
The feel has moved to rogue-like rpg. I have made so much progress with the art I am very happy with that aspect.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Not really done but moving the art to a more modular style.

Also doing some character portraits (the main hero portrait).

 

[Zep Zepo]

Vatnik Alert!

That is clearly Putin!

Zep--