...Yes, that's a guy.

Well, I decided to update a tad more frequently. This is just a work-in-progress pic of the main character of Project Midnight. Working on the concept art first before I start spriting – get things set up before I start creating the game proper, or else I’ll probably end up working hard on getting nowhere… again.

I’m progressing pretty well on this project (design doc’s halfway done, world is designed, concept maps are being worked on, etc.), but of course this comes at a price: Passing college at this state is gonna take a miracle. Heh, way to get my priorities straight…

One of the things I've been working on.

Well, it seems I’ve completely forgotten to pay attention to my own site, now, have I? Well, there are a few reasons for that, actually.

First of all, since this site is gonna be where I’ll talk about my personal game-related projects, I don’t really like to post stuff that’s not related to that. Unfortunately, that means rare updates since I’m barely making it in college and have to focus most of my attention to my classes. It doesn’t help that I have a buttload of art commissions on the side, either, which means even opening an art program brings me headaches (though strangely not the good ol’ pencil and paper… meh, must’ve gotten used to sketching by now).

Speaking of which: I’m still having trouble with the sprite designs for the game. I mean, platformer sprites I can do okay – side-view perspective’s easier for me – but overhead sprites? Not my forte, which is bad since I’ve almost finished the design doc for that project (or at least the part explaining how the world and the dungeons work). It’s weird – I can do pixel art for platformers, but I don’t know how to design one; and yet even though I can design an overhead adventure game (think Zelda) pretty well, the art always comes out… well, mediocre, at best. I’m gonna start using the artwork from La Pucelle, Disgaea and Makai Kingdom as reference, by the way – especially La Pucelle (Ryoji Nomura is my idol). I feel like those are the most expressive pixel art styles I’ve seen in recent memory, which is what I’m going for with that project.

By the way, I now dub this work as Project Midnight (working title).

Now, the way I wish to design games is thus: If I ever make more than one game based on the same world, I will never, ever use the same genre twice (which means, of course, that I’m gonna have to learn to design platformers one day… *shudders*). Still, I might have to break this rule if the games end up too large for Xbox Live Indie Games (though I hope not – that’s the secondary purpose for the pixel art), but until that day comes I’m gonna experiment with various tools and genres. First genres I’ll experiment with: overhead 2D adventure games, and interactive fiction. Why the latter? Because it’s fun. Also, it helps me set up some of the characters in the other game, as well as to make sure I have the backstories worked out. See the screenshot at the top? That’s the project. I’ll be using the Inform 7 engine for it ’cause it’s easier than the alternatives without sacrificing power.

…Well, that’s it, really.

(Note to self: change banner, please)

I do have a new computer now, though, so things should be easier in the long run now. First thing’s first, though: I need a new header, pronto.

Also, you might’ve noticed there’s a UAT logo on the side. Just ignore it – it’s required for my web design class. I’ll get rid of it by May… probably.

I’ll update with something more relevant in a few weeks.

Note to self: Work gets done faster when using tablet instead of mouse.

Well, the thing ain’t finished yet, but I thought I should post a screenshot of how the level should look like with what I have of it. It’s zoomed in by 200% because that’s the way the game would show up if I were to use this for one.

Heh.. you can tell I didn’t really care about the background here.

Anyway, while I made the graphics with GraphicsGale, I set up the map with a program called Mappy, which is good for prototyping and stuff (at least for me). The darkened sections of the play area were done automatically by that same program, which was kind of a cop out way to get it done quickly. Were I to finish this tileset, I’d probably duplicate the tiles and change the lighting with Photoshop so I can have more variety… unless there’s some way to do it with XNA…? I wouldn’t know – I don’t know how to make games with it…yet.

I’d get started on doing some sprites, but first I have to learn how to model in 3D (college homework).

...And it only took me three days to do this bit. Ugh...

Well, here’s my progress with the current tileset. I’m actually going to do a fighting game (already got a program for making one that’s NOT MUGEN), but this is homework for game art class. Still have to decide on the rest of the level objects, but for now I’m only worried on finishing this bit.

In other news, I’ll soon be changing this site layout to something more…pixel-y. More on that soon.

I’ll post more stuff soon.