I wanna make a Shmup!

[Blade]

Hey, I've been here a few times, but finally decided to post.

Anyway, I found this site a while ago.

http://www.gamemaker.nl/

This site has an interesting take on the things you need to make various games, and in particular, making a Shmup.

But first things first, in order to make a Shmup, a decent one, a bunch of designs and concepts have to be laid out.

I've already got an idea for my Shmup, but I really have no idea how to design the ship, enemy ships, power ups, or anything.

I mean, sure, I could draw them, but really my problem is doing Pixel Drawings. Decent ones. Something on par with or better than Ikaruga maybe....maybe that's pushing it for a 2D shmup. Anyway, does anyone have any tips for drawing Shmup ships Enemy ships or otherwise as png or gifs?

This thing is sort of from scratch so if you guys like a certain style of shmup, I'm open to suggestions.

[Dave_K.]

If I were you, I'd concerntrate on building the game first, just use crude stick figure graphics/sprites for now. You don't want to fall into the trap of obsessing over the graphics/models/sprites before ever getting started.

[kemical]

check out http://pixelation.swoo.net
good pixel art forum, should be plenty of info there.

*edit*
this may help also, I forget if it's linked off of the pixelation forums still.
http://pixeltutorial.cjb.net/

[landshark]

Whoa, great post kemical. Didn't know that existed.

[the2bears]

check out http://pixelation.swoo.net
good pixel art forum, should be plenty of info there.

It's quite a good forum. I met a poster st0ven from there a couple years ago, very nice guy. Then, ironically I just met Tsugumo in Canada a few weeks ago, he started pixelation. Great people, great site.

Just don't go in asking for artists without having a very detailed plan and even better something to show. They get requests for artists all the time and so many projects never get off the ground.

Bill

[Blade]

Actually I was planning on doing the pixel art myself....I just need some tips and pointers to get me started. Thanks for the forum link kemical.

I'll let you guys know of any developments, heh.

[Shatterhand]

Ya know, after coding games as a hobby for about 10 years now (about the last 4 years being on PC), I have to agree with Dave.

Go for the engine first. The best thing to do is use some "test" graphics (you can even rip them from other game if you don't feel like using sticks and squares ). It is VERY easy to get too excited with the graphics parts, and then never see the thing coming up. OR discover that your idea won't really work (I have a build of a game I begun doing, a very original thing that I thought it would be lots of fun. After 4 weeks of developing the thing using "functional" graphics, I noticed it was boring as hell, and just dropped the thing). If this happens, you either will get too frustrated, or will keep on working in a crap game just because you already have made too much of it to quit now.

So,, that's a tip I give to you: make the game Engine before anything else... then add the graphics after this. Graphics in a game is just icing in the cake, what will make ir or break it is the gameplay

[landshark]

One more suggestion - I wouldn't take on the idea of "release early release often" with a game. More than likely you are going to run into friction amongst the crowd.

Often times coders (especially new ones) get quite excited after getting the absolute minimum going (something moving on the screen that can shoot something, at something) and they release it. Even with the tag of "test" or "alpha" or "beta" ... what is the point?

Unless it has at least a fully playable level that is worth playing (to others, not you), or a very unique proof of concept that you want people to test out for fun-factor, it's really not worth releasing. (I've seen this many many times over the years on coding and non-coding forums alike)

[the2bears]

One more suggestion - I wouldn't take on the idea of "release early release often" with a game. More than likely you are going to run into friction amongst the crowd.

I second this, though having community involvement can be good. It's hard though, to know exactly when to bring a community into the process. Minter did this very successfully with GridRunner++ (you can read a little about his experience with it at llamasoft, where he details some early alphas that didnt' work out well and how feedback helped the game become the IMO classic it is.

Bill

[Blade]

I promise I won't give you anything till it's perfect.

Just in case you doubt me, I have a friend of mine more versed in C++ than I, so I plan on running this past him. So far I've only set up a few concept ideas. Getting everything else set up the way I want it will take time. Lots. I'm a perfectionist when I want to set something up.

Just like the song by Daft Punk "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

[Shatterhand]

Yes, I agree with that too.

With Space Disorder, I think I only released 2 "betas" before finishing the game.

WIth the game I currently doing it, just a few people saw the 2 beta versions I've released so far...

I personally don't like people seeing what I am doing before it's completed, but sometimes is very helpful indeed.

[ryosnk]

I', making my first shumup (beta) with gamemaker.

[fog]

Hi,
always good to see others having a crack at writing new Shmups

It's still one of the most innovative genres out there and there and it's one area where hobbiest coders can compete with the big publishers (assuming you rate gameplay above graphics).

Anyway enough preaching, some advice ....

Personally I'd recommened somewhere between Gamemaker and C++ and have a look at the current BASICS (DarkBasic, BlitzBasic, PlayBasic etc). They are all relatively straight forward to use, can produce more than acceptable results and allow for more flexability in game design than most straight game creation tools (like Gamecreator).

I've written a couple (not very subtle plug ) and I'm currently writing a set of Shmup editors (for creating animations, weapons, fx, powerups etc) that will speed up future development but still allow for some slightly innovative gameplay.....hopefully. It's initially time consuming but certainly worth it.

And yes graphics should be the last thing you worry about. The engine and gameplay should always take priority IMO.

Anyway what I'm trying to say is give the BASIC's a go....you may be surprised at how easy and yet relatively powerful they are.

Good luck.

[popawell]

I never knew that the common computer Idiot like me could make shmups so easealy with a game maker. Tks for the info!

[Kuri]

Personally I'd recommened somewhere between Gamemaker and C++ and have a look at the current BASICS (DarkBasic, BlitzBasic, PlayBasic etc).

If you're going to try a BASIC language I'd recommend blitz. DarkBASIC was the first language I programmed in, so I like it for getting me started, but BlitzBASIC isn't that much more difficult and is so much more powerful. I also use BlitzPlus to make my game editors, makes the process much quicker.

http://www.blitzbasic.com/

I'm not disregarding PlayBASIC, I've just never used it.

[TGK]

I am posting at 4:43 am at my timezone...

This proves how hard C can be...

Well, on topic, I would still recommend a mix of C++ style design with C code. It is a hell to code, especially by one person, but if anything it is the best programming course you will ever had anywhere when the product is actually finished.