Pixel Joint Forum: Rustbug >>

Author

Message

Shark
Commander

a.k.a. Feron

Joined: 02 July 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2136

Posted: 15 May 2006 at 2:58pm

call it a tech-rat, i think its like a rodent of the robot world.

Snark, we love yuu.

IP Logged

Setzer
Commander

Joined: 18 December 2016
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 780

Posted: 15 May 2006 at 3:04pm

I thought it looked more like a dog than a rat. I'd call it a red-coat for communisms sake.

IP Logged

Pixel_Outlaw
Commander

Joined: 01 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3829

Posted: 15 May 2006 at 5:21pm

I spent some seconds in AutoCad. Enjoy a custom tailored ref pic.

IP Logged

MurrMan
Commander

Joined: 19 January 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 177

Posted: 15 May 2006 at 5:26pm

Originally posted by Setzer

I thought it looked more like a dog than a rat. I'd call it a red-coat for communisms sake.

ummm... red coat was the term used for the british. the red scare and stuff was for communism

IP Logged

Brian the Great
Commander

RED!

Joined: 03 March 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2221

Posted: 15 May 2006 at 5:30pm

Originally posted by Shark

call it a tech-rat, i think its like a rodent of the robot world.

id call it something with the word 'ejaculate' in it

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 5:37am

@Murrman: Um yeah, not sure, i just liked the animation. the monsters will be green and slimey ;]

@BtG: Yes, yes you do. With penguins. And yeah, hahaha.

@Shark: Best name yet i think, tech-rat it is.

@Setz: Most probably, but then again: rat = small but 'scary'

@P_O: Thanks.

<< Without cannon.

Now i need them to walk.

Aaaalso, i know the mockup screen is too small. What would be a good universal size?

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

Skull
Commander

PJ Pioneer

Joined: 03 August 2019
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1521

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 6:21am

Originally posted by Larwick

<< Without cannon.

Now i need them to walk.

Gives me an idea -
Turrets
or like those Cybord things from C&C which crawl after loosing their legs

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 6:40am

Turrets without exeption! I'll make some later.

Also, there will be a level where there are lots of rusty old robots (sorta like zombies of the organic world) and there i could most probably make a few that crawl freakily once battered up enough. Cheers for the inspiration!

IP Logged

Demon
Commander

Joined: 16 March 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 562

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 7:38am

The screen size can be anything you like, but a good one is 320x240.

Im loving everything so far, Larwick. Can't wait to see where this will go. :D

PS: I've been remodelling the engine to fit with to a possible demo.

Edited by Demon

"At least we killed some boredom..." - Death Note.

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 7:55am

Alright, thanks Demon. Chat with you about it later.

Just to let everyone know there are three people up for coding the game so far (Fil_razorback, Demon & Monkeyspork). I mean, i know nothing about it all, so yeah... whatever works best will eventually be who i pick. Perhaps there should be a little teaser made by each of you to show what could be done...you see, it's complicated cus all three of you asked at about the same time...

IP Logged

Setzer
Commander

Joined: 18 December 2016
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 780

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 8:50am

rats are anything but scary :(. except to elephants. maybe cyber wolf? =].

MurrMan: My mistake. I knew it was something overseas :p. I blame my american education.

Demon: I <3 320x240. although I've been guilty of using 400x300 for a little extra space while still using the 4:3 aspect ratio.

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 9:01am

Yeah, 320x240 sounds good to me. Although i'll be giving it a border because it could be a tad tooo large.

I just made, what i like to call, the 'Triggercam'

And here's a preview of my WIP for inside a large hoarding shuttle thing, with the triggercam. This would be the first level for the game, still got lots more to do with the background, and then i've got the ground tiles to do. (And of course its tiny at this stage):

I'll probably get rid of the dithering...

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

Shark
Commander

a.k.a. Feron

Joined: 02 July 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2136

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 9:45am

for the little shooting robot - cyber-rat, thats cool.

this new turret thing is cool, wat about some turrets for the rocky
level, like battered up rusty floor mounted turrets.

Snark, we love yuu.

IP Logged

Skull
Commander

PJ Pioneer

Joined: 03 August 2019
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1521

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:08am

That looks sweet, but brings up this idea...

You can clearly shoot fowards.. but would you want to shoot upwards at an angle?

IP Logged

PixelSnader
Commander

Not a troll!

Joined: 05 June 2014
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3194

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:14am

i think you could downsize the cannonless rat a bit. how does the cam work? and yeah dich dithering

▄▄█ ▄▄█
▄█▄ ▄█▄

IP Logged

Demon
Commander

Joined: 16 March 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 562

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:33am

If you are interested in a teaser, I can put one together pretty soon. I've actually been getting started just in case the project was a go. Once we chat some more, I can see if there are any tilesets and level backgrounds that you would like to feature in the teaser.

"At least we killed some boredom..." - Death Note.

IP Logged

Pixel_Outlaw
Commander

Joined: 01 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3829

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:34am

This is a family forum you can't go around posting "teasers"! Good heavens think about the children.

IP Logged

Demon
Commander

Joined: 16 March 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 562

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:36am

Oh no, not the children

lol. Would it be politically correct to call it a demo?

"At least we killed some boredom..." - Death Note.

IP Logged

MurrMan
Commander

Joined: 19 January 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 177

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 12:43pm

What is scary are things that can burrow and pop out of no where and use melee attacks. like the antloins from Halflife two csared me when i played the game late at night. (they shouldn't have called them antilions, that gave away what they did...)

yeah and rusty is scary, all enemies out side should be half broken and rusty. their bodies should be based off scavengers to be symbolic. I envision that they would salvage parts and batteries off wreckage and stuff.

Edited by MurrMan

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 1:52pm

@Shark: Cannon towers/turrets are deffinetely on the cards for the other level design. They'll most probably be more brutal aswel.

@Skull: Yup, there will be weapons enabling that. I could let the barrel move around though i suppose... but it could look quite awkward.

@Snader: Downsize? You mean make it more of a downgrade from the cannonized one... to show more of an 'evolution' in the enemies? Sure i could do that. The camera would attack when the Rustbug is in range, and perhaps if it isn't destroyed before it notices you backup is called.

@Demon: Yeah, sounds good. I'm trying to get these tiles etc. done, but it may still take a while. Keep contacting me if you need anything more.

@P_O: Lolz.

@Murrman: Awesome idea for an enemy! Will definetely have a go at something like that. Already drawn out some worm-like things... but i may use something new aswel. And yeah, that's sort of the idea i had for them, reminds me of 'AI' where they're all in heaps scrounging for body parts... heheh.

Updates soon.

AND OMGZ, longest WIP in the forum!

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

Pixel_Outlaw
Commander

Joined: 01 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3829

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 1:53pm

Larwick please fix the cannon angle I'm beggin ya. It is not forshortened correctly.

I claim 5

Edited by Pixel_Outlaw

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 2:05pm

Awh ok ok ok!!! Maybe later.

EDIIT:

Still wipping on the background for the mockup. And the harsh dithering is planned to go. I think i have a problem with showing distance and depth... so i'll have to fix that.

Bed now though, no exams for another week though so i've got tomorow for revising and pixelling ^_^

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

MurrMan
Commander

Joined: 19 January 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 177

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 7:55pm

i think that there should be some dust and cracks and rust even on the inside on a desert or post apochaliptic world

IP Logged

MotD
Seaman
Seaman

Joined: 10 April 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 8:11pm

Hmmm... while we're on the subject of a post apocaliptic world... have you thought of a storyline yet? :P It would be neat to have something similar to Cave Story even... the whole quest-for-something-after-the-war scenario. I'm not saying it should be really all that close to Cave Story, but something similar, where you're some remnant robot going after some sort of... thing?

I dunno', just some stuff to think about.

IP Logged

Shark
Commander

a.k.a. Feron

Joined: 02 July 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2136

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:47pm

how about ..
after an apacalyptic war with robots/aliens the human race has been
destroyed, however a small group of scientists managed to escape
by hiding within the rustbug. they must get to some sort of portal/
button/crystal deep in the alien base, to banish the aliens from the
land, and start to rebuild the world.

Snark, we love yuu.

IP Logged

Shark
Commander

a.k.a. Feron

Joined: 02 July 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2136

Posted: 16 May 2006 at 11:48pm

ooo and some1 mentioned the gun barrel having to shoot upwards at
those turrets..... jump and shoot.

Snark, we love yuu.

IP Logged

Setzer
Commander

Joined: 18 December 2016
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 780

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 1:50am

wow larwick, I wish I could get ideas like you for environments. the ground tiles are quite lovely. The last background I made never made it out of a black screen with ground tiles :p

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 6:15am

@Murrman: You mean inside the ship? Yeah that'll most probably be done ^_^

@MotD: Yeah, there isn't exactly a plot, but i have written the storyline for the first 3 levels. Never heard of cave story, but i'll look into it. Note that the first two levels were written in about 5 minutes at around midnight someday and the last one i wrote a few minutes ago:

Originally posted by larwick

<level one>

rustbug is captured. finds itself in a space shuttle hoarding junk etc. after it dries up from when water was thrown all over it, of course you dont know that.

it sees another robot running from the heap, and so the rustbug decides to investigate.

it has to get through a few security systems and in the end finds itself to the engine, where it accidently causes the ship to crash (perhaps a boss computer thing). Using its shield power that becomes available it is able to roll to safety.

it realises the city has been attacked by a load of freaky robot things and it must find its way back into the city to save its creator, or at least get within distance to recieve signal to talk to him.

1 or 2...

1. along the deserted wasteland outside the city it finds the other robot from before being taken in a hovercraft somewhere. it follows it and must defeat the other robots along the way. rusty bots.

2. along the deserted wasteland outside the city it comes across a spazzy rubbish robot that doesnt think the rustbug should try to re-enter the city etc.. and ends up fighting it and them and blah blah its a boss etc. lots of zombie rusty robot things.

Comes across a small camp/barracks of mechas. Rustbug must fight its way through. In the middle of the barracks it comes across the aparent leader of this mech troupe. He would be a miniboss. When defeated he doesnt die, but runs to regroup.

Rustbug fights its way through oncemore but just as he is confronting the leader mech of the barracks again a horde of anima smash through the walls and kill him instead. third boss should be exciting and scary, most probably a freakin' massive hybrid thing, with lots of little freaky things surrounding it.

@Shark: Yeah, nice ideas. I was wondering if the Rustbug should be some sort of vehicle.. but i sort of left that idea behind. It could be that its creator purposefully poured water on it to break it slightly so that it would be seen as junk and taken out of the city and could save them. Wh00t. Also, jump and shoot was what i originally planned if they hadn't upgraded enough for the other weapons.

@Setzer: Thanks dude. You talking about the zombie one? Those tiles are ace, but yeah, you need a BG. It took me ages to get enough inspiration for mine.

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

Souly
Commander

Joined: 13 December 2020
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2451

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 8:30am

I'm absolutly loving all of this Larwick!
It's all going so well.

Maybe some type of annoying flying enemies are in order?

I am the jesus of PJ.

IP Logged

+Dark Visionary+
Seaman
Seaman

Joined: 04 December 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 10:34am

Whoo, it looks really cool, i wish I could offer some sort of constructive critiscism but everything is perfect!

Btw, I hope you dont mind me putting ur little flag in my siggy :P

< I'm British. Are yuuu? If so put flag in your sigaro.

Union Jack by Larwick

Punk.Not.Dead

IP Logged

MotD
Seaman
Seaman

Joined: 10 April 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 10:51am

I had an idea that you could play with maybe. Imagine... a massive power outage just wiped out everything on the planet, since oxygen was being supplied through some sort of ventilation system, and all the electricity went out, killing off all life, human + robotic. A couple hundred years later or whatever, things could start to reawaken due to some weird energy source, and you take the part of Rustbug, who's searching to like... purify the place from whatever energy is fueling the evil bots /lifeforms.

Just an idea, you can do whatever you want with the plot :P

IP Logged

Setzer
Commander

Joined: 18 December 2016
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 780

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 1:12pm

[completely offtopic]
Larwick: thanks :). I had to "dive into my past" to get inspiration to even attempt it, looking at a friend's [who's in iraq now, or something, he was suposed to be back in april sometime] old tiles; CV-inspired.
[/offtopic]

defenitely needs nazis :D

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 2:01pm

@Souly: Thanks alot dude, and yeah, righton with the flying things.
@+DV+: Thanks aswel, and no probs about the siggey!
@MotD: Nice idea, will get my inspiration going i'm sure. Probably a bit too drastic to become the actual plot, but i'll surely add ideas into the final one. Cheers. Note to everyone, MotD has kindly volunteered to do some music and sound effects for Rustbug! Wh00to!
@Setzer: Lol wow, those backgrounds and tiles are incredibly impressive, makes me wanna re-do my outdoor scene! Which i probably will do anyway but yeah. And um, different parallel universe but something similar perhaps.

Worked on the mockup more:

Got rid of the horrid dithering (there still is dithering, but it's very subtle... i hope) and detailed it a tad more. Still more to go however, such as giving more depth and detail. Might even change the colour scheme, who knows.

16 colours in total for the background so far, 28 in total with the sprites and stats.

Cheers again for all the comments. Keep them coming!

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

MotD
Seaman
Seaman

Joined: 10 April 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 2:13pm

Hehe. It's looking really nice now without the dithering :P It's still a bit noticeable in places, but really, unless you were specifically looking for it, you wouldn't say "Wtf dithering" or anything XD.

This is going really nice. Maybe work on some darker parts, like a boiler room or something that could be used before that boss fight. Sort of set the mood with hissing boilers, water, and just downright creepy machinery :P

IP Logged

Psychotic_Carp
Commander

Joined: 02 April 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1008

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 2:30pm

This one seems much smoother

got game?

IP Logged

Brian the Great
Commander

RED!

Joined: 03 March 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2221

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 2:37pm

Please teach me your ways of the dither, sensei.

IP Logged

Pixel_Outlaw
Commander

Joined: 01 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3829

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 2:49pm

This looks to be quite an undertaking. I'm just glad I don't have to program it... :)

IP Logged

Setzer
Commander

Joined: 18 December 2016
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 780

Posted: 17 May 2006 at 3:21pm

I think there's nothing wrong with dithering, I <3s it to death. and I probably use it way more than I should :\. Dithering imparticular looks best when not-zoomed, but if you do it right [which it seems like you are] it doesn't look bad at full-screen either. Think of how your art will be displayed [ie. if it were a console game, the graphics would be scanlined/interpolated just abit, if it were for a handheld, the pixels would be quite clear] when using techniques. It's turning out great, though :)

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 7:07am

@MotD: Some sort of boiler room thing with pipes etc. sounds good. Might give it a go.
@Carp: Yuppo.
@BtG: You don't need it, anyway it's just mostly 50/50 dither and some random dots. Probably the first time i've actually properly used any other dither than 50/50.
@P_O: Hmm yes, i will be very proud of whoever is able to code it all ^_^
@Setzer: Thanks, this will most probably be on the pc (even though it is kinda small) so yeah, it should look ok.

New enemy: (The crane, heron, stork... something along those lines)

The actual grenade will most probably be a different sprite though, i believe.

Updated mockup:
.

Darkened the background... to make the sprites stand out more, and to make it more of a background... perhaps it's a bit too dark though. I think i preffered it lighter. Seriously bumped up the colour count, but that doesnt matter does it...

Ideas for weapons:
Cannon
- blast (standard weapon)
- homing missiles
- grenades
Energybeam
- zap (the one you've all been seeing lately)
- beam (would cut across the screen in a thick ...beam)
Laser
- cut (cuts across screen like the beam but in a thinner line, can cut through doors)
Blade
- stab (strongest close combat weapon against monsters)
Drill
- drill (drills through walls and can also be used as a close combat weapon)
Tesla Coil
- fry (strongest close combat weapon against MACHINES)
Flamethrower
- fire spray (standard flamethrower thing)
- fire bombs (like molotov cocktails)

Any more ideas? I've sprited the designs for the weapons already, but won't be showing them quite yet.

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

Demon
Commander

Joined: 16 March 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 562

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 11:34am

A cool feature for the game would be that getting to certain places Rustbug would have to interface with a computer to get to restricted areas of say a top secret building. The interfacing could be a little minigame like Simon but you have to repeat the number sequence. Just something I thought up, but thats game-wise.

As for weapons...
Gravity bomb

- Like a little ball that kinda looks like a grenade that explodes into a purple cloud of particles. The cloud would act as a gravity attractor, a nice physics effect for the game; sorta like a magnetic pull for enemies then kills them.

Rockets, maybe an equipable rocket launcher.

Grappling hook, can be used as a tool to travers pits or holes, and can grab an enemy and pull them closer... "Get over here!"

EMP Blast, a massive Electromagnetic blast that destroys enemies, but it would cause Rustbug to drain of power and recharge himself.

"At least we killed some boredom..." - Death Note.

IP Logged

PixelSnader
Commander

Not a troll!

Joined: 05 June 2014
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3194

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 11:46am

i think the heron is a bit bland, the red part. maybe splice it up in 2/3 metal /armor plates?

▄▄█ ▄▄█
▄█▄ ▄█▄

IP Logged

Demon
Commander

Joined: 16 March 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 562

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 11:48am

Ya, a metallic look, or even a grunge look would spice up the appearance of the heron.

"At least we killed some boredom..." - Death Note.

IP Logged

Souly
Commander

Joined: 13 December 2020
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2451

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 12:16pm

I'm pretty sure Larwick does not want to change the Heron.

I am the jesus of PJ.

IP Logged

Demon
Commander

Joined: 16 March 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 562

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 12:19pm

well, they are merely suggestions

"At least we killed some boredom..." - Death Note.

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 12:19pm

@Demon: Thanks for the ideas, gives me the inspiration for some sort of connection to a hub or some sort where minigames etc could take place such as that. All the weapon ideas are neat too, the EMP idea aspecially.
@snader: You're right:

Quickly added plates, i think it looks much better with some texture there. Will probably grunge it up a bit more later though.

Cheers for the comments. Updates coming soonarsh.

Updates:

Stab:

Drill:

He's like a swiss army knife of KILL.
These weapons/gadgets will most probably need the Rustbug to go to some mechanical place to get fitted with them, rather than the Rustbug needing a special amount of power. Although they'd cost money to buy they'd not use up hardly any power when used. Ooh, that reminds me, some sort of currency...

Edited by Larwick

IP Logged

Saboteur
Commander

Joined: 29 January 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 888

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 2:40pm

On the birdlike mortar-machine, you can hardly see the little gun shooting. I didn't notice it till just now.

"I was minding my own business and walking across a pebbled path, and a Duck started giving me the business."

IP Logged

Monkey 'o Doom
Commander

Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2994

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 2:46pm

You need some sort of a pliers-like crushing weapon.

RPG is numberwang.

IP Logged

PixelSnader
Commander

Not a troll!

Joined: 05 June 2014
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3194

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 2:46pm

hm good point. it should gattle

▄▄█ ▄▄█
▄█▄ ▄█▄

IP Logged

Quickie
Midshipman

Joined: 02 December 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 52

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 2:46pm

the flag on the heron is bothering me, its pretty bland compared to the rest and maybe it should be shooting homing missiles, they'd go like *poof* up in the air and the *swoosh* down towards the rustbug (but not to fast

), just an idea. and the rustbug is just the coolest sprite ive seen in a very very long time

keep up the great work!

IP Logged

Larwick
Commander

Joined: 18 July 2024
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4015

Posted: 18 May 2006 at 2:59pm

@Saboteur: If you mean the smaller gun, that shouldn't be a problem because most of the backgrounds for the game will be darker than the yellow.
@MoD: Amazing idea!
@snader: What would gattling involve?
@Quickie: The flag does flick up a bit far and oddly, i'll change that. Homing missles/mortars sound good, would give more of an impact of power for the sprite. And thanks alot!

Cheers for all the comments again. Updates coming soon.

IP Logged

WIP (Work In Progress)
Pixel Joint Forum : Pixel Art : WIP (Work In Progress)

Topic: Rustbug >>
	<< Prev Page of 10 Next >>