I may be interested in something like that... I don't do any programming myself though. Tell me more of this... "programming" and "game" you speak of

I used to make 'klik' games, if you can call that programming. I've also had some experience in Macromedia Director, which isnt really as good for game making. Its really how I got involved with pixel art.

Check out:

http://www.clickteam.com - www.clickteam.com  (downloads plus info)

http://www.create-games.com - www.create-games.com  (a community based website revolving around kliking, called 'The Daily Click)

Youre bound to find some interested programmers, and theyre always looking for people to make pixel graphics. Just becareful you dont commit to anything with underexperienced klikers.

A pixel game based collaboration, Im afraid, would centre mainly around the programming, level design, story and other key elements of a game, rather than the pixel art which we love so. Unless ofcourse you make something simple and fun like the Pixel Memory game that you can play at Pixeljoint.

I've also made a really simple Street Fighter game just to see if I could. Should be able to download it and a couple of my other games through my 'Daily Click' account.

Goodluck with this project, I'll be sure to keep my eye on it, as it intrigues me somewhat.

maybe you are talking about Game Maker, Demon? it's a great programming software, but i'm still learning though. when you guys start on this project, i'll be glad to help or suggest stuff.

I think thats a great idea, especially for a game like a fighter that requires so many pixels and animation.  Perhaps each of us can create our own character, complete with projectiles and special moves.  And I think Game Maker would be a perfect engine for programming.  Unless someone knows a language like C++. ;)

I'd be much more into it if it didn't have a storyline. All the great games had no storyline (pong anyone?) plus it'd keep with the retro style a pixelated game creates.
I reckon a platform game would fit best, we could all make enemies and junk then come together for the main character and bosses or something.

WELL!

The way I see it, it needs to be a game that focuses mainly on graphics, particularly allowing for many variations so that the collab will be a success. This means simple would be the way to go with gameplay and story. Which to me sort of rules out adventure or RPG.

Platform could work, however consistancy is definately a thing to worry about. Considering the game would focus on graphics, attention to detail would be a major player, and if we had a mass of different artists contributing it could get a little messy.

I reckon a solid puzzle type game, or a game that allows us all to create our own character would be neat (Fighter style).

In other news, it would be nice if a groups of us with similar styles could work together on one big major project. This would require major organisation, and communication with a proper coder. It would be nice to create something of GBA quality -or better! Itd really show the strengh of the community.

ANYWAY, Im babbling. Continue discussions! This is getting interesting.

Is that a sentence?

But it wouldnt really be a collaboration if everything was segregated. It wouldnt feel like a joint project at all.

It will also take you a bit of time to master the programe. It wont happen overnight, but it...might... happen.

And was greyscar referring to the program or the actual gameplay engine?

yeah, fighting games need too many frames, stick with something simple like a platformer. Perhaps a time limit/obstical thing where the further you the harder it gets?

I'm liking the ideas here... especially the Mario-type platform game but, I'd like to keep it original... not the same old crap you see in every other mario wannabe game. I like Sibix's idea of having an iconic PixelJoint character we could use in every game. Any ideas on characters?? concepts for the game itself... story, etc?

A teenage ninja sounds like a wicked character!

yeah, i would have to agree about the story line, we should have it so that its funny,

there sould be a mixture of levels, some where you have to defeat all the *insert object name*, others where you have to dodge the objects flying at you, also there could be levels where you have to collect all the *insert object name*, this would test the players alround skills and make for a far more challenging game.

in between each level we could have like a comic style story, that sets the scene for the next level. this will help to enhamnce the emphasis of the project; which is of course to popularize pixelart!

these are just some of my ideas,

-ollie

You know... I was totally thinking of that dude earlier in this thread. Though I noticed just now that Sedge didn't want him as a design on this site or something like that.

I think we should get Sedge's thoughts on a character before we go ahead with committing to anything.. he'll be back from his vacation soon I think

Definately a good idea to wait for Sedge to get back before any plans are set. But I do like that little head over ledge guy.

I also thought it could be a good idea to have the first Pixel Joint pixel comp, which Sedge and I have discussed earlier, to be themed, 'Design the PJ Mascot.' Which could be used in the game, promotional link thingies and the like.

Just another idea into the fray!

yeah, sounds good, would you want the character in sprite form or mascot form?

-ollie

Mascot could BE in the form of a sprite. Depends on what else we'd want to do with it.

In any case, the competition guidelines would specify, could mean both! But nothing has been finalised yet, and nothing will be done until the big S. Monkey-man comes home.

But keep discussing the game plan! Perhaps someone should create a list of things that we've all agreed on, or a poll maybe. A outline of the game could make it less confusing when deciding. So crack to it, you little monkeys- or something!

I like the idea of designing a mascot for PixelJoint.  Hmmm, maybe that could use its own thread.

The fighter game sounds really cool, but it would be extremely difficult to pull off... I think pixelblink and Akira already kind of said that, but I just wanted to throw in my two cents.  A simple platformer or RPG would be much easier to get going and it sounds like a few of you are familiar with the programming end of it. 

You guys have really gone through so many great ideas, it's hard to contain in a single thread.  iSTVAN is right -- we need someone to keep track of what is going on.  Would anyone like to volunteer to be an organizer for the game? 

I think Akira is right about that.  The mascot can be adapted for a game later.

Is he holding a book or is that the robe?

I posted in another topic about it, kinda, but GameMaker Would be a potential option. It's fairly easy to learn, and I've got a year and a bit of experience with it, so we *should* be able to plug through, if no better options are found.

A link to it: http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/markov/gmaker/ - http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/markov/gmaker/

That means if noone confesses to having more experience, or noone is willing to program, I just volunteered to program it. :)

I'd second the notion of using TGF, if not Multimedia Fusion. I've used TGF since I was about 5 years, on and off. I've also got many contacts in the game making community that can give us a hand or two.

That's why I think we pixeller's should concentrate on designing a game that will be really asthetically pleasing. Anyone of us can go out and work on our own game, or find a programmer to do graphics for, but this is something for PIXELJOINT. So it's gotta be pixelingly beautiful, or theres not much point in this being a collaboration.

It's gotta be a game that allows us to use the best of the best of everyone's skills, whether it just means drawing backgrounds or designing big shiny bosses. That's why I think there should definatley be an isometric element to the game; we could make it like Commander Keen 1-3 or the Mario game where you walk around an iso playfield between levels.

Make sense?

Top work on the list Demon! Now I just think we need to focus on the graphical side of things. I'll post a link to this forum topic in some of the gaming website I know, and we'll see if we get any interests from abroad!

TakeOut! Haha, sorry, I mentioned checking out this topic to you in a different topic without realising you'd already been here!

Your game sounds cool, probably not right for a community collab, perhaps make a seperate topic to find prospective pixel artists? As to not confuse. I think I saw your birdy character on that Deviant Site you posted earlier, look forward to seeing in pixel!

I do like the idea of making a flash game though! I have no experience with the program, but it should definately be something we should consider.

Upon further revue. Or is it review? I dunno. Revue looks cooler.

How many of you have played super metroid? *raises his hand*

Although it did have excellent gameplay, replay value, and presented a challenge, it did not, in my opinion, have good graphics. So why don't we make our own version. My first thought is that it is a bad idea, cause its not original. However, I figure we can just take aspects from the game, such as the way they set up the world.

Haha, I'll make it all organazized.

Features used:

- Full, interconnecting map

- Different regions (Assign teams of people to reigions?)

- Bunches and bunches if secrets.

- And, if we really wanna mix it up, throw the Castlevania-style weapon-getting in there.

Reasons why:

- having different artists per region would add a nice touch. I can already imagine the backgrounds that Garage Inc. could whip up. And some of the enemy sprites Sedge could do.

- Super Metroid was a wonderful game, and would well suit the current #1 option for a mascot. For example, we could make him get a star wars... whassat guy... storm trooper helmet somewhere along the way, or maybe the whole suit, for protection against... disco lights.

- I've always wondered why noone has made a game similar to Metroid.

- Huge worlds mean huge opportunity for beautiful scenery.

Yeah, this idea leaves lots of leeway for anyone else's ideas. And its still a platformer.

As far as storyline goes, we don't wanna make it too much like metroid. But in my idea, we have to have storyline (sorry Akira).

And upon further reading, I see that its not supposed to be a huge game. Oops. Well, threw the idea out there anyways.

I'm a multitalented pixelist and I also do some music using FruityLoops. I'm up for creating some tracks for the game... dpeneding on the style you want though.

Why would we use Games Factory, an inferior version of Multimedia Fusion when we can use the latest software? I've  also got experience in both, and I dont think anything should be finalised yet. Feel free to make some mock-ups though!

If anyone hasnt gone here yet they should:

http://www.create-games.com - www.create-games.com

These people use TGF and MMF aswell, so check out some of the best of the best games!

Also, I dont think we should even be worrying about the programming yet. We can easily find someone really good to that for us at the end (I'm thinking parallex scrolling, advanced enemy AI and other fancy things that will only enhance the games beauty. I also disagree that music isnt really very important to a game, its just important. However, our main priority should be in designing a game that will allow us to show off our pixel skills as a community in a fun and creative way.

And Stryder, you can download the trial version of TGF from http://www.clickteam.com - http://www.clickteam.com ... But like iSTVAN, I recommend Multimedia Fusion (can also be downloaded from that site), since it's more powerful and has more features.

Heeello, uh, ya, yur making a game or something? Well, if we can get enough of u pixellers, I could program a game, but I'm only really interested in RPGs and stuff like that. So ya, if we can get enough people working on it, I'll program the game (using gamemaker, which allows a lot of freedom, compared to some programs mentioned here). Sound good? We could do an iso game, or just the standard view and stuff, and have Tales of Smyphonia-like battles. Sound cool?

EDIT: Now that I see you're thinking of doing a platformer, Gamemaker is also very capable of doing a platformer, much more so than TGF or MMF, and I'll program that too. But a Metroid type game would be VERY cool. And I can also make the music, if this ever gets started!

Originally posted by Niss

Hey just wanted to say that I'm definately interested So do we stick with the geek as the main character? And shouldn't we agree now to a resolution so that we can start with some mockups?
Again I really like this idea! 

Good idea... I think if we just get something started more ideas will come out. The nerd/geek seems to be the consensus and why not? So what's a reasonable resolution for a game?

320x200 seems as good as any... not too big and it has nice round numbers.