Potential fan game project

Sheep · Apr 23, 2014 10:05 PM

I'm kind of sitting on the fence here with this Spyro fan game idea, so I'm posting this here just to have a place to put my ideas and possibly get some feedback, in case I decide to go on and start making it.

It would be made with GameMaker:Studio, using my own collision engine(which is getting near completion) and character animation system(I'll have to make it first, as my current one only supports moving, rotating and scaling stiff body parts as separate models).

Classic style Spyro game. Either a "Spyro 4" or an alternate Spyro universe, but with very, very much in common with the originals. Short, one homeworld with levels at most, to have even the slightest chance of getting finished. All the usual things: Gems(and containers), main collectible item(like eggs and orbs), portals to levels, each level with it's own design and unique inhabitants and enemies, Zoe checkpoint, butterflies, sheep and other fodder, whirlwinds, powerups(fireball, flying and spring), water and swimming.

Mini games: Most likely not. Except for the really good ones, like skateboarding, I didn't enjoy most of them enough to make it feel worthwhile to make my own ones. They mostly served as a break from the usual gameplay, but in such a short game, that isn't really a worry.
Disconnected areas(introduced in Spyro 3): Probably not, but possibly as a way to extend levels while avoiding lag, and avoiding increased complexity to the level structure and it's lag preventing system.
NPC quests: Probably. Doing things like flaming all the buddha-ish statues in Colossus, reaching or finding an item or a character, etc. Serves as an additional motivation for the player to explore the level.

Graphics:
Similar to the ps1 graphics, partially because I love them, and partially to make it feasible for me and for GameMaker. Possibly higher texture resolution. The terrain/level structure will be slightly lower poly than in the originals to make sure the collision checking is fast enough, and to simplify the level building.
I've come to really like how, in the originals, the textures at a distance fades into vertex color gradients, and even though it probably was just a way to make drawing the distant polygons more efficient, it's something I'd like to have, and possibly also use to a slightly greater extent to make a stylized look.

So far I have a few ideas and this piece of level concept art:

Other ideas:
-Super charging on walls and ceiling, like you can see in the image.
-Headbash jump pads, similar in effect to the jump pads in Jak 1(I haven't played the other games, so I don't know if they are there too). So far I have no idea how they'd look.
-A snowy/icy level with vikings of some sort, icy cold water that freezes you, but on which you can make ice platforms, ice breath(powerup or spitting item) and spruce trees.

That's it for now.

Flapjacks · Apr 23, 2014 10:13 PM

I think making just one homeworld is a good idea, as you said, it does give that extra chance for it to actually be finished tongue and on the (off) chance that it does actually reach a full, non-beta release, you could maybe add more worlds. I hope you can pull off the perspective style the originals had. They had some kind of feel with the render distance that made far-away places look even more far away than they actually were, if that makes sense. I don't really know how to explain it.

Edit: Also, if you need someone to make music, I'm your boy, big boy.

Last edited by Flapjacks (Apr 23, 2014 10:14 PM)

Stormy · Apr 27, 2014 3:33 PM

That level concept art looks cool, reminds me of Lofty Castle.

I'm not a game developer, but it sounds like you have some good ideas here. Good luck!

36IStillLikeSpyro36 · Apr 27, 2014 5:48 PM

i like the supercharge walls/ceilings idea!

i was actually working on a post or something discussing my various ideas for Spyro games, big and small. if you'd be interested in them, you can get in touch.

Slvr99 · Apr 30, 2014 3:11 PM

Yeah, I agree with all these people! That supercharge idea is really cool. It's kind of weird how I didn't think of that idea for my... uhh... Nevermind. I think you have a very good approach on this game. I've never used Gamemaker, but I'd say you need to make sure you know it very well to make the game itself good. Controls need to be responsive and all that jazz. But good luck with this project, do your best!

#1 Apr 23, 2014 10:05 PM

Potential fan game project

#2 Apr 23, 2014 10:13 PM

Re: Potential fan game project

#3 Apr 27, 2014 3:33 PM

Re: Potential fan game project

#4 Apr 27, 2014 5:48 PM

Re: Potential fan game project

#5 Apr 30, 2014 3:11 PM

Re: Potential fan game project

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