Crusaders of Yore

[kevglass]

Hey all,

I've written quite a few games in the past but I've always had to beg, borrow (never steal ) art for them. I thought it was about time I learnt enough to be able to produce my own art. My programmer art has always been pretty bad but I'm trying really hard to get good enough now. With a view to that I've been producing sprites for my potential next project, Crusaders of Yore.

Here's what the game looks like at the moment,



Here's what I've got so far, animations are walk, attack and intermittent idle (will played now again just to give motion).

You can play the prototype if that helps for background, it's a turn based roguelike side scrolling thingy..

Flash: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1668516/shots/Crusader/as3/index.html
HTML5: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1668516/shots/Crusader/www/index.html

It's a bit bugged here and there. Press I for inventory. Yes, it's deployed in flash and HTML5, yes it is written in Java.

Feedback and suggestions appreciated, especially from the arty types who know about this sort of thing.

Cheers,

Kev

[kappa]

oh nice, your pixel art has massively gotten better since I last saw it. Really good stuff especially the animations.

The flash version feels a lot faster than the HTML5 version, like as if the timer is borked on one of them or something.

As for the dungeons, it is pretty easy to get lost once you get further in since everything looks the same. Might be nice to have various marks, cracks, signs, skeletons, etc on the walls/background so as to differentiate and make it easier to recognise the different area's.

Nice work so far.

[princec]

+1 for vote of support and confidence, your spriting is looking nice. Game looks cool too.

Cas

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[BenniBanni]

i really like the glowing eyes of the golem-idle-animation   

[lincore]

Cool stuff! I like the animations, very cute and smart. I think orientation would be easier if the "back stage" of your dungeon used a different tileset.

[Orangy Tang]

Looking good kev!

If you're doing more animation then I really recommend you get 'The animator's survival kit' ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animators-Survival-Kit-Richard-Williams/dp/0571238343/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1 )

It's really well written and interesting even if you're doing simple animation, and starts from the basics. Particularly useful for games is the huge section on walk cycles and how to post them to get away with the minimum amount of frames.

The art in it really reminds me how much I suck at drawing characters though.  

[Christopher]

Nice work Kev!

The skeleton is the winner.

[fruitmaze]

Looks really nice! I love your graphical style. The wolf is my favourite I think. Looking forward to see more of this.

[Apo]

I love the graphical style too in particular the golem.

[Preston]

The sprites look really well and I like them. I like retro things in general, and that's why I usually like all your work, Kev.

Keep up the good work!


P.S. The HTML5 version doesn't work with my Firefox10 at the moment, but probably
because I've set too many restrictions for it?

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[teletubo]

As for the dungeons, it is pretty easy to get lost once you get further in since everything looks the same. Might be nice to have various marks, cracks, signs, skeletons, etc on the walls/background so as to differentiate and make it easier to recognise the different area's.

I agree with that. A minimap would also be welcome. After entering a few doors I already had no idea how to walk back.

The game is nice, I think this might evolve to something really cool.

[aazimon]

That looks cool. I like the design of the dungeons. It's a step above the flat side scroller look.

[Preston]

P.S. The HTML5 version doesn't work with my Firefox10 at the moment, but probably because I've set too many restrictions for it?

Cookies! With disabled cookies (my default) it won't run. But with enabled cookies your game runs in Html5 mode. A little bit out of sync sometimes, but it runs. Nice.

What exactly do you mean with the following, by the way?

Yes, it's deployed in flash and HTML5, yes it is written in Java.

[kevglass]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, much appreciated!

If you're doing more animation then I really recommend you get 'The animator's survival kit' ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animators-Survival-Kit-Richard-Williams/dp/0571238343/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1 )

Actually I already have that book at your recommendation a while ago It's helped a great deal but killed any belief I had in my own ability to draw.

The primary thing thats going to help with navigation is doors being open after you've used them. I'll probably be adding decoration as well of course. Just takes me such a long time to do the graphics

What exactly do you mean with the following, by the way?
Quote from: Kev
Yes, it's deployed in flash and HTML5, yes it is written in Java.

I write all my code in Java, and I convert it into AS3 (for flash) and JS (for HTML5) automatically. I just wanted to make sure people didn't think I was posting non Java games!

Cheers,

Kev

[kevglass]

A new character tonight, a dark mage:

Cheers,

Kev

[ReBirth]

When I tried the HTML5 ver, I just keep bleeding to death at start.

[ra4king]

It's a sad day when a Java developer writes a game in Java.....and only posts Flash and HTML5 links.....

On the other hand, great game! It was quite fun for the first couple minutes but then it got too repetitive

[Nyhm]

I love the graphics and style. The control was jittery for me (step-pause-step-step-pause). I'm in Ubuntu, and I know key events are signaled differently than in Win/Mac.

Not sure if this is the issue at all, but here's what I've found in Linux. When the user holds down a key in Win/Mac, a single key down event is signaled until the single key up event. Linux implements key repeat by actually signaling multiple key up/down events, even when the user is just holding down the key. There are ways to compensate, but it's not a good situation.

[dishmoth]

Very nice!  If I didn't know otherwise I would've assumed you'd recruited a pixel artist.

In the demo (Flash; didn't try HTML5) the walking animation seems too fast for the character's movement (possibly the same thing kappa commented on earlier).

Random suggestion: torches on the dungeon walls that light up when you enter a room.  That way you'd be able to see where you'd been, and you wouldn't know what's in the rooms ahead of you.

Simon

[kevglass]

When I tried the HTML5 ver, I just keep bleeding to death at start.

I've not been able to reproduce this. Were you moving at the time or just standing still. A few people have reported it on both versions so I'd really like to get it nailed down before the next update.

It's a sad day when a Java developer writes a game in Java.....and only posts Flash and HTML5 links.....

On the other hand, great game! It was quite fun for the first couple minutes but then it got too repetitive

I'll post the Apple shortly. I didn't want to jump at the Applet as I guessed everyone here would just hit that one up and I'm expected to deploy in one of these two rather than Java this time. Game wise, yeah, it's just a demo of rendering/logic at the moment to check everything is working. Long way to go before it's a playable game.

I love the graphics and style. The control was jittery for me (step-pause-step-step-pause). I'm in Ubuntu, and I know key events are signaled differently than in Win/Mac.

I suspect this is more likely because it's turn based. It's not a run and jump, it's turn based adventuring so step-pause-step-pause is sorta how it's meant to play really. Take the point though, see if I can develop some way of smoothing stuff out most of the time.

Very nice!  If I didn't know otherwise I would've assumed you'd recruited a pixel artist.

In the demo (Flash; didn't try HTML5) the walking animation seems too fast for the character's movement (possibly the same thing kappa commented on earlier).

Random suggestion: torches on the dungeon walls that light up when you enter a room.  That way you'd be able to see where you'd been, and you wouldn't know what's in the rooms ahead of you.

Cheers for that, really taking a lot of time/effort on the graphics so I'm glad you're thinking they're ok The animation speed is just the first value I came up with at the moment so I'll play with the values.

Thanks all for the feedback. I have 3 more characters to create before I start working on the game again (and I'll post the Applet link any time now).

Cheers,

Kev

[xsvenson]

Very cute graphics, I specially like the zomp.

[arielsan]

Great pixelart graphics and skill.

[Christopher]

A new character tonight, a dark mage:

Cheers,

Kev

OMG! 8 bit Orko!

[kevglass]

Heh, hadn't actually based it on him but I remember him from He-Man - sooooooo cool!

Cheers,

Kev

[Nyhm]

To clarify my prior comment, step-pause-step-pause is absolutely acceptable - I love that in retro-style games. However, the timing was all off for me. The crusader would sprint a couple of blocks, then stall until I tapped the button a couple more times to get him going. That's what made me think it was key event handling issues.

I can also confirm (but not diagnose) the HTML5 life-drain bug. As soon as I start, I begin to take damage seemingly from invisible enemies at random.

That said -- this game is super nifty, all around!

[Orangy Tang]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, much appreciated!

If you're doing more animation then I really recommend you get 'The animator's survival kit' ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animators-Survival-Kit-Richard-Williams/dp/0571238343/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1 )

Actually I already have that book at your recommendation a while ago It's helped a great deal but killed any belief I had in my own ability to draw.

Heh, I'd forgotten I'd recommended that before.

Once of my vauge resolutions for 2012 is to try and draw and/or write more, I should probably make a start on that at some point.

[kevglass]

New one for tonight, the orc:

Cheers,

Kev

[ReBirth]

When I tried the HTML5 ver, I just keep bleeding to death at start.

I've not been able to reproduce this. Were you moving at the time or just standing still. A few people have reported it on both versions so I'd really like to get it nailed down before the next update.

When moving, like this

I can also confirm (but not diagnose) the HTML5 life-drain bug. As soon as I start, I begin to take damage seemingly from invisible enemies at random.

The orc looks like Rome troop... after infected :O

[gimbal]

I'm loving those graphics - they make it look like an actual *game* and really invite you to want to play this.

[EveningNewbs]

I suspect this is more likely because it's turn based. It's not a run and jump, it's turn based adventuring so step-pause-step-pause is sorta how it's meant to play really. Take the point though, see if I can develop some way of smoothing stuff out most of the time.

I noticed that too, but it only bothered me in the beginning when there weren't any monsters or anything on the screen. When there were guys attacking me, the turn-based feel was fine and didn't seem laggy. Maybe make the movement smooth when there's nothing else on the screen? Looks promising so far, though.