The Second Biggest Sandwich I Ever Saw!

You can discuss anything about fan-made Commander Keen games here.

What do you think of this idea so far? And after its been released, did you like it?

Good Mod/Good Idea
40
85%
This Lost episode should have stayed lost
2
4%
No opinion.
5
11%
 
Total votes: 47

Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

Looking nice, I like the pattern you've got for the part Keen walks on. The Toaster is pretty neat looking too. Color choice is nice and unique.

My main suggestion comes from the fact that this looks like a Keen: Vorticons world map, not a Keen: Galaxy world map. The landscape here looks very flat, everything is small and structures/detail objects are noticeably tile sized.

Keen: Galaxy gives your the freedom to make your objects any size without having to worry about how they fit into tiles, due to the layer system. Take advantage of that. Make the temple and toaster bigger. Make those rocks, green things, and other objects bigger.

Is the part Keen doesn't walk on water or land? If water, don't dither. If land, make the pattern more complex, throw in some extra pixels, consider adding larger objects so that it looks less like a flat stretch of dithered pixels. Also give some depth to the edge between where Keen can walk and where he can't.
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tulip
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Post by tulip »

My main criticism would be that for now the landscape, Keen, the toaster and the temple are all seen from a different perspective, which makes it look a bit inconsistent.
I like the style though, it looks keenish. And I'm glad this is still being worked on.
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GARGapplesauce
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Revision Update no.2

Post by GARGapplesauce »

Okay, so since about half of the posts in this topic are mine ( :o ), I've decided to keep my answers and replies to a limit, and I'll just make a group reply whenever I've got an update, unless of course it looks like an update won't be coming for a while. However, this is not the case today, so I'll just reply and then post the next update.


@Ceilick: Yeah, I agree with all the things you said, and to answer the question, the part he doesn't walk on is land... it was to be elevated around him, and I certainly didn't do a good (well, didn't at ALL) job of conveying that, so I'll fix it. As for the rest of it, I definitely plan to resize, so that'll be fixed, as well as adding additional details. Bear in mind that the level entrances were intended to be the main thing to break up the emptiness, and this area just doesn't have any, but I will fix that as well.

@Tulip: I also agree with this, and it will be resolved as I resize them... but I'm glad it's keenish, that was one of my worries :lol



Well, now for the update. Again, it's small (only a screenshot), but I think this is quite a bit better than the last one, appearance-wise anyhow.

What you are going to see is the first section of ground within the tileset, this will be featured within forests, which there will be 2 or 3 of, depending on how one of my other ideas goes. I've taken this one underground for a few reasons- firstly, I didn't want to show the background, it's a WIP and currently looks like... erm... :garg

So, I've instead just shown the unedited underground background.

This is the only ground tileset that is in it's finished stage of design, I just need to implement said design in some of the slopes and such. All of the other ground-sections are designed, but need revision. I like this one a lot, and I hope you all do to, so tell me what you think!

Image
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kuliwil
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Re: Revision Update no.2

Post by kuliwil »

GARGapplesauce wrote: Image
This is pretty cool. Just one suggestion: your colours around the lives and shots boxes butt right up against the text, meaning that the lives number is slightly less clear. Maybe give them an extra pixel of black just to improve clarity. The less time you spend studying those boxes in-game the better.
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neek
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Post by neek »

Looking good! I love those kind of colors. :eek
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Post by Gridlock »

Remember, since you've chosen a very detailed platform set, the other graphics in the levels with this set should also be consistent with that level of detail. Overall, the tileset is looking great. I think my private suggestions really helped improve the quality of the platform set.

World maps aren't really my strongest suit, but I have to agree that it looks a little too much like a Vorticons style map. Certainly add some depth to the edges. After that, you can add more detail to the dithered blue and light blue. You may want to add larger kinds of rocks or garbage decorations, as the current ones are really tiny and look rather amateur. Don't be afraid to use a few extra tiles to make things larger. I really like the building you drew next to Keen. Also, I can't really tell what is going on in the lower right corner.
Ceilick
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Post by Ceilick »

Wow, looking great :eek

The only suggestion I have is to balance your dithering with some solid color. Here's a quick example (I only edited the center area around Keen):

Image

This helps both the sides and tops of platforms to look less flat and generally has a more organic appearance.

Also what Kuliwil said.
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GARGapplesauce
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Post by GARGapplesauce »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLnabBnKwMs

For anyone who has lost faith in this project... I don't blame you. So, to reinvigorate some interest, I've posted (finally) a new episode of "Let's Mod" which features a new enemy that's been completed, as well as the basic area of the second tileset and the reincorporation of the basic Chungellan enemy. The new enemy that you see is the Chungellan chef, and as you may have noticed, it's experiencing a bit of a problem. Once it begins to move again after being stunned, it glitches and just freezes between two frames without moving. This is similar to the issue that the "Bloogoo" was experiencing in the old episodes. If anyone at all can help me with this, please don't hesitate. Also, I'm going to play with the "stunned" hitbox so that it isn't levitating over the ground... 8)

I've set this against a blue cave background as all of the main backgrounds are currently WIPs.

Also, bear in mind that that scorebox is not final and is beign changed. Yes, I'm aware that it looks like GARG.

Additionally, regarding the comments you've all left in regards to the previous update-

@Ceilick- The extra shading you've added looks great, and I'll try to incorporate this myself, or if you'd like to assist with that... i really think it helps with the idea of the shadows in the forest where that tileset will be used.

@neek- Thanks, i thought it was fairly unique... but then I remembered TKOK :o Luckily everything else should be blue or gray.

@Gridlock- yeah, I really should thank you for all your help... you've seriously helped me improve on my graphics skills, which i hope will be reflected in this most recent update.

Additionally, at everyone, I agree with the remarks on the world map, and it is currently being reoverhauled, and is nowhere near presentable :P

If anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know. Thanks for everyhting, and thanks for sticking with it. Believe me, this is still going. Just rather slowly.

In regards to estimated progress- my goal is that this will be the next Keen:Galaxy mod, and my new targeted date for GRAPHICAL completion is before new year's, so that i have time for level creation. With any luck, the release target will be keen day 2012, but that could be overly-optimistic, so don't get your hopes up. I'm just saying, at the rate this is going, that looks to be about it now.

Thanks Again.

EDIT 9/18/2011: I've completed one level now... I cannot, unfortunately, show any previews as it is one of the secret levels. Yes, 'one of', there are two. Just thought I'd notify you of the progress.
Last edited by GARGapplesauce on Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:06, edited 1 time in total.
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szemi
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Post by szemi »

nice style
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kuliwil
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Post by kuliwil »

I absolutely love the music.
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Scarlet
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Post by Scarlet »

The chef's legs barely move. I think it might be good if they were moving more. :/ Perhaps it might be good for him to fall down to the ground too? perhaps not on the side, but like directly down. To bend over or something, dunno how to describe it...

...something like this,
Image

Maybe grabbing the head... but not laying down as it is now. :/ Seems like a big drop ya know, from standing up tall to laying out all the way.
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GARGapplesauce
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Post by GARGapplesauce »

@Scarlet: Yeah, I've received comments from a few people on the IRC about the legs, i wasn't much focusing on them as i created the sprites, so they'll be fixed... As for the stunned sprite, I was considering just changing the sprite altogether to show it just standing up in pain or clutching its head or something... its causing hitbox issues having it fall down so I'm curious if making it a uniform size will resolve the issue.

@Szemi: Thanks, I don't like that one as much as the purple, but it's still good I think.

@Kuliwil: Yeah, I really do like that track, its a lot like one of the others... thank MOM4Evr for it though, as these are his creations again :)

Anyhow, I'm making some additional progress in the levels as well on the remaining two tilesets and the remainder of this current one... bear in mind that leveling wont start seriously until all of these tilesets are done.

As i mentioned before, however, one of the secret levels is done.

I've realized one thing- my backgrounds look horrid :( . I've got one good one, and it's the cave. But my big backgrounds suck, and i really only need two of them... I was wondering if, when i got closer to the release, someone would be willing to assist me with these? I wouldn't want to make anyone go through all of that work and then have this get postponed again, but when we get closer, if anyone would be interested in helping mah cause... just shout.

Finally, I'm looking for some help finding a few patches, if they exist...

1) Anything to allow the Dopefish to exist above water... I believe this entails patching the bubbles...

2) Invincibility for Skypests- i.e., they don't die when you pogo on them.

3) Berkeloid speed- I'd like it to move faster.

4) Berkeloid Firing controls- I need fireballs to move less distance and shoot more often. Also, if they could dissipate immediately on hitting the ground, I'd like to include this, whether we have the other two or not.

5) Mad Mushroom- I've seen patches that control the height, which ill be using, and the number of bounces in a sequence, which i won't, but i was curious if, in addition to the height patch, i could make it jump high EVERY time. Unless this would just involve patching the two heights to be the same? I think my current patch only does the low one, I haven't even implemented it yet.

That should do it, and if anyone can be any assistance with ANY of this, even just opinions, please feel free.

Thanks a bunch!
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szemi
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Post by szemi »

update? how's it goin'?
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GARGapplesauce
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Post by GARGapplesauce »

School has been keeping me really busy and I've been out of town a lot over the weekends, so i haven't had a whole lot of time to make progress, however it's going, and I'm currently working on the first main (non secret) level.

I've got another couple enemies done as well, and put in a few patches I needed...

The next (and probably last large) update vid will be out around thanksgiving, and will be similar to the ones for DITD and BOTB, featuring one level and everything included within it. I feel like Ceilick's format for those previews worked well, so I'll do my best to replicate it. I'll also show off the replacement for the bwb level. In order for me to get all of the custom graphics for THAT level done, as well as some other stuff, I'll probably need until just before thanksgiving, unless i can scrape together any more free time than i have now, though I'm free tonight so that'll likely be beneficial.

I say that it'll be the last major update vid because I'm going to be cutting the spoilers after that, and will ONLY be reporting progress. You've seen 2 of the tilesets- that's all you'll see of the tilesets. You'll be seeing a few new enemies. You've heard, I believe, 1 or 2 tracks of music. That'll be it. You've not seen the redesigned point items, you WILL see some of them in the video. You haven't seen anything changed on the world map since my screenshot (mostly because i havent changed it)- you'll see some of it. You havent seen the BWB level stuff- you will in the video.

Just about everything else will wait until the release. Look forward to the spoilers, and hopefully I can deliver by said date/timeframe. I'm still aiming for 3/14/12 to release the mod itself, but that'll be a lot of levelling in a short period of time... so expect the Grahpics to be done by January. The remaining tilesets are the main issue, and they won't be used much, so they can wait until after leveling has started. The enemies are going well and won't be an issue.

If anyone's got any suggestions or info on those patches or more patches you want, or if anyone's got any questions that I've managed to NOT answer here, please don't hesitate to ask here, on YouTube, on IRC, via. PM... hell, e-mail me if you want. Thanks!
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GARGapplesauce
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Post by GARGapplesauce »

Okay so I've not made as much progress as hoped as far as levels go, so I've decided to change what the update will consist of. It will be a surprise for the most part, and will not include levels (well, not REALLY). It will feature several other things, and i think will make progress more evident than if i had just done what i had planned. It will also allow me to leave out the incomplete parts or surprises. I'll update this post when it's ready, should be by the end of today unless something goes seriously wrong.

EDIT: Im experiencing hitbox issues and its getting late for this, and ill be traveling tomorrow. Luckily a weekend is coming up so I can get the video ready during the weekend. Stay tuned, thanks.

EDIT 11/26: Hitbox issues solved, enemies are coming along. I want to have them all ready for the vid, though i may not SHOW them all.

Also thanks for the sub wiivn!
Last edited by GARGapplesauce on Sat Nov 26, 2011 17:50, edited 1 time in total.
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