The Ocflore Project
Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:53
THE OCFLORE PROJECT (working title)
Christmas 2K15 Update
Merry Christmas everyone!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWoj0B4lAg
I've put together a one level demo video for this Christmas update for everyone to check out. Without a composer I chose to add some background music that adds to the atmosphere - that being the soundtack to "Children of Dune" by Brian Tyler.
This mod is coming together quite nicely. He's a few figures, mainly to make myself feel good about how much I've done Cheeky
Levels - 12 in states of near-completion
Tiles - 80% done, just one platform style to finish and then world map stuff
Music - none
Sounds - none
Enemies - getting there, maybe 50%
Story - 50%
Patches - coming together, requesting as I need them
I haven't had as much time to work on this project this year as it was my last year of school, but these holidays I'm finding I can really get to work on it.
Enjoy the video and Happy Holidays!
Keenday 2015 Update (3-13)
Too much on tomorrow, so I thought I'd do the Keen Day update tonight.
One demo level (Pelagic Pillars) and some story snippets in the story section in F1 help menu:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... 20Demo.zip
I've given the level a small clean up, but it's definitely not done!
Enemies are lacking, partly because I haven't finished enough behaviours and partly because Levellass has gone walk about (probably more computer issues?) with fixing existing patches. You can point out issues, but I probably already know about them and just couldn't get around to fixing them before today.
The level is really just a taste of what's to come.
Please enjoy what's there!
The "Merry Christmas Update" (12-25)
Merry Christmas! Sorry I didn't get around to an update earlier as I suggested I would!
Lots of stuff has been done since July, but not much has been implemented, if you know what I mean?
The map is rather lacking at the moment. I haven't finished that many tiles for it and have no definite level order or layout as of yet. Here are some entrances that I have put together though (for some reason this image doesn't display on the forums properly):
Here is a shot of some rugged pillars in a cave level.
Further into the cave. Complex door designs within a level will indicate required paths key to completing the level, rather than basic rectangles cut into walls.
Inside the Enkri Sanctuary. I drew some inspiration from Paramonia from Abe's Oddysee for this level.
A recolour of an earlier enemy idea. This time it is more than just a mockup, though further patching is required.
The result of two Vendrizi grubs combining on one branch.
I recently finished this jungle background and alternative earthy tiles. I need a hand deciding whether the blue highlights on the hills in the back look alright, or whether I should revert back to light green. The light green seems to blend in a little too much to the tree tops.
So there is my update. I've actually had a lot on over the last few weeks, which is odd considering I usually get heaps of work done on modding during the holidays. This is the primary blame:
Hopefully I can get some more done on Ocflore along with some Atroxian Realm stuff I promised to do ages ago for Gridlock.
Thanks guys! Merry Christmas!
Tom
The "Whopping Mid-Year Update" (7-11)
"Time for an update?"
"Yeah, I think so."
(That big guy is an "Enkri")
Been off school for the past two weeks and I'm going on the school's annual "SkiTrip" for the next one, so what better time to update?
I've done plenty on the mod over the past two weeks, as well as some Krile designs for Atroxian Realm for Gridlock.
Let's list some stuff:
-Convinced the amazing Gamebird to compose at least a few pieces of music for the game (he's working on those now).
-I've got a few enemies done, and ideas for some more (although most lack any new behaviours in the way of patches as Levellass seems to have vanished over the last couple of weeks (this fact has also prohibited Suburb Shenanigans from being finished)).
-Roughly four levels done (all using a similar tileset, although I have another that I still need to implement).
-Point items and life water drop replacements are all done!
-Secrets everywhere, slamming keen's head into rooves and sliding his body against walls reveals tonnes of goodies!
-I've nailed the basic story and much of the in game dialogue.
-I may have a name for the mod, but I'll need to research further and then decide.
As well as all this boring reading material, I've also selected a number of screenshots to further advertise the project as well as some details about what's going on in them:
A screenshot showcasing the jam-ball doughnut point item, as well as the small white jellyfish acting as the Schoolfish replacement.
Two "Feathered Vendrizi Grubs" on a small island. The plan is that when two of these guys meet, a menacing Arachnut replacement spawns, with each of the grubs acting as eye stalks.
An "Enkri Meager" floats by as Keen stands in it's nest. These guys are the baby versions of the Enkri, which may or may not be an actual enemy (I'm yet to decide whether my current sprite is too big!)
Two different screens showing off the new keygem door-pole (an idea by TroublesomeKeen). The pole is only semi-visible until a diamond is placed on the holder, in which case the pole lights up and is climbable!
A column of Ostrum (the lifewater replacement) featuring a whopping six frames of animation!
One of the Ormch's Ostrum collection towers spaced around Ocflore. This thing sucks in Ostrum ready for the Ormch to collect at a later date.
That's about it folks! In the spare time I have over the next few months (hopefully more than last semester!) I'm going to put a fair bit of effort into constructing enemies, hopefully big, tile-heavy backgrounds (probably some forests/jungles) and let's not forget working away on Atroxian Realm!
Feel free to throw any constructive criticism at this! I'd love to here from you! BUT! Not about the lack of points in those screenshots, it just so happens that most of them lack points at the moment! Also, I need to work on the shading in some of the water, so leave that alone too.
Thanks for you time,
Bubbatom
The Initial Announcement (3-14, KEENDAY!)
Hello, once again.
To start off, here is my little rant about how nothing ever gets done;
I would've loved to have Suburb Shenanigans (one of my other mods) done by now (or one and a half years ago) but I don't. It's been almost done for quite some time now, and I did have plans to have it done for this Keen Day (but Levellass, who is my patcher, hasn't been on the forums for over two weeks now and thus, hasn't received a message I sent her). Due to the slow pace of finishing the project up, I made a start on my next project at the start of the year.
I've had ideas for what sort of mod I'd really like to make for a while now (before I even started Suburbs), so I've had a good two years to ponder on the subject. I've come to many conclusions on what the setting and plot will be like and the sort of level design I'd like.
Basically, I've decided to create a Keen 4 mod that sticks closely to the way keen 4 works. Keen 4 was the best of the Keen games in my opinion, so I'll be trying to keep level structure new and exciting, enemies with a similar amount of difficulty attached to them and one killer story idea among other things.
I've asked troublesomekeen to join me on the project, so he'll be helping with ideas for enemies, level design and tiles offering me with constructive criticism along the way. I'd also love to have thehackercat do me another soundtrack for this mod, as I am (and you will be too) very impressed with his work on the SS soundtrack. _mr_m_ also did a wonderful job, but it seems he's really caught up in life at the moment, only dropping me a message every three months or so.
I'm actually hoping for a patch that will allow for alternate endings in Keen 4 (similar to Keen 5) and I have heard that Levellass did accomplish such a patch a few weeks ago (but, I'll have to do some research). The reason for this I'll explain in a little bit.
The Plot
The not-so-basic outline for the plot is that an alien race has been conducting "The Ocflore Project" in which a planet called 'Ocflore' is being used by this race to conduct one big planet-sized experiment.
The experiment revolves around said alien race constructing a vast array of animals and then placing them on Ocflore (similar in theories of ancient astronauts) for some kind of benefit to the aliens (such as some kind of substance the animals produce or I was thinking something like magic that these animals possess). The animals gradually evolve over millions of years to become intelligent beings which is when the aliens are able to extract this benefit from them.
But, after too long the inhabitants of Ocflore invent their own means of space travel and work out the whole plot the aliens have and work out how they are being used.
When Keen becomes involved, The Ocflore Project is up to it's third run through, with two previous intelligent species becoming involved in war with their creators and ultimately being wiped out completely. The current inhabitants of Ocflore are only at the 'caveman' stage of intelligence and the aliens decide it would be a better idea to wipe them out than having to go through yet another war.
The aliens want Keen to board a spacecraft that hovers over Ocflore that was constructed by Ocflore's last inhabitants (from the project's second run through) that has the ability to destroy all life on Ocflore without ruining the planet for the fourth run through.
The reason I want two different endings is because I want the player to have the option of either helping the aliens, or saving Ocflore from total annihilation.
Setting
Because the player can decide between two different objectives there will be two main settings.
-The spacecraft that ancient Ocflorians (I'll have to change this, it just sounds bad) built if the player decides to choose to be with the aliens
The spacecraft will probably be in tradition of Keen 5 levels. And seeing as the player has given into the 'bad guys' the game will only last about five or six levels.
I haven't started work on anything for this part of the game. Nothing.
-Ocflore
Ocflore will be the main game and the part most people will consider to be the "official unofficial" path to take, plot wise.
The planet is almost completely covered in sea, which means keen will get lots of use out of his wetsuit.
I'm not sure how long the Ocflore section will be but hopefully somewhere between 14 and 16 levels.
I've got a lot of tiles done for Ocflore and two levels done so far.
I haven't decided on a name for the mod yet, so I haven't really got anything for the title screen or help sections, yet.
Another thing to mention is the inclusion of a new color, that being coral / salmon that is replacing that dirty horrible blue cyan (take a look at the screen shots below).
Now, prepare yourself for a big long list of drawings and screenshots from the mod.
First up, my level that I entered in the level drawing competition nearly two years ago (this is the first level in the mod, although there are some small adjustments).
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... mp%201.jpg
Another illustration that I did almost as far back as the level entry.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... 3B27PM.jpg
Some tile ideas I drew before making.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... B17PM2.JPG
Some world map level drawings.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... B01PM4.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... B01PM3.JPG
And two character designs, one is a potential 'Ocflorian'.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... 3B17PM.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... shaded.tif
Here are some screens from the first two levels (notice that beautiful new brown!);
Well, I reckon I've spoken enough now, I'll let you get back to your Keen Day festivities. I'm quite looking forward to playing some of these new mods!
Thanks guys, I'll see you later!
Christmas 2K15 Update
Merry Christmas everyone!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWoj0B4lAg
I've put together a one level demo video for this Christmas update for everyone to check out. Without a composer I chose to add some background music that adds to the atmosphere - that being the soundtack to "Children of Dune" by Brian Tyler.
This mod is coming together quite nicely. He's a few figures, mainly to make myself feel good about how much I've done Cheeky
Levels - 12 in states of near-completion
Tiles - 80% done, just one platform style to finish and then world map stuff
Music - none
Sounds - none
Enemies - getting there, maybe 50%
Story - 50%
Patches - coming together, requesting as I need them
I haven't had as much time to work on this project this year as it was my last year of school, but these holidays I'm finding I can really get to work on it.
Enjoy the video and Happy Holidays!
Keenday 2015 Update (3-13)
Too much on tomorrow, so I thought I'd do the Keen Day update tonight.
One demo level (Pelagic Pillars) and some story snippets in the story section in F1 help menu:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... 20Demo.zip
I've given the level a small clean up, but it's definitely not done!
Enemies are lacking, partly because I haven't finished enough behaviours and partly because Levellass has gone walk about (probably more computer issues?) with fixing existing patches. You can point out issues, but I probably already know about them and just couldn't get around to fixing them before today.
The level is really just a taste of what's to come.
Please enjoy what's there!
The "Merry Christmas Update" (12-25)
Merry Christmas! Sorry I didn't get around to an update earlier as I suggested I would!
Lots of stuff has been done since July, but not much has been implemented, if you know what I mean?
The map is rather lacking at the moment. I haven't finished that many tiles for it and have no definite level order or layout as of yet. Here are some entrances that I have put together though (for some reason this image doesn't display on the forums properly):
Here is a shot of some rugged pillars in a cave level.
Further into the cave. Complex door designs within a level will indicate required paths key to completing the level, rather than basic rectangles cut into walls.
Inside the Enkri Sanctuary. I drew some inspiration from Paramonia from Abe's Oddysee for this level.
A recolour of an earlier enemy idea. This time it is more than just a mockup, though further patching is required.
The result of two Vendrizi grubs combining on one branch.
I recently finished this jungle background and alternative earthy tiles. I need a hand deciding whether the blue highlights on the hills in the back look alright, or whether I should revert back to light green. The light green seems to blend in a little too much to the tree tops.
So there is my update. I've actually had a lot on over the last few weeks, which is odd considering I usually get heaps of work done on modding during the holidays. This is the primary blame:
Hopefully I can get some more done on Ocflore along with some Atroxian Realm stuff I promised to do ages ago for Gridlock.
Thanks guys! Merry Christmas!
Tom
The "Whopping Mid-Year Update" (7-11)
"Time for an update?"
"Yeah, I think so."
(That big guy is an "Enkri")
Been off school for the past two weeks and I'm going on the school's annual "SkiTrip" for the next one, so what better time to update?
I've done plenty on the mod over the past two weeks, as well as some Krile designs for Atroxian Realm for Gridlock.
Let's list some stuff:
-Convinced the amazing Gamebird to compose at least a few pieces of music for the game (he's working on those now).
-I've got a few enemies done, and ideas for some more (although most lack any new behaviours in the way of patches as Levellass seems to have vanished over the last couple of weeks (this fact has also prohibited Suburb Shenanigans from being finished)).
-Roughly four levels done (all using a similar tileset, although I have another that I still need to implement).
-Point items and life water drop replacements are all done!
-Secrets everywhere, slamming keen's head into rooves and sliding his body against walls reveals tonnes of goodies!
-I've nailed the basic story and much of the in game dialogue.
-I may have a name for the mod, but I'll need to research further and then decide.
As well as all this boring reading material, I've also selected a number of screenshots to further advertise the project as well as some details about what's going on in them:
A screenshot showcasing the jam-ball doughnut point item, as well as the small white jellyfish acting as the Schoolfish replacement.
Two "Feathered Vendrizi Grubs" on a small island. The plan is that when two of these guys meet, a menacing Arachnut replacement spawns, with each of the grubs acting as eye stalks.
An "Enkri Meager" floats by as Keen stands in it's nest. These guys are the baby versions of the Enkri, which may or may not be an actual enemy (I'm yet to decide whether my current sprite is too big!)
Two different screens showing off the new keygem door-pole (an idea by TroublesomeKeen). The pole is only semi-visible until a diamond is placed on the holder, in which case the pole lights up and is climbable!
A column of Ostrum (the lifewater replacement) featuring a whopping six frames of animation!
One of the Ormch's Ostrum collection towers spaced around Ocflore. This thing sucks in Ostrum ready for the Ormch to collect at a later date.
That's about it folks! In the spare time I have over the next few months (hopefully more than last semester!) I'm going to put a fair bit of effort into constructing enemies, hopefully big, tile-heavy backgrounds (probably some forests/jungles) and let's not forget working away on Atroxian Realm!
Feel free to throw any constructive criticism at this! I'd love to here from you! BUT! Not about the lack of points in those screenshots, it just so happens that most of them lack points at the moment! Also, I need to work on the shading in some of the water, so leave that alone too.
Thanks for you time,
Bubbatom
The Initial Announcement (3-14, KEENDAY!)
Hello, once again.
To start off, here is my little rant about how nothing ever gets done;
I would've loved to have Suburb Shenanigans (one of my other mods) done by now (or one and a half years ago) but I don't. It's been almost done for quite some time now, and I did have plans to have it done for this Keen Day (but Levellass, who is my patcher, hasn't been on the forums for over two weeks now and thus, hasn't received a message I sent her). Due to the slow pace of finishing the project up, I made a start on my next project at the start of the year.
I've had ideas for what sort of mod I'd really like to make for a while now (before I even started Suburbs), so I've had a good two years to ponder on the subject. I've come to many conclusions on what the setting and plot will be like and the sort of level design I'd like.
Basically, I've decided to create a Keen 4 mod that sticks closely to the way keen 4 works. Keen 4 was the best of the Keen games in my opinion, so I'll be trying to keep level structure new and exciting, enemies with a similar amount of difficulty attached to them and one killer story idea among other things.
I've asked troublesomekeen to join me on the project, so he'll be helping with ideas for enemies, level design and tiles offering me with constructive criticism along the way. I'd also love to have thehackercat do me another soundtrack for this mod, as I am (and you will be too) very impressed with his work on the SS soundtrack. _mr_m_ also did a wonderful job, but it seems he's really caught up in life at the moment, only dropping me a message every three months or so.
I'm actually hoping for a patch that will allow for alternate endings in Keen 4 (similar to Keen 5) and I have heard that Levellass did accomplish such a patch a few weeks ago (but, I'll have to do some research). The reason for this I'll explain in a little bit.
The Plot
The not-so-basic outline for the plot is that an alien race has been conducting "The Ocflore Project" in which a planet called 'Ocflore' is being used by this race to conduct one big planet-sized experiment.
The experiment revolves around said alien race constructing a vast array of animals and then placing them on Ocflore (similar in theories of ancient astronauts) for some kind of benefit to the aliens (such as some kind of substance the animals produce or I was thinking something like magic that these animals possess). The animals gradually evolve over millions of years to become intelligent beings which is when the aliens are able to extract this benefit from them.
But, after too long the inhabitants of Ocflore invent their own means of space travel and work out the whole plot the aliens have and work out how they are being used.
When Keen becomes involved, The Ocflore Project is up to it's third run through, with two previous intelligent species becoming involved in war with their creators and ultimately being wiped out completely. The current inhabitants of Ocflore are only at the 'caveman' stage of intelligence and the aliens decide it would be a better idea to wipe them out than having to go through yet another war.
The aliens want Keen to board a spacecraft that hovers over Ocflore that was constructed by Ocflore's last inhabitants (from the project's second run through) that has the ability to destroy all life on Ocflore without ruining the planet for the fourth run through.
The reason I want two different endings is because I want the player to have the option of either helping the aliens, or saving Ocflore from total annihilation.
Setting
Because the player can decide between two different objectives there will be two main settings.
-The spacecraft that ancient Ocflorians (I'll have to change this, it just sounds bad) built if the player decides to choose to be with the aliens
The spacecraft will probably be in tradition of Keen 5 levels. And seeing as the player has given into the 'bad guys' the game will only last about five or six levels.
I haven't started work on anything for this part of the game. Nothing.
-Ocflore
Ocflore will be the main game and the part most people will consider to be the "official unofficial" path to take, plot wise.
The planet is almost completely covered in sea, which means keen will get lots of use out of his wetsuit.
I'm not sure how long the Ocflore section will be but hopefully somewhere between 14 and 16 levels.
I've got a lot of tiles done for Ocflore and two levels done so far.
I haven't decided on a name for the mod yet, so I haven't really got anything for the title screen or help sections, yet.
Another thing to mention is the inclusion of a new color, that being coral / salmon that is replacing that dirty horrible blue cyan (take a look at the screen shots below).
Now, prepare yourself for a big long list of drawings and screenshots from the mod.
First up, my level that I entered in the level drawing competition nearly two years ago (this is the first level in the mod, although there are some small adjustments).
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... mp%201.jpg
Another illustration that I did almost as far back as the level entry.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... 3B27PM.jpg
Some tile ideas I drew before making.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... B17PM2.JPG
Some world map level drawings.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... B01PM4.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... B01PM3.JPG
And two character designs, one is a potential 'Ocflorian'.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... 3B17PM.JPG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/531 ... shaded.tif
Here are some screens from the first two levels (notice that beautiful new brown!);
Well, I reckon I've spoken enough now, I'll let you get back to your Keen Day festivities. I'm quite looking forward to playing some of these new mods!
Thanks guys, I'll see you later!