RPGDX > Forums > Projects / Screenshots > 48hr side scroller

Mattias Gustavsson · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

I uploaded a movie clip as well, for those who don't like downloading stuff :)

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Tachyon · I wanna be a ballerina! Joined: 26 Aug 2005 Posts: 25

This is absolutely stunning for such a short development time! I will definitely be following this.

[edit] Went to your blog. Ah, you know what you're doing when it comes to games! ;-) Very cool, man.
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Mattias Gustavsson · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject:

Thanks :-)

I've been making some more characters for this game recently, so just thought I'd post some pics of them, along with some close-ups of some of the characters which is already in the game:

First up, a captain for the Watch, to go along with the guards - a bit tougher, a bit meaner:

Also, another wizard (the story I have in mind calls for two of 'em):

I'm also going to have elves in the game. Now, elves are quite different from humans, and have their own agenda - you can never fully trust them, and they are as often an ally as they are your enemy:

And finally, I'm having Orcs as well - but not your ordinary "hordes of darkness and evil" Orcs, but rather a wild and primitive people, proud warriors who fights fiercely and have their own culture and values, but are not outright evil:

There's more to come, of course, but these are the latest additions...
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DeveloperX · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:54 am Post subject:

Amazing! :)
I love your work Mattias!
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RampantCoyote · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:45 am Post subject:

I am jealous of your l33t poser skills. These look sharp.
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Mattias Gustavsson · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:40 am Post subject:

As I'm a newbie when it comes to making games, there's one thing (well, many things really :P) that I often struggle with, and that is the scope of the game.

I realize that it's different if it's meant to be a small freeware game or a commercial title, but even if that is clearly defined, I'm still unsure of how big the game should be.

Like this one for example - Say I want to finish it to be a small, but complete, freeware game. How big should the game be? How many levels, how many types of environments, how many types of opponents? I've really no idea what to go for here... Any thoughts?

And also, the same questions assuming it will be a commercial title.
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Malignus · Scholar Joined: 12 May 2009 Posts: 198

That's generally measured in terms of hours of gameplay, isn't it? Let's say that you charge for this. I think 6 or more hours is considered standard for commercial action games. If you want to market this as an RPG, though, people tend to expect quite a bit more in terms of gameplay time.

On the other hand, if you release it for free, who cares? Anyone who complains about it being short can ask for a refund. :P

Mattias Gustavsson · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:48 am Post subject:

Well, I find that hours of gameplay is not very useful - to me, that's more of a thing which marketing people put on the back of the box, and it always seems like a padded number anyway...

It doesn't really say that much about the scope of the game, so whay I'm really after here is things like number of levels, number of different opponents, number of different environments etc.

I tend to either just make a short prototype of a game, or aim way too high and realize there's no way I can (or even need to) make that amount of content...

Even for a free game, I think it's an important question. People might not be paying for the game in money, but they still pay in "time invested" and "attention given", and I still would like to make games of a scope where people feel "that was a bit of good fun for a free game, I'm glad I tried it" rather than "gee, that was a waste of time, he should have finished it before putting it up for download"...
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Rainer Deyke · Demon Hunter Joined: 05 Jun 2002 Posts: 672

Number of levels doesn't mean much unless you know how big the levels are. If you want a point of comparison, just look up a walkthrough for a commercial game. Many walkthroughs contain a list of levels and a list of opponents.

I think for overall structure, it's best to start with the plot. It doesn't matter how long or short the game is so long as it tells a complete story. A short game that feels complete is better than a long game that feels unfinished.

Movies are divided into three acts, with a plot twist dividing the second act into two parts. If you copy this structure, you have four parts, each of which can be represented by a different environment. Other story structures are also possible.