FableQuest: Origin of the Phoenix Knight (MO)

[Killix]

If it's starting to lag and code is piling up taking that much space and the game isn't even half done yet, I guess an engine remake is kinda inevitable.

Would it take another 2-3 years of work to get back to where you are now in delevopment if you did go and remake it from scratch?

[Gelquie]

Yeah, if it's taking up that much space, then it sound like a new engine would be more efficient overall. And it might make the overall thing more condensed and easier to run. So if you do do that, I'm all for waiting some more.

Will the old version of the game contain the bug fixes that you implemented after the last patch?

[Strife]

Sept 12, 2011 13:28:27 GMT -5 Killix said:

If it's starting to lag and code is piling up taking that much space and the game isn't even half done yet, I guess an engine remake is kinda inevitable.

Would it take another 2-3 years of work to get back to where you are now in delevopment if you did go and remake it from scratch?

Hardly. ^_^ Since most of that time was spent with graphics and worldbuilding, I'll only need to spend time with programming and redesigning the maps.

Speaking of which, I might change the overall perspective of the game, but I'm not sure. I have three ideas:

1. Keep the current perspective (i.e. a flat square tile looks like a parallelogram), but add a true height map to background objects
2. Same as above, but skew the vertical axis so that it's a three-fourths view (i.e. a perfectly square room would appear as a rectangle instead of a parallelogram)
3. Flatten the Z axis so that every map region has a visible background. Something like this:



I'm inclined to go with option 2, since it would make it easier to remove the geometric shape of some of the hills on the overworld map, and large custom graphics such as the Solar Temple entrance and boss arenas would be unaffected. I just hope I can figure out a good way to add height mapping to the background. xD;

[Gelquie]

Hmm, I'm not so sure about Option 3. It seems more side-scrolly and less sand-boxy, and I could see that getting to me.

I'd be okay with Option 1, but Option 2 is sounding good to me, since it sounds like it might flow better. Although do you have a sketch/picture of what that would look like?

[PFA]

Yeah, I totally sympathize with the needing to rework the game engine thing. XD; I was looking at how I set up the menus for Venustus and I was like "holy crud why is this so needlessly complicated." Prooobably gonna have to simplify those at some point.

As for the perspective thing, I'm with GLQ in wondering if you have a picture to show what it would look like. XD; I dunno about option 3 though, if it's not a side-scroller that looks like it would be a little hard on the eyes.

[Strife]

Yeah. xD;

Anyway, this is what I mean with option 2:



It does seem to me like there would be less issues with the player walking behind walls. On the other hand, I might just end up changing the perspective on a case-by-case basis - For example, only doing this for natural terrain while dungeons and indoor areas remain largely unaffected.

[Gelquie]

Yeah, Option 2 looks cleaner when it comes to perspective, especially if you're going to have jumping in the game. My only concern is that one thing I like about the original one is that it displayed the height of the stair-step thing better, although I guess that's workable in the other version. I think Option 2 would be awesome for the overworld.

I guess perspectives can change in some places, as long as you're consistent. If Option 2 doesn't work as well for dungeons, then they can be changed to a degree, but then keep that perspective for all dungeons, or players could get confused.

Transition between dungeon/inside and overworld might also be something to consider.

[Bacon]

Personally, I prefer Option 1, but Option 2 looks okay, too. I'd steer clear of Option 3, though.

[Omni]

I agree that I'd like to see some of the current view-type stay. However, it feels to me that the original view is probably better for the outside, and other natural environments. My basic reasoning for this is that, in real life, you're not very likely to see 90° angles in nature, and they generally occur in things that are man-made (or in this case, sentient/humanoid-made). The original view may still technically have rigid angles, in a sense, but they're not quite as square, can be more interesting to look, and may make things look less like they're on a grid if used right.

Also, it would make certain furniture easier to draw.

I figure view 3 could be used in special situations and such, like it is with the Otanis town hall. I think it might be interesting to have an interactive puzzle or something that's side-scrolling. Don't want to use it too much, but it's still neat, and I feel like it shouldn't go to waste, so to speak.

[Strife]

Quite true. ^_^ And, again, I can re-use 95% of the graphics I've already made. As for new graphics, I'd definitely want to make more natural rock/cliff formations on the overworld.

Beyond that, I'm also interested in improving the NPCs and monsters, which is something I've been wanting to do anyway so that the player character isn't the only one who gets solid voicing and animation. xD

[Amneiger]

I agree that Option 3 looks too much like a sidescroller. xD I'd probably have to try Option 2 to see how natural it feels.

Also, I'm glad to hear about the engine rewrite and also glad to hear that this is still being worked on. xD

[Poldon]

Just wanna cast my vote for option 2. ^.^

[PFA]

I'm too used to option 1, but I could probably get used to option 2 if you decided to switch. XD;

[Pacmanite]

Ooh an engine upgrade sounds really exciting. And if it'll save you a lot of work and bother later on when trying to fix old glitches and things, I'd say it's totally worth it.

Now for a question: If you used option 2, would the checkerboard tiles on the floors inside certain buildings become 90-degree rectangular grid patterns? Granted, I can't even remember if I actually saw checkerboard patterned floor-tiles like that in the game... (maybe in Otanis... or at least in the Solar Temple)

But having said that, I would support option 2 since if you're going to give the game a true system of elevation, keeping option 1 could make things pretty complicated when it comes to walking and jumping around in tights spots and the corners of things.

[Strife]

Sept 16, 2011 11:18:25 GMT -5 Pacmanite said:

Now for a question: If you used option 2, would the checkerboard tiles on the floors inside certain buildings become 90-degree rectangular grid patterns? Granted, I can't even remember if I actually saw checkerboard patterned floor-tiles like that in the game... (maybe in Otanis... or at least in the Solar Temple)

Exactly. ^^ I don't believe I ever used a checkerboard pattern, but the Solar Temple's floor tiles came pretty close.




Ikkin's getting a new outfit in the revamp, and this might be her only outfit in the game. (If not, then this would replace her Vanguard outfit, such that it would no longer look like a painted-over version of her brown tunic.) I'm going to program her entire moveset from the beginning instead of adding stuff later, and because some of her animations will be a little complex, it may be too much of a hassle to modify two Ikkin sprites simultaneously whenever I need to adjust something.