Hey, to anyone following this thread, sorry for not updating in a while. Honestly, I've been experimenting with level graphics lately and only came up with disappointments. They have posed me a new, real challenge. Just gotta keep working on them, learning through trial and error, and post screenshots when I find a style that actually looks good. So far everything I've managed to do has looked sub-par or just plain flat.

It's all learning through failure. Start small and try to finish that first. It doesn't have to be an entire small game, but a single game mechanic. If it gets too confusing and hard, isolate those things and then search the forums or make a thread about those things. There isn't really a simple way to learn the event sheet since the event sheet is just a board for the mechanics you're building for the game. That's like asking how to construct a house easily when you want to install pipes or build a studio.

I used to use Maya religiously for several years for 3D (Model, Rig, Texture/shade, animation, etc). Your game has motivated me to pick it back up. Can't wait to see your progress!

Nice! I'll be updating with a bunch of screenshots during next week. Lots of testing has been happening, but nothing concrete to show. I'm basically trying to find a workflow for level pieces that look good with the character models and how to render/use them in the game quickly.

I sensed you were doing that. Looks great so far! I think your game is really pushing me to go the 3D route

I really recommend you do it! The learning curve can be pretty high, though. Just stick to one tool that can do everything, like Blender, which is 100% free. I'd use it if I didn't teach myself to use 3ds Max years ago, and I'm now unable to learn any other 'traditional' 3D tool anymore. Also don't go for stuff like Zbrush, Mudbox, Sculptris or 3D Coat before you learn a traditional 3D software first. Those can't rig, animate or pre-render stuff for you.

Excellent idea you kept them low poly. That way if you target mobile devices in the future , you don't have trouble with performance.

I think you misread my post. They are 2D in the game. I render the 3D models into 2D sprites, so it doesn't really matter how many polies or how complicated the mesh/animation system is. The lowpoly look is just the art direction I'm going for. Simple but not boring, easily recognizable shapes and colors that are very different from each other. And of course it's relatively easy and fast to make so I won't spend too much time just modeling stuff

Look great! Curious - are you using any type of 3d elements here? Sorta looks like low poly 3d renders. <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz">

Indeed, they are just lowpoly models. The cartoony look comes from the flat lighting I'm using for them. They're basically just textureless (aside from bumpmapping) lowpoly models without any smoothing, single light source + ambient light, and a fake rimlight created in the material and not the lighting setup. Really simple stuff. I just render their animations into seperate frames and import them into the game without any post-processing. Here's a picture inside 3ds Max for anyone curious.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/50541629/teef2.jpg

It came across as too confusing to understand

Hah! I knew it. Alright, gimme a moment and I'll rewrite my post.

How can I make a layer or a sprite that won't be drawn on certain layers that are behind it? Like a fog particle that doesn't show on the sky layer behind it?

I'd just put the sky in front of that fog effect, but that way I can't use parallax scrolling for it.

New enemies, Guardian and Hornroach! Both working names.

Guardians (or simply Spearmen) are common enemies found thorough the hollow mountain's dungeons, and are the lowly followers of who/whatever now rules most of the Mountain. Easily beaten with either one special move or two light punches. They will slowly chase you and use either a fast lunging attack or special move where they swipe upwards (hits when you're crouching), launch into the air, and attempt to drop on/behind you with their spear. There are variations of them who won't move and only lunge with their spears, often found guarding steep ledges.

Hornroaches are devolved denizens of the voodoo-esque half-sunken temples of the first civilization banished into the hollow mountain for reasons unknown. They use the swamps as ambush points and can fly high into the air to cause you massive butthurtism. Imagine fighting a man-sized bee. At least punching them turns them into a slimy yet satisfying bucket of goo. There will be different types of insect-themed enemies accompanying Hornroaches, such as wielders of forbidden magics. Oh, and the model is still very early. Looks a bit too messy. Gotta find a good color scheme for them too. The green stuff is supposed to be the green gunk of the swamps.

Slow updates lately, still for real life reasons. Lots of development has happened, but not a lot to show yet. I want things to be worth showing before posting anything substantial.

LOVE the graphics. I'd like to add that repeatedly tapping the crouch key makes the main character do the worm

Thanks! Gotta have them sweet dance moves to keep yourself pumped for punching ugly things in their ugly faces

The artwork looks really good, you should put this on steam greenlight

Thanks! Like I said earlier in this thread, Greenlight is on my mind but I won't be putting the game there until I have really solid and polished content to show, and a plan for the entire game. Right now the game is in a great whirlwind of just trying stuff out and the bigger plan of what the game's structure is, is changing constantly. One day it's a Metroidvania, another it's a linear arcade game. Right now I'm thinking of a hub-based game similar to Demon's Souls where each level is seperated into three large parts, each harder than the earlier, and upgrades that are required to traverse certain levels. And of course a rather high difficulty level.

Updated the demo to a newer version today! Just tweaking, bugfixing and a few new animations. First enemy is being done and I will update the demo after I've finished the first two enemy types and created some kind of bigger testing platform for them. Last week didn't leave much time for development due to real life reasons.