Core

Hello people. I've been thinking about this again. I'm sorry for not being able to make up my mind. But sometimes I feel it would be a waste not to continue this game, and other times I feel like I can't make something good enough... I've been thinking of some ways I could make level design easier for me. Right now I'm busy with another game but I'm considering going back to Sonic Small World afterward. But I really need honest input from people who have played the last demo. Are you bothered that the stage is basically a flat surface suspended in mid-air? That the cliffs and platforms are just square blocks? Is the level too narrow? Are there too many spikes? Do the level feel too blocky and not natural enough? Is it alright if the hilly areas are separate from the blocky areas? Is it a problem when the textures don't mesh (for example when you have a curve with a cliff texture right next to a grassy ground)? Is it sometimes hard to tell what the textures correspond to (for example when you can't tell where a platform ends because the ground below has the same texture)? Is the vegetation well-placed and is helping make the level feel more natural? Or is it just pointless as the level will never feel natural? Or is there not enough vegetation? What parts of the level do you particularly like or dislike? I'm sorry to bother you with so many questions, but I really need your help. Thanks in advance.

Well, since I'm not going to make more levels that would probably be the best option, but my level editor sucks. I would not feel comfortable sharing it.

Well, I disagree, but thanks. Anyway, I've made a video:

Well yes, but there's no reason to be angry. The game is not that good and I can't make it any better. Sorry, but I don't really understand what you mean.

What?

Hello everyone. I've made a new demo of this game. It features a larger level, with new items (spikes, trampoline, moving platform). I've also reduced the turning speed. And if you had performance issues before, the game should hopefully run a bit faster now. You can download it here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/v654zy Screenshots: Unfortunately, while the level is longer than the one from the previous version, it is still too short to be a proper level. While I was building it, it became obvious that I bit off more than I could chew. I suck at level design, and my level editor is unhandy and makes things more complicated that they should be. I don't have the skills or the patience to make a proper level. So I'm going to stop working on this game. I don't like leaving games unfinished, but it's just too hard for me. I need to find a way to make building levels easier, but that'll probably be too much work for me. I'm sorry.

Thanks, that's interesting. If I calculate correctly, Sonic reaches his top speed in 128 frames. I assume the Genesis games run at 60 FPS? OK, I'll try to correct that. I have made a level editor where I can place and edit all the terrain and items. The realistic terrain at the end of the demo level is actually just a height map. I see what you mean with Sonic not sticking to the ground. I think it happens when the ground is convex. I'm not sure how I can change that though. I don't have a particular way of calling how I want the game to play. Maybe it's like the Adventure games but without the homing attack and with more rolling and curves, and the levels will be far less sophisticated visually. I'm not planning to add any other moves to Sonic. I was planning to add more characters, but don't know if that'll be possible since I'll have to get models and animations. At this point it's not important. I'm not planning to add character-specific paths in any case. Do you really want to know the level tropes? I have chosen them for each of the 6 acts, but I'd rather wait until I have made them and can release screenshots before revealing them. Also, I'm not planning to add bosses. I think it would be too much work for me.

Thanks for your comment. I guess I can reduce the acceleration a bit... I've already reduced the speed a bit (compared to the first demo that I released on SSMB), but I don't want to reduce it too much. Also I'm not sure what you mean by "jerky". I hope reducing the acceleration will be enough to make the game play better. Does anybody have an idea of how long it should take to reach the top speed? Well, I am planning to continue the game, and I think I suck at level design. But there may be a few problems... As you may see from the demo, the level is not one big model. It is actually made of height maps, quads, and curves such as quarter-pipes. I was planning to build all the levels like this, as it is easier for me. Normally the engine should also be able to calculate collision directly from model data, but I haven't tested it much. Then there is the fact that my last attempt at making a fangame in a team left me a bad impression (I suck at teamwork too). I'm not sure I want to try again. I'm not saying I don't want to, but I'm a bit hesitant about it. I don't know if I'm expressing myself properly. But thanks for your interest anyway.

Thank you both. But please don't set your expectations too high, I don't want you to be disappointed with the final product. In the end I've decided to make 3 levels with 2 acts each. It's not much but that way I have more ideas for each act. I hope I can release a new demo with a proper level by the end of the month.

Thanks you both for your comments. I'll try to optimize the code and make the game run faster, even though I'm not sure how I can do that. In any case it's going to be short game (hence the title), but I'm wondering, do you think it's better to have 3 levels with 3 acts each, or 4 levels with 2 acts each?

Thanks for the comments. About the camera, pressing C will only center the camera horizontally (my mistake). However, the camera's vertical position should only change if you move it manually.

UPDATE: Latest version (beta 0.6, released on 6th August 2012): Website Download link (original post below) ------------------------------------------------------------ Hello everyone, I'm new here. I'm a hobbyist C programmer who have mostly been making model viewers and . Three months ago, I decided to try and make a Sonic fangame."Sonic Small World" is a simple, unfinished 3D Sonic fangame. It features basic movement with jump and rolling, Spin Dash, Insta-Shield, basic items, and enemies. You can download the latest demo (alpha 0.1.1) here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/m7mttg (12.3 MB, for 32-bit Windows) Screenshots: The demo features a (very small) test level. As you can see on the screenshots, it is basically made of two parts: the first part uses bland checkered textures, but features several curves and slopes to play around, while the second part is prettier (it uses models and textures from Sonic Colors's Planet Wisp), but doesn't have curves. Ideally, I aspire to make levels full of curves and loops, but with the graphics of the second part. (Note: most of the curves and surfaces can only be seen from one side, and only have collision on one side, so it may be confusing at first.) Controls (the keys can be configured in the Setup program): - arrow keys to move - Shift to jump / perform Insta-Shield (during a jump) - Spacebar to roll/unroll (when moving) / charge Spin Dash (when standing still) - 'C' key to center the camera. Hold the 'C' key and use the arrow keys to move the camera You can also use a controller. If the game runs too slowly on your computer, try changing the clipping distance in the Setup program. I currently don't know whether I should try to work further on this game and try to complete it, since it requires an unusual amount of work (while I completed my two previous NiGHTS games in three months each). So I'm looking for feedback. Any constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks for your attention.