Explaining the drawing. The main character in the foreground is looking at a stone golem (boss) in the backgrounds. They're separated by a chasm.

This is 2D, but thanks for the idea for a stone-golem boss. Try making a concept based on gameplay. Nice to see you.

JORIS

nice to meet you

Yeah, sure. Next time I'll make 3D on paper! I don't make 3D stuff.

About the gameplay, can anyone explain in one post the complete idea and known gameplay mechanics? Cus' I would relly like to draw an "Item Found" screen, but I dunno what the game is about. Personally I would like to have some Wild West style revolvers in the game.

You start out underground with no idea how you got there. You explore. Epic combat- and puzzle-based 2D platformer/RPG action. Somehow you escape (or not--multiple endings?). That's pretty much our story at the moment.

I'm working on the High Magic system and some art (I'm good at making magical effects in Photoshop), Howitz on most art, MOM4Evr on story/plot/mechanics stuff, and RedTheGreen on most of the code.

didn't you see the first art thread, joris?

http://goofans.com/forum/goofans/goofans-game/2931

oh, and hey joris. you haven't been here in a while.

He has not posted in years, or at least year+

oh,sorry. forgot you were seeing all new forums, not knowing what to read, what to mark as read, etc.
sorry about that, joris.

I'm working on story/plot/mechanics? I thought I was just giving tons of advice to everyone who doesn't need it and sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong all the time.

/rolls eyes at MOM4Evr

Wait, aren't I working on story/plot?

THERE IS NO SPECIFIC ROLE FOR ANYONE.

http://chzjustcapshunz.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/funny-captions-god-da...

My role is testing!!!
And also giving some ideas. i don't do much.

How did you guys learn BASIC and programming and art stuff? How can I learn? I want to help more. I feel i'm not giving much contribution to the game.

Programming:
Javascript: A "24 Hours" book
BASIC: A book again
Other: mostly online
C++: High school programming class, textbook

Art: Trial and error, mostly. In Photoshop my forte is magical effects, from online tutorials and learning how everything works.

Kirdneh,

when in doubt, just draw stuff for art. Doesn't matter how good it is, it is the idea behind it that counts.

k. i am almost in high school, and ill take those classes. ill look online for the other stuff.

Art: Not very good, myself.
Java: Internet.
C++: Internet, as well as trial and error, and a book.
VB: Internet, but mainly looking at source code from other programs.

If you want to learn C++ for games to help out with the code, http://www.cppgameprogramming.com/ is something I found, seems to cover the basics.

ALRIGHT GOOFANS,

I have scheduled my week to do the following:

Churn out at least 2 pieces of concept art

POSSIBLY 1 thing that can be used in the actual game

and a bunch of sketches, which I will do before I do the above

all this a week, on average.

I start right now. Its 10:00 PM, 10/5/11

but..

I have a question guys:

Graphic style? Will it be pixelated, like Cave story, or like the Elder: scroll, skyrim? (Yes, sarcasm) but you guys get the idea. It can range from a lot of art forms. Honestly, I would absolutely love to do a painterly sketch style but not sure if AP's special effects would match with it. Just suggest the kind of style, maybe post an example picture from google that is close to what you are imagining, and I'll try to make it happen.

zz..what else...

OH! please guys, just like Joris, make a sketch or something if you have something visual in mind. I'll transform it for ya >:)

Yes I have been practicing.

edit: scratch that, will start later this night. Forgot I had HW -.-

I suggest you start to learn on your own, from any available resource, be it books, online tutorials...actually do both. You get a good outline of what to know, and then you can ask questions for the online tutorial videos. Or, maybe someone here can teach you the basics really quick?

What I don't recommend to learn is BASIC, or True Basic. Personally, it was a complete waste of time, and I believe you are a smart individual.

You can do more than testing. You have ideas for monsters? Items? ANYTHING? SHARE NAO, unless you know it won't fit.

Not pixelated if we can help it. Just make it as high a resolution as we're going to use.

I am a huge fan of David Hellman's style, who made the art for Braid. Mine is similar, but it has more of a sketchy feel to it, nothing it defined 100%. Maybe pictures would better express this...

I practice.

resolution: I work on a 1600x900 (sometimes doubled), and scale it down to its appropriate size.

If we decide on a resolution for an object (ex. 200x300) please only use that aspect ratio. (2:3, or something like 800x1200px)

I'll make some magic images and stick them on top of Howitz's stuff to see if it looks right. BRB.

Alrighty. Tonight, I will only make sketches, maybe add some color. Pretty tired.

Edit: Okay I did a really quick sketch. I am working on something bigger now.

http://i54.tinypic.com/30bk2dz.png

In terms of actual pixelage, that's a great size. It's big and obvious without taking up too much of the screen. Well, possibly smaller, if anything, but good concept.

Ok I am @#$%ed up tired, to the point where if I stand up, I go blind for 10 seconds and part of my brain stops working to the point that I almost fall over without even knowing it. That tired.

That said, I erased all the 'crud' and put it up in a PNG. This is the style of terrain I am thinking of. Close, but gives you an idea of where I'm picking at:

http://i55.tinypic.com/2rxxqv9.png

It is very simplified, I didn't add much detail. yea..z...zzzzz..ZZzzZzz

That's a really sweet looking main character, Howitz, for just being a sketch.

@kirdneh: Art takes a lot of practice. Programming does too, really. I taught myself C/C++ by reading a few programming books over one summer when I was 13 or so. It isn't terribly difficult, but takes some getting used to. And yeah, I agree with Howitz in that I'd recommend learning a useful language, like C++ or Java, rather than BASIC.

BASIC can be useful! It's pretty much the same as Assembly, which is useful.

Also, I wrote a microport of World of Goo on my TI-83+ calculator in TI-BASIC.

But yes, C++ is better.

My advice is to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript first. It's forgiving, easy, useful, and interpreted. And it makes it incredibly easy to learn C++. I reccomend the "Learn JavaScript in 24 Hours" book.

First off, MOM, you're online pretty late.

Second, there are also plenty of tutorials that teach C++ to absolute beginners. I learned it without having experience in JavaScript. HTML is pretty much just XML anyway. You should still try C++. (or at least a language that's used in today's world) If you have any trouble, post in the off-topic section of this site. There are a lot of programmers on these forums who would be glad to help you.