WIP Transcendence

[Dwood]

Transcendence is a first/third-person platformer with a plot TBA. The project is aiming to create interesting platforming gameplay with simple but tight controls. While all of the art is currently placeholder we are aiming for a simple minimalist art style using semi-cyberpunk design.

A demo of the Alpha will be coming in the next few weeks along with more developer journals.

We are looking for a 2D artist and possibly a 3D artist as well as writer.

Wall Jump Demo:
TrRmJZwmVUc

[Llama Juice]

For some reason it reminds me of Marble Blast Ultra and Super Meat Boy.

This being said, are you planning on your character being an actual humanoid type creature? Or have you put thought into using some other random object as the "character"?

Is the gameplay going to primarily be wall jump oriented? Or will there be other elements (double jump, roll, wall run) type stuff involved?

[Futzy]

I do a lot of simplistic vector style work, I may be able to help out.

[Dwood]

@Llama,
Inferno's idea currently is that you play as an AI which will obviously take on a humonoid form. The story right now is that there is no story right now so that will probably change.

As for gameplay, it will involve everything from jumps to puzzles and everything inbetween. Stages 1 through 10 cover simple jumping and physics mechanics, stages 11 through 20 introduce gravity volumes, triggers, dynamic gravity, wall jumping, tangent jumping (hard to explain) and dynamic wall jump. For 21 through 30 we have planned to introduce inversion volumes and puzzles that have specific controls. And for 31 through 50 we plan on adding hazards such as turrets, crushers, fire etc etc etc.

@ Big
Yeah, currently all interfaces are being done with vectors so if you want you could help us with that :P

[Futzy]

@ Big
Yeah, currently all interfaces are being done with vectors so if you want you could help us with that :P
My xfire is avpdragon

[Limited]

Well video isn't loading but thats an issue my end.

I'm a bit worried you have no plot at all. Its good to have an idea why the character in the game is doing what you plan the gameplay to be. Is it just to survive? Your discussing ideas of who you play as, an AI which has taken humanoid form. Is that just for the art or is it at a deeper level?

Do you see this as just a puzzle style game, like angry birds where there is no real plot or story, you just know you need to get to the end of the level.

Also the tron/vector style is very hard to pull off, its a balance between making it visually good looking, and making sure the player can see what they need to see in terms of what is and isnt a platform. I suggest trying to incorporate styles of lighting to indicate stuff to player, these would be like, red, blue, green, real basic colours.

[Llama Juice]

Before you go too deep into plot desires I want you to take a look at games like Banjo Kazooie, Mario 64, Super Meat Boy, Portal, and lastly SONIC.

The first four games all relied on a very minimal plot. Yes, you need to go through all this stuff that is entirely unrelated to your goal in order to get somewhere. The fun isn't driven by the story, and instead is driven by the gameplay.

SONIC on the other hand, tried really hard to force story into their gameplay and ended up killing a series.

If the gameplay is fun (which is more important than anything else) then the story is just a bonus. Yes, to have some sort of backstory is good... it's not entirely necessary to pull off a great platformer.

The most recent example I can think of would be Super Meat Boy, the story is that your girlfriend (Bandage girl or something like that) was kidnapped by Dr Fetus (who is a fetus in a jar wearing a suit with a monical). So at the end of each stage you get to her and then Dr Fetus comes by and steals her away again. In between worlds they'll just give you a more elaborate cut-scene involving the characters.. but it doesn't ever evolve a plot to it, it's just some sort of cute/violent thing to break up the platforming... and then is over quickly enough and entertaining enough for you to not get bored of that.

My point of course is that as much as story is important, a lot of the best platforming games thrived without having much story at all.

[Limited]

My point of course is that as much as story is important, a lot of the best platforming games thrived without having much story at all.
I agree with what your saying, they all do have very minimal stories, its basically a brief back story to explain what the idea of the game is. But that does need to be established if they want the game to have any type of backing. If you just want it as in, do X level, then do Y level. Then yeah you don't need any sort of plot. I can think of that cut the rope iOS game, where you just need to get your guy to the end of the level area.

The reason I bring up the issues about the plot, is you are starting to think of character ideas, you need to design if thats complete cosmetic (i.e. pieces in monopoly, they have no bearing in the game). Or like Mario where the princess has been captured, so your going through the world in an attempt to get her.

To me your game is edging towards the puzzle type game where the idea is just to complete level, which is fine without a plot.

[Dwood]

To me your game is edging towards the puzzle type game where the idea is just to complete level, which is fine without a plot.
The primary focus is on gameplay, the story will be very simplified and boil down to complete x challenge solve y puzzle... Similar to how the old platformers worked, as well as meatboy does. Complete the puzzle and do some other thing leading to another puzzle into the end goal of that level and get a briefing//short cutscene at the end to describe what's going on.

[t3h m00kz]

lol, unreal champinioship 2 style dodging <3

[Sel]

If you needed a modeler what kind of stuff would you need?

[Dwood]

If you needed a modeler what kind of stuff would you need?

Inferno should have talked to you by now. :)