[DEMO] New Zelda game in Game Maker

Topic: [DEMO] New Zelda game in Game Maker (Read 1087 times)

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videogamerx2

#1 June 23, 2010, 11:38:17 pm

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Haven't posted on GW in a loong time. Having nothing to do, I've been working on a Zelda game in Game Maker 8 for the last couple weeks. So far there are a few enemy types and all but one of the 10 weapons and nearly all of the animations are working. There's still some bugs to work out but it largely works. The first dungeon is complete, it has two bosses already and puzzles. I really enjoyed the Game Boy Zelda games and so I'm making one of my own along those lines for PC. I also have a storyline and part of the over-world is done.

I am wondering what kind of puzzles would you like to see in this type of game?

latest image:

old images:
http://a.yfrog.com/img571/4062/screen5k.png
http://yfrog.com/09screen1fdp
http://yfrog.com/hqscreen2ip
http://yfrog.com/74screen3xp

latest demo:
http://sites.google.com/site/zeldagame123/zelda.zip

(there was a bug in the first room of the dungeon before which has been corrected)

Last Edit: July 01, 2010, 12:21:22 am by videogamerx2

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UPRC

#2 June 24, 2010, 12:49:01 am

No, it doesn't stand for anything.
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Looks very bare and doesn't capture that "Zelda feel" from what I see. Graphics clash slightly.

Minor gripes, maybe. Perhaps I need to see it in action to judge better.

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Maxximum

#3 June 24, 2010, 03:49:19 pm

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How much on those screenshots are place holders and how much is "done"?

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videogamerx2

#4 June 24, 2010, 07:09:43 pm

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I just have to make the shovel. You can already hook shot and jump over holes, pick up and throw things, shoot arrows, drop bombs, swim, run fast, throw the boomerang. The sword charges and slashes and the shield can deflect enemies. But as far as graphics goes, I wasn't focused on tiling, but more on coding the Link animations. I just finished the first of 9 dungeons. Life meter works, current equipped weapon works, current keys etc all works.

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Maxximum

#5 June 25, 2010, 12:33:02 am

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Its good that you got all that working, but my question was directed entirely at the graphics. Long story short, I think the screens look awful at the moment but I wanted to know how much of it was final and not a place holder before I gave you a hard time about it.

Last Edit: June 25, 2010, 12:46:20 am by Maxximum

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videogamerx2

#6 June 25, 2010, 01:27:15 pm

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http://yfrog.com/jpscreen4bkp

That image is more like what the final product would look like in terms of graphics

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Maxximum

#7 June 25, 2010, 01:43:52 pm

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Right, well heres some feedback for you.
Drop the gradient boxes on the hud.
Pick an art style and stick with it, why do you use a Minish Cap Link if everything else is from GBC Zelda games?

Theres probably a few more things you can do but Id start with that since those are the biggest eye sores at the moment.
Give it a try, Im sure itll look much better.

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videogamerx2

#8 June 29, 2010, 01:22:02 am

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I reached a point where I feel it might be constructive to release a demo.
I made a lot of the changes mentioned here. Link is in first post.

Last Edit: June 29, 2010, 05:15:19 pm by videogamerx2

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SegNin

#9 June 29, 2010, 06:39:30 pm

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The hit detection for your sword is terrible when you attack horizontally (right to left). Most of the time you'll miss even though the sword is clearly going through the Octorock or bush.
It's only reliable when Link is facing in a vertical direction.

Also Link's movement needs to be smoother--right now it's a little too herky-jerky. The responsiveness of the controls is pretty good though.

Except for the shield: there were a few times I raised it just before the Octorock's attack reached Link, and he still took the hit. The shield did always work though when I raised it well before the attack reached Link.

And the font in the message boxes doesn't seem very Zelda-ish (actually reminded me of Breath of Fire a bit).

I can't get too far into the game because of the problems with the sword and shield that I've mentioned.

Also this:

Quote from: Maxximum on June 25, 2010, 01:43:52 pm

Pick an art style and stick with it, why do you use a Minish Cap Link if everything else is from GBC Zelda games?

Last Edit: June 29, 2010, 06:52:13 pm by SegNin

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videogamerx2

#10 June 29, 2010, 08:19:46 pm

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I assume you mean for the regular slash the collision is off with the sword, though if it is held out or spinning it is ok (I'll check it out in each case to be sure and then I'll fix it). I suspect the shield is not detecting because the shot has passed by the shield already when it is not up beforehand. I used Minish cap Link because it has all the animations already. I didn't feel like it clashed, but I'll change it if it would improve it. Thanks for the tips.

edit: aha the horizontal collision for the slash was backwards when facing right - so if you faced away from a plant it would destroy it behind you. I'll fix right away.

edit: fixed font and sword collision

new download link:

http://www.filedropper.com/zelda_3

(Saves from before will not work)

Could you be more specific about the movement? Like do you think it should take longer to reach the maximum speed, or should it be slower, etc. Maybe the game is running below a constant 30fps?

Last Edit: June 29, 2010, 11:23:50 pm by videogamerx2

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Biggles

#11 June 29, 2010, 11:52:56 pm

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I was trying to figure out what irked me about your screenshot. It's that you used link from Minish Cap with backgrounds entirely from the Oracle games. It looks off because the games have significantly different pallets.

Also I can't play this (wrong OS) but maybe what's off about your movement is the way Link collides with things? In the 2D Zelda games he kind of slides off corners he hits automatically if he's close enough to them. You can try to observe it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8WiGoOXgIM but the best thing to do is open a game and test out how it feels. For example, I don't have a Zelda on hand so I opened Seiken Densetsu 3 and walked into a cave wall, which sloped and thus carried me along it until I walked straight. I then tried a flat wall and the effect was much less pronounced, but I eventually caught the point on the wall that carried me up slightly and then straight ahead so I could make it past what was blocking me. It's really subtle and I don't think many people notice it until they try to code their own pixel-based movement and realise that it feels completely wrong because they keep getting stuck on things.

Edit: Now I'm actually starting to wonder if it was even in the Oracle games or if those just felt right because of the gameboy pad. It's definitely in Minish Cap.

Last Edit: June 29, 2010, 11:56:48 pm by Biggles

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videogamerx2

#12 July 01, 2010, 12:20:05 am

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I have replaced the Minish cap Link with a GBC Link as well as several other important coding improvments. See the first post for the new download link.

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Rajew

#13 July 01, 2010, 12:27:42 am

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Quote from: Biggles on June 29, 2010, 11:52:56 pm

I was trying to figure out what irked me about your screenshot. It's that you used link from Minish Cap with backgrounds entirely from the Oracle games. It looks off because the games have significantly different pallets.

Also I can't play this (wrong OS) but maybe what's off about your movement is the way Link collides with things? In the 2D Zelda games he kind of slides off corners he hits automatically if he's close enough to them. You can try to observe it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8WiGoOXgIM but the best thing to do is open a game and test out how it feels. For example, I don't have a Zelda on hand so I opened Seiken Densetsu 3 and walked into a cave wall, which sloped and thus carried me along it until I walked straight. I then tried a flat wall and the effect was much less pronounced, but I eventually caught the point on the wall that carried me up slightly and then straight ahead so I could make it past what was blocking me. It's really subtle and I don't think many people notice it until they try to code their own pixel-based movement and realise that it feels completely wrong because they keep getting stuck on things.

Edit: Now I'm actually starting to wonder if it was even in the Oracle games or if those just felt right because of the gameboy pad. It's definitely in Minish Cap.

Biggles is talking about this:
http://troygilbert.com/2006/10/the-movement-and-attack-mechanics-of-the-legend-of-zelda/
(Man, I have had that article in one of my browser tabs for so many months now it isn't even funny. At least it came in handy for someone

)

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Biggles

#14 July 01, 2010, 12:57:43 am

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I thought I was the only person who noticed it. That's a really helpful article because it's a much more elegant explanation than mine and makes programming it almost trivially easy.

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videogamerx2

#15 July 01, 2010, 01:01:26 am

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Ah I now see it in the video after reading that article. The latest version is at least closer to that effect since it lets you slide against walls and corners but it doesn't align with the tile grid automatically. It does allow for pixel-fine motion though but all the collisions except for enemies and weapons are 16x16 squares right now.

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SegNin

#16 July 02, 2010, 04:26:14 am

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Now there's a problem with the message boxes. They won't close immediately no matter what button is pushed. This is especially troublesome in Deku Swamp with the guy who asks if "you're here to bring more lousy fairies" as Link will get caught in a long loop of the same message repeating until Link finally manages to move away from him. The same happens with the save point Owl. And if Link happens to be standing between them...prepare to be there for awhile.

Also the girl at the crossroad who gives a long and important message only gives it once.
Either she should leave, and warn the player that she will do so after she speaks to him, or you should be able to speak to her again, and have her repeat herself.

Finally, when the map is displayed in the lower right corner, the game rrrreeeeaaaallllyyyy lags.

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videogamerx2

#17 July 02, 2010, 04:39:47 pm

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In the latest upload I made the following changes:

views now scroll like in the original zelda on the crossroads map (map will eventually be redesigned around this fact)
message boxes can be rushed by holding enter
saves signs npcs no longer get caught in a loop with the message box
npc at crossroads is fixed
sliding blocks in the dungeon now work
map is still displayed when talking to the girl at the crossroads

in the next update that map will simply be a picture rather than a updated view.

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