Hi all, had some trouble uploading or I would have announced what I've done so far.

I mostly worked on a few prelim sketches, a temp boy model and and my changes to Georges demo level.

I may upload a smaller file for my demo as I had to split it in winzip.

I'll write a bit more later. So far everything I've done is on skydrive.

Guardian

Hi Guys, the last week or so I’ve been playing around with George’s superku demo. I also did some sketches of a boy and girl characters as per what has been discussed in the team game threads.

I focused a bit on the dark side but not to much so, and used some of the influences of Txesmi’s girl character drawing.

I took an existing simple model and made a boy 3d model for testing. Everyone can use it as they like.

Although we really don’t have any direction to move artistically yet on this project the above is where I’ve started. I may do a girl model next and see how that works out.

I sure hope they make some real decisions on the game design thread soon.

So far I’ve seen everyone’s demo work and thought them all very good I’ll be happy to work along no matter witch direction we eventually move.

Guardian

@Guardian, Liked everything you uploaded to the sky-drive. Giving the boy-girl hooded robes makes them seem to have special powers like a Jedi (or Sith if you prefer), but not cultish (7 year olds don't belong to cults anyway...i don't think). The boy model is a nice alternative to what we've been using. Nice graphical remake of George's prototype (with good sounds and visual effects too).

@txesmi, I agree with Ganderoleg, really nice animation of the girl. Did you do any extra coding... she walks/runs nicer over the first step to her right in the level.

@Ganderoleg, Really cool first two levels. I think that both 2D/3D characters can be used together effectively without being a distraction (as you've proven). Loved the graphical "feel" of you're second level...realistic/mature. Something drew me to the narrow windows ("Windows to infinity" comes to mind). I think you also re-coded the crates if I'm not mistaken...2-3 can be pushed at once. Looking forward to seeing your version of the player.

@Germanunkol, Based on these new uploads, I can see some of the advantages/disadvantages of 2D/3D characters. Building and animating a player model may be easier than a 2D character. Walking, running, fighting, jumping, etc. would take much longer drawing one frame at a time than building a single model and creating keyframes. I know txesmi said it took about 8 hours time to do a walking/running animation. How long, I wonder for George's or Guardian's player model. However, it seems that a more playful and detailed style can be achieved with a carefully crafted 2D character like Txesmi's girl or Ganderoleg's enemy character.

Just posting to let you know I'm still here: I was gone for a few days without a computer. I did some sketches though and will now work on my prototype and check out all of yours. Sorry it took so long.

@Guardian
I've downloaded everything and checked it out and I must say that it all looks very good. Your boy drawings are great. They are very similar to what I had in mind.

As for levels they are very atmospheric, but, as it seems, they don't really follow the castle theme... They are, however, very universal so I guess if we replace mountain image with snowy castle image in level1 it can pass as a castle

@SirCamaris
Thanx As I already mentioned there were lots of technical surprises since I only had experience with first person levels so far. I will probably make two more levels in different styles if I can finish the boy character in 2D&3D without any to much difficulties.

@Germanunkol
It's totally o.k. since the dead-line is now sett for the Friday(26.02.). I hope to see(and create myself) more of everything since these are the proposals that will be the base for game prototype level.

...
I am sorry for constantly reminding about the level theme but if we are to choose from different art styles we should all have the same theme frame. We can choose the nicest car between the different cars but it's very hard to choose the nicest car between the cars, bicycles & trains

I'm not happy with it, but I uploaded a level-prototype.
My main Problem was the castle-theme, I believe: I find it hard to make the castle as surrealistic + dreamy as I'd have liked to...

@Germanunkol
Downloaded it, played it, loved it It's really very good and, in my opinion, you did manage to make it look surrealistic.
Also, those tree roots are a nice touch and if the game looses the static screen-based levels & takes on the scrolling-level system they will look great as the foreground.

My only complaint would be that you created the level to be in full-screen size which brakes level-frame size from George's prototype.

That's good stuff, Germanunkol! I especially liked the way you have used the 3D engine in a 2D level. Also, I know that my prototype levels were including a level frame, but I'm thinking what would happen if we'd dump it and make the player explore a castle with different puzzle / action filled rooms (each level would be a room in the castle). Just an idea to think at.

@Germanunkol
I loved your style. Good work!

Uh, nice to get such positive feedback.
Ganderoleg, now I know what you mean by level-frame ... I had no idea what that meant before, sorry about that.
About my demo:
-The Problem with the isometric view is that mutliple lanes (in y-direction) and this sort of view won't work together, because a movement away or towards the screen wouldn't be seen. And prerendered environments don't work at all when the view's 3d and the camera can move. It would also be much harder to set up the level geometry and combine it with the rendered images.

George, how about this: You enter a huge castle, and in it you have to find your brother. You can enter rooms at will (doors all over the castle level), but some will be locked or hidden at first. Every door leads to a level; in it you find something (a Piece of a letter from your brother telling you how to get to the next level/door/stage - just like your gem, except that it's a letter). The fun thing about this would be: the castle level would be explorable (though 2d movement only and sidescrolling). This would go back to Superku's original design doc: "explorable", while the linear levels behind each door would be easier to program than an entirely open world would be.
The main castle level could also hold merchants/npcs who the player can interact with (I'm thinking 2 or 3, not hundreds). This was also part of the design document and would give an interesting non-linear twist to the story. You could buy extra lives, an invisibility cloak and a potion that makes you invulnerable for 10 seconds.

P.S. I used blender 2.49 (would've loved to use 2.5 alpha 1 but it's not yet perfect), Gimp 2.6.8 and ventilator's blender-to-mdl exporter. All of those are free. If we go for prerendered and someone's used to other programs, we can easily exchange models (someone makes them in program XYZ and we import them to blender). Also, the prerendered method gives us the freedom of post-production: All the cracks that you see in the level on the wall were painted onto the rendered image in gimp after rendering, using a free texture from cgtextures.

P.P.S. I'd really love to program particle effects and the like: something like you, George, have in your prototype. Stuff that sets the mood and looks cool. I think this could be done by the artist Team AND the programming team, as it needs a little from both areas.

About the game menu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS4zHPlH2CU
I really like that style. We should think about creating something like that, except simpler (no multiplayer options, no battle.net etc)

I don't understand these two questions:
5. Do we want a map like main menu? (what is a map-like-menu?)
and
3. Do we want sliders in the hud? (what would they be for?)

Monster post again ...