Holy Crapballs, It's Been Forever!

So, as you may have noticed, I have been MIA. I've been holding therapy sessions for the cast of Prison Break. The show was cancelled years ago but they were sure that a show about a guy trying to escape out of prison could last at least ten seasons. Now they are dealing with the fallout of a stupid, stupid concept for a show. First step is acceptance of their stupidity.

And second thing taking up most of my time is the official sequel to my favorite game when I was but a wee lass, River City Ransom. I loved everything made by Technos back in the day so it fills my heart with happiness to make the official sequel. It honestly makes me incredibly happy. Maybe too happy in fact. Oh god... too much happiness filling my heart... about to burst... must think depressing thoughts... Season four of Arrested Development, Indiana Jones in the fridge, X-Men 3, anything made by Uwe Boll... phew.

So yeah, if at all interested in this project go over to the Kickstarter Page and check it out. Donate if you want or tell your rich affluent friends and associates to do it instead. This project will hopefully lead into bigger and better things in the future for Into This World.

River City Ransom

This blog is receiving much less attention and I apologize. I'm feverishly working hard on the official River City Ransom follow up. Into This World will go into production pretty much the day after I am done with RCR.

I accidentally put up a post on this blog before about River City Ransom and it was premature and showed stuff that I was not allowed to show. Everything has to be ok'ed first from Japan and I'm not really into getting everything ok'ed. Not my style. So unfortunately I can't show you guys anything right now. Just know I am pixeling until my eyes blister for this game.

This is the Twitter feed from our game studio. Nothing of mine on there. I'm not a Twitter guy. More of Friendster or Hot Or Not kinda guy. https://twitter.com/CombitStudios

I want to make sure that ITW is still a thing. And hopefully with the funds I get from RCR, it will make ITW even better. Because money is actually pretty cool.

Well at least Disney seems to think so.

Please don't kill me

Soooo.... how do I say this? Listen, it's been fun but I need a break. It's not you, it's not even me. I just need some space to figure stuff out. Plus I think I'm gay. Gay for making videogames!

But seriously, I am taking a brief hiatus from Into This World. I don't want to at all but something has come up. Something good, mind you. Something that is mind blowingly awesome in fact. If anyone knows me out there, you'll know what I hold dear to my heart enough to drop my current game project for the time being. Due to legal stuff, I can't say what it is, but just you wait.

Once I am caught up with this other unmentionable project, I will get my ass to Mars and finish Into This World. The programmer has enough assets to work on it for the time being but posts will be slimming down. Much like your waist line should, tubby. You know who I'm talking to. Yeah you, chunkster. Get off of that office chair and go outside. You've been on youtube all day looking at old video games from Japan. Go on! Get!

For the time being, I suggest you head on over to redbubble and check out my shirts. If I get enough sold, I can afford to make my game even better. Plus I never pimped my wears before. Might as well now. Click the ever living shit out of that link below!

SHIRTS, SHIRTS, AND PROBABLY MORE SHIRTS!!!

Unityyyyyyy!

Just thought I would share with you a bizarre look at Into This World from a different point of view. And I mean that literally and also in a punny way. This is a screenshot from ITW being developed on the program, Unity.

Look at them there new fan dangled three dimensional looking photographs.

This is what Unity looks like when you move the camera around. Not so 2D sidescroller now are you? part of me wants to incorporate some 3D elements into the environment and then the other part of me says screw it, that's too much work, let's go eat a Klondike Crunch bar instead.

SUPER HD TURBO REMIX RAINBOW EDITION: FOURTH STRIKE!

Since I can never leave my pixels alone, I went back and redid all my sprites. I think this should be the last time I mess with the pixels (we'll see). I'm a pixel bully. Constantly messing with them. And taking their money too. And kissing their girlfriend in front of them. And then coming over to their house afterwards and proving how helpful I am with helping the pixel's mom set the dining room table which leads to her inviting me over more so I can mess with them in their only place of escape.

"How come I didn't get any milk?"

Who loves examples? Well get in here. I got examples coming out of my wazoo! My god, it hurts. Nothing should ever come out of anyone's wazoo.

EXAMPLES!

Here is an example of the original knife slash move for Drea step by step. Original version is on the left and the new one... wait for it... is on the right! Imagine that. Single frames by themselves are new frames added in more fluid animation.

Her original face always annoyed me. Looked like a doll's face. A creepy doll in your grandma's room that seemed to stare at you with disapproval. 

Little more build up in grabbing knife.

More of a blur for the knife streak. Plus her knife now gives off a shine onto Drea.

All the knife attacks now end with this staggered fade out effect.

I actually filmed myself slashing a knife for reference because the original always seemed like a weird way to recoil after swinging a knife.

More recoil.

The main reason behind going over these animations and re-shading them is because I got to play a demo of the game and the dynamic lighting that lit up Drea made here look very out of place and showed off how muddy her original coloring was. Plus, I'm a little obsessive.

FINAL VERSION!

And for no good reason besides he rocks, I was watching this earlier. Take it away Mike...

And the Winner is...

I got myself a shiny new gun! Try and take this out of my cold dead hands Mr. President! Pew pew pew! I'ma gonna shoot sumfin reeeeeal good like.
Thanks to Peter Queckenstedt. Who is Mr. Quakenstack? I mean Qrankenstein, I mean Launchpad McQueck... oh wait, I wrote his name right the first time. Never mind.
He is a fellow artist of many talents. You can check out his stuff over yonder...

http://scutanddestroy.wordpress.com/

Here is Peter's original design for the Sonar Drill.

And then my final rendition of it to make it fit on the EDU mech and line things up for gameplay reasons. And a splash of color.

Final version. Finally! 

I kept with the red power tool look but made it more industrial than Peter's design. Peter's design was really inspiring to see. I love to see another artist's vision of the same thing. You get so used to looking at an object at a certain point of view but it's nice to see someone else's point of view because they might have a better vantage point than you do.

Make a Weapon Contest!

Don't tell anyone but I am disguising this whole Build A Weapon Contest as a means for me to find a better design to the Sound Drill weapon.
If you have read my older posts, I go through a lot of changes...

"ME TOO!"

Well, uh... meet me after the blog, lady... dude... whatever. I meant that I go through a lot of changes in gun design. With some of the weapons, I can say that I nailed it the first time.

No more interruptions. As I was saying...

"Hey Bannon. Do you know where the "&" symbol is on the keyboard? Oh snap, I think I found it. Never mind. Carry on."

AS I WAS SAYING... The main weapon of the EDU mech is the Sonar Drill (Or Sound Drill) or whatever the technical name will end up being. Here it is, as it has developed over the months. Look at it. It's all growns up.

It's supposed to be a weapon that is a combination of a power drill, a turret gun and a sonar cannon. But for the life of me, I can't come up with a design I am in love with. This is where you, the reader/pixeler/artist/idea-man/pyro/juggler/babysitter/pie-taster/Spiderman come into play. I would love some feedback and participation from the peeps that stop by the site and have been following the development of the game. Not only will it help me but I would actually love to feature someone's design in the game. I see how many people (er, I mean peeps) stop by the site but I don't get that many comments or feedback. This will get you guys (er, I mean dudes) involved with the behind the scenes stuff (er, I mean shit).

Here's whatcha gots to do.

Copy the example below for reference. 

The first one is 300 times bigger than the actual pixels. The smaller one is the actual size of the gun. This one was my second to last attempt. But all you need to realize is that the actual gun size never exceed more than 32 pixels across and no more than 22 in height (22x32). The magenta background tile is 27x32 but I don't want the gun too tall to where it covers up the EDU mech. So try to keep it under 22 in height. Thanks, your'e a peach.

You can sketch the gun or you can make it using pixels in Photoshop or Paint. Whichever way, I would love to see your designs. And the winning design will be put into the game. Along with a character based on you that will be featured in the game.

"Big Deal. Been there, done that."

Yes, that's right. A pixel you! Along with the gun design, send in a photo of yourself and you'll get pixelized. It won't hurt. Well... maybe. Maybe a lot in fact. The first two runner ups will also get a pixel character for participating too. But your stupid gun design will be burned at the stake! Or is it spelled steak? Mmm... steak.

Send in your submissions to b2thesoft@gmail.com. Put in the header "Hey Jerk!"