Coffeebreak animorphs game

[tigri]

Animorphs game: work-in-progress (last update: june 16, 2012)

Latest version: http://bigcathq.nl/animorphs/
Previous version: http://bigcathq.nl/animorphs_previous/

Don't forget to hit the refresh button.

Works best on: internet explorer 9, chrome, safari, iphone/ipad, high-end android
Works slower on: firefox, internet explorer 6, internet explorer 7, internet explorer 8, low-end android

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Hey all!

I'd be interested in making a coffeebreak animorphs game. In other words, a game that you'd play for a couple of minutes during a coffeebreak. I'm a programmer and in my spare time I create graphical browser-based game prototypes, which can be played in any browser. Coffeebreak type of games are fun, because they require less work than a full-blown game and can be picked up and played quickly. And graphical browser games are cool, because they are playable whether you're using windows, mac or an ipad. I myself am a mac and ipad user, so windows-only is not a possibility for me. I wouldn't want to install anything either.

What are your thoughts on such a game? What would the goal of the game be? How would you play it? And for the coffeebreak rule: can the game be picked up, played and finished within 15 minutes?

For example, the game could be played in a 2d top-down perspective, where the player must walk around and acquire different animal forms to get to different areas in the game. To add some excitement, the player must remain undetected by staying out of sight. Controls would be click/touch to walk and touch animals to acquire their forms. Simple concepts and simple controls.

I'd love to hear other ideas. The sky is the limit, it could be any genre. Preferably 2d though, because once you go 3d the amount of hours required to get the game done grows exponentially.

As for graphics, I'm no artist. In my games I use simple shapes as graphics placeholders. Would anyone be willing to provide artwork for graphics once we have a game in mind?

[DinosaurNothlit]

I have to admit it's been a while, but in the past I've done quite a bit of sprite work, and most of it is even Animorphs related stuff.

My 'portfolio':

Is that the basic style you're looking for?

Granted, I tend to be rather busy, and my muse is not the most cooperative creature, but this sounds like a really cool idea and so I'd like to help in any way that I can.  It's about time that somebody made an Animorphs video game that's actually true to the series.  Just, well, keep in mind that patience is a virtue.

Hmm, top-down perspective, interesting idea.  I can see that being an interesting way to portray the animals and aliens (hawk and Andalite would look pretty good from the top-down), but, as Tobias has pointed out, from above, humans just look like ovals of hair.

I do agree that there are some nice advantages to a top-down mode of play.  The courses could be laid out, and you'd be easily able to go forward-back left-right.  But it does present some graphical challenges.

[tigri]

Well, that looks awesome! In this case we'd need a game from a side perspective. I do have two platform engines hanging around which we could use, but platform gaming is more difficult to control on touch devices. What would be a suitable game concept for animorphs from the side perspective? Right now, all I can think of is metroid-style. Eagle form to fly over high walls, mouse form to crawl through tight spaces.

[DinosaurNothlit]

No, I can't really picture it as a side-scroller.  I feel like that would limit the game too much.  By the way, the pics I posted were just there as examples of previous work, those are not at all what I would recommend using in a video game, they're probably going to be too large for that.

I still think a top-down approach is probably the best way to go.  I'm just looking for recommendations to avoid the 'oval of hair' visual that humans would tend to present when viewed from the top.  You suppose a side/top viewpoint would work, like in the Pokemon gameboy games?

[tigri]

I think we should first figure out what kind of game would suit animorphs best. Once we have that, we can figure out how to best represent the game. So I don't favor top-down or side at this point. We can also add bird-view perspective to the options, something a lot of games use. In that case, we also see a bit of the body instead of just the head and shoulders.

A story-based game would suit the animorphs, playing out a story going from point to point. We'd need a writer for that. It could also be about the experience of placing yourself in different kinds of animals, more simulation or sandbox style. I wonder how that could be made entertaining. Or problem solving by morphing into different animal forms, like what I first described.

[tigri]

On the other hand, I'll just start prototyping. Much more fun to see ideas in action

Dino, I'd like to see what your sprites would look like when used in a top/bird-view perspective. May I use one of your sprites for an experiment?

[NateSean]

Let me ask you this. If you're confident you could create something that would benefit the Animorphs fan community, why not create an original game. Something simple that's addicting and could be downloaded for a small price in an app store maybe. Then set a goal so that when you have a certain amount of money from the sale of the game, you can be free to work on much more elaborate concepts like supporting the forum through donations, or, helping to create awareness for the book series so that producers might try to option it again for a newer and better executed TV series.

Just a thought.

[tigri]

Oh, I can't create something that would benefit the Animorphs fan community by myself. I build small game engines just for fun, and hopefully through collaboration with the fan community, we can create something enjoyable. I'm no game designer, nor artist. That's where I hope this fan community will fall in

I used to be a fan of the Animorphs books and like the concept of being able to morph into animals. There aren't many games using that concept, so why not make one. I'll get a first simple example online soon.

[Blazing Angel]

I think something in the style of the original legend of zelda would be good. It's not quite top down, It's more of an angeled shot, like your sitting on a hill watching link. That eliminates oval of hair problem, but still allows for good animal views. Basica combat, collecting items (morphs) and puzzle solving.

[tigri]

Here's my idea: http://bigcathq.nl/animorphs (I hope this works for everyone)

It's an open game canvas for an Animorphs game. Everything you see there is written (almost) from scratch, which in turn means anything can be changed (controls, game behavior etc.). Also, any changes I make to the game will immediately be visible to anyone on this forum, so we can experiment quite a bit.

If you have suggestions of what should be put in the game or how to change/improve what's already there, then post your suggestion here. If it sounds promising, I'll put it in the game for everyone to try out. If it then works out in practice, we keep it. Else we change it or remove it.

The canvas doesn't contain much right now. You can walk around and morph. DinosaurNothlit let me use one of her sprites for the main character and morph animation, for which I'm grateful. Perspective isn't correct, but that can be corrected with the right graphics if someone is willing to provide it. No sound yet, but that can also be added later. So... let's see where this brings us.

[Blazing Angel]

It's not working for me... all I'm seeing is that little white circle with a red x in the upper left corner

[yunyun]

I find it cool, but I'm confused on what the point of the game is. Like what are you supposed to do in the game? And it would be cooler with more characters

I might add more suggestions later

[Noelle]

That looks really interesting as a platform for a starter.  Any ideas I have would require it to be more than 15 mins though.  Could it be like 15 mins a level? 

Maybe they could have a part where they have to acquire different morphs, kind of like pokemon, except they have to 'acquire' the animal instead of catch it, then they can use the different forms they acquire for fighting different monsters or for getting through small areas etc.

[Blazing Angel]

Okay, working for me now. Yes I like this. It's incredibly simple but it has infinite potential.

[tigri]

Note: If the game doesn't work, make sure you refresh the page.

I'll summarize the ideas here:
-> Blazing Fallen Angel: use an angled view like zelda
I agree. It is mostly up to the graphics to accomplish that, so I hope someone here is willing to help with that.

-> Blazing Fallen Angel & Noelle: player acquires different morphs to advance
Sounds cool, we can make rachel acquire the bear morph from a bear. Once we have more morph animations, we can add more animals and morphs.

-> Blazing Fallen Angel & Noelle: a battle system using different morphs
That idea is a little complicated. How would it work? The battles could be done in a different system, turn-based like pokemon. Or it could be done in real-time top-down, like zelda. Can you elaborate on how you think this should work with the different morphs? We probably need some rules for the battles.

-> Blazing Fallen Angel: puzzle solving
What kind of puzzles do you have in mind?

-> yunyun: what is the point of the game
Right now, there is no point to the game. But it is a good remark, the player should be prompted with a goal. Or perhaps the different stages of a mission. Maybe even an arrow pointing to the current goal, so you know where to go next. How does that sound?

-> yunyun: play as multiple characters
Playing as multiple animorphs characters could work. I can imagine this in two ways. Either as a player you can select multiple characters at once. Or you assume control of one character at a time and you can switch between characters at any time. The latter probably works better.

-> Noelle: ideas longer than the 15 minute limit
I think it is pretty difficult to enjoy a browser game longer than 15 minutes. Also because if the game lasts that long, we need a way to save progress so we can resume the game later. Levels could work, but if we want one big game the alternatives are a password system to resume a current goal or having to register so you can log in and resume the game. At this point, saving isn't useful yet, but it is doable. I'm interested in any ideas, so please do share them even if it would take longer than 15 minutes.