Another update:
http://bigcathq.nl/animorphs/And the previous version:
http://bigcathq.nl/animorphs_previous/Don't forget to hit the refresh button, else you might be playing the previous version.
I've put these links along with the last update date in my first post, so I don't have to repost these links again.
So what's new:
- smooth camera is gone, it's simply not worth the cost of game speed
- animation system completely redone, all sprite animation frames are now in a single image
- NPCs redone, now all moving entities (playable and non-playable) are actors
- any actor can get scripted behaviour. The actor will follow this behaviour with and without the player present (see "wild bear" in game)
- all actors have a line-of-sight (LOS), which shows the direction the actor is looking at and can convey emotion/intention by changing colour
About those missing images which several people have experienced. Before this version, I used separate images for the animation frames. Which means reloading every single frame in the animation for every animation. For this version, I came to my senses and put all animation frames for a single sprite in a single image. I now only show a part of the image, and move the image round quickly enough so that the sprite seems animated. This is what game developers (especially of RPG games) have been doing since the 1980's, and now I know why. Missing images should no longer be a problem. Aquillai and pyrrhian, could you let me know if this problem still occurs? *fingers crossed*
What's next:
- faster drawing routines, hopefully
- actors can have variable line-of-sights
- actors should only react to other actors when they are in their line of sight
- actors could react to sounds caused by other actors (for example: hork-bajir have a bad line-of-sight, but excellent hearing)
- select playable actor by clicking on actor (suggestion from aquilai)
- arrow always pointing to the next goal (so you don't get lost in the level)
- combat, actors should be able to defend and attack and the player should have controls to override any default actor behaviour
- death and checkpoints (perhaps none of the animorphs may die, when one does the game goes back to the last checkpoint instantly)
Other ideas:
- a day / night cycle? (should affect the line of sight)
- dialog trees for expanded conversation
- the whole acquire morph idea
There's still plenty to do. I'm re-reading all the feedback I've received so far, to see if I've missed or misjudged any ideas. I'm also working on my pixel art skills. It is fun, but it also takes up a lot of time during which I can't work on the game itself. At some point if I want to recreate a scene from the book, I do need custom graphics. So I do need to do graphics at some point.
NateSean: adding Google AdSense
I have no intention to commercialise this game in any way, even if it turns into a real game. Mostly because I'm already using other people their ideas and graphics, and perhaps in the near future other people's level designs and storyboards as well.