Progress Report: Second Ruins
I decided to redo the second ruins from scratch, since they were too close to the original map. I also planned some cool puzzles and scripted events to add some variety.
First, I´ll list some ideas I have about the design of the chozo ruins in the game.
All the ruins have these in common:
- There´s what it appears to be a Metroid breeding enviroment in every ruin, most of them under the main building.
- The ruins are inside a hughe cave, and you can explore the outside part of the building.
- There´s one beam upgrade and at least 1 item to find in these areas (the third ruins actually has 2 beam upgrades, but I´ll exchange it for another item).
- Only one ruin has a boss battle, the second one (Arachnus)
The first ruins.
They are almost at the same level of the planet surface, so I made it look like a temple. It has the golden tiles of MZM, and some statues on the roof. Outside, at the upper side of the cave, you can see some of the sky of SR388 (the ruins appear to be inside a mountain).
The second ruins.
In the original map there are some pipes connecting different parts of the building. There´s also water pools in some rooms, and an underground lake. You even fight a Metroid underwater! (water has no effect on Samus on the GB version).
So, I made this place look like a water treatment plant. Many pipes, and some water-involving puzzles will be between Samus and the items.
The third ruins.
I have no idea what this area could be. I still haven´t decided.
- In these ruins you get Spazer Beam and Space Jump.
- There are some areas with a lot of sand.
- The Metroid breeding area is under the building, and is made with plant tiles.
If you have any idea of what this place could have been when the Chozo were still on SR388, let me know.
The fourth ruins.
In this place you get all the beam upgrades. This tower like building could then be an armory or a weapons research facility. The corridors are heavily guarded by strong robot enemies.
The hive.
This is the final area, with all the Omega Metroids and the Queen.
I´m still planning what tiles will be used here.
This will give you an idea of how different the areas will be. Unlike the original, you´ll be able to tell in which area of the game you are by just looking at a single game screen.
Right now I´m making some new puzzle elements to make some of the second ruins areas more varied, without breaking the pace.
I won´t be posting screenshots this time, since I´m also updating the tilesets color palettes. The original MZM tiles are too bright, since they were designed for a small LCD screen. Playing the game on a PC monitor lets you play with contrast and dark rooms, without losing sight of the main character. The game is now aiming to a more atmospheric visual style.
Hyrule_SwordsMan is drawing awesome enemies. I´m coding the AI as they come out of the oven. Almost all the enemies of the first area are done.
Anyway, if you have any suggestions about the Chozo ruins, let me know.
Comments
just a thought.
I like what you've got so far though. It's sounding really good. :)
:D please let this come out sooonn....
i agree from my looking around(not that hard) it seems most logical that the third ruins would be a sewers.
Anyway, I'm so happy to see how well everyone knows their metroid. Where I live, not many people know about it :(
there should be sewers since it corresponds with the origional. It's the sixth soundtrack found here:
http://mdb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/?g=m2&p=music
Regarding your Metroid 2 remake; Do you need custom sprites at all? If you do, let me submit this enemy, originally intended for SM Redesign hack but perhaps it works for you as well:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/Alianger/1205530788-00.png
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/Alianger/snap2sentinel.png
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/Alianger/super-metroidenemywip-sentinel.png
As you can see it uses some variations on the SM palette. How it would act:
Sentinel (preliminary name) hovers around quite slowly, possibly following samus around, with its drones spinning around it (2 or 4).
The trick to killing it is shooting in between the drones. If the player hits them, they charge up and let off an electrical discharge towards the player, similar to the space pirate attack but perhaps in 8 directions.
/Alianger on Youtube
I like the Mines idea for Area 3. Although it was originally intended to be a sewer, mine fits it more thematically.
Even if it won't fit in a strict M2 remake it could be used for later, in sidequests and such.
You are a very talented pixel artist, for sure, but it doesn't seem like it would work.
Me? I'm just a fan of the series, who's withing this project. All I was trying to say is, this game is about caves and creatures, while SM integrated some technological monstrosities as well. However, there's not very much sentient technology on SR388.
It's really up to him, if he'll use it or not, but I was just saying, I doubt he will.
Yeah I realize that and it was made for a SM hack initally, but I thought that maybe he'd be interested in something like this for a bonus area, a later build or such. Not just this particular sprite but new content in general.
But I'm sticking to the original M2 enemies, even for the new area.
Anyway, a mining area seems reasonable for the third ruins.
BTW, the tech demo is slowing-down for me in large rooms. Is this normal?
I´m finishing the second area, and I´m still considering all the oppinions. Mining facility is a good idea, and if anybody comes with a better idea, I´ll take it.
@gamma47: please check your post and see if you wrote all that you meant to write, instead of multi-posting. If you are working on a game, there are better places to ask for help.
Metroid Fan Mission is a good place, but you´ll have to post some of your work (images or a demo). Good luck.
Could you take a bunch of screen shots and do daily updates, put one up every day or something?
I've been playing this game since I was four, which was about 13 years ago. I'm sure there are loads more who visit this site who have a stronger understanding of the metroid universe than I do.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/bobrocks95/facepalm.jpg
Third area could be an industrial facility of some kind, like a factory or an agricultural site (chozo agriculture should be interesting, seeing as they live underground).
I suggested that a while back and while I was reading all the posts you gave me an idea, why dont we mix the mines with the weapons, of course, it would be one thing I would expect DR.M to do, it would be intresting to see, and have it all shadowy like sec.6 (NOC) from metroid fusion, as explained in one of my earlier posts.