Light

AM2R has workarounds everywhere. When I get stuck with a problem, there's times when the best way to solve it is to avoid the situation altogether.
This happened with subtractive blend modes. Whenever I used them, the transitions to the map screen broke, and artifacts appeared on the screen. Every once in a while I start to experiment, and I did find a way to solve that problem... a workaround within a workaround.

But what do you want subtractive blend modes? - you might ask.
Among other things, it can be used to create a real, multi-source lighting engine. 

The one in confrontation just supports the light emitted by Samus. In a couple of minutes I was able to do some surface magic and come up with a pretty fast lighting engine. With this new tool, I can make some of the existing areas more atmospheric, and change the way certain places are designed.

For example, the lower part of Area 3 was going to be just a vertical shaped breeding grounds area, with a different tile. Now it's a dark and mysterious place, with bio-luminescent plants and insects that light up parts of the area.

Gammas look pretty scary? Try fighting one in the dark, only seeing its electrical attacks.



Now, before you scream "What??? Another feature that's gonna delay the game even moar????!?", it's current implementation involve adding a variable to a room, nothing else. I do have to add a property to the enemies or objects that emit light, but that's pretty simple. I still have to test it in more systems, and optimize it a bit, but for now it's looking really good.

About the rest of the progress... The lower part of Area 3 is being modified to fit better with the dark room motif. The tilesets are being expanded, adding much more variety, and sticking a little more to the overall area design of the rest of the game. The upper part of Area 3 has some small unique mechanics that I'm still tweaking.

It's been a couple of difficult months, and having a small project, even something that goes well, means a lot. Thank you very much for the awesome support you showed, I really appreciate it.

Comments

Mythril said…
Screenshots look awesome! :D Keep up the good work!

Though I guess I may end up cursing and crying once I actually start *playing* those dark stages without knowing where it's safe to go, and my health start running low. xD
GenesisFlux said…
Screw the guys who say that. I've loved this project. Every single demo of it. This lighting is a great idea and adds much needed atmosphere to the sheer environments of SR388 so don't feel afraid to use it after finding it. I still feel my adrenaline pump in the original game against some of the Metroids so I'm kinda terrified of what I'm seeing, but I'm also relishing it like a finely dressed hotdog.
If I have the patience to wait for this game then so do others. I can't wait to see this game when it's finished. I can let my Metroid 2 cartridge take a breather.
Rock on dude.
Drew said…
That is DOPE. I'm glad you're getting through the rough times though. You always have the support of your fans!
Chapolin Colorado said…
In totally dark room with an Alpha attacking you.. Fear, anguish, despair... this is Metroid!
Anonymous said…
Ooooooooh... don't know how I feel about this... but, maybe it'll be a good thing, it's hard to tell without testing it first. :P
Anonymous said…
This new effect is clever... well done!

This is becoming more and more epic! :D
Cakemaphoneige said…
Nice to see an update doc.
The fight in darkness looks awesome.
Keep up the great work and stay strong.
SmashTom said…
This is going to be an awesome feature :) Metroid is all about creating a scary, isolated and downright hostile enviroment. This is going to help a lot with that. Good luck with the project! ^^
Anonymous said…
Keep up the awesomeness, let the game's polish shine.
Unknown said…
Looks great! Very excited to see am2r get this far, please keep it up.
Vanya said…
Awesomeness. Can't wait for this to be done. Honestly, Nintendo should have done this a long time ago, but I'm glad you are.
Crawfish said…
This sounds like it's going to be amazing!

I've been following the project for a while, but haven't really commented.

But I can imagine so many ways that a proper lighting engine could be used!

That is, if it wouldn't be/cause too much trouble to implement it in other rooms.

Keep up the great work! :D
Anonymous said…
While I do agree that this is a very cool idea, I am more worried about how it will effect the actual running speed of the game... even with the current demo, v1.21, I can barely get it to go over 50fps...
Anonymous said…
This looks outstanding! I can't express how excited I am for this project!
Anonymous said…
Been watching the project for a good while now without saying anything but I have to say if it's going to make the game better I can happily wait. We are Nintendo fans after all, delays in the name of quality are something we've all had to adapt to.

While i'm at it I must say, those are some snazzy effects. I'll probably brick it having to fight something in pitch darkness but it's all part of the fun.

Sorry if this double posts, the thing was being weird.
Anonymous said…
The dark phase is over...

And darkness has been added to the game...
Q_Bert_Ds said…
You know, out of several of the past updates you've posted, this is the one that makes me LEAST want to scream "hurry up!". That subtractive blend mode feature looks amazing, I can't wait to see it in-game.
Leras said…
Take your time, doc. it looks awsome. But please release the next area demo soon.
ronny14 said…
Looks really cool, but please don't get carried away with it- Remember that you know how the enemies behave and you know the area layouts. It's easy for you to navigate the darkness. For a new player? Not so much...
Anonymous said…
I can't see the dark Gamma fight being anything but incredibly cheap no matter how you tweak the Gamma itself, but knowing you you'll create different sized light spheres. Seeing as later on there will be more dark areas, are you going to implement a new item that'll allow Samus to see further in the dark?
Anonymous said…
muy buen trabajo con el projecto segui asii
excelente¡¡¡¡¡
Andre V1 said…
ok, still working!!! don't give up!!! :)
Anonymous said…
Amazing effort so far. My son loves it, and already wants more.
Anonymous said…
The darkness in this project is going to be amazing.

Good Work :)
Anonymous said…
Can't wait till this is done, the demo was amazing and these changes are going to make this even better...ya know nintendo really should have you work for them, then we would get great games again.
Anonymous said…
Apart from the fact we'll finally get to play a true Metroid (I've been waiting for such a thing...), I'm also amazed at the possibilities offered by Game Maker and how, in the proper hands, can it become such a powerful tool.
The more I see your work, the more I want to do something as well with this software.
Quick question : Are you going to release the .gmk as well with the game ?
I guess not, after all it's "your baby", but it's worth asking (There are some pretty damn good features in your project).
On the same topic, is there a part in your blog where you listed the websites from where you picked your documentation ?
Good luck for the release anyway, such a great work so far ! Can't wait to get my hands on it !
D-Xmangekyou said…
Planning on releasing a demo with the new updates?
brandino said…
Oh man that is going to be freakin awesome can't wait for the release of the game.

Thanks Doc!
Klint said…
Por el aspecto que tiene, y todo lo que has mostrado, estás haciendo el que posiblemente sea el mejor Metroid en 2D. Tienes todo mi apoyo y mi ánimo =D
MegaGEN50 said…
For some reason I always have an orgasam when I see a new AM2R update, I guess it's because the demo rocked my Metroid 2 world so hard, I almost cried when the demo was over. (I WANTED MOAR) But seeing new progress just seems to light up my whole day. Keep. It. Up. I mean it.
Unknown said…
Has anyone ever wanted to fly Samus' ship. In Other M you get to see the inside and push some buttons but I've always wanted at the end of the game or near the end to be able to use it to escape or have some kind of battle. Like in Zero Mission the cut scene where Samus is escaping and gets shot down. It would have been fun to play that for a bit.
Dudeman said…
woot woot keep it up doc we believe in you!!!!

lighting looks awesome btw
Anonymous said…
Take as much time as you want, dude.
I have an RSS reader for a reason.
Hemse said…
That looks glorious! Awesome work Doc!
Anonymous said…
I mm really exctied about this project, i loved the demo, adn i love all metroid games x3 I check the forum almost every day to see any notice x3 keep it up x3
Anonymous said…
I feel that nintindo should have made this a long time ago and seiriusly,your remake is nintindo qality.keep rockin' on!
iamli3 said…
just hope that the gama's wont be as difficult to land a hit on as i remember them being in the demo :/ .....
Anonymous said…
You are revolutioning all the Metroid games, this not seem a fangame, seem like the official remake of Metroid 2 or even better than that (if it was created, thought)! It's incredible the creators of the game never think this ideas before, congratulations! (sorry for bad english, i'm brazillian :p )
Telgar Drakore said…
Honestly I don't care how long it takes for you to do this, I just don't want to see another promising project put on hold indefinitely or canceled. Please keep at it and the screenshots look quite nice.
Anonymous said…
Have you ever played Prime 3?
Anonymous said…
No need to rush it Doc! Your project is more than we could ever hope for the Metroid franchise. In many ways it feels like something polished by professionals and released by Nintendo.
MrDino said…
This is the first update I have actually commented to, and I have been following this project for at least 2 years. Man.. CONGRATULATIONS! seriously, this game looks like it is going to be awesome, this feature really makes me want to play it even more, it feels so metroid like, for the guys that have been here waiting so long, probably even longer than me, we all know this remake is going to rock and we will continue to be patient as we have been so far
the7thGuest said…
You Do it because you are a Awsome Dude Doc ! Nice to read this makes me Happy. :)
Unknown said…
Love what you're doing man! Metroid 2 was great, but your project takes it to a whole 'nother level entirely!
Anonymous said…
Take your time dude---Everyone will love it when it's done! :D
Anonymous said…
one question... WHy did you have to make up the other m remake shure some people don't like the game but I did and you made me look forward to this... and it was a stupid april fools... meanie
Anonymous said…
Don't abondon us, and we won't abandon you Doc. Great to hear that you're tweaking things in both an efficient and yet effective way.

Just don't make it SO Dark that I can't see the awesome art you do.
Unknown said…
Aww, this is sooooo bloody awesome.
I mean really. You're doing such a great work even with all these difficulties you're going through.
You Sir, are awesome. Thank you.
Wiwiweb said…
After the reveal that Retro Studios was working on another Donkey Kong, you are our only hope to see Metroid in the next 5 years...
...no pressure :D

Keep up the good work!
HMS said…
Uhh, why are you trying to make the game even more difficult? I mean, I fought against Gamma in the demo, and they were freaking tough (alphas were tough too, btw). If you make the game too tough, the game itself goes downhill from there. Please, please. Don't make the game any tougher than it already is.
Anonymous said…
No te mueras nunca maestro
saludos desde chile
Saviour-V said…
Just wondering - did you program the Gamma Metroid's desperation attack (shown in your 3rd preview video on YouTube) into the recent demo?

If it has been programmed in, what will trigger it? Difficulty, or the Gamma's HP?

Also, that darkness effect looks interesting. Might be enough to bring out a cold sweat in even the most seasoned of 2D Metroid players.
Yonathan said…
LOOOOOOOL Esto si no me lo esperaba xDDDDD buena esa doc!! me encanta ese toque oscuro que le estas dando ahora me enamore por 100 veces mas XD que sigas bien con ese gran trabajo que haces, poco a poco y cuando menos te lo esperes habrás terminados muchas cosas sin darte cuenta!!

ojala se te ocurran mas cosas locas que ponerle! :P saludos y a esperar mas noticias!!
Matt Wetz said…
i love the lighting keep up the awesome work man :)
Aska1987 said…
You absolute Legend! I was just telling one of my friends about your progress the other day and I was telling him how you've manage to retain a lot of the atmosphere from the original in the sense that it makes you both anxious and wary exploring the caverns due to a mixture of fear and anticipation ha! Now you've just gone and added a whole new level to that and I know the finished product of your work is going to be the touch that sets AM2R apart from all other 2D Metroid games. Ahh flash backs from Metroid Prime when the lights go out after collecting the X-Ray visor, only this time the lights stay out and instead of Space Pirates we have METROIDS!! I'm actually scared of the thought of fighting a vicious Zeta or Omega in the dark now too... Also I just wanted to say, I appreciate you adding the difficulty options, hard mode really puts a lot of stress on the survivability as you get deeper into the cave. Maybe there are too many save points I'm thinking. I preferred the breeding grounds in the water pumping station in your demo 1.2 before you added the save point before the final metroid in that area, the missile count was low by that stage forcing me to be more conservative with my shots and focusing on reacting and evading much more than I normally would do with Alphas. I found that with the original M2 being as evasive as possible when it came to Zetas and Omegas and then taking advantage of the opening and laying as many missles into the target as you could as fast as possible was the only way to win! If your Zetas and Omegas display behavioural patterns of the Alphas while fighting them I have no doubt in my mind that each battle will be a struggle of epic proportions. The missile dodging still staggers me even now while I play the demo AGAIN! Nice touch by the way making the big open rooms with the small platforms, preventing people from getting metroids stuck on walls or basically hammering them into a corner thus taking away the sense of urgency with the battle. What fun is it to crush bugs when you can battle titans!! Sorry for the long post, just appreciating what you're doing here a lot and waiting patiently to see how you continue to develop things. Legend...
Aska1987 said…
One more thing, I'm just thinking about the use of the screw attack and how in the original, aslong as Samus remained airborne and spinning, you were virtualy invincible to metroid attacks, even though you couldnt exactly hurt them in that mode, and I'm curious to know how you're going to implement that, will they have the capability of stopping your rotation some how? Or will the same rules apply where you can just safely avoid everything by jumping around continously. Hopefully projectile attacks will still be able to pierce her defences while in screw attack as opposed to simply being able to jump directly at an attack, safely land on the other side and unleash potent missile barrage at the poor unsuspecting metroid's under belly. :D
Anonymous said…
You can't rush greatness. Take all the time you need. Nintendo would be proud. ;)
Anonymous said…
Don't rush it, perfection takes time. Nintendo would be proud! ;)

Hang in there!
Anonymous said…
Still following your project!
Can't wait!
Razor said…
Sigo el proyecto AM2R muy de cerca y tengo intención de hablar de él cuando analice Metroid II en el blog en el que escribo.

Excelente trabajo (la demo me dejó maravillado) y espero con ansia su lanzamiento.
Anonymous said…
Your work is awesome. Thx for this amazing game! Looking forward for the complete game
Loud said…
This capture is fucking awesome man.
Unknown said…
Awesome. I totally can't wait for the final release. Keep up the great work. Dont listen to the critics that say "great, another delay." as they dont know what they are talking about. I would rather wait a little longer and have it everything you were wanting and more. Anything waiting for is usually well worth the wait. I can think of a couple of games i waited for a long time for (about 2-3 years) after hearing of their release and, yes they were well worth the wait.
Jer said…
I don't really mind if the game was delayed several times, for good reason too. The time it takes to polish a game even more with the ideas and motivation, it makes any project shine even brighter. Take a look on how Super Smash Bros. Brawl for example as it was delayed many times.. the development might felt like it needed to be more perfected in some areas that could either improve controls/models/audio/animations/ect so it be more accurate or even add additional elements to expand the game's depth.

Pretty much whenever a game's release date gets pushed back it only means that the game is going to become even better with the time and investment that the developers put into it. But a rushed game will never be legit to anyone's taste since we all know how Sonic The Hedgehog'06 turned out in the end..

Take all of the time that you and your team need in the whole galaxy to make your project into a bright glittering diamond for everyone to enjoy!
Anonymous said…
I've been following your project since the beginning and just wanted to finally take the time to say how much I love your work, I hope this will be a great success. I really hope you won't loose the motivation to continue on this project, I think it is really awesome!!
Too bad you have to keep this none-commercial, I (and I bet many other people) would be willing to back this on kickstarter or donate some money to support your work!
All the best!
Demétrius said…
Nintendo could learn a lot with you, man! Keep it up!

I will not care if you decide to charge for the game when it's complete. It'll be worth the price.

Good Luck! ;)
Unknown said…
I just finished the demo a few minutes ago, and I just wanted to say that I was blown away. The amount of thought and detail that went into not only the old elements from the original, but the new bosses and enemies, was jaw dropping. Good luck with the rest of the work.

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