[MegaManJuno]

I was playing around with some palette choices last night and kept coming up similar results. Outside of a dark grey, or black, instead of the blue, the other choices all kept coming off as too bright to me for "lights out".

[Grimlock]

Thanks, I hadn't considered that approach.  I think I can probably make the lighting effect work if I use a third palette with the above technique, I'll have to do some experimenting.  We have the ability to change palette colors at any screen as it loads so there's a lot of flexibility as to what we do with the palettes.

Thanks for your input everyone, I've decided to use both the teal/grey brown color as well as the orange/grey in different sections of the area.  When you venture into the walls and maintenance passageways of the ship the orange/grey will be used, the common passageways will be the Teal set.  I think the new look coupled with the cool colors fits the new science vessel theme better than the old look with the warm colors (although the warm colors are still used and now have a more specific use).  A lot of the tile graphics are still being used, I have just added new tiles and repurposed some of the old ones, replacing a few.  I just didn't feel like the tiles in the old arrangement were working together enough as part of an over all theme.  Now the tiles are designed to work together rather than being a bunch of independent cubes grouped together to make walls and floors.  The screenshots posted were early mockups of the new look, they have already been further improved.

[M-Tee]

Yeah, doing some spot or rim lighting with such a dark palette could be very rad.

[Trax]

I think the emergency lights style with partial reflections is too cool to be left out. However, I'm not sure how a bright red or orange would clash with the darkness of an otherwise unlit room. At first, I thought it was a place where you start dark, and then you find a power switch and the same rooms now appear a little more lit...

[NES Boy]

Regarding the emergency lights style, here's my take on it:

[Chpexo]

.

[Grimlock]

NES Boy: That's a decent middle ground between M-Tees approach and the original color selection, that definitely puts another option on the table, thanks.

Chpexo: How did I miss that game (never played it before).  The palette change in the lighting is pretty neat, I don't think we'll see that in this hack though given the requirements to implement it.  I'm pretty sure darkening the player sprite in the dark areas should be doable.

Trax: Having multiple switchs would most likely be equally difficult as having the player palette change when the player walks into the light (assuming it's a small area and not the whole screen that is lit up).  You did give me an interesting idea though, I could borrow Zelda 2s dark cave method of making the enemies invisible until the player finds a certain room that activates the lights in the area.

[Trax]

What I imagined was more like you said about Zelda II style of lighting. You find a switch in a specific room, and then you backtrack to other rooms and some of them now have the emergency light on, and the tile mappings that go with it. And yes, I know the kind of work needed to having a palette change for Samus, especially if it's selective according to the environment...

You'd have to do a collision check between Samus's position and the current palette code of the background. Or, you could simplify to the max and have only two X coordinates (either 2 bytes for each or 1 byte and 4 bits for each) between which Samus's palette changes. First check is if you are in a room that has potential lighting like that. Second check is if the room is lit (needed only if the lighting switch mechanism is implemented). Third check is if Samus's X coordinate is between the two "alt" coordinates of the room. If these three (or two) checks succeed, change the palette to alternate...

[Grimlock]

What I imagined was more like you said about Zelda II style of lighting. You find a switch in a specific room, and then you backtrack to other rooms and some of them now have the emergency light on, and the tile mappings that go with it. And yes, I know the kind of work needed to having a palette change for Samus, especially if it's selective according to the environment...

You'd have to do a collision check between Samus's position and the current palette code of the background. Or, you could simplify to the max and have only two X coordinates (either 2 bytes for each or 1 byte and 4 bits for each) between which Samus's palette changes. First check is if you are in a room that has potential lighting like that. Second check is if the room is lit (needed only if the lighting switch mechanism is implemented). Third check is if Samus's X coordinate is between the two "alt" coordinates of the room. If these three (or two) checks succeed, change the palette to alternate...

Thanks Trax.  Yea, I knew you'd know what it takes being one of the most highly skilled game hackers I know  , I just meant that since we're in the last 15% of development we probably won't be taking on anymore major changes.  As is I can make palette changes when ever a new screen loads.  I think I can pull off some lighting changes with some clever level design that hopefully makes sense in game, I'm going to experiment some and see what I can pull off.

[johnny]

All of the bosses and nearly all of the enemies will be redrawn and replaced with new sprites. Mother Brain has already been redesigned into a new final boss.  When I check a few more items off of my to do list I'm going to focus on the sprites.

How far along is the to do list as far as the came is concerned? Where are you at currently? I know Optomon probably needs to make some more music tracks so that probably needs to come further along. I would guess you're still working on many of the areas also. Then you probably have to implement the ending, the intro and maybe a new title screen?

[Grimlock]

Well, basically here is where we are at:

Level/Area Design:

Nearly all area construction is complete, the starting area needs to be polished for final release, maybe over the course of one week.  The area recently discussed with the design changes is now complete, I need to decide if I still want to do any low lighting effects, after the next play test though.  The escape route after the final boss is going to be reworked some to improve it with some additional graphic elements that I've already created.  As is the game is beatable start to finish.

All sub areas are complete.

Minor palette fine tuning will occur in a few area.

Sprite Work:

3 Areas complete, 1 area needs only a couple worked, 1 area needs about 4 enemies redesigned.  The sub areas use the same sprites as the parent (main theme) areas.  I can usually knock out sprites for an area in 1 to 2 sittings.  The mini bosses still need to be reworked.  The final boss is complete, I may revisit it a little just before a final release to polish more but it's good.

Storyline Elements:

Kind of a final layer of area details, I have already designed what will be added.  A lot has already been worked into the game.  I'm currently getting started on adding text where needed.  A few graphics elements still need to be created but nearly all is complete.

Music:

Optomon has shared a few tracks here at RHDN but he's completed more.  The music for the starting area is really good.  He still has some tracks in progress at the moment.  The music still needs to be added to the master copy.

ASM design and implementation:

Snarfblam is buttoning up the final ASM additions to the game, just like the level design it's nearly complete.  All of the new elements have been demonstrated (in our group) and most have been implemented to the master copy of the project.

Other stuff:

We're moving toward creation of the in game map, it's going to be more detailed than previous in game map systems.  Snarfblam is developing a custom editor for it's construction.  The graphics and build will take about a weeks worth of sittings to complete.

The title screen and mission screen are not developed yet, I have plans for the mission screen but M-Tee has expressed interest in designing the title screen something that he is exceptionally talented at.  It may or may not be in the play test 2 game patch.

The ending is not developed yet but again it is fairly designed but needs more attention before it is implemented.  This and the title screen are really among the final stages of development, my primary focus has always been on the actual game environments and gameplay first.  I plan on putting all involved with this games development in the final credits.

Several extras have been added to the area's, Easter eggs, and even a hidden area if players want to search for them as a fun extra.  Hints will be included in the read me file provided.  Area item counts will be provided as well for those that wish to achieve 100% item acquisition, just a number of pickups without specific details.  There is more pickups in this game than the original Metroid.

Rest assured that we are working hard to get this game completed.  As with all game hacks pin pointing an exact release date is difficult since we all do this on a volunteer basis.  Sometimes real life events limit our availability to work on our projects.  The best we can do is set goals for ourselves and share them publicly.  Our goal has been a late summer release but we may see a fall release in the end.  I can confidently say we are in the last 15% of development, maybe even 10%.  We have already put hundreds of hours of work into this project and we're determined to see it through to the end.

[mrrichard999]

Very nice work! 

[Grimlock]

Newly updated starting area (Pirate Ship):

Control Room:  (Basic mission objective information on screen)


Item Room:


Simple Map Usage Instructions Worked into Game:




Health Charger:




Updated Federation Science Ship:

Starting Screen:


Vertical Passageway:

[SunGodPortal]

Man, this just keeps getting better and better. Nearly every update leaves me with my jaw on the floor.

[PKstarship]

That looks really awesome! putting the space pirates there makes the area feel like it's not abandoned anymore, which I like. Might I ask, what is that power-up that looks like a beam? Is it the Wall Jump?

[Grimlock]

Man, this just keeps getting better and better. Nearly every update leaves me with my jaw on the floor.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!

Might I ask, what is that power-up that looks like a beam? Is it the Wall Jump?

The sprite is going to be replaced with something less Chozo looking and more of what you would expect to find on a pirate ship.

What it is yee'll ave ta play de hack to find out! 

[xeorix]

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it! 

[PKstarship]

Not to be annoying, but can you release a small preview video? None of us have even gotten to see the slope detection in action

[mrrichard999]

Looking sharp! Keep it up 

[Grimlock]

I went over my 2-do list and attached some time to each item.  I'm estimating around 40 hours of work left to be ready for play testing and roughly 100 hours until completion (all graphics and level design related tasks).  Things like the title screen, game ending, credits, some sprites and possibly the custom music will be implemented after the play testing has started.  That way the last few things can get knocked out as well as the items that the play testers generate.  It'll give the play testers plenty of time to play through the game and try to break it while the final items are still being worked on.