(This post originally appeared on rundierepeat.com)
Welcome to the Tuesday Update!
My intention is to release steady news on the state of the development of Run Die Repeat every Tuesday, and this is Volume 1, Issue 1! (Here’s to hoping I get this game done before there’s a need for a volume two…)
So what’s new in RDR?
Last week, I revamped the graphics twice. The aesthetic of the game is extremely important to me – I want to get that old fashioned gameboy feel, but I also want to maintain some degree of modernity as well. This is a difficult bridge to cross, especially with the four-color greenscale I’ve restricted myself to – there’s only so much depth one can get with four colors! At least I’m not limited by the hardware as well, and can have many (thousands of) sprites on screen at once, and each of those can have full use of the palette without creating horrible flickering (I’m looking at you, MegaMan III).
But, this limitation has me reworking sprites over and over again, like a sculptor working a mass of clay. Here’s a video as an example!
I will say that I have noticed a definite… improvement in the quality of the sprites as this has progressed, and that makes me feel better about the health of the game over all.
So, where are we in development?
As always, feel free to check out the Road Map! It’s more or less accurate. Outside of that – I’m a bit behind schedule – This graphic re-work is preventing me from making levels, but it does have the plus side of making me more satisfied with the work as a whole – which means when I do get back to making the levels, my ‘inspiration’ will be greater!
In case you’re curious – the software that I’m now using to make these sprites is Aseprite – previously I had been using illustrator to make everything, but was growing frustrated with it’s limitations with sprites… it’s great for one or two at a time, or even a hundred or so, but when you start getting to the point where you’re trying to make animation frames, keeping things aligned perfecty, or aiming for consistency, it starts to get tedious and frustrating. So – if you’re into pixel art/animation/sprite editing, and you haven’t heard of Aseprite, you should really give it a go – it’s absolutely awesome.
Demo coming soon!
Yes, that’s right! Within the next two weeks, I’m aiming to release the first ten levels in a demo version of the game, as well as a teaser trailer for Run Die Repeat! Finally! I’ve been working on the controls and content a lot, and I think the feedback from the demo might really help me to make this the best 8-bit, 4-color, pixel graphic, gameboy-inspired game about running and dying ever. Yes – I realize that’s a bit of a niche area to be the best in, possibly an area relegated to only one game – but, hey, you know…
As always – I welcome any feedback or input! And if you want to receive the Run Die Report in your inbox once a month, please sign up for the mailing list!
Thanks for reading! ^^^[X]=^^ RDR
