SingSong

Yes, definitely important to have goals in life, haha. My others involve playing through Kingdom Hearts and the Ocarina of Time (haven't beat those games either). My problem is that I don't like playing games by myself (well, besides things like pet sites, because I tend to focus on writing about my pets and creating characters for them, and that's more of a solo thing). So I don't finish many games no matter how much I like the game play or story. I'd much rather play a first-person shooter or racing game against a friend. Speaking of racing games, my husband actually gave me a copy of MotorStorm as a wedding gift last year. That was so sweet. 

I know! And I've heard getting the bike (and later Fly) is when the game improves, because you can get around easier. But I guess I just lose enthusiasm by that time, and it also gets somewhat confusing to me by then, because I've never done that part before. So the difference between flying through the rest of the game because I've played that portion so many times to having to actually pay attention bugs me somehow. One day I will beat it. 

You know what's funny, I like the collection aspect of Pokemon and owning the different pokemon and battling with them, so I've played the game (the Red version because of Charizard) quite a bit. Beedrill was always my favorite, because I got him early on, so we were partners through the whole thing. I like battling with him on the S.S. Anne and against gym leaders, especially because Beedrill has the Twineedle move that has a chance of striking between two and five times (I believe), so there was always a chance I wouldn't get the hit I needed. But somehow he always came through for me when I needed it the most. And yet, I have NEVER beaten the game. I always quit around the time I'm supposed to get a bike, haha.

I looked up Touchmaster. That seems like a good game for casual play. What did you like and dislike about Big Brain Academy, N_E_Wunn?

And I personally still like carrying old handheld consoles. Maybe that's because my phone dies so quickly though. But I do like the nostalgic feel, too.

N_E_W

I would have to say I get inspired most by nature and existing animals. I love learning about the unique qualities species possess and why is it they evolved to have that trait. Looking toward real things is what helps me come up with fantasy worlds.

I also get inspired when I look at various art forms, such as the good stories I find in some books and the visual representations of stories I see in drawings. Film may be one of my favorite artistic mediums, because the way stories must be told in films is unique. Dialogue must be concise and purposeful as well as any narration that is included, yet the visual aids do some work as well. When I watch a good film, the different pieces of it stick with me longer than I experience with any other art form.

I am not a die-hard Studio Ghibli fan (in fact, Arrietty was the first movie I saw from that studio, and I didn't connect with it), but Spirited Away was a story that stayed with me for days, and I knew when I saw it that that was the kind of impact I wanted to have on people. I had always wanted to create that emotion in a person and do it in the same fantastic and strange way, so encountering a movie that was what I dreamed my creations would be like was an inspiring experience.

Because I love film and because I love worldbuilding and storytelling, I love the idea of having cutscenes and having a story unfold in some way in game form. That is what I intend to work into my current project.

Lastly, I am of course inspired by other games! I love interesting gameplay that makes me problem solve or pay attention to details. I love uncovering mysteries and finding hidden things. One game that I think was wonderfully done was Zelda's Majora's Mask, because it gave a world to discover beyond the main storyline.

*Throws confetti and weakly blows a party horn.*

Yippie. Let's get this party started.

On 3/9/2017 at 5:56 AM, Callum said:

so, it's all down to you guys. 

Put the pressure on the members. I like this strategy, haha.

I don't have a very active Facebook, but I'll share when we have more posts here, so anyone that stops by will see a decent amount of activity.

Welcome to the community! You seem like a very interesting person, and being dedicated to one thing for fifteen years (digital art) is a feat itself.

I hope to see some of your work around!

Honestly, I find that I force myself to complete things. I have to keep telling myself why I am doing this project and imagine the final product. When I have those things in mind, it's easier to push through. The fact is, most of the parts involved in building a game aren't fun. Aside from the idea and brainstorming process, I don't have much fun completing things. I just like the feeling of seeing things accomplished and knowing I'm one step closer. That's the plus for me.

As Digital mentioned, dedication and discipline are key factors in whether you'll see something to the end or not. Passion is important to me as well.

When I am not trying to finish a particular part of my game, I jump around a lot, so that at least I get some things done before getting exhausted mentally from boredom.

My personal trick: I spend every free moment getting a small part done for my project, and then I let myself have a few days off. Somehow this works for me, because I so dislike having things on my plate that I have to think about. It's only after they're done that I can relax, and I can appreciate those relaxation days that I give to myself.

Are there any games that have a style similar to the one you want to create? I ask because there is a wide variety of pixel art styles, with some being more complex than others. Some styles of pixel art even use brushes, so even though it appears a bit pixelated, it actually has a smoother look. Some of the basic assets for RPG Maker are an example of this. And, to add to that, some games (like: To the Moon) mix digital art backgrounds with the pixel style.

As far as tips go, It really depends on the style you're going for. With something like Undertale's style, it's important to be very particular about where every pixel ends up, because the simplicity of it and small color palette requires that the characters draw the eye of the player to them with the shapes themselves. For something like the Witch's House rpg, picking the right colors (to complement surrounding objects and to shade each item) is extremely important, because that's what gives the art the bright, colorful glow.

I always wanted to play Roller Coaster Tycoon and the Sims (I had it on the PlayStation but not the computer), and then when I had the chance to play the Sims 3 on computer, I was already an adult with less time on my hands. And I actually only spent about 30 minutes on it total, but I would have played that for hours upon hours in high school if I had it back then.

For me, Worms Armageddon wins hands down. I first played when I was about eight years old, and I never tire of it. I've played through the missions many times, and I can always find a new way to challenge myself in the freeplay mode. It's one of those games that I return to every few years and get sucked into again for a short while. I loved the whimsical style and humor.

I'm a fan of simple games with puzzle and problem solving elements or good stories. My brother gave me his Nintendo DS recently, and although I've looked up game recommendations online, I'm still looking for suggestions. The game I'm borrowing from my brother right now is Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I was also considering getting some games from the Mama series for Nintendo DS, because I can play those for a while and then give them to my daughter when she's old enough. Good educational games are also on my list.

I'm also interested in hearing what games are liked on other hand-held devices like the Gameboy or PSP. I liked Pokemon Pinball on the Gameboy, because it gave me something to do in my free time that was entertaining and didn't take too much thought when I just wanted to relax.

If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!