Animation Source Forums

I will be updating this post with current news on the project. I will also update with stuff I felt I've missed. Update will appear *UPDATE*

Requesting all artists, pixel artists, designers, composers, et cetera! Help build the first online Balto game!

I'll be heading a project to design and put together a working 2D online Balto RPG. It will be a M.ulti U.ser C.hat K.ingdom called BaltoMUCK. Here's what I can tell you now:

-Gameplay will be set in Nome, 1925
-Will have text chat
-Joining is totally free
-The game will be hosted constantly
-Won't be a cakewalk to make

I would love to have the help of all the creators on this forum. The more, the better. This will not only help make this game possible, it will also give the community something to do and hopefully will make us more active in a good way. When the game is finished, it will be a fun community hub where you can play as your own character and interact with other members online.

So, are you interested? Make sure you work hard and make it presentable! It is very important you follow directions carefully so that everyone's work fits together seamlessly. Pick a job below!

Here's what I need to get done: (KEEP NOTE: I will try to incorporate everything you make into the game, but not everything may be used!)

Color Key:
It's Done!
Need it!
If it has a name next to it, it's getting done already.

ARTISTS
-Promotional Artwork (Banners, ads, anything to get the hype going...)
-Concept design (Get creative!)

SPRITE ARTISTS
-32x32 transparent .gif images of Balto characters
-32x32 transparent .gif images of fantasy characters (wolves, fursonas)
-32x32 tilesets of Nome (buildings, props, terrain)
-32x32 tilesets of indoor settings (furniture, fireplaces, etc)
-32x32 tilesets of Alaska terrain - (Lennox)

COMPOSERS
-MIDI files of Balto or Balto related (If you find these on the internet, CITE SOURCES!)
-Short .wav sounds of barks, howls, cries, etc.

DESIGNERS
-Sketches of map layouts. (What will Nome look like in the game?)
-Ideas (Share with us your vision)
-Monologue for A.I. - (Wolflux)

If you are ready to dive in then you must be committed to get it done! List what you'll be doing, don't choose too much work, there are plenty members here to help make individual pieces to the puzzle. I will keep a live update of the list and those working on specific tasks.

Either attach files to the forum, or email them to me at [email protected]
As for the coding, leave it to me. I will help anyone along the way wherever needed. If you have any questions at all, ask away!

If you have questions/comments you want to share privately, use that PM thing.

(Moderators: Feel free to move this topic, leave a carbon copy if possible.)

=================*UPDATE* 9-29-07

-Added "classes" wolves & huskies. (You get to choose or make you own character when you join the server.)
-Added chat, private & public functionality.
-Icons are now customizable. (Upload your own images!)
-Added moderator functionality. (I'll need moderators to keep the game running smoothly.)
-Added weather system. Sweet! (In Nome it'll be snowing most of the time anyway)

-Working on completing the world now.
-Working on character saving function.

=================*UPDATE* 9-30-07

-Added player avatars. (You can upload an avatar or profile picture up to 64X64)
-Added music, both indoor and outdoor.
-Boiler room added. (This is the main central hangout of Nome.)

=================*UPDATE* 10-4-07

A large amount of work has already been put into the game. The basic code is laid out. Now I'm adding features and more functionality to the game. I can easily have the first release out sooner than you think if I can get the help of talented pixel artists! How's this month sound like for a release date?

=================*UPDATE* 10-14-07

Alright, the final preparations are being made. I'm basically just waiting on resources (Which I'm working on too.) to show up.

-A.I. will be programmed...
-Character saving will be completed...
-World will be finished...
-Game will be tested over TCP/IP...
-Release!

If you're interested in helping, now is the time! Sprite artists, UNITE! I need tilesets!

Togo, you didn't sticky this? :O

Stickied.

Great idea, Lennox. What program are you using? And if the game will be compatible with RMXP maps, then I'd be glad to help you with the mapping.

Thanks for pinning this, Wolflux.

So basically what I'm using is a throw-together coding environment called BYOND. I just found it yesterday and I'm already setting the code for the overworld. It's that easy. The best part, of course, is the fact that it's completely free.

You can even download it, make maps, compile them, and send them to me.

As for the RPG Maker maps compatibility, I have no idea. There might be a way to convert them to a .dmp format, but otherwise, I'm clueless. All I can tell you is the BYOND map maker is extremely easy to use and I would greatly recommend it for anyone helping with the project.

The program also has an image and animation editor.



Not yet it ain't. But I'm glad you volunteered to help!

You use BYOND? My sister is iconing stuff for her game. I might be able to get her to help ya.
Going to try to learn how to use BYOND myself one day, but problem is that going over from Ruby to BYOND language will be hard.

Hey, I'd love to help out, I wouldn't mind being a level designer =D

Just an idea that depends really on the game's simplicity graphic-wise, but is it possible in the program you're making it in to have 3D characters in a 2D background, or vice versa?

If the characters were implemented in 3D it would be less work, I guess to have them animated smoothly plus you wouldn't need to edit each pixel on every frame if you wanted to change something. But since its on a 32x32 image it wouldn't really matter, I don't know.

From what I've observed, the game's graphic abilities are very simple. The program only excepts sprites. It can't handle models. Now, the characters can be rendered in 3D then compressed to sprites. I just think it would be much easier to have pixel artists draw wolves/huskies from scratch.

As for level designing, I'd love to see your ideas! Just draw a huge map of Nome, with places to go, things to see, and post it up! Be creative as possible. We can easily build a map from your drawings.

Basically, the main central hub, or hangout, will be Nome. There will also be out-of-town paths with trails and such for players who like to explore.



I just found it yesterday and thought I'd give it a whirl, but if your sister's making icons, maybe she could make a few for us too? XD

Most of it is just setting variables. The engine itself actually handles all of the networking. The hardest part is actually learning how to use the program itself.

Ok so what I'm getting, is that it'll be like Pokemon graphics? I just drew up one of the indoors to see if this is what it will be like. Just want to know to help set out Nome.



Aside from the normal buildings and roads, heres a few places I am planning to put in it (That's all I could think of so far, lol):
Balto's ship/boat
Other sled dog's hangout (what I drew)
Hospital boiler room
Frozen shipyard

Personally I think Nome is the most boring compared to all the other possible settings, though it's the only place that would work as a central hub.
Heres a little map of what I think would be good, but yeah, every place than Nome should be scaled down heaps so it wont take too long to travel or whatever.

The game will be similar to the earlier Pokemon games. Thanks for sketching those! They're great reference when putting together a map. It's works just like a blueprint.

This gives everyone a basic idea of how the world will be set up. There will be plenty of buildings with different purposes; things to do, people to see.

By the way, be a little careful with BYOND... My sister plays a lot of BYOND, and yesterday we discovered that when she's connected to the internet, about fifty different people logs onto her computer and does illegal stuff in her name. After a bit of research, I figured out that the files necessary for the evildoers to be able to log onto her computer had been downloaded through BYOND when she downloaded a game.
So be careful with it, and use your own server.

I have a computer I rescued from a dump that I'll be using as a server. It'll be running BaltoMUCK 24/7. And that'll be the only thing it ever sees.

BYOND makes it really easy to put malicious files in a game. Just pop it in and export it. When people create accounts to join BaltoMUCK they need to be very careful not to just go download every game they see.

I'll explain this better when it's time to host. Thanks for the heads up.

I'd be willing to help out with those sprites. I have a lot of free time on my hands, and a LOT of experience from the past few years.

I recently made up some character sprites for wolves and huskies. I forgot to cross them off the list. If you would like to draw other Balto characters, that would be awesome. I can program them to walk about Nome and talk to people.

If you could make a tileset of Alaskan terrain, that's what I really need.

If you do plan to draw these, I want to thank you in advance. It's tough work.

If I get all the resources I need, I can have the game online this month.

Assuming I have no trouble with the server.