I'm like the rest of you -- I'd love to make a Coldstone game, I've got my head chock full of ideas...but I don't have the graphics. Hell, I came closer than a good deal of you have -- I actually had an artist, but that didn't work out. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of only using the graphics library that comes with Coldstone. I just see too many difficulties in trying to get graphics done by myself or by someone I enlist.

First off, it's incredibly difficult to find a talented artist. Next off, it's even harder to find an artist that is willing to work with you. After that, it's hard to make sure the project keeps moving. If I wanted to do graphics myself -- sorry, it's just out of the question. Learning how to do high quality graphics would simply take too much time. It's not an option, at this point in my life.

It all comes down to the graphics library that comes with Coldstone -- I'm going to be relying on it. I'm going to need a wide variety of items in the graphics library, or I won't get my project off the ground.

So here's the question this whole post was about:

Once you consider all the facts, what percentage chance is there that you will have to rely on Coldstone's graphics library?

For me, it's 99%.

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Fortress of Die Nacht: An upcoming game from Aviary Productions.
(url="http://"http://www.aviaryproductions.f2s.com/downloads.html")Go take a look!(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by theGlueBubble:
**I'm like the rest of you -- I'd love to make a Coldstone game, I've got my head chock full of ideas...but I don't have the graphics. Hell, I came closer than a good deal of you have -- I actually had an artist, but that didn't work out. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of only using the graphics library that comes with Coldstone. I just see too many difficulties in trying to get graphics done by myself or by someone I enlist.

First off, it's incredibly difficult to find a talented artist. Next off, it's even harder to find an artist that is willing to work with you. After that, it's hard to make sure the project keeps moving. If I wanted to do graphics myself -- sorry, it's just out of the question. Learning how to do high quality graphics would simply take too much time. It's not an option, at this point in my life.

It all comes down to the graphics library that comes with Coldstone -- I'm going to be relying on it. I'm going to need a wide variety of items in the graphics library, or I won't get my project off the ground.

So here's the question this whole post was about:

Once you consider all the facts, what percentage chance is there that you will have to rely on Coldstone's graphics library?

For me, it's 99%.

**

Most likely 85.9%..

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Enie menie minie
moe... Oh, why not just
kill all of them.

mabe about 50-60%
Useing already made 32x32 sprites, its realy easy to use one as a base and edit it to make my own character.
Then for land scapes, the more already made the better. Means I may not have to edit it much, and it only leaves specialized objects to be made by me.

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|(url="http://"http://www.macgamefiles.com/")Mac Game Files(/url)|(url="http://"http://www.insidemacgames.com")Inside Mac Games(/url)

0%.

I make my living as an artist (including game art). Currently I work with a game designer and a Shockwave programmer; I see Coldstone as a way to get into creating my own games without having to learn Director for real.

Additionally, a friend of mine has a fairly successful board game company; he's been unwilling to make the jump into computer games because of the expertise necessary to write a game engine. I'm hoping CGE will ease that transition (and again, I'd do the art).

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marc siry
century city, usa

Actually, my dependance on the CS graphics library deponds upon the contents of the library, and not my skills, since I already have a set of sprites for my player's character as well as a few NPC sprites, and about 100 or so townspeople sprites already ready to use.

But, I would have to say around 45%, which would most likely be terrain rather then characters/creatures.

0%

but then again, you were probably expecting to hear that from me.

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People who claim the sky is falling obviously aren't aware the earth is falling, too.
--
"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" --Benjamin Franklin.

110%
I have very little graphical skill so I'm not going to bother with my own graphics when whatever comes with Coldstone will be infinitely better than what I could do. I can spend the time it would take messing with graphics to further improve my characters and story, which is my major strong point.

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Money is not the root of all evil, Jar Jar Binks is.

Well, unless anyone here wants to collaborate on art with me, then it'll be 99-100%. I reall can't do art, either computer or 'real life'.

Quote

Originally posted by marcsiry:
I see Coldstone as a way to get into creating my own games without having to learn Director for real.

I'd recommend learning Director anyway, whether you do or don't use Coldstone. It's both incredibly powerful and a great deal of fun to use, so go for it!

-Andiyar

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"Any good that I may do here, let me do now, for I may not pass this way again"

100% Heck, I can barely write my name. How would I draw a picture?

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ColdStoner

O%. I do all the hard stuff myself

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My new site go now,
(url="http://"mailto:ill_a_nois@yahoo.com")mailto:ill_a_nois@yahoo.com(/url)ill_a_nois@yahoo.com

25%

We'll be using much of Coldstone's environment graphics but altering and customizing them. All character graphics and effects will be taken care of by our artist/animator.

Did I detect some shame in some of you who will be relying 100% on Coldstones graphics? For goodness sake, go for it. Not everyone has a team, or the time. Spend your energy on the areas you're strong in and let the package do its job on the rest. I'm playing EVERYONE's games when they come out, I don't care if the main character is a two pixel Atariesque blob.

myshkyn

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"I'll give the fans just what they want, and nothing else at all."

Quote

Originally posted by myshkyn:
**I'm playing EVERYONE's games when they come out, I don't care if the main character is a two pixel Atariesque blob.

myshkyn

**

Thatta boy! I like your spirit!

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Fortress of Die Nacht: An upcoming game from Aviary Productions.
(url="http://"http://www.aviaryproductions.f2s.com/downloads.html")Go take a look!(/url)

I will almost definitely use the terrain provided by Coldstone.
there's about a 50% chance I'll use Coldstone's Characters

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I'm just your average run-of-the-mill demon possessed, bloodsucking, headhunting, cold-blooded, hot-headed, pyromaniac.
My name is Legion, for we are many.

I too will be using mostly just a little bit of scenery from CGE's library, and perhaps some ground tiles too. But since I am going to art school, and since I'm an artist (go figure!?) I'll be creating most everything myself, which will probably be very time consuming, and I really can't wait to begin...now if CGE would be released right now....

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-Bratt99
Liquid Squid
ProductionsŠ
e-mail: moocowgame@aol.com

Has Ambrosia or Beenox published any specifications for the artwork (background tiles and/or characters)? If they did, people could start working on the artwork confident that it will work with the engine, and it might keep people busy enough to quit bugging Ambrosia

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marc siry
century city, usa

Not necessarily, all you have to worry about is getting your scenery to match your characters, and making them all work at all. Coldstone can use just about everything that you can dish out from what I heard.
Me, 0.00%

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Character graphics - 5%
You've already seen my first preliminary set of character graphics if you watch the CS Image Gallery - it's a time-consuming way to make graphics, but it's kinda fun. If I'm gonna make a game at all with Coldstone, I'll probably be using my character graphics. And, being hand-drawn, my graphics are too visually different to blend properly with any of Coldstone's PoG-style, rendered graphics.

Scenery graphics - 50%, say
Again, it's a question of graphics style. My character graphics might work with CS's rendered backgrounds, or they might not. Even if they don't, I might try some tricks with Photoshop and the "Posterize" command to save a bit of work. It just really depends.

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Sometimes I think we're alone.
Sometimes I think we're not.
In either case, the thought is quite staggering.
--R. Buckminster Fuller

0%

I have the tools and I know the trade. I guess I'm just lacking on time right now. Still: either I'll make my own graphics or I won't make a game. I really don't like the PoG set, and I haven't exactly been knocked out of my socks by any of the new tilesets either. I know for a lot of people it's going to be 100% OK to use the built-in tiles set, but I won't be satisfied with myself unless my art matches my story.

Quote

Originally posted by marcsiry:
**I see Coldstone as a way to get into creating my own games without having to learn Director for real.
**

eh, you couldn't really make a game of any great size with Director anyway. you're better off with CS.

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Do not follow me for I may not lead. Do not lead for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone.
-Jedi

Quote

eh, you couldn't really make a game of any great size with Director anyway. you're better off with CS.

You'd be surprised. It depends on the scope of the game, and what you're trying to accomplish.

A couple of years back, I was lead artist for several Barbie CD titles published by Mattel Media, and a contributing artist on many others. A good portion of those games were authored 100% in Director.

The media company I work for now has a website with >40 Shockwave games on it. Many of these games approximates an NES game in terms of complexity, and surpasses them in terms of graphic quality. We just finished an Asteroids clone that has similar characteristics to Maelstrom- special weapon powerups, etc.

All authored in Director. Of course, Shockwave is intended for delivery in a browser, and that limits a lot of what you can do- no game saving on the client side, etc.

That aside, it looks like CS is going to be just the ticket for rapid development, since the objects will already be defined- we'll just have to supply the attributes and the "chrome"

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marc siry
century city, usa

80 - 90 %

I will probably draw my own splashscreens, and the like. But I have no experience with making sprites or objects. If anyone knows an easy way to make them, I'm all ears.
I would realy like to make my own charecters.

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"Dont be angry, not everyone can be as cool as me."
" "Genghis Khan," he said, "you are a wanker; you are a tosspot; you are a very tiny piece of turd. Thank you." With that he retreated into his ship and flew off.
The was a nasty kind of silence.
Later that year Genghis Khan stormed into Europe in such a rage that he almost forgot to burn down Asia before he left." Douglas Adams