Probably asked a billion times in the past, but search didn't show anything meaningful... so...

What are the limitations on sprite and background pixel dimensions? How big and how small can they be? Do they have to be in multiples of 8 (8x8, 16x16,... 256x256)?

Also, is there a page on the site that lists information about:

parallax scrolling (is there any in this engine?)
foreground tiles
transparency (1 bit or 8 bit?)
graphics color levels (8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit?)

Basically, I just would like the low-down on the graphics... what's available and what are the specifics.

Thank you!

I'm not sure what you mean by "background pixel dimensions", but I suppose you mean ground tiles. As far as I know, these can be of any size, but it would be best to have your movement tiles be 32x32 pixels and the ground tiles 32x32, 64x64, 96x96, 128x128, etc. I use 256x256 ground tiles and it works just fine.

I have no clue what parallax scrolling is so I can't help you with that.

There are several layers in coldstone, so you won't have to use only tiles. Your stamps (which are placed in the layers) can be of any size but if they are too large it might slow the game down a bit so it would be wise to cut them into smaller pieces if they're enormous. The layers below "Player" in the layer list will be above him, the ones above will be below him. The layer just below "Player" can be both below and above and is useful for trees and the like (which you can be in front of and behind).

Transparency can be used, however it won't look right in the editor but in the game it looks fine.

As far as I know, only 16 bit graphics can be used. You can use pct, png, jpg and bmp for pictures I believe, but pct and png are the best to use.

Good luck.

Cool, thanks.

More questions

1. How big can a map be (in pixels)?
2. Parallax scrolling is when the foreground layers scroll across the screen (as your player is moving) faster than the middleground layers, and the background layers move even slower. It's typically used in side scrolling platform games as a way to simulate 3d perspective.
3. Is there 8-bit alpha transparency? Meaning, things can be partially transparent at varying levels. You can get faded clouds and fog rolling over top of your player, etc.
4. Are there any limits on player size (in pixels)?
5. Can bad guys be placed in the foreground layer, "above" the player? Imagine a bad guy flying above you, dropping bombs on you...

I'm asking these specific questions because I want to start working on my game (doing the art) and... since the continued development of Coldstone is somewhat unknown at this point, I need to make sure my graphics work in other game engines, if, god forbid, Coldstone doesn't "happen".

This post has been edited by thumbprint : 07 April 2006 - 09:13 AM

@thumbprint, on Apr 7 2006, 04:06 PM, said in graphics questions:

1. How big can a map be (in pixels)?

Any size I guess, but keep in mind that if they're too big it will take a while to load them and the game might also run slower.

@thumbprint, on Apr 7 2006, 04:06 PM, said in graphics questions:

2. Parallax scrolling is when the foreground layers scroll across the screen (as your player is moving) faster than the middleground layers, and the background layers move even slower. It's typically used in side scrolling platform games as a way to simulate 3d perspective.

Nope, you can't do that.

@thumbprint, on Apr 7 2006, 04:06 PM, said in graphics questions:

3. Is there 8-bit alpha transparency? Meaning, things can be partially transparent at varying levels. You can get faded clouds and fog rolling over top of your player, etc.

I've made a few graphics with "faded" edges and such, it works but if you use it for an NPC it looks strange when they die.

@thumbprint, on Apr 7 2006, 04:06 PM, said in graphics questions:

4. Are there any limits on player size (in pixels)?

I don't think so, but if you make the player enormous it might look odd as he would still only be on one movement tile. NPCs running around behind you and the like...

@thumbprint, on Apr 7 2006, 04:06 PM, said in graphics questions:

5. Can bad guys be placed in the foreground layer, "above" the player? Imagine a bad guy flying above you, dropping bombs on you...

Naw, all NPCs are placed in the same layer as the player.

map pixel size:

My movement tiles are 30 x 30 pixels. My maps of the "exterior world" are 150 x 150 movement tiles. I'm math illiterate so you do the math. My maps are very, very detailed. But I tried to make my graphics in the map as small as possible. The thing to think about this is the loading time. Make detailed maps any larger and the client will become too impatient. So bigger maps with little detail and reasonably sized graphics will load okay.

Dropping bombs:

A combination of closing access tiles and weaponry will do the trick. I have rolling boulders that fall from the sky straight down and it works. I also have shooters that track the Player from above and that works, too.

Debra, that's 4500 x 4500 pixels

@shamannils, on Apr 7 2006, 11:29 AM, said in graphics questions:

A combination of closing access tiles and weaponry will do the trick. I have rolling boulders that fall from the sky straight down and it works. I also have shooters that track the Player from above and that works, too.

Sweet! That's pretty much the basic idea I have What do you mean by "closing access tiles"? Can yo give a little detail on how you accomplished it?

This post has been edited by thumbprint : 07 April 2006 - 10:50 AM

In Coldstone's best known game, Pillars of Garendall, the outdoor maps are 200 x 200 movement tiles and each tile is 32 x 32 pixels. That's 6400 x 6400 pixels. If you make a game with a map larger than 440 movement tiles in either direction the maps will not draw correctly. That would give you up to 14080 x 14080 pixels if your movement tiles were "standard."

I would suggest that you stay well under that to keep you maps from taking forever to load.

In your map window, there's "access" that turns any movement tile red that you do not want the Player to be able to walk on. So it blocks movement. If you have a line of red access tiles across the width of the map, but the map is open at the top and the bottom, then you place the Player in the bottom open space and the NPC at the top open space, they can't cross into each other's space. You can make that line of red tiles as wide as you need so they can't actually hit each other except with range weapons. So you can have your NPC at the top and shoot at the Player. See? (I hope.) Make the NPC graphic with wings and it'll look like it's flying over the Player and dropping bombs.