0xFAIL Stage vote - Progress thread

[0xFAIL]

To avoid thread spam, this thread was renamed, see original post below line

ToDo list for Anna Killer Diner:
Sketch Don't have to do that (2014-12-01)
Plan stage objects (names) Done (2014-12-03)
Check typical number of tris in the other stages Done for all (2014-12-09)
Check typical amount of texture space in the other stages Done, enough for an estimate (2014-12-09)
Plan stage objects (level of detail ==> 3D or just planes) Done (2014-12-03)
Add tex budget for stage Done (2014-12-09)
Add tri budget for each object Done (2014-12-03)
Make blender camera for preview Done some time ago (2014-12-20)
Make simple models Done (2014-12-23)
Make models Done (2014-12-31)
Make UV map for models (2015-06-01)
Paint rough details (2015-06-01)
Plan animations
Write .lvl Done (2014-12-09)

Release 1

Plan music
Plan characters standing around
Add small details (reflections/cracks in the wall/...)
Add constant stage animations (flowing water/blinking lights/...)
Add .lvl lights
Make video on how to overwrite an existing stage

Release 2

Any effects possible with vertex colors/alpha? (Yes)
Add stage animations (stage movement on heavy hit/...)
Conjure static characters out of thin air (draw them, yay, drawing humans) NOPE, rip sprites from game

Release 3

Change parts depending on feedback
Add music
Add animations for static characters

Release 4


Final release
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
OLD POST
Next weekend (emphasis on the "end") the next SkullMod release will include a Blender plugin for importing stages
The export plugin will need some more time but will be released alongside the stage.
Release = you have to apply it yourself via SkullMod
You get to choose which stage.

The vote starts tomorrow (sunday) and lasts one week (watch out for a new thread tomorrow)
Anna Killer Diner won, Aeon's Clock Tower is second
Both will be done

The two top stages of this vote will face off again (alongside with rough sketches of what they will look like)
-Small change of plans, the old stages seem to be liked way more,
second vote will deceide which one of them will make it

So what's your job in this thread?
Read the descriptions and write feedback:
What should be added/removed to/from the stages (please no new stage ideas, these 4 are enough)
Your thoughts and feedback will be added to the descriptions of the stages.


Salt(y) Mines
Deep deep underground
Final Destination of all bitter tears shed after losing the tenth time in a row.
Rumor says there is lab full of unused characters somewhere in the mines...
A dark and gloomy stage with a waterfall, a small pond to the right and a big gate
to an unknown lab on the left. You can see various background characters swinging
pickaxes to obtain Saltium, a rare salt, said to fetch a nice price around the black
markets of canopy. Near the gate a few characters from the indiegogo character voting page
are scattered around.

A cold winter morning
A frozen lake, warm beverages, happy faces and a giant monster that just broke
through the ice in the middle of the lake. Lovely.
Snow everywhere, a wooden cabin on the right side alongside a few trees
The center of the stage shows a big lake with a monster in the middle,
a few confused people scattered around the lake.
On the left there is a small stand selling hot beverages.

Aeons Clock Tower
Many moving gears, pointless automatons and a big hourglass in the middle
Includes big scissors for added horror appeal (it's a clock tower after all!)
An old fashined clock tower made out of stone and wood with many moving
gears and all the magic equipment Aeon has.
The stage is in the top part of the tower, right behind the clock face.
Did I mention gears are everywhere?

2006 called, they want their stage back - Anna Killer diner
The cheap happy end: Everybody gets along, everybody comes back to life
and fighting is just for fun. They meet up at the Anna Killer diner. Roll credits.
Based on a screenshot I found when searching a bit around for old SkullGirls stuff.
According to the the site it's from 2006
A revival of this stage:

 

[Flotilla]

I'm curious; are you going to be making the winning concept? Clock Tower sounds REALLY ambitious.

I'm gonna vote for Anna Killer, since it's pretty, fits the theme, and would probably make a nice example for a more indepth SkullMod tutorial covering lvlEdit.

 

[0xFAIL]

I'm curious; are you going to be making the winning concept?

Jup.

make a nice example for a more indepth SkullMod tutorial covering lvlEdit.

It's more about Blender and less about lvlEdit, a heavy GUI app takes too much time to program

 

[No longer exist]

So I don't understand, the blender option lets you import? Like give the stage it's own slot instead of editing another stage?

Also Aeons tower sounds badass.

 

[0xFAIL]

So I don't understand, the blender option lets you import? Like give the stage it's own slot instead of editing another stage?

Blender is 3d modeling software. http://www.blender.org/
I just write a plugin for it to load stages directly
You still have to replace one of the existing stages after exporting it from blender.
Think of it as heavily editing an existing stage.

 

[SkullMan]

All of those choices are tearing me apart, but if I had to choose, it would be Aeon's Clock Tower and Winter Morning.

 

[DDB]

I must say

I do not approve of a stage called Anna Killer.

 

[FunkyHellboy]

For me I want a cold winter's morning
I love winter themes

 

[No longer exist]

Blender is 3d modeling software. http://www.blender.org/
I just write a plugin for it to load stages directly
You still have to replace one of the existing stages after exporting it from blender.
Think of it as heavily editing an existing stage.

That makes sense! Man I wouldn't be able to use that cause I know shit about 3D modeling haha

 

[JinKazama'94]

Oh cool! Were finally able to make stages now!

 

[0xFAIL]

Updated first post with all the new stuff, go read it

 

[Cawtime]

I'm excited to see the progress pics!

 

[Cellsai]

Great to see how precise you are in outlining all the steps you're taking with this! I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out!

 

[0xFAIL]

Images below
For details see first post

Spoiler

Grouped and set tri budgets
Click for full images

 

[0xFAIL]

Some progress, models just for proportion

Ever tried learning Blender?
Hard but rewarding

Working with a forced perspective (or whatever it's called) is quite hard
The size is always different from what you think it should be

See spoiler of last post

 

[Flotilla]

Looks like it's coming along nicely, happy to see it finally being realized in Blender.

 

[0xFAIL]

Holiday break is over.

"Learning to draw takes more time than learning a new programming language.
It probably isn't worth it."
-0xFAIL, a few years ago

I regret that.

Happy new year.

Made with Super Watercolor Wonderland Maker(tm) aka Black Ink

Blendering (will find it's way into the guide thread when it's polished)
Extract
levels.gfs
levels-textures.gfs

Copy "textures" directory from "levels-textures\temp\levels\textures" to "levels\temp\levels\textures"

Get Blender
http://www.blender.org/download/

Install Blender plugin
See attachement or github
Blender -> File -> User preferences -> Addons -> Install from file... -> Select the .zip file ->
Tick the box on the right side of the addon (enabling it)

If you save your user preferences it should be loaded every time blenders starts,
if not you have to repeat the last step.

Import
Blender -> File -> Import -> SkullGirls Stage (.lvl) -> Select one .lvl file in "levels\temp\levels"


Exporting stuff: next time

 

[SkullMan]

Which box are you referring to after user preferences?

 

[0xFAIL]

@SkullMan: See blue circle

 

[SkullMan]

That helped, but I think I came across a new problem:

Spoiler

I am not sure if I select the right file type for it. I selected Little Innsmouth (Day). By the way, thanks as always for helping me out.

 

[0xFAIL]

Error message

Copy "textures" directory from "levels-textures\temp\levels\textures" to "levels\temp\levels\textures"

"levels\temp\levels\textures" should contain many dds files not another folder named "textures",
according to the error message the texture could not be found

 

[SkullMan]

Thanks again for that! I open the Gehenna level file. That is kind of like a draft of it, right?

Spoiler

 

[ArgonBern]

I know you're working on Anna Killer right now but for Aeon's Clocktower this music could work

One step at a time though! Good luck with the Anna Killer stage!

 

[0xFAIL]

Many months later

Want anything to be changed?

Textures: levels-textures\temp\levels\textures
Stagedata: levels\temp\levels\class_notes_3d


I could use some help with the textures
If somebody wants to help: PM me

Edit: Added the outlines for the shapes

 

[ArgonBern]

well damn it's coming along pretty damn good!
Of course it's missing the textures but that's a lot of progress!

 

[JinKazama'94]

Wow... This is a lot of effort your putting into this, man I hope you can pick up someone nice here to help you with the textures.

 

[Cellsai]

I'd be all over helping with textures, but my laptop is currently very very broken. :/
Good luck with it! Looks great so far!

 

[ArgonBern]

Not bad, although it makes me kind of nostalgic about 2006

 

[JinKazama'94]

OOOOH nice

 

[No longer exist]

So was this stage actually finished? I kinda wanna use it, but wasn't sure what the status of it was.

 

[Fizzxwizz]

So was this stage actually finished? I kinda wanna use it, but wasn't sure what the status of it was.

Yeah, Owellgi's version above is pretty much complete unless theres something 0xfail has been dying to add for a while.

 

[Ninja]

Yeah, Owellgi's version above is pretty much complete unless theres something 0xfail has been dying to add for a while.

i think he wanted to add in some objects that interacted with what could go on during a fight and some NPCs... other than that maybe some lighting things. Either way it's a good stage to just get right now.

 

[No longer exist]

Ah okay cool. Thanks guys.

Hopefully Aeons Tower is next ;w;