Yes! Twilight Monk is going to be a game!!! But it’s still a long way from being done. That’s where this website is going to start getting interesting. Because I’m going to need your help and I’m going to need your permission. Your feedback will SHAPE THE GAME. That’s right… I’m going to want you to help me make this game everything you ever wanted in a side scrolling adventure title. My inspiration to begin with is to make it a Metroidvania game giving the player the ability to traverse a landscape, and backtrack to discover previously hidden paths.
I’m going to be posting updates every week to show you the latest developments, and ask for your feedback. At present, what you see in these screenshots IS a playable, but there is no combat, or AI in the enemies yet. Presently Mao can jump, run, and idle. I have the movement where I want it for now. But like I said… this is a LONG way from being a full game experience. I’m learning A LOT doing this, as I’m coding the entire thing myself AND making all of the assets.
It’s being built in HTML 5 so I should be able to post a playable test realm which I can update regularly for you to play around in (in theory). That should be ready in the coming weeks if its going to happen. If not, then I’ll have videos.
I want for you to be there, through it all. As I stumble around trying to learn things that I’ve never done before and then pull off something (hopefully) pretty damn cool. I’ve been making games for 11 years, and did comics for 9 years previous to that, but my dream was always to make indie games and indie comics.
Speaking of which… The Twilight Monk Webcomic is continuing soon as well! The script is coming along nicely, and I’ve got about 14 pages roughed out. You can expect to see new pages rolling out starting in a couple of months at the latest. In the meantime you’ll have to settle for updates on the game and new character concept art/design notes/sprite animations and other cool stuff relating to the game and its development.
Please be patient with me on this. It’s a HUGE undertaking, and I’m doing concept art for League of Legends right now also. So I’ve got my hands full! I will be very curious to read your comments on how the game looks right now. Be harsh, be critical, post paint-overs, or throw design ideas at me. I will try to incorporate everything that works within the core gameplay of the design.
-Trent
Totally wicked. I’m behind this project 110%. I still need to check out He-Man for the GBA. I’m really happy you be using all of your own Material. I know this project will be a huge success. Sprite Games For Life!
-Crowmant aka Receptacon aka Nick ^_^
In He Man on the GBA, all That I did were the rocks. By terminator 3 I was doing all of the backgrounds, but it was hard to get color in a terminator game, and still make it feel like terminator. Twilight Monk will be WAY better:)
Making a game? Cool!
I’ve made a few simple HTML5 games, no platformers though. I’m interested in seeing your process of going through it. It must be nice being able to create your own assets – my art skills are pretty much non-existent and it can be quite difficult getting the right assets for a game.
For this game, is it going to follow some of the story in the webcomic?
For some more technical things, how are you handling asset loading? I know that doing it wrong can cause a lot of problems if you have it on the web, with assets not being loaded when they are first used, etc. There are a few good ways to go about it, but I’ve seen many HTML5 games that don’t preload things properly.
I assume you are using the canvas element? Canvas is faster than using a heap of divs and you can set the ‘screen’ size in the HTML – but you shouldn’t assume that the canvas will always be the same size since clients can actually change it. (they shouldn’t but they can – one of perils of web development)
One last thing, what browsers are you testing it under, or hope to support?
Looking forward to seeing more of the game, as well as more on the comic!
You seem to know a lot about this! Presently I’m not concerning myself too much with browser support testing, or file size concerns. I’m presently planning to release it as a stand alone game through something like steam. That might change as the project develops though. Only the test pit will be played through browsers for now.
This is very cool. Looking forward to everything you bring to Twilight Monk!
Wow, that looks great! Looking forward to seeing more progress. Are you using an HTML5 game engine, like Construct 2 or something for this project?
Yep! I’m using construct 2. It’s pretty amazing!
this looks awesome. I love this style of platformer and am super excited to play it.
as an aside, being made in html5, any plans for an Android release(and iOS for those that use that sort of thing.)?
Possibly. But as I mentioned before, right now I just wanna get the gameplay to a fun enjoyable experience before deciding on platforms to bring it to.
I love the look of it so far! I would definitely play it.
That looks pretty darn awesome, if I may say so.
I’ve always thought that games were a bit of an underdeveloped art form, given how commercial its gotten. The art styles are often rather computeristic(sometimes it seems like they just tell their computer “make game!”) for my taste, but I see the marks of real “style” in what you’re doing here.
I’ve even played around with making some games of my own; and so know that you have a great deal of work to do.
I’ll be glad to see what you can pull off.
I even hope that you might have a real story for this game, though most like it lack one. But, judging by you comic, I think you’ll do well.
I do wonder, will this have the same plot as the comic?
Put all you got into, and be experimental!
(P.S. update as much as you can! I’d love to some some concept art for this and the comic! I’d also be interested in some “how you do it” shots, if you have the time)
Keep it going Trent!
Best of luck.
Thanks! I plan to incorporate some story elements from the comic, but even the Mao that you see in the screenshots is a bit older than the Mao in the comic. That’s very intentional. I’ll be posting all kinds of tutorials, and sketches for this. Stay tuned!
Awesome, I’ve wanted you to finish this game since you posted the pitch video… (however long ago that was). Platformers are my favorite, what kind of weapons and upgrades are you planning?
Also I got the book in yesterday, thanks!
I can’t believe that you remember that video! I’m planning mostly Kung fu abilities with upgrades. But also I want to have a Bo staff, and possibly… A pillar? :) there will be lots of items and power ups. I’ll post an ongoing item list as I go. Game development is tricky to plan for. Because sometimes you don’t know if you can have all of the features you want. So it’s best to plan for simple and few features, then keep adding as you go. Then go back and fix things.
Really cool – stuff looks great already. I’m going to be watching this one. Really interesting to see HTML5 taking off as a platform.
very cool! looking into what is coming down the line and look forward to helping in anyway i can!
hot damn I like the look of this already!
also: CASTLEROID
You want to make a game out of this? while a side scroller is okay…. Go for broke!!! Look at Skyrim!!! Just don’t take an arrow to the knee…
I usually don’t comment on stuff, but this looks like fun :)
I can render 3d animations &/or convert movie files to sprite-sheets, just shoot me an email.