itch.io

 Introduction

A newly formed team of hobby game developers, including three programmers, one composer, and a game designer is looking for a pixel artist to make sprites for the opponents in a tactical combat prototype roughly based on Shining Force II (https://youtu.be/VQyRn3Y2H_M?list=PLbj-JoS2N0bQ75e5Vemaf9UHcVGQH1all&t=595). The opponents are creatures in a fantasy setting. The currently playable version of the prototype can be downloaded at https://yethwhinger.itch.io/apt.

Key Details

This project is in an early stage of development and is being worked on for fun with no plans for selling the product of this phase of development. Our team members are still exploring whether we like the project and whether we like working with one another.

Each team member is expected to contribute about 4 hours of work per week to the project. All graphics contributed are licensed under CC BY 4.0 to protect the project in case some team members decide to leave the project while others wish to continue. The target audience for the gameplay of this project is E10+, so we are avoiding age-inappropriate content, such as humans killing each other, disturbing torture, stealing, deception, blood, suggestive themes, nudity, offensive language, and the use of alcohol or tobacco.

This phase of the project requires the creation of spritesheets for 2 enemy creatures. The spritesheets will contain animations for standing, walking, attacking, magic usage, and taking damage. An example of a standing animation for this project is given below.

The game uses a pixel art style. The graphics currently being used in the prototype are incomplete but do represent the actual size of characters and terrains. Previous pixel art experience is not required for this position, but knowledge of the techniques and philosophy of pixel art is required and will need to be learned if not already possessed.

If you are interested in working on this project or would like more information before you decide, please reply to this post.

Hello, Janrock. I listened to your sample tracks, and I think you are a talented artist. I was particularly impressed by your adventure theme. However, my team's game is shooting for a different style (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive), and another composer has already expressed interest in the position. If you happen to have Plogue's chipsynth MD VST instrument and are interested in making sound and music effects, we could still use some help in that role.

Recruiting through this post has closed because the position has been filled.

Yes. I have created a single-use invite link for you to access our team's Discord server.

https://discord.gg/pReUe7UX

Thank you for the clarification of the type of projects you are seeking. I viewed the demo videos in your post and think that you are a talented artist. However, my project is an unpaid hobby project, so I would definitely understand if you would rather focus your efforts on something else. Nevertheless, in case this unpaid project might be one you would consider, I am including some details about it below.

The project is planning to use the chipsynth MD VST instrument in order to produce a player experience evocative of the Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive) era. (I have been using that instrument and like it a lot.)

I am looking for someone willing to make 2 draft songs about 1.5 minutes each released under a CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons attribution) license. One song is to be a cheerful adventure song like Zelda 1's overworld or Ocarina of Time's Hyrule Field theme (but much shorter). The other is to be a march or rock or techno battle music more intense than the adventure theme, but not so intense as to be distracting, because the game is a turn-based tactics game, not an action game. I would like to have the songs ready by the middle of June 2024. You can check out the current prototype of the project at the following link.

https://yethwhinger.itch.io/apt

This development effort is unfunded, so I would understand if you would like to decline to work on it. If it is something that you wouldn't mind working on as an unpaid hobby, though, you may reach me by sending a private message or chat request to my Reddit account through the following link.

https://www.reddit.com/r/INAT/comments/1ba4o41/hobbyunpaid_needed_2_pixel_artist...

If you are not interested, please let me know since my team is trying to finalize hobby team membership by the end of this month.

OK. Thank you for the reply.

Hello, smull_g.

Are you still looking for hobby projects? Would you be willing to work as an assistant with 2 to 4 other programmers working about 4 hours per week with C# in the MonoGame framework? If so, please check out my recruitment post at the following link and reply to it.

 https://www.reddit.com/r/INAT/comments/1blcaes/hobbyunpaid_monogame_c_programmer...

Hello, An_tone. Are you currently looking for unpaid hobby projects or for paid commercial projects? Also, would you happen to have Plogue's chipsynth MD VST instrument?

Update 3/28/2024

Recruiting through this post is no longer open.

Introduction

I have been working alone on the development of a tactical combat prototype called apt (https://yethwhinger.itch.io/apt). Movement flexibility and range are based on Tactics Ogre. Combat simplicity and turn order are based on Shining Force. Unlike Tactics Ogre and Shining Force, scenarios are intended to be small and fast, with enemies limited to 4 per scenario, and defeating all enemies being optional, as in the overworld of Zelda 1.

Thus far, I have programmed the ability for battlers to take turns using up their action points to move on the map grid and attack opponents. Character actions, such as moving, attacking, using magic, and using items, consume action points. Characters can use up the action points in any way they choose and in any order. For example, a character could move a long distance or attack twice without moving or move a short distance and then attack and then move a little more.

Having developed a tactical-combat farming prototype on my own in GameMaker before (https://yethwhinger.itch.io/uc), I know that making a full tactics game is too large of a project for a newly formed hobby game development team. Therefore, this project is designed as a short-term prototype development effort to see whether what we are working on and the process of developing it together is something we all like.

Key Details

Since we are starting this development project on April 15th, I would like to finalize our team composition by the end of this month. Each team member is expected to contribute about 4 hours of work per week to the project. All graphics contributed are licensed under CC BY 4.0. The target audience for the gameplay of this project is E10+, so we are avoiding age-inappropriate content, such as humans killing each other, disturbing torture, stealing, deception, blood, suggestive themes, nudity, offensive language, and the use of alcohol or tobacco.

This phase of the project requires the creation of spritesheets for 4 characters: 2 teenage boy player characters and 2 enemy monsters. The spritesheets will contain animations for standing, walking, attacking, magic usage, taking damage, and using items.

The game uses a pixel art style. The graphics currently being used in the prototype are incomplete but do represent the actual size of characters and terrains. Previous pixel art experience is not required for this position, but knowledge of the techniques and philosophy of pixel art is required and will need to be learned if not already possessed.

If you are interested in working on this project or would like more information before you decide, please reply to this post.

Update March 22, 2024:

Recruiting through this post is no longer open.

 Project Language: C# with MonoGame

Pixel Art Palette Restriction: 85 predefined colors

Reference Games: Shining Force/Tactics Ogre, Zelda 1

Target Audience: E10+ (avoiding age-inappropriate content, such as humans killing each other, disturbing torture, stealing, deception, blood, suggestive themes, nudity, offensive language, use of alcohol or tobacco)

Current Project Status: turn-based grid movement of animated battler sprites with attack effects

Prior Developer Projects: https://yethwhinger.itch.io

Development Goals: 2 player characters (sharing same spritesheet with palette shift), 2 enemies, 5 items, 8 terrains, 3 small scenarios, 2 songs, 5 sound effects

I have started development of a tactical combat prototype. Movement flexibility and range are based on Tactics Ogre. Combat simplicity and turn order are based on Shining Force. Unlike Tactics Ogre and Shining Force, scenarios are intended to be small and fast, with enemies limited to 4 per scenario, and defeating all enemies being optional, as in the overworld of Zelda 1.

Thus far, I have programmed the ability for battlers to take turns using up their action points to move on the map grid and attack opponents. Character actions, such as moving, attacking, using magic, and using items, consume action points. Characters can use up the action points in any way they choose and in any order. For example, a character could move a long distance or attack twice without moving or move a short distance and then attack and then move a little more.

I am recruiting for the following roles:

I am a game-development generalist and intend to fill whichever of the above 8 roles is the last remaining open. My most recent relevant experience was the development of uc, a tactical-combat farming couch co-op. uc was made using GameMaker.

The desired result of this project is a working tactical combat system that can be used by any developer and incorporated into a larger game in the future. It is not my intention to sell the direct product of this development phase, but since the code is being developed under the MIT License, anyone who obtains a copy of the code is allowed to attempt to make a marketable software product out of it. Similarly, since the graphics and sound assets developed for the project are being licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), the Creative Commons Attribution license, anyone who accesses the results of this project will be allowed to attempt to make a marketable product out of its graphics and sound assets as long as proper attribution is provided.

If you are interested in working on this project, please consider the following topics before replying to this post.

1. What do you find most exciting about working on this project?
2. What relevant projects have you contributed to previously?
3. What do you like most and least about the reference games for this project?
4. Which games contain the pixel art you admire most?

Rationale for Ceasing Recruitment through This Post

When I originally posted this notice, I was thinking of working as the programmer with a single artist for over a year to complete a small game. Since making the post, however, I realized that I would feel uncomfortable committing to working with a stranger for such a long period of time, particularly when it is a struggle for me to work on my own for such a long period of time. Therefore, I have decided to stop recruiting through this post and to make a new post that is more manageable for me and hopefully for any potential teammates, too.

Thank you for your responses to the background questions and for expressing your interest in this project. I am working on updating the Help Wanted posting with important information, including a reduction in scope and duration and specification of a start date. I will get back to you this week through Discord.

Update March 8, 2024:

Recruiting through this post is no longer open. A new post will be made containing detailed project roles and more manageable scope.

Update March 5, 2024:

Recruiting for this project is currently paused while I update this posting with critical information including a scope reduction. Please do not respond to this post at this time.

March 4, 2024, Posting:

Reference Games: Shining Force/Tactics Ogre, Zelda 1

Target Audience: E10+

Current Project Status: turn-based grid movement of animated battler sprites

Prior Developer Projects: https://yethwhinger.itch.io/

Development Goals: 2 player characters, 5 enemies, 6 items, 9 small scenarios within 20 months

I am about 20% into the development of a small prototype of a tactical adventure couch co-op game with exploration based on Zelda 1 and combat based on Tactics Ogre/Shining Force. Unlike Tactics Ogre, scenarios are intended to be small and fast, with enemies limited to 4 per scenario, and combat being optional, as in Zelda 1.

Thus far, I have programmed the ability for battlers to take turns using up their action points to move on the map grid. My next programming task is to allow characters to attack one another. Character actions, such as moving, attacking, using magic, and using items, consume action points. Characters can use up the action points in any way they choose and in any order. For example, a character could move a long distance or attack twice without moving or move a short distance and then attack and then move a little more.

I intend to contribute about 10-15 hours of programming, music, sound effect, and design work to the project per month on average going forward. I am interested in finding a pixel artist who can contribute about 10-15 hours of graphics work per month over the next 16 months to develop 7 battler sprites, 5 terrain graphics, 6 item graphics, and a title graphic using a predefined 85-color palette. I expect most of the graphics work to be focused on the battler sprites which require 2 frames per animation per direction, 4 directions, 4 animations per battler, and several extra frames, such as taking damage.

My most recent relevant experience was the development of uc, a tactical-combat farming couch co-op. uc was made using GameMaker. This project is being developed using C# and Monogame.

If you are interested in working on this project, please consider the following topics before replying to this post.

1. What do you hope to gain from working on this project?
2. What relevant projects have you contributed to previously?
3. What do you like most and least about the reference games for this project?
4. Which games contain the pixel art you admire most?

Likes

• Simplicity of background
• Size of characters
• Animation of characters
• Simplicity of gameplay
• Speed of loading and progression
• Size of play area

Suggestions

• Make background darker and less colorful. Make characters and interactive objects lighter and more colorful.
• Use less purple.
• Use a pixel font to match the graphics of the game.
• Use pixel animations for fading in and out instead of variable transparency to remain consistent with the graphical style of the game.
• Use the keyboard to advance the text so that the mouse is reserved for the seek-and-find gameplay, lest players unintentionally click something in the scene while trying to advance the text. I accidentally clicked the fireplace while trying to advance the text, thus missing out on the fun of looking in the scene for something interesting before advancing to the next scene.
• For this type of game, I would consider the choice of words essential to the fun. I would, therefore, suggest reducing the word count to those that will have the greatest positive effect. For example, the line stating, "That makes absolutely no sense," adds words that reduce instead of increasing my enjoyment.

Bugs

• If the player repeatedly clicks the fireplace during the disappearing animation, the animation retriggers, and the text can get messed up.

• The game got stuck on the following screen and could not be reloaded after I pressed "R" on one of my playthroughs.