The video framerate is even so low that I think this qualifies to be a series of still screenshots (at horrible quality). Jokes aside, I am in the understanding that the rules are in place to specifically disqualify posts like: So basically, posts which just tell of an idea, and then show no actual progress or effort put into it. While I am not going to comment on the amount of effort put into this hack, there is clear proof its an actual thing.
Alright, alright, alright. I get it, I suck. There's nothing to make it diverse and nothing to make me proud of my project. Using ESE2 and Sonik Sprite was probably NOT the way to go. My palette choice is absolute crap, the level was thrown together in 20 minutes, and I didn't make music as promised. Please, I know there are flaws, but these builds are probably going to be NOTHING like the final version. And as for my recorder, my computer sucks worse than build 1 of the hack, it's 32 bit and runs on Vista. Lastly, I would have provided a download, but I'm not sure how to make links to get a copy of "Void Is Stupid Because His 2ND Project Can't Compare To Sonic Magamix: Attempting To Be Spooky Edition".
You are overreacting. We here aren't providing criticism to be demeaning. Please don't take it all as an attack against you, because it's not. We WANT you to improve your skills. I know criticism isn't always easy to take, but please do listen to us, because it can help you to become better in your skills. We point out the flaws so that you know what to avoid the next time around. And do note we are not expecting you to immediately become an amazing hacker in a day. It generally takes time to improve. In fact, I know NO ONE who did so. We all had to start at square one and graudally improve over time, and we all are still doing trying to get better every day! You just have to practice, keep trying, and learn from your mistakes. This can really be applied to ANY skill, really. So please, don't take offense when we point out flaws, but see it as a way to improve and avoid making the same flaws in future projects.
Ho boy. Everyone sucks starting out, famalam. Heck, some folks start out worse than sucking, and run headstrong into stolen content territory, and think nothing of it. Where we start out shouldn't define us. What we do from our beginning should. All of these just tells me you shouldn't have shown this thing off in such a state, and that you know this fact yourself. You come in with a half-baked hack, with nothing unique or interesting about it, and you get some smack about it. What did you honestly expect to happen? That we'd give you a nice pat on the back because you're new to the game? That's not how this scene works, unfortunately. That's not how any scene works, really. We're trying to help you here, mate. I'm positive none of us want to crush your mojo before you even get started. But you have to understand that this thing is subpar. You have to understand that you've gotta move on from this. At the very least, you understand exactly what people dislike about your hack, which is more than a good chunk of folks who come here can claim. Don't take the critique so personally. We're not out to get you, we're trying to guide your path. Everyone here has been polite and to the point with their critique. There's no need to take it to heart. No one is saying you're have to be up to Megamix's par on hack two. Heck, no one's saying you even have to be good on hack two. But they're saying what you've put out simply isn't good. Again, we're trying to prod you in the right direction. We're trying to help newbies hit the bar that Megamix has set. But you being stubborn and close-minded doesn't help us do that. And really, all you've done is put yourself in a negative light in the eyes of both the community, and the staff. I hope you can move on from this little outburst mate. And I hope you become a better hacker because of this.
I'm sorry, I really want to set higher standards and meet expectations the community wants. But I'm limited tech-wise. And as for the fact that my negativity is present is simply do to mental health issues, it's a long story for another day, though. Now I'm not sure if build 3 should even be presented, let alone conceived. I want to establish amazing feats, but if that involves skills beyond my comprehension and my computers processing power, well I'm just going to have to stick to my little palette and level hacks. Maybe, if we all start with small bits of criticism such as "Oh, I'd recommend branching the level off into 2 sections at this point..." and "Hey, this color really bothers me, how about trying a lighter shade?" then I can take it all in and evolve it into a project you would actually enjoy. But instantly shooting me down with things like "Really? Another lame ass palette change of Sonic 1? Come back when you've memorized all the hexadecimal addresses and values in the code." IS NOT going to help, it just makes me want to cry, because of something I'm trying for the first time is considered pathetic among the community. And as mentioned before, tell me what I'm doing wrong and how I should fix it. Don't just tell me that the hack is doomed to burn in hell because the clouds don't smoothly transition form red to white! All right, this a new fresh slate, an optimistic Void willing to take in suggestions, my hack is very basic and disappointing. How do I fix it?
I never said "come back when you've memorized all the hexadecimal addresses and values in the code" or that your hack is completely "doomed" over the palette not being as good as it can be. (Though, I did express disappointment in it being just a palette swap hack at the time). I'm not one who wants to just play a Sonic game with different aesthetics and nothing else modified. I'd like to see some sort of gameplay change along with it, too, which can be as simple as a different level layout. I can still enjoy a hack if it has good level design even if it's still Green Hill Zone. If my wording seemed offensive in my initial post, then I apologize, that's my fault. I was never good at putting my thoughts into words, and I was probably having a shit day at the time, so my bad mood probably leaked into the post a bit. I "try" not to seem arrogant and/or offensive, but sometimes I do let that happen, so sorry for that =S
Alright, time for a bit of Lazzie magic... First, let's cover your project. You want to know how to get better? There's a whole wealth of information available for that all over the place with just a bit of time invested. For instance, here's something you should read regarding layouts: http://sonicresearch.org/community/...es-terrible-guide-to-sonic-level-design.4797/ Seriously, read it. Unlimited Tree has displayed quite an interesting knack for layout design, and the advice he gives there is echoed by people who have been doing this stuff for years. And that's just one resource. There's an entire section of the board full of stuff just like it. http://sonicresearch.org/community/index.php?forums/tutorials.60/ And that's just a starting point. But that's no means the end of it. Don't be afraid to ask questions, so long as you put in some effort to find the answer yourself. If you're trying and failing, that's one thing. If you're asking for someone else to do the work for you before you even try, that's a different ballgame entirely. Show that you are trying to learn, that you want to learn, and that you just need help connecting those dots to complete the process. There's so, so much that you can learn by not being afraid to blow things up, break things, and build them all over again. The whole trick about all of this is trying to figure out how to best-absorb all the material, understand it, and apply it in ways that entertain not only yourself, but your audience. And on that note, don't feel pressure to make releases on a timeframe. Honestly. This is supposed to be a hobby, not a professional gig. Don't push yourself to make ROM releases for every few changes, but instead work hard on it, polish it, release test builds if you feel like you have some material that needs public testing, but otherwise, don't make major build releases unless you're ready for the product to be judged in full. Show screenshots, show videos, show off audio, but don't go handing out builds like candy. Make build releases meaningful, and show that you have integrity and passion behind those builds. Also, criticism. There's been a fair bit of criticism laid out that is detailed and plenty valid. Don't be afraid of criticism, and don't take it as a personal attack, as that's not the intent at all. Sometimes we come off razor-sharp in tongue, but our goal is the same as yours: To get the best-quality product produced. We know our tastes, and we like to voice them. You don't have to listen to all criticism (it's impossible to please everyone, don't even try that), but you need to hone in on the criticism that really informationally details what your flaws are and what you need to work on. Will you probably stumble a bunch more times? Sure. But we all do it. We didn't just roll out of bed and suddenly become amazing. We started from the bottom, and we used information just like what I've provided here and grew, and learned. Don't be afraid to learn, and don't be afraid of criticism. Embrace it. Don't fight it; ride it. Take the criticism as stepping stones to elevate your skills and become something much better than you are now. It's a long way up, but the journey's half the fun. As for your comment on computing power, I take a bit of personal issue to that, mostly because it's just plain untrue. Disassemblies and the tools to go with them work just fine on computers from ten years ago or more. There's not a lot you'll find that won't. If you do, we'd love to hear the issues, as it's likely they're fixable. Your computer's capabilities aren't limiting what you can do at all. You are. Want proof? Here's a bit of personal inspiration that got me motivated back in the mid-2000's to pick up hacking: https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_2_Long_Version This hack? Wasn't written with a disassembly. Was written before disassemblies were really even a thing. Was written on a Mac, in a time when *none* of the tools were available for Mac and all that could be done is hex hacking. Its last release was 2004. The limits of what you can do have nothing to do at all with your computer. They have only to do with you, and your own mind. You want to make something amazing? Put your mind to it, take all this advice and more, put it to use, and make it happen. Utilize the tools and the information available, and make something amazing. Is it a quick process? No. We're not asking for quick. We're asking for passion. For hunger. For desire. We want you to want to make the best you can, and to not settle for less, ever. To take hold of opportunities to learn and extend your knowledge, and to grow to eventually be able to do something amazing. Don't fight us. Embrace us. We want you to get better, even if we're sometimes rough in how we express it. We're not out here for malice. We're here to help you get better, so please, don't fight us. Listen. Learn. Grow. You do that, and there's nothing stopping you from pulling off amazing work in the future.
To add to what Lazzie said; The way I am here now, a Retro techie, a part of the community for years, some who nearly everyone knows, is nothing but simple. I too started as someone with very little knowledge, using ESEII for hacking. Couldn't take criticism or do a hack even if my life depended on it. I got banned like a week after joining here for lacking English skills and frankly braindead posts. I eventually started using disassemblies, learning coding, level design, and art. I was so sure of my skills. I came back here, posted my hack, and everyone hated it. Because of using stolen content, being an idiot and not quite understanding it, I got swiftly banned. So, how am I here? I realized the power of taking in criticism, and that I had to also critically evaluate what I am doing. After few years of practicing and becoming good at my craft, I got accepted back here. Ever since, Ive kept improving and hanging around IRC and Discord, having fun and enjoying my time. The point of that ramble is, that to get good at what you are doing, no matter what it is, is hard work, accepting criticism, and critically evaluating your own work. People here appreciate putting effort into your work, and 20 minutes in ESEII is hardly effort by our standards.
I'll quickly drop in a small thing I want to add: No matter what you're doing, whenever you start off it'll probably be shit. So practise, and you'll get better over time. If you need someone to show your work to, I think plenty here will be willing to message with you on something like Discord and show you the right way to go with hacks or the right tools to use.
Alright then. Here is my plan for build 3 on wards for SHA, thanks to your suggestions; Rather than being developed in ESEII and Sonik Sprite, I will use a disassembly. I would like to add new music, but I'm no Masato Nakamura, so I might need help making it, implementing it will be my task however. I'll read the level tutorial provided, then make a demo stage and allow for others to play it. And lastly, I have to make a good palette, one that get's the feel of Halloween just right, but not overshooting and making it a poor attempt of 'scary'. Also, I should probably get some footage of other stages than just Green Hill.
I'm guessing that in later builds of the hack, he'll change the music. But I still agree, it does remove some of the spookiness.
That's a pretty fair assumption to make, given that he literally said he was gonna change the music in his last post.
Alright, I'm working with a disassembly. This is a VERY incomplete build, but I just wanted to show you guys that I'm not being lazy and sticking to ESEII. So yes, I would agree this build sucks, but it's nowhere near done, the Spin Dash isn't even complete yet. First, it uses the wrong sounds when charging. And secondly, I haven't ported Spin Dash sprites yet. Lastly, there are still a few bugs with the Spin Dash itself, such as getting hurt by enemies while charging. But it is playable using the SD, I have the camera fixed, in case of situations of travelling downwards quickly (GHZ Tubes) So, no cheap deaths.
You need to fix your videos. Use Kega Fusion's AVI dump function and import that video into VirtualDub with the x264vfw codec.
