Random hack/Mini project thread

For a start, you are using object 44 wrong. There's also quite a bit of cut-off in places where chunks don't connect properly.

Check out this thread for more information on how to use them effectively: http://sonicresearch.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2915

I also see that your lamp post doesn't work. Change the sub id to something other than 00 to make it work.

It's not a bad start, although there's some questionable design choices in places and much of the original layout is still there, which makes it hard to tell what's yours and what isn't.

 

Time for another level test but this time I have added art. GHZ1 has been edited from start to end and the sign post is fixed. There is now another problem though. Object 44 does not work altogether. You can walk through object 44 without being stopped causing some deaths if you don't know what to do. If anyone knows how to fix this please tell me. With that out of the way, Here is the download. https://www.dropbox.com/s/vkz3pevf8k3ovno/Sonic%20PS%20%28Very%20early%20Version%29.zip?dl=0

I want to add that this is not a layout test but more of a level test now so feel free to judge the whole GHZ 1 edit and not just the layout.

 

Object 44 is solid or not depending on it's sub id. As explained in the thread I linked previously, Object 44 has 3 variants (00 - top-left corner, 01 - left wall, 02 - right wall) that are used for different scenarios but they can also be solid or non-solid, depending on the sub id.

For example, 44 00 is a top-left corner piece with solidity, 44 12 is a right wall piece with no solidity. If you change it from 0X to 1X, you change the solidity on the object.

As for the improvements:

I'm not a fan of the new palette. The shading has been affected, for the worse, and it's unpleasant to look at. The lamp post still didn't work the first time I came across it, which was odd. There's still some odd object placement in areas. I'd recommend using the snap-to-grid feature in your favourite level editor to ensure objects are placed in the correct way. Also, it's a little empty in places. If you're unsure about how to place things (such as objects, chunks, etc.), look at the original layouts in your editor of choice and get a visual image of how and why things are placed the way they are. Then, use that as an influence when making your own layouts.

Also, please keep a .bin or .gen extension on your ROM file. Otherwise, it's hard to keep track of what it is and some emulators don't recognise it as a Mega Drive ROM.

 

The Top path is a bit empty because I was trying to link it to the finish but that proved difficult. I was confused about this shading complaint. Then I realized. This is the wrong version.

The palette is meant to be a bit more brown and not as green as it looks like in that rom. The lamp post is meant to be fixed because I remember testing it and seeing it work. This is obviously a old version I have put in the file instead of the new one.

Here is the newest version. https://www.dropbox.com/s/wp6ew5iyiwneo7f/Sonic%20PS%20%28Alpha%20Stage%29.zip?dl=0 

Sorry for wasting your time with that green mess. 

 

This thread is also for random hacks. And this hack is random. Very random.

Just try it :>

 

I saw this one on SGD HC'13. Good concept, like that Sonic 2 2P mode.

 

Currently recording a playthrough, Painto; love the twist that the monitors can have on the game... "Have 50+ rings at the end of an act and received a Robotnik box? Well tough; bye bye, Special Stage!"

 

I just finished GHZ Zone altogether so I think I will post it here. Again, This is for C&C (And testing.) purposes so please tell me how I can improve this zone. Oh and this also includes a preview of Rad Ruins design ( Not final).

Here is the download link. https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ces3wsyp70shko/Sonic%20PS%20Alpha.zip?dl=0

 

There's still quite a bit of cut-off in places. I don't want to repeat myself but the link I gave you explains how to get around this. I also recommended using the snap-to-grid feature which both SonLVL and SonED2 have. Make use of it; as it currently stands you have many objects just placed freely and they are slightly off.

The second half of Green Hill Zone 1 is empty. There's no rings or badniks at all. I got stuck on top of a loop in Green Hill Zone 2 and had to reset (or I could have waited for time over but I'd rather not). There are way too many masher badniks in Green Hill Zone 2 in one area in particular and it looks rather cheap. There's an upside down monitor in Green Hill Zone 3 that I rolled through and it didn't break.

Another thing that's prevelant in both Act 2 and Act 3 is the lack of Object 44 on walls.  You have many walls that just cut off and could easily be fixed with a non-solid version. I'd like to reiterate what I said before; don't rush layout design. Take your time and carefully study the originals. You'll be much better off if you do.

 

HOW COME THIS HACK KEEPS GETTING GRASS SHADING WRONG!?

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Do something like that instead.

 

Is this good or is it too dark?

 

Looks too saturated. Bring the grass out a little more, more vibrant.

 

Since you're working with S1-style art, try giving Sonic CD a look for how much you can mess with GHZ and get away with it.

 

Alright guys. I'd like our opinions on this:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/771wj4dzdc1bv4d/bgd_test.bin

It's really just vanilla Sonic 1, so don't go looking for surprises.

Essentially, I was screwing around with REV01 background deformation for a hack of mine (*coughcougheccoinsonic1coughcough*) and came up with, in my mind, a more realistic looking background. When I showed it to my friend, however, he said it didn't look right. That's why I'd like some input.

 

I feels much more natural given more depth between the scroll sections. I believe it's the water that's disorientating it all. I appears almost as if it's scrolling distance is too fast from the bottom there. However, because we are so used to seeing Green Hill Zone's standard scrolling, the new scrolling comes off as "not right". So people's opinions might not be all what they seem.

 

I quite like it. It feels more natural and the way the layers move in relation to moving adds a little more depth. I agree with MarkeyJester though; something about the water scrolling seems a little off but I can't put my finger on it.

 

The far mountains move at a more natural feeling speed, but because they're only moving by one pixel every few frames, it seems to 'jerk' every time it shifts position. I assume that's why they were originally made to move at the speed they do, to make it seem more smooth.

 

Time to rock that mode 1!

Got bored of the constant use of S3K music in hacks just because the hacker figured out how to use tools.

So here's a mini hack that uses a different game's music because I figured out how to use tools.

Spoiler

In case you don't know, mode 1 is emulated in Kega and Genesis Plus GX. In the latter's case, it's hardcoded to certain titles, but with a minor modification to the source code, you can get it to work with this too. With the former, Kega, set CartBootEnabled to 1 in Fusion.ini, then open the ROM as an MD game, and then boot the MCD (

file/Boot SegaCD or ctrl+B). You'll also need an MCD BIOS file.

 

Oh god.

Please tell me this is actually using what I think it's using.

If it is, please let it be easily modified. Holy shit.

 

I can't get this to work. I did the steps you said for Fusion, but it just goes to the SEGA CD start screen with the header of Fusion_Unknown.

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