Socket the Hedgeduck (hack progress)

Discussion in 'Showroom Archive' started by GenesisDoes, Feb 9, 2016.

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  1. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Created a quick, newer title screen tonight with the "Sonic" emblem removed. May or may not re-implement the "Press Start Button" and add BG Deform if time permits.
     
  2. Trinitronity

    Trinitronity Well-Known Member Member

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    Nice, I really like the new title screen, especially how it is a nod to the original Socket title screen.

    I do have one suggestion, though.
    When I saw redhotsonic playing your hack, he was very confused about the Fence Bonus game, and I don't blame him. People that didn't play Socket before might get confused there as well, especially when it start at act 1 but then suddenly becomes act 2 when jumping into the background, complete with a sudden music change in the extended playlist.
    My suggestion: Add an indication in the level card of the Fence Bonus Zone that tells the player whenever he is in the foreground or in the background.
    You don't have to do it, if you don't want to, but I'm pretty sure such indicator would decrease the amount of confusion a lot, just saying.
     
  3. Birb

    Birb Newcomer Trialist

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    That's none of your business.
    Oh, this game! Ha ha, I'm looking toward to playing this rom hack.
     
  4. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Done! Also changed the tile graphics in Bonus Lights Zone to indicate solidarity and fixed other graphical issues with that zone.

    BZF_BG2.png BZF_FG1.png
    BZL_Improved.png
     
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  5. Trinitronity

    Trinitronity Well-Known Member Member

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    Man, I almost forgot about Lights Bonus Zone.

    But it's nice to see both bonus zones improved.
     
  6. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Bad news, Socket the Hedgeduck (v0.2 demo) got banned(?) today on Steam, due to "violating the TOS of Steam" (copyright infringment?). I was planning on updating the Steam build to the v0.3 contest build and release a standalone v0.3 demo closer to the beginning of the SHC16 on November 7th.

    I'm going to try and contact Steam support to plead a case. Any help and suggestions on what to do and say would be greatly appreciated.

    EDIT: Looks like it's not just me
     

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    Last edited: Oct 26, 2016
  7. JoenickROS

    JoenickROS ROS (bug fixing in progress) Member

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    Do you have any idea what part of the agreement you broke(looks like you might)? If not I'd check out what the terms are again, before you (and other people here) are going to have an idea on what you could say to the support team.
     
  8. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    The only possibility on the part of the agreement broken could be bullet points #1 & #2 in the Online Code of Conduct, with Socket the Hedgeduck including assets from the original Socket/Time Dominator game. It's hard to know exactly though with the vague "violating the TOS" ban...

    There is also the Steam Subscriber agreement, but I don't see anything pertaining to Workshop-related content and copyrights in there. A few popular Steam Workshop items have also been recently flagged over the weekend with the same vague banning due to "violating Steam TOS", including Stealth's own Knuckles in Sonic 1 and Sonic 1 Megamix, Sonic 3 Complete, and more. A few people in this boat have tried contacting support, with a vague, circular response not helping matters.

    Gameover
     
  9. JoenickROS

    JoenickROS ROS (bug fixing in progress) Member

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    Wow that is fucking stupid as hell, what happened to being direct god damn... yeah I'm still not sure what you could say. :/ These are mostly all automated messages which is why they are never direct.
     
  10. Clownacy

    Clownacy Retired Staff lolololo Member

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    I wouldn't worry about it being an issue on your part, we're pretty sure it's trolls mass-flagging legit hacks.
     
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  11. Spanner

    Spanner The Tool Member

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    Steam have been removing all of the Workshop ROMs. Good decision to be honest, it was abused to fuck.
     
  12. TheStoneBanana

    TheStoneBanana banana Member

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    I don't think that's the case...
    Captain Bozo said on Retro that he disputed the claim on Sonic 2 XL and the ban was lifted. So... at this point, I'm going to agree with Clownacy and say that some troll is mass-reporting legit hacks.
     
  13. JoenickROS

    JoenickROS ROS (bug fixing in progress) Member

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    I have not been keeping up with the workshop so I don't know what you mean by it being abused Spanner. Anyway Clownacy has a point, it for sure could be people trolling, some members on Discord even think Inthezone might be responsible for them being removed, considering how he has been ban dodging here, Discord, and even Retro, and getting upset when people find out. Though to me that seems like kind of a stretch... well maybe.
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2016
  14. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Recently saw that Tiddles disputed Sonic 3 Complete and he also got it back. With Stealth's own hacks going down (wtf), odds are it probably is a disgruntled troll abusing the reporting system. I will be creating a ticket tonight in order to dispute it.

    Gotta love the internet...
     
  15. Chaotix

    Chaotix Bad at Team Fortress 2 Member

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    Steam should have a system in place where if a troll was mass flagging hacks/anything on the workshop and they were all disputed, then the troll should get a community ban or at the very least unable to cause any harm to any other workshop items. Regardless, hope it gets sorted out soon.
     
  16. redhotsonic

    redhotsonic Also known as RHS Member

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    It can't be him; he keeps harassing me yet all my hacks on Steam are still intact.
     
  17. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Sent the following support ticket today (with uploaded screenshots of the ban email and of the banned item), and got an Steam email saying that the ticket was submitted. I am now just waiting on the ticket to be followed up on.
     

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  18. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Good news, I received a response today (from a human from Steam support) and the ban got lifted!
     

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  19. GenesisDoes

    GenesisDoes What Nintendont Member

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    Sorry for the triple post, but the OP has been updated with a v0.3 demo/SHC16 build, and the SMD&GCC Steam Workshop item has been updated.

    v0.3 changelog:
    • Created readme in zip file
    • Available zones in demo
      • EFZ
      • TrCZ
      • OCZ
      • SAZ
      • AZ
      • HSZ1-5
      • BZF, BZC, BZLa, BZL
    • Menu changes
      • Added "Press Start to Skip/Continue" text on SEGA screen
      • Created new Title Screen and ROM info, better graphics for Level Select
    • Bug Fixes
      • Fixed warp issues with returning back to a standard platform level after special stages
      • Improved collision slightly for elbow and S-ramps, quarter pipes (still not perfect)
      • Fixed issue with dying at top of level
      • Fixed issue with falling through chunk solidarity if falling too fast
      • Fixed issue with extended playlist not playing if on and after using invincibility/nearly drowning
      • Added loop to invincibility song
      • Added highlight to solid blocks and fixed palette issues in BZL

      • Object/objpos changes
        • Imported better graphics for
          • Collasping plat/breakable wall in TrCZ
          • Small SBZ door in TrCZ, SAZ
          • Ball pedestal in OCZ
          • Chopper in EFZ, AZ
        • Enabled priority for all moving spikes
        • Added rings to beginning of all levels
        • Re-enabled and fixed animals in HSZ, BZF, and SAZ
        • Improved collision with touch-pop monitors
        • Title Cards
          • Created better art for "V" letter in the title card mappings
          • Added text to indicate FG or BG layer in BZF
          • Gave Title Card its own song upon appearance in non-bonus, non-special stages, and when not warping
        • Various minor objpos changes in levels
      • Other bugs/user-reported issues I can't remember
    Known issues/demo limitations:
    • Completing the final zone for demo (Antiquity Zone 3) sends player back to the Sega screen
    • Inability to obtain all 6 emeralds in normal gameplay. Big Ring object disabled when trying to access HSZ6, due to issues in the modified SS layout loader loading HSZ6.
    • Special Stage Results screen does not actually award a Continue upon collecting 50+ rings, disabled due to issues with the Continue Screen
    • Bosses are disabled, and boss areas are incomplete. The end-level capsule is there, though, for completing the level
    • Screen tearing issues when using warp doors and in BZF
     
  20. AbyssalLeopard

    AbyssalLeopard Well-Known Member Member

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    This is truly improving and making great progress. I did enjoy this version more than the others. Mostly, because it seems much more bug free, has the speed of a normal Sonic game (in terms of lag) and everything seems to be well put together. However, there are some little things I noticed that could be taken into consideration.

    - Unexpected pits in Emerald Forest 3. Seriously, man. If you want to add botomless pits to a zone, do it where it's impossible for the camera to scroll down due to resize. Otherwise, we players won't be able to predict whether we might fall there or not. I know that Mystic Cave in Sonic 2 had similar of them, but people complain about those... especially in a first level.
    - What's up with the invincibility BGM? The port seemed going well until it sounded sort of messed up in the end. It sounded like, it was going... backwards? I don't know.
    - I had a monitor in TCZ2 (a victory hand one) and the game crashed. I can try making a screenshot for you if you need it.
    - TCZ3 layout is confusing - make paths more clear. When I say it, I mean it. This is something that I accidentally did in my hack in its first stages. There are paths in this level in particular where I have no idea where I'm going, or where I'm just stuck because I don't know where else I can go. Not sure if I'm explaining well, but I guess you might have an idea where I'm getting at.
    - OCZ2's BGM... sounds too happy for the ambiance we are in. Gotta admit though, the new ports apart from this one sound quite good compared to what we had in the previous versions.
    - A loop doesn't work in Stone Age 2.
    - Ah, and before I forget, Stone Age seems inaccessible through Level Select.

    All that said, I hope you have the chance to finish this little gem. Now, I wonder if you are planning to program completely new bosses or if they will be based on the original Socket game, but that's just for time to tell and for you to eventually show... Keep it up, and good work!
     
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