128 replies to this topic

[Docopoper]

Maybe you remember this, but I actually tried to get other people to make levels for Bowser's Last Stand 1. Since nobody seemed interested, I ended up deciding to make them myself, and that was even the whole purpose of the "rapid-release cycle" (to pressure me to get the levels done, because otherwise I was taking ages to finish them).

Chances are, yes, the difficulty will by taken up. Bowser's Last Stand was supposed to start out easy to establish Bowser's power; BLS 2 doesn't need to do that as much.

Nope, I don't really remember that.
I probably wouldn't have been interested early in the development cycle though since I didn't know if the game would even have been completed.
But later on I must have forgotten.

Can I help with the level design for the sequel? I have a tendency to blow a lot of my gimmicks pretty quickly, so how quickly I get burnt out depends on my ability to overcome that. I'd still like to help though.

You could also check raocow's talkhouse for level designers, I'm sure you could find a few since they're working on a SMW hack at the moment anyway.

I don't want to spoil too much (I have some really great ideas for BLS 2 or else I wouldn't have even considered it), but it will involve fighting more than just toads; also Bowser's minions, Mario and Luigi, and if I can get it to work right, Yoshi. There's a legitimate story behind it kind of similar to a video on Newgrounds I really liked (but with a connection to Bowser's Last Stand).

How would you implement the Mario and Luigi fights - I assume they'd be bosses - but bosses usually shouldn't be more agile than you since it leads to a lot of cheap deaths.

I think it's also not too much to mention that I'm hoping to add Giga Bowser as a powerup (and that the intro will somehow explain that Bowser thought of the idea of Giga Bowser from Megabowser). I'm not sure if I should make it a temporary powerup that makes Bowser invincible (kind of like Mega Mario in NSMB), or a more permanent powerup that does something else.

I think Giga Bowser seems more like a temporary powerup to me - it would just seem a bit weird to be Giga Bowser for an entire level.

I'm considering that too and it would be an easy thing to do, but I'm just not sure where to do it...

I'll look into it.

Just put in some bullet bills and some spikes, you don't really have to balance it as much as the main campaign - so it should be relatively quick to do.

[onpon4]

Can I help with the level design for the sequel? I have a tendency to blow a lot of my gimmicks pretty quickly, so how quickly I get burnt out depends on my ability to overcome that. I'd still like to help though.

You could also check raocow's talkhouse for level designers, I'm sure you could find a few since they're working on a SMW hack at the moment anyway.

Sure, you can help, and sure, maybe I'll ask there. But the level design phase is quite a ways away; right now, I'm developing an extremely complicated engine to make development of games easier. Right now it's actually for my other project, NALC, but what I plan to do is, when the engine is developed with a working level editor and basic platformer physics, I'm going to split off Bowser's Last Stand 2 and work from there.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I'm developing BLS 2 in Python instead of Game Maker, which has a few advantages, such as being platform-independent (no longer tied to Windows) and being a much more versatile engine than Game Maker's (Game Maker's limitations in how you do things has resulted in BLS 1 being an ugly mess internally) Of course, though, this means it will take longer to develop than BLS 1 or even Bowser Engine.

How would you implement the Mario and Luigi fights - I assume they'd be bosses - but bosses usually shouldn't be more agile than you since it leads to a lot of cheap deaths.

I've thought about this a lot, actually, and the main reason I didn't do it in BLS 1 is it's so complicated.

The biggest problem is actually not how to prevent cheap daths; that can be accomplished with complicated, but predictable patterns, like bosses in other games have. The biggest problem is how to make it so Mario stands a chance; Bowser can block any fireballs with proper timing at almost no cost, and in order to make sense, Mario would have to be unable to hurt Bowser by touching him. The only solution that would work well enough is to give Mario a powerful A.I. and a variety of attacks. It'll be a lot of work, but I think I can manage, given the time (and given that BLS 2 is not in Game Maker).

Just put in some bullet bills and some spikes, you don't really have to balance it as much as the main campaign - so it should be relatively quick to do.

It doesn't necessarily need to be balanced, but it still needs to be competent, and I want to make sure it looks nice enough as well. Also, adding spike is not trivial at all, because a spike is actually made up of a tile and some combination of solid and hurt tiles to make sure the side of the spike doesn 't hurt you.

Anyway, I'll figure it out.

[Docopoper]

RE: SpikesYou can dynamically add tiles and other objects. For convenience sake - you should just use an object that adds that in during its create event. I doubt it will make much of a speed difference considering that these aren't exactly going to be the bulk of the level.

RE: Mario
The best way I can think of to deal with Mario as a boss would probably to have the big bad buff him with some effect that makes him a bit slower and more powerful.

RE: Levels
I know the level design phase is a long way off. I just want to offer to help while I still remember. (hopefully I will still be able to help when you're ready)

RE: Python
That's an interesting idea. Obviously you won't be able to post it here though. As long as you make a nice level editor - I'm fine with whatever language you use. Will you be releasing the source again, or not?

[onpon4]

RE: Python
That's an interesting idea. Obviously you won't be able to post it here though. As long as you make a nice level editor - I'm fine with whatever language you use. Will you be releasing the source again, or not?

Yeah, I won't be able to post here, but that's easily a price I'm willing to pay. I've been wanting to finally be done with Game Maker for over a year now, I think. Plus, I may not be able to post it here, but I'll still be able to post it on MFGG and NCFC, and being platform-independent means I'll also be able to put out a Pandora or Pandora 2 version. and share it on that community.

Yes, the source code will be available, and it will be free software again. I'll probably release the source code and levels (and anything else I author) under a copyleft license rather than to the public domain, though.

[jmott35814]

Absolutely wonderful. You get to do everything you would ever expect Bowser to do. Except death by radish... That's weak on Bowser's end.

Thanks.

Stay tuned, because I'll be releasing a small update soon that should make Survival mode a lot harder; right now it just makes you have to go through the entire game without dying; I'm changing it so it replaces all large Toads with turnip toads and makes the bosses stronger. The update is almost ready; I just need to make some tweaks.

I think I'll also change the cutscene you get by typing "NCFC", to make it a small text-only teaser to the possibility of Bowser's Last Stand 2. Right now it's just a lame joke about how lazy I am and how restricted Bowser's contract with me is.

[jmott35814]

I think if you do make a second one then you should change the scenery entirely, to be darker more like super mario rpg. I only say that because it goes outside of the cutesy bell curve that mario follows. A new array of bosses would be awesome but its the story that really sets this game apart from the garbage out there.
The reason I played it though is because I was looking for some inspiration for my Bowser game, which is cheap and im terribly lazy. The game shows haha. But your game had some similar issues where bowser just doesnt quite physically fit in some spaces.
Ill be waiting tho because I like your angle.

[onpon4]

Version 1.6.1 is out. Only a couple changes:

- Survival mode is now actually harder than the regular game in addition to allowing no deaths.
- The cutscene you get when you type "NCFC" in the title screen has been completely reworked and includes a small teaser of sorts for Bowser's Last Stand 2. Watch it, I think it turned out pretty funny.

As an aside, this year's NCFC happens on November 12. If you haven't seen it before and like fangames, you should take a look.

Edited by onpon4, 19 September 2012 - 01:50 AM.

[onpon4]

NCFC 2012 has started, and this game has a booth there: http://nintendocfc.com

[MrMetraGnome]

Here's stupid question, how do you make Bowser do his spinning slide attack forward? I know how to initiate it, down arrow + shift, but he remains stationery.