Call it gentlemen’s club dancers brawl. I had to try, 
IP Incubator Club Thread 2013: Monthly-010: -October 2013
banman7
#22
@CGIPadawan - Damnit man, that sketch is exactly what I’ve been trying to get out of my artists but thus far have failed. The art I have is technically well done, but it’s lacking the sex-appeal. Everything I have feels average, when what I’m really going after is that immediate primal response you’re describing. Once I get the source files from the 3D artist, I’m going to see if I can push what he’s given me to closer fit what you’re describing. All I really need is to perfectly nail at least one character, after that it’s much easier to match stylistically. Thanks again for your awesome suggestion (and I’m going to definitely use that sketch for future reference, it’s exactly what I’ve been trying to communicate).
I have the same exact problem. So many artists failed to get what I was going for and since I was not a big boy with big budget it is hard to get them to go back and do revisions.
I feel your pain. I’d say get on Fiverr or deviantart and find that artist!
The characters should look naked even when they have clothes on… and you have to adopt that busty chest, narrow waisted, wide-gapped-crotch-shapely legs look… with arms that look like they’d only look good around a man’s neck.
Who drew tha?
I wanted to share a game my friend Satyajit is working on
CGIPadawan
#24
@Banman7: I drew the sketch… did it in all of 2 minutes… straight-ballpen… no eraser.
It’s the best I could do in 2 minutes while illustrating my advice.
Warfront Defenders looks really awesome… Would be very cool with Naval, Air/Anti-Air gameplay… and a Scenario mode like “Midway” or some of the stuff from the Liberation of France.
RobertoOrtiz
#25
This might be of interest:
New Amazon Appstore developer program aims to help devs get noticed
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/201881/New_Amazon_Appstore_developer_program_aims_to_help_devs_get_noticed.php
grantmoore3d
#27
I’m not really sure what purpose this “Collective” thing is trying to solve. It sounds like you just go through another layer of reviewing your pitch (which can be valuable) but I feel like there is some sort of hidden cost to doing this. I guess the one upside is that since SquareEnix is a part of this movement, you have their attention and that could lead to funding. However, the “die-hard indie” in me worries what I’d have to give up in return. Curious to see where that goes though, will be keeping an eye on it.
@redCigarette - Your style in the town shot it really reminding me of some of the art I see in many anime cartoons when they show the city. Just curious if you used that as inspiration?
grantmoore3d
#28
A quick mini-update on Pole Force One. I was brainstorming all of your suggestions and the more I thought about re-branding them as dancers, the more I like it. I’m going to go with the middle ground and simply call them “pole dancers” and let the player interpret what they wish from that. Friends who had previously voiced concerns or distaste where now all over the idea, offering suggestions and coming up with fun ideas around the concept, enjoying it much more. So I think it’s the best direction for me to take.
One idea that came out of the brainstorming session I immediately fell in love with and think it really helped mature the direction of my game. Basically, each character is going to have a uniquely defined style of dance and all of the animations are going to be, to varying degrees, based on that style.
So if they are standing there idle, they won’t just be slightly moving but instead bobbing to the beat of the music. When they punch, the poses will be based on fundamental styles of their particular dance. Stringing combos together will be like a well choreographed dance, that just happens to include punches, kicks and weapons. I was happy with my story and the thematic direction I was taking, but the one thing that felt weak was that I didn’t have anything particularly unique about the gameplay itself. I feel like I have that now and it helps solidify the entire concept.
If any of you have suggestions on particular dance styles, routines or moves you’ve seen, please feel free to suggest. I know nothing about dancing and have a lot research to do to pull this off right.
Okay, last thing, with the character complete I couldn’t resist but throw her in along with some lights to get a sense of the “mood” I want to see in the game.
CGIPadawan
#29
@Grant Moore: I’d just like to clarify that my latest suggestion was, actually the “21 Jump Street+Girls in Short Skirts” suggestion with only ONE level referencing Pole Dancers and everything else being burger joints, the school quadrangle… etc etc… about under cover cops disguised as high school students busting a White Slavery Ring.
I was hoping that this suggestion would alleviate all the pressure over the “Stripper” concept.
redCigarette
#30
grantmoore3d,
@redCigarette - Your style in the town shot it really reminding me of some of the art I see in many anime cartoons when they show the city. Just curious if you used that as inspiration?
I haven’t seen too many anime but I am definitely inspired by some of the work Makoto Shinkai has done.
Basically, each character is going to have a uniquely defined style of dance and all of the animations are going to be, to varying degrees, based on that style.
That’s a very cool idea. By the way if you are dropping the ‘stripper’ thing altogether you must at least stick to the mature tone and storyline of the game. I really liked the mature-ish levels in the game bible you posted some time back.
banman7
#31
Okay, last thing, with the character complete I couldn’t resist but throw her in along with some lights to get a sense of the “mood” I want to see in the game.
I don’t know why I quoted the above but just wanted to mention about Pole Force one.
I like the scenes you put in the scene bible, agreed with poster above. Those scenarios were cool.
2nd the game engine looks fun. Brings back some old school fun.
3rd while the model is very nicely done it is not stylized enough.
Look at all the Capcom games as an example. They were all so stylized. It made the game more signature. This one simply looks a little too realistic. Pretty but realistic.
Here is a recent game called Skull Girls.
And remember
It doesn’t have to look anime like. That is just an example.
I think a little style is the only thing this game needs.
RobertoOrtiz
#32
Ok guys,
thisi swhy I want more comic book people joining our ranks
Comic book firm IDW Publishing to expand into TV
CGIPadawan
#33
So… you want TV executives and producers to join this forum?
If yes… that’s what I been suggesting since Day 1.
lloydharveyart
#34
I think the Square Enix Collective thing seems like a good avenue to get some feedback on the game and maybe a little attention. I guess you just have to evaluate whether or not its right for you.
RobertoOrtiz, the trailer you posted that was done over 3 days of filming (the Underland one), looked cool. I think that by creating something like that and putting it online is a good way to get a bit of attention, which is what we all want for our projects. It reminds me of an animation I saw a while back that a guy did and posted online, which then got optioned. I forget the name of it though…
grantmoore3d, I look forward to seeing some character animation going on now. I think the tone of the game, and its premise, set out an expectation to me of some hyper violence and some really over the top physics. I think once you have the character’s running around, swinging the weapons and blood spraying about, I don’t think calling them strippers, dancers or, what I suggested, go-go dancers will matter all that much to the audience. I think people will just want to play it if it looks cool.
redCigarette, I still really dig the character design element of the bag on the head. I have a thing for masked characters in games, films and animation and the more simplistic a mask, the more unsettling I find it is. Keep up the good work on it, looking forward to seeing more progress.
Frotze, congrats again to you and your friends on such a successful Kickstarter campaign. It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving project I think. Its very clear that you guys really put in a huge amount of work on your project and the KS campaign and it shows. People resonate with that level of passion and I look forward to what else you guys come up with in the not so distant future.
I should really post some updates about my own project then…
lloydharveyart
#35
PRODUCTION BLOG: http://oniworldgames.tumblr.com/
CATEGORY: Game
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Back in Janurary 2013, I started putting together art work for a world building project that I just wanted to build up over time as my own, unique IP called Oni World. In September, Sam, my coworker, approached me and suggested we make a game set in it. Thats what we’re doing.
PROJECT GOALS:
Build awareness for the game and the world, put together a game that people really enjoy playing and exploring, hopefully sell the game and make enough to work on the next game.
STATUS NUMBER: 2
TEAM MEMBERS: 2
Me, Lloyd, Artworker, pixel pusher, designer… you know, the visual guy.
Sam, the guy working under the hood, the greaser.
START DATE: September 2013
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: September 2014
WHAT WENT RIGHT THIS MONTH:
-Me and Sam are setting up “Oni Works” as a company that will handle the Oni World Ip, the game’s engine (called the Oni Engine) and also potential future releases.
-Sam put in some serious hours on coding the game’s level engine. So far, he has made a start on the smart textures of the game and when we begun to put some custom textures in, we saw some issues with how the engine was handling the graphics. This meant that he can now start to shape and mould the game better. He has also begun working in physics and has recently started to work on an in game lighting rig.
-He managed to get a test version of the level editor in its current state onto his phone and make it work the same as the desktop version. Not that this was anything we needed to worry about at this point, but its good to see him work on cross platform issues early and eradicate them.
-I’ve expanded the world’s lore that concerns itself with what will happen in the game. I’ve settled on what levels will be in the game and also collected a huge amount of visual reference that will guide the look of the levels.
-Characters have been added to the game’s roster and design work on these has also begun. I’m also working on story elements and the plot some more, trying to find the balance of what to show at what point in order for the story to work.
-We’ve decided to aim on creating a prototype of the first level area by the end of the year and asset creation for the ‘Factory Level’ is mainly what I’ve begun to focus on.
-The Oni World website got updated with a lot of new art. Please, check it out: www.oniworld.co.uk
Here are a select few concepts for the game that I’ve created over the last month or so:
Some super rough work from my sketch book:
Frotze
#36
@shrunkendesigner, grantmoore3d, redCigarette: Thank you guys for the encouragement! We can almost see the finish line!
I love these two last paintings. I know it’s mainly because it’s done on paper vs the others done digitally, but have you thought about achieving this sort of watercolor look in-game?
Also I was wondering how you were planning the tackle all the animations. Are any of you two animators?
Anyways, good job so far. Really looking forward to see this thing develop.
lloydharveyart
#37
Thanks man. That means a lot coming from you.
I’ve not thought about giving it a water colour finish to be honest, but thinking about it now, it could be quite nice if all the game assets were produced in the traditional way. I used to paint in acrylics all the time, more than anything, but then ran out of room to store the paintings I created because no one bought them, so went digital. It might actually produce a nice look for the game… hmmm… you’ve got me thinking now.
As for animation… well… I’m learning it, but its difficult since I’ve never done it all that much. Sam knows how to animate a little in flash I think, but I’ve not asked him. Animating the main Sprites an important job, and needs to be done right.
The way I see it, is I either learn to do it myself, or get someone in to do it. Were you about to offer 
Frotze
#38
Hehe not really, just curious. I’m too swamped just with Le Gouffre right now to be working on anything else. But it would have been fun!
I don’t know how much action-oriented your game is, but having a good animator onboard can make a huge difference to the quality of your game. It really is an art in itself.
Maybe something like Machinarium could be nice. Cut-out pieces with a kind of low frame rate:
lloydharveyart
#39
He he, yeah, I thought you’d be busy with your own project. I was like… only half serious anyway…
Oh, I’m so toying with the idea of doing the whole game in an inky, watercolour look now. Like create every asset on paper and scan it into the game… it would mean a lot more work my end, but it kind of resonates with me on a personal level.
In the “Indie Game: The Movie,” movie, the guy who did Braid said that being indie means that you can create something really personal with an indie game. To me, Oni World started as a personal project, to reconnect to the days I used to just paint for myself using acrylics.
Doing the game in that style… would be some kind of loop, or something. I’m asking around and my friends are saying to do the game in the inky style now… Its early in production so it won’t matter if I redo the assets I’ve done already.
CGIPadawan
#40
@Lloyd Harvey.
I’m going to throw in my suggestion… and that is to “David Lynch” the look ending up with something like Jim Henson and this:
Not meaning to make your life difficult… But the truth is Oniworld has that ability to carry either the watercolor look or this old “Fantasy Sci-Fi” look.
I’m going to stop cause I tend to be very aggressive when making suggestions (as what happened on Pole Force One)… The truth is Forest’s suggestion isn’t bad…
Just saying you have choices.