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[NobodyPro]

Unnamed 40k Sidescroller
Name suggestions appreciated.

After watching my younger brother program a 2d random terrain generator in Gamemaker over the course of two days I found myself wondering whether making a game in Gamemaker was a better idea than my many ideas for game mods that would ultimately have failed.
So I set myself a challenge: Make a 40k themed shooter in GM. Then expand the features as I learn. Eventually push GM to it's limits and then expand the content.

First off: I have a feeling somebody's going to call me out on my use of the 40k brand. My reasoning behind this is that I don't have to worry about backstory and design, the two things I already feel competent doing, and if I hit troubles with the brand for whatever reason I can just pull the project and re-use the engine for an original game.

Gameplay
The game will place you in control of a commander, at first a Space Marine Commander, that you would ideally choose a loadout for. You would then choose your army, again ideally specified by you, and deploy to the battlefield. The battlefield would be mostly premade but certain details would change depending on the defending army (eg. Tree node=Tyranid 'spine', corrupted tree or regular tree) and would have destructible details (gates, bulkheads, lamp posts, vegetation) and 'cosmetically destructible' buildings (although I'm not ruling out complete destruction of buildings for whatever reason). The viability of vehicles is a big question at the moment but late in the development process I might add multiple 'layers' to the environment. You would always be on the front 'actor layer' for obvious reasons, as would enemy heroes.
Cover would be simulated via a system where if a projectile touches a piece of cover then it has a chance at hitting the cover, any piece of scenery can act as partial cover because when a projectile passes some scenery the chance of it hitting the scenery is determined by the accuracy of the actor firing the weapon (this chance is always less than the cover check).

So as I begin to create the basics of the game tell me: What would you like to see in this game (eventually)?

[Kestrel_6]

Every race. TAU FTW

[NobodyPro]

Every race. TAU FTW

I'm going to start with just Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines but yeah. In the long term I hope to have every race (Tau use the humanoid ragdoll and are shooting oriented so they're close to the top of the list) including obscure things like Imperial Guard Abhumans and 'Lost and Damned' Traitor armies.

Right now I'm just making the Tactical Marine sprite and animating it, good sprites take a surprising amount of time to draw!
Depending on how things go tonight I'll either post the 'stand' sprite (plus head and arms) or endure three weeks without a home connection (including two weeks of complete e-silence).

[NobodyPro]

Finally finished the Tactical Marine stand sprite and it's ragdoll.

I had a problem in the game where it's head would detach when you faced left. It's fixed but now it's shoulder is located in it's chest. I'm going to fix this tonight.

[Sirus]

Is it possible to make destructive terrain? I'm thinking that instead of a roll-based cover system (which is admittedly closer to the tabletop rules, but I digress), stuff like rocks and mounds of dirt can be chipped away and eventually destroyed.

Your sprite's proportions look a little off, but the design and color look really good. Are customized colors in the works, so people won't bitch about the game starring the "Ultrasmurfs"?

[NobodyPro]

Is it possible to make destructive terrain? I'm thinking that instead of a roll-based cover system (which is admittedly closer to the tabletop rules, but I digress), stuff like rocks and mounds of dirt can be chipped away and eventually destroyed.

You and I think alike. Cover and scenery will definitely be destructible (including rocks and such) but I honestly did consider a completely destructible battlefield. The performance hit for that outweighs any possible benefit. Perhaps buildings could be destructible if I buy the 5th Edition Rulebook and find some kind of rule for it (I think Apocalyse actually has what I'm looking for).

Your sprite's proportions look a little off, but the design and color look really good. Are customized colors in the works, so people won't bitch about the game starring the "Ultrasmurfs"?

I agree that the proportions seem off. I'm probably going to redo the head and the upper arm has already been revisited.
The colour is actually one of the reasons I started the thread. I hope to do things like Space Wolves, Blood Angels and Dark Angels later but Ultrasmurfs seemed too... generic. Any ideas for an alternative chapter for the 'Basic Marines' army?

Projects moving slowly, just spriting and configuring weapoms.

[Sirus]

The entire point of the Ultramarines is that they ARE generic. However, if you want a different chapter that still runs on the same rules, perhaps the Iron or Crimson Fists. The FanDumb doesn't seem to have so many problems with them.

[Dsarker]

I am watching.

No, do the Ultramarines. What better chapter to do than all other chapters' spiritual liege?

[nenjin]

On your sprite, the head is definitely way too big. And the shoulder pads are far too small. They really should be rising above the shoulder more, and coming down to mid-biscep. Think of them just like the fig piece, they're an accessory that goes on top of the actual shoulder. The knee pads seem completely absent and the power pack needs to be a bit more visible above and behind the should pads. The bottom of them (fig scale) comes down to the small of the back.

On marine chapter, you're never going to get a concise vote. Some people hate Space Smurfs, some people hate Emo Angels of any variety, some people only like Space Wolves. Which chapter is your favorite? Doesn't seem like your an UM fan. I'd go with the one you like, worry about color schemes and swapping names in later.

Personally, I prefer Blood or Dark Angels. But Black Templars, Soul Drinkers, Space Wolves, Imperial Fists, any of those are good. My two I don't prefer are Ultramarines and Blood Ravens, both because they're the poster children for Space Marines in 40k products, and the Blood Ravens are stupid, fabricated chapter in my book. (Micro rant: Ooooh, we're mysterious like the Blood Angels, damned like the Dark Angels and we like magic like the Thousand Sons. Ooooohhh, aren't we special.)

[Dsarker]

Blood Ravens are the Loyalist remainder of the Thousand Sons.

[Dsarker]

Nevertheless, you should totally have the chapter be the Grey Knights. Bonus if you include a Sister of Battle for getting more red paint from.

[nenjin]

The could have climbed out of Horus' rear at the end of the Battle of Terra, and I still wouldn't give them any cred. They were cooked up specifically for Dawn of War 1 so Relic writers could have something to play with. To me they're as generic and soulless as a 4th generation successor chapter, the Sons of Imperial Blood Fist Angel Templars or whatever.

[Dsarker]

Gogo read the Horus Heresy novels. They get a mention in there.

[nenjin]

Of course they do. The HH books were written a few solid years after Dawn of War 1 came out.

It's kind of like Pandarens from WoW. Just because Blizzard holds them out as legitimate doesn't really mean you have to accept them.

(Also sorry for the derail)

[Dsarker]

On the other hand, they are just as canon as the Space Marines getting annihilated by assassins, as the Grey Knights being followers of Khorne, and the God Emperor being saved by a Guardsman.