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Hey.

I have never been really active here but I used to hang around a few years ago, anyway. So, what's new? The reason I'm posting this is because I'm looking for suggestions and ideas for a little plan I have. I'm thinking of writing a program as a final work in university to get my degree. I'm not sure yet, if that plan goes into action, but nevertheless I want to write a little paint program especially for PIXEL ART. I'm posting this here because I know there are a lot of artists here. I looked around in different forums where people were discussing best software for pixel art and it was mostly either heavyweight Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro, GIMP or MS Paint, so mixed results. I like Paint best myself, but it lacks layers and other smaller features like gradients, dithering and such (and alpha channel).

Then I thought to myself "hey, I can write a paint-with-layers-plus-other-stuff (tm) myself". So, here I am. I gather that besides being able to paint and zoom in (man, the features of this thing ..), the software should be able to handle loops and frames for animation, preview animation, export sprite sheets and sequence of images. Sprite sheet import would be nice as well, at least for uniformly sized sheets. Ability to manage palettes would be nice as well. So, going from daytime to night would only require changing the palette not repainting the frames.

Also layers for sure and attaching animations to another animation. For example, you animate a walking character and want it to hold a flaming torch. You assign a hot spot to character hand on each frame of the walking animation and attach a torch animation to it and export the sprite sheet. Done. And when you want, you can replace the torch with an balloon or a blue cup without having to redraw the character's frames.

I looked around and there's nothing specifically for pixel art, so, is this idea worth pursuing? If it is, post your ideas what else this program should include If you think this idea is rubbish, I'd like to hear about it as well.


Eigen

[THIS]

THIS is a litte piece I wrote for my band. We will burn it on a CD and when we play our gig, this intro thing plays before the actual song. I intended it to be really beautiful and well .. deep .. because the song itself is really not that sweet so it creates a kind of contrast. (You can hear a quick recording of the actual song titled 'Russian Roulette' in this mp3 file) But I feel that it's not beautiful enough or at least it seems to miss something ... or maybe I'm wrong. I don't know .. I'd love to see people really listen to it at shows and think "wow, this is sooo beautiful"

During this intro, we can set our instruments up and stuff like that. And then perhaps just stand and look thougtful, waiting to start rocking out. 8)

If anyone's interested making an edit, I can give you the midi file. (I converted the midi using soundfonts afterwards)
Thanks in advance!

Edit:  oh well ..


Please don't double post!

This goes out to all you adventure-game-problem-solvers. Here's the problem ..

I live in a 5 storied flat and all the apartments have a cellar. Recently someone has decided that he's/she's iron sawing skills need refreshening on your picklocks .. (s)he broke our lock but didn't steal anything. Dad bought a new and bigger lock which was also sawed open soon. (See the image) Again, nothing stolen. Not that there is anything to steal ... first time the grill was taken out from its box but seems it wasn't interesting enough.
I know it has to be someone from our staircase(?) - there are four staircases and we have 15 apartments - because the front door is locked and outsiders can't get in easily. There's also someone who likes to read our newspaper from time to time and not liking to return it, but that's not the issue.

So, help me figure out a way to catch whoever is doing this the next time the "thief" tries. I'd like to say a few words to her/him. I just can't stay in the cellar all night every day to wait until the thief comes. I wish I had a camera with night vision .. it would be perfect. Or this exploding ink pad like they use in banks .. I also had an idea to arrange a "noisy" delivery of something big that we would store in the cellar. Like bringing a bike but in a way, that the possible thief would see us bring it in and then wait until (s)he tries to steal it. But that's too extreme I guess, or not.

Also, don't say to call the cops. They are useless. Once dad's documents and wallet was stolen from the hallway when we were all at home, but the door was unlocked by accident. Now, 5 years later police replied with a letter that the investigation has been closed.

All ingenious ways to solve this problem are more than welcome.

This topic probably doesn't matter to most of you here, except for some fellow Estonians. But I hope it matters to else too. Let me start from the beginning. In Tallinn there *was* a statue, called Bronze Soldier, put there for the dead unknown Soviet soldiers who fought in the Second World War. (As Sovient sees it: Freeing us from facist Germany). But our government recently, last night, decided to remove the statue and move it to a more proper place, some cemetary. But Russia, and local russians see this as a mock of the memory of these soldiers and Soviet Union as a whole. And last night things really went crazy. Angry russian mob (a. 1000 people) gathered around the park where the statue was to show what they think of it. Basically it was smashing down all the nearby stores, flipping cars and plain stealing. And then they are ignorant enough to justify this and even laugh while doing this. This is first time in Estonia btw.

Anyway, as of this morning, Russia cancelled diplomatic relations with our country, also other limitations I don't even know about.  BasicallyI couldn't easily travel there anymore if I wanted to. Which I don't. And how do you think Russia media covered this? Calling Estonia facist and nazis, only showing the footage where the local police is pushing back the mob, only interviews from one side, *not us*. But that's common in Russia - propaganda that is. I wished they had shown the footage where local rus. teenagers where carrying out stuff from store, stealing that is, smashing windows, and doing all kinds of cr*p.

So, don't believe russian propaganda, because I'm sure they start in Europe pretty soon to show how much of a threat we are and something should be done soon.

P.S - Just a week or more ago, in one town in Russia, a statue of pilots who fought in the WWII was just torn down and of course that was justified.


Sorry, I just needed to vent. I just can't stand those russians anymore. Sorry to those AGS members who happen to be from there

Also .. "Be happy we're letting you live here and speak your language." as said by someone in the mob. This shows the overall feelings.



Also read this
And check this image


-Eigen

I finially found the strenght in me to really work on my first AGS game. More about the game in the WIP thread when I have enough material. Anyway, here's one of the screens, it's scrolled during the intro hence the height. What I'd like to know is how this style works out: wacky perspective, textures. I'm pretty sure I'm going to redo the windows and draw them myself but these will do for the time being. I hope.

P.S - don't tell me it looks like the spa in Larry 6. I know it does.. but actually it's a "home for rich old people" ^^ and Delores is a "rather big" lady who ows the place.


(Click on the thumbnail for full size image)

The glass structure on the roof is supposed to be rooms for especially VIP.

Thanks in advance.

Here are a few mids, 6 actally , that I would like to get some feedback on. They are not complete, because I'm not going to use them anywhere, I just wanted to practice some. Edits are welcome!

Edit: if anyone likes these midis, and if you think you could use music like that, don't hesitate to let me know

Edit 2: Links removed, for the sake of your ears ..... or so it seems



-Eigen

I'm slowly working on a first-person shooter to play in the internet. And I was wondering. What would you expect from a good multiplayer game. My favourite type is the Return To Castle Wolfenstein. Like where you could be medic and stuff like that. Of course, my game wont even come close to the quality of it. 

I need your opinions, ideas.

Currently I'm planning it to make it yet another WWII era game. (How original ... ) And my current plan is to make two teams. And game is played until certain score. Killing a member of the other team, gives one point to your team. Oliver from this board is making voice acting. The commands like "Let's go!" "Follow me!" etc.

Edit: And what kind of levels do you like. Indoor or indoor-outdoor level? My favourite level is from MOHAA, The Stalingrad level.


-Eigen

Here's one midi I wrote, but there's something not quite right. 
Maybe it sounds a little empty?

Click here to listen



-Eigen

Here's one puzzle I came across. Haven't been able to solve it yet. Can anyone help?


Puzzle:

When my uncle died he left a will instructing his executors to divide his estate of $1,920,000 in this manner. Every son gets 3 times as much as a daughter, and that every daughter should get 2 times as much as their mother.
What is my aunts share?


My first answer was 213 hundred thousand plus something, but it doesn't seem to be right, probably. And does "my aunt = their mother" ?


-Eigen

In my game, I'd like to use a monitor close up and see the character, in the 80's,  hacking into some server or something and trying to download some files.

I know that everything was text based, so if anyone knows how the hacking looked like (the commands and stuff), could tell me.


-Eigen

EO Films is a "two-man" company made up of me and Oliver (Eigen & Oliver = EO). All the productive stuff we do, is under the EO name.

These movies are edited together from different clips we have made. (Total of over 50)

So download those, and watch them, in the order as they are here.

EO Films Special Edition Part 1
EO Films Special Edition Part 2
EO Films Special Edition Part 3 - The Credits



-Eigen


p.s - In some parts of the movies, the quality is out of range. Don't try watching in full screen.

Thought I'd make an AGS game too. Here's the first room pic I drew. What do you think?





The game takes place in the mid 80's, when computing was young and hackers were even younger.

-Eigen

Here's a midi I created for my game. What do you think? May it need some more instruments in some places?   LISTEN HERE

Also, I tried a Mission Impossible theme few weeks ago but i'm not very happy with the solo part. Could use some help with it. LISTEN HERE.



-Eigen

Here's a midi I made 2 days ago, just couldn't upload earlier:

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Comments are welcome!


-Eigen

Here's my first midi ever with drum pattern:

CLICK HERE



-Eigen

Here are two midis to listen. My first try to make midis from guitar tabs.

MIDI 1
MIDI 2


And what program are guys using to make midis?


-Eigen