Mana Series Zelda Classic tileset

Post by **Lotus** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:41 am

If you don't know what Zelda Classic is, it is basically a program designed to allow you to create games like the Original Zelda, however it has been evolving for many many years, and has become rather powerful, just recently it has hit the point where you could build a fairly basic Mana game with it, so I am currently making a Mana based tileset for it. I am building off the work done by a guy called Zoraman, but have been modifying the set he had a lot to make it functional. Here are some screenies of what I have made thus far, note all the monsters shown are faked right now, the next stable release is supposed to have an enemy editor to make them into a reality.

I am not directly ripping many graphics due to the fact that their size and color usage is rather prohibitive for this program, so I am simplifying things where I can, such as the mountains, the trees have also been shrunk a bit.

Later,
Lotus

Post by **The J Person** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:45 am

That's actually pretty cool... I'd frankly like to see the limited colors extended to full support... EDIT: I figure, more specifically, there is a way to do it, but I'd be curious to know just exactly what's holding it back.

Also, I know a guy who's done stuff like this before; I can ask if he knows anything you don't. Presuming I can catch him online at a convenient time (his net is rather buggy), he might be able to offer up some resources for you if you don't already have them.

Post by **Dr. Sheexy** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:55 am

Looks pretty cool man, can't wait to see what you come up with.

I should totally start making Seiken Densetsu fangames again... and screensavers.

Man, I used to be a lot less lazy back in the day.

YouTube · Post by **Kefka** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:48 am

wo...ow!

This is neat! i'm still familiar with the old zelda's (zelda and link to the past) and with Mana involved with it? this is cool!

Post by **Deques** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:25 am

This deserves to be stickied.
Also, when you are done with this tile set, I will gladly host it for you

Post by **Lotus** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:44 pm

Actually www.purezc.com has a hosting service that I'll be using, it's pretty much the place for ZC.

Here is the problem with Zelda Classics palette system, you have only 4-bit (16) colors and only some 11 or 12 palettes, the first two are for the system, and then three towards the end are reserved for the character and enemies. However they just implemented 8-bit mode which let's you use all the palettes at the same time, so I am playing with things to get them to work right. Also you can set up alternate palettes, the problem is they effect the whole screen, so you have to be careful when using them.

I'll keep you posted and thanks for the support.

EDIT:
If you'd like to help, I am trying to get the following right now:
SD3
People sprites, just generic people, I need all their frames, which should be 2-3 walking frames going Up/Down/Left or Right (I only need the one direction)
Corridor of the Wind Statues
Monsters
Molebear (all poses and attacks, work on the movement first, then possibly the burrowing and attacking)
Bound Wolf (Work on the up and down attack sprites)
Evil Sword (everything)
Armor Knight (everything)
Poron (Everything)
Goblin (Up and down movement and all attacks)
Zombie (up and down movement and all attacks)
Assasin Bug (everything)
Grell (everything)

Sword of Mana
Niccolo (all sides and movement, and him fishing)

Those would get me started (yeah, that's a lot, I know) even one monster or sprite is a big help. To help you help me, most emulators have teh ability to disable layers by pressing a certain key, 1-4 on Zsnes and I think Snes9x.

EDIT: Here is another shot of the Ruins and the Jungle

Thanks,
Lotus

Post by **The J Person** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:17 pm

You wouldn't also happen to need the "wind" effects that are visible from the Wind God Statues, would you? If I can disable the correct layers without turning them off, it ought to let me take 'em out for ya.

Also, how hard is it to work with this progam? I've been interested in making a Mana game for years now, based on SD2, but with an enhanced palette. And, um.. once you have this stuff finished, would it be possible for Seikens to mirror-host the sprite resources you've collected, so that ZC and Seikens both have them? It'd help make sure they can be found, since certain people (such as myself) had never heard of ZC before and prefer to just mingle around here.

Post by **Dr. Sheexy** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:38 pm

Hey, do you think you could share the original-unmodified sprites?
Like, before they got resized and the colors got simplified?
They might be of some use to me.

Post by **Lotus** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:58 pm

I am keeping as much of the original stuff as I can, some files were modified before I got to them. I am building off of what someone else started so some of my files were already modified, also many of them are RPG Maker chipsets, so I am uncertain of their condition compared to the original, but I will make an effort to keep a folder of the original files, and then the modified files. I'll add a folder in my photobucket account and start uploading the files I have Faalstar, then you can use them, some of the tiles haven't gotten organized, specifically I have a few monster and Duran that are on a sprite sheet, but the dimensions are all screwy, most programs use 16x16 tiles, these aren't centered properly, so you'll have to adjust them on your lonesome.

Anyways, the program itself is pretty easy to use, here are a few links to get people started:
The latest Beta (may be slightly unstable) cruise the forums for an older version if you want highest stability and compatablity)
http://www.armageddongames.net/showthread.php?t=94721
Some Tutorials to teach you how to use the program for anything beyond playing games (read all the stickies)
http://www.purezc.com/forums/index.php?showforum=6

Well that should give you a start, overall I'd say the program is easier to use than RPG Maker programs, and requires no programming (though it is now optional) Anyways, a few things that you'd think are easy aren't easy, such as working NPC's (right now you have to use a bunch of tricks to make it work) but most things like that are being worked on, basically anything that was possible in the original LoZ is possible in here, and much more.
And yeah, I can mirror all the graphics files I used here

EDIT: Oh and yeah, the wind effect would be nice, but not needed, if you get me a normal screeny with the wind on it, I can rip it myself if needed. Oh and if you can get them, get the wall crystals too, I almost forgot about them.

Later,
Lotus

Post by **The J Person** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:15 am

Just curiosity getting to me, again - stop me if I'm getting annoying - do you have something in place there that might work like the Item Ring System? I noticed the health and item thingies up top, which seem to be placeholders.

Another object of curiosity: One of the big complaints (it even shows up in the SoM entry on Wikipedia) that some people had about Zelda was you had no stats. Does this program allow for them?

Post by **Lotus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:42 am

No and No, I cannot make a ring system and I cannot make stats, the best I can do is make a health bar, but no actual stats or anything like that, I can only make stuff within the restraints of the Zelda engine. So it will not be a Seiken game per say, but it will also no longer be a Zelda game, kinda half-way between.

Compilation shot of the ruins

Sneak past the goblins

Later,
Lotus

YouTube · Post by **Kefka** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:23 am

erh.... i've downloaded this Beta, but it's the zelda-classic i already know. I've tried some thing myself too with the tile-set i see. I remember this.

Can't wait for the Mana mod you're making!

Post by **The J Person** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:50 am

That turned out pretty well. Good job.

Sorry for being a pest about things. I get really curious whenever Mana and fangames enter the same sentence. It's a quirk of mine.

I'm still working on getting far enough to rip those sprites - apparently when I copied over my files from Snes9x to Zsnes, my SD3 file didn't transfer properly, so I lost all my save data. If you haven't done it already, y'might hafta get 'em from someone else. I'm not taking my time with this latest playthrough, by any means, but I'm kinda burnt out for tonight and my eye's bugging me, so... I'm giving it a rest. Better luck tomorrow, and apologies again.

Post by **Lotus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:24 pm

Don't worry about it, I have no problem helping people learn about new things, that's why I am in school for teaching

Thanks for the efforts. Let me know when you get to them.

Kyatto, go to www.purezc.com and along the side you'll see quests, look at the top rated quests and give some of them a try, lots of fun.

Later,
Lotus

Post by **Lotus** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 3:19 pm

Hey guys, would anyone be willing to organize soe sprites for me? I'll provide you with the sprites and the templates. I have a bunch of NPC people, a character sprite, and a ton of monsters, Also I could use soe boss sprites organized. Most of it is from SD3. Here is a basic exaple of how an NPC would be done, actually these are usable files so if you wanted to do soe, you could just download these too. Anyways, first we have the sprite sheet that I got from the web:

Next is the template, the template is organized into 16x16 pixel blocks, most NPC's are either 1 wide and two tall, or 2x2:

All I need is to have you copy their frames onto the template then trim it down, it is important that only one sprite occupies a file because of the way files are imported and colored, also the background must always be solid white. So here is how a finalized sprite would look.

If you can help, I would appreciate it.

EDIT:
Just a couple of new screenshots, here is a basic desert screen with Niccolo and then a shot with the Big Jackal thingy.

Later,
Lotus