Super Metroid: Volta

2009-05-01 04:54:06 am

Super Secret Area - Dead Ahead!

Was it intentional to have the darker blue visible around the map sections with angles in?

Still looks great - just wondering... Very Happy

FirePhoenix

2009-05-01 06:09:39 am

DSO: it's not like it's a spoiler really, I mean, if you find the Map stations you'll see all of that revealed to you so... :P If you're really worried about me giving that much away, don't worry, Volgaia and Sanctorium are about double the size you see there and Forensrem has a number of hidden areas as well. And who know? I may go back and add stuff to them someday.

Quietus: Well, all I did was use the SMILE screenshots and erase the hidden areas. In the screenshots, it shows those dark blue areas and I just didn't think to get rid of them.

aixinlan4869

2009-05-04 12:27:13 am

FirePhoenix

2009-05-26 06:58:31 pm

I figure I might as well say something about progress. Nothing to show this time, just words.

Well, I've repointed all the graphical and palette data using DSO's patch so as to make way for new tilesets and the like. Unfortunately, this has been a cause for trouble as I've discovered a few rooms that I managed to blow up by not repointing their data before using the patch. So at the moment I've got one room that refuses to respond to my fixes and a few other random quirks, like one of the doors in a room turning to solid tiles. Aside from the couple bugs that I'm fixing, things have been flowing fairly well. I'm about half done with Sanctorium at this point and Volgaia is 100% done according to my plans though I may add a few more rooms to take advantage of the underwater crateria tiles I haven't used much yet. Forensrem/Cyclonia is still due for an entire overhaul, meaning that progress on it is essentially 0%. So that means I have about 1 1/2 worlds done out of 6.

The biggest thing stopping me from getting anywhere fast is the lack of new graphics. I'm trying hard to get graphical artists for the hack because I've discovered that I can't draw natural stuff well nor can I emulate SM's style very well. I've spoken to a few people but I'm not sure if anything will come of it. My other option is to use imported graphics from other games but I'm not sure how much I like that idea, though I am in love with a few of the tilesets from Symphony of the Night...but anyways, graphics are the next major step.

Other things...the icy mountaintop world's name has changed once more to what I'm hoping is final. The new name is Arctermis. Maps for the other worlds are still being developed and a few more major items have yet to be placed in my plans.

One other thing. I've decided that I want to go forward with an idea that I got for Volta in a dream I had. I refuse to explain anything about what the idea is but I can tell you that it will be something that no one has ever seen in a SM hack as of yet. And the best part is that I think I can accomplish it with little to no ASM. So look forward to that whenever Volta is finally done.

Speaking of dates, I can safely say that Volta WILL NOT (capped so as to not cause confusion) be released in 2009. I just know that it won't. Judging my how long it's taken to get here and how I seem to hack in cycles, I'm thinking Volta's looking to be a late 2010 release. Yeah, 1 1/2 years away probably. So sorry for those of you hoping for a release this summer or even this year. Don't worry too much though, you'll have Eris, Aegis and more to play in the meantime. And plus, I think the wait will be worth it even if Volta is probably not going to be groundbreaking like Redesign was. As long as you guys enjoy my hack when it's finally released, I'll be happy.

Oh and if anyone's interested in a bit of trivia on Volta, the earliest backup I have of Super Metroid Aspiration, the hack that eventually became Volta, comes from all the way back in December 2007. So Volta has been in development for 1 1/2 years already and only around the 20% mark. It's been a long road since then. Thanks for hanging around everyone.

I figure I might as well say something about progress.  Nothing to show this time, just words.

Well, I've repointed all the graphical and palette data using DSO's patch so as to make way for new tilesets and the like.  Unfortunately, this has been a cause for trouble as I've discovered a few rooms that I managed to blow up by not repointing their data before using the patch.  So at the moment I've got one room that refuses to respond to my fixes and a few other random quirks, like one of the doors in a room turning to solid tiles.  Aside from the couple bugs that I'm fixing, things have been flowing fairly well.  I'm about half done with Sanctorium at this point and Volgaia is 100% done according to my plans though I may add a few more rooms to take advantage of the underwater crateria tiles I haven't used much yet.  Forensrem/Cyclonia is still due for an entire overhaul, meaning that progress on it is essentially 0%.  So that means I have about 1 1/2 worlds done out of 6.

The biggest thing stopping me from getting anywhere fast is the lack of new graphics.  I'm trying hard to get graphical artists for the hack because I've discovered that I can't draw natural stuff well nor can I emulate SM's style very well.  I've spoken to a few people but I'm not sure if anything will come of it.  My other option is to use imported graphics from other games but I'm not sure how much I like that idea, though I am in love with a few of the tilesets from Symphony of the Night...but anyways, graphics are the next major step.

Other things...the icy mountaintop world's name has changed once more to what I'm hoping is final.  The new name is Arctermis.  Maps for the other worlds are still being developed and a few more major items have yet to be placed in my plans.

One other thing.  I've decided that I want to go forward with an idea that I got for Volta in a dream I had.  I refuse to explain anything about what the idea is but I can tell you that it will be something that no one has ever seen in a SM hack as of yet.  And the best part is that I think I can accomplish it with little to no ASM.  So look forward to that whenever Volta is finally done.

Speaking of dates, I can safely say that Volta WILL NOT (capped so as to not cause confusion) be released in 2009.  I just know that it won't.  Judging my how long it's taken to get here and how I seem to hack in cycles, I'm thinking Volta's looking to be a late 2010 release.  Yeah, 1 1/2 years away probably.  So sorry for those of you hoping for a release this summer or even this year.  Don't worry too much though, you'll have Eris, Aegis and more to play in the meantime.  And plus, I think the wait will be worth it even if Volta is probably not going to be groundbreaking like Redesign was.  As long as you guys enjoy my hack when it's finally released, I'll be happy.

Oh and if anyone's interested in a bit of trivia on Volta, the earliest backup I have of Super Metroid Aspiration, the hack that eventually became Volta, comes from all the way back in December 2007.  So Volta has been in development for 1 1/2 years already and only around the 20% mark.  It's been a long road since then.  Thanks for hanging around everyone.

Tyjet66

2009-05-26 09:57:30 pm

What'd you say?

Quote from FirePhoenix0:

So Volta has been in development for 1 1/2 years already and only around the 20% mark.

God speed FirePheonix!

UltimateAvenger

2009-05-26 11:34:18 pm

LOL

Take your time FP We can wait....(some of us) aiwebs_016

. I just don't want you to rush through. Take as long as you need. Very Happy

Sa-Ikkillua

2009-06-22 02:31:57 pm

Sa-Ikkillua

This game is..... is...... very good!!!

I can't wait to play this game, in full version!!! grin new

Samus-Aran

(user is banned)

2009-06-30 08:10:29 pm

SAMUS ARAN RULES

im STUCK IN A WALL!!!! how do you get out of the flippen wall

FirePhoenix

2009-06-30 08:54:04 pm

I have reason to believe that you're not using a clean rom, since that room is supposed to look entirely different and I've never had that happen to me in testing.

Samus-Aran

(user is banned)

2009-06-30 08:57:43 pm

SAMUS ARAN RULES

i used a clean rom but it patched but also had an error

Samus-Aran

(user is banned)

Samus-Aran

Edit history:

Samus-Aran: 2009-07-07 12:48:20 pm

2009-07-07 12:22:56 am

SAMUS ARAN RULES

ITS FIXED

Quietus

2009-07-07 05:31:56 am

Super Secret Area - Dead Ahead!

Any update to the percentages in the first post, FirePhoenix?

Percentages are good an' all, but only if they're accurate! aiwebs_011

FirePhoenix

2009-07-07 11:30:32 am

Let me check what they say....

...

Yeah I can update it actually. Sanctorium is at like, 66%.

In other news, that game-breaking bug in that one room is finally fixed so I can resume work. However I still only have graphics for Sanctorium so once I'm done with those rooms I'm officially stuck until I get some new stuff.

Samus-Aran

(user is banned)

2009-07-11 10:55:02 pm

SAMUS ARAN RULES

hey firephonix i have a suit idea for you next hack make the gravity suit look like the phazon suit in metroid prime

Sturmvogel Prime

2009-08-13 05:07:56 pm

Phazon Vasteel Autobot

I guess i beat the Demo, because i found several dead ends.

Final Status:
2 Energy Tanks
Varia Suit
Morphball, Bomb, Boost Ball
Charge Beam, Ice Beam & Spazer
38 Missiles
8 Super Missiles
9 Power Bombs
Grappling Beam
Bosses Killed: Kraid & Spore Spawn

In conclusion, this game feels like Redesign II, but without the annoying physics, the only thing i hate is the dark caves in Cyclonia.
How's the progress on this game FirePhoenix?

Derakon

Edit history:

Derakon: 2009-08-14 01:26:29 am

2009-08-13 08:35:47 pm

I haven't read through all 20 pages of this, so this may have been mentioned before, but you might want to tweak the terrain at these points:

In either case, you can get out by morphing, but you're otherwise stuck.

I dig the level design! It's nice to have a bright and cheery area to explore for once. The caves are a bit samey, though.

Edit: found everything that Sturmvogel listed except the chargebeam. I also managed to get stuck here:

For some reason, when I did the shinespark, I got caught on some terrain. Backing out with a savestate and retrying it from basically the same position worked, so I dunno what went wrong. I suggest making those speedbooster blocks not return when destroyed, though.

Quietus

2009-08-14 05:54:44 am

Super Secret Area - Dead Ahead!

Just bear in mind that the last demo was posted months ago, and has no doubt undergone heavy changes between then and now.

Derakon

2009-08-14 12:52:45 pm

Certainly. I offered those screenshots just on the off chance that they had not yet been fixed.

FirePhoenix

Edit history:

FirePhoenix: 2009-08-15 01:03:39 pm

2009-08-15 12:48:55 pm

Here, have a screenie.

I've also fixed all the things Derakon mentioned.

Derakon

Edit history:

Derakon: 2009-08-18 12:57:58 am

2009-08-18 12:44:50 am

Is there supposed to be anything here?

Also, running straight to the right from here takes you into that same set of speed blocks that I mentioned earlier; you can then stop running in the middle of them and get stuck. Just in case your fix earlier didn't catch that.

Moving one square left from this position causes the screen to scroll down, making Samus be offscreen:

Man, where did chargebeam get to...?

Edit: bah, super-short-charged the path in Gaia Heights that's blocked by the kagos, and all I got was a lousy E-tank...

MetroidMst

2009-08-18 03:21:29 pm

Go ahead. Stare.

Charge is behind PB blocks somewhere... In the sky...

Bloodsonic

2009-08-18 03:38:53 pm

Hey, the new palette for the sunset crateria looks a lot less like a norfair-ish overworld.
about time :P

FirePhoenix

2009-08-18 03:52:15 pm

Quote from Bloodsonic:

Hey, the new palette for the sunset crateria looks a lot less like a norfair-ish overworld.
about time :P

Oh, that's because I forgot to add palette blend 53 to the room, silly me.

@Derakon: the first pic is intentional though there's nothing to find there. It's for something later on, trust me on this. As for the 2nd screen, that's an accident but I guess I can quick fix it by just making that scroll box next to it a green scroll instead of red. That or shift the tiles there a little.

FirePhoenix

2009-08-24 05:49:58 pm

Today I went back and decided to take updated snapshots of old images so as to show the progress since they were initially taken. For some of these shots, the difference is over a year in time. Left image is the original, right image is the updated version.[hr]

I've come a long way.

Today I went back and decided to take updated snapshots of old images so as to show the progress since they were initially taken.  For some of these shots, the difference is over a year in time.  Left image is the original, right image is the updated version.[hr]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/SM/SuperMetroid_00006.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00039.png[/img][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00047.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/SM/SuperMetroid_00002.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00040.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/SM/SuperMetroid_00008.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00041.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/SM/SuperMetroid_00009.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00042.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/SM/SuperMetroid_00014.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00043.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/Volta_00009.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00046.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/Volta_00008.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00045.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/Volta_00007.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00044.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/Volta_00036.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00049.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/Volta_00023.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00048.png[/img]
[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/Volta_00038.png[/img]  [IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/Plasmfire/Volta/quickmet_00050.png[/img]

I've come a long way.

Acheron

2009-08-24 05:59:47 pm

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

I actually really like all the palettes and I think you should consider using the old ones at least in a few rooms (DSO's patch would be a great way to implement that).

I shouldn't even need to say at this point how excited I am for this hack. I will be patient.