Engines

You don't need any special hardware to make music, and free music software isn't difficult to come by. Google is your friend. You should try it out, it's not that hard.

Trufax

Although the good stuff does cost quite a bit if you wanna get serious.

On the topic of engines, keep it simple, use ****y graphics in them, and don't let this cookie cutter Hello engine with different sprites (No offense to hello, he is an awesome guy) bull**** happen.

This post has been edited by shroomguy on May 11 2009, 06:40 PM

Fixed

No if you use bad graphics it will force people to find good ones or make their own

no the whole point of engines is to use them verbatim, not as a starting point for developing your own gameplay that won't play exactly 100% every other game made with the same engine

as such they need to be fully loaded with everything already done for you... maybe even an intelligent level-generating algorithm so all you have to do is press "make levels" and you're done!

maybe in the future you won't even have to do that!

I understand where you're coming from, Redux. But having an open source engine can serve multiple purposes.

1. First, it can help the casual game developer who is only interested a Mario knock-off or clone. All they really want to do is use the engine and the building blocks in it to construct something. They aren't interested in coding, spriting, or creating music. These are the types of games you guys all hate because they don't offer anything new except level design. Since some people like these engines (but the people on this board don't) then why not simply require people posting their engines to the main site to cite the engine they used? Heck, you could even have a checkbox for the more popular engines.

2. However, open source engines can also be a huge asset to the independent game developer, too. With a well-built engine, you can see how various components are put together into a larger whole. Some micro tutorials (which show only a single game element) do not always work well together. The complete engine addresses these issues as the engine developer has had to take the time to iron out the problems. Even when the engine is not used by the person looking at it - it is still valuable and should still be made available to the wider community.

I agree. Programming is simply a means to an end for some of us. We didn't start making games because we liked programming. We started using these programs because we wanted to make games!

If all you want to do is create sprites - then some on this board would ask that you find a programmer for your game. That's not always possible - or realistic. If you have an open source engine available to you and you'd like to insert your own graphics into it - then why not? Have at it! You may not produce the most unique game in the world, but as long as you are having fun then I really can't see the harm. This is all about having fun, isn't it?

Good points JessBowers.
MFGG could have a section just for level design (like the how to section only editable).
I don't think there will be many complaints if it's marked as user created levels and not new games.
Some sites actually encourage that (eg: most if not all M.U.G.E.N. sites).
If the levels allow the user to have fun playing them, what's the difference who the credit goes to (right Tecmo and Ninjahacker.net?).

This post has been edited by old school gamer on May 12 2009, 02:04 PM

I don't think it's really for MFGG.

Or is it? Why not have some mechanism to filter out the stuff that you don't want - especially if so many others have determined that IS what MFGG is for - i.e. fan games with open source engines.

MFGG is for fangames and the resources to help people make them, not a place for people to show off their single levels that all play the same using the same engine.

Well maybe it should be.
The site designers have done an incredible job with this place, but you might gain a wider audience if you were more lax in site rules and more about gaming.
The first two letters of this site stand for "Mario Fan", but should this mean only the creation of Mario themes, or that plus playing Mario games?
Your reviews and comments section would also benefit from this, having just a few engines to review and comment on for levels to be shared with the community.
Kannagi Stadium (Powered by Invision Power Board) even has a place to play them for online competition (not advertising site, same server).

You will have to follow COPPA (Child Online Privacy Policy) rules (must be 13 and up), curb your language, and leave your sarcasm and put downs at the door if this site is to be made more family friendly.
Youtube links to/from this site should also be less adult themed.

This post has been edited by old school gamer on May 12 2009, 10:06 PM

No it shouldn't.

No this is a site about creating Mario themed games, not the Mario franchise. There are plenty of other sites like that.

The third letter stands for "Games" and when coupled with "Fan" it becomes "Fan games". There is no comma between "Fan" and "Games". It's mario FAN GAMES galaxy. A place for mario-themed, fan made games.

"Mario Fan Galaxy" is not what this site is about. It's about fangames.

You are being too literal.
A user created level can also be called a fan game because the engine it was created on has that theme, and the creators like that character which inspires custom levels.

If you want to be literal, Galaxy doesn't make sense unless it's Games Galaxy.

This post has been edited by old school gamer on May 12 2009, 10:09 PM

I'm not gonna keep going with this.

a user-created level would be called "user-created content"

it's an extension of an existing game, not a game itself

... what

i have no idea where you're going with that, but "Fan Games Galaxy" makes just as much sense as "Games Galaxy"; in fact, it makes MORE sense in this case because MFGG is for mario fangames, not sonic, halo, half-life, or little big planet games

"Galaxy" is just some random word that exists only to keep the place from being called "Mario Fan Games" which is painfully generic and boring

This post has been edited by Xgoff on May 12 2009, 10:18 PM

or from being "Mario Fan Games HQ" because every one and their dog did it at the time



also no, MFGG is not going to become a place to accept "levels" as a game, not while i or Thunder Dragon are still around

Yeah or me, i'll have a hissy fit and nobody wants that.

you don't count, you're not as old on MFGG as i am and you're not Thunder Dragon


unless you're Kritter

I'll tell you one day.

I am not suggesting that MFGG become a dumping ground for user-created levels. However, if folks on this board object to most content created with "popular" open source engines then why not simply include a checkbox on submitted content that identifies the submission as having a unique engine (authored by the submitter)? Any submission which did not have this checkbox (i.e. a unique engine) could be easilly ignored by the "purists" who want their fan games to be entirely custom.

Anyway, whatever you decide to do is fine with me. My objection was the attempt to discourage people from making their engines open source. I just think that is an absurd idea. I think you'll wind up with less unique content on the main site if that happens - not more.