Collaborative Project - for Charas.Ex Orphans

[xeol]

Hello, this is my first post here, I'm not used to this forum's "culture", don't know if this is the right board for what I'm asking, but here it goes.

I used to play around with RPG Maker when I was 14, 15 years old (that was 2003, 2004), and I really loved Charas.EX, it was a very useful application for people who sucked at pixel art like me.

Recently I came back to game development, using more advanced engines/libs, since RPG Maker 2k3 was pretty limited and I never got used to the newer versions. But my drawing issue persisted, and I think there must be a lot of people with the same problem around the world.

Charas.EX apparently hasn't been updated since that time, and I could really use something like that but adapted to more powerful technologies we have nowdays, so, unable to find a replacement for the original Charas.Ex, I decided to make one myself.

It's really quite simple, I made it in a few hours using a game engine (Löve2d), and, despite its incompleteness, I think it will fit nicely the needs of desperate game developers like me.

I created a charset-like sprite format consisting of 32 frames, arranged in a 4x8 distribution (i.e. 4 states, 8 frames for each). 8 frames give a nice, fluid motion to the sprite. I plan to release this app-thing as a totally free tool for everyone, but I need to assemble a sprite database. The big problem is: I can't draw. That's where you come in.

I came here as a last resort, I will dump the project if I can't find anyone interested in helping its development, because I can't do it myself.

This is a sample sprite I created to test the application:



And you can download the app (its working name is LCC - Lovely Character Creator) here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/45690241/LCC-0.2.love
(it's a .love file, still in development, and it will need love2d to run. Download it at love2d.org, it's really small. I will release it as a multiplatform binary application when it's finished)
Use the arrow keys to navigate, and the mouse to adjust the color sliders.
The "save image" button doesn't work and probably won't, but you can take a screenshot of the spritesheet and paste it somewhere

So, to sum it all up, I need your help to create the sprites for this project. Every contributor will be credited in a readme file and, if I gather enough material, it will be released publicly, totally free. The sprite format are simple 24-bit png files with transparent background.

Also, I need a 'basic sprite format'. First I thought about using this sample I created, but, honestly, it sucks. It would be a VERY SIGNIFICANT contribution to create the basic format for others to work on.

Well, that's it. Hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.

[fruckert]

I had an idea like this that fell through a while back.
I started programming an offline Charas that would theoretically support palettes, 8 directional movement, etc.
I ran into a small snag, namely that I vastly overestimated myself, but still...y'know.
Good to see that somebody actually cares enough to try to do something like this.

Might I ask how the hell I open a .love file? To edit?
Want to take a look at your source, if that's alright with you.

And I'd ask some other places as well regarding the sprite crowdsourcing, because Charas has seen better years.
I for one can't sprite worth a damn, so I'm going to be spectacularly unhelpful, unless we're talking code or something.

[xeol]

Might I ask how the hell I open a .love file? To edit?
Want to take a look at your source, if that's alright with you.

And I'd ask some other places as well regarding the sprite crowdsourcing, because Charas has seen better years.
I for one can't sprite worth a damn, so I'm going to be spectacularly unhelpful, unless we're talking code or something.

Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell this.

A .love file is a simple .zip file, just rename it. The code is programmed in Lua, using the love2d framework. Any improvements to the code would also be very welcome.

any folder/file created under the /gfx/ folder will be interpreted by the app, so it's not limited to the basic folders I created. Haven't implemented a 'sets' feature though.

and, to run the application, install love2d.

[SOLDIER]

It would be nice if someone would update the Charas.EX as well. I just recently started using RPG2K3 again, found Charas.EX and started using. I love it, but more things would be nice. I'm not saying there's not enough already, but a little more variety and a few bugs fixed would be excellent.

[fruckert]

We're working on it.

[Archem]

We are? :p

[fruckert]

Indeed.
I should note, however, that it has nothing to do with the project in this topic.

[Archem]

I do. Not because I'm a spy or anything....






No, anyone who knows me knows that I like to stalk my prey...

[Archem]

I like having balls. I'll end up just like that martyr Meiscool.

You know, back eventually with no post count, but immediately promoted to a position of power upon returning for reals.

Hey, wait, why does that profile think I'm 22?


...Oh. I just realized that I am. What.

[Moosetroop11]

So what, something charas EX related is actually underway?

Neato!

[Archem]

...Nothing.

[Meiscool]

STOP DERAILING THE TOPiC OMG YOU'RE GIVING ME CANCER

[fruckert]

Mic, you're draggin' me down, man.

[Archem]

Your cancer is giving me AIDS. Stop it.