itch.io

Thanks for the (exhaustive) list of resources. Perhaps you should post it in a new topic so others don't miss it if they don't read this thread.

I'm gonna try my hand at an amateur youtube video to go over stuff as soon as I can figure out how to get the background noise out of my microphone recording LOL. But yeah, you're right. I'll just do it all at the same time tonight

Awesome. It'll be fun.

Feel free to stop by the discord in voice or text if you get bored or want to show off!

Only 3 of us at the moment;

https://discord.gg/z5V9btv

UPDATE: Got it figured out. Audacity is master race I guess

yeet

Awesome! Welcome!

Don't know if you've checked it out before, but this guy has like 50 free asset packs, all CC0 licensed:  https://www.kenney.nl/assets

There's a 2D platformer kit that has spiders and bees. Might be a start ("2D platformer redux") if that's the right POV sprites you want.

Or if you want to be real funny, fuse some bug pokemon together for some inspiration, though that's probably overkill. Heracross happens to be my favorite pokemon of all time. https://japeal.com/pkm/

But yeah, check out Kenney's stuff if you haven't yet. He's got lots of stuff

Personally if I was doing an insect game, I'd try to make it some kind of 2D scrolling shooter game. I can imagine equipping an ant with something resembling "Laser Cannon Armor" from Yugioh and making a super army ant go to war with other bugs. Like a brutal version of A Bugs Life where the ants aren't pushovers. Idk

I've got a few pages of a rough-draft written up for my project now. I'm feeling expressive so I'll make up a random youtube account and demo some of the stuff I listed above and show what I've come up with. Like I said in the overview, I'm looking at making a Phantasy Star Online "Offline" type game. It'll have to be 1 player since I have no idea how to do photon network code nor port-forwarding/remote play stuff. I know nothing about the intricacies of multiplayer development. I understand conceptually that you need to design whatever you're making around the network framework you're going to use and you'll want to have experience in efficient/optimized code. I don't plan on attempting that right now but sometime this year I'd like to dabble into some in depth tutorials and maybe make a Worms/Gunbound clone as a good start. Who knows? For now, I'll shoot for a decent 1 player experience. I don't trust I could code or modify AI behaviors to be difficult or challenging enough to be fun against multiple players in a co-operative setting anyways. (Or I could just spam enemies and really dumb traps but that would kill the fun factor and probably the performance.) It'd also be cool to make a Dungeon Defenders type clone someday too (if I can get really good at the networking side of things). And while we're at it, why not Dark Souls as well? See the cravings never stop... better scale it down to something manageable and stand upon the shoulders of giants (a.k.a. using asset packs and learning from the successful) yet in a personally satisfactory and stylistically "unique" way.

Oh well we'll see. I just want to finish something.

Yeah, it's not immediately obvious: To format a line as a quote when editing, click the format button in the toolbar (first icon on the left) and select "quote".

Gotcha.

Well I was brainstorming but a series of silly errands got in the way today. Ah well. Finally back at it though. Looking through the Unity asset store, here are a list of items I found really appealing (as I mentioned in the overview post, Synty studios and other various assets were a part of a HUGE humble bundle sale last winter. I picked up a lot of their low poly model/environment packs in one of the bundles. Just now going through them.)

In no particular order, Starting with the expensive stuff first for no reason other than my own convenience of how my wishlist/asset list is stacked up... here are some links to useful asset packs I've found: (no way endorsed by any of these and surely there is no silly legal reason why I can't share my "thoughts" xD?)

Custom 3D Anime Girl Builder - $30 (No comment on this one.)

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/humanoids/custom-3d-anime-gi...

Sci-Fi City (Low Poly) - $50 (I got this and a few other packs in a bundle for $20ish... I feel very lucky)

[Other ones I picked up from Synty Studios: Western pack, Samurai pack, Adventurer pack, Knights pack, Heist pack, and Dungeon pack.]

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/sci-fi/polygon-sci-fi-city...

Polygonal Creatures pack (Low Poly) - $79 (I don't remember paying nearly this much when I picked it up but the quality definitely is there. Really good models that come with animations and mechanim rigged and ready to go.)

[I also picked up the Alien creatures pack from Meshtint though I haven't explored it much yet.]

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/creatures/polygonal-creature...

Action-RPG Starter Kit - $70 (I definitely paid less for this one as well when it was on sale last year. I plan to use this for my project. The documentation is easy to understand and the kit is so simple and powerful. Hitbear Studios has a couple other kits too, one for 2.5D Action Platformer games and another for Top-Down RPG Clicker adventures.)

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/systems/action-rpg-starter-kit-9...

3D Items - Mega Pack - $50 (Its got over 1600 models/variants of weapons likes axes, swords, bows, wands, etc. I saw some "saws" in there too. Like handsaws. Most of the variation comes from multiple color schemes but there's at least a dozen unique designs of every kind of weapon they have, if not more. Easy to customize. Throwing on "Real Toon" shaders really make the weapons pop-out a bit too, granted it fits the game design. This one could solve all your weapon needs easily. Except for guns... Its all medieval stuff in this pack.)

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/3d-items-mega-pack-48140

Epic Toon FX - $30 (Lots of "toony" particle effects for magic and... well mostly magic. The demo really sells it.)

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/particles/epic-toon-fx-57772

RealToon Shader - $25 (I'm not an expert on toony shaders. I know there are other variants that cost more and there are some variants that come with toony character/environment asset packs. I have noticed with this one that not all models work properly right out of the box. But most do and they work really well when they do. I've tried applying the shader to materials from the Synty Studio's map packs and their environment pieces and liked the results. Though there is probably something else that's better but pricier. It wasn't until I experimented with this asset that I realized how important a good shader is for artistic cohesion.)

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/realtoon-65518

LowPoly Mesh Generator - $20 (Its fun to play around with. I feel like I got this one for free... I really don't remember. I've been collecting stuff for 2 years now off of sales and bundles so I can't say for sure. I have tried it on some more "higher quality" map pack environments and noticed that certain textures do not play nicely with it. But from a geometric point of view, I really like the results. I'm sure it can help optimize and prototype or even kitbash (I think I'm using the term correctly, anyways) for some really unique effects for a low-poly 3D game. Apply some good lighting and shaders, tweek texture tiles accordingly and you might have saved a lot of work trying to recreate an environment with new pieces when you could just repurpose higher definition environments for a lower poly game.)

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/level-design/low-poly-mesh-generator...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, how about some free stuff... enough with this "rich" and "privileged" showcase. (I make <$50k a year so... yeah I'm not rich either lmao.)

Skyboxes

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/sky/3-skyboxes-25142

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/dynamic-space-backgr...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/sky/skybox-4183

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/sky/fantasy-skybox-f...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/sky/galaxybox-1-0-18...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/sky/farland-skies-cl...

City Environments

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/japanese-dosanko-cit...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/japanese-otaku-city-...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/japanese-matsuri-cit...

Characters

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/taichi-character-pack-15667

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/robots/sci-fi-warrior-pbr-hp...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/humanoids/strong-knight-8358...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/humanoids/zombie-30232

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/amane-kisora-chan-free-ver-7...

Particle Effects

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/particles/spells/ky-magic-effects-free...

Environmental Pieces

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/fantasy/fantasyhouse-lowpo...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/concrete-barricades-80401

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/exterior/japanese-street-lamp-681...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/exterior/urban-props-pack-71368

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/simple-low-poly-village-buildings-99370

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/dungeons/medieval-castle-p...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/dungeons/decrepit-dungeon-...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/vegetation/trees/korea-native-trees-771...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/vehicles/land/single-detailed-truck-895

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/vehicles/land/mini-cargo-truck-68663

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/fountain-prop-75912

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/landscapes/rocky-hills-env...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/landscapes/autumn-mountain...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/fantasy/medieval-town-exteriors-27026

Camera/Controller

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/characters/eazy-camera-102275

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/utilities/third-person-controller-ba...

Shaders

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/ice-shader-tutorial-91432

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/toon-shader-free-21288

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/toony-colors-free-3926

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/mk-toon-free-68972

Music

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/audio/music/the-fantasy-music-library-free...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/audio/music/action-rpg-music-free-85434

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/audio/music/orchestral/horrific-music-and-...

Sound Effects

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/audio/sound-fx/free-sound-effects-pack-155...

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/audio/sound-fx/sound-pack-free-pack-78186

Textures

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/2d/textures-materials/terrain-textures-pac...

Guns

https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/guns/free-realistic-gun-pack-for-...

Just some items I've had in my library or wishlist for awhile. Hope this helps. Or not. Its just there xD

Obviously if you haven't already, check out Unity's Standard assets (they are a real pain to look through but there is a lot of great stuff there...)

And maybe check out opengameart.org for your 2D project or music/sound effect needs.

Also, check this out: https://kenney.nl/assets

Or this: https://assetforge.io/

Maybe this too:

https://www.mixamo.com/

UPDATE: Check out Unity's "mega asset sale" going on now. I have to admit, its not as relevant to me as other sales I've seen but there are a couple really good assets worth looking at. And the 12 year subscription to Unity Premium's educational content is worth it if you have the time and need to go through professionally designed courses. I prefer hunting and pecking off Youtube and Udemy personally, but there is a deal going on where you are basically getting $1,086.00 worth of stuff in this mega bundle for $99.00. If any of the packs look meet a need, definitely consider it!

https://assetstore.unity.com/mega-bundles/grow-your-skills

Man, you're a pro at this. You know how to do official quotes and everything! 

Yeah the INFP thing is from MBTI (myors brigs type indicator) which is a pseudo-psychological framework for describing social/behavioral tendencies in an archetypal way that's been widely used and improved upon for almost a century now. I personally like CS Joseph's modern take on the topic. If for nothing else, its great for story-boarding and serves as another analytical lens and popular tool set of words and concepts to more accurately describe typically hard-to-describe mannerisms, behavioral patterns, and general character development events. So I'm a fan in using it in that way. Beats astrology, anyways.

Well I just had to uninstall league of legends. I got addicted to playing their "teamfight tactics" gamemode. I think I'm going to "cheat" and start brainstorming a day+ early on my stuff. Lol

And thanks for the thoughtful reply, I appreciate that. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out how you did the quotes?

Test...

Thanks. I was inspired by yours. Nice job on the jam overview, btw. 

Cool... (not gonna lie, I used moderation privileges to "edit" so that I could copy/paste the raw text for that to work... I'm guessing there's a markup code or that the reply button allows you to do that if you backspace everything else?) XD

LMFAO that's hillarious man! I like your attitude and creative, narrative writing spirit! I'm still just sitting here thinking "wtf someone actually clicked on this game jam?" lol. For some reason I didn't think it was showing up when I looked for it on the Game Jam tab but I yeah, cool. 

Now that this isn't some invisible little experiment I can brush under the rug anymore, I will definitely give it %110! xD

I may be analyzing this awwtistically and incorrectly, but in the case that your end disclaimer in brackets isn't sarcastic or "in character"( or whatever) ; of course I wouldn't be annoyed or want to forget a post you just randomly took the time to write up in such an expressive way like that, haha.

Btw, INFP detected?

[If you're not following that or are annoyed I suggest you forget that last part.]