Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news From: Alex Herbert Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.mydemos Subject: Re: The Super Bub Contest Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 17:24:46 +0000 Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE) Lines: 106 Message-ID: <3677ECDE.C9198AEC@ndirect.co.uk> References: <3670020C.B9959B04@ndirect.co.uk> <3677C724.F532A1FA@writeme.com> Reply-To: aherbert@ndirect.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Host: th-usr02-39.ndirect.co.uk Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; I) James Rutherford wrote: > (This maybe ought to be a personal mail, but I reckon the sentiments are > relevant to everybody). > > That's one great game- well designed, obviously competently written and > superbly polished. > > BUT! (and this is a rather significant BUT!)... > > You _really_ have to credit your sources: > > (1) Out of courtesy. > (2) To prevent legal wrangles. > (3) So that nothing is taken away from what you've done. > > I started playing your game and I thought - 'yeah, this is stirling > stuff'. But, the doubts started creeping in when I realised you hadn't > credited the other sources. The character graphics are 'borrowed'. So > what? So nothing, I say - They fit the game nicely and its not as though > you're making any money out of them, or anybody should be getting heavy > with you. The problem is that you don't mention where the graphics came > from; in the game, in the readme, anywhere. This /very/ unprofessional - > almost unexcusable, I'd say. Point accepted. Yes indeed I did 'borrow' the character graphics although they have been modified to some degree (and I don't just mean changes to the colours). They were taken from the arcade game Snow Bros. (can't remember the manufacturer.) The large character pictures used on the character select screen were created in Photoshop from the smaller 'borrowed' graphics. The small flames were 'borrowed' from Capcom's Black Tiger (and they turn up in many of Capcom's late '80s games). Again, they have been tweaked a little and the colours changed, and the larger flames started life as the smaller Capcom ones. The rest of the graphics are 100% mine. > It really doesn't do you justice either. The music is cool - but now I'm > quite prepared to think that you didn't write it. No, the music IS mine. It was created using Rebirth-338 version 1.5, and the patterns are my own. (I really ought to get version 2 which has a 909 drum machine as well as the 808). The sound fx came from royalty free stock libraries but have been drastically edited using Cool Edit 96. > Is the game design yours, or is it 'borrowed' from some lesser-known > shareware game? I'd > like to think the former, but I'm inclined to believe the latter. The game was 'inspired' by Sega's Baku Baku (as is Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter) which is an extension of Columns, which is based on Tetris. Baku Baku uses animals and food rather than flames and bubbles, and the bricks fall from the top in the usual way. So, I turned Baku Baku upside down, put in a throwing action, and changed the bricks to bubbles to make it a little more like Bust-a-Move. So, at the end of the day, the game design is an amalgamation of other existing games. But then that goes for 99%* of all games these days. (* figures supplied by GuessWerk Inc.) > Look - I _know_ you're a competent coder. But if I didn't, I now be > tempted to > think that the source was 'reused'... No. The code is absolutely my own. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my coding abilities. But then the only part of SuperBub that was even slightly tricky to program was the AI, and I'm more chuffed about the fact that I actually completed writing a game, than the actual code itself. (Some of the code, especially the out-of-game screens, was written using Cut'n'Paste Technology. In other words, it's an ugly, sloppy mess.) :) > I don't mean to rant, but Alex - you've had games published, you know > how this deal works and you /really/ ought to know better. Yeah, I know, but to be honest the games I had published were not that original either. Stone Raider (Sinclair QL) was a blatant rip-off of Boulderdash. Even though I drew the graphics myself, they were drawn to look like the original. Goldrunner II (Atari ST) was a sequel to someone elses game (Steve Bak) and was essentially a top-down, vertical scrolling version of Defender. > No matter how obscure your sources, the chances are that someone else will > recognise > them. Set the good example, sunshine, or I'll send 'da boys round! Yes sir! To be honest, the reason I didn't credit sources of the graphics was because I thought it might go against me with trying to get it on the PSM cover disk - but I guess my cover is well and truly blown now. Thanks a lot! ;) I'll be putting the source up in the next few days (which will be good for a laugh) and I'll update the ReadMe files with the relevant credits. > Nice game tho'. Thanks. Ooh! I forgot to mention (now that I'm coming clean) that the circling background wasn't entirely my own idea either. I drew the graphics, but if you look at the stats/load/save screens of Kula World you'll see where I go the idea. > James (but you can call me Mr. Toaplan...) Ah, it was Toaplan was it? Oh well. Sorry Mr Toaplan. Herbs (but you can call me Mr. Originality.)