Update March 22, 2024:

Recruiting through this post is no longer open.

Application Deadline

March 30, 2024

Project Start Date

April 15, 2024

Project Completion Date

June 8, 2024

Project Duration

54 Days

Project Release Target

Windows (itch.io)

Weekly Commitment per Team Member

4 Hours

Usage Rights

All project code licensed under MIT License.

All graphics and sound resources licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Current Project Link

https://yethwhinger.itch.io/apt

Project Language: C# with MonoGame

Pixel Art Palette Restriction: 85 predefined colors

Reference Games: Shining Force/Tactics Ogre, Zelda 1

Target Audience: E10+ (avoiding age-inappropriate content, such as humans killing each other, disturbing torture, stealing, deception, blood, suggestive themes, nudity, offensive language, use of alcohol or tobacco)

Current Project Status: turn-based grid movement of animated battler sprites with attack effects

Prior Developer Projects: https://yethwhinger.itch.io​

Development Goals: 2 player characters (sharing same spritesheet with palette shift), 2 enemies, 5 items, 8 terrains, 3 small scenarios, 2 songs, 5 sound effects

I have started development of a tactical combat prototype. Movement flexibility and range are based on Tactics Ogre. Combat simplicity and turn order are based on Shining Force. Unlike Tactics Ogre and Shining Force, scenarios are intended to be small and fast, with enemies limited to 4 per scenario, and defeating all enemies being optional, as in the overworld of Zelda 1.

Thus far, I have programmed the ability for battlers to take turns using up their action points to move on the map grid and attack opponents. Character actions, such as moving, attacking, using magic, and using items, consume action points. Characters can use up the action points in any way they choose and in any order. For example, a character could move a long distance or attack twice without moving or move a short distance and then attack and then move a little more.

I am recruiting for the following roles:

Battle AI Programmer

Program an A* pathfinder and decision trees for enemies

Combat and Fire Effects Programmer

Program the selection of magic targets and effects including damage and terrain transformation

File System and Character Growth Programmer

Program saving and loading game data and increasing character stats through XP and levels

Item Use and Equipment Programmer

Program enemy item drops, item selection and usage, and equipment and effects

Character Sprite Pixel Artist

Develop 3 unique battler spritesheets containing 2 frames per animation per direction, 4 directions, and 4 animations per battler

Terrain and Interface Pixel Artist

Develop 4 terrain tile backgrounds (32 by 40 pixels) and 4 terrain tile foregrounds with 2 palette shifts each (6 total frames per terrain type).

Develop battle damage font (numbers only) and item graphics for 5 items to be used on the menu.

Scenario Design and Sound Design

Layout the maps, starting positions, and connections for 3 small tactical scenarios using the 2 available enemy types.

Produce 1 battle song and 1 calm song.

Produce 5 sound effects.

Project Management

Coordinate and track team efforts. Notify team of progress issues to ensure team members are adequately informed and supported. Prevent increases of scope and other threats to project completion date.

I am a game-development generalist and intend to fill whichever of the above 8 roles is the last remaining open. My most recent relevant experience was the development of uc, a tactical-combat farming couch co-op. uc was made using GameMaker.

The desired result of this project is a working tactical combat system that can be used by any developer and incorporated into a larger game in the future. It is not my intention to sell the direct product of this development phase, but since the code is being developed under the MIT License, anyone who obtains a copy of the code is allowed to attempt to make a marketable software product out of it. Similarly, since the graphics and sound assets developed for the project are being licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), the Creative Commons Attribution license, anyone who accesses the results of this project will be allowed to attempt to make a marketable product out of its graphics and sound assets as long as proper attribution is provided.

If you are interested in working on this project, please consider the following topics before replying to this post.

1. What do you find most exciting about working on this project?
2. What relevant projects have you contributed to previously?
3. What do you like most and least about the reference games for this project?
4. Which games contain the pixel art you admire most?