Eclipse++

www.touchofdeathforums.com
www.indiegogo.com/projects/eclipse-retro-2d-online-game-engine
 
Summary

We all loved the graphics and exciting gameplay that the NES/SNES platforms entitled us to when we were younger.  What we as gamers appreciated the most was the extraordinary feeling of accomplishment when we finally managed to beat the final boss, achieve the highest score, or see the ending of a beautiful, pristine story line that allowed our protoganist, whom we played, to come into their own.  Our imaginations ran wild as we stumbled through new levels, found new items, unlocked new revealing secrets, and competed with our friends in these fantasy worlds.  I want to bring that back; the type of gaming that required devotion, imagination, and sometimes just a little pinch of good old fashioned luck, and so Eclipse++ pays homage to those games of old that will forever live in our hearts.


Eclipse++ offers it's users a chance to create expansive worlds using their imaginations and creative expressions, whether it be through alluring visuals or an amazing event driven story.  Unlike consoles during the golden age of gaming Eclipse++ also offers full multiplayer support so that distance never separates or keeps a gamer and their friends, family, or colleagues from joining together in the fantasy world of their choosing.
Features

    Free
    Completely Customizable
    No Previous Programming Experience Required
    Easy-To-Use Editors
    Simple and Fast Deployment
    Full Multiplayer Support

 
What We Need & What You Get

I am a programmer.  This means that, although I can create the engine, I have been using placeholder graphics from other sources that may or may not be under license for redistribution or commercial use. While the user will inevitably be replacing the graphics to suit their own needs I would like to be able to ship this product with a small base tile set, sprite sheet, and a few high quality sound files. I would also like to have a base GUI designed and set up so that people can jump into the process of creating their works without having the overwhelming need for quality graphics much more readily and quickly.

Having access to a VPS in order to host a demo server is imperative; it is also ideal to allow the user base to play test the engine in a live environment before they decide that it's applicable to their needs, and it is also ideal for bug testing purposes.  A professionally crafted website is also a high priority for me as it would allow concise collection of information that would ultimately act as a repository for future users as the engine progresses.
 
My Experience

You may be wondering where my experience lies and if I have the programming knowledge necessary for this task. I am a student of the Art Institute of Vancouver. I am graduating in less then 3 months and I have taken a great deal away from the experience.  I have attended numerous game jams that have targetted development on the Windows and Android platforms, as well as various current generation consoles.

I have been actively programming and using game development tools for approximately a decade; my experience and knowledge of past and present paradigms, tool sets, and languages lends me a great edge in accomplishing this task.

 
The engine is free. Why should I help fund it?

Yes, the engine will be released completely free. When you help fund this project you will be part of something that is not only fun and educational, but an exciting experience in and of itself.  The incentives for funding at or above certain levels allows access to the source code; this allows you to commercialize and freely distribute any derivative works or games made with the works, free of royalties, surcharges, or other compensation; we simply ask for attribution.
Wait. What about the engine found at that link?

If you've had the chance to visit our website you may have noticed that it is already the home of a very active gaming community centered around a similar engine. The difference is that the previous engine is created in Visual Basic 6, and as a result has reached the end of it's development. We are finding it increasingly difficult to find developers to aid in contributing to the engine in a quality controlled manner.  Taking into account newer technologies, a proper programming education and a more powerful language, we believe that we can create a better, more powerful, and feature complete engine then ever before that tailors to a larger demographic.

 
Progress

(Sprites courtesy of RPG Maker and http://farheit.deviantart.com)

(GUI cutesy of Rory Popry Soh and others)