DapperDave

It’s a tough question. 
One I have casually asked before, but now I must seriously consider how
this could possibly be done.

 

I don’t know much about coding save systems.  I figured mine out for my game about 7 months
ago.  Starting the game for the first
time creates a folder in windows Isolated Storage (with some gobbledegook
name).  Saving creates an xml file in
this folder with all the saved data.  The
player can then load this save file when resuming the game.  (I can include this code if necessary).

Simple enough although I don’t exactly have a clear grasp on how it
all works.

 

But back to the burning question before I lose your
attention.  I want the user to be able to
play a different game, a sequel, using their old save file (so they can keep
all the experience, equipment, etc. learned). 
The save files are quite large (500KB) as this is an RPG.

It might be doable on Windows.  I might be able to better control where the
save file is created and where it is loaded from with both games.

On the Xbox, it is an entirely different matter.  From what I’ve heard, there is simply no way
to do this.  I’m hoping that isn’t
true.  Maybe through some kind of online
storage?  Or perhaps a complex password
system?

 

Has anyone ever attempted such a thing before?

(Solved...for now)

EDIT: Solved...at the moment

Working on a game in XNA with C#. I posted this in the creator's club forum and didn't get much help so I thought I'd give it a shot here.

For our RPG, we have enemy sprites that spin and fall down when dodging, hit and defeated - like in an old west shooting gallery.

You can check out the effect in this video demonstrating our combat system:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXFfeyBDlpA&feature=player_embedded

It's a neat effect but there's nothing fancy going on here. This is done simply by manually distorting the original sprite in photoshop and creating an animation. Here is an enemy spritesheet:



The problem is, it takes a long time to manually create these animations and it's prone to human error.
It would be fantastic if there was a way to code the same effects from the original sprite (in 2D). I looked into it before, but gave up as it seemed too complex for me.

However, faced with how long it takes to do manually, I thought it would be worth a shot to see if anyone can help me out and point me in the right direction to code the effect.

Kickstarter - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/155773634/boot-hill-heroes-wild-west-retro-rpg-with-1-4-play


After an alleged attack by the Chepakwik Indians, the people of Bronco County are on the brink of war. Only a farm boy who knows the truth that can stop it. Together with his three friends - a gunslinging desperado, an Indian princess, and a calamity jane - he must expose a conspiracy by bringing to justice the six outlaws of the notorious Saints-Little gang. Their journey will take them through cowtowns, Indian villages, ranches, gold mines, prisons, and into the very heart and soul of the American Wild West. But on their epic adventure to right the wrongs of the past, will they see justice done or discover an even darker secret lying in wait behind the scenes?


Take one part Final Fantasy, one part Earthbound, and one part Chrono Trigger - then dip the whole thing in spicy Wild West sauce! Boot Hill Heroes is a true retro RPG set in the American Wild West. You'll find all the trappings of a spaghetti western - gunslingers, saloons, Indians, ranches, spittoons, Mexican standoffs, heroism, villainy, and everything in between. Boot Hill Heroes has adventure, drama, and a fair helping of humor. It's just like the classic RPGs you remember from yesteryear but with an inventive new spin!

• Genre: Retro RPG, Spaghetti Western
• Players: 1-4 Local Co-op
• Full Release Target: October 2012
• Platform: Windows / Xbox 360 - Xbox Live Indie Games

• Spaghetti Western story with adventure, drama, and humor
• 4-Player Cooperative combat inspired by Final Fantasy III/VI
• Use Power Points in combat to attack as well as defend
• Wear Job Hats, learn new abilities
• Charming graphics inspired by Earthbound

Say what? A Four-Player coop turn-based RPG? That sounds like crazy talk.
Not really. The game has four characters, so we thought - Why not make it four players? The game features a team of four characters – Kid, Doc, Moon, and Rosy. A single player can control the entire party, or friends can play cooperatively by taking controlling of certain characters. Players can seamlessly drop-in and drop-out just by picking up an Xbox controller (or an input device for the Windows version). The menu system is designed so that four players can simultaneously manage their characters’ equipment and abilities.

Is this game made with RPGMaker?
No. Boot Hill Heroes is made in XNA with C#. RPGMaker is a great software tool, but in order to have all the features we wanted in the game it was easier to just to start from scratch.
What do you still need to add?
The hard part is over. We started this project not knowing much about game programming and design. But after a year of fumbling our way through code we have a complete game engine. It works. It plays. All the features we want are in there. I can't believe I can truly say this, but it is done! Now we just have to create the rest of the art, music, and sound content and work on balancing out the game play.