Latest thoughts and recommendations:

I was too quick to whip out the 24-bit PNGs.. The graphics guidelines could look more like this:

1) Distant, solid background pieces should be JPG for file size, but GIF is alright.
2) Parallax layers of background should be transparent GIF, unless they absolutely need to be 24-bit PNG, ie clouds and objects with alpha elements.
3) Player and enemies could be transparent gif or 24 bit PNG. PNGs will increase the file size a lot and may perform slightly below transparent gifs, but they can also look a lot nicer with smooth edges.
4) Bullets and explosions will likely be 24 bit PNGs, with fun glow effects built into the art.

The in-Flash filters for glows and blurs should never be used because they hurt performance... Glows should be integrated into the art whenever possible, and blurs could be done with actionscripted filter effects if necessary.

I agree that my idea about a different programmer for each level would be stupid. In reality this probably is a job for one programmer, where other programmers could help with solutions for specific tasks, such as funcitons that perform fancy mathematical patterns if necessary... But they would really be more of a "special thanks" role in the project.

ALSO... I would like for NG to sponsor this game! If you guys are up for that, we should get a rough outline for how the sponsorship money would get split, as well as ongoing Flash-Ads and revshare revenue. The parties involved would most likely be one core programmer, one to several musicians, potentially a SFX guy if you go that route, and a bunch of artists, some (many?) who might not make the cut for long-term revenue sharing (trying to be realistic), while the main contributors would be the beneficiaries.

Involving a sponsorship could ensure getting a top-talent programmer involved. Otherwise I think it would be hard to find someone willing to put in serious hours, when they could be getting sponsored for doing something else. Whoever it ends up being, it would be preferred if they have already made some cool shooters here on NG, so this would be an evolution of their talent and not a first time outing.

Again, these are all just suggestions. :)

Should we consider a contest for aspiring game designers... All the "idea guys" who don't draw or program... Let them come up with inventive boss routines, at which point the artists try to visualize what those bosses would look like and the programmer interprets the routines into code?

I wonder if it would be a total disaster if a unique programmer took on each level, with a core engine the drives the game. I've been wanting to do a programming contest for years now where people can create the boss routines to challenge a common player... The only tricky thing here is that most programmers would rather make their own engine from scratch, and if I made the engine a lot of programmer would probably laugh at it, although I think I could make something that would be flexible for people to have fun with... Or maybe I could just try programming it but I'm not totally reliable. I do wanna program a new shooter though... 60fps with all raster art and 24 bit pngs... with crazy explosions and fancy glowing bullets. Madness Accelerant was slowed down by all the vector art, but 100% raster would be blazing fast.

Quitting is for quitters so I'm not gonna stop. Go Digg 3rd Grade Transformers!

http://digg.com/comedy/3rd_Grade_Transfo rmers_a_cartoon

I'll be posting again on Wednesday when the game of the week launches!

3rd Grade Transformers... Digg Team GOOOOOOO!

http://digg.com/comedy/3rd_Grade_Transfo rmers_a_cartoon

At 10/16/09 05:33 PM, wwwyzzerdd wrote: Tom; may I suggest that you make a side-ad incorporating this image?

I need to be popping out of a Ferrari or something.

At 10/16/09 04:55 PM, Archon68 wrote:
hi tom

Hello!

That ad isn't putting one dollar in my pocket, it's paying for this site you fuckers can't stop bitching about so SUCK IT UP AND GET OVER IT. If I want more money I'll ditch NG and make another console game. THAT'S RIGHT FUCK ALL OF YOU!

enjoy

It's that time of the year again... The annual NG treasure hunt!

There are almost 200,000 games and movies on Newgrounds and a lot of good ones have flown under the radar. Can you find them?

A submission is considered undiscovered if:

1) It isn't part of a collection.
2) It has never been front paged, in which case it likely has less than 20,000 views.

One way to find them is to search for random words and browse the results. The best submissions don't always have a high score or many views. While combing the site, add submissions to your FAVORITES list to keep track!

Respond to this post with the best of your findings. Simply paste the URL in a line by itself, or paste a list of URLs if you consider them contenders.

Submissions will compete in two categories: BEST MOVIE and BEST GAME. The winner in each category wins $200 for the person who discovered it!

Depending on what turns up, we may create additional categories, such as BEST UNDISCOVERED SERIES. Only time will tell.

You have TWO WEEKS to respond to this thread with your gem! Deadline is Wednesday, October 28th.

Also please Digg Glass Fish Rhythm Adventure ok thanks!

HAPPY TREASURE HUNTING!

At 10/12/09 08:03 PM, Goldfire64 wrote: let me clarify i think there could be better organization the one page with a load of icons maybe a few more pages and better descriptions to preview the game. Some thing since over the years the game have piled up but its ultimately your decision tom!

The games and movies pages were outdated and in need of overhaul before we even started the last redesign in 2005, but they were kept on the back-burner while other stuff was prioritized. When the pages finally get upgraded, they will be paginated and sortable.

At 10/12/09 03:14 PM, UnreaK745 wrote: Woot, I like aliens. And, yeah, you won't read this anyway, so BALLS.

For shame.

At 10/10/09 03:40 AM, 066pop wrote: Hey I have NEVER seen so many Tom posts lol.

Actually I made a post EVERY day for 34 days at the end of last year, when we gave out 36 Wacom tablets:

http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1009 172

At 10/9/09 10:03 PM, HarraH wrote: Hey Tom, are you still working on a buddy/friends system or something for the userpages?

All the html was done two years ago for the current site design but the back-end was never put together. It's still gonna happen but most likely in 2010.

At 10/9/09 08:02 PM, maxvm wrote:

Tom of the Super Flash Bros has made a totally tubular Sound FX Generator

A totally what? If you want to be down with the kids, you're doing it wrong!

Kids know what totally tubular is?

At 10/9/09 07:57 PM, Jinx-Studios wrote: All the art contest show up right when my tablet breaks.

juuuuuuussst greeeeaaaat.

You truly are jinxed!

At 10/9/09 07:36 PM, 14hourlunchbreak wrote: If you're taking requests, adventure games section plox. :D
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/49 3559

I did that this afternoon too!

At 10/9/09 07:10 PM, cast wrote: i bet hes going to bleach his hair move to Florida and take up surfing next

wanna bet? bets?

Cowabunga!

At 10/9/09 07:04 PM, Luis wrote: Tom dont ever use the term tubular. Thats so not you.

You're totally tubular, Luis. Totally toilet paper tubular.

At 10/9/09 07:01 PM, Pokemonpoeguygcn wrote:

At 10/9/09 06:17 PM, TomFulp wrote: Vice is having a Where the Wild Things Are Art Contest and is featuring our 2010 calendar amongst the grand prize items!

That link isn't working

Weird it worked before... I grabbed a link off the site that seems to work.

At 10/9/09 06:52 PM, Archon68 wrote: WHAT DO YOU MEAN REPLACED?!?! ...Does that mean Windows Doors won't be in "Gadgets" or the "Windows Collection" when the genre data goes into effect? :-(

Nah it still will be... It will probably rank better, too! Right now I manually manage those pages and they sort by alphabetical order. In the future, pages will update based on author-specified categories, with the option to sort by criteria such as score and popularity. So Windows Doors would have been added on DAY ONE and would have shown up high on popularity and score sorts.

At 10/9/09 06:50 PM, the-puppet wrote: I'd love to see some Madness figurines by Krinkels (with mini-interchange-weapons, masks/goggles and themed stands [such as The Clowns disco-turntables]) someday.

We do plan to have Madness toys some day, bit we need more people to buy the Tankmen so we can justify the expense. Right now a set of Pico figures are in limbo because it's too expensive to finish the manufacturing process and get them shipped over... LIMBO I TELL YOU! FOR OVER A YEAR NOW!

At 10/9/09 06:30 PM, Jimp wrote: Put penguinz in action games Tom :)

...I already did earlier today!

Vice is having a Where the Wild Things Are Art Contest and is featuring our 2010 calendar amongst the grand prize items!

If you win their contest, you'll be the pride of NG and snag the calendar, along with other prizes.

Don't forget to enter our Halloween Alien Art Contest first, though!

And also the Punkoween Writing Contest!!!!

I made too many news posts this week, please read them all:

Halloween Stuff
Art Portal Reboot
Best of September
Store Updates

Also, I've been freshening up the game pages. I was putting it off because the existing pages will be replaced when we finally integrate the new genre data. SOME DAY OVER THE RAINBOW, right?!

Tom of the Super Flash Bros has made a totally tubular Sound FX Generator that you can use for your games!

Well we came in strong, but things came to a screeching halt as we approached 100... If there is a 24 hour deadline, we just missed it with our 100th Digg, and it has gone up really slow since.

I THINK we can still get featured but I dunno. If anyone hasn't digged it yet, still worth a shot:

http://digg.com/playable_web_games/Miami _Shark_Eat_ducks_smash_boats_and_take_do wn_a_747

That's three weeks in a row that we missed getting featured... Disappointing. :(

Thanks for everyone who has been helping, though! I like to think the movement will keep growing each week if people keep it up.

At 10/8/09 04:05 PM, speeling wrote: Hey Tom my boner only rages for you.

<3

thanks!

At 10/8/09 04:13 PM, Sterance wrote: If i had the money to spare, i would buy the calendar. also, i enjoy the frequent updates; sometimes i think you've forgotten about us when it goes over a week with no word...

That usually just means I'm working on something special; I get very focused. I also deal with a lot of PMs.

At 10/8/09 04:09 PM, ForNoReason wrote: Woohoo to the calendar! Gonna have to scrape up some money for it.

Noticed the upcoming "Game of the Week" thing hasn't been updated. Is this the last week of it or are there more coming?

More coming just haven't finalized order.

New in the store: 2010 Newgrounds Calendar!

We have printed 250 calendars based on total sales from last year. We most likely will not print a second edition, so snag one while you can!

Don't forget to support Nathan's documentary by snagging a limited edition Dad 'n Me plush and mask.

And while you're shopping, show Deadspread83 some love.

Artists should check out our Halloween art contest! Post entries in the thread, but also submit them to the Art Portal with the tag "halloween2009" and we'll have a spooky gallery!

Don't miss the Halloween Flash-Off, there are already some great entries and the month is young.

I'm really not trying to post every day, it's just that so much keeps happening and lots more is to come. Not to mention we gotta do our annual Treasure Hunt soon!

For example, did you know Fancy Donkey Tea Party went by totally unnoticed this week?

Fancy Donkey Tea Party, by obesefeline Type: Movie Rating: Everyone

Thank you everyone who has made donations for Edmund's hospital bill and Denzel-Crocker's flood repair. I'm really proud of the results and more is always welcome. :)

New in the store: Robert Hay's '1976' by deadspread83. A tale of loss, woe, and farm animals.

Please Digg Miami Shark to help keep New Game Wednesdays going!

The votes are in and the winners for BEST OF SEPTEMBER have been determined.

Top Five Movies

Waiting for the Bus!, by Explosm Type: Movie Rating: Ages 13+

Life in Portal: Madness, by ebolaworld Type: Movie Rating: Ages 13+

Madness: Rising, by Proxicide Type: Movie Rating: Ages 17+

Day of the Madness, by Littleluckylink Type: Movie Rating: Ages 17+

Pixel Shrooms, by TheWeebl Type: Movie Rating: Ages 13+

Top Five Games

Time Fcuk, by Bluebaby Type: Game Rating: Ages 13+

Madness Accelerant, by TomFulp Type: Game Rating: Ages 13+

Dadgame, by Sakupen Type: Game Rating: Ages 13+

Cave of Wonders, by BoMToons Type: Game Rating: Ages 13+

Canabalt, by AdamAtomic Type: Game Rating: Everyone

Because Madness Accelerant was a staff game, the store credit and certificate will pass along to the first runner-up:

Alice is Dead - Ep 1, by ImpendingRiot Type: Game Rating: Ages 13+

Runner-Up Movies

6. Madness Duel
7. 8-Bit Pwny Club ep.2
8. Sean and Justin
9. Messed-Up Bible Stories 6
10. : 4y-Records Episode 5 :
11. Stamp on the Ground
12. Knuckles Briefs
13. Squeak
14. Wilson Beard's Cannons
15. Metal Gear: Codec moments
16. Ask Taco-Man: Flash
17. Magic School Bus: Grade 5
18. madness boy
19. Spider-Ninja
20. MK Mishaps Gold

Runner-Up Games

7. Fig. 8
8. Medieval Rampage 2
9. Windows Doors
10. Madness Deathwish 2
11. Kill The Spartan
12. Pizza City
13. Dead Frontier: Outbreak
14. SkyFyre
15. Pandemic: American Swine
16. Momentum Missile Mayhem 4
17. Being One - Episode 3
18. My Pet Protector
19. lint
20. Blaze The Cat Dress Up

The voter of the month and winner of $100 is StrikerF2!

Congrats to the winners! Be sure to fill out the address form to collect your prize.

Reminder: The Atlanta Meetup is October 16-18th!

In-progress: Halloween Flash-Off! It should be another great month.

Thank you everyone who has been digging it! Now I wish I pushed harder these past two weeks but I do get self-conscious about being a Digg whore. Like a mother who strips to feed her children, I'll do just about anything if I think it helps NG.