Costume System

[0lhi]

For #260 and t4289, and for more user customization in general, it would be good to have a costume system. I suggest the following approach:

/graphics
└──/costumes
        ├──/Mario
        │      ├──/SMW
        │              ├──mario{1-7}.png
        │              ├──effect-3.png
        │              └──player-1.png
        │      └──/Modern
        │      └──/Demo
        ├──/Luigi
        ├──/Peach
        ├──/Toad
        │      ├──/Vanilla
        │              ├──toad-3.png
        │              ├──toad-7.png
        │      └──/SMB3
        │      └──/SMW
        │      └──/Raocow
        ├──/Link

If a costume folder doesn't have all the files, it will fallback to the default ones from the assets. That will allow to make use of the Vanilla Toad without duplicating it's sprites.

Player 1 and 2 would be allowed to have different costumes. Which ones would be determined by compat.ini.

[costumes]
p1-character1 = Modern
p1-character2 = Modern
p1-character3 = 0
p1-character4 = SMB3
p1-character5 = 0

p2-character1 = SMW
p2-character2 = SMW
p2-character3 = SMW
p2-character4 = SMW
p2-character5 = SMW

The default entry for Toad would be "SMB3", like the vote determined.

Whether to make @vitzie629 's Modern Plumbers the default entry would be decided by a new vote. And we should have a discussion on which Sprites should be the default ones for Player 2. SMW and Adventures of Demo seem like good options.

[0lhi]

Ah, I should specify that the p2 Options I suggested with Episodes like "The Great Empire" in mind, where you can only select one Character:

Not sure yet how to approach Episodes that allow multiple characters.

[vitzie629]

Ah, I should specify that the p2 Options I suggested with Episodes like "The Great Empire" in mind, where you can only select one Character:

Not sure yet how to approach Episodes that allow multiple characters.

The Great Empire as pictured and you mentioned that it supports only one player is the build 59 variant of the episode, here’s an episode that is a 1.3 variant and it supports all 5 playable characters and not just 1: https://smbxarchive.wohlsoft.ru/SMBX%201.3/The%20Great%20Empire%20%28SMBX%201.3%29.zip

[ghost]

I brought this up a while ago in the server, and my idea was that upon selecting the player character, you'd be given a menu to select your preferred costume.

[0lhi]

you'd be given a menu to select your preferred costume.

Additional menu wouldn't be good. It has to be done in a way that doesn't impose a delay to starting the episode.

Perhaps it can be integrated into the Character Selection screen somehow, but, that should probably be discussed after the Abstract Controls branch has been merged for a while.

[LoveBodhi]

The RetroKrasher's SMB1 Mario and Lx Xzit's SMB1 Luigi also can be used for 16-Bit SMB1 Costume.

[ChristianSilvermoon]

I think it would also be good if the costumes available are based on assets available and not hardcoded, so you can have custom ones if you want

[P-Star7]

Maybe this also means that we should have the option to let two players pick the same character now.

[P-Star7]

My idea for what characters are used if each player picks the same character:
Player 2's characters will be:
Mario = Wario
Luigi = Waluigi
Peach = Daisy
Toad = Toadette
Link = Zelda or Dark Link

I specifically picked these characters to have the same hitbox as the ones that they replace, meaning that gameplay will be identical for both players. I know that there is a desire for SMW-styled characters, but I don't think Toad and Peach would have the same hitboxes, which means that gameplay will not be equal for both players. If it is desired for me to start making these character sprites, please affirm.

[ghost]

I think Wario, Waluigi and Zelda are bad ideas, as they're represented in X2 as unique characters (Waluigi is a costume for Bomberman iirc).

[SkullGamer205]

As for me, the costume system will be a cool feature for TheXTech. Have several built-in costumes that can be switched in the game without implanting into the world itself, etc.

[P-Star7]

I think Wario, Waluigi and Zelda are bad ideas, as they're represented in X2 as unique characters (Waluigi is a costume for Bomberman iirc).

Well for one, who knows if TheXTech will have SMBX2 characters anyways, for two, the character selection will still say Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Link so the 2nd player knows that that's who they are playing as instead of a truly unique character, and for three, with these characters being the same size (and hitbox) as Mario, Luigi, and Link and not having their SMBX2 appearance, it's obvious that they have gameplay differences and no one will look at them and think that they will play like SMBX2. The 2-player mode with the same character would be inconsistent to the original episode anyways (for example, if 2 Luigis, one of them being Waluigi, meet the Waluigi in The Invasion 2 or The Princess Cliche), just like how if you play in 2-player mode in The Great Castle Adventure your player Luigi meets the NPC Luigi. In both of those cases it's obviously just for fun and doesn't confuse people, so I don't think this will confuse people with SMBX2 and TheXTech either.

If we use SMW costumes anyways, the same "issue" will apply, as there will be gameplay differences between SMM2 SMW Toad and SMBX Toad. But I don't think that would be a real issue, because people know that it's just SMBX and not SMM2. So in the same way, people will understand the difference between SMBX2 character Wario and TheXTech Mario skin Wario.

[ChristianSilvermoon]

I think Wario, Waluigi and Zelda are bad ideas, as they're represented in X2 as unique characters (Waluigi is a costume for Bomberman iirc).

Well for one, who knows if TheXTech will have SMBX2 characters anyways, for two, the character selection will still say Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Link so the 2nd player knows that that's who they are playing as instead of a truly unique character, and for three, with these characters being the same size (and hitbox) as Mario, Luigi, and Link and not having their SMBX2 appearance, it's obvious that they have gameplay differences and no one will look at them and think that they will play like SMBX2. The 2-player mode with the same character would be inconsistent to the original episode anyways (for example, if 2 Luigis, one of them being Waluigi, meet the Waluigi in The Invasion 2 or The Princess Cliche), just like how if you play in 2-player mode in The Great Castle Adventure your player Luigi meets the NPC Luigi. In both of those cases it's obviously just for fun and doesn't confuse people, so I don't think this will confuse people with SMBX2 and TheXTech either.

If we use SMW costumes anyways, the same "issue" will apply, as there will be gameplay differences between SMM2 SMW Toad and SMBX Toad. But I don't think that would be a real issue, because people know that it's just SMBX and not SMM2. So in the same way, people will understand the difference between SMBX2 character Wario and TheXTech Mario skin Wario.

I do think eventual SMBX2 compatibility is desirable, which would mean the characters would eventually probably have to be implemented. I don't think it matters if they're also costumes or not though. If someone doesn't like a particular costume they can just not use it. If the system is dynamic, you could have any set of sprites you liked and none that you didn't.