Test my laser cannon please

Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Programming/Test my laser cannon please

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#1]

I have taken inspiration from Rob Farleys community code about a turret and started a small project. Maybe it will become a game. Knowing me, probably not :o)

Anyway, i'd like some feedback please on the feel of the cannon. It uses the mouse to aim. Feels a bit slack to me, so i'm hoping for some suggestions and opinions :o)

If you want to steal the cannon, that's cool, just gimme some credit thanks! This is only .b3d code. If you want an exe, i'll upload one.

http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/laserproject.zip

(NEW VERSION! RIGHT click to fire laser cannon. LEFT click for laser pulse. Enhanced the cannon movement. Feedback appreciated!)
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/laser_cannon_new.zip

Mouse to move and left mouse button to fiiiiiire!

EDIT: i will explain how the control works. There is a dead spot in the centre of the screen, 16x16 pixels. Whilst the mouse of in there, no movement occurs. When the mouse leaves it on an axis, then the further from the centre, the faster the cannon moves. There is a 92 pixel range either side of the centre that the mouse will move in. Anymore than that and it stops there.

Rob Farley

(Posted 2008) [#2]

Personally I think it feels somewhat disconnected and sluggish, hard to tell without anything to shoot or any scenery to gauge by.

Nice model though.

I was thinking with my one (and of course this one too) it could make a pretty good rail shooter, if it was mounted on the back of a tank (or whatever) that drove a set route through a fortress or something and you have to shoot everything around you.

Nice and simple bit of code, just build up a scene and then spawn bad guys at various points down the rail. I think it would make it a lot more interesting that just a fixed cannon position.

mtnhome3d

(Posted 2008) [#3]

wheres the source? i only got your cannon and textures
[edit] nevermind i only extracted the models
i like the FX but it needs action. the rail idea was good. i could make a fort type thing for you.

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#4]

Dam you lot :oP

The way i see this game, i have a few ideas.

First bunch of levels, it's a fixed cannon. Till you get used to it. points = cash to upgrade your cannon, and buy grenades and such, place mines, buy extra lives, cannon speed upgrades... etc etc. Enemies will try to break a barrier. You have to kill them before they destroy the barrier.

Next couple of levels the cannon would be on a boat, and the boat would speed across the water, with various aitcraft/boats chasing you. The barrier they would be attacking would become the boat.

Next bunch of levels, the cannon would be ON a rail, and you could make the cannon back and forward along the rail, involving different rooms/sections.

A bit similar to the towers defence game, except more under your control.

Any ideas about the type of control system for the cannon?

I kind of need of guard tower type of thing. I was thinking for one of the earlier levels, it's a military yard, so the guard towers would house spot lights, shining onto the battle field. I want to make a go with the graphics, since it should be a fairly enclosed area.

Thanks for testing though.

mtnhome3d

(Posted 2008) [#5]

sounds great i like the boat idea.

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#6]

What kind of fort do you have in mind :o)

mtnhome3d

(Posted 2008) [#7]

i have many ideas but what ever you want. castle-ish would be easiest but i could do military yard pretty easy i think.

mtnhome3d

(Posted 2008) [#8]

i got a basic military yard that i knocked up in 30 mins. it has a mesh terrain and is 880 tris but will increase a little more. do you have UU by any chance?

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#9]

I do yes :o) And that sounds good thanks :o)

mtnhome3d

(Posted 2008) [#10]

all right i'll send it to you. its still pretty rough but yo can see sorta were things go.

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#11]

Thanks man, i'm in work just now, so i'll check it out when i get home :o)

Terry B.

(Posted 2008) [#12]

Awsome looking when I got it working, some of the files got mixed up in the download for some reason the test code was in the textures file....

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#13]

Sorry about that :o) I'll sort that out.

CodeOrc

(Posted 2008) [#14]

extracted just fine, and looks great.

control is cool, but like mentioned above, hard to tell without a bg to gauge it with.

That cannon looks awesome though.

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#15]

Thanks man. I'll maybe have some static target and see how it is to aim at them. Currently modelling a container just now :o)

Moraldi

(Posted 2008) [#16]

Hey, I missed that! Great texturing Ross C. I am jealous ;)

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#17]

Gile[s] makes all the difference. The cannon looked a bit plain, so i took it into Gile[s], made a light for every part i wanted to glow, and bumped up the intensity and reduced the range. The lights couldn't affect the pillars of the turret, as it rotates and would leave behind static lighting on it.

stayne

(Posted 2008) [#18]

Cool stuff Ross! I'm glad someone took over that bit of code because I grew weary messing with it :).

I have some boat waypoint code already done from another project if you want it. Uses types of course.

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#19]

Nice man. Any help would be cool. I will share the source when i'm done, i just don't work very well with other coders, because my style is a little messy at first. Would bugger everyone else up :o)

mtnhome3d

(Posted 2008) [#20]

hows it all comming ross? btw were you able to open the .obj file?

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#21]

I did open the .obj file thanks yeah :o) I think i'll use the fencing you have :o) I like that.

stayne

(Posted 2008) [#22]

This quick bit of code should get you a boat moving around.


Global boat_nextpoint = 1

Type boatwaypoint
	Field entity
	Field number
End Type

Function MoveBoat()

For this.boatwaypoint = Each boatwaypoint
	If this\number = boat_nextpoint Then
		xvector# = EntityX(this\entity) - EntityX(boatmesh)
		zvector# = EntityZ(this\entity) - EntityZ(boatmesh)
		AlignToVector boatmesh, xvector, 0, zvector, 3, 0.01
		MoveEntity boatmesh,0,0,2
			If EntityDistance(boatmesh,this\entity)<300 Then
			    ; this determines how close we let the boat get to the waypoint
			    ; time for the next waypoint
			    boat_nextpoint = boat_nextpoint+1
			    ; back to the first waypoint
			    If boat_nextpoint = 7 then  boat_nextpoint = 1
		        End If
	EndIf
Next

End Function

Function CreateBoatWaypoints()

	this.boatwaypoint = New boatwaypoint
	this\entity = CreateCube()
	this\number = 1
	PositionEntity this\entity,-6237,500,246
	
	this.boatwaypoint = New boatwaypoint
	this\entity = CreateCube()
	this\number = 2
	PositionEntity this\entity,-2048,500,5319
	
	this.boatwaypoint = New boatwaypoint
	this\entity = CreateCube()
	this\number = 3
	PositionEntity this\entity,7500,500,5000
	
	this.boatwaypoint = New boatwaypoint
	this\entity = CreateCube()
	this\number = 4
	PositionEntity this\entity,9024,500,-6659
	
	this.boatwaypoint = New boatwaypoint
	this\entity = CreateCube()
	this\number = 5
	PositionEntity this\entity,-1100,500,-12500
	
	this.boatwaypoint = New boatwaypoint
	this\entity = CreateCube()
	this\number = 6
	PositionEntity this\entity,-3300,500,-10500
	
End Function

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#23]

Thanks man :o) I'll put that aside for the boaty levels :D

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#24]

Ok, new version up to test. No enemies as of yet, i've been playing about with the cannon, adding effects and steam and overheat. LEFT click for pulse cannon. RIGHT click for laser cannon.

http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/laser_cannon_new.zip

(Sorry for the .exe, but i'm using the particle candy lib and for legal reasons i can't include that)

scribbla

(Posted 2008) [#25]

the glow effect on the cannon looks seriously good

Ross C

(Posted 2008) [#26]

Took me a while, but it's just an animated texture :o) Thanks for checking it out though!

Oiduts Studios

(Posted 2008) [#27]

nice!