Worklog for IPete2
Worklog 1
Return to Worklogs
| ||
| Hey team, My daugther, Hollie, loves the 'Harvest Moon' games from Nintendo. For years we have wanted to write our own version. We feel we have now jointly got the skills and the where-with-all to at least make a start, and so here it is - tentatively called 'The Farm' is our family project. We are using a combination of programmes and tools as follows: 3DS Max (5.1), Gile[s], Tree[D], Milkshape, Ultimate Unwrap, Photoshop, Blitz 3d (duh!), Swifts Shadows and particles, Filax's wonderful BCF 3.0, hopefully Tokamak, and last but not least a pencil and paper. We only started this week to design and make models and maps. Here's some of what we have so far: My 12 year od daughter is designing the game, here is her female character:  Hmm, my modelling is not what it could be...and why is her hair not strawberry blonde like in the texture??  'You arrive at your farm'  'Alternate view'  'Your small crops field'  'Paths and trees and walls'  'The black pond will be filled with pond water'  ...so we are one week into this project, it's a good job we have had Easter holidays :). Richard (my 10 year old son) helped me figure out animation in Milkshape, so we have our first generation female walking about now, although the walk leaves something to be desired! We'll post again in a few weeks when we have more to show. IPete2. |
| ||
| Hey team! As promised (but sorry, I forgot until James hinted this afternoon!!!) SmartScreen's secret project is now revealed. We've been working on "Bubble and Deano's World Cup Penalty Shootout" as support software for their recent World Cup single release "Standing Tall". Check out my post in the 3d programming section, it has more pictures.  Programming by Mousey and IPete2, Graphics IPete2. IPete2. |
| ||
| Hey Team! The secret shootout is very nearly ready, we are just awaiting som esound fx from the client, although we may just get these ourselves and pop them in, then two pictures and a title screen later and it will be ready! Keep an eye out! IPete2. |
| ||
| Hey Team! Just to let you know that very soon I'll be letting you in on my current secret project. It's a very simple but fun game, but quite exciting for SmartScreen as it is a commercial project, and we should get some good coverage over the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted as it develops. IPete2. PS it will be available as a web download from part of the promo stuff for a very recently released song! More very soon! ;) |
| ||
| Hey Team! Check it out at Blitzcoder.com look under adventure. Please post criticisms too, I would love to see some feedback. Many Thanks, IPete2. |
| ||
| Hey Team! Well, I spent about an hour on the phone to Mousey last night and we went throught Dragonsphere together, he suggested a few minor changes all have now been implemented. This afternoon I put a new additional bit into the ice cave to stop you going directly for what's at the back - I'm a ****** aren't I? I also had a mess with a few other items just to tidy it all up. The Finished demo will be available tonight - Thursday 6th December, 2001. I will post in the forum when it's ready. Until then... IPete2. ****************** Work Log Update ************* Well the whole thing is 12 MB - zipped. It is now Friday - I have spent about three hours (until 2.am) with my stupid dial up connection trying to get it out to you guys... At one stage I got to 10.15MB and the line closed (this was after 1 hr 45 mins or so). So I have elected to ask a friend of mine if I could borrow his ADSL line and try again. 'Dragonsphere' should be available today sometime. I will post on the forum with a link. Regards, IPete2. |
| ||
| Okay - "Dragonsphere" is ready! I just need to learn how to pak it and then it will be available to play with. I am also letting Mousey have a quiet look at it to make sure I haven't done anything stupid. So the next 5 days will definately see it released - probably Wednesday/Thursday if I get my way. Just to let you know although I have been working hard for the last few days on work projects I have put some time into "Dragonsphere" too! I have now put in an Ice Cave which I wanted to add because of the fab lighting colours and fx you can play with in Blitz / DirectX. I have restrained myself here too as it is easy to get carried away! I also tried to put in a mirror plane without much success, in the end I put something resembling the effect (well almost). At least it doesn't have the same hit as a mirror plane and it is only in one, appropriate place. Again I hope that it won't disappoint people. I would have liked a bit more music and sound fx but as it is time is moving on too quickly and I want it out this week. Regards, IPete2. |
| ||
| Another day - another update! Yesterday was very productive indeed! (Tuesday 27th Nov - 2001). I spent a good deal of time making progress with the endgame side of the demo. (In fact the demo only really ends when you get bored, which I hope won't be until you've seen everything!) I have put a lot of stuff in the demo to keep people interested with a variety of different types of stuff. I put in the actual "Dragonsphere" of the title -today too, which uses another feature of Blitz (sprite and rotation). I also included a neat kind of 'gift' for staying with the demo until the very end and facing the main in game enemy. I have decided not to employ a devise to kill you or the enemy as it's more fun 'playing' them against each other. You will be able to go wherever you want as long as you have the requisite objects - I'll leave that for you to discover. The adventure demo game is really a series of discoveries and useages, you can find stuff and use it somewhere - not everything you understand, just some of it. Confused? Well it will all become clear when it is released - when? VERY VERY SOON! (This week unless something dire happens!). Size wise it is hovering at about 18MB before compression into a zip file. I will be zipping it instead of RARing due to the accessability of Zip in people's possession. Time to go and do a little more before sleep time! If you are reading my logs I hope you are getting intrigued... I hope that "Dragonsphere" not disappoint anyone. IPete2. |
| ||
| Hey team! After a couple of days where not much has happened last night was a real bummer! I found a problem which I am pretty sure is a Blitz 'restriction' - although I'm not sure yet I await to hear from Mark. I tried to attach a pivot to an animated mesh - oh no - 'illegal memory address' kept coming up - it was a real git to find the cause too! Any way, I have now separated the wings from the body (of Sulphurbreath in case you're wondering) and it works fine this way - but it's a work around at the moment. Any way, as I said, Sulphurbreath now has wings and from the above you can guess that they move (cause I mentioned the animation problem - with me?!) and he now moves too! (shh! it'll be our secret). That's about the sum of my days work today. I put a sound fx on them but you can't hear because of all the other racket that's going on around you! (you'll have to wait to find out what's making all that noise!) So I've a bit more to do before I call it a night - I'll be back later - maybe! IPete2. PS Don't forget it's Bruce's birthday tomorrow! |
| ||
| Worklog 10 - Dragonsphere. A lot has happened since this afternoon! Lots of new sound effects and another 'I want this in feature if I can do it'. Well I can do most of it so it's there. There is a small snag within Blitz 3D which I'm e-mailing Mark about it in a moment. (This is sorted now thanks to Mark - the fastest e-mailer in the West er... South! - Saturday am) I have also put what I now consider to be the best feature in the demo in. In fact it is so good I may very well have to take it out and make a demo based around it on it's own. It really is that good! Really getting close to the end now and from the forum response about MB size, it shouldn't be too much of a problem even though it's huge. Must go another night to sleep ah yes - perchance to dream! Aha another idea - no must stop thinking of new ideas! Must focus! IPete2. |
| ||
| Okay, today has been 'sound fx city Arizona' day! I have put a series of spot fx and overall fx into "Dragonsphere" today. It is amazing how sound can bring something to life - imagine Star Wars with no sound fx or music! I have found it interesting to note that out of all the demos which came with B3D there were very few which utilised sound (except for the odd effect in Death Island and the Thunder fx)! I also cleared the directory of useless items and found to my dsimay that 'Dragonsphere' is ciming in at just over 21 MB so far - and it is not done yet! (and that's not including the *.exe!) (More work to do today though so I'll get on). IPete2. ------ |
| ||
| Worklog 08 - I've now added a health score which goes down when you enter anything which may cause damage to your health. Your health recoups slowly once the danger is passed. Also I have now made Sulphurbreath attack on his own, without the aid of a safety net (ie a key press from me!). I've tried to incorporate a new creature without sucess - I may be reduced to fewer entitys than I wanted due to my poor ability with 3DS Max. I'm only really just beginning to make some progress with characters and skins. Tomorrow (Friday) I intend to try to get collision detection going with the magic stuff so I can progress the endgame. If I have to cheat it I will (I have a plan B for such a scenario). Good progress overall today then! IPete2. ------------------- |
| ||
| Well, now I've found out how to move my log up the list a bit - where does it go now I wonder? IPete2 |
| ||
| Worklog 07 - "Dragonsphere" Tidied a bit up and well - its a bit nearer! IPete2. -------------------- Worklog 06 - "Dragonshpere" Okay - The titles are in - but not finished yet as I want to add a few effects. I may have to get a bit of animation from a second source for next week to improve the new bit. The endgame needs sorting as does a couple of other bits and then it's going to be there. Not long now - I just hope it is worth the wait for everyone - sorry but you'll undertsand why when you see it, honest. IPete2. -------------- I am wondering why I am going down the worklog list when I update it nearly every day? Worklog 05 - "Dragonsphere" Well! - Er You know how I said just finish no more developing? erm, how can I put this er sorry but I have just added an excellent new bit which gives the adventure new depths - literally! Now you have to go and get something from deep in the mountain caves too! But be very careful you don't faaaaaalllllll! :) He he - now down to the other bits done today. I spent a long time messing trying to get a character with facial features clothes etc. I've given up tonight cause I'm not very good at it! :( so I'm going to have a bit of a rethink and come up with an alternative approach to this bit of the game. Sadly the Witch may not survive my rethink! I must look at pulling it all together tomorrow (Wednesday) adding titles etc. Then I'll have to pack it and really compress it somehow. IPete2. -------------------- Worklog 04 - "Dragonsphere" Monday - hmm didn't do very much today due to being very tired from last nights 2.00am session. But by the end of the evening I had fixed a problem and come up with a solution to the bit which was bugging me about getting the shield in the game. Now you can get the shield and escape walking in the gaseous gloop (oops giving too much away here so I'll stop there). Still got away to go before releasing - but progress, although slow, is overall being made. No more new ideas - just fix up the old ones and deliver! That's the philospohy I have to keep reminding myself about. IPete2. ----------------------------- Worklog 03 - "Dragonsphere" Sunday - has come and gone and I have only had an hour on my project today... so far... ...(edited from later that night!) If I release it now it would be a shame so I have decided to wait until it's done - just like Mr M. I have actually added quite a lot this evening and a whole new micro-quest has found it's way in - it is a nice idea too! The problem is that the idea to start with was to explore what you could achieve with B3D and so far that has proved that almost eveything you would want to do is possible. So my demo adventure is really never going to end it is organic. But I want to release a version which is worth exploring and is worth the download (because it will be big!) This evening then... ...I have just added a large cavernous area with some excellent hidden and dangerous areas and things to be careful of. Included in this are an interior 'gaseous' section and the shield to protect you. But you can't get to it without a little 'ride' first! (he he he:)) I hope you guys 'n gals will download it and play it to let me know what you think - when it is ready! Back to it for a few minutes longer now. ----------- Worklog 02 - "Dragonsphere" Okay today - Saturday 17th November - I have only had about two hours and Sulphurbreath had to change shape so that is done. He also attacks now - excellent! You can also defend against him now too - also very excellent! Collision yet to be achieved for scoring though. Endgame therefore half worked out now. Still needs a lot of work to meet my release schedule for tomorrow - Sunday - evening! And I have to go Christmas shopping tomorrow! :) (and order Jak and Daxter! :)) ----------- Worklog 01 - "Dragonsphere" a mini adventure game with as many Blitz 3D features as I could squeeze in. Day to night transitions. Rising, rotating full-moon with detailed texture. Particle fx include snow, smoke, fire, magic. Animated toadstool which slowly chases you. Objects to collect and use. Interesting, multi-level, medium sized playscape. Hidden objects to find. 3D Sound effects and some plain old 2d sound effects too. Textured landscape transitions into snowy landscape. Lighting effects / flickering torches etc. Indoors and outdoors (enter the stone hut and caves). Animated river texture (very basic). Psionic's animated MD2 Alien (thanks Psionic). Psionic's weapon store (thanks again Psionic). Lots of other bits and pieces just for interest sake including a sprite tree orchard, Hopefully you people will enjoy just wandering around having a look at everything. ******************* The Log ************** The majority of this mini adventure/roam about game is complete. I have built the title sequence separately and they need to be included soon. I have just begun work on the end scenario today. Sulphurbreath is now in and half u and r. The end battle has still to be actioned. I need to put a ceiling on his cave and some more particle fx and other features inside his cave. A bit more audio is needed too! Tomorrow (Saturday - launch day -1) I will attempt to round up the last of the mini quests and start to tie it all together. The Witch needs attention, as does the Icy Cove Store, the sword still needs attention as does the magic spell bit. Other than that I'm as there as I'll ever be with this one. Keep an eye out for this one on Sunday night! (GMT) :) BTW - it will be quite big as there is a lot in it. I will compress it as best I can but the sound alone is going to be a couple of MBs! IPete2. |