Worklog for Jimbob
Worklog 1
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| Three (!) months and no update. Hmm. I've moved to Auckland, NZ for my third year of university and it's already started. For the first time in a long time I opened up Blitz+ to try and get something done, because I've too much unfinished stuff to contend with. And this has the potential to be pretty damn good. - Added 4 weapon types that can be switched between - Added a pause and trigger at the start of the game and after death That's all for now...maybe things can start moving again from here. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Great...exams are coming up and I'm concentrating on making games o_O I've added platform capability loading/saving in the level editor and lo! They also appear in the main game as well. AND bullets and stuff collide with them as well as you! This opens up completely new possibilities for level design and having INDOOR(!) areas. I am SO excited right now. So here's a beaten up magpie a-la Doom: http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| We have platformy goodness! At the moment, I only have one platform, but yes, it is collidable! and you can see the VERY funky walking animation when you stomp across it. All I have to do now is incorporate bomb collisions and adding platforms in the level editor... WHEE!!! http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Well well well - 10 of 11 enemies implemented - 2 new background objects drawn - Recoloured and outlined several sprites - Added and animated second base type - Added and animated base-spawned enemies - Tested out a 9-area level setup (it worked), I think the final thing will only have 7 though (less confusing to traverse) - Removed a few bugs here and there... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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I have no idea why, but gaming motivation seems to consume me whenever I
see deadlines coming up. After a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year, I work on my game with only a week to go on some rather important
deadlines...however, I've managed to keep the work short: - Made the options screen save/load fullscreen/joystick/sound options - Added the capability of platforms in the editor, just need to save them in to the level format, then add the collisions in the game engine. - Made the game 'restart' when you die. - Added this jetpack movement...seems to work better, but I think I'm going to add a 'strafe' manouevre or something to that effect to make battling the enemies a little more conventional. Call me after the 13th, when the deadlines are over, then we can talk REAL progress... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| I've given out a little test which people seem to enjoy. Which brought about some future changes: - Need to add a more 'jetpack' movement, see if it works better - Add fullscreen mode (DONE!) - Possibly add areas with 'platforms' for a little variation in challenges, these will likely be shown as 'indoor' - Fade out the cityscape a little (DONE!) I've also started on the options screen fully, and it works, although you can't save anything just as of yet. Despite uni deadlines coming up, I seem to have more time than ever! (to avoid them) XD http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Haha. Not really, but I have got into my second year at uni and have been settling in for the past ...err, month? Dang. Anyway, I did a burst of work to cross off some of the things down there, and a screenshot WILL come soon. Because I've done the forcefield, and player death spawn and warp with a funky little bubble explosion effect thing...you'll see. I really should make that frontend do something soon as well... EDIT: Or should I say this frontend: Doesn't it look pretty? @_@ http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Update! Things I've Done Since Last Time: - Walking Animation! which actually rocks - Force field sprite! - New backgrounds! (plus experimenting with random colour schemes) - Started a Frontend! (not really much tho) - Random sprite pixelling! (to actually get me back into work, basically updated sprites of the little guy in the previous worklog) Things I'm Going To Do This Week: - Post up another screen! - Make the frontend actually do something! - Incorporate the forcefield! - Notes! (of the monetary variety - you'll see) - Player death! (and respawn) - Making some more levels and such! ...and I think we've had enough excitement for now don't ya think? http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| I love my obscure indie song titles...maybe I should start doing rampant dialogues that don't go anywhere next... Instead I'll post some new shots...the second looking mangled...but actually showing the warp effect in mid-warp...it's really simple and a modified version of something I found in the code archives (modified because it didn't actually work and also to improve it). But ahh well, now I can warp between all the areas I have made which is really funky if you ask me...but then I would. A problem I forsee is that you may warp directly into the path of enemies...so I'm adding a little invulnerability bubble thing you can buy for temp. god mode and which also activates during warp and when you lose a life. I've got bouncing coins now and stuff...things are moving at a rate of knots... I'm also heavily scripting and planning another game, whether I'll actually start stuff on it soon I don't know, but I drew this for it :P http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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Another little screen...showing how I've got three enemy waves all
moving in their patterns at the same time, all destroyable but not yet
animated :S. I'm now making a 'proper' top bar...the current one is awful, expect these screenshots to change sometime in the next few days...then after that, I'm on to transitions between areas! And maybe some coinage to go with it... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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Explosions and little smoke things working, with enemy collisions and
stuff working. Added some extra outlines to the sprites and it's looking
really impressive when its moving with the parallax and enemy movement
patterns. Hopefully even better when I add sprite animations and bigger
explosions. If you want to have a go, I'll probably bring a version to the CWmeet on Saturday...I'm aiming for an area to be playable at least...but we'll see... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Well, them four weeks went by pretty quickly... I did manage to get something done, but that was getting Ork Attack out of the door...ahh well. I've also started work, luckily that still leaves me a lot of time for coding and stuff so progress should be following on shortly. I'll also have the money for that gamepad :P http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Monday I will release the game...there's a lot of things I've fixed and tweaks and so on, SFX being a big part of it: - Added new hints and tips screen - Added awesome title music (cheers Josh - http://www.syntesis.org - miniplug) - Added Background SFX for levels and end screen - Tweaked sound levels - Fixed bug regarding pausing and sound - Added little click sound for menu (it's the little things that count) - Made some more FX, and after I've implemented these...I guess it's all over bar some last minute testing....WOO! http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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K...University year one is out of the way...and I have four weeks of
bugger all till I go to my summer job. So, I'm going to get as much of
this done as I possibly can. I've added the capability in the engine for different weapons now and you can now shoot both bombs and bullets at some bases I've placed in a more or less complete level editor. I'll post another screen when I've got the explosions working. I'm also going to put some gamepad support in this so I've (I hope) implemented that into the movement code. I just need to buy a gamepad now :P http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| A new set of graphics are on the way...thank god for GraphicsGale and custom palettes :P http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| This will be the minigame you can unlock when you finish the main game. It will also unlock a Time Attack mode and an Expert mode. The minigame is a simple shmup in a randomly generated cave against rockets, bases and orbs. I'm quite chuffed how it's turned out in 4 days. I've also got to grips with some nice explosions which you'll most likely see better versions of in the main game. Back to the main grindstone... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Well, Not quite the progress I was aiming for but something done none-the-less: - Started a menu screen with a simple but quite funky looking effect. - Added Basic shooting for normal bullets - Added Enemy placement to the level editor I've also now decided to split the enemy data and background level data into separate files, this way I can individually load the level backgrounds as you play them, but the enemies will exist globally, so if you leave any enemies behind in a zone, that's where they will stay till you revisit. Hopefully it will work out easier this way. I WILL get to play it by the next worklog :) http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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It's great when you get work done...and also when you get a brand
spanking new 17" monitor (believe me, a 9-yr old 15" monitor can damage
your eyes :S). At the moment all the current work is on my uni laptop so
I'll have to port it over for some new screens and stuff, probably when
I have a little demo to test out. So, progress today: - The enemy patterns and movements for 6 of the enemy waves were coded. And some of them look pretty funky in action. I can't wait to blast them up. - I drew out animations for the bases and also for the warp holes they uncover. - I blurred out the parallax background slightly and turned the contrast down on the immediate background to make the action easier to recognise. Next up, incorporate the Enemy placement in the level editor and then load em up and PLAY!...well...move around and watch. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| A couple of screens to get you started. It's a shoot-em-up but not in the same way most are played. It is horizontally scrolling around a repeatable area (aka Defender) but with links to other areas of the city hidden in the bases you have to destroy. Some features planned: - 6/7 Areas to Jetpack through - Over 10 enemy types - Upgradeable Weapons and Jets - Extra Time Attack and Extreme modes - ...and possibly more. I hope to finish this rather quickly so it won't be a huge game, but there will be a high-score table and the unlocked modes for some extra replayability. So far I have completed the backgrounds for 4 of the areas and designed all of the sprites (not animated tho). I have almost completed an Area editor and I have done the main movement/parallax/loading code. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| HAHA! February! Complete!?!?! All the SFX complete except two definite (archer and priest) maybe more needed. Music done but I haven't been sent it :( Bosses both have a better death sequence now...I think :P And that's it...next post will be the last... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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I've added the final boss to the game now. I'll probably upload a
screen soon once I've tweaked the difficulty and animations. Got rid of a
few more bugs, where the boss wouldn't appear, and also added a bit
more intelligence to archers, so they actually shoot towards you. Still hoping for February (if no bugs get in the way). http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| sheeeite...damn university. Not much progress to talk of: - A lot of betatesting has sorted out a lot of bugs. - Wrote out (on paper) the second boss sequence. - Done 3 out of 4 animations for it. - Tweaked Hiscore screen. Ahh well...I'm gonna really hate myself if I don't get it out before February. Just hope uni doesn't get me too bogged down. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| WOO!! CHRISTMAS IS NEARLY HERE!!!! AND SO IS ORK ATTACK!!! YAY!!!!! - Bonus level - DONE! - Boss 1 routine - DONE! - Hiscore routine - DONE! - Bugs - FIXED! One boss and remaking all the soundage/musicage to go... Lets Go! http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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"Hey, I know what, I'll add the little bonus game you used to get
inbetween levels where you push ork bodies off the drawbridge..." Yeh,
cheers brain... Either way, I've pretty much done all the graphics for said bonus game and the code will pretty much be a modified version of the some of the Arena Runner code. In other work: - Added Ork Archer to the blockade levels - Added Boss 1 routine (just need collisions) - Added extra routine to level select screen - Fiddled endlessly with level settings (apparently too hard for some weaklings....yes you morduun) ...Christmas day release? I'm bloody well hope I can so I can get to work on a new game: Worklog to come soon... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| A few more cosmetic additions and stuff: - Added Game Over screen and Level Complete interlude - Added scrolling text and music to the level select screen - Added Combo graphics (x2,3,4,5) - Added sounds for most things except explosions and thunder - Added Menu w/ Instructions and Credits - Added spark particles for lightning and magician http://www.acoders.com/acsite/viewsoftware.php?id=107 ...for some new screenshots http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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The level system is more or less complete now. You can beat levels and
move to the next stage area, combined with a return to the level map. Also: - Fixed random level loading crashing bug - Added throwing rock animation - Re-made squire throw animation (MUCH better) - Drawn out basis for second boss (???) - ...and various other bugfixes. I might release a little playtest soon... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Here he is...I've done the animations for his attack and other 'things' related to the bossfight. I've also completed the end level sequence where your squire gets the lightning rod and all the orks get toasted...looks quite retrotacular. Next up is actually putting all the levels together...then putting in the boss battles. And then I'm sorted...winner. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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Well I missed the competition deadline due to going to university...and
now I've had time to relax and start working on it again. I've now got a
never-ending level working with sword-slashing and the like all done.
All I need now is to add the level end sequence and a few bosses and
then I'm laughing... New screenshot probably next week. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| - Added call/send back sword routine - Added Window light on/off routine - Added Ork elder spawn/smart bomb destroy routine Time for some sword-slashing... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| I drew up the blockade level: Now, when i get to code the sword-wielding and level end sequence, the game will be fully playable :) http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Nuff said... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| - Incorporated spinning rock :P - Dead ork corpses fall from where they hit - Finished Ork Elder animation - Tweaked blood engine for thicker splats :) {EDIT: ...and I've finally installed Graphics Gale to do the larger images (e.g. game map, level backgrounds ..etc.) and started the game map. It's looking good... :P screenshot next time] http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Yeh, kinda got nothing done yesterday...but hey. - Finished punching animation - Finished Knight throwing animation - Started Third Level Background (stockade) ...I think I deserve a night out... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| - Ork elder drawn - Blood code tweaked - Started extra knight animations Not much...next update will be thursday probably (DAY OFF WORK WOO!) http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| - Blood added - 2 enemy types added - Animations for all 3 enemies added (except punching) Next up: Punching and Knight animations... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Well, sort of: - Most animations for orks incorporated. - Orks now climb over the wall and go for the player. - Drew a new title logo + screen (pic soon). - Tidied up code stuffage. - Got mightily drunk on Friday...uhh. Next up: Gore! http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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- Orks now walk along the bottom, picking a random spot to climb up.
You can also bounce the rocks off their heads to make them disappear
(chance for combos :P) - Spent ages finishing off a "climbing over the wall" animation for the orks. Animation is probably the next code for the list... http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| My internet at home is crumpeted, deaded, mashed, mangled whatever...which I guess leaves me no excuse to get on with it. I have managed to begin the coding, with the general structure laid out and at the moment you can move your player across the roof, pick up rocks and throw them off the building, which is a good start. No animation yet tho, but the rocks do regenerate by being thrown from the windows, which I liked. Next up is having some orks appearing... My internet should be back Monday if not i'll post at work like now. I think I'll make updates a bit more pointed now. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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I've done a fair bit of graphics work on the game so far with no
coding, but that is soon to change. Here is a mock screenshot of the
first level: So far you can see (which have also been animated for walking and climbing) normal orks, helmed orks and bonus orks (the ones with backpacks of gold). To be made are an archer ork (for the later levels) and a magi ork and any bosses I may decide to do. By the next post I hope to have begun some proper coding...i hope :P http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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I've decided to enter the 2004 remake competition with a remake of an
Amiga remake or an Atari game called Orc/Ork Attack. A bit annoyed I
didn't find it earlier as I feel I'm a bit late now but I'm hoping it
will still get done. http://www.monroeworld.com/orkattack shows the remake I enjoyed on the Amiga and hope to emulate slightly and graphically update. I'm getting down to all the sprites and graphics first which means a lot of grafting. So far I have the beginnings of the generic Orc and also the knight that you play. I've also mocked up some backdrops of which a screenshot will be posted soon... ...now back to the graft. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| I had already planned out a sequel before I made the first (strange I know) as I didn't have the ability to do everything I wanted to put in the game originally. Now I can. I'm trying to add as much as possible to the original while keeping the playability (and replayability) of the first. So its going to be a lot bigger with a lot more variation. First and foremost, the graphics are 30x30 tiles instead of 25x25, with almost everything being animated or having some kind of effect. The grid itself will hopefully look a lot more 'futuristic' as it were, and with the game being based around themed 'worlds' there will be several tilesets as well. Other main features are a co-operative mode (in a similar vein to Lode Runner - either working with each other, or racing against each other) and a level editor. The ship above is the first fruit from a gfx session. I'll probably work up a tileset for the first world before starting any code though... Expected time left: 5 months http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Go check it out here... http://www.acoders.com/acsite/viewsoftware.php?id=63 http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |
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| Here's the second to last level of my arcade game Arena Runner...its almost finished except from tweaks and fixes to the start/end of level/game sequences and adding music. Expect a release this weekend...I hope. To see a couple more screenshots and a bit more info... go to www.acoders.com and find Arena Runner in the projects page. http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk | http://www.acoders.com |