So, the Winter Break wasn't as productive as I would have liked it to be. I only recently got my character controller to a place I felt was "OK" but it's still not where I'd like it to be. Still, the Platformer is starting to take some semblance of shape. I figured it couldn't hurt to post up my early build to get some opinions on what you guys think of the controls. Please excuse the programmer art. I have a talented Pixel Artist I know coming on board to work on the game with me, and that'll change the aesthetics for future builds. For now, you'll just have to deal with putrescent colored blocks and NES graphics.
Here's the link if you'd like to download the build: RingOfFire v 0.2.4
Development Blog for GBIT Games.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Friday, December 26, 2014
New Challenger Approaches!
It's been a long time since I wrote anything on this blog.
The reason?
To put it simply, I started going to Drexel, and let me tell you: it's rough. I have virtually no free time during the semester to do anything but work. This means no friends and no social life, let alone time to work on my own projects.
But that's what winter break is for!
And so, I'd like to tell all of you about what I'm working on next: I'm taking the dive into Unity now that the 2D tools have matured a little bit, and I'm developing an old school platformer. What is the name of the game? What is the story? What is the game play like? I'm afraid I can't really answer any of those at this moment. I have a lot of ideas of the direction I want to take it in, but I don't want to publicly promise anything until it starts to take some more form. Right now, my primary concern is re-working the player controller to better feel like a classic NES game such as Super Mario Bros. If you've used Unity2D at all, you'd know that what they give you out of the box is pretty much garbage. I'm not even bothering to fine tune it; I'm completely scrapping it for my own homebrew. I'll periodically post some builds to showcase it's development, but don't expect anything substantial any time soon.
I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, and I can't wait to post again whether it be sometime soon, or in the far flung future!
The reason?
To put it simply, I started going to Drexel, and let me tell you: it's rough. I have virtually no free time during the semester to do anything but work. This means no friends and no social life, let alone time to work on my own projects.
But that's what winter break is for!
And so, I'd like to tell all of you about what I'm working on next: I'm taking the dive into Unity now that the 2D tools have matured a little bit, and I'm developing an old school platformer. What is the name of the game? What is the story? What is the game play like? I'm afraid I can't really answer any of those at this moment. I have a lot of ideas of the direction I want to take it in, but I don't want to publicly promise anything until it starts to take some more form. Right now, my primary concern is re-working the player controller to better feel like a classic NES game such as Super Mario Bros. If you've used Unity2D at all, you'd know that what they give you out of the box is pretty much garbage. I'm not even bothering to fine tune it; I'm completely scrapping it for my own homebrew. I'll periodically post some builds to showcase it's development, but don't expect anything substantial any time soon.
I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, and I can't wait to post again whether it be sometime soon, or in the far flung future!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
8-Bit Dimension Release!
The download for 8-Bit Dimension can be found here.
8-Bit Dimension is finally complete! This game took a lot longer than I originally expected it would take, especially with all the progress I made with the initial stages of building the game. Really, looking back at things, I can really only chalk it up to the increased demand on my schedule from school. When I made ManaClash, much of my progress was made when I only had to concern myself with work during the week. Making sure I had time for 8-Bit Dimension was probably the most challenging part of this project.
That's not to say it was the only challenge. With this project, I wanted to work on collision detection, and lightweight game physics, as well as the ability to load files for my levels. In addition tot he mechanics, I wanted to implement sound in this game as ManaClash was left relatively silent. I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do the sound for the game, and even once I thought I had, that individual was unable to commit the time to do it. In the end, I wound up doing all the sound myself, though not without help. The sound effects were all made with this handy online tool: http://www.superflashbros.net/as3sfxr/ and all of the music I made myself with the program FamiTracker. If you thought my art was bad, wait till you hear my sound design!
There were a few other features I wound up cutting just to move on from this project. For example, I wanted to do a little more as far as aesthetics goes by animating the various enemies, and having different backgrounds and enemies for different stages. In addition, I wanted there to be a "Final Boss" to this game, but all of these things would have taken far more time than I have available, especially since I'm in the middle of working on a commercial project with two others that has much more of my attention at the moment. Is that to say I won't return to 8-Bit Dimension? Of course not. Maybe one day in the future, much like ManaClash, I'll tinker around with the game, clean it up, and add some more features. For now, this is what I'm presenting to you.
As for what's changed between Beta and release? Here's the rundown!
- Added roaming enemies. These enemies can get in the way and cause unpredictable results when your spell collides with them, but you will be awarded points for the trouble.
- Added Sound to the game. Now you have sound effects for nearly everything imaginable, in addition to two nifty songs. "Level Start" and "Game Over"!
- Added three new levels, all of which are much more difficult than the original two. It wouldn't be a retro game if the difficulty weren't cranked up to 11, now would it?
- Fixed a bug that prevented the window from being closed after getting game over. This bug is apparently also present in ManaClash, and will be included in the list of fixes with it's first update.
That's game number two under my belt. Of course, I'm not the type of person to rest for long. I'm giving myself the weekend off to enjoy myself and relax for the first time in months, then I'm going to hit the grindstone once more. What will my next solo project be? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I will say this: I bought RPG Maker VXAce when it was on sale a few weeks ago and I've been dying to dive in and make something. I used to love RPG Maker for the Playstation, and made quite a few games I made my friends suffer through. RPG Maker VXAce seems to fix all of the issues I had with the original for Playstation, and I have a few RPG ideas I would love to prototype in RPG Maker. For example, I think I would like to remake The Ring of Fire in RPG Maker format. We'll see though.
Whether it's an RPG in RPG maker, or if I decide to tackle another game in Python, I'm unlikely to stop in my pursuit to improve my skills. With university right around the corner as well, I have a feeling that as difficult, stressful, and busy as the next few years are going to be... I'm going to see my skills as a programmer and a Game Designer improve manifold. I hope you enjoy the game, and let me know what you think! Until next time, enjoy the rest of your summer!
8-Bit Dimension is finally complete! This game took a lot longer than I originally expected it would take, especially with all the progress I made with the initial stages of building the game. Really, looking back at things, I can really only chalk it up to the increased demand on my schedule from school. When I made ManaClash, much of my progress was made when I only had to concern myself with work during the week. Making sure I had time for 8-Bit Dimension was probably the most challenging part of this project.
That's not to say it was the only challenge. With this project, I wanted to work on collision detection, and lightweight game physics, as well as the ability to load files for my levels. In addition tot he mechanics, I wanted to implement sound in this game as ManaClash was left relatively silent. I had a lot of trouble finding someone to do the sound for the game, and even once I thought I had, that individual was unable to commit the time to do it. In the end, I wound up doing all the sound myself, though not without help. The sound effects were all made with this handy online tool: http://www.superflashbros.net/as3sfxr/ and all of the music I made myself with the program FamiTracker. If you thought my art was bad, wait till you hear my sound design!
There were a few other features I wound up cutting just to move on from this project. For example, I wanted to do a little more as far as aesthetics goes by animating the various enemies, and having different backgrounds and enemies for different stages. In addition, I wanted there to be a "Final Boss" to this game, but all of these things would have taken far more time than I have available, especially since I'm in the middle of working on a commercial project with two others that has much more of my attention at the moment. Is that to say I won't return to 8-Bit Dimension? Of course not. Maybe one day in the future, much like ManaClash, I'll tinker around with the game, clean it up, and add some more features. For now, this is what I'm presenting to you.
As for what's changed between Beta and release? Here's the rundown!
- Added roaming enemies. These enemies can get in the way and cause unpredictable results when your spell collides with them, but you will be awarded points for the trouble.
- Added Sound to the game. Now you have sound effects for nearly everything imaginable, in addition to two nifty songs. "Level Start" and "Game Over"!
- Added three new levels, all of which are much more difficult than the original two. It wouldn't be a retro game if the difficulty weren't cranked up to 11, now would it?
- Fixed a bug that prevented the window from being closed after getting game over. This bug is apparently also present in ManaClash, and will be included in the list of fixes with it's first update.
That's game number two under my belt. Of course, I'm not the type of person to rest for long. I'm giving myself the weekend off to enjoy myself and relax for the first time in months, then I'm going to hit the grindstone once more. What will my next solo project be? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I will say this: I bought RPG Maker VXAce when it was on sale a few weeks ago and I've been dying to dive in and make something. I used to love RPG Maker for the Playstation, and made quite a few games I made my friends suffer through. RPG Maker VXAce seems to fix all of the issues I had with the original for Playstation, and I have a few RPG ideas I would love to prototype in RPG Maker. For example, I think I would like to remake The Ring of Fire in RPG Maker format. We'll see though.
Whether it's an RPG in RPG maker, or if I decide to tackle another game in Python, I'm unlikely to stop in my pursuit to improve my skills. With university right around the corner as well, I have a feeling that as difficult, stressful, and busy as the next few years are going to be... I'm going to see my skills as a programmer and a Game Designer improve manifold. I hope you enjoy the game, and let me know what you think! Until next time, enjoy the rest of your summer!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Now Entering: Hell Month
July!
Summer is in full swing. It's been raining here in New Jersey literally every single day for a month now because God hates New Jersey. I suspect Noah will be here with his arc to pick me up soon, so before I go, it's time I let all of you in on what to expect.
First off, 8-Bit dimension is 99% complete. I'm putting a few finishing touches on it to give it a little more polish before releasing it. Granted, I probably won't be able to give it a full-makeover and there will be parts of it that are left... unrefined for lack of a better word, it is fully functional and playable. Expect the release before the end of July. Like ManaClash, I may revisit it one day to add a little more flair and pretty it up, but that will have to wait.
With Physics behind me, Calc2 half-way done, and University starting in the fall, this is the perfect window for me to be productive and belt out some games. Of course, this does mean I won't be able to play all of the video games coming out this summer, but what else is new? I haven't played video games in over a year! Enjoy your summer folks, and expect more news soon! This month is going to be wild, crazy, and intense... and I might just make it out alive if I'm lucky.
Summer is in full swing. It's been raining here in New Jersey literally every single day for a month now because God hates New Jersey. I suspect Noah will be here with his arc to pick me up soon, so before I go, it's time I let all of you in on what to expect.
First off, 8-Bit dimension is 99% complete. I'm putting a few finishing touches on it to give it a little more polish before releasing it. Granted, I probably won't be able to give it a full-makeover and there will be parts of it that are left... unrefined for lack of a better word, it is fully functional and playable. Expect the release before the end of July. Like ManaClash, I may revisit it one day to add a little more flair and pretty it up, but that will have to wait.
With Physics behind me, Calc2 half-way done, and University starting in the fall, this is the perfect window for me to be productive and belt out some games. Of course, this does mean I won't be able to play all of the video games coming out this summer, but what else is new? I haven't played video games in over a year! Enjoy your summer folks, and expect more news soon! This month is going to be wild, crazy, and intense... and I might just make it out alive if I'm lucky.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
8-Bit Dimension Beta 2
The download for the new version can be found here.
Summer is here. I'm taking two classes, and working on two games, so although progress may be slow, it's coming! Today, contrary to what I thought would be an evening of sleeping after a very, very long 12 hour day I cranked out the last little bit of code to put 8-Bit Dimension into Beta 2.
There aren't many new features that will be added to the game outside of polish at this point, so test to your hearts content! All of the items have been fully implemented, tested, and debugged. In addition, I put in the beginnings of code to allow roaming enemies, but have kept the feature out of sight for this release as it doesn't add anything to the game in it's current state.
Here is the change log to Beta 2:
- Added three new items to affect game play.
- The orange item will grant you power over the mighty forces of magic to blast away any obstacles in your path. By pressing the Right Control button, you will discharge a magical attack that will destroy any blocks it comes in contact with. Do note, that if you are also under the effects of the sticky item, firing the magic shot will immediately launch any spells you are holding.
- The black item will open up a portal to the next stage. By attempting to leave the stage through the now opened door on the right side of the stage, you will be warped to the next level, losing any power ups you currently have. Note that this item may be hard to see against the black background. Keep your eyes peeled!
- The purple item will grant the player one extra life. Please note that the player cannot have more than 6 lives at any point in time.
- Fixed a number of bugs regarding the yellow item.
- Minor game play adjustments.
Next up, final release! When's it due? I don't know, but I can safely say before summer ends.With the release, I hope to have the roaming enemy system completed, as well as perhaps the addition of sound and some more levels to extend game play. There's so much more I could add to this game to help polish and clean it up, but at this point my major concern is to release the game and focus my efforts on completing "Project Zombie" for a September release. As usual, please report any bugs you find with the game. I've tested it extensively to make sure I have a clean launch, but these things are rarely apparent. Have fun, and let me know what you think!
Summer is here. I'm taking two classes, and working on two games, so although progress may be slow, it's coming! Today, contrary to what I thought would be an evening of sleeping after a very, very long 12 hour day I cranked out the last little bit of code to put 8-Bit Dimension into Beta 2.
There aren't many new features that will be added to the game outside of polish at this point, so test to your hearts content! All of the items have been fully implemented, tested, and debugged. In addition, I put in the beginnings of code to allow roaming enemies, but have kept the feature out of sight for this release as it doesn't add anything to the game in it's current state.
Here is the change log to Beta 2:
- Added three new items to affect game play.
- The orange item will grant you power over the mighty forces of magic to blast away any obstacles in your path. By pressing the Right Control button, you will discharge a magical attack that will destroy any blocks it comes in contact with. Do note, that if you are also under the effects of the sticky item, firing the magic shot will immediately launch any spells you are holding.
- The black item will open up a portal to the next stage. By attempting to leave the stage through the now opened door on the right side of the stage, you will be warped to the next level, losing any power ups you currently have. Note that this item may be hard to see against the black background. Keep your eyes peeled!
- The purple item will grant the player one extra life. Please note that the player cannot have more than 6 lives at any point in time.
- Fixed a number of bugs regarding the yellow item.
- Minor game play adjustments.
Next up, final release! When's it due? I don't know, but I can safely say before summer ends.With the release, I hope to have the roaming enemy system completed, as well as perhaps the addition of sound and some more levels to extend game play. There's so much more I could add to this game to help polish and clean it up, but at this point my major concern is to release the game and focus my efforts on completing "Project Zombie" for a September release. As usual, please report any bugs you find with the game. I've tested it extensively to make sure I have a clean launch, but these things are rarely apparent. Have fun, and let me know what you think!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Advent Games
It's June. School's already started back up and I decided to be crazy enough to cram Physics and Calc II into a summer I'm already booked to develop three games.
Yes, three games. Let's start from the beginning.
As you know, I'm knee deep in development on 8-Bit Dimension. I'm happy to say that I'm almost done with Beta phase 2. In my current build I've got all the items implemented. Cleaned up a few things and the code, and I'm in the process of putting in the beginnings of roaming enemies. I'm hoping to post that up sometime before the end of the month, but the work I put into that is solely reliant on my other two, more important projects.
My second project is the previously announced "Project Zombie". While I don't have any more information to share about it at this time, I will say that progress is being made and it's currently still on schedule for a fall release. I will, however, take this time to talk to you about Advent Games. Advent Games is the name of a brand new Video Game studio that I am heading. With a focus on honesty, integrity, and quality, the three of us who formed Advent Games want to make a company that's founded on the things that we as gamers and human beings value most. Evil DLC? Money Grubbing tactics such as Whaling? Incomplete, bug ridden messes of games? We, as a company will be doing everything possible to stay away from the things we feel weakens the gaming industry as a whole. By sticking to our adamant desire to remain indie, we won't be getting involved in the producer side of the industry that we feel often forgets the true purpose of a "game" - to have fun! Furthermore, without the intervention of producers, we can focus on artistic expression and experiment with new ideas that may not have come to pass in an industry clouded with corporate protocol. We're currently fixing up a website, and preparing a separate blog for our new studio which I will be sure to link here once it's complete.
The third and final project which I would like to mention is that Advent Games will be partnering up with fellow indie studio Hybrid Games to make a small RPG on a new, house built engine during the month of July. This RPG will be a free release that anyone will be able to download and play, as well as being open source so that if anyone in the community wants to tinker with our creation, they'll be free to do so. The engine will also be open source and posted online separately for anyone wishing to create their own RPGs, but I will have more information on that as it becomes available. If you'd like to be a part of this project, feel free to e-mail me at admin@advent-games.com. Please note that we only have a very limited number of positions, and you will need to have transportation to the Jersey Shore where we will be doing this work during the month of July. Currently, we're not looking for anyone to work remotely.
So, three projects, two classes, and a hard deadline of September? I think I can do it. I'll be sure to post updates as soon as they become available. My hope is that soon I'll be able to introduce all of you to "Project Zombie" with some of our assets, and perhaps a screenshot or two. Until next time, have a great summer, and stay cool!
Yes, three games. Let's start from the beginning.
As you know, I'm knee deep in development on 8-Bit Dimension. I'm happy to say that I'm almost done with Beta phase 2. In my current build I've got all the items implemented. Cleaned up a few things and the code, and I'm in the process of putting in the beginnings of roaming enemies. I'm hoping to post that up sometime before the end of the month, but the work I put into that is solely reliant on my other two, more important projects.
My second project is the previously announced "Project Zombie". While I don't have any more information to share about it at this time, I will say that progress is being made and it's currently still on schedule for a fall release. I will, however, take this time to talk to you about Advent Games. Advent Games is the name of a brand new Video Game studio that I am heading. With a focus on honesty, integrity, and quality, the three of us who formed Advent Games want to make a company that's founded on the things that we as gamers and human beings value most. Evil DLC? Money Grubbing tactics such as Whaling? Incomplete, bug ridden messes of games? We, as a company will be doing everything possible to stay away from the things we feel weakens the gaming industry as a whole. By sticking to our adamant desire to remain indie, we won't be getting involved in the producer side of the industry that we feel often forgets the true purpose of a "game" - to have fun! Furthermore, without the intervention of producers, we can focus on artistic expression and experiment with new ideas that may not have come to pass in an industry clouded with corporate protocol. We're currently fixing up a website, and preparing a separate blog for our new studio which I will be sure to link here once it's complete.
The third and final project which I would like to mention is that Advent Games will be partnering up with fellow indie studio Hybrid Games to make a small RPG on a new, house built engine during the month of July. This RPG will be a free release that anyone will be able to download and play, as well as being open source so that if anyone in the community wants to tinker with our creation, they'll be free to do so. The engine will also be open source and posted online separately for anyone wishing to create their own RPGs, but I will have more information on that as it becomes available. If you'd like to be a part of this project, feel free to e-mail me at admin@advent-games.com. Please note that we only have a very limited number of positions, and you will need to have transportation to the Jersey Shore where we will be doing this work during the month of July. Currently, we're not looking for anyone to work remotely.
So, three projects, two classes, and a hard deadline of September? I think I can do it. I'll be sure to post updates as soon as they become available. My hope is that soon I'll be able to introduce all of you to "Project Zombie" with some of our assets, and perhaps a screenshot or two. Until next time, have a great summer, and stay cool!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Homestretch
Less than two weeks remain in this school semester, and I can't wait to be free.
Project wise, I've been knee deep in two: A game I've been making in Game Design, and a Guitar Simulation I've been coding with three other gentleman for Data Structures. I don't have much to show for either of them right now, but I might post some stuff up in the next few months when I'm not churning out breaking news left and right.
Speaking of which, I'm set to reveal some big news next month. Oh, how I wish I could spoil it early, but we are currently working out the last few details of a months long endeavor. In addition, full production on "Project Zombie" will begin with the end of the semester. I eagerly await the opportunity to give more info on that as well, but all in due time... all in due time...
That's all for now though. Sorry for the slow news months, but I promise, Summer will be worth it. Until then, I wish you all the best!
Project wise, I've been knee deep in two: A game I've been making in Game Design, and a Guitar Simulation I've been coding with three other gentleman for Data Structures. I don't have much to show for either of them right now, but I might post some stuff up in the next few months when I'm not churning out breaking news left and right.
Speaking of which, I'm set to reveal some big news next month. Oh, how I wish I could spoil it early, but we are currently working out the last few details of a months long endeavor. In addition, full production on "Project Zombie" will begin with the end of the semester. I eagerly await the opportunity to give more info on that as well, but all in due time... all in due time...
That's all for now though. Sorry for the slow news months, but I promise, Summer will be worth it. Until then, I wish you all the best!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
There's Something Brewing Just Beyond the Horizon
It's April, and as the semester winds down, the work is getting more and more intense. I've found myself leaving the house in the wee hours of the morning, only to return some where around 3 AM, and continue the cycle day after day. I suppose this would make good practice for the inevitable crunch time situation I'm bound to face in the future.
Speaking of which... There is a lot going on as my team and I move into the final stages of preparing to launch our studio. Big things! I've been aching to talk about some of these things for months, but it'll have to remain a secret, if only for another month or two. One of those things will be an opportunity for those talented individuals in the NJ area looking to expand their portfolio or get hands on experience with a chance at making an actual game with us! We're still hashing out the details, but expect to hear something a little more concrete in June.
When it comes to games currently in production, there isn't much to report. 8-Bit Dimension has gone back into stasis until mid-May when the semester is over and I can dedicate time in wrapping it up. Work does continue on our Android game, which has yet to be named, but full production on that won't start until mid-May as well. As the development team and I are terrible at coming up with project names, I'm just going to call it "Zombie" for now until we come up with a better one. No, it has nothing to do with zombies. I just feel like naming all of my games after RPG enemies. Let it be known! Henceforth, Mana Clash shall retroactively be assigned the project name "Skeleton" and 8-Bit Dimension shall similarly be known by the project name "Wolf".
That's all for this month. News may be slow going, but soon I hope to knock your socks off with back to back news announcements of great import! Until next time, I hope you're enjoying what ever game currently has your attention!
Speaking of which... There is a lot going on as my team and I move into the final stages of preparing to launch our studio. Big things! I've been aching to talk about some of these things for months, but it'll have to remain a secret, if only for another month or two. One of those things will be an opportunity for those talented individuals in the NJ area looking to expand their portfolio or get hands on experience with a chance at making an actual game with us! We're still hashing out the details, but expect to hear something a little more concrete in June.
When it comes to games currently in production, there isn't much to report. 8-Bit Dimension has gone back into stasis until mid-May when the semester is over and I can dedicate time in wrapping it up. Work does continue on our Android game, which has yet to be named, but full production on that won't start until mid-May as well. As the development team and I are terrible at coming up with project names, I'm just going to call it "Zombie" for now until we come up with a better one. No, it has nothing to do with zombies. I just feel like naming all of my games after RPG enemies. Let it be known! Henceforth, Mana Clash shall retroactively be assigned the project name "Skeleton" and 8-Bit Dimension shall similarly be known by the project name "Wolf".
That's all for this month. News may be slow going, but soon I hope to knock your socks off with back to back news announcements of great import! Until next time, I hope you're enjoying what ever game currently has your attention!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
8-Bit Dimension Beta 1
The download for the new version can be found here.
In a completely unexpected turn of events, I somehow found the time to wrap up Beta 1 this week. Oh, the wonders of having free time that can be spent on stuff other than homework! Unfortunately, there are a few very minor bugs that I plan on fixing for Beta 2. All of the known bugs involve the "Sticky" item, and while I got all of the major bugs fixed (One of which would crash the game.) a few small minor bugs remain that don't impact game play too heavily. The known bugs will be detailed at the end of the post.
For those of you who play the game, the focus of this version is the inclusion of four different functioning items. Please let me know what you think of them, and their balance on game play which may be tweaked before release.
Here is the change log to Beta 1. It's surprisingly small for an upgrade from Alpha to Beta:
- Added four new items to affect game play.
- The green item will split a single spell into three separate spells. Please note that this effect does not stack with itself, and if you have more than one spell active, you will only earn points for obtaining more of this item.
- The red item will increase the size of your shield by 50%. Changing levels or losing a life will reset this effect. Please note that the effects of this item are not cumulative. Obtaining more red items after your shield's size has been increased will have no effect and only grant points.
- The blue item will slow down the speed of all balls on screen by a fair amount. In order to keep the pace of the game moving, there is a minimum speed in place, thus, obtaining enough blue items will eventually have no effect if this minimum speed is reached.
- The yellow item will make your shield "sticky" and thus, catch any spells that make contact with it. Simply press the launch button again to fire your spells. This effect will fade upon changing levels or losing a life.
Known Bugs:
- Currently, while holding a spell under the effects of the "Sticky" item, if you move your paddle up against a wall, you may notice a small shift in the spells resting on the shield.
- The angle calculations when firing a spell while under the effects of the "Sticky" item are slightly off and may on rare occasion yield unexpected results.
- Speed is reset to it's starting value when ever a spell is fired while under the effects of the "Sticky" item.
Beta 2 will hit sometime over the summer as I know that nothing short of a miracle would allow me to finish it before the end of spring break. Especially when you factor in time to receive feedback and possibly fix any new issues that may be discovered. With Beta 2 I plan on fixing the bugs with the sticky item, and introducing three more, much rarer items. If time and testing permits, I will hopefully also have enemies added to the game, in at least some basic form. Please let me know what you think of the game! Any and all criticisms and comments are welcome as I move this game into its final phases.
In a completely unexpected turn of events, I somehow found the time to wrap up Beta 1 this week. Oh, the wonders of having free time that can be spent on stuff other than homework! Unfortunately, there are a few very minor bugs that I plan on fixing for Beta 2. All of the known bugs involve the "Sticky" item, and while I got all of the major bugs fixed (One of which would crash the game.) a few small minor bugs remain that don't impact game play too heavily. The known bugs will be detailed at the end of the post.
For those of you who play the game, the focus of this version is the inclusion of four different functioning items. Please let me know what you think of them, and their balance on game play which may be tweaked before release.
Here is the change log to Beta 1. It's surprisingly small for an upgrade from Alpha to Beta:
- Added four new items to affect game play.
- The green item will split a single spell into three separate spells. Please note that this effect does not stack with itself, and if you have more than one spell active, you will only earn points for obtaining more of this item.
- The red item will increase the size of your shield by 50%. Changing levels or losing a life will reset this effect. Please note that the effects of this item are not cumulative. Obtaining more red items after your shield's size has been increased will have no effect and only grant points.
- The blue item will slow down the speed of all balls on screen by a fair amount. In order to keep the pace of the game moving, there is a minimum speed in place, thus, obtaining enough blue items will eventually have no effect if this minimum speed is reached.
- The yellow item will make your shield "sticky" and thus, catch any spells that make contact with it. Simply press the launch button again to fire your spells. This effect will fade upon changing levels or losing a life.
Known Bugs:
- Currently, while holding a spell under the effects of the "Sticky" item, if you move your paddle up against a wall, you may notice a small shift in the spells resting on the shield.
- The angle calculations when firing a spell while under the effects of the "Sticky" item are slightly off and may on rare occasion yield unexpected results.
- Speed is reset to it's starting value when ever a spell is fired while under the effects of the "Sticky" item.
Beta 2 will hit sometime over the summer as I know that nothing short of a miracle would allow me to finish it before the end of spring break. Especially when you factor in time to receive feedback and possibly fix any new issues that may be discovered. With Beta 2 I plan on fixing the bugs with the sticky item, and introducing three more, much rarer items. If time and testing permits, I will hopefully also have enemies added to the game, in at least some basic form. Please let me know what you think of the game! Any and all criticisms and comments are welcome as I move this game into its final phases.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Ever Have One of Those Months...
... where you've had a fever for over a week straight?
This is probably the most sick I've ever been over an extended period of time. I've been pretty much bed ridden since March 2nd, and my productivity in all things has essentially hit zero. In fact, the only reason why I'm able to post up this blog entry is because I just woke up a few hours ago and I need to occupy myself with something that doesn't take too much mental energy until I can rest again. Still, at least I can talk about what's been going on this past month.
First up, I have a few screenshots to show for the game I'm working on in my Game Design class. Enjoy!
Here we have a simple terrain.
And the top-down view.
This Terrain I roughed out in a few hours for the tactical RPG I'm working on. Oh how I wish I had more time to work on this game. Sadly, my Data Structures class seems to hog every possible second it can like the greedy class it is. I may have more to show next month, but don't count on it.
Next up, 8-Bit Dimension! The game I wish I had the time to finish already. I haven't been able to put any effort into it since before the semester started, but I'm determined to put some time aside next week when spring break begins. At present due to my illness I'll need to spend significant time catching up on all of my school work, so I expect to bring Beta1 from about 50% done to some where around 75% done. I had hoped to finish Beta1 during Spring Break to allow a lengthy period for Q&A while I wrap up the semester, but it looks like right now I will have to try and wrap up the entire thing in the early summer. On the plus side, I finally found someone willing to do sound for the game, so expect sound some where down the pipeline at or before final release.
Finally, the mystery Android game I talked about last month is well under way. Due to the entire team being students, we're taking a slow and steady approach to working on the game until the semester ends, at which point it will pretty much become a full-time job in the hopes we can meet a September release. We have a studio name chosen which means you can either expect to see the name of this blog change, or a new one crop up in the next month or two, and the project name (which has absolutely no bearing on the final game) should be decided when we meet on Saturday to go over our progress over the past month. I hope to reveal both to the public as soon as possible, but with the matter of studio name that will have to remain under wraps until it's formally established and we purchase a domain for it. Who cares about a studio name any way?
Well, my cough is acting up again so I should be getting back to bed. Sorry I didn't have more to share, but I promise you there's a lot of exciting stuff waiting just beyond the horizon. Now of only the semester were over so I could get to work on all this stuff like a man possessed! Till next time, stay well, and if you have a fever for more than 4 days, well, I hope you have health insurance!
This is probably the most sick I've ever been over an extended period of time. I've been pretty much bed ridden since March 2nd, and my productivity in all things has essentially hit zero. In fact, the only reason why I'm able to post up this blog entry is because I just woke up a few hours ago and I need to occupy myself with something that doesn't take too much mental energy until I can rest again. Still, at least I can talk about what's been going on this past month.
First up, I have a few screenshots to show for the game I'm working on in my Game Design class. Enjoy!
Here we have a simple terrain.
And the top-down view.
This Terrain I roughed out in a few hours for the tactical RPG I'm working on. Oh how I wish I had more time to work on this game. Sadly, my Data Structures class seems to hog every possible second it can like the greedy class it is. I may have more to show next month, but don't count on it.
Next up, 8-Bit Dimension! The game I wish I had the time to finish already. I haven't been able to put any effort into it since before the semester started, but I'm determined to put some time aside next week when spring break begins. At present due to my illness I'll need to spend significant time catching up on all of my school work, so I expect to bring Beta1 from about 50% done to some where around 75% done. I had hoped to finish Beta1 during Spring Break to allow a lengthy period for Q&A while I wrap up the semester, but it looks like right now I will have to try and wrap up the entire thing in the early summer. On the plus side, I finally found someone willing to do sound for the game, so expect sound some where down the pipeline at or before final release.
Finally, the mystery Android game I talked about last month is well under way. Due to the entire team being students, we're taking a slow and steady approach to working on the game until the semester ends, at which point it will pretty much become a full-time job in the hopes we can meet a September release. We have a studio name chosen which means you can either expect to see the name of this blog change, or a new one crop up in the next month or two, and the project name (which has absolutely no bearing on the final game) should be decided when we meet on Saturday to go over our progress over the past month. I hope to reveal both to the public as soon as possible, but with the matter of studio name that will have to remain under wraps until it's formally established and we purchase a domain for it. Who cares about a studio name any way?
Well, my cough is acting up again so I should be getting back to bed. Sorry I didn't have more to share, but I promise you there's a lot of exciting stuff waiting just beyond the horizon. Now of only the semester were over so I could get to work on all this stuff like a man possessed! Till next time, stay well, and if you have a fever for more than 4 days, well, I hope you have health insurance!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
February Update
It's February and school is officially in full swing. This semester has me swamped with even more work than last semester, something I didn't think was possible! In addition, it is beginning to look more and more like my Fall semester will see me going to Drexel University. A frustrating experience as this will kill my independent study time, but necessary as I know my knowledge of the material will eventually plateau without learning from professionals.
Onto news regarding my current projects!
8-Bit Dimension has seen some work since the Alpha v2 Release last month. I managed to get the Beta roughly half way done before the semester started. Sadly, once classes started, all work on that was put to a halt so I could focus on my classes. It's gotten so bad I've had to shelve ALL games to focus on my school work. Next up is my social life and a majority of my non-academic obligations if I find I can't keep up with the work load. Still, I'm hoping I can sneak in a little work next month during spring break assuming my professors don't see the vacation as an opportunity to unload a mountain of work upon me.
I've also done some minor touch ups on my "Ring of Fire" game that I made last semester. Still nothing amazing enough to re-release a new version, but you may see it at some point down the pipeline when I embrace my lack of a life and accept my computer chair bound destiny. This semester in Game Design I we will be working with Unity, and I plan on making a bare bones 3D tactical RPG. I might even have some screen shots to show off next month with my awful Maya modeling skills. I never claimed to be an artist.
There is, however, another game I have not mentioned before on this blog. A game spoken of in hushed tones as not to rouse the creative minds at Zynga. In less than 24 hours I will begin production on my first commercial endeavor with two pleasant and very talented individuals. I would say more, but many of the finer details are still in the works. For now, let's just say it -might- be an Android game, and I -might- need to direct you to a new blog in a few months. Needless to say, I'm really excited and have the support of a few individuals who have much more experience in the game industry than I do.
And that's that. I'll be back next month with some goodies to share with all of you. Until then, be safe, and have fun playing the games you love!
Onto news regarding my current projects!
8-Bit Dimension has seen some work since the Alpha v2 Release last month. I managed to get the Beta roughly half way done before the semester started. Sadly, once classes started, all work on that was put to a halt so I could focus on my classes. It's gotten so bad I've had to shelve ALL games to focus on my school work. Next up is my social life and a majority of my non-academic obligations if I find I can't keep up with the work load. Still, I'm hoping I can sneak in a little work next month during spring break assuming my professors don't see the vacation as an opportunity to unload a mountain of work upon me.
I've also done some minor touch ups on my "Ring of Fire" game that I made last semester. Still nothing amazing enough to re-release a new version, but you may see it at some point down the pipeline when I embrace my lack of a life and accept my computer chair bound destiny. This semester in Game Design I we will be working with Unity, and I plan on making a bare bones 3D tactical RPG. I might even have some screen shots to show off next month with my awful Maya modeling skills. I never claimed to be an artist.
There is, however, another game I have not mentioned before on this blog. A game spoken of in hushed tones as not to rouse the creative minds at Zynga. In less than 24 hours I will begin production on my first commercial endeavor with two pleasant and very talented individuals. I would say more, but many of the finer details are still in the works. For now, let's just say it -might- be an Android game, and I -might- need to direct you to a new blog in a few months. Needless to say, I'm really excited and have the support of a few individuals who have much more experience in the game industry than I do.
And that's that. I'll be back next month with some goodies to share with all of you. Until then, be safe, and have fun playing the games you love!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
8-Bit Dimension Alpha 2
The download for the new version can be found here.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season! After a holiday break and a nice trip that left me pretty sick, I've put the finishing touches on Alpha 2. I just got back home late last night, so I'm in the process of catching up with every thing that I've missed here in New Jersey since I left. After I take care of that and I do a little recovery I plan on starting work on the Beta version of 8-Bit Dimension.
Unfortunately, I can't give an accurate prediction as to when that might be available. School starts again in roughly 2 weeks, as will my work on another project. I've allotted time to complete at least 25% of the necessary work for Beta 1 before my classes start again. As usual, if I find I have more free time than expected, some of that will be put towards expediting the work on Beta 1. Also, as was the case with the last two school semesters, any development schedule will go out the window once school starts, and I'll be lucky to make ANY headway with the game. As a man of my word, I can guarantee that the full version will eventually be up, and it will be up at the soonest possible point.
Now, as for the change log for Alpha v2, I made the following improvements to the game:
- Added controller support. (See below for more information)
- Added a score mechanic.
- Added a set number of lives. A player starts with 2 and may obtain up to 6 extra lives as their score increases. If the player has no extra lives remaining and loses a ball, it will be Game Over.
- Added a level indicator.
- Added a pause feature.
- Added scaling difficulty. The ball will now increase in speed periodically when it collides with blocks. The silver blocks will affect the speed by a greater measure than the colored blocks. In addition, colliding with the upper wall will automatically set the speed of the ball to a new minimum if it hasn't reached that speed yet.
- Added items. (Note: Item effects have not been added to the Alpha version. Rather, it is currently an empty place holder in an effort to get feedback on item appearance rates.)
Controller support is extremely basic as befits an arcade game such as this. As with Mana Clash, it was designed utilizing a traditional NES controller to recapture the retro feel, and there is no way to re-map the buttons in game, so you will have to use your own button remapping software if you are using a different controller.
D-Pad: Controls movement.
Button 0: Fire the spell.
Button 3: Pauses the game.
Beta 1 will focus on item effects and rates. I plan to have several different effects that items will have on game play, and thus will need lots of time to properly implement and test each one. In addition to managing the items, I hope to implement roaming enemies and perhaps a new level, but that will depend solely upon the progress made in getting the items to work properly. As usual, please feel free to give me any constructive criticism you can so that I can continue to improve upon the game.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season! After a holiday break and a nice trip that left me pretty sick, I've put the finishing touches on Alpha 2. I just got back home late last night, so I'm in the process of catching up with every thing that I've missed here in New Jersey since I left. After I take care of that and I do a little recovery I plan on starting work on the Beta version of 8-Bit Dimension.
Unfortunately, I can't give an accurate prediction as to when that might be available. School starts again in roughly 2 weeks, as will my work on another project. I've allotted time to complete at least 25% of the necessary work for Beta 1 before my classes start again. As usual, if I find I have more free time than expected, some of that will be put towards expediting the work on Beta 1. Also, as was the case with the last two school semesters, any development schedule will go out the window once school starts, and I'll be lucky to make ANY headway with the game. As a man of my word, I can guarantee that the full version will eventually be up, and it will be up at the soonest possible point.
Now, as for the change log for Alpha v2, I made the following improvements to the game:
- Added controller support. (See below for more information)
- Added a score mechanic.
- Added a set number of lives. A player starts with 2 and may obtain up to 6 extra lives as their score increases. If the player has no extra lives remaining and loses a ball, it will be Game Over.
- Added a level indicator.
- Added a pause feature.
- Added scaling difficulty. The ball will now increase in speed periodically when it collides with blocks. The silver blocks will affect the speed by a greater measure than the colored blocks. In addition, colliding with the upper wall will automatically set the speed of the ball to a new minimum if it hasn't reached that speed yet.
- Added items. (Note: Item effects have not been added to the Alpha version. Rather, it is currently an empty place holder in an effort to get feedback on item appearance rates.)
Controller support is extremely basic as befits an arcade game such as this. As with Mana Clash, it was designed utilizing a traditional NES controller to recapture the retro feel, and there is no way to re-map the buttons in game, so you will have to use your own button remapping software if you are using a different controller.
D-Pad: Controls movement.
Button 0: Fire the spell.
Button 3: Pauses the game.
Beta 1 will focus on item effects and rates. I plan to have several different effects that items will have on game play, and thus will need lots of time to properly implement and test each one. In addition to managing the items, I hope to implement roaming enemies and perhaps a new level, but that will depend solely upon the progress made in getting the items to work properly. As usual, please feel free to give me any constructive criticism you can so that I can continue to improve upon the game.
Monday, December 24, 2012
8 Bit Dimension Alpha 1
The download for 8 Bit Dimension Alpha 1 can be found here.
In order to run the game, download and unzip the .rar file. Then, in the destination you unzipped it to, look for the "8BitDimension v.0.3.6.exe" file and simply double click it to run. Feel free to rename the file in order to make it easier to find, but do not remove it from the folder with the rest of the files. The .exe needs all of those other files in order to run properly.
Future releases will see the addition of controller support, score keeping, power-ups, enemies, scaling difficulty, and sound and a few other surprises I'd rather not spoil yet.
Enjoy!
What is 8 Bit Dimension?
8 Bit Dimension is a Break-Out! style game, where you are a character that has journeyed into the 8 Bit Realm of video games to find the cause of missing and corrupt data. Trapped in the seemingly random assortment of blocks are objects and characters from retro video games that must be saved by destroying the blocks of code that imprison them. With your trusty shield, advance through the levels, gain power ups, and save the games!Controls:
Left & Right Arrow Keys: Move the Shield back and forth to prevent your "debugging" spell from being destroyed.Misc. Notes:
This is a bare bones playable version of the game with two repeating levels. Lives are toggled off in this version in order to allow the player to test bugs without constantly getting Game Over. Currently, there is no pause ability or controller support. Expect them for Alpha v2!In order to run the game, download and unzip the .rar file. Then, in the destination you unzipped it to, look for the "8BitDimension v.0.3.6.exe" file and simply double click it to run. Feel free to rename the file in order to make it easier to find, but do not remove it from the folder with the rest of the files. The .exe needs all of those other files in order to run properly.
Future releases will see the addition of controller support, score keeping, power-ups, enemies, scaling difficulty, and sound and a few other surprises I'd rather not spoil yet.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Ring of Fire - Game Maker
And so, tomorrow will mark the end of my semester. It's been a tough journey, and it's not even over yet! I still have to somehow complete my final Flash project which is due tomorrow. Today was my final class for Game Design Theory and Culture and the one in which we all had to present our final project. I put a ton of work into my game, poured my heart and soul into it and... was unfortunately unable to finish it to my satisfaction.
If nothing else, from this project I learned that in the real world of development, you can't always put every thing you want into a game in order to meet the deadline. Think back on all of the games you've ever played, particularly those that fell short of your expectations. Was there ever a game that seemed like it had one REALLY good feature, that a lot of work went into, but the rest of the game was complete crap? Or perhaps a game that was visually stunning and the first hour or two is fun, but the rest of the game is copy/paste repeats only included to soak up time? These are the games I'm talking about. Games that, given Blizzard's development cycle (And not even then in some cases... ::cough::DiabloIII::cough::), could really shine and be amazing, but because of the demands of the industry, it just isn't possible.
So, even though my game may have been a failure in some respects, painfully so despite the fact I poured 20 hours or so working on it over the past two months, I cannot consider it a complete failure for the lessons I have learned along the way. Going forward, I will be keeping this in mind with all games I make. At home, programming at my leisure and keeping up with a development schedule I have lots of control over, I can afford to take time, focus on areas that may or may not be important, and release the game when ever I feel like it. I mean, 8-Bit Dimension is still in development hell (though I will be picking it back up after Christmas.) In the future, when I am working on projects that go beyond the realm of "hobby" I will have to weigh these factors and make sure I deliver a game that honors the expectations of my customers in addition to the work of the developers.
Regardless of how good or bad I think the game I made is, as promised, I will include a download link for all of you to try it. Although there are many shortcomings in this short game, the biggest was being unable to fully implement the battle system in time for my presentation. If I had literally 2 more hours to work on it I am positive I could have finished coding everything that needed to be done into an at least semi-playable state. I may go back and work on this some more in my free time to create a "Full Version" of the game, or I might just take the assets I used in making this game and program it outside of Game Maker. I'm still undecided at this point, but I'll let this project sit on the back burner until a time that I'm ready to give it more of my attention.
Please, feel free to let me know what you think. Much of the game is in an unfinished state, and there were many aspects I had to grossly simplify in order to get them to work on time for the final presentation. The download for the .exe can be found here.
That's all I have for now! Have a Merry Christmas everyone, be safe, and I look forward to sharing some very exciting news with you in the following weeks.
EDIT:
Something that completely escaped my mind when I posted this yesterday was to include the controls for my miniature game, so for those of you who may not have played it yet, here they are:
Arrow Keys: Move the Character.
Enter: Interact with People/Objects; Confirm
Backspace: Cancel
Spacebar: Open Menu
If nothing else, from this project I learned that in the real world of development, you can't always put every thing you want into a game in order to meet the deadline. Think back on all of the games you've ever played, particularly those that fell short of your expectations. Was there ever a game that seemed like it had one REALLY good feature, that a lot of work went into, but the rest of the game was complete crap? Or perhaps a game that was visually stunning and the first hour or two is fun, but the rest of the game is copy/paste repeats only included to soak up time? These are the games I'm talking about. Games that, given Blizzard's development cycle (And not even then in some cases... ::cough::DiabloIII::cough::), could really shine and be amazing, but because of the demands of the industry, it just isn't possible.
So, even though my game may have been a failure in some respects, painfully so despite the fact I poured 20 hours or so working on it over the past two months, I cannot consider it a complete failure for the lessons I have learned along the way. Going forward, I will be keeping this in mind with all games I make. At home, programming at my leisure and keeping up with a development schedule I have lots of control over, I can afford to take time, focus on areas that may or may not be important, and release the game when ever I feel like it. I mean, 8-Bit Dimension is still in development hell (though I will be picking it back up after Christmas.) In the future, when I am working on projects that go beyond the realm of "hobby" I will have to weigh these factors and make sure I deliver a game that honors the expectations of my customers in addition to the work of the developers.
Regardless of how good or bad I think the game I made is, as promised, I will include a download link for all of you to try it. Although there are many shortcomings in this short game, the biggest was being unable to fully implement the battle system in time for my presentation. If I had literally 2 more hours to work on it I am positive I could have finished coding everything that needed to be done into an at least semi-playable state. I may go back and work on this some more in my free time to create a "Full Version" of the game, or I might just take the assets I used in making this game and program it outside of Game Maker. I'm still undecided at this point, but I'll let this project sit on the back burner until a time that I'm ready to give it more of my attention.
Please, feel free to let me know what you think. Much of the game is in an unfinished state, and there were many aspects I had to grossly simplify in order to get them to work on time for the final presentation. The download for the .exe can be found here.
That's all I have for now! Have a Merry Christmas everyone, be safe, and I look forward to sharing some very exciting news with you in the following weeks.
EDIT:
Something that completely escaped my mind when I posted this yesterday was to include the controls for my miniature game, so for those of you who may not have played it yet, here they are:
Arrow Keys: Move the Character.
Enter: Interact with People/Objects; Confirm
Backspace: Cancel
Spacebar: Open Menu
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Introducing: The Heroes!
Small post again, as I'm knee deep in working on three games currently as well as a veritable mountain school work.
Production on my final project for Game Design Theory and Culture is officially underway, and full production will probably begin sometime next week after our next to last project is turned in. As I previously stated, this game will be a top-down RPG as a tribute to my favorite game series: Final Fantasy. That said, I'm starting to discover a few problems with working solely with the Gamemaker GUI especially in relation to an RPG and I've already had to jury rig a few things to get them to work and I'm barely even 1% of the way through development. Oh how I wish I was allowed to use RPGMaker or even scripts!
Back on topic, last time I showed you a few sprites for some enemies that will make an appearance in the game. This time, I present to you: The Heroes!
Zane is the main character of this RPG. Orphaned at a young age as all good JRPG characters were, Zane was raised by the military as a child soldier. The game starts off with his first real assignment. Unfortunately, you won't see the repercussions of said assignment because this RPG is due in a playable form by the end of December, so you will have to be left in an eternal cliffhanger!
Esuna is another Orphan and probably the only friend Zane has. (Oh! Tragic Past AND Friendless! The JRPG soup thickens!) Esuna is even younger than Zane and decides to tag along to help him in his quest because Orphans and Street Rats really have nothing better to do. My only question is, who let this little girl go on such a dangerous mission!? Esuna is a bit eccentric and peppy, showing off her glowing personality in her obscure and frankly weird sense of fashion. (HINT: It's the "prettiest" amalgamation of rags she could find.)
Mathieu is the third in our traditional party of four, and he is a young Ranger of Kent. Kent usually chooses a dark, Hunter green to represent itself, and so Mathieu wears an outfit sporting his nation's colors. It also doubles as camouflage! While older than Zane, Mathieu still isn't quite an adult meaning that the next character has to be our token older dude!
Meet Master Park. Aside from just stepping out of the 80's, Master Park is a Major in Kent's military meaning he's also known as Major Master Park. Notice the Hunter green ensemble. Unfortunately for Master Park, tragic things happen to him throughout the course of the story. Luckily for him, he gets off lucky as the game will end long before any "unfortunate" circumstances were to befall him. Good for you Master Park! So why isn't Zane wearing green armor if he's also a part of Kent's military? Well, for one, green plate armor is hard to come by and two, ::REDACTED FOR SPOILERS::.
So there's your motley band of heroes for the RPG I'm making. Next month I'll be posting up my final project for better or for worse for all of you to play around in. Until next time!
Production on my final project for Game Design Theory and Culture is officially underway, and full production will probably begin sometime next week after our next to last project is turned in. As I previously stated, this game will be a top-down RPG as a tribute to my favorite game series: Final Fantasy. That said, I'm starting to discover a few problems with working solely with the Gamemaker GUI especially in relation to an RPG and I've already had to jury rig a few things to get them to work and I'm barely even 1% of the way through development. Oh how I wish I was allowed to use RPGMaker or even scripts!
Back on topic, last time I showed you a few sprites for some enemies that will make an appearance in the game. This time, I present to you: The Heroes!
So there's your motley band of heroes for the RPG I'm making. Next month I'll be posting up my final project for better or for worse for all of you to play around in. Until next time!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Something Different
I know I promised an update earlier this month and apologies on the delay, but I have literally been buried under the weight of homework. I forgot just how much work you get in school, and now that I'm actually doing my homework, I see for the first time how insane it is. In any case, that's not the reason I am posting today...
Starting Monday, I'll begin production on my final project for Game Design and Theory, a full game created in Game Maker. Now, admittedly, I have never touched Game Maker. When I decided I wanted to dive in and learn programming in order to make games, I did give Game Maker some thought, but eventually decided against it because I wanted to learn the intricacies of making games from scratch and just what goes into it. After spending two classes with a tutorial that could have been condensed to a single class, I still find the "coding" part a little awkward, but I'm looking forward to using this for rapid game development.
After some thought, (admittedly, not much) I settled on making the type of game I've been wanting to make for a long time now - a top down, 2D RPG. I figured if I'm going to spend two months working on a project, it might as well be something I haven't done before to teach me something new. I'll be developing this game as a homage to Final Fantasy, and so while there may be some similarities, the end experience will be entirely unique. Luckily, I do have a few pictures of enemies that will make an appearance in the game to show you today:
This is your basic, level 1 Goblin. A staple of traditional 2D RPGs. What hero doesn't want to just run into hundreds of these pathetic creatures and kill them for equally pathetic experience points and gold?
And this would be the level 2 Goblin! While, yes, I will have some palette swaps, I am also attempting to make each sprite a little unique in it's own way. Not much more to say about these minions of evil.
Finally, we have the first boss, and major antagonist of my little RPG, Garrick, the Traitor. Story details will be revealed later, but the events surrounding this villain will reverberate throughout the entire story should I decide to expand upon it.
And that's all I have for now. I'll be going to Philly this weekend for mega-nerdom in the form of the Philadelphia Magic Grand Prix. Of course, I will provide updates on this and my other projects as more is available. Enjoy, and talk to you all again soon!
Starting Monday, I'll begin production on my final project for Game Design and Theory, a full game created in Game Maker. Now, admittedly, I have never touched Game Maker. When I decided I wanted to dive in and learn programming in order to make games, I did give Game Maker some thought, but eventually decided against it because I wanted to learn the intricacies of making games from scratch and just what goes into it. After spending two classes with a tutorial that could have been condensed to a single class, I still find the "coding" part a little awkward, but I'm looking forward to using this for rapid game development.
After some thought, (admittedly, not much) I settled on making the type of game I've been wanting to make for a long time now - a top down, 2D RPG. I figured if I'm going to spend two months working on a project, it might as well be something I haven't done before to teach me something new. I'll be developing this game as a homage to Final Fantasy, and so while there may be some similarities, the end experience will be entirely unique. Luckily, I do have a few pictures of enemies that will make an appearance in the game to show you today:
And that's all I have for now. I'll be going to Philly this weekend for mega-nerdom in the form of the Philadelphia Magic Grand Prix. Of course, I will provide updates on this and my other projects as more is available. Enjoy, and talk to you all again soon!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Work, work, work!
Sorry for the delay in posting up an update. I had a wonderful vacation this past week and found myself stranded 75 miles from home when my car broke down. Everything's been taken care of and I'm currently in the process of catching up with all the school work I missed.
Speaking of which, I should reiterate that progress on future releases is going to hit a brick wall. The work load with this semester of college is even heavier than I had originally anticipated, doubly so now that I'm rushing to catch up on all the work I missed. The good news being of course that I'm expanding my horizons and learning a new language in addition to getting formal education on another. This semester I'll be learning the nuances of both Flash and Java. I've already made games in Flash before, but Java excites me as it's a very popular language.
In addition to the above, I may have found just the guy to do sound for my game projects. Nothing's final yet, but when I find time to go into full production again, you can expect me to introduce you to him and belt out 8-Bit Dimension.
The number of downloads for Mana Clash have exceeded my expectations, and I hope those of you who have downloaded it enjoyed the game. One day I would love to find time to fix it up a little and add a few more features, but my focus at the moment is moving forward with new games. As always, I am always open to your feedback and take it into consideration with each release.
I wish I had more news for you, but with the school cram, sadly I haven't had time to make any progress worth noting! However, I will at least post up a screenshot of the pre-alpha build as it stands right now.
I'll catch up with all of you again next month unless I can find some time to belt out some code and get this game just a little closer to completion. Until then, take care of yourselves and enjoy what ever game currently occupies your platform of choice!
Speaking of which, I should reiterate that progress on future releases is going to hit a brick wall. The work load with this semester of college is even heavier than I had originally anticipated, doubly so now that I'm rushing to catch up on all the work I missed. The good news being of course that I'm expanding my horizons and learning a new language in addition to getting formal education on another. This semester I'll be learning the nuances of both Flash and Java. I've already made games in Flash before, but Java excites me as it's a very popular language.
In addition to the above, I may have found just the guy to do sound for my game projects. Nothing's final yet, but when I find time to go into full production again, you can expect me to introduce you to him and belt out 8-Bit Dimension.
The number of downloads for Mana Clash have exceeded my expectations, and I hope those of you who have downloaded it enjoyed the game. One day I would love to find time to fix it up a little and add a few more features, but my focus at the moment is moving forward with new games. As always, I am always open to your feedback and take it into consideration with each release.
I wish I had more news for you, but with the school cram, sadly I haven't had time to make any progress worth noting! However, I will at least post up a screenshot of the pre-alpha build as it stands right now.
I'll catch up with all of you again next month unless I can find some time to belt out some code and get this game just a little closer to completion. Until then, take care of yourselves and enjoy what ever game currently occupies your platform of choice!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Progress Report
Greetings everyone!
I hope you enjoyed the teaser to 8-Bit Dimension I posted up earlier this month. I've been hard at work getting the game primed and ready so all of you can download the early builds and take the game for a spin. Admittedly, I haven't been able to put as much work into the project as I had originally intended. Summer is winding down and I've been trying to spend as much time hanging out with friends and going places as I can before I get sucked back into the grind that is school.
Despite this, I have managed to sneak in some time to work on my current project, and I am happy to tell all of you that as of today, it is in a playable form. Unfortunately, I won't be releasing Alpha 1 just yet. I'm not satisfied with the game-play and want to tweak it a little bit before releasing it as well as add in a few more features to give the game some substance. In addition, classes start next week, and then I am going on vacation the following weekend, so my development time is going to take a severe hit in the coming months while I focus on my school work. I will continue to post updates on on the progress of the game as well as other little tid bits periodically, starting with when I get back from vacation in early September. Look for it!
While I won't be giving you a playable version of the game today, what I can do is tell you what you can expect with 8-Bit Dimension.
8-Bit Dimension is going to be a block breaking pong type game, much in the same vein as Breakout and Arkanoid. You'll have your standard fare of block puzzles, power ups, and enemies, but in a twisted 8-bit realm of forgotten icons trapped in a glitch. Your mission is simple: To traverse the game by destroying the blocky monoliths of games that lost themselves in this dimension until you find what's causing the disturbance and neutralize it.
Also, I'd like to take the time to say that the release schedule will be a little bit different this time around from Mana Clash. There will still be two Alphas, followed by two Betas, and then a release, but the releases will be a bit more staggered. The main reasoning behind this is rather than implementing a few ideas, then releasing the build for critique, I decided that I want the different versions to feel much different. This is also partly why I want to wait on releasing the initial Alpha, as I want the release schedule to smoothly transition into launch while encompassing a greater number of mile stones for each version.
That's all for today, but rest assured I will return with more news, and the latest version soon! Until then, enjoy what ever games you are currently occupied with!
I hope you enjoyed the teaser to 8-Bit Dimension I posted up earlier this month. I've been hard at work getting the game primed and ready so all of you can download the early builds and take the game for a spin. Admittedly, I haven't been able to put as much work into the project as I had originally intended. Summer is winding down and I've been trying to spend as much time hanging out with friends and going places as I can before I get sucked back into the grind that is school.
Despite this, I have managed to sneak in some time to work on my current project, and I am happy to tell all of you that as of today, it is in a playable form. Unfortunately, I won't be releasing Alpha 1 just yet. I'm not satisfied with the game-play and want to tweak it a little bit before releasing it as well as add in a few more features to give the game some substance. In addition, classes start next week, and then I am going on vacation the following weekend, so my development time is going to take a severe hit in the coming months while I focus on my school work. I will continue to post updates on on the progress of the game as well as other little tid bits periodically, starting with when I get back from vacation in early September. Look for it!
While I won't be giving you a playable version of the game today, what I can do is tell you what you can expect with 8-Bit Dimension.
8-Bit Dimension is going to be a block breaking pong type game, much in the same vein as Breakout and Arkanoid. You'll have your standard fare of block puzzles, power ups, and enemies, but in a twisted 8-bit realm of forgotten icons trapped in a glitch. Your mission is simple: To traverse the game by destroying the blocky monoliths of games that lost themselves in this dimension until you find what's causing the disturbance and neutralize it.
Also, I'd like to take the time to say that the release schedule will be a little bit different this time around from Mana Clash. There will still be two Alphas, followed by two Betas, and then a release, but the releases will be a bit more staggered. The main reasoning behind this is rather than implementing a few ideas, then releasing the build for critique, I decided that I want the different versions to feel much different. This is also partly why I want to wait on releasing the initial Alpha, as I want the release schedule to smoothly transition into launch while encompassing a greater number of mile stones for each version.
That's all for today, but rest assured I will return with more news, and the latest version soon! Until then, enjoy what ever games you are currently occupied with!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
8-Bit Dimension
1983 was a bad year to start a Video Game Company, just ask Gencom.
In 1983, a group of college students decided that they were going to get in on the video game madness sweeping the nation and formed their own company, Gencom. The plan was simple: Release a Breakout clone for the Vectrex. Fate, however, had a different plan. With the video game crash of 1983 and the Vectrex pulled off the market mere months later, Gencom found itself treading water in an unstable industry.
After a year of uncertainty with mounting debts, Gencom was prepared to shutter it's doors when news of the Nintendo Entertainment System reached the collective. Borrowing money from their parents, friends, and any one else who would invest in their dream they pushed to stay afloat and survive until they could launch a game on this new platform. By the end of the year Gencom had come mere inches from their goal before a lack of outside investor support sealed the deal.
Oh, but our story doesn't end here. In fact, it is just beginning! You see, by October Gencom had completed their game and sought money only for marketing and distribution. Investors still wary of the video game industry weren't willing to risk their money on another failed venture. Ironically, the NES went on to become one of the most popular gaming consoles of all time and nearly single-handedly revived the entire industry. After selling all of their assets to repay some of the debt, all that remained of Gencom was a single prototype cartridge for their game "Brick Busters." A prototype recently rediscovered and sold on ebay to a video game archivist, left rest in the halls of brothers it never had.
Brick Busters had a secret. A terrible, dark secret. For shortly after Brick Busters was admitted into the archive, the games around it slowly stopped working. After twenty-five years of bitter jealousy and hatred something in Brick Busters had been locked in stasis, never to face the thrill of battling a human opponent. Trapping portions of the other games within it's own, it seeks to destroy the very industry that had condemned the game so many years ago.
This is where you come in! We're developing a program to allow you passage into this realm, and we need you to free the other video games from this disturbance before it's too late! Are you ready to travel into the 8-Bit Dimension?
In 1983, a group of college students decided that they were going to get in on the video game madness sweeping the nation and formed their own company, Gencom. The plan was simple: Release a Breakout clone for the Vectrex. Fate, however, had a different plan. With the video game crash of 1983 and the Vectrex pulled off the market mere months later, Gencom found itself treading water in an unstable industry.
After a year of uncertainty with mounting debts, Gencom was prepared to shutter it's doors when news of the Nintendo Entertainment System reached the collective. Borrowing money from their parents, friends, and any one else who would invest in their dream they pushed to stay afloat and survive until they could launch a game on this new platform. By the end of the year Gencom had come mere inches from their goal before a lack of outside investor support sealed the deal.
Oh, but our story doesn't end here. In fact, it is just beginning! You see, by October Gencom had completed their game and sought money only for marketing and distribution. Investors still wary of the video game industry weren't willing to risk their money on another failed venture. Ironically, the NES went on to become one of the most popular gaming consoles of all time and nearly single-handedly revived the entire industry. After selling all of their assets to repay some of the debt, all that remained of Gencom was a single prototype cartridge for their game "Brick Busters." A prototype recently rediscovered and sold on ebay to a video game archivist, left rest in the halls of brothers it never had.
Brick Busters had a secret. A terrible, dark secret. For shortly after Brick Busters was admitted into the archive, the games around it slowly stopped working. After twenty-five years of bitter jealousy and hatred something in Brick Busters had been locked in stasis, never to face the thrill of battling a human opponent. Trapping portions of the other games within it's own, it seeks to destroy the very industry that had condemned the game so many years ago.
This is where you come in! We're developing a program to allow you passage into this realm, and we need you to free the other video games from this disturbance before it's too late! Are you ready to travel into the 8-Bit Dimension?
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Mana Clash Release!
The download for Mana Clash can be found here.
This is it! My first public release of a game I programmed from scratch! At this point in time I feel that Mana Clash is complete. There were a few other features I wanted to add, but they were all auxiliary and unnecessary. If there is demand for me to revisit this game and add some more features, I may. But for now I'm going to move onto working on my next game full force. (After a brief celebratory respite that is.)
Now, that being said, I tested this game very thoroughly for as many bugs as I could find and fixed them. I played through the final build four times from start to finish after trying to break areas of weak coding, and I had no issues in my play-throughs. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't some obscure bugs lurking somewhere in the program. If you find any, let me know! I probably won't fix any non-essential bugs right away, but they will be top priority if I release another version in the future.
So, what's different with release from Beta? I essentially "turned on" the game.
- Added additional fixes for controller support. I am 99% certain that I nailed any loose ends that could cause the program to crash.
- Fixed a few bugs which could glitch the game making progression impossible under certain, rare situations.
- Added level progression up to level 20. If you beat level 20, you will be given the option to re-play level 20 as many times as you like. Sad to say, there is no ending, so if you are that awesome at the game go ahead and see how many times you can beat round 20 before you lose.
- Modified the initial placement of blocks slightly. Now you should have no more than 2 of the same type of block next to each other.
In the future I will be giving Mana Clash it's own dedicated page linked from this blog, and I will need to look into a different online storage provider that can host Mana Clash beyond the 30 day limit that Rapid Share has. Suggestions would be very much appreciated!
I hope you enjoy the game I made! It was certainly a learning experience programming my first game from scratch. My next game is going to be another take on an arcade classic. I wish I could tell you more, but it's only in it's early stages, and I'm still in the process of looking for someone to do sound for it. Rest assured, however, that I will post news as soon as it's available here on the blog. Until next time, enjoy, and feel free to tell me what you think!
This is it! My first public release of a game I programmed from scratch! At this point in time I feel that Mana Clash is complete. There were a few other features I wanted to add, but they were all auxiliary and unnecessary. If there is demand for me to revisit this game and add some more features, I may. But for now I'm going to move onto working on my next game full force. (After a brief celebratory respite that is.)
Now, that being said, I tested this game very thoroughly for as many bugs as I could find and fixed them. I played through the final build four times from start to finish after trying to break areas of weak coding, and I had no issues in my play-throughs. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't some obscure bugs lurking somewhere in the program. If you find any, let me know! I probably won't fix any non-essential bugs right away, but they will be top priority if I release another version in the future.
So, what's different with release from Beta? I essentially "turned on" the game.
- Added additional fixes for controller support. I am 99% certain that I nailed any loose ends that could cause the program to crash.
- Fixed a few bugs which could glitch the game making progression impossible under certain, rare situations.
- Added level progression up to level 20. If you beat level 20, you will be given the option to re-play level 20 as many times as you like. Sad to say, there is no ending, so if you are that awesome at the game go ahead and see how many times you can beat round 20 before you lose.
- Modified the initial placement of blocks slightly. Now you should have no more than 2 of the same type of block next to each other.
In the future I will be giving Mana Clash it's own dedicated page linked from this blog, and I will need to look into a different online storage provider that can host Mana Clash beyond the 30 day limit that Rapid Share has. Suggestions would be very much appreciated!
I hope you enjoy the game I made! It was certainly a learning experience programming my first game from scratch. My next game is going to be another take on an arcade classic. I wish I could tell you more, but it's only in it's early stages, and I'm still in the process of looking for someone to do sound for it. Rest assured, however, that I will post news as soon as it's available here on the blog. Until next time, enjoy, and feel free to tell me what you think!
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