Work diary (the after contest chapters)

[Drumpi]

Hello again:

I'm back to code, but with a very less speed, because i'm working on my last project for university ^^U
Once the contest has finished, i have time to add all things i can't before, and solve some bugs that are found:

-Add unlockable content.
-Add third level.
-Add the image of... (spoiler).
-Pause menu don't activate if you push button too fast in game starting.
-Control shot sound of enemies on second level.
-Fix joypad use on PC
-Think something to watch Echo through walls in secret ways.
-Animate the begining of events, with boss name and other stuff.
-(Maybe) shortening the dead secuence.
-Add configuration menu.
-Add an arrow if you can grab an item.
-Fix bat fly.

SOLVED:
- (RELEASED) Kill "obsolete" enemies process in event 3.1.
- (RELEASED) Grab items zone made wider.
- (RELEASED) Solve a problem with pause: if you can't control Echo, neither pause menu.
- (RELEASED) Solved a random crash in event 1-1.
- (RELEASED) Put a door at the end of first screen to avoid pass to next without getting Blue Star.
- (RELEASED) Put a wall on the start of 3rd screen of first level, and second level, to avoid Echo falls for try to return to previous level.
- (RELEASED) Add savegame.
- (RELEASED) Add arrows on start menu to indicate that it is a menu.
- (RELEASED) The dragon body moves when you hit it a lot.
- (RELEASED) Shortening the life of the bosses, by popular demand.
- (RELEASED) When big cannon is destroyed, it follows the screen until dissapear.
- (RELEASED) Added name and mail to main screen.
- (RELEASED) Get sword sounds.

Looks like there is a lot of thigs to do, but i will going one by one, slowly, and when i solved some of them, i will release a new revision. The firsts ones will be minor changes and more demanded stuff, letting the third level or unlockable content to the end.
If you find another bug or have another suggestion, write it here. If it's possible, i will add to list.
If i solve one of then, i will move to "solved" list, and if it was on the last release, i will add "(released)" on the begining of line, so you will know when a problen was solved.

[Drumpi]

Well, today I worked a little on the game.
This third prize has left me with mixed feelings. It's an honor get the third place with a very hard competition, but, what am I going to do with WIZ accesories without a WIZ? ;D

Ok, let's go to worklog.
Today I was a little tired of the main project, so I think in code a little of Echo. So, first, I solved a little bug with first boss on second level. Is not a but at all, only i forgot to kill all enemies around when event starts. Now, enemies shots don't will disturb again when we are killing some... well, you will see.
But one of most demanded stuff i must add was savegame: Echo it's finally too long to beat in one try (i don't really thing so, look some GameGear games, or SNES' Jurassic Park :D :D :D).
Yeah, i was working on it. Now i can save and load games, but only for debuggin purposses. It means that I don't still do a select file menu, it only works on those places I mark, with the files I want, and loading one of them, when I need.

Menu is not difficult, just must get the menus that i did before, and change it a little to allow use graphics instead text to select file, so those graphics must be generated in real time, and it's the most laborious part. With it, and the previous made engine, it's done.

[Drumpi]

Another day, but was a busy day.
I was solving some troubles with other people's PC, and getting ready for a trip tomorrow, so i'm going to vanish one day.
But i work a little: now i got the select file menu, for saving and loading, with all graphics. So i got the auto-save function at 80%. I must put it in main menu, I can save games in one of 6 slots, selected before playing, but I still can't load. It will be a little difficult, because a "cancel" option i must put. Actual menu don't allow it.
Don't worry, i will do it.

I need to add an in game advice, but it's a very simple process.

So, tomorrow i'm not going to do anything. The next day maybe i can get something to show, but if i must solve more bugs, it will take some more time.

[josebita]

It's really nice to see your project improve. Congrats for your third place in the contest and thanks for not letting your project die!

[Windgate]

A very important step is having a first finished and stable version... Now you can improve it, with minor changes, just improves, sounds good.

I have been always improving skills with Bennu/Bennu3D but I have not finished a full project yet... But I'm on it now, with Bennu3D :D

Good luck

[Drumpi]

Thanks for the greetings (I hope it means what I want, my english is not very good ^^U).

I want to complete the list above, for a REALLY 1.0 version, and solving more bugs not listed. Now i'm having troubles detecting files on new "save" folder, but if it works, i will upload a debug version for testing while I'm doing other things.
Save functions are one of the big ones on list (the other is third level, of course), and maybe it forces me to change the actual "game" process to a "play_level" process. It will help with some other things, but "game" process it's a complex process to change :S

Well, i'm on it... when I have time: these days i was traveling and fixing a TDT ^^U

[Drumpi]

Ok, here i am again.

I got a trouble from two days ago with save-game function. I think I was having a bug or something detecting the save files. It tooks me lot of time to know the real working of FILE_EXISTS function and find another testing save-file hidden in my main directory.
So, save function works. It save at the end of every screen of first level, and the beginning of second. I must add a notification graph, but it's a moment.
It has two troubles: it don't show the level intro ("episode 1..." etc) if you load your game, and it can't save a checkpoint on second. Do you think it needs it? (please, tell me).

Well, i did the items grab zone wider, now it have 12 pixels instead 6 before. I hope you don't have troubles getting items anymore.
I fix the pause bug that prevent selects options if Echo was "freezed" (for example, in boss intros).
More: now you cannot go to level 1-2 without Blue Star, you need it to open a door, because if you go to this level without that gun, you cannot complete this screen (and cannot back to previous screen).
Another bug fixed: some random crash on 1-3 boss, Ghyppo. I got this crash once time ago, but it don't happens again, so i think it was a random bug or so. But with last fixes, it happened always, so i found it and kill him.
And a last fix: i put some walls on level 1-3 and 2-1 to prevents falls in the out left of level.

Yes, these days were a productive days, but most of those bugs were easy to fix. I found some bugs more, so i added them to list. If you think there are more, please, tell me (in spanish, if you prefer, i'm writing in english to follow the rules).


Oh, almost forgot: someone complain on main screen of game, so if there is a graphic editor on the room, i will listen any sugestions (yes, Echo walking on screen was referred).

[Drumpi]

Almost forgot 2: Momia, i was watching the key process to fix it for use keyboard and gamepad. For now, i made possible to use both on PC, but since i will got the configuration menu working, I can't do too much with it. If you watch it, it's too difficult because GP2X/WIZ joy got 8 buttons DPAD, and others only have 4 buttons DPAD. I hope i can do something with it.

[Drumpi]

2 DAYS REMAINING:

Uh? wath the...?
;D Just joking. I said I will release a little version this sunday, so it's 2 days remaining, but now i'm must not hurry up.
The list above is long, but i mustn't complete all... and i'm adding new bugs to it every day. But let's rock'n'roll.

I just take a little time to code. You must remember i'm doing something more important.
I finished the save/load function, i missed to add an advice graph, so here it is. It's a simple graph, but as i said before: simple but functional (I still need a graphist).

But there are more things i did today: i added arrows on main menu, now you will know when you have an option to right or left. Also, I streched the options regions and add more speed to moving graphs, so menu is more dinamic (also, i add my e-mail in the bottom ;D). I'm thinking to add a scroll background, with a few layers, emulating mode7 effect (or adding a mode 7 directly) like on Sonics ;D
I fix the second boss trouble, it returns to his initial position when it's several hitting. Solved a bug with big cannons on second level. And I lowered Ghyppo (first boss) energy from 1000 to 600 (I don't like it, i kill him in 3 minutes before change). the rest of bosses arent so difficult, all their attacks are easy to avoid, so it's a matter of time to finish them, more than be a ultra-hardcore-gamer.

OK. The rest of features pending are too big for made in one day, or little stetic changes, so i don't know if i will do something until sunday. Maybe i will work on configuration menu, but i don't know how to do it. I mean i don't know about design, i can code it easily ^^U
Or maybe i will work on sword SFX, it still don't have a sound effect, and it's the best weapon on game.

Sugestions are welcome ;)

[Drumpi]

As i said yesterday, i don't do anything today. I work today on my project.
But I can't get this worklog empty, so I grab my microphone an record some sound effects, and aplied them some effects, so we have now SFX for sword. They're pretty good... but level 3 don't sound as i like, hmmm.

So, i played all second level again (i don't know why, but when i start testing I can't stop untill the end). I played testing leaf blade on all level and all enemies felt to my feet... until i arrived on Big Boss.
When i tested him, I had ALL weapons at FULL POWER, and boss was a walk to the park... but today I arrived with Blue Star almost complete, Leaf Blade at full and Green Cat completely empty, and I saw what you see: big boss have 2000 LIFE POINTS, just 5 minutes of Blue Star at full power... but 20 in my current state :S even I lost a live ^^U
So, I cut his life to half. It will make a little harder from begining (difficulty of boss depends on his healt) but it will be shorter to beat.
But be carefull!! this boss is still very dangerous, so if you want to be success on eradicate the alien menace, get all weapons at full power (I said ALL WEAPONS) and grab all life items you can find, you will need.

Happy hunting.