Work diary

Drumpi · November 23, 2009, 04:59:41 PM

Hi everyone:

Now this forum is open to yours questions, answer and sugestions.
But please, don't reply THIS thread. This will be my work diary and will tell you how the project is, not day by day, but when i see true advances.

Today, i'm lazy mode. I slept bad and want to go bed and zzzzzzzz.
But i must work a little.
I'm doing the main character engine, the most boring and hard part of all the project. This may do the character move in any level, walking, jumping or firing, and must work perfectly. I'm basing on FenixLand engine, but i'm triying to make it simple (this time, the character have a height of 1 tile, against 2 of the "sonic" of FL) and fixing the hide-in-the-walls feature (prota walks until the center of graphic rises the side-top of tile).
But is truly complex because i forgot half code. I'm thinking to do a direct port of the engine, adapted to 1 tile height, but i musn't.

So... maybe i need to rest a little today and works seriously tomorrow. If i do this engine and works correctly, the next step is to make levels, graphics and some effects. Meanwhile, i must write the script and do some drawings of secondary characters, like the best friend of... (i don't know how to call the main character), and the bad guys.

Drumpi · November 26, 2009, 06:30:33 PM

Hi again:

Well, today is a tipical "good news, bad news".
The bad is... maybe i haven't time enough to finish this game properly. I must finish another project in February, maybe June, so make an adventure-platforms game will be very difficult.
But don't panic, i'm thinking to do a spin-off game based only in platforms and shooting, forgetting all related to a story (make an script, secondary characters, dialogs, extra animations...). I prefer to make a complete action game than a first part of an unfinished adventure game (because the second part maybe will be 1&2 part). Cave Story is more an action game than an adventure, but i will try (if i have time and all graphics finished).

The good part is... the main character engine go very good. Finally i find my "notebook" of FenixLand, and has a diagram about the "tiled-hardness engine" (motor de durezas tileadas), so i can adapt the source code from one to another.
No, is not a copy/paste, i must re-write most part of it, because FL uses a 2-tile-heighted character, and Doggy!!! main character is only 1 tile height, and must stop him before he reaches walls (in FL only stops when center of graphic reaches it).
Today i have the half of all this code, when i finish it, i will have a totally operational character, walking in any level i can do (and can launch a demo): it will walk, it will fall, it will jump... i will not fire, but give me some time.

Windgate · November 26, 2009, 08:11:14 PM

Just take part in the contest, the project must be a KISS (Keep it simple stupid) or none of us will finish it... Everybody know how difficult is finish a project totally... Me the first xD

Drumpi · November 28, 2009, 06:40:24 PM

And me, and me. I've got around 7 non finished projects ;D

Today i see tiles everywhere. The "tiled-hadrness engine" is almost over, now i need to move my character inside his own tile. But then i must match with bugs, with LOTS of bugs. I don't know how the character will go on, i HOPE it walks along the level OK, or i will become crazy.
No, i havn't new screenshots.

But i think i get a good name for

What about "Echo"?

Drumpi · November 30, 2009, 12:35:38 AM

Ok, today i re-wrote all the engine. It was a nightmare, but not too hard after all.
When i finished, i tried it, and said to myself:
"What a piece of junk!!!!"
Echo through the floor, the walls... awful!!!! So, i take a breathe and sart thinking. So i get FL code again and i start copying code line by line. When i get a few of them, i tried again and, abra cadabra! Echo works fine.
But it's not over, last lines i didn't have in mind some new features to this engine and Echo do some strange movements. I must polish it some more, because sometimes walks in the air, climb ramps in one step...
I hope i get it in two days, or i will copy line by line the FL engine whit minor changes and that's all. In tuesday i must been working in levels, graphics and weapons. Get good levels it's a hard work, even if i get some years of experience.

Drumpi · December 03, 2009, 06:56:49 PM

Oh yeah!! Echo can walk, Echo can hit the walls, Echo can clib ramps, Echo can fall (in love? maybe, but not this game ;D), Echo can jump... sometimes.
Yes, there is a rare bug that prevents jump half times.
But the rest of movement is working fine. I copied almost all code of FL, and added a lot. With this aditions, Echo stops before through the walls, and don't fall untill it walk over the edge.

It's not the final movement engine, he can jump if climb a ramp at full speed like a car, so i will take this engine for future vehicles, and changing some lines y can do a full walking engine.
But, before it, i must solve the jump issue.

Drumpi · December 04, 2009, 05:17:54 PM

Today, i must do an auto-owned.
It's so embrassing that the issue who stopped me last two days (well, half day, i've been programming other things) was a FAIL. What was it? a simple double frame in Echo process, that's all.
Well, is solved, now Echo runs at sonic speed (;D) so i must stop him a little (or change game type to a Sonic's platform game). If i slow him a little and delete jump function, i've got the Echo's bike. Not planed, but a good idea (some of this ideas works on 60% times, and improve the game). Maybe i can add an helicopter or something like.

Well, it's time to polish movement to Echo, add weapons and ¡start pixelating!

Drumpi · December 08, 2009, 02:33:59 AM

Hello, guys:
Maybe you are expecting some screenshots, because other projects are showing them.
Well, there is not screenshots... for now.
Do you know when you think you finally over coding, and then you see something goes wrong, and must code again to fix it? that was my last days. Motorbike runs good, and jumps a little, but it was throwing some walls and ceilings, and i was testing it when i had time. I can't do walking mode until i fix all this stuff with walls, floors and ceilings, because i must use the same code.

If you wanna heard some good news, i think i FINALLY fix all and works fine. I don't know if Echo will be able to climb ladders, but this is a few lines of extra code. Now i must re-write some lines, because when Echo runs off a ramp, he must'n jump (they're a few lines... if there is'n any other bug waiting for me).
So, then finally will show you some screenshots... but i only have got a testing level, with no graphics (just red squares and triangles).

Oh, almost forgot! _-Caleb-_ is helping me with music. He wants to do it, so i'm grateful. Now he has the main theme almost over (i thing it's a good main theme), but you can't hear it for now ;D

I hope i will be able to finish Doggy!!! before new year's eve: from 1st to 6th i will be busy.

Drumpi · December 10, 2009, 11:55:25 PM

Wow, three days without new news.

OK, let's be serious. No, i haven't nothing to see, screenshots are useless, and make a demo will show my cards, so i'm triying to stop myself (i've got an hype attack easily).
Maybe i can show something lite of playability, but not today.

Now i'm still in main engine, it must be PERFECT, because a game with bad playability is not a good game (playability is 40% of the game). What i got untill now? well, Echo moves very very well: walk, jump, fall... i made some simple animations, but with this graphics style, they are almost finals sprites. I can play the test level pretty well, and i hope you enjoy it.

But today i code a lot: i give Echo a gun, very simple, just one shot for every button press. The shoot througs walls, yes, is a test, but he can shoot in all 4 directions, aiming them. It's a big step, because adding new weapons is easy... if i can design them, i don't want to do the same as Cave Story.
I must do new animation frames, because the weapon adition, and fix the old ones adding control points. There are some things i must add: shoot levels, or finish the shoots code. Tomorrow i will do them, and, if i can, test interaction with some enemies.

The next step is make a real testing level, with enemies, jumps and all, and give to my musician (i told before is better to not show nothing until last day, maybe some screenshots of a level when i get the final graphics).

Drumpi · December 15, 2009, 04:13:21 AM

Hello, guys:

I'm in a half-hype mode, because i finished coding three hours ago (for today).
I made some of the new frames of animations, and add control points. Also i made the "hardness" detection for shoots.
But also, i made a simple function for any process that need "hardness" detection as Echo, and believe me, almost ALL the sprites need it. I was debugging it a little, because it did some ugly "teletransportations". There are some little bugs, but nothing serious.
Also, i made a little engine to put enemies on levels (or items). It's a provisional one, but if i'm lucky, it will be the last one. Now i get a simple enemy floating around here, it's a flying-thing who can through the walls (is not a bug, some enemies, in some games, can through walls), and (this is the big one) can dead with some shoots, and leave some weapon exp-points, and if you collect it, you can upgrade it (yes, like "Cave Story"). It's a pleasure see how died enemies one after all, every time in less shoots.
But this item is not a fixed one: it moves and BOUNCE using the "hardness detection engine".

But i'm not finished, i need to do some more items, and a random generator. I must do the explosion animation, start hurting Echo and make some enemies.
Finally, i got an script to the game. Very simple, because is a shotting game. And some ideas about the levels ambientation. My musician has started his work, so design time is almost here.

Drumpi · December 16, 2009, 02:45:41 AM

Just a simple update.
I did some test in my gp2x... no, i don't have a WIZ, i'm talking about the ORIGINAL GP2X (F100). Well, the game works PERFECT at 200MHz. There is a little zone of my test where fps drop to half speed, but we are talking about a medium tile rate, 15 enemies and lots of shots. Overclocking it to 240MHz and activating RAM timings puts fps around 35/50 fps.
15 enemies at same will be rare in this game... but not imposible (i don't know exactly what can i do or not until i made a level). But you don't have to worry: WIZ goes at 550MHz so this game will fit perfectly in your handhelds, and can overclock to 780MHz without danger.

If i can play in my gp2x (and sure i will make it possible) you can play in wiz... or in a PIII PC, if you still have one of them ;D

Drumpi · December 18, 2009, 01:56:11 AM

I'm very excited, very very excited:

Don't worry about you, i'm saying i'm excited because mi first test of Doggy!!! with a REAL level.
Yes, today and yesterday i was making some tiles. I'm not a grafist (i'm very bad with pixels) so it takes me some more time than normal. And was cleaning code, deleting test lines (i was forcing to load levels directly) and doing real code.
Today i make the first part of first level, building platforms, and then, using all tiles i made.

AND YES, IT WORKS!!!! and the level sees better than i expect. I must do more tiles, i need to decorate it better (its very simple, but i'm using almost 43 tiles).
The bad part is I must code some more the engine. Some ramps make Echo bounce uncontrollably... you can walk, but you can't jump. And there is a hard to find bug that makes Echo some teleporting near the walls. There wasn't a problem before, because the test level was wide, but now i make some narrow tunnels and some jumps are a matter of luck, nothing killer, but irritating.

But it works, that's the important part. Now i need to code some enemies, and put a few items, also, i must do the interface (you must see Echo's life and weapon exp). I put a screenshot soon (i hope it doesn't break any rule).

Drumpi · December 22, 2009, 02:47:19 AM

Merry Christmast!!!! or also...

This days are crazy. I don't have any time to code, because all people call me to help them (they are in holydays, not me... well, you know).
I code as fast as i can, and the best as i could. I fixed some bugs on the engine, yes, ramps aren't a problem anymore, and i detected some other troubles, they're solved, but i must fix another one.
So, there isn't any special: i made the interface (very simple, but functionally) and now i can see how weapon-exp goes up and down (and rise levels). I put an explosion animation for shoots impact an was coding some enemies: i made a little soldier, it can watch (and shoot), rest, and follow a path while patrol (it's nice to see them "alive"), but still not follow Echo.
Making a decent IA for enemies take me more time than i expect. And i'm using the same "hardness detection engine" than Echo, it's saving me a lot of time. Maybe i may made some patterns, instead of enemies, and change his graphics and energy for every level.

Today i was REALLY busy, so I only enlarge the first level a little (from 100x20 tiles to 250x20, 25-33% of the level). Tomorrow i will made some more, and must complete two enemies IA.

I must not forget to say that my musician has done the first music of a level, it's amazing, i hope you can enjoy it while you kill dozens of... aham ;D

josebita · December 23, 2009, 01:49:51 AM

Great news!
Let's hope to see a screenshot soon! :)

Drumpi · December 26, 2009, 02:23:17 AM

Wow, i'm soooooooo very tired. It's late, but i'm here to report.

Finally, i made the AI of the more complex enemy in the game, but he's not so clever to find a path to you, just go straight to you, and, if there is an obstacle, he jumps it.
Also, i was making a randomizer funtion to generate items before enemy dies, but i don't like... and i'm tired to think about it.
And made the level more longer, now it takes about 2 minutes to get the right border in an speed-play. I hope adding the enemies, it takes about 4 minutes. I will put them in strategic places to make you to take another path, or take a round.

Now i must do Echo can receive damage, and prepare everything to make "events" in the level (final bosses and other surprises), and, of course, make some more enemies.
I'm thinking to changue the levels order, in this first level there is a lot of enemies, and a lot of shots, and very few places to explore. I did some tiles for another level and i think the enemies will be more weak... or i can do more places to explore and get some upgrades.

But there is much more to do, i don't know if i could make 3 levels at least: now i've got 5 days remaining, very few time.