SyntaxBomb - Indie Coders

Quote from: Dabz on November 09, 2024, 07:25:53@Xerra

Well, I originally meant it to be a little tool I could use myself, but just decided to share it really. Like, it'll never be as good as say Ziggy's Blide, it will have it's shortcomings in regards to stuff, and the only promise really is that, if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for me.

I am all ears for suggestions, and if anyone finds bugs, and reports them, that'll be a big fat thank you from me, because as many developers know, "developer usage bias" is a terror because we tend not look at doing things "the wrong way" causing errors or crashes.

All in all at the minute, it pretty much is standing how I envisioned it, I've managed to get around a god awful bug of wxTextCtrls locking up becoming ineditable after first use. Next big thing I'll be doing is actually implementing live auto-complete. There is basic auto-complete and intellisense in at the minute for everything in the runtime, though I'm taking 3 weeks off at Christmas so that time will be invested in writing something that will auto-complete THE WORLD!!! 

Dabz

I sorta Like it. Kudos

QuoteI would like to do it myself but would need help on how to set out a template for the game and the general concept on how to get going with it.

i can help you to code / graph a simple prototype of this game, it is quite primitive.

but only the essentials components and functionalities, just so that you understand how to do it, and then you would have to add more details by yourself.

i can code in Blitz3d or Blitzmax+openb3d, but i code in a procedural imperative way, not oriented object way.

and we could create this prototype, open source, in a worklog so that others beginners can learn...

what do you think ?

Quote from: RemiD on November 09, 2024, 09:31:50

QuoteI would like to do it myself but would need help on how to set out a template for the game and the general concept on how to get going with it.

i can help you to code / graph a simple prototype of this game, it is quite primitive.

but only the essentials components and functionalities, just so that you understand how to do it, and then you would have to add more details by yourself.

i can code in Blitz3d or Blitzmax+openb3d, but i code in a procedural imperative way, not oriented object way.

and we could create this prototype, open source, in a worklog so that others beginners can learn...

what do you think ?

Quotei am and will be working on several games during the winter months, at my own pace

How could one not refuse an over like that! From someone like yourself.   It would have to be in Blitzmax and at my own pace. Slowly! Would be another Good winter Evenings project.

Ive many game ideas all Retro related

Im not too comfortable doing it as a tutorial though!

Kind Regards Baggey

Quote from: Baggey on November 09, 2024, 08:20:16@Xerra

It's Definately one id have a crack at Simple and engaging. But sadly i dont really know where to start with it.

I need to find some simple templates of games like this so i can get a feel for how you go about it. I mean the concept and structure.

I would like to keep it like the to the original but pixel perfect and tidy the graphics up a bit, As i like 8bit pixel art.

I would like to do it myself but would need help on how to set out a template for the game and the general concept on how to get going with it.

Anyone in to gameing who fancy's helping me find the mojo to have a stab at programming a game like this. It's one i would of done for the last game challenge. Ive learnt if you dont ask you dont get 

As Always Kindest Regards Baggey

RemID has already offered to help you with this, Baggey, and he's probably the best person to actually do so as both of you are using Blitz. I've only made games with Gamemaker for the last 8 years or so, which wouldn't be of any use to you at all.

However, I think you're looking at how to approach making a game for the first time the wrong way. When you're programming anything, a huge part of it is having a pretty good idea of what you're actually going to end up with way before you even do a line of code. Application programming is easier than games, I believe, by a long way because you're basically just developing something that's doing a specific task and doesn't need to take into account anything like random elements, look amazing, account for running at certain speeds, or doing anything unexpected to keep the user entertained.

Making a game is a lot different, though, because you're making it to entertain primarily, so it's got to be interesting, challenging, great to look at, have a learning curve, have a decent amount of content, sound good and all that other stuff that game makers have to contend with.

But, and this is the real important part, you don't have to do that in the beginning. Nobody ever makes brilliant games right from the off, and it's highly unlikely anyone will be showing their first few efforts to other people. In this case you probably would, but, as it's a first try at making a game, you're allowed to do the direct remake route, and literally just try to copy what you see. There's a good reason a lot of game developers in the early days just did conversion work, rather than coming up with their own games.

It's because it's actually easier. And this should actually be a piece of piss for you to do, as you don't have to think about any of the factors that used to be relevant back then, such as memory size, cpu power, screen size, graphics capability and so on. You're looking at converting a ZX81 game. One of the lowest spec computers ever released to the mass public, as it was one of the earliest. You've got no sound or colour here, all the graphics are character based and plain old ascii, and you're going to actually be restraining yourself putting all that game in there, as it's likely a 16k game that couldn't run very quick at all.

The best part is you're remaking, so you should aim for copying exactly what you see. The game design has been done for you - usually the hardest part.

So, how i would approach it is to look at the screen size of the ZX81 in characters, as you're using Ascii art. If you want to use custom graphics then maybe think about doing that at a later stage, and just remake the game as it looks for now. Polishing a game when you've already done the hard part is the best bit of game developing. You know you can stop when you think it's done at any time, and you don't have to worry about not getting it done because the game is already up and running. It's why I don't do stuff like title screens and other fluff until the core game is complete. It's also good for game jam deadlines as you always have time to just drop some nice effect if it's not working and the deadline is looming.

With modern monitors, you need to blow up the screen size , but retain the same char based movement for now on all the game elements, so I've found it worked best if you just multiply everything by *4. So, if your screen size is 320 * 200, then use 1280 * 800 and make your ascii graphics characters 4 times their original size. You can probably find a proper ZX81 font out there, which is likely to have a char size of 8*8, so make it 32*32, so everything is upscaled and you're not playing in a tiny window. You can also easily bump into full screen mode with Blitz without changing anything relating to screen sizes, so have an option for the visually impaired amongst us - like me.

Once you have screen mode and sizes for graphics all set up then just replicate the still parts of the screen and put in stuff like the score hud. Then you start with the game elements one by one. So, player control comes first. Put the player on screen and then match its speed with the player in the video. Next you do the alien at the top. Get that moving left and right, again the same speed as the video. Player shooting next, and try to make sure you don't have any more projectiles than in the video, and moving at the same speed.

And so on.

As you break it down into separate parts and replicate each one then the game starts to come together. You'll need to watch the video often to confirm certain parts. Like what's the ending condition for the game? A loss of all lives, or one of the tunnels fills up with V characters so you're over-run? Does it get harder every level - in which case it's probably just upping the speed of the projectiles from the alien, and allowing it to fire a few more.

All of the above is still just programming at the end of the day. Hopefully this should get you started.

To add to this, as you're keen for RemId to help you out, i'd recommend you both start a new worklog post and do all your back and forth in there. This way anyone else interested in what you're doing can have a browse, and also chip in with suggestions, if they can help. 

It's easier to decide to make a game than it is to make one. So this is your first step. Onwards ------>

QuoteThis way anyone else interested in what you're doing can have a browse, and also chip in with suggestions, if they can help.

yes i think this is a good idea so that this will be a project where those who want to participate can share ideas or concepts or code examples.

QuoteIt would have to be in Blitzmax and at my own pace. Slowly!

ok !

@Baggey >> don't be afraid that somebody will steal your code, nobody cares  ...

QuoteAs you break it down into separate parts and replicate each one then the game starts to come together.

exactly

what i propose is that we share code examples and graphics and sounds, in separate 'templates', which demonstrate how to do something, and then anybody can make his own version of the game depending on his tastes / ideas.

(i am also working on my own game, so i will participate a little each day)

i have not used blitzmax that much, but from what i remember it is very similar to blitzbasic, so this should be ok for me.

Still working on my game Sea Power which will be actually released into Early Access on 12th of November, so in 3 days.

After almost 6 years... It's time.

Hi xaron. Playing a little. I'm not. I just didn't want somebody to steal the medievaldreams domain. I genuinely wanted to code it. Not anymore.

Quote from: William on November 09, 2024, 22:59:50Hi xaron. Playing a little. I'm not. I just didn't want somebody to steal the medievaldreams domain. I genuinely wanted to code it. Not anymore.

Huh what? I'm not sure I can follow.

Quote from: Xaron on November 10, 2024, 11:05:09

Quote from: William on November 09, 2024, 22:59:50Hi xaron. Playing a little. I'm not. I just didn't want somebody to steal the medievaldreams domain. I genuinely wanted to code it. Not anymore.

Huh what? I'm not sure I can follow.

I play video games briefly maybe a couple hours a week. But I'm not developing one I began a project and recently renewed the domain I created for it however I can't anymore. I just cant. I'm screwed in life. I started it in 2022 because that stuff seemed really cool to me, the old realmcrafter. I still have urges to program sometimes but those fade. I'm such a failure in life. You're one person I remember from moparscape xaron.

William we can always be hard on ourselves (I certainly am on myself). You can't dwell on the negative too much though. The worst thing you can to right now is to work on a large project that will frustrate and demoralise you. Just work on a silly simple project and have a bit of fun with it.

Quote from: William on November 10, 2024, 19:26:40

Quote from: Xaron on November 10, 2024, 11:05:09

Quote from: William on November 09, 2024, 22:59:50Hi xaron. Playing a little. I'm not. I just didn't want somebody to steal the medievaldreams domain. I genuinely wanted to code it. Not anymore.

Huh what? I'm not sure I can follow.

I play video games briefly maybe a couple hours a week. But I'm not developing one I began a project and recently renewed the domain I created for it however I can't anymore. I just cant. I'm screwed in life. I started it in 2022 because that stuff seemed really cool to me, the old realmcrafter. I still have urges to program sometimes but those fade. I'm such a failure in life. You're one person I remember from moparscape xaron.

What Steve said is spot-on here, William. If something you've tried to make work just isn't then park it and do something else. Nobody can get it right all the time. You have no idea how much work I've parked in my time just because I lost interest, it got too complicated, I didn't feel it was working out, or I just got a new idea and moved onto that. I wish I had a bit more patience and commitment to just work through one thing at a time, but I ain't built like that.

Quote from: William on November 10, 2024, 19:26:40play video games briefly maybe a couple hours a week. But I'm not developing one I began a project and recently renewed the domain I created for it however I can't anymore. I just cant. I'm screwed in life. I started it in 2022 because that stuff seemed really cool to me, the old realmcrafter. I still have urges to program sometimes but those fade. I'm such a failure in life. You're one person I remember from moparscape xaron.

..do not be hard on to yourself dude..i do not think that you are failure in life..if you cant dance to some tune, it doesnt mean that you do not know about quality music, right? So, one step at the time, which is exactly speed that you need, not others..do it at your own pace and you will be juuust fine, not even remotely 'a failure'..

Quote from: William on November 10, 2024, 19:26:40

Quote from: Xaron on November 10, 2024, 11:05:09

Quote from: William on November 09, 2024, 22:59:50Hi xaron. Playing a little. I'm not. I just didn't want somebody to steal the medievaldreams domain. I genuinely wanted to code it. Not anymore.

Huh what? I'm not sure I can follow.

I play video games briefly maybe a couple hours a week. But I'm not developing one I began a project and recently renewed the domain I created for it however I can't anymore. I just cant. I'm screwed in life. I started it in 2022 because that stuff seemed really cool to me, the old realmcrafter. I still have urges to program sometimes but those fade. I'm such a failure in life. You're one person I remember from moparscape xaron.

I'll just put this here:-


We all get low at certain points, if you ask me, it's a natural human condition which is indeed inevitable in life. The main thing is, you've recognised it, so you can do something about it... Shake them shoulders, get that chin up and do something you've always wanted to do, go somewhere you've always wanted to go. Make a start in pulling yourself back up, noone else can do that for you... Burst that chain that's keeping you down!!!

Dabz

one little precision to what Dabz said :
if you try do be punched hard in the head like 'rocky' did, i am not sure that it will help to improve your mental clarity to be able to code / graph more efficiently 

i rather try to reduce my 'addictions' and do some intermittent fasting (eat less often in the day), and eat less harmful foods and more beneficial foods, drink less alcohol, consume less drugs, smoke less, breath more, sleep enough, do some sport to move your body and train your heart, do some breathing exercises and some meditation (to calm and focus the mind), listen to energizing music, feed your mind with inspiring stuff or funny stuff, all of this contributes to what is called 'energy' or 'motivation'.

and also organize your working environment in a way that there are less distractions. (to stay focused on your project).

and also have some discipline, you are not a little child.

as long as you are not dead or not too handicaped or not too sick, your situation / life can be improved. (if you want to).