Greetings folks,
I started work on a game for the game competition which will be called 'Star Scavengers'.
Basic title screen put together (this may change of course) - it's meant to be scratchy and scribbly....to fit with the name of 'star scavengers'
http://www.mattiesgames.com/starscavengers/ (http://www.mattiesgames.com/starscavengers/)
Code written so far: (rest of my framework that I've written is already available)
http://www.mattiesgames.com/starscavengers/gamedataonline.js (http://www.mattiesgames.com/starscavengers/gamedataonline.js)
Gameplay:
Outfit a squad of space scavengers with equipment, navigate through mazelike space hulks and fight enemy while collecting artefacts and credits to upgrade your space scavengers with better equipment.
Each scavenger has unique stats, name and appearance, and gains experience/rank etc. When one or more of them die you get given new fresh green recruits and have to build them up again......
title page screenshot if you don't want to follow the link:
This will be another web game....
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fstarscavengerstitle.jpg&hash=a8d9cd83abeb012b443ace4a578e8341b8466b55)
You've done all this within 7hrs of the comp posting? :o
Looking forward to seeing a super duper maze based game if you are working at this rate 8)
*EDIT* I'm still thinking if I have time to enter and have not even pressed one key or clicked the mouse in regards to the comp :P
Qube...it's easy...."I have no life" - that's how I do it.. ha ha ha
Mission briefing.
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss1.jpg&hash=a2cf8a3d36aaf7d958c8aeb7f5ae9409d1ba3f20)
Beginning of 'squad gear store' area built....graphics are mostly placeholder currently....
The avatars for the scavengers are head and body with multiple heads and multiple bodies to build in uniqueness and add an rpg style element to the game.
The game will have different items purchaseable which either add to stats or perform functions in the maze area.
The maze area won't be turned based - I've decided it will be real time - with single clicks to control your scavengers.
Click - to walk..it will be grid based, for the purposes of path finding, but it will transition smoothly from cell to cell.
The most time consuming part of the coding will be the 'battle maze' section - as expected - but at this stage I'm doing all the preliminary work first.
So the next step to do is to build all the different elements that can be purchased...make sure they swap in and out of the inventory successfully and then once that is done to build the maze component.
I have code for building maze like dungeons that will come in handy for this feature - it is a carve routine.
Basically it works as follows:
Place a connected path through the maze in a well defined shape - such as an O or a D or something to start with.
Then pick cells and if a cell has a certain number of adjacent empty cells neighbouring (3 or 4) then carve out a hole on a random chance and keep doing this until a certain number of cells have been cleared.
(placeholder gui for now)
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss2.jpg&hash=4852f8148beb628c61448819c903b1e982a11fc1)
And the backdrop;
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fsquadbase2.jpg&hash=06a75342cbf84f55bbfcb5710f07aa206d4e1429)
Beginnings of the mazelike environment:
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss4.jpg&hash=af9d9a84172ee823f26e3d2a7311c3f284319615)
Star Scavengers Outline / Dev Log
Basic idea of gameplay:
Explore, fight and search for items in a maze and collect 'credits' and other things.
Interact with elements in the maze.
Purchase new gear and upgrade your squad.
'Game To Do'
Interface.
Click on ground to move-need pathfinding.
Click on object to interact (if in right position eg next to door, line of sight of monster)
Visual displays of health should be near the avatars.
Information not needed close at hand:
Stats other than health.
Equipment.
Name.
If mouse over squad member then display detailed stats in corner at half size of squad store/purchase screen
Basically a reduced size inventory and stats layout-transparent too.
Info to display on avatar itself:
Health
Console at base of screen to display text-actions performed-last 4 or 5. (as in a an rpg)
Game is real-time step based. Real time in the way baldurs gate was. (ie it plays in rounds with discrete actions but appears
on the surface to be real time)
Not arcade.
Bar at top of screen to display:
Credits (current)
Oxygen level / time remaining (basically a time limit per level)
Artefacts found and how many remain to be found
Level ends when all artefacts found or oxygen ends or avatars are all dead.
Oxygen just a time limit. (not gameover)
Mission brief: change later.
Interact things:
Doors. Open when touch and next to.
Enemies...shoot when clicked in los.
Gas/radiation clouds test v fortitude d20 + 5 to see if injured.
Basically roll d20 and score under fort + 5 to avoid injury.
Only draw visible tiles within x squares of avatar. Ones at edge are half brightness. Maybe. Simple lighting technique
for speed.
Other things to interact with:
???computers???switches???
Interacting with a computer is like ingesting a potion in a roguelike-unknown results:
1.open all doors.
2.play music-attract monsters.
3.show map to artefact with path.
4.remove all gas clouds.
5.give more oxygen (useful)
....
Need a tutorial especially on each screen:advisor on/off-tells player instructions.
Wow, that's some real quick progress you've made there :o - Looks promising 8)
I have an idea for a game but today I got as far as putting a cube into Cheetah3D before urgent work pilled in. So great progress from my side :P
Yes, seems to progress pretty quick. Too quick? Maybe Matty get's unrecognized help by the one refilling his refrigerator and opening his doors - a ghostly developer!
Seriously: keep up the pace and we should be able to have 2 weeks full of "polishing ideas" to make it look way cooler.
@ drawn sprites
The benefit of drawing with a drawing tablet on the computer is: you can get of the white background pretty easily. Another option would be to try out some plugins - I am sure there exist some which are able to set the white outside as "transparent" (including a little feather at the borders) or even are able to set the border-nearly-white-pixels to "nearly transparent" (like photoshop&co. when you select hair...)
bye
Ron
Thanks for the comments. Much appreciated. Yes polishing will get done later. Just need to keep the scope small enough to manage to have a couple of weeks at the end.
Added in the following so far:
Path finding.
Basic lighting
Health Bar
Console Text Box
Mini Inventory/Stats on Screen
Oxygen Meter
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss5.jpg&hash=e81f4954d8c444a4d34c9691efd772b4517310e9)
Before work this morning:
New backdrop for 'terminal' interface (when accessing computer terminals in the level)
New buttons for 'terminal' interface
Start of code for terminal interface.
Note - at a terminal the user can do the following:
Buy more oxygen
Buy more equipment
Review the map (with details shown on it)
Exit the terminal
There are now computer terminals around the map that you buy more oxygen, buy more equipment, look at the map and so on.
Time to add 'credits and artefacts'....
Then time to add 'gas clouds/radiation clouds'
...and then time to add enemies....and bullets/effects
Terminal
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss6.jpg&hash=91db74bdafdea2071e7e4ab7a5d4278200945591)
Map
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss7.jpg&hash=514c899a414d1ea425104eeb4d7e35e2c37181f9)
Terminal Background
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fterminal.jpg&hash=b0093448e165eec70ff13e86628ceeaf8ae04d3f)
Gas clouds (and they work too!)
Rebreather and/or life support devices improve your probability of not being damaged by gas clouds.
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss8.jpg&hash=d577bf5e3ce3ff32f4768d10adb2dfca2d934ded)
ZOMBIES!!!!
BANG!BANG!BANG!
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss9.jpg&hash=2373752944181f6c5e8834b4ac039cbe6b6b709c)
Added:
Credits
Artefacts
Experience
Gameover/mission over conditions
Splat icon on zombies
Exploding gaseous zombies
Mission end screen (see image)
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss10.jpg&hash=a8747495002d6f22e8920942b975882e9b1870ae)
To do:
To do.
Chatter (back and forth)
Help (officer and console)
Redo newgame buttons and screen.
Redo mission brief buttons (3)
No skip. No credits. Difficulty influences tough zombie probability.
Redo buy equip and back buttons
Alter hulk text
Redo ground and wall tiles maybe.
Set start credits
Do level up button.
Some updated images (improved/added bits and pieces)
Idle Chatter now exists between squad members
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fs11.jpg&hash=dc7942a4f336f635a718071988644a8819e7b53b)
Improved interface design
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fs12.jpg&hash=c8638e6c0fc14aaf428d22b55df4b308f358cb61)
Improved interface design
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fs13.jpg&hash=0e454385099e33107b63acfbffb0543f8cbd77cd)
A variety of the last set of actions have been completed.....(on the to do list)
Example maze layout....
Two generation programs for generating mazes used (combined)
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss14.jpg&hash=2fe4d78074d0e8ed32eced7ab8d08d03f60ab41a)
First method applied:
1. Carve out a room, carve out two corridors in different directions from the room, place another room at the end and repeat to a certain depth.
Second method applied:
2. Randomly select grid cells that have an adjacent 'empty cell' and carve them out as well until the number of grid cells carved equals a certain proportion of the remaining cells.
Definitely like what I'm seeing.
Heres a few thought for you to mull over:
1. Large meandering mazes tend to not be as fun to 'play'. think smaller with landmarks so you always have a sense of place.
2. we're on a ship/whatever. but the play space is just a big square. maybe suggest looking at FTL or Spacehulk to get a general idea of layout, etc
3. Logic. spaceships have logic. so engines will be (probably) at the back, there will be holds, crew quarters, flight deck, etc.
That would give you some basic tasks: clear the bugs out of engineering. block up the airlock, etc :)
Thank you Adam, those are good points - the first one especially...for the purposes of this game the other two are 'less of a significant issue' but the first one is....
(the reason the second and third are less of an issue is because although it's a ship it's intended to be more like 'space junk/installations' that have floated together and formed a large mess of corridors and mazes...rather than a specific craft with engines, command, crew, mess hall etc etc...
But the first point is good. I need to perhaps revisit how I design the maze and either place more obvious 'landmarks' around the maze so that it doesn't look too 'samey' and identical everywhere...I could make it smaller, although perhaps rather than doing that I could perhaps simply change the tiles to different appearances throughout the maze .. although will think on this for some time.
On another note;
I've added doors (automatic doors that open and close, they block line of sight for shooting)
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss15.jpg&hash=215962ba1207d3d8468eca269e94803cff733ef6)
All looking great :)
Are you moving in cells or smooth movement between cells?
I'm using smooth movement between cells and need to do extra hit testing...
Currently moving in cells.
Your game looks pretty nice too:gameplay looks great.
Thanks Matty. It's an interesting concept - sort of a roguelike but with enemies that have pre-defined routes.
I think that if any game can still be played by the author and beaten by the AI then that is a good place to be. But it must have the 'fun' factor too.
New enemies...
Second tier enemies....
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss17.jpg&hash=5530b7641ca0bc31f6446b019c79d7839646b453)
Think Diablo - as you progressed in skill/level the nature of the enemies changed to increase the difficulty with your character's increasing level.
In this case the two new enemies are the
Dark Gunner
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fdarkgunner.png&hash=b52a53d3638865d5e04477235f9689e3aa29d595)
and the Dark Knight
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fdarkknight.png&hash=034411ee674d235ad065d72439a040e518a459d7)
One of them has a ranged attack - both are more deadly than the earlier zombies but are still killable.
Once the player's team averages at or over level 2 (all Veteran or higher status (start at Green)) then these units become the norm.
My thoughts are that once the rank then proeeds to averaging at or over 4 then the third tier will become available which will be creatures that can shoot with magic (merely need clear path but not line of sight) and also there will be some who are more powerful and faster in melee.....
At the same time - now that I've developed tier 2 monsters I need to start working on more second tier equipment.
Been playing game on my new samsung tablet for a few days.
It's good to test with and I'm enjoying it.
The current squad has levelled up over several days play and is useful for testing the tiers of enemies.
2nd tier is excellent.
Oh progress is saved so you can continue later after every battle that you survive and every time you purchase equipment outside the level (since you can also purchase and equip items in level at pcs)
Attached is a picture of my current squad (surprisingly they're all girls even though gender is 50 50 random)
I've just managed to purchase an autocannon for my most experienced squad member.
Great looking unique graphical style you have going on with this one :) - Look forward to playing the final game.
New Units (Tier 3 and Tier 4 monsters: )
Alien Race 'Gnaki' Flamer Units and Dual Blade Units
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fgnakiflamer.png&hash=b06dfd48fbd73aadd4e403df6ad4092fc2abca41)
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Fgnakiwarrior.png&hash=d1b1de04dd7dd3823345ab412c48c06aa16892cf)
The flamer sets squares on fire (you need 'fortitude' bonuses to avoid damage - life support/rebreathers etc)
Psionic Race the 'Illuminos'
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Filluminos.png&hash=40a07f227fded8c96aea0e766d1ef0cea1765e4a)
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fstarscavengers%2Fmedia%2Filluminos2.png&hash=0074f8e80b2818335736aa677d100d9e9647b6ed)
The psionic attacks leave clouds of psionic energy on the map which are dangerous to enter (need fortitude bonuses again)
Also there's now background ambient sound in the level itself
Fire
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss18.jpg&hash=9438a8da10f2106472fcae261be7607d0506a95f)
Psionic Clouds
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss19.jpg&hash=ea6140b43e41f3c281ca65f3d8ee03d4e1f0539a)
Added:
Ambient space interior sound effects ($40AUD cost) (60 second looping track of interior 'hum' sounds plus the odd 'glitchy' sound here and there within.
Enhanced:
'map loop' optimised:
1. one for loop of 10,000 iterations removed (checking the entire map for something built into another method)
2. another for loop of 10,000 iterations replaced with a for loop of between 5 and 20 iterations.
'maze generator fixed':
1. Sometimes the maze generator would generate broken maps (huge swathes of empty rooms) - I've hopefully prevented this form recurring.
'weapons and equipment added'
extra equipment and another weapon added.
'final victory' added when players reach a combined experience total of 'n'
.....on a related note: I'm having ideas of doing a party based rpg sort of thingy (start in a town, investigate dungeon, buy equipment) using this 'engine' - it would need minimal modification...but after the competition when this game is finished.
As it currently plays....on my website:
http://www.mattiesgames.com/games.html (http://www.mattiesgames.com/games.html)
Instructions and or tutorial added.
(https://www.syntaxbomb.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmattiesgames.com%2Fgfx%2Fss20.jpg&hash=58fd4eeffc0e5af57f07fc92c52cb574875ef528)