SyntaxBomb - Indie Coders

Wow this is an awesome entry! Can't wait to play it! Very nice graphics.

Quote from: STEVIE G on September 08, 2021, 23:43:26
Hold the button to rotate towards 75 degs down, release to rotate towards 75 degs up.  You can speed up by releasing and pressing within a certain time. If you're going fast enough when you breach the water you'll get a boost. Changing direction is done by hitting the rocks at certain angles - think of it like an Olympic swimmer turning at the end of a length. Its all quite intuitive when you get used to it (I think).

Yeah - think too that it is kind of "natural". Rotation happens via the fins - and similar to Adams racer (or other games) the default is one direction and the button press is "the other direction".

Rapid button hits then are like "paddling" with the fins (so "accelerating").



Hunger: to get into predator mode is something "bad" ? so there must be some "good" fish in the pond you might better not eat (your good old friends from "fish school" ).


Regarding "air bubbles" - they could make you "move up" faster (similar to the Super Mario underwater-tubes). A waterfall could make you move down faster.
Chemicals or "frog slime" could make you move slower in that area ("sticky") - or could act like a "fog" and make it more difficult to see something.
Frogfish + night -> could look nice too.


bye
Ron

Deleted - video was shite quality!

Sorry mate, that video looks like shite.  The previous video looked good, as did the screenshots.  Maybe just screen shots and gameplay updates?  I think we get the gist - and it's looking like a good entry as always.   

Quote from: Steve Elliott on September 13, 2021, 17:59:46
Sorry mate, that video looks like shite.  The previous video looked good, as did the screenshots.  Maybe just screen shots and gameplay updates?  I think we get the gist - and it's looking like a good entry as always.   

Agreed it does so removed.

I think we get the gist?! Seriously!  I'm not sure why posting another video of something which took fecking ages to do and I'm pretty pleased with would be an issue.  This is MY worklog so I'll continue to post exactly what I like ta.

Wow, you posted a shite quality video which you agreed with me was shite and so removed it.

I was just saying your other stuff looked good and I can see it's gonna be another great entry.  I'm sorry the video took a while to produce.

Quote from: Steve Elliott on September 13, 2021, 19:36:47
Wow, you posted a shite quality video which you agreed with me was shite and so removed it.

I was just saying your other stuff looked good and I can see it's gonna be another great entry.  I'm sorry the video took a while to produce.

Clearly the work that the video showed took ages, not the video. Something must've gone awry during the conversion process. I'll fix it and post again when done.  My response was not to that point, more with how I perceived your tone.  Let's just leave it there.

Seriously?!  What the fuck is wrong with people here over the last couple of months?

No tone at all, just giving you complements and I think I can see where you're going with it, it's looking good.

I think I'll leave it there too.  Good luck with all the entries.

Quote from: Steve Elliott on September 13, 2021, 17:59:46
Sorry mate, that video looks like shite.  The previous video looked good, as did the screenshots.  Maybe just screen shots and gameplay updates?  I think we get the gist - and it's looking like a good entry as always.   

I understood this a bit "non-polite" too. You might not have meant it that way - but the mix of "shite" + "maybe just screen shots" might have lead to this. You explained already that you did not mean it that way ... so yeah, let some grass grow over it and everything is fine again.


@ video
was it of odd encoding quality? Maybe you linked the video before Youtube offered the "hd" version and you had an odd 240p video or so.


@Stevie
Can you elaborate what you added (albeit video not shown) ? Assume physics stuff can be ... difficult. Are you using a physics library or doing all the grunt work on your own?


bye
Ron

Quote from: Derron on September 14, 2021, 07:23:41

Quote from: Steve Elliott on September 13, 2021, 17:59:46
Sorry mate, that video looks like shite.  The previous video looked good, as did the screenshots.  Maybe just screen shots and gameplay updates?  I think we get the gist - and it's looking like a good entry as always.   

I understood this a bit "non-polite" too. You might not have meant it that way - but the mix of "shite" + "maybe just screen shots" might have lead to this. You explained already that you did not mean it that way ... so yeah, let some grass grow over it and everything is fine again.


@ video
was it of odd encoding quality? Maybe you linked the video before Youtube offered the "hd" version and you had an odd 240p video or so.


@Stevie
Can you elaborate what you added (albeit video not shown) ? Assume physics stuff can be ... difficult. Are you using a physics library or doing all the grunt work on your own?


bye
Ron

Not sure what went wrong with video but ill sort it later.  The main additions were changing the camera to perspective rather than orthogonal so that I could have a parallax view. This took ages fiddling with zooms and ranges to get the foreground looking like ortho. Now I can have objects moving in front and behind background scenery which makes the scene look more alive. I also added a couple of new fish which take a while to rig and design, especially the big one!  The video also showed a new mechanic relating to pipes. Some generate a mild current which mainly impacts the lighter fish, some have a plug which can be removed to increase or decrease the water level and one is your level exit. These will also be used as spawn points to top up the fish stock.

The physics engine is all my own - originally developed 15 years ago but improved and expanded on for this game.

pipes + plug. Wonderful idea! Similar to "wheels" to open/close ... always like such "game mechanics" as it even allows for logic puzzles etc.


@ camera
fiddled with such stuff in Blender years ago too ... trying to have an orthogonal camera but also the "depth" effect of the perspective one. So some stuff needed "depth" while I wanted to have other objects rendered "orthogonal" - eg the player sprites (as "prerendered").



so what I did was to reduce the perspective (focal length) until it was still visible but the pre-rendered persons did not look "off" when moving along the floors.



Ok ... but why do you need a perspective camera for parallax? Parallax means shifting of the "background". I assume you just want the parallax effect to be "automatic" (just by the actual "distance"). But can't you simply fake it: move right = move background "layers" to the left - and the more "backwards", the less movement?

Judging your initial screenshot looks everything should be "plain" (without much "depth") so a classic "console sidescroller parallax layer movement" should suit well?



@ pipes etc
Hmm predator clams which open / close?
But yeah ... think a light radiating frogfish could still be a nice visual effect (once your game is done and there is some spare time left).


bye
Ron

Quote from: Derron on September 14, 2021, 09:02:15
pipes + plug. Wonderful idea! Similar to "wheels" to open/close ... always like such "game mechanics" as it even allows for logic puzzles etc.


@ camera
fiddled with such stuff in Blender years ago too ... trying to have an orthogonal camera but also the "depth" effect of the perspective one. So some stuff needed "depth" while I wanted to have other objects rendered "orthogonal" - eg the player sprites (as "prerendered").



so what I did was to reduce the perspective (focal length) until it was still visible but the pre-rendered persons did not look "off" when moving along the floors.



Ok ... but why do you need a perspective camera for parallax? Parallax means shifting of the "background". I assume you just want the parallax effect to be "automatic" (just by the actual "distance"). But can't you simply fake it: move right = move background "layers" to the left - and the more "backwards", the less movement?

Judging your initial screenshot looks everything should be "plain" (without much "depth") so a classic "console sidescroller parallax layer movement" should suit well?



@ pipes etc
Hmm predator clams which open / close?
But yeah ... think a light radiating frogfish could still be a nice visual effect (once your game is done and there is some spare time left).


bye
Ron

Re camera, I know i could fake it on ortho with scaling and whatnot but why bother when perspective can handle everything automatically. I wanted the pipes to be fully 3d but almost everything else is effectively 2d in 3d. That's not to say I couldn't add a sunken 3d ship into the background.if I have time. What I can do is show future levels in the distance though which is a nice touch.

Re plugs, yeah, basically you have to grab a chain and force the plug out. The rising / lowering water level allows me to have places you can't reach or forces you to speed up if your stuck with a predator in a small pool. I had to add a new variable for curiosity. Hunger overrides everything but when you are not hungry you can grab onto other items until your curiosity depletes. It can take a while to shift that cork. Hunger now shows by flashing the meter and your teeth start going like the clappers. 

A couple of screenshot show you this mix of layers and 3d and the plug and a big fish menacing in the background.

http://www.steviegoodwin.plus.com/images/Super%20Grouper/SG_04.png

http://www.steviegoodwin.plus.com/images/Super%20Grouper/SG_05.png

Clams opening/closing with pearls (powerup) are on the to do. Not sure what you mean by frogfish? I have a Dunkleosteus 

Somehow dict.cc translated the angler fish (Anglerfisch in German) as frogfish to me...

Talking about such a one:



@ 3d pipes
think this looks OK and not too much different from the "plain 2d"-style of the other objects.


bye
Ron

Quote from: Derron on September 14, 2021, 12:43:47
Somehow dict.cc translated the angler fish (Anglerfisch in German) as frogfish to me...

Talking about such a one:



@ 3d pipes
think this looks OK and not too much different from the "plain 2d"-style of the other objects.


bye
Ron

Yip, nice menacing fish there. The pipe effect is simplistic but works and fits in with the minimalist style I think. Fish in the distance can collide with the pipe too. Looks much nicer in motion, hence the video. I'll get around to redoing that eventually.

Progress update

Made a simple landscape editor, landmasses are built via points and tesselated using an ear clip technique. Each level has 10 layers, 5 which I can create a separate landmass for, the rest random.  Realised that level geometry needs to be simple otherwise it gets tricky to manoover. Also, max land size will be limited otherwise you'll get lost!

All particles working.  Bought some water based sounds. I'm going with no soundtrack,  more a soundscape with the odd scary loop when something is close. Found a way to alter sounds to make them appear underwater which will mean everything sounds more muffled when underwater. We'll see how that pans out when  I get into implementing.

Hud elements finished. Wanted a more circular look to the health and hunger bars. The number represents the eggs left to collect.

You now end a level by getting sucked through a pipe. Smaller fish and detritus can get sucked in too which is nice.

Made a start on the menu system. If I can get that out of the way I can then focus on levels, enemies and Ai.

Lots to do and running out of time ... 


http://www.steviegoodwin.plus.com/images/Super%20Grouper/SG_06.png

http://www.steviegoodwin.plus.com/images/Super%20Grouper/SG_07.png