Dev Blog #16: Running and Falling

Hello, folks! Time for another weekend update on the status of my #1GAM endeavors! This week I have some new info to bring you about my June 2016 game, Star Fall! Check it out!

The gameplay programming is broadly done, and you have the ability to guide your avatar left and right, and to catch the stars that randomly fall in your net. You gain score, which is displayed in the upper-right-hand corner. Here's a (rather primitive) screenshot:

Fancy lookin, huh? :P

You earn points by catching stars, and the rate at which the stars fall increases slowly over time. Also, instead of flying off-screen when they reach the edge, the stars bounce back towards the center. I'm thinking of making them do something similar if they hit your player character, but not your net.

As you can see, the graphics are obviously lacking, but that's because my guest artist is still working on the art, so I haven't even tried to put my pitiful programmer 'art' in the game :) Yep, it's just plane ol' squares on black backgrounds so far ;)

This game has a bit of a different design goal than my previous #1GAM entries. Firstly (and most obviously), the artwork is the primary focus of the whole project. Secondly, though, I decided to make this game purposely easier than my previous games. I may have ramped up the difficulty a bit too much recently (Keyro, Torso Ninja II) , and I don't want to fall in the trap of making games that only have content in the form of discouragingly hard challenges. Make no mistake: you CAN lose in Star Fall, but hopefully repeated loss will not be the default mode of this game :)

That about does for the time being. See you next week, hopefully with some finalized art for me to show off :D

Dev Blog #14: Almost Done!

Hi! How's everyone's week been? I've had a pretty good one, not the least because I made a ton of progress on my next #1GAM game, Torso Ninja II! It's very nearly done at this point, and I'm aiming to release it this coming Tuesday (the last day of the month, in fact). Here's a sampling of what I've gotten done this week!

First and foremost, the main menu has been improved significantly. It now looks halfway presentable :)
 

Yay! Main menu!

Next, I also completed the backgrounds for all three of the levels, and got all the music, level transitions, and game over screens working.
 

Level 1: The Forest

Level 2: The Plains

Level 3: The Castle

 
Many, many other, more minor things were completed this week, as well. This has been a very productive week. Good thing too! I'm running out of time! :)

That about does it for now, ladies and germs. As I said, I fully expect to release this game on Tuesday, so you'll be hearing from me pretty soon!

See you then!   

Dev Blog #13: Getting There!

Hi, everybody! Believe it or not, I'm on time for a dev blog this week! Woo! I've gotten a good bit done on TN2 this past week, and I've even begun finalizing the bullet patterns that will appear in the actual game. Check it out!

The main thing I've completed this week is the HUD and the ability to drop smoke bombs. This is an integral new feature that allows you to become invincible for a few seconds and escape a dangerous situation. Take a look!

The HUD, complete with score, bombs, and lives.

A smoke bomb is used. You can't tell in this image, but Torso Ninja is blinking.

I've also completed a skeletal version of the main menu (allowing you to start the game, and not much else) and put in some of the first patterns. Here's the second set of screenshots:

Bare-bones title screen. I promise this is definitely not final!

Early pattern. I'm thinking the bullets might be a bit too small...

So there you have it! One on-time dev blog, for your consumption! I'm running out of time on Torso Ninja 2 at this point, but even if it doesn't look like I'm nearing completion (because I've saved the graphics for last), its coming along nicely. I'll continue to be on time for this month's #1GAM, I'm almost certain :)

See you later!

Dev Blog #10: Announcing Torso Ninja II!

HELLLLLLOOOOOO!

I'm back again folks, and this time I have some exciting news! For my next #1GAM game, I'll be revisiting one of my older games. That's right, I'm making a sequel to Torso Ninja! Hold on to your hats!

Torso Ninja II's logo, of which I am actually quite proud :)

Torso Ninja was my first #1GAM game, and it was (in my opinion) a pretty choppy affair. I made it in a hurry and the only goal I had was to publicly release it, so its a very small, only mildly amusing game. Nonetheless, it is far and away my most popular game, both among my friends and family, and with the internet at large (it actually has more plays on Game Jolt than all my other games combined).

I feel like I've come a long way as a game developer since last December (when I released the original Torso Ninja), and I want to prove that by reviving this game and making it as awesome as I can. So here's the plan! :)

The gimmick of Torso Ninja is that its a bullet-hell shooter where you can't shoot back; you can only dodge. I feel like this is a pretty solid concept, as, having played a few danmaku/curtain fire/bullet-hell type games myself, it seems like the vast majority of the gameplay centers around dodging anyway, with firing back as only a sub-component. The main focus of development on Torso Ninja II, therefor, will be on making dodging both fun and challenging. I have a few ideas, but you'll have to wait a bit to hear about them :)

Lastly, before I go, I think it bears mentioning exactly how I'm gonna make this game. I originally planned to make Torso Ninja II in Construct Classic, but I kept running into snags with getting a test version of a bullet pattern up and running. I was attempting to use Construct's built-in Python scripting support, but the main problem was not having any way to index specific instances of any of the game objects, which made dozens of bullets firing in all different directions at once pretty much impossible. Unfortunately, I ended up simply giving up on Construct and deciding to make the game in Python with Pygame (the same as the original Torso Ninja). It might slow development somewhat, but with Pygame I'll have all the direct control I need to make this game a reality :)

Adios, until next time!

Dev Blog #8: Announcing Keyro!

Hey, hi, how ya doin'? Hopefully you folks have been having a pretty good week! I've been busy with, among (many) other things, the artwork and code for my next #1GAM game. I've got pictures this time! And, what's more, this project now has a name! I'm pleased to introduce: Keyro - Arena Lockdown!

I hope you like terribly forced puns in your video game titles.

In this game, as I mentioned before, you must run through a vertical maze of spiked walls that scroll against you, and try to escape the deathtrap. Keys feature prominently in the game (hence the title), as sometimes your progress will be impeded by a locked door and you must have a key to open it.

Much of the artwork is in a very primitive state, so I'm gonna hold off on showing screen shots for the time being. I will, however, showcase a pair of very simple sprites that make up much of what you actually see in game:

This is your intrepid hero, who looks somewhat like a viking.

And this is an evil integrated circuit... Naw, its just a spike wall :P

I have had quite a time making this game so far, and progress has been very slow. This is entirely due to the fact that I'm learning and re-learning javscript at the same time as making the game. I've yet to succeed in one of these endeavors wherein I attempt to learn a language by making a game in it, but this time will break that losing streak! :)

That's about all I have for the moment. See you later on!

Dev Blog #6: Plitka Powers

Hey, everyone! I'm back again, this time with a little bit of information regarding my upcoming #1GAM game, Plitka! I've completed most of the necessary artwork and implemented a lot of the basic gameplay already, so look for a release much sooner in the month than my previous #1GAM offerings.

There are five different colors of plitka available (blue, red, green, cyan, and yellow). You must match up four blocks of identical colors, either horizontally or vertically, to clear them, thus earning points and keeping you in the game. Here are a few select screenshots from the in-progress version:

Plitkas fall from the sky, and you manipulate them with your
highlight arrow.

 

You use the highlight arrow to move the plitkas left and right.
A second arrow for moving them up and down will be in the final version.

As you can see, it can get out of hand...

Plitka is actually based on a game that I made when I was younger (also called Plitka), with
much simpler gameplay. That game was one of the first I ever completed to the point of it being genuinely "playable." Unfortunately, the original Plitka was lost when my old laptop gave up the ghost. This new version is something of a tribute to that earlier idea of mine.

The rest of the game should come together pretty quickly. Keep a look out for the release!

See you next time!

Dev Blog #4: Doin' Time

Howdy howdy howdy! Time for another exciting developer blog from yours truly! This has been a pretty cool week for Cargo, as I've finally implemented what I knew from the start would be the trickiest core feature: Police chases! That's right, now you can lead the cops on an exciting chase down the highway! And that's not even the only thing I've accomplished this week...

The first batch of screenshots I'm sharing is an overview of the saving and loading screens. Cargo uses a simple save file system. You have three save files to choose from:

The save menu, accessible from the end-of-day menu.

And the load menu, accessible from the main menu.

Incidentally, this is the aforementioned main menu, in
all its huge-titled glory.

The next few shots show some details about police cars and their behavior. It took a lot of fine-tuning to get the cop cars to perform at the level I wanted them to. Probably no other feature in the game took more time to get up and running, hence the punny title of this week's blog.

Here we see a police car, relaxing in its natural habitat. Notice
the "legality" icon at the top-center of the screen.

You'll never take me alive!!!

Or, you know, maybe you will...

I've made a lot more progress as well, but that's about all I want to reveal at the moment. Not much stands in the way of this game being rolled out, aside from some assets (the game still woefully lacks music and sound) and final touches. The next dev blog is due in a week, and I may or may not already have the game released before then!

I'm gonna take an aside here and actually talk about this blog for a moment, since these thoughts have been on my mind and have no doubt influenced my development process (see, I'm still on topic!). I started this blog as part of my New Year's resolution to become a "real" game developer, since I reasoned that if someone out there read about my games and was expecting me to actually complete them, it would give me more incentive and focus. It is still quite early on in the year, but I'm pleased to say that my plan has worked well thus far. I've been a coder for a while, and I've made little (usually unfinished) games for five years now. I can honestly say that I've learned and grown more as a developer in the last two months than I ever have before.

This blog and my other social media outlets have taken me out of my comfort zone. I'm actually a very introverted person, but my ultimate dream is to be a game designer, indie or otherwise, professional or otherwise. I'll probably never become a hotshot developer, but I can at least say now that I'm a "real" developer: I have a game out there that you can play, and another on the way. I'm not in it looking to make a fortune, but I do want to be the best game developer I can be. Making games makes me happy, and part of making games is trying to get people to actually play them. You have to talk and be visible as well as code, draw, and write, no matter who you are, and I've realized that over the last few months.

I also realize that I'm rambling a bit. :) All I'm trying to say is, if you're a potential game developer, don't hide in your shell like I did for half a decade. Make something! Put it out there! Make something else! Talk about it! And do it because you love it!

So long! See you next week, or maybe before!!

Dev Blog #3: A Lack of Productivity

Hello everyone, I'm back again for my weekly developer blog! This week I don't have very much to report. Progress on the Cargo has slowed somewhat, thanks in large part to the Spring semester beginning for me this past week. Classes eat up a lot of my time, and what's more, I actually have a job on-campus, which leaves me with still fewer free hours.

But enough with the excuses! Since you're here reading this, you must be chomping at the bit to hear more about Cargo, right? Of course you are! So let me get right into it!

As I said, limited progress has been made this week. One of the main successes I've had is implementing the upgrade screen. It currently is missing much of it's text, but at least it is displaying.

I find the rich purple hue to be nice and relaxing after a long
day of barreling down the highway.

Most of the text is not there yet.

The other main thing to show is the fact that cars now leave behind a wreckage sprite when they've been crashed. This comes as part of a large series of tweaks to car behavior. The random traffic you encounter on the road should seem significantly more intelligent than before, especially in the thru-lane.

 

A grizzly scene...

That about does it for the progress I've made this week. I've been kinda slacking, I know, but the good news is that next week should allow me quite a bit more time to get things done with the game. Hopefully by the next dev blog, I've have the police cars (an integral feature) implemented!

Fare thee well, for now!

Dev Blog #2: Map-making

Hey folks, I'm back with another update on the status of my current work-in-progress game, Cargo! This has been a pretty eventful week for the development of the game. I've implemented several important features and learned a lot about Construct Classic in the process. So, without further ado, here's what has happened since last we spoke!

First, the external map is now up and running. You can now see information about possible destinations and choose where to travel to from this screen.

The green pinpoint indicates your current location.

The tooltip that appears when highlighting a location.

Who's up for a trip to Disney World?

Second, significant changes have been made to the UI. The current design is temporary and for testing purposes, but it displays nearly all the information that will be necessary for the final version (a time counter has yet to be implemented, but its not going to take long to complete).

Condition, fuel, distance to go, and money meters have all been
added to the UI.

That mysterious pickup will give you money. Who woulda thunk it? :)

Finally!

Lastly, several tweaks and changes to the game logic and organization have been made, thanks to my ever-increasing fluency with Construct (I like to think I've gone from a lost, floundering novice to a somewhat wiser, floundering novice). I really like this tool, and despite its quirks, I hope to use it for other things in the future. I also might make a few tutorials for Construct Classic to pass on some of the things I learn, since it seems like free training for the engine is comparatively scarce.

Development is still on track, and I hope to have the last two hurdles (the upgrade screen and the police chase mechanic) done pretty soon. Stay tuned for more info! :)

Dev Blog #1: Announcing Cargo!

Today, I'm pleased to announce some details regarding my next game for #1GAM: Cargo!

Cargo is a game about skill, resource management, and blatant disregard for posted speed limits. You are a trucker out on the open road trying to make a buck (or, you know, a million), and you must use every tool at your disposal to achieve your goal! Drive fast and weave madly through traffic, collect money for a job well done, and upgrade your rig to increase performance and profit! But watch out: The police are out and about, and they're always ready to chase a trouble-making trucker like yourself!



I've been developing this game for the past few days using the Construct Classic game engine by Scirra, which is available for free on SourceForge. Its been a while since I've used a game making tool like this, but I'm pleased to say that Construct is pretty intuitive.

The simple drag-and-drop general interface of Construct Classic.

I've made quite a bit of progress thus far, and have the controls, traffic and pickups, truck condition, MPH, relative world speed, and scrolling background up and running. The art is mostly still in a placeholder state, though I'm happy with the way the general traffic cars and the roads look.

 

Please ignore the hideous placeholder grass art.

At the rate at which development is going, I'm hoping that I can include most of the features I have in mind by the time of the due date. Here are a few more screenshots to help get you excited for this game!

Condition meter tracks the damage done to your truck.

Most cars travel at or near the speed limit. You will not ;)

A repair pickup, whizzing by at breakneck speed.

As always, thanks for reading this far, and be sure to check back regularly for updates! Bye for now!

(P.S. Happy belated New Year!!!)