LemonWizard's 2009 Compo Blog

[LemonWizard]

not much progress here yet. been mostly tinkering. with outside engine stuff.
will see progress no matter what by the end of this week!

[LemonWizard]

Getting back on track with development this week!
To do:

secondary pre planning and mid project coding:

code game and level interpreter.
code event interpreter.
code event system/design it.
code menu and item system
integrate it into one project




create skeleton graphics.
brush up tile graphics.

sorry but a playable first level may not be available until tonight or thursday.

just going to have to wait a while.

[LemonWizard]

Okay so I did more tinkering with graphics (yay for paint) I downloaded gimp but paint was okay for a quick edit and paste and edit and paste :P

Basically, I haven't done anymore coding on the project because I have been working on my graphical resources.

Character Sheet: Placeholder ?



Zombie Enemy: Placeholder? Still image:



The process of coloring character stills:


A level design, and putting things together graphically, seeing how they look:

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SCREENSHOT OF MY PROJECT only a copy and paste of tiles and graphics into paint for design purposes and testing to see how things blend.

[LemonWizard]

It's a little late I guess.
here's a playable demo without any game mechanics inserted yet. (Useless huh?)
I'm working on those things now.

[LemonWizard]

Here's version 1.1
I'm now actually (finally) working on the gameplay mechanics.
It's amazing how I have gone from my original plan, to fleshing it out in this way.


Update on project:

-Added ability to fire a projectile
-Finished creating and coloring character graphics  :may modify again?
-Created Tile Engine and Game Engine Framework (Something to build on)


Left to do:

-Add Collision detection and tile data system.
-Change character graphics
-Create level editor
-Create health system and display health bars
-Create detection for projectiles hitting zombies
-Make Zombies drop relics
-Create detection for player collecting relic, and a relic counter
-Create end of level scene
-Flesh out levels, and scenario mode. Add music and sounds. LAST

Preview of updated Graphical system:

Layer 1 Tileset:


Layer 2 Tileset:


Eye candy =p

[LemonWizard]

more to come

[LemonWizard]

Development progress:

See for yourself ;)

Screenshot below.
I am SORRY that my playable demo took so long. It needs MAJOR tweaking.

So far you can shoot zombies, collect relics, lose health. Zombies die, they can't spawn yet but relics can. Relics only drop from zombies on a 50/50 random drop rate. Ontop of that if there's already a relic on the ground another one won't drop you have to pick it up first.

You get a relic counter. This will be changed if I have time to something else, like a relic bag that you can actively view.
Zombies movement and Ai needs to be changed.
I'm having a problem with player movement so far using the frame rate to limit the speed of the game. Not the best method.

Still need to implement the relic returning tile, and 2nd layer graphics.
Then, a map editor, and some typed arrays.



Screenshot above!

[LemonWizard]

Hey. Okay, another update.
Playable demo. Who's ready to slug some zombies? =p
In this version you only get to start out with 10 ammo, just to demonstrate that I've added the inability to fire without ammo.

[LemonWizard]

Okay people. I have another blog post.
ONCE AGAIN for a few days life stuff got in the way.
AND Shame to, I was hoping it wouldn't
I FINALLY sat down and put some time into the level editor.

It's built on the skeleton of an editor I used to use but the features are going to be COMPLETELY revamped. The only thing that it's really built on is the GUI but that's changing.
No tile placement yet because the way tile data storage is going to work will be very different from how it used to work in previous projects that used a tile engine. Once the level editor is created I'm going to revamp the game engine, and plug in the new levels.
Then. I'm going to try to add some real gameplay mechanics to this sucker.
Mission mode, trial mode, practice, things like that.. the game isn't a zombie shoot em up so the focus will be on gameplay mechanics such as collecting Relics, and returning them to the temple. I don't know if having projectiles suits the gameplay. I'll have to see how it goes.

[LemonWizard]

AAAANNNNNDDD
since the competition entry deadline was extended I have more time to flesh the game's mechanics out. WOO!
(I'll probably continue working on the game when the competition is over. heh.)


ANYWAYS

I think I can proudly say that I've gotten alot accomplished since I started this project.
I have it now so that the graves themselves spawn zombies, after a certain point in time, but they work on a timer based calculation so that we don't get rapid spawns (LOL testing that was fun when it was rapidly spawning zombies)

Next..
I added functionality for the duster tool and the shovel tool. No animations for the player digging yet and the placement of graves for digging them is a little bit vauge , (for now)
I'll have to see what I can come up with. But yay progress...xp

I've been playing with Gimp and my god do the additional gfx I did look better than some of the ones I did with paint.

So far I've got the final plan together and this extension towards the deadline is PERFECT.
Otherwise I would have had to have my entry in today. EEK! that wouldn't have left alot of time.

So, from here on out I'm focusing ONLY on the game's mechanics until I can call the game itself playable.
Then, The final brush up. I'll be doing this all week so it should come out okay.
The map editor has to be created still. I will put that on hold until I am done sorting out all of the game's mechanics.
I'm not sure if I should allow the player to shoot multiple projectiles or not all things considered, because if they can do it then they could just rapid fire and since ammo will be limited in this game it may not be the best idea.
A note on the ammunition. There won't be any reloads until next level so players will be forced to play the game using strategy. I haven't yet figured out if I really want to do that. But, will be interesting.

Right now, the menu system trails the mouse. I think I want to make it a pop up menu, kind of like a "start" menu.
It'll display the world map, and details about the player's progress. (Given the time I have, I'll extend the world quite a bit)
I started playing with the font system because I want larger text than playbasic's default size. It's interesting. Alot of this is coming together nicely.

All in all, the MOST important thing is making a complete game so with that said, I'm taking out all the bells and whistles and putting them on the sidelines until I have a simple playable game. Once I finish that, and am secure with that completed projects as a submission in whole I can continue expanding it, but that way if I can't make the deadline with the updates I will have a complete and whole project to submit either way. So, gives me security to know I am still in .

Till another time

[BlinkOk]

cool. lookin forward to an update

[LemonWizard]

UPDATE!!!

>.< EEK

Okay I'm working on floor spike game mechanics right now and freshening up the code.
yes there WILL be a level editor included in the package. I worked out a bunch of things about "how to"
and I'm going to include extra game play modes if I can squeeze them in.
The floor spikes are animated.. I will release a demo of what they look like. No further functionality has been added yet.

[LemonWizard]

Okay so it turns out I forgot with the last update about maybe...an hour or so ago to make sure that it could load the map file from the same directory the zip file comes with.
Oh and for those of you who are daring enough to try out the editor I urge you on.
you have to press a key when the editor starts up though.
here's the update with the fix so that the included map file loads. sorry for any inconvenience to those interested in playing around.

[kevin]

Seems like it's this part is coming along, so what about the other parts ?  - There's only a few days left..

[LemonWizard]

And in those few days it'll be completed!!