That sums it up. I have the decent working I need to have the system place traps and other items that play out in the game. Pretty much from here on out it is tuning and polish…then add in the extra content which is pretty much the same play and tune.. good stuff.. until it is done.. I just hope all the time invested is profitable… ;).. argh….
UPDATE:
TIER 1 WEAPONS LEVELS 0-10
These are the LOWEST and SHABBIEST weapons in the game.
Axes, Mauls, and Swords. All with different bonuses. Just a quick movie grab in my debug room. Back to work!
Reposting video as people link right to the story and do not see the simulation at work…
Today I am just bug hunting and getting the transitions to levels down. When you leave a level due to memory constraints that level will be remade by the necromancer. But it will warn you and there are no needs for town portal scrolls in this game since it is a mobile game you can return to town at anytime using a prayer in your menu. So no back tracking I have ALWAYS hated that =).. So far the bugs on the list are the random blockers just sitting gin the middle of the room. I just need to find out why. I am going to change it to where swords are randomly made and their names do not account for their blade. This will help to have more variety in the store. So off to play test and fix as I go =)…
Good times Happy Monday =)..
-Ryan
Only nine views on the video in 3 days. I think I will hold off on videos for a while as they consume to much time and no one seems to show any interest for them 😉
O the headaches of physics and linear algebra. I have the rooms in local space to conserve memory with their sets/collision/models and so everything must first be converted to local space then check to see if the point is in inside an AI triangle via a crossing test. Then if it is not I need to take the triangle I am in and glide it along the edge so as to not just STOP when you hit an edge. Not a big deal all by itself but tying it all together can be a headache when one mistake in several pieces of code cost you 3 hours ARGH… 😉 still it is working .. back to work.
DEV VIDEO VERY EARLY SHOWING THE TAKING AND COMPLETION OF ONE QUEST.. COmbat has a LONG way to go and some weird stuff happened on the run. Needless to say long way to go but I am getting to the all down hill point finally =)…
This was recorded on a mac mini while the dev package was open so the frame rate is actually much better on the device just harder to film. 😉
O and playing with a mouse is a DOG… but we cannot tilt the developer simulator ;)..
And it is still not done! =)… Today I will get a movie out representing where I am. I am hoping for what I am calling a zeta build. Its not alpha meaning feature complete. Or Beta meaning close to RC or release candidate. But it is close to feature complete for the first tier. This will be the lite version of the game for free. The first 5 levels or so down to the first boss Rot Gut. Back to work so I can get to the movie. I have to finish the breakable doors. The first tiers puzzles will be simple only to get more complex with lever opened doors and traps and the like. All (intelligently) randomly generated =).. 😉
The game is fully playable now all the major systems are in. Today I am going to just start bug runs. Cleaning things up on the first 5 levels. That is what the free lite version will contain. I will try to post a video of a game play session today depending on where I stand at the end of the day.
Update: Video tomorrow =) GOT A TON DONE now time to go on a date with my girl =)
The Quest system is made up of a story arc that you are fed at times along the quest chain. In between a story quest you will be given random quests that have to be accomplished first. You will be rewarded with items. You can sell or disassemble them to create or sell other items. All quests are spoken and written text. I like the personal feel when they are spoken to me and not read off a page…..Of to work. =)
I forgot to mention the drawing will be Friday for the contest. 😉
Argh.. Refactoring time.. I had some functionality that GREW inside the game state. The inventory graphical management system is now being re-factored into its own pretty little C file. I am tossing Objective C whenever I can. Here is another chance. I finished the store system. You can do it all now as far as buying and perusing the items. I have to re-factor the inventory system now so hopefully it will not eat my whole day. I need to add the ability to sell your collected items then I am finally on the last step the Quest manager wrap up. I still could be done this week we shall see.. With tier one that is. Then on to making it all look even better. It is still a screamer as far as frame rate goes!.
Contest still going read other posts to enter!
Have a great day!
Ryan
Update DONE! Wow that was fast and it is so much nicer now not being in Objective C Good Stuff -)..Now I just need to rip it out of another mode and done. Then I need to implement selling to move on to the final MAJOR goal… Finishing the Quest Manager.
Today I need to finish the store as tier on assets are complete. I need to fix the icon gen. It needs to use the same scratch texture space to generate icons that the character gen does. Then it is on to the final system the quest manager. Woohoo then alpha testing it
. After alpha a huge polish phase and retest. While tiers 2 through 5 are completed. The final stage is polish polish polish 😉
AGAIN UNFINISHED ART… this is all prior to a HUGE polishing phase… but here are the Tier one items being placed on our hero randomly. I still have to get the weapons copying their textures into the PVRTC texture right so no weapons.
What you types of armor you see:
Linen Armor
Heavy Linen Armor
Woven Linen Armor
Copper Armor
Folded Copper Armor
Imbued Copper Armor
LOL if you entered you would have had a free game =).. Today I am working on getting the tier one items in game. I am making a game state that allows you to view armor pieces. I am going to use it for testing however I will leave it in game so players can view random pieces of armor.
Please Digg this if you can =). Here is a shot of the town store from the outside. I am working on the store inside right now.
Update: Now I am working on the weapons. There are 10 blades 10 axe heads and ten maul heads per tier. Then there are 10 hilts and 10 mid hilts also. These all are put together depending on the name of the weapon. So Back to work!.
O and you can follow me as I tweet (man that sounds strange)
I AM GIVING AWAY 5 FREE GAMES IN A FREE CONTEST!!! SIMPLY SEND AN EMAIL TO contest@RyanMitchellGames.com. (I DO NOT KEEP/USE THEM). Last time if you mailed in you won…that was pretty good odds! The game that is up is High Rollers Party Favor. The drawing will be Friday.
Here is a quickly made video of the game up for the contest!
Today I need to get the camera work done on the introduction. Then I will start tying it all together in the town. Good stuff. I am on target right now for tier one done this week or early next week. Then it will be in an alpha state for me… Not finished as tier 2-5 are not done but it will be a content fill out at that point =)… Please send me questions and spread the word about this project. Very soon I will be making extended movies for review and comment so people can give some real input on this project =).
Twitter account now open.
RyanMGames
Update: Intro done for alpha the vocals are temp but the other items are in. I need to of course do the polish run so lots left but bah… off to other items. I am working on the town now to make a window pop up and ask if you want to trade, get a quest, etc. So the whole thing can be tied together.. I can feel alpha getting close! =)
Today I am finishing the intro then back to the quest manager… this week clean up for tier one completion. I hope to be done today. As far as the mechanics as that is what this blog is for. I am using the skeletal system to create a comic manga style VERY short intro. Just create a texture with alpha and images on it and the skeletons bones move the tags. That is a huge thing in making games. Making due with what you have and only making new complexity when greatly needed or it impacts performance.
This is the title screen after my logo. I got it in today. of course with everything else it is just DEBUG and not final in any way. I am still working on the intro. I have a basic quest system up and running. I am just about to tier one complete and not a minute to soon. I expect this week to be tier one complete! =)..
Have a GREAT day!
Ryan
Everyday is a good day some are just better then others!
A free game is up for the FREE CONTEST…HIGH ROLLERS POLTERGEIST!
Please enter as I had so few entries last time it was an EASY win!. Simply mail me at contest@RyanMitchellGames.com with Friday Contest in the subject and a name I can use to show who won!….
(EMAILS ARE NOT USED OR EVEN KEPT THEY ARE JUST FOR WINNINGS)
Last night I got the store fully operational. Ugly but operational. I plan on waiting to finish the art on the menus until after I get more assets done to use as art in the menus and double the use of the assets.
IF you haven’t yet check out the new high res videos of the in developement game! And as always I am looking for ideas!
I am creating the menus for the Store and Bazaar. All of it really temp art to get it up and running. I want to get this done and get to the Quest manager asap. So I can get the game out there for testing while I polish Tier one. Then after testing come back fix the game play issues and get the other tiers started while the iterations continue.
THE CONTEST WINNER IS Z. HUYGE. He will be receiving a free copy of 3D POWER FISHING. A NEW CONTEST STARTS FRIDAY FOR A COPY OF HIGH ROLLERS POLTERGEIST!
DEVELOPMENT VIDEOS
These were taken with snapZ Pro… WAY easier to use then the current method I was using. HOWEVER, I do loose some framerate while it captures. But with the gain in quality totally worth it. =). Today the priests are getting placed in the city. Then I will create the buy and auction menus… THEN FINALLY THE QUEST MANAGER… then make it the most fun iphone game out there. And I will probably have to start praying I get noticed as the sheer number of distracting apps out there is insane. I might consider taking Necro over to other platforms also depending on the performance. Being mostly in C and OpenGL that should not be to much effort. Off to work!
Meet the towns first inhabitant. She will be selling you goods in the town her sister works in the Bazaar seen through the window. That is where people will be able to sell items through a dimensional portal they nicknamed the inter-web… ( other players ).
And her sister the other escapee.
New Town Video
New Menu Video
New Combat Video
Let me reiterate you are seeing a work in progress. These are videos no big dev house would ever release as they are not fully polished. I am doing this to share in the process with everyone. Enjoy and as always I am looking for input or ideas on this project that finally has a name released. Today more town work the lighting as you can see is off so it needs work I need to get the 4 NPCs in and their animations. Then the menus for the shop and bazaar.
CONTEST: A Free copy of 3D Power Fishing is up until tommorrow at 2pm Central. The contest is simple email contest@RyanMitchellGames.com with “Rot Gut” in the subject line and a name and town I can display as the winner (or nickname). I will not spam you, send out, or even keep your email. After each contest ends that entire mailbox will be emptied and the winner emailed to verify it is not a bot then a promotional code sent out.( PLEASE ONLY ONE EMAIL PER EMAIL ACCOUNT DUPLICATES WILL BE REMOVED THANKS! )
P.S. SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS PROJECT THE MORE INPUT THE BETTER IDEAS Chapel
Update: Chapel in town where the gates will be opened =).
Today I will be finishing up the first pass on the town. I plan on having all the structures in, running, and occluding. The special effects may not make it for the dev movie. I also plan on fixing a few small bugs I introduced when adding in the boss bots. As far as insight into the town. I plan on using the same occluding system I use in the dungeons. Each building has a bounding sphere. I have a large sphere half way between the near and far distance of the cameras. If they intersect update and draw. Simple and easy to debug plus it just works with far less computing which is very important to my silky smooth frame rate goals.
Off to work,
-Ryan
CONTEST: Starting Monday June 8th through 2:00pm Central Wednesday June 9th the FIRST contest is being held for a free copy of 3D Power Fishing. This was a game I released several months ago and has a non sale price of $4.99.The contest is simple email contest@RyanMitchellGames.com with “Rot Gut” in the subject line and a name and town I can display as the winner (or nickname). I will not spam you, send out, or even keep your email. After each contest ends that entire mailbox will be emptied and the winner emailed to verify it is not a bot then a promotional code sent out. Get your mail in before Wednesday at 2:00pm Central! ( PLEASE ONLY ONE EMAIL PER EMAIL ACCOUNT DUPLICATES WILL BE REMOVED 😉 THANKS! )
I hope to get the town mostly done and create another milestone movie. I still need to create the bazaar and inner chapel as the pool and some gardening stuff took me away from computer land yesterday. I want to also have the grounds at least started in the town. Off to work!
-Ryan
P.S. The free games will start this week keep your eye out. 😉
Update: Put a solid 8 hours in today on a Sunday and I am not ready to make a movie yet. I have a very few nit picky things I need to fix. I will get them cleared out tomorrow and get a movie created tomorrow night.. =0 .. so movie tomorrow after all this is in. I have the town complete minus the grass and trees. I would like to get them done before I waste the time making a movie. I also need to tune the lighting and an in game bug needs to be addressed. so tomorrow all should be awesome.. in a few days the town should be complete ( probably one however some gameplay items might take some time). Then the quest manager tie in needs to be completed that could take a few days. That would make me tier one complete. Then game testing will ensue I will post videos here for criticism and hopefully will get some good input. ;). The free games start this week so keep an eye out =).
I need to create the bazaar, interior of the chappel, the grounds, and finish the inside of the store. Hopefully I can get all of that done today. It is all just art so no mind bending code to dig through except for some gameplay stuff so it should be an enjoyable morning. I really do not have anything to describe about this process it is straight 3D modeling with texturing. LOTS of information on that on the web. Hopefully better shots today in the town and a movie tomorrow. I want a movie a week if possible. Things are starting to roll. As you create games towards the end things seem to get exponentially better. Of course that is when you are running out of time also ;). Me I should have plenty of time to polish the heck out of this one!
P.S. Movies are accessible on the right side of the blog under videos. 😉
Update: !!! As a promotion I am going to be giving away some of my older games for free! These promotional codes will be given out here. I am finalizing the details now and will let you all know soon. =) !!!
Ryan Mitchell Games - Mission Europa 2 