[Koji]

Yeah so I'm going to start taking a different approach to games in mzx. Big epic games... fail. Tiny simple games could be majorly successful so thus starts this journal. Here I'll post my tiny game Ideas and work on them from time to time and maybe actually release something

This is an idea I had for the doz, but I couldn't do for the doz as things involving my car accident last week got in the way, also work. Anyway here it is

The Amazing Mr Blob
Side scroller.

Mr Blob is an entirely unimpressive character. He cannot jump, he had no attacks, and he is very restricted in his movements mostly by gravity. he can slide/roll across the floor, and fall, HOWEVER he in his current stat is INVINCIBLE, you cannot hurt a puddle.
Now, a creature like this isn't very useful in a sidescroller, however, in this game Mr blob is able to absorb genetic material and become a doppleganger of the creature the genetic material came from. So after finding some genetic material lying around or killing an enemy Mr Blob has the option of taking the genetic material and putting it into his stock (where he can hold 3 genetic identities and switch on the fly between them). In the form of his enemies genetic identities Mr Blob will move, and attack just as they would and similarly he will be damaged as they would be. if you get damaged enough, you lose that genetic identity and revert to Mr Blob.
If you run out of genetic identities, you can either scour the area of the level that you can reach in your restricted movement as Mr Blob, or you can restart the level.

The idea is very kirby-esque, and wouldn't really have been unless iko brought up the the idea. before he would kill enemies but would only get genetic material if it was placed in the level for him. Anyway, in this way he kills an enemy and can pick up the genetic material dropped by the enemy after death. The difference between this and kirby is that the whole control scheme I plan will be limited to the arrow keys and spacebar. And depending on the genetic identity the arrows and space keys and combos there in may do different things, for example:

having the genetic identity of a certain creature could give you the ability of climbing or wall jumping however it moves very slowly on the ground, obviously this is strong against characters that can not jump as high, and weak against thoes who are faster than it.

Each genetic identity would require a different gameplay strategy. Where kirby simply addopts the attacks of the enemies he swallows Mr Blob completely assumes every aspect of them.

And yeah that was a modified idea I had for the doz, which I will attempt to make, the only really hard part to this would be programming the specific player controls for each enemy type, I plan to use simple graphics. I'll start work on it as soon as I get home today which hopefully won't be too far in the afternoon. Expect an update tomorrow.

This post has been edited by Koji: 24 July 2007 - 12:06 PM

[KKairos]

I'm liking this. Screens plzkthx.

[Lachesis]

Glad you made a journal for this, it sounds neat!

also who's KevDude2k

[Koji]

kur, how do I know!? Anyway

update got home later than I thought I would, I'll work on mr blob for a little while but I also have something I need to get turned in through the university servers before 11 so I donno how much I'll get done tonight maybe I'll have a preliminary screen ready in a couple days putting together the graphics atm for mr blob in his primary blob state. and thinking about what the first level should look like...

[CHEZZY]

I'm liking this so far, and I have some ideas for levels:

A level where you must get the gm of birds and fly around a spiky area, but if you touch the walls you revert to mr blob and fall to the ground.

gm of turtle where you can go inside your shell and be invincable but can only roll and not jump.

[Koji]

Okay so yesterday I didn't get much done, as I only god home late that night (went car shopping with my dad) and only got some minor graphics done hopefully I'll get much of the ground work laid today.

Here's a list of tenative enemies, pressing the enter key will pause the game and bring up a short description of your GM's and tell you how to control them.. Anyway:

Leaper - When space is pressed, the game pauses for you to select an angle and magnitude by which to leap you cause damage by landing on or within the vicinity of enemies. The magnitude and range of the damage cause is directly proportional to the speed at which you impact. there are no controls for when you are in progress of jumping, however you can switch to another GM while you are in mid jump. Use arrows to walk around and duck, pressing up will pause the game play and allow you to look around the area (if it spans more than a screen). The leaper is able to jump much higher than most enemies, however it walks a little slower.

Turtle - Normally the turtle doesn't pose much of a threat arrow keys to move, up to jump, down to duck and space to retreat into your shell, while in the shell you are impervious to physical attack from the sides but not from above (lol mario), however you cannot jump. If you attempt to move, you will slide at a high rate of speed, killing any enemies you run into however, if you run into an obstacle you will be damaged as you rebound in the other direction, pressing space or up while in the shell will cause you to jump out of shell form.

Spiked turtle - I know, I know, too many turtles. Spiked turtle is unable to reteat completely into it's shell (just because). However pressing space and a direction will allow you to point your spiked shell out in one of four directions. arrows operate similar to most enemies walking jumping and ducking.

Cannon - I don't know how you kill a cannon or how you'd get it's GM, but I'll have an enemy that works like a cannon somehow... Cannon is completely stationary, and causes lots of damage, you can use your arrow keys to specify an angle and a magnitude to launch your assault.

Swords man - HAD to add this, this is such a must in a game like this, sword is the best kirby weapon, and who am I to deny a sword in a kirby-esque adventure? So yeah, arrows to walk duck and jump, space bar to swing the sword. (probably more limited than the kirby sword but whatever)

Pogo - this monster has a knack for hopping :3. arrows function similarly but also differently. left and right will change where you face but not move you, you must press up to jump and a direction to move in hops, space bar will cause you to attack in the direction faced.

Wall Climber - This monster cannot jump, however it can climb up walls. just press the direction you want to go in, and if you come to a wall the wall climber will scale it, as long as you hold the direction key. space bar cause you to spit... because he needs an attack

fish - pretty self explanitory space causes you to bolt toward your prey and ram them or leap out of the water if you are at the surface, landing outside of water for too long and you are damaged, while out side of water, you can press up and a direction to flop you are also unable to attack when outside of water.

Birdie - Space to "bomb" you flap your wings by pressing up, down to dive mode. while in dive mode you can press down and a direction to continue to dive, press up to swoop or space to "bomb" dive bombing causes more damage than normally bombing directly proportional to the speed at which you are diving.

Any other ideas are welcome, I think I'll just take like the best 10 or 20 enemies and limit it to that.

[Lachesis]

MaGiCuL WiZuRd - Does not feel the effects of gravity and shoots magical beams forward. Pressing a direction makes him start moving in that direction, pressing the same direction twice makes him move faster (limit that shit though), pressing a direction while moving in an opposite direction slows him down. EDIT: Hitting a wall slightly damages him. He's got a medium-low max hp. Probably a boss first (which will have higher hp durr) and later a normal enemy.

This post has been edited by Kuroneko: 25 July 2007 - 03:28 PM

[CHEZZY]

Giraffe: Cant go into small passages but can press buttons and attack enemies up high.

Flamer: Has a flamethrower to burn enemies, can also burn down wooden objects such as trees and doors.

[Frobozz]

How about some screenshots?

[Koji]

Frobozz, screenshots will come when I've had the time to create enough of the engine, and a couple enemies, and really by then it will be more than 3/4 done. And give me a break I've only had like an hour of actual work put into the thing, I've been busy, right now I'm not even home yet, my dad took me back to his place of work after picking me up at noon, because he had some stuff to do here. I still don't have my own car.

Or is this you being an ass? I can't tell.

This post has been edited by Koji: 25 July 2007 - 08:44 PM

[Frobozz]

Eh I just wanted to see a screenshot that's all. I wasn't implying anything.

This post has been edited by Frobozz: 26 July 2007 - 12:02 AM

[Koji]

Last night I finished a preliminary pixel based graphic engine that uses virtual "character" objects that I can place at any pixel point or plot a list of pixels. I'm planning on using the individual pixels for pixel particle effects and for weapons.

That's all I got done last night, got home really late, just worked on it for an hour or so.

I plan to use this for enemies player and effect graphics, the background will be done in pastel colored whole characters, while the obstacles will be done in... standard mzx graphics.

[Dr Lancer-X]

Koji, on Jul 25 2007, 08:51 PM, said:

Leaper - When space is pressed, the game pauses for you to select an angle and magnitude by which to leap you cause damage by landing on or within the vicinity of enemies.

keep in mind that Roland in the Caves wasn't actually very fun.

[Koji]

lancer, noted, I'm just trying to think of as many interesting and diverse gameplay mechanisms I can fit into a control scheme of the arrow keys and the space bar.

more enemies

MrSmiley - he smiles he jumps he walks he shoots he's smiley! (pressing up and space will shoot up and to the direction facing not directly up)

Bat - he can fly and hover which makes him the easiest to get around, however he cannot see, and uses echo location. (yes you heard me right) in this mode of gameplay you'll only be able to view pixel perfect pixel graphics, as they will be used mostly for graphical representation of sound, You'll also be allowed to emit a squeak which will release an arc of pixel projectiles wich will bounce off of enemies and walls In this state you are harmless and blind but if you can't get to a location by any other means, BAT CAN.

Wizard - he's weak and volnerable and hardly can jump at all, but he can cast a spells that seek the closest enemy in the direction he's facing.

LightBite - he is light on his feet and jumps decently high, hi bite attack is weak, however, he emits light, and therefore can things within range in dark places.

[Koji]

Okay here's the plan, tonight, I plan to finish the Physics engine, which isn't half as difficult as you might think, it's just a momentum engine, mixed with some vector math for colliding bodies. The way I'm planning this, the enemies brains and the player controls just apply forces on the pixel sprite objects, and the physics engine takes care of the actual movement and collision of their bodies.

As for attacks, they will be handled with new object classes, the damages will be given a graphic and a location and two indicators for what it should be hurting, first is alignment which is like Rock paper scissors where Red beats Green, Green beats Blue, and Blue beats Red. if the victim wins they only get minor damage (1 point), if they tie they get moderate damage (2 points), and if they lose they get high damage (3 points).

Each enemy will have it's own ammount of health and alignment and the player will have health points and alignments for each GM he has in stock (3 GM's tops). each GM of the player will be as easily defeated as the enemy he got the GM from. However the player never really dies, he just loses the GM, and reverts to his blob form.

Blob is invincible since it's just a blob. However, you can get stuck in a level if you have no GM's left and there is no spare GM lying on the ground anywhere down hill from you, so there will be the option of restarting the level of course. Some special attacks will cause more damage than indicated above, so they will simply multiply upon thoes values.

Tomorrow I plan to make the first environment with objects in it and test the physics and pixel engine with it (probably won't be part of the final product, but just to work out any kinks that might have sneaked in)

The third day I intend to program the basic player movement (blob form) and programming behind the aquisition of GM. After I got the players basic engine down, I'll start making enemy programs the player controls for said enemy programs.

and on the fourth day I hope to have at least completed a level with 3 different enemy types in it and maybe I'll even post it up here for testing. but by this time you should at LEAST have screen shots.

[Koji]

The physics engine is actually giving me lots of trouble... I've tried several goes at it but found flaws about it while trying to complete it.

FINAL DRAFT of the physics engine
The physics engine works with objects. each object references an enemy / the player / item on the field and reflects physical properties of the body such as x and y momentum, mass, friction and elasticity.

Forces are the second half of the physics engine, which affect the values of the objects, which affect the location and movement of the bodies represented by the pixel graphics.

Objects, forces, sprites, pixels all belong to their own array of counters and only reference to one another to keep everything simple and easy to deal with.

If this doesn't work out tonight I'm just going to make a more standard side scroller engine.

[Koji]

After Mr blob reaches a decent level of development, I may try to start on another Sidescroller akin to sonic and other sidescrollers that takes more physics into account. MAYBE...

I will call it, Speedo the fast cat, who wears fashionable underpants... or not

[asgromo]

Koji, on Jul 30 2007, 07:43 AM, said:

Speedo the fast cat, who wears fashionable underpants

This is actually a great name for a game

[Koji]

I thought it was at least decent stand in at first and then doubted myself, anyway Speedo the Fast Cat Wearing Fashionable Underpants it is

On MrBlob, the physics system is running into complications, and if this continues I'm just going to finish mrblob without the physics and worry about it more for fast cat.

This post has been edited by Koji: 31 July 2007 - 01:12 PM

[asgromo]

Koji, on Jul 31 2007, 09:11 AM, said:

Speedo the Fast Cat Wearing Fashionable Underpants

No, no, "Speedo the fast cat, who wears fashionable underpants"

Capitalize as you like, but trust me, this has the proper cadence.

[Frobozz]

Koji said:

On MrBlob, the physics system is running into complications, and if this continues I'm just going to finish mrblob without the physics

Wouldn't that be like taking Chronostodian and removing the time machine?

[Dr Lancer-X]

Frobozz, on Aug 1 2007, 09:34 AM, said:

Koji said:

On MrBlob, the physics system is running into complications, and if this continues I'm just going to finish mrblob without the physics

Wouldn't that be like taking Chronostodian and removing the time machine?

It might actually get finished if he did that!

On second thoughts, maybe not.

also I highly advise that you follow asgromo's suggestion

[Koji]

Yeah I see what he means now.

Anyway frob, mrblob is not at all similar to chronostodian, chronostodian is much more complicated, where as with mrBlob I am making a simple side scroller (well with a physics engine so far) that just has different player controllers that respond differently to input.

Any single form of mrBlob would make a very uninspiring game, however, the fact that in mrBlob you have to strategicly use different forms to get through a level makes it better gameplay concept. Instead of mindlessly navigating a simple side scroller, you have to know your forms enough to judge what you can and cannot do. Also the fact that you can only carry 3 forms to switch between at a time makes the player make a decision on which forms are more useful, and some elements of gambling in here as well because you are not entirely sure what obstacles You will come upon later in a level and keeping the wrong forms will put you at a disadvantage (however it won't be impossible as usually there is an enemy near by to an obstacle that is the key for getting past. (enemies will respawn too)

[Frobozz]

This game sounds suspiciously like a clone of "Within a Deep Forest." Also I still think the game would be dull without the physics system. As would WADP.

[Koji]

How is it similar to "within a deep forest?" if anything it's most similar to Kirby.

Anyway the physics system would have been minimal, I'm cutting it out because I can get the SAME results by just programming the physics of the characters into their movements like every other platformer

However as of recent development has slowed a great deal, there has been a lot of school work to take care of and the like. However most of that is over with, I am however as of current busily preparing my fafsa documents. Only to apply for a fed unsub loan, I don't intend to get a grant or anything, wouldn't get one anyway.

Anyway, I haven't really got much past the physics engine work, so of course I have no pics yet. However, That may soon change, check back in a week

[Koji]

Okay going to pick this idea back up and work on it this week. I'll let you know what happens if anything friday.

[Koji]

As you'd have probably expected, I didn't get to this, my schedule was unexpectadly busy due to car trouble and unexpected school work load. so not much of anything was done in mzx this week. Here, instead, I'll just post if anything ever happens.. or you know.. just not