Vapourware Codexian Game Development Thread

[what am i doing]

For your purposes, I would consider making use of a very tiny Z axis offset on objects, applied to their model matrix, and enabling depth testing.

So you're saying I should go back to sprites with 1-bit transparency? The Z buffer can't be used otherwise.

Right, forgot about that aspect of partial transparency
In that case, your best bet is likely to decouple render objects from gameplay entities and get yourself as lightweight a render object struct as possible so that sorting your vector of render objects based on their desired draw order is as fast as possible. If they already are decoupled then you probably won't run into any issues (provided the sort is run only once per frame) but I would go with sorting over reinserting.
The other alternative is to do some sorting of your objects so that translucent materials are done in a later draw call or series of draw calls. This, I think, is how most engines would handle it, but it does add some complexity in that you then have two or more conceptually separate "draw lists".

Edit: also, having render objects decoupled from gameplay entities means gameplay entities could be in one vector but render objects in separate vectors depending on their material.

 

[ds]

For your purposes, I would consider making use of a very tiny Z axis offset on objects, applied to their model matrix, and enabling depth testing.

So you're saying I should go back to sprites with 1-bit transparency? The Z buffer can't be used otherwise.

You can actually do up to 3-bit transparency with Z-buffer depth testing by using a 8x multi-sample buffer and setting the sample mask based on the transparency in the pixel shader. OpenGL can even calculate the sample mask for you via GL_SAMPLE_ALPHA_TO_COVERAGE although the implementation is driver dependent - e.g. good drivers add dithering.

Of course 3 bits transparency is still limited and multi-sampling isn't free so this might not be worth it for your use case.

 

[Justinian]

My game is almost content complete. I just need to add the abilities for the last 3 normal races and everything i promised in the EA roadmap will be in the game.
I still have to add features like controller support and will have to improve/modify the interface.

Plus bug fixing of course.

But still.

Feels nice to be so close to a finished game after years of abandoned/mothballed projects.

 

[Justinian]

And scratch the almost, it is done.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

My body-snatching RPG is progressing quite nicely. Started working on the abilities and implementation of new enemy types. So far there are 10 base types, with about 20 base types planned in total.

 

[Nathaniel3W]

zwanzig_zwoelf is your game based on that one game that was widely regarded as the worst game ever made? I can't remember the name of it, but the layout reminds me of whatever that game was.

Also, did you make some kind of custom filter that mimics a CRT screen? If so, you did a good job of it. Very convincing. Red on the left, blue on the right. Does it also have a slight fisheye effect?

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

zwanzig_zwoelf is your game based on that one game that was widely regarded as the worst game ever made? I can't remember the name of it, but the layout reminds me of whatever that game was.

Also, did you make some kind of custom filter that mimics a CRT screen? If so, you did a good job of it. Very convincing. Red on the left, blue on the right. Does it also have a slight fisheye effect?

The original Ringlorn Saga was inspired by Hydlide. Dunno if that's the game you're thinking about.

As for the CRT filter, I didn't create it -- it's the only Unity asset I bought since I started making games.

 

[TheDeveloperDude]

Is there any method for balancing the game? Or only the "play it, tune it, play it, tune it, etc"
My nnRogue roguelike was very hard. Then I decreased the difficulty. Decreased again. Again. etc.
Now the beginning is hard, but from the middle it becomes easy, after that very easy.
Last level gameplay

 

[Bad Sector]

Remember the engine i was working on for the original Xbox i bought around Christmas? (...i did post about it here right?)

I decided to work on it a bit more and add text render and i needed some way to convert a font to a texture with glyphs in a format that can be used by the engine directly so i quickly made one. But then i had the idea to add a few visual effects and then a few more visual effects and anyway, the tool so far is as shown above, but while i have added a few visual effects i still haven't implemented the "save to a format that the engine can use" part (or the engine side of text rendering).

I did spend some time making a bunch of different bitmap fonts though, here are some more from an earlier iteration before i added a preview panel:

 

[NoMoneyNoFameNoDame]

Some Redaxium 2 Patch 1.06i screenshots.

https://i.postimg.cc/qvM2ZbFm/Screenshot-at-2023-03-27-07-00-08.png
https://i.postimg.cc/XYH9MKSn/Screenshot-at-2023-03-27-07-02-55.png

The general layout of the game is 100% established at this point.
You are only seeing 2 of 20 locations.

It's all a matter of details now.

Game looks almost entirely different than the first game.

 

[GoblinGrotto]

Working on a level editor for a tactics game

 

[rap2h]

Hello! The Secret of Darkwoods is out now on Steam (free, forever). I hope you will like it!



I made this game in my spare time during the last 6 months, I would be glad to have your feedback. Feel free to ask me anything!

 

[Justinian]

What's the best forum to start a thread for a roguelite? Rpg or general gaming?



Anyway, here are some free keys for my game. If they get taken and anyone else wants one DM me (not sure if spoilers tag hide them from bots).

Spoiler

LJWDQ-BN5BH-PY807
NA34R-K8WYB-4EA4D
4TQ4C-VPQTL-6CRX3
TQFKR-9W8FJ-GQ9PH
QFZHZ-8CRGY-A250N

Also, is there a codex thread for giving away free keys in general?

 

[barker_s]

Thanks, Justinian, I took the last code out of curiosity, since I never played Vampire Survivors or any of its clones.

As for the dedicated keys thread, there's giftstravaganza.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Started building the world, with 26 screens completed so far. The world size in the original was about 209 screens (including maps used for story scenes), which makes me wonder if this spin-off will end up being bigger.

There's still a lot of work to do, but I'm satisfied with the current progress, as the game has been in active development for about a month. Hopefully, all systems will be done by late April, so I can focus on content and (hopefully) finish it this Summer.

 

[Tweed]

Yeah yeah sure, but when are you making a spiritual successor to VIRTUAL Hydlide?

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Yeah yeah sure, but when are you making a spiritual successor to VIRTUAL Hydlide?

If you're willing to play the princess for free, I'll think about it. Keep in mind that you'll have to buy the dress / wig / pair of coconuts with your own money.

 

[NoMoneyNoFameNoDame]

I fixed a bug relating to Money in my game.
Then added some giant Colorful Discs.

https://i.imgur.com/9Ygtt76.png

They rotate.

 

[Justinian]

Thanks, Justinian, I took the last code out of curiosity, since I never played Vampire Survivors or any of its clones.

As for the dedicated keys thread, there's giftstravaganza.

Looks like I don't have access to it, I guess I'll have to wait a year, like with getting brofists & ratings.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Decided to rebrand the studio and come up with a new logo to keep up with the ever-changing market.

 

[Ysaye]

Working on a level editor for a tactics game

Nice graphics! Like a professional Ultima 8 look (Regardless of it's gameplay I always had a soft spot for the graphics in that game).

 

[Spectral Pontifex]

I fixed a bug relating to Money in my game.
Then added some giant Colorful Discs.

https://i.imgur.com/9Ygtt76.png

They rotate.

Damn, Redaxium 2 actually looks rad. I got the first one for free so I bought this one with my own money.

I was appalled that the only review on there is some German complaining. I have to admit it made me chuckle though. The game was priced at 25 Euros before?

I will write a review to dispel this anti-Redaxium propaganda once I get to play it.

 

[Twiglard]

I was able to fix sprite draw ordering. It becomes a problem when sprites are bigger than a single isometric tile. It could be worked around if only character movement was stuck to the grid, but actually I prefer seamless movement by a whole lot.

This video was very informative:

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Found some free time to participate in the Dungeon Crawler Jam 2023.

 

[Justinian]

Running out of minutia to waste time on. No real choice, gotta start producing advertising material for my game. Was not looking forward to this but it's gotta be done unless I want my game to die in obscurity.