Vapourware Codexian Game Development Thread

[Mastermind]

Shadows make everything look better in that perspective. You do not want to do a realistic LOS. Stick to cell-based, and modify depending on gameplay demands.

In Dead Colony my LOS "sees" around corners, using the same type of algorithm as Doom monsters homing on the player. It gives a better, more stable visibility area than trying to draw a straight line to each cell.

Yeah I switched to a cell based LOS, though it's still about as realistic as it can get. Getting the other one to work was too much of a pain. Can't do seeing around corners without either wasting more time than I want on it or clogging up memory with GMK checking pathing to every cell in the room 30 times a second.

 

[shihonage]

You don't need to check LOS every frame. For instance Dead Colony actually runs at 15fps, visually interpolated to 30. So it only checks LOS 15 times per second.

But yes, it's nicer to use less abstracted languages than Gamemaker et al, because when I need to waste some CPU time... they let me.

LOS algorithms don't clog memory btw. They hardly use any. "Serious" pathing algorithms do, but that's overkill for LOS.

 

[Mastermind]

GMK has no built-in los algorithm, it's why i tried to use the pathing, but their base pathing is shit (and I don't think it's flexible enough to be used for something else either) while their better pathing takes up a lot of resources. That's fine though, it works fine the way it is now.

Today has been a good day for this game, got shadows and LOS in, and wasted some time making placeholder sprites for most of the weapons since using the same basic handgun for almost everything pissed me off. Now half the weapons look like BFGs instead.

Also added a rough functional equivalent of the flare gun from blood. You can shoot bolts into enemies and they stick, then blow up after a few seconds.

Will probably redo the cannon/minigun sprite tomorrow then add sprites for the rest of the weapons and finally get around to making the bloody stat screen, assuming I can actually finalize all the skills and abilities.

 

[Mastermind]

Added unarmed combat.

Well, "unarmed" sounds kinda weird considering you punch by shooting rocket fists at stuff. At base level it doesn't do much more than let you punch stuff a foot or two away but it's still useful if something gets too close to shoot. At higher levels (like in the screenshot) where you punch a lot faster and over a decent enough range it should be a viable main combat option. Especially when you throw in some stealth and have your disembodied hands tear out hearts or twist heads 180 degrees.

 

[Mastermind]

Implemented Quad Wielding.

 

[tuluse]

Some eye candy from a game I'm working on with a few other dudes.

I just watched this, holy shit that's some nice art there.

 

[barker_s]

How about "Barker's Retro Text Printer"?

Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with wrapping up the project, RL activities and so on. So yeah, I've chosen your name Whiskey. I just hope that including my name in the asset won't make me look like a self-centered asshole :D .

In the other news - I've done it! I've finally finished my asset and sent it for review to the Asset Store. Set the price at $5 - i think it's fair for the functionality provided. And here are some example videos of what you can do with my script:

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

I just hope that including my name in the asset won't make me look like a self-centered asshole :D .

No worries, a little brand recognition is never bad. Besides, it's not like you just build a warship and named it after yourself. If you did that sort of a thing I would immediately denounce you as a self-centered asshole with a microscopic penis and a mass-murderer of good taste.

 

[barker_s]

The asset is finished, but I'm not sitting on my laurels guys. Another codexer and I are going to start working on some games, so I decided to get acquainted with Unity 2d tools. Here's a small test learning project I made:

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Started working on the world map tileset.

 

[barker_s]

[Shameless self-promotion]

My asset has been accepted by the Asset Store administration and it's finally available :D . And it seems that I made one sale already on the first day. You can find it here - http://u3d.as/content/barker/barker-s-retro-text-printer .

 

[Alchemist]

[Shameless self-promotion]

My asset has been accepted by the Asset Store administration and it's finally available :D . And it seems that I made one sale already on the first day. You can find it here - http://u3d.as/content/barker/barker-s-retro-text-printer .

Congrats - and added it to my wishlist. I most likely will buy it once I'm ready to implement a text console into my game. I plan to have a text console area that will display a detailed combat log, room descriptions, dialog and the like. Would this work well for that?

 

[barker_s]

Congrats - and added it to my wishlist. I most likely will buy it once I'm ready to implement a text console into my game. I plan to have a text console area that will display a detailed combat log, room descriptions, dialog and the like. Would this work well for that?

Sure, although it's mostly focused on the fancy printing effects at the moment, so if you don't care for those, you'll do just fine without it. But tell you what, how about you tell me what features you'd find useful in your project, and I'll try and put them into the next update?

 

[FuriousGamer87]

Currently after a seeing a thread at /tg/ yesterday, I decided to take more time off Gangster Tactics to develop a 4e DnD-like isometric tactical turn-based game prototype to see how much effort the actual implementation will be and how fun is the result.
Already running into my first snag, the small fact that diagonal movements in square grids does not translate very well into graphic, animations and calculations. Actually just graphic and animations, it literally triple the amount of art work needed, no jokes. Calculation is goddamn easy, thanks to 4e rules.
Lazy ass solution: Buh bye any and all diagonal movements. For movement, all count via squares from point of origin. Range, powers, area effects and blasts still work as intended.

To showcase how my lazy my implementation is, here's some gifs using my previous art assets.

As the wizards and their lawyers intended​

As all lazy developers who ever make a 2D TBS intended

​

Just a general question, how much anger will I generated and how many rules lawyer will I triggered into frothing rage if I continue with this prototype, assuming all other stuff from 4e is brought over as it is?
Including immediate interrupt, reaction, AoO, reach, charge, powers and other stuffs.

 

[FuriousGamer87]

Working right now on how to implement marked status. Easier than I thought.
Probably going to start drawing up the UI for this prototype.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Looks like a Humble Bundle scrap.

 

[FuriousGamer87]

Looks like a Humble Bundle scrap.

I see you find my artistic inadequacy amusing.
Thanks for your generous input if nothing else.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Looks like a Humble Bundle scrap.

I see you find my artistic inadequacy amusing.
Thanks for your generous input if nothing else.

Show me more of this pixel diarrhea.

 

[FuriousGamer87]

Looks like a Humble Bundle scrap.

I see you find my artistic inadequacy amusing.
Thanks for your generous input if nothing else.

Show me more of this pixel diarrhea.

My recent completed short game
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/super-nuclear-riders-finished-game.92652/

Go wild.

 

[Jaesun]

Show me more of this pixel diarrhea.

If you have something to actually contribute to the discussions in here, please do. If you just come here to shitpost, go do that in GD.

Thanks.

 

[tuluse]

Currently after a seeing a thread at /tg/ yesterday, I decided to take more time off Gangster Tactics to develop a 4e DnD-like isometric tactical turn-based game prototype to see how much effort the actual implementation will be and how fun is the result.
Already running into my first snag, the small fact that diagonal movements in square grids does not translate very well into graphic, animations and calculations. Actually just graphic and animations, it literally triple the amount of art work needed, no jokes. Calculation is goddamn easy, thanks to 4e rules.
Lazy ass solution: Buh bye any and all diagonal movements. For movement, all count via squares from point of origin. Range, powers, area effects and blasts still work as intended.

Making diagonal 1.5x side to side movement comes very close to reality and is easy for players to do in their heads.

As for animation, you could just not animated movement. Just slide the characters or drop them in or something.

Just a general question, how much anger will I generated and how many rules lawyer will I triggered into frothing rage if I continue with this prototype, assuming all other stuff from 4e is brought over as it is?
Including immediate interrupt, reaction, AoO, reach, charge, powers and other stuffs.

If it's just a fan project you're making for fun? Probably none. If you try to charge for it? You have to be careful. Basically anything that has a proper noun name you won't be able to use. General mechanics you should be able to get away with, but if the entirety is too similar you can get in trouble.

 

[FuriousGamer87]

Currently after a seeing a thread at /tg/ yesterday, I decided to take more time off Gangster Tactics to develop a 4e DnD-like isometric tactical turn-based game prototype to see how much effort the actual implementation will be and how fun is the result.
Already running into my first snag, the small fact that diagonal movements in square grids does not translate very well into graphic, animations and calculations. Actually just graphic and animations, it literally triple the amount of art work needed, no jokes. Calculation is goddamn easy, thanks to 4e rules.
Lazy ass solution: Buh bye any and all diagonal movements. For movement, all count via squares from point of origin. Range, powers, area effects and blasts still work as intended.

Making diagonal 1.5x side to side movement comes very close to reality and is easy for players to do in their heads.

As for animation, you could just not animated movement. Just slide the characters or drop them in or something.

Just a general question, how much anger will I generated and how many rules lawyer will I triggered into frothing rage if I continue with this prototype, assuming all other stuff from 4e is brought over as it is?
Including immediate interrupt, reaction, AoO, reach, charge, powers and other stuffs.

If it's just a fan project you're making for fun? Probably none. If you try to charge for it? You have to be careful. Basically anything that has a proper noun name you won't be able to use. General mechanics you should be able to get away with, but if the entirety is too similar you can get in trouble.

If the prototype goes well, I probably going to make it into a full game, especially if it's fun. Of course, I will want gol money for my trouble.
About the mechanics, I agree with you. I probably going to have all the rule complexity but without any of bookkeeping trouble for players. Pretty much going to change all the naming and make my own fluff. If anyone question too hard about it, I can always say my own game rule system is highly inspired by 4e DnD and that I am DM who have a lot of experience with the system. Both of which is true. In the end, I won't be the first highly inspired by DnD video game being produced after all. Or maybe I can abuse my lazy different movement system as the obvious difference.

About the movement animation, sliding and no movement animation will make movement look out of place, considering I put quite a lot of effort to put life into my character sprites in my recent works. The advice will work very well for token pieces but not animated character sprites. And then, those facing animations and graphics people expect if you have a character and not just a token sprite. Like I said, it's vastly more work in the department where a shitposter obviously already declared I have no talent in.

Another question, since you seem familiar with tabletop gaming, how much interest do you have for animated quick player-controlled dice rolling sessions for attacks, damage, save and everything else that have player rolling dices?

I am thinking of adding that in instead of just using a random number generator in the background as almost all games do, especially recent TBS. It will be quite a lot of effort though, once again in the arts department, so I like to know if it's worth it before I even attempt it. I think it would be a good idea, considering that like in tabletop games, there wouldn't be any grinding to begin with.

Thank you for your previous input.

 

[J1M]

If it is your own system, you can define movement however you like. If you are going to pattern 4e, your number one complexity will come from overlapping benefits in the same category. Keep in mind that by changing the diagonal rules, you are changing a huge number of interrelated systems. Everything from melee vs ranged to aoe effects, etc.

Which language/engine are you using for your project?

 

[FuriousGamer87]

If you are going to pattern 4e, your number one complexity will come from overlapping benefits in the same category.

True, but I already solved that by creating functions that calculate those for me. 4e isn't the only one ruleset where some benefits overlap or stack depending on their effects category.
It was a lot of work making sure everything work well, but nothing too difficult or ground-breaking.
I was expecting people telling me the 4e interrupt system would be more of an issue to implement without overtly harming player experience but someone on the same previous /tg/ thread have an idea regarding it that I going to test out later on.

Keep in mind that by changing the diagonal rules, you are changing a huge number of interrelated systems. Everything from melee vs ranged to aoe effects, etc.

Yes, I know. Code and design complexity isn't an issue for me since I am a DM irl and can get poor saps volunteers to test things out. Probably going to change how burst, blast,walls and range is calculated and formed since characters aren't as diagonally agile as in table top.
Melee and AoO should probably be changed too due to the same concern. Ranged going to be the same, with penalties for darkness and cover system.
In exchange, I can add and simulate heights and facing much better so additional rules going to be add in to incorporate those features.
Truth to be told, in tabletop, I love 4e due to the powers, movement effects, easy monster and NPC creations and emphasis on roleplaying out the hits and miss. Mostly the powers and action points system. Those are my main interest and concern in making this prototype.

Which language/engine are you using for your project?

I am using Construct 2. Fastest 2d game engine I ever used so I going to stick with it.

 

[J1M]

If you are going to pattern 4e, your number one complexity will come from overlapping benefits in the same category.

True, but I already solved that by creating functions that calculate those for me. 4e isn't the only one ruleset where some benefits overlap or stack depending on their effects category.
It was a lot of work making sure everything work well, but nothing too difficult or ground-breaking.
I was expecting people telling me the 4e interrupt system would be more of an issue to implement without overtly harming player experience but someone on the same previous /tg/ thread have an idea regarding it that I going to test out later on.

Keep in mind that by changing the diagonal rules, you are changing a huge number of interrelated systems. Everything from melee vs ranged to aoe effects, etc.

Yes, I know. Code and design complexity isn't an issue for me since I am a DM irl and can get poor saps volunteers to test things out. Probably going to change how burst, blast,walls and range is calculated and formed since characters aren't as diagonally agile as in table top.
Melee and AoO should probably be changed too due to the same concern. Ranged going to be the same, with penalties for darkness and cover system.
In exchange, I can add and simulate heights and facing much better so additional rules going to be add in to incorporate those features.
Truth to be told, in tabletop, I love 4e due to the powers, movement effects, easy monster and NPC creations and emphasis on roleplaying out the hits and miss. Mostly the powers and action points system. Those are my main interest and concern in making this prototype.

Which language/engine are you using for your project?

I am using Construct 2. Fastest 2d game engine I ever used so I going to stick with it.

I look forward to seeing more of your project, but I think adding facing is a big mistake. It promotes a lot of strange behavior. I prefer the way D&D has traditionally ignored facing by suggesting that characters are self-aware enough to not stand with their back to the only enemy in the room.