Fulmination Post Mortem
A preposterous journey into preposterousness
What went wrong?
The only real hurdle for creating the characters and art assets for Fulmination was the animations for the cannibalistic Easter Island heads. The root pose was supposed to be just the characters head sitting on the ground. This was especially important for the premise of the game. The character’s walk cycle worked very well in Show Tools Pro but refused to work in the game engine. I’m not entirely sure why but I would bet the blame rests on the fact that I wanted the character to sink through the ground up to his chin whenever not moving. This animation worked well enough but the character was supposed to rise up out of the ground whenever moving and it just refused to actually play the run animation which I would think would cause the character to rise up out of the ground and run.
A minor glitch in the game, that I wouldn’t really call a problem since we probably could have figured it out eventually, was the fact that torque seemed to ignore the mountpoint on the gun. The engine recognized the mount0 point on the character but then seemed to use the bottom center of the bounding box on the gun model to align to the mount0 point.
What went right?
I was worried that the shape of the rocket propelled chainsaw would lead people to believe that it was something else. Or they wouldn’t know what it was all together. But every single person that saw it, even before it was textured or fully modeled, knew exactly what it was. Sweet.
The art of all the game assets went well with all the other assets. Nothing seemed to stand out from the rest. I wanted a silly cartoony look for the game since that was something I hadn’t attempted before.
The rocket propelled chainsaw and launcher were epic. This was a bonus.
What I learned?
I’m not sure why I didn’t grasp exporting .dts and .dsq files the first time I learned them but now I’m pretty sure I could do it in my sleep. Torque doesn’t always cooperate with you even if you’ve done everything correctly and I’ve learned some workarounds for when Torque decides it doesn’t want to play nice.
I also think I’m nearing a point where I could say I’m a decent texturer. I’ve learned about the joys of using the skylight to create a cheap but very effective shadow map that creates shadows as if the world was evenly light on all sides. I used to try and use omni lights with a LOT of tweaking but that always left weird shadows on the character that would have to be fixed in photoshop.
Also render to texture is my new friend. It’s great for slapping a base color onto a model and rendering a texture. This creates a perfectly seamless base color around the model and giving you a nice head start on creating a texture without the problem of trying to line things up.
And one more thing, pelting sucks, relaxing is awesome.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Oh, dear God, it's growing bigger!
Well, I've searched my house completely and I'm prety sure the only school book I'm missing is the one that explains how to export a dts and dsq and all the dummies you need. But I think I may have rose up above adversity and figured it out. At least the root pose animation works in Show Tools.
Well bai!
Well bai!
Alright you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This... is my boomstick!
Untextured boomstick goodness. Drool....
How it looks through the eyes of the character:
Don't touch that please, your primitive intellect wouldn't understand alloys and compositions and things with... molecular structures.
Time seems to be running out. I'm working hard today and tomorrow to hopefully get this project and a few other done/started..... Anyways, here is the "hero"? all textured and ready to shoot chainsaws. Up next will be his root and running animations. I think I may leave the animations to those two because of time constraints and my own lazyness and spelling inadequacies.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The president has been kidnapped by ninjas.
Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?
He's a mixture between Team Fortress's Heavy (small thin legs, possibly hair)
Behold! The main character!
He's a mixture between Team Fortress's Heavy (small thin legs, possibly hair)Far Cry's, uh, guy (athletic build and sometimes you see him in a tank top)
And Hoss Delgado from Billy and Mandy (awesome)
I was trying to think of a good "Hero" / adventurer type of guy and came up with this combination. I think it's over the top cartoony yet quasi realistic style matches up with the canibalistic easter island head theme.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Well, sh!t the bed! Guess what I forgot about?
The chainsaw is done!
Behold it's awesome..................... ness...............
Porkchop Sandwiches!
Things are definitly comeing along well. I've been hard at work creating a character for the game which we still haven't named yet. It's an easter island head with and without a body. The texture on it isn't final, just something I pulled out of the maps folder in 3d max. The look of the head's body is very minimalistic and cartoony to kinda try to fit thte style of the game.
No doubt that the texture will change but the body will remain like that. I may decide to go in and mishapen the body some so that it isn't so symetrical but that will come at a later date. Can't wait to fire chainsaws at them!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
When you absolutely have to kill things...
Use a rocket propelled chainsaw.
Small update but the chainsaw is somewhat textured and useable in game! You can actually fire a rocket propelled chainsaw and it explodes when it hits something. How freakin awesome is that?
Small update but the chainsaw is somewhat textured and useable in game! You can actually fire a rocket propelled chainsaw and it explodes when it hits something. How freakin awesome is that?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Okay, new game take 1!
awesome....Tuesday, February 10, 2009
This is the end, the end, the end of our story....
It's kind of weird to write a postmortem on something that isn't done yet but here goes:
What Went Right?
I feel that the entire game, up to the point in which the game is now, has gone very well. That’s not to say there weren’t any snags along the way. What did go well was the dynamic road that I had to create. Extensive searching on the internet led me to believe that a game like this hasn’t been done in flash. There were numerous 3d flash games but nothing 2 dimensional with a view directly behind the player. The small size of the game would make it great for porting to a handheld device or phone and its simplicity fits the game into the casual game category which it was originally designed for.
The coding of the game also lends itself to be used in other games. I found a math algorithm that helps an object track towards another object and smoothes out its movement to be very fluid or natural depending on how far away the two objects were. I will be incorporating this code into one of my other flash games I’ve been working on.
What Went Wrong?
What went wrong? A few things. I really wanted to have a pixilated look to the game similar to F1 Pole Position. The main problem with this was keeping track of all the assets scrolling down the screen while maintaining a road look. I have an idea of how it would work but in order to incorporate it with the rest of the game I felt like it would take me too long to meet the deadline.
Also I was unable to create a system that would scroll objects down the side of the screen while keeping them next to the road during a turn. I’m sure there is a way but I was unable to figure it out. I tried creating a path that moved with the road. I was able to create the path and add items to it but once I tried to send the object down the path it would break free and move straight down the screen.
What I Learned?
Besides coding and other reusable game assets, this game has given me a whole new way to look at making games. Not in how to design them but actually putting them together. In most games like platformers or shooters I simply put assets together and forced them to work. In a game that is constantly moving and updating and everything is dependent on everything else on the screen no matter what state that object is in it becomes very tricky to keep things in check. Building this game has helped me to think outside the box I was trapped inside of up until this point. Building and using classes and passing variables between functions so that I’m not relying on global public variables (which just work so well…..) really helps to keep things simple and easy to follow should a problem arise within the code.
Well, bye kids!
What Went Right?
I feel that the entire game, up to the point in which the game is now, has gone very well. That’s not to say there weren’t any snags along the way. What did go well was the dynamic road that I had to create. Extensive searching on the internet led me to believe that a game like this hasn’t been done in flash. There were numerous 3d flash games but nothing 2 dimensional with a view directly behind the player. The small size of the game would make it great for porting to a handheld device or phone and its simplicity fits the game into the casual game category which it was originally designed for.
The coding of the game also lends itself to be used in other games. I found a math algorithm that helps an object track towards another object and smoothes out its movement to be very fluid or natural depending on how far away the two objects were. I will be incorporating this code into one of my other flash games I’ve been working on.
What Went Wrong?
What went wrong? A few things. I really wanted to have a pixilated look to the game similar to F1 Pole Position. The main problem with this was keeping track of all the assets scrolling down the screen while maintaining a road look. I have an idea of how it would work but in order to incorporate it with the rest of the game I felt like it would take me too long to meet the deadline.
Also I was unable to create a system that would scroll objects down the side of the screen while keeping them next to the road during a turn. I’m sure there is a way but I was unable to figure it out. I tried creating a path that moved with the road. I was able to create the path and add items to it but once I tried to send the object down the path it would break free and move straight down the screen.
What I Learned?
Besides coding and other reusable game assets, this game has given me a whole new way to look at making games. Not in how to design them but actually putting them together. In most games like platformers or shooters I simply put assets together and forced them to work. In a game that is constantly moving and updating and everything is dependent on everything else on the screen no matter what state that object is in it becomes very tricky to keep things in check. Building this game has helped me to think outside the box I was trapped inside of up until this point. Building and using classes and passing variables between functions so that I’m not relying on global public variables (which just work so well…..) really helps to keep things simple and easy to follow should a problem arise within the code.
Well, bye kids!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Progress and Problems
Progress: growth or development; continuous improvement.
Problem: any question or matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty.
Everything is coming along pretty well except for the fact that I'm having a little trouble getting roadsided items to come down the screen while staying next to the road while making a turn. I'm sure I'll figure out a way to accomplish that feat or I'm pretty confident I'll just not do it.
Other than that I've tweaked the code for the drunkeness and it's a lot more fluid now, added road lines to help with the illusion of movement, added trees that move in the background, improved apon the collision code so that it keeps better track of off and on road states, messed with the dynamic road turns and I think I finally have found a happy medium, and I've added an accelerate key and score. Goooooooood times.
W - Go
A - Left
D - Right
Space - Rings Mrs. Johnsons doorbell (Don't push it, she get's pissed)
Problem: any question or matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty.
Everything is coming along pretty well except for the fact that I'm having a little trouble getting roadsided items to come down the screen while staying next to the road while making a turn. I'm sure I'll figure out a way to accomplish that feat or I'm pretty confident I'll just not do it.
Other than that I've tweaked the code for the drunkeness and it's a lot more fluid now, added road lines to help with the illusion of movement, added trees that move in the background, improved apon the collision code so that it keeps better track of off and on road states, messed with the dynamic road turns and I think I finally have found a happy medium, and I've added an accelerate key and score. Goooooooood times.
W - Go
A - Left
D - Right
Space - Rings Mrs. Johnsons doorbell (Don't push it, she get's pissed)
Right Click and choose Save As or it won't work, I think.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Progress
Things are coming along swimingly. The turns are dynamic and random, the player weaves about drunkenly and I'm working on keeping track of whether or not the player is on the road or not. Good Times.
Right click and save as or it won't work.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
DPPAGG abridged game doc
Game Idea: DPPAGG (I like abbreviations) is a game in which the idea is to get the highest score possible. There is no end or time limit and is intended to be a casual game.
Game Story: Jimmy the drunken hillbilly has just finished off the last call at the bar he frequents but doesn’t want to call it a night. So like all seasoned drinkers he goes out to his pickup truck and grabs his gallon of moonshine and continues his little party on the road.
Game Play: You play Jimmy and control him in his truck while driving to wherever he’s going. Since he’s already drunk, it will be difficult to control Jimmy’s truck. This will catch the watchful eye of the local P.D. and they will take chase.
If the police catch you it’s game over. If you crash into the police, another car, road debris, or items off the road it’s also game over.
Points are awarded for how long you play and for losing the police.
Periodically a powerup will come down the road that will reduce Jimmy’s drunkenness level making it a little easier to control Jimmy.
Concept Art: (lined paper is the new industy standard)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Game Project Idea
I think I have decided on what game to make for project 1. It's a game I created a design doc for last quarter. It's called "Drunken Po-Po-A-Go-Go". DPPAGG is a simple casual game in which you control a vehicle on a road while under the effects of some gooooood brew. The control and view styling would be reminiscent of "Pole Position", an old arcade style racer.
The major difference between PP and DPPAGG is that the character will be very dificult to control considering he/she is BOMBED and you aren't racing against anyone, it's a mater of overall highscore for distance traveled and not being arested.
I will upload the design doc later, if this sounds like something you would like to take part in let me know. I'll need art resources and scene designers.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Day One - The Reckoning
Today is the first day of Game Development 3, which coincidentally is the first day of my blogging life!!!! YAY!@@@@!!!one!1 (disregard the hyperlink please and thank you!!! <3 )
I'm not too sure about what type of game I will be creating, I might have a few ideas but then again I might not. I'm leaning towards the latter. I will probably assume the role of Game Mechanic Track, I don't know what the track means but I will figure that out later. Why did I choose this position? Well, as I gaze around the room my view is filled with about 7 other people who HATE programing and one that is great at it. But seeing as each group will have no more than 3 people in them I can't group with this man of noble knowledge.
I'm off to do something that doesn't incorporate blogging becasue it sucks.
I'm not too sure about what type of game I will be creating, I might have a few ideas but then again I might not. I'm leaning towards the latter. I will probably assume the role of Game Mechanic Track, I don't know what the track means but I will figure that out later. Why did I choose this position? Well, as I gaze around the room my view is filled with about 7 other people who HATE programing and one that is great at it. But seeing as each group will have no more than 3 people in them I can't group with this man of noble knowledge.
I'm off to do something that doesn't incorporate blogging becasue it sucks.
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