Here’s what I’m proposing; I’ll complete the map switching unit, add some more tools and some basic info spriteFonts (primitive GUI, displays tool selected and controls implemented), I’ll implement a couple more maps for testing purposes, and I’ll release an (windows) installer for each build up until alpha.
I would like you to vote in the above poll (polls will be regular now that I have 20+ hits a day). Tell me what you think via comments, twitter, or email. There will be bugs, I can find most of them with my own “Search and Destroy” techniques, but I’d love to hear what you have to say. If you think tiles should be smaller, or the player should be faster, or you have an idea of how something should work that I haven’t implemented, let me know.
Artists and Programmers
You may have noticed (for those of you who know me personally) that I’m actually serious about finishing this project. The final goal is to have a release on the XBLCGA (released on the Xbox, basically). That being said, It’s going to take me a fair while to complete, plus I have no artistic talent whatsoever. If you’re an artist, or a programmer, with an interest in making friends and *trying* to bust into the bottom of the games industry; I’m willing to pay on an IF basis. As in, IF the project gets finished, and released, I will divide up any profits proportionately to the amount of work people provide. Bear in mind, we may be talking in cents, or less (or more). So if you’re an artist with an interest, get in touch with me. Same for programmers.
Current build: 0.0.12 - new details in Italics
Completed Features So Far:
- Player and map draws
- Player and map movement
- Map draws from string
- Object overlay draws
- ‘C’ Key changes tools, space uses
- Player/Map positions solid
- Walking collisions with ground layer
- Walking collisions with object layer
- Player can now run
- Primitive map-switching (needs simplifying, has bugs)
- Current tools: None, Watering Can, Hoe
- Teleport Objects
Currently working on:
- Teleports and map switching! About 75% done
- GUI HUD! (Concepts below)
Next on the plate:
- Adding randomized field objects; weeds, rocks, logs.
- New tools; axe, hammer, scythe.
Coming later:
- NPCs
- Money/Economy
Notes:
Yesterday I majorly restructured a lot of my code. Sultwodee is almost ready to be build 0.1.0! I worked through the player-sticking issues and perfected my collision. When the user stops moving (or changes direction) within 3px of the next tile border, the player will “snap-in” to the tile linings. I modified the tile loading sequence to read from an int[tilesWide,tilesHigh] instead of a comma delimited String, this makes my maps MUCH more readable and MUCH more modifyable.
GUI Concepts:
Seeing as the GUI is just around the corner, I thought I’d whip up some basic designs as to how I imagined it. Functionality would be simple, the icons on the left (letters currently stand for nothing, most likely to be replaced by icons) when clicked would slide out menus, things like inventory, stats, to-do list. The top left would have a multi-faceted clock. Displaying weather, in-game date and time. The top bar would display important info, such as currently selected tool, money help, current map name, etc. The minus at the top of the left bar, would “minimise” the bar. This is the basic concept:
(excuse the underlying game graphics, thats what it actually looks like at the moment)
Map building:
Who wants to build maps with provided graphics for inclusion into a game? I’m thinking of releasing my tile map pdf, it literally contains a huge table; there is a cell for each individual tile i’ve made/conceived a use for with a number that references the tile. I also have a “mapping” document. The activity you would partake in, is fill out the mapping table, with the numbers of the tiles you want to go there, essentially building a map. I’ll explain better and more simple in one of my next posts. It’ll be a poll.
