The "24h game coding challenge" of the AC2008 - ROM available

[Fadest]

During a previous discussion here on Jaguar programming, we made a deal with SebRmv.

Once I get an accurate Jag development kit running, I will try to make a Jaguar game...

 

Last week, as it becamed obvious we will meet during the AC2008 show in France, we defined the following rules.

He had to instal on my laptop his cross compiler, the remover slibrary, give me some advices during coding, and I had to make a game engine during the week-end.

 

This post is a transcript of how the things have gone during the WE.

 

Start of the operations : saturday noon

 

As I wanted to have a Linux on my laptop, and as Seb is more aware of Linux things rather than windows, he choosed to install a XUbuntu, then to create the cross compiler, install the libraries...

During the afternoon (we had some presentation to do for the show, so we wer not full time on the installation), everything is OK, the big part of the deal has to begin.

I had a pretty acurate idea of what I wanted to do, selected the needed graphics from the freeware "Yastuna2 Graphic Pack".

First, some theory on Jag coding, as I was not aware of how a Jag works, how to code it, how to use the Removers library.

Yes, this was a kind of crash test for his libraires...

 

We quickly got the first screen diplay on screen (background + sprites). Great...

Let start to code the basis of gameplay.

 

Then we got some tricky unexpected results, also called bugs

During the night, when Seb has to left the show, there was still some tricky bugs. I will have to find them on my own during sunday.

After a short night, and some replexion, I think I have the solution... It seems to work but randomly, after some minutes of playing, there are still some bugs coming from time to time without a single idea of what, how, and why...

 

Sunday noon, I think I know what happens, the how and why still miss.

During testing, I finally got the hoiw, so the why can now be corrected.

The game is ready, it's time to begin final testing.

 

Less than 24h have been necessary to do it...

 

I ask Kuk and Gatzee to test the game. It's the first time I let someone with the game without looking the screen. In France, we say "le moment de vérité.

Then some other guys also take a pad and play.

It seems the result is quite positive.

Of course, the game is not polished, there is no music or sound right now.

It needs more effects, all the extras (menus, ...), probably some rework on graphisms...

But it appears that the concept is not so bad.

 

I think Gatzee will come and give his first impressions.

 

And we met the target. Yes, as a Jaguar coder beginner, I have been able to write a game during the week-end.

Thanks to the Removers library, Jaguar programming has probably never been so easy. SebRmv and Stabylo really did an awesome work with these libraries.

Thanks to the members of the Jagware team, who gave me advices, support, and also had to listen my complaints

 

 

And also, I would like to thanks those who gave me the motivation to do this challenge, I hope they will appreciate the result

 

 

 

How, and what about this game ???

I have not yet reinstall my laptop at home. Once I do this, I will put the binary on the net, so you will be able to test it.

Edited April 21, 2008 by Fadest

[Fadest]

Here we go...

 

"Dazed vs" is here :

http://fadest.free.fr/DevJag/Dazed.bin

 

How to play :

First, you need 2 jagpad and a friend. This is a convention game, so it must be multiplayer

Transfert the game to your Jag.

On title screen, remove the BJL cable, and plug the second jagpad.

Then press C button on jagpad 1 to begin game.

 

On main game, you will see 2 grids fillen with sprites and a 2x2 sprite structure at the bottom for each player.

The goal is to make alignment (horizontal or vertical) of 3 or more identical sprites.

You can move your cursor (red square) with D pad.

While pressing C buton and movind D pad, you will swap the 2 sprites. If you create on or more alignment, they disappear.

This is gameplay for the main grid.

 

The 2x2 structure are the incoming sprite into your grid, after a short time, they will push the sprites in front of them.

If this should let you go outside the screen, then you lose.

You can control this structre with A and B button.

A button make it rotate (not slide, rotate) to the right.

B button, the same to the left.

You can send structure by pressing the jagpad 3 button.

 

Lucky pro controller owner have the following options :

Right and left triggers do the same than A and B button, but is more intuitive.

X, Y or Z do the same than 3 option, but is more practical.

 

I just loaded the game into Project Tempest and it seems to work, so even if you do not have a Jag BJL, you can have a look on it.

 

Enjoy, and if you have any remark or suggestions, feel free to ask.

[+LS650]

I'm at a conference for a couple of days and so I'm not near my Windows machine. I will give this a try with Project Tempest when I get back home on Wednesday.

 

Can someone post a screenshot or two? I'm very curious to see what this looks like....

 

It's good to see homebrew stuff finally breaking loose on the Jaguar.

[Fadest]

Title screen :

 

 

In game screen :

 

And it will probably be visible on different photos from the show.

[SebRmv]

Really great experiment

 

Who's next ?

[Pocket]

It's good to have a new Jag dev, kudos to Fadest for his first try, wich seems to be very interesting

 

I'll review the last version in a few days !

[kevincal]

Someone make a cool 2d billiards game.

[BuddyBuddies]

AWESOME! will it be released!? GREAT work buddy!

[SebRmv]

"Dazed vs" is here :

http://fadest.free.fr/DevJag/Dazed.bin

 

@Buddy: You can get it there.

[Fadest]

Thanks you Buddy.

If you have a BJL setup, you can test the actual version. There will probably be a more advanced one if people find the concept fun, but later...

 

I forgot 1 point :

if you see a ship instead of a head, this is normal. This is because your opponent made a nice alignment (or more than 1 at a time). So 1 of your incoming tile is changed by the ship. This is the only way to get the ship. So, until your opponent send you 3 ships, you cannot make them disapear, this is like a dead tile.

[BuddyBuddies]

"Dazed vs" is here :

http://fadest.free.fr/DevJag/Dazed.bin

 

@Buddy: You can get it there.

thanks buddy!

[BuddyBuddies]

Thanks you Buddy.

If you have a BJL setup, you can test the actual version. There will probably be a more advanced one if people find the concept fun, but later...

 

I forgot 1 point :

if you see a ship instead of a head, this is normal. This is because your opponent made a nice alignment (or more than 1 at a time). So 1 of your incoming tile is changed by the ship. This is the only way to get the ship. So, until your opponent send you 3 ships, you cannot make them disapear, this is like a dead tile.

no problem bud! the cocept looks like fun! i got a bjl Jag,i need to set it up and use it! will an alpine work aswell? thanks Fadest

[Fadest]

Templeton made some rework on his graphs, to make the game more readable.

I will try to continue the coding on a single player challenge soon

If someone have some remark or suggestion about this game or challenge, they should be adressed to me directly here in public or in private.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Fadest

[ovalbugmann]

Great Work! - Fadest & Templeton! It is nice to see some new code on the Jaguar! I will try this with BJL. The AC2008 is very healthy for Atari & Jaguar. I look forward to a one player challenge with "Dazed vs." Thanks again for all your hard work to bring something new to us Jaguar fans.

 

[Pocket]

Templeton made some rework on his graphs, to make the game more readable.

I will try to continue the coding on a single player challenge soon

If someone have some remark or suggestion about this game or challenge, they should be adressed to me directly here in public or in private.

 

More bonuses in one and two player mode ? (with positive and negative effects)