28 replies to this topic

[Animan]

Made this thing during my spare time. I have an idea how to make this into a game, but here's what I have so far.

Press the Reset switch to generate the ground. Move the joystick left and right to move your guy, and move the joystick up and down to raise or lower the segment of ground you are over.

Opinions? Suggestions?

EDIT: This is an older build.

Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   4K   45 downloads

Edited by Animan, Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:11 PM.

[Animan]

Just one or two bug fixes added here. I think I'm done with it for the night.

Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   4K   31 downloads

[SeaGtGruff]

It will be interesting to see what you do with this game-wise.

I have three comments so far...

(1) The scan line count jumps when raising or lowering the ground. I don't know how you're updating the playfield, but if you aren't already using pfread and pfpixel, you might be able to fix the scan line count by using them.

(2) The standard playfield resolution should work well for a game, but if you increase the vertical resolution you could add "in-between frames" to give a smoother animation of raising or lowering the ground. For example, if you double the resolution, then each time the player raises or lowers the ground you could first raise or lower it "half" of a block, then raise or lower it the other half, with two "frames" for each move. Or if you quadruple the resolution, you could raise/lower the ground a "quarter" of a block in each "frame," with four "frames" per move. Or you could just go with the higher resolution, with one playfield pixel per move-- i.e., each (smaller) playfield pixel is a complete block, rather than being considered a half or quarter of a block. (By "frame," I don't necessarily mean a non-interlaced TV frame of 1/60th of a second, but one distinct image or playfield formation.)

(3) Nothing happens when I press Reset.

Michael

[Animan]

Here's the current build I have. It adds pfcolors into the mix (I think it looks a lot better).

I have solution to the jumping scan line count, but at this point I'm out of space with 4k. I just need to learn how to use bankswitching. I understand how it works, I just don't know how to implement it into code.

Attached Thumbnails

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Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   4K   24 downloads

[jwierer]

Here is the info on using banks.

-Jeff

[Animan]

Alright, am I missing something? An I doing something wrong? How can I get bankswitching to work?

Attached Files

•  default.bas   4.63K   27 downloads

[SeaGtGruff]

Animan, on Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:14 PM, said:

Alright, am I missing something? An I doing something wrong? How can I get bankswitching to work?

What you did wrong was to put "bank2" (not indented) at the point where you want the second bank to be.

What you need to do is indent that line and put a space between "bank" and "2."

Michael

[Animan]

SeaGtGruff, on Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:35 PM, said:

Animan, on Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:14 PM, said:

Alright, am I missing something? An I doing something wrong? How can I get bankswitching to work?

What you did wrong was to put "bank2" (not indented) at the point where you want the second bank to be.

What you need to do is indent that line and put a space between "bank" and "2."

Michael

It won't compile when I do that. It just spits out an error message.

Edited by Animan, Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:16 PM.

[Animan]

Nevermind. Got it working. Problem was I was using "return" when I was supposed to use "goto" (it wasn't even related to the bankswitching). Thanks!

Edited by Animan, Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:57 PM.

[Animan]

Another small update.

Changes:
-Went from 4K to 8K.
-Using a new system to draw terrain (I'm now using pfpixel instead of pfvline).
-Scanline count will no longer exceed 262.
-Some code optimization to give me free space for later.

NOTE: If your guy happens to float above a block, or walks through one, press the reset switch while over the block you are hovering over or inside of, and it should correct itself. It's an issue involving trying to move while raising/lowering blocks. I am working on that.

Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   8K   27 downloads

Edited by Animan, Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:20 PM.

[Animan]

Haven't had a lot of time to work on this, but here's another small update. It simply tweaks some of the sound effects.

Suggestions and opinions are, again, always welcome.

Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   8K   20 downloads

[Animan]

A few minor additions. Once again.

-Player sprite is changed, and is now multicolor. This may change if I realize that I need missile0 and missile1 for something.
-Enemy with basic AI is now added. He is also multicolor.
-Background color will change to red you your character runs into enemy
-Using score bar to detect how many "blocks" you have left. It is not finished yet.

Attached Thumbnails

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Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   8K   21 downloads

[Random Terrain]

If you are building up the ground, is something supposed to be lowering it or eating it?

[Animan]

Random Terrain, on Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:25 PM, said:

If you are building up the ground, is something supposed to be lowering it or eating it?

Meh. I haven't thought that one through.

I am thinking about having the enemy "eat away" at the blocks, and you have to capture/kill it before he gets you. The game keeps on going until you either run out of blocks or he kills you. That's roughly the idea behind the game thus far.

Edited by Animan, Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:25 PM.

[The Galaxer]

Could you use many sprites instead of one sprite?

And of course, make sprites of the player digging out of the ground.

[Animan]

The Galaxer, on Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:23 AM, said:

Could you use many sprites instead of one sprite?

And of course, make sprites of the player digging out of the ground.

With the sprite "limit" at two, it's kind of hard to have more than an enemy and a player (I could use the multisprite kernal, however).

I am considering using missile0 and missile1 for traps and bait to lure in and capture the monster.

Edited by Animan, Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:37 PM.

[Animan]

With school starting up and all, I figured I won't have much time to work on it as much anymore. Here's what's new:

-You can walk on top of enemy, and you're able to ride on top of him as he moves.
-If the enemy runs into you (you're one space to the right of him when he moves), you teleport to the left side of the screen. I will be replacing this with a death animation soon.
-Enemy makes sound when he moves.

Anyone have any ideas for a name?

Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   8K   27 downloads

[Random Terrain]

Animan, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:01 PM, said:

With school starting up and all . . .

Why not quit and stay home? Then you could work on bB games every day. And if some wimpy kid that likes to wear black decides to go nuts because the 'cool kids' and certain teachers picked on him too much, you'll be safe at home.

Animan, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:01 PM, said:

Anyone have any ideas for a name?

Possible names:

Name This Game Part 2

Mr. Lumpy Rides a Monster

Ground Control

Major Tom

Earth Below Us

Thunder Foot

Topsoil Tim

Kaplow!

Tract Raiser

[Animan]

Random Terrain, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:50 PM, said:

Why not quit and stay home? Then you could work on bB games every day. And if some wimpy kid that likes to wear black decides to go nuts because the 'cool kids' and certain teachers picked on him too much, you'll be safe at home.

That part actually fits me a bit. A lot of my "witty" t-shirts are black, and I am a bit weak.

Random Terrain, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:50 PM, said:

Possible names:

Name This Game Part 2

Mr. Lumpy Rides a Monster

Ground Control

Major Tom

Earth Below Us

Thunder Foot

Topsoil Tim

Kaplow!

Tract Raiser

Those are actually some pretty good name ideas!

What do you actually think about what I have so far?

Edited by Animan, Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:01 PM.

[Random Terrain]

Animan, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:00 PM, said:

Those are actually some pretty good name ideas!

Yeah, I usually try to mix in some good ones with the B.S. ones.

Animan, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:00 PM, said:

What do you actually think about what I have so far?

I like maintenance games like this. If I was making it, the player would only be able to build up the dirt. And instead of having a monster moving on top of the dirt, I'd have dirt eating monsters from space fly down. A monster would fly down and eat a chunk or more of dirt, depending on the level and the color of the monster, then the monster would fly back up.

The player must keep building up the dirt with his prototype tract raising machine. Sounds easy, but if the player touches a dirt eating monster, the machine will break and the player will have to run over to the side and get it fixed.

If a dirt eating monster makes it to the bottom where the water table is, it will turn your whole tract of land into a useless swamp. Or if you don't like that, reaching the bottom could trigger an earthquake and your land would collapse into a sink hole. I think I like the second one better.

[Animan]

Random Terrain, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:27 PM, said:

Animan, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:00 PM, said:

Those are actually some pretty good name ideas!

Yeah, I usually try to mix in some good ones with the B.S. ones.

Animan, on Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:00 PM, said:

What do you actually think about what I have so far?

I like maintenance games like this. If I was making it, the player would only be able to build up the dirt. And instead of having a monster moving on top of the dirt, I'd have dirt eating monsters from space fly down. A monster would fly down and eat a chunk or more of dirt, depending on the level and the color of the monster, then the monster would fly back up.

That was actually the basis of another unfinished game of mine, Donjon Guard (can't remember if I posted that one here). Bats would fly down and attack a castle in a similar manner that you described, and you'd throw rocks at them. If you missed, you'd have to go to a second screen and get another rock out of a waterfall, all while your castle was still being attacked. I'll see if I still have that game on my hard drive.

I recently added in a "bait" item that lures a monster. I'll see if I can get it fully working by the end of the week, along with a "trap".

[Animan]

Here's the latest update:

-I've added a trap/bait item that you can use to trap monsters.
-To place the trap, move your character to the space you want to drop the trap and press the Fire button.
-When a monster is over the trap, press the Fire button, and he'll teleport to the left of the screen (I'll add a death animation later).
-To retrieve the trap, press the Select Switch (I know this isn't convenient, but it'll do for now).
-For now, the trap is the bait, meaning the monster will change directions depending on where it is. I may add a separate bait item later on.

Attached Files

•  default.bas.bin   8K   26 downloads

[Animan]

Again, any comments? Surely you all have something to say!

[Random Terrain]

Animan, on Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:53 PM, said:

Again, any comments? Surely you all have something to say!

After only 2 hours? It can take over half a day before people are back to their computers.

You could have the player double-click the fire button instead of using the Select Switch.

Have you figured out why the player can lower and raise the ground? If the player drops the trap/bait item, then lowers the ground, the trap/bait item floats in the air.

If the player pushes down at the bottom of the screen and drops the trap/bait item, it will sometimes appear at the top of the screen.

[Chuck D. Head]

Hmmmm...I like "Ground Control"; your player would obviously be Tom, maybe Lieutenant Tom (mostly just bumping this into my content so I remember to try the game at home) Morgan