Apocalyptico : -1 Hours Left

Yeah, I passed my allotted prototyping time.

Combination of lack of motivation, lack of interest, lack of time (midterm review, online classes, helping someone hackproof their game, job search, etc), and general stress killed it.

So, what have we learned?

• Join a damn devteam, already!
• Stop making games, they take forever and don't help you at all.
• Figure out what to do with your life.
• Read more Feynman books.
• Pick a time that's not right before midterms to do things like this.
• Screw it all.  Learn Joomla/MySQL/PHP/webdev and work as a backend developer.

Don't even know what to do anymore.

Apocalyptico : 20 Hours

Not going to make prototype time at all, oh well.

Unit selection system finished.  All graphics are temporary.

Apocalyptico : 16 Hours

Base and unit selection, very temporary stuff.

Apocalyptico : 11 Hours

Nicer generation.  Behind on time a bit.

Apocalyptico : 3.5 Hours

Definitely a little behind.  Random building generation kind of done?  Goodnight!

+Green bkg color
+Load base content
+Unload base content
+Create building struct
+Randomize building creation
-View system
-Create bases on buildings

Apocalyptico Prototype : 24 Hours

Challenge Overview: 
Build a prototype for an RTS that takes place completely on the tops of buildings in C# with XNA in 24 hours.


Finished product might be submitted to Develop In Brighton depending on quality.

Project begins 10:00 PM EST, 23 March to 10:00 PM EST, 24 March.

Design Document:
Game follows conventional RTS rules of supply, expansion, and base assault/defense.

• The catch?  Supply collection involves harvesters ripping the buildings themselves apart, causing them to sink as the game progresses.
• Due to this, expansion and control of tall buildings is a primary focus throughout the game.
• Harvesters have an emergent offensive ability, as they can be dropped onto enemy buildings to hasten their destruction.
• Factions are not decided pre-game.  Instead, players research units in "sets" that determine their overall macro strategy, and have the option to research the other sets late-game.
• Each set will consist of several basic offensive units, a transport unit, and a superweapon.
• Offensive units undecided.
• Transport units as of now:
• Modern set - Helicopter
• Buffer set - Bridge
• Guerrilla set - Unit Cannon
• Superweapons undecided but will work largely by targetting buildings in advance (alerting the opponent) and firing after a set timeout.
• Harvesters are initial technology.
• All factions will be able to move their base.
• Gameplay will be strictly horizontal sidescrolling with seamless screenwrapping on both sides.
• Buildings must be randomly generated in width and height but symmetrical for both players.
• AI will be trained via dynamic neural networks, pitting two AI against each other and tweaking parameters based on win streaks.
• Will most likely be a major s.o.b. to program and will not make it into the prototype.
• Fog of war implementation possible depending on how dependent gameplay becomes on macromanagement.
• Heavy changes are liable to be made during development.

Fix It (XNA) : Engine

 

Segment: 12 hrs.

Total: 12 hrs.

• Finished the movement engine.
• Added system for 3D layers.

Fix It (XNA) : Begin

XNA port!  For the STEM Challenge but also to eventually possibly market maybe.

This is the official starting post for the "Fix It (XNA)" project and all followup posts will stem from this.

Fix It : Finished

"Fix It" is the final name for the GMC Jam.  Was thrown in at the last second.  There's a reference to it like halfway through the game and all.

GMC Topic
Host-A Download

Timelapse.  Procrastinated everywhere.  Worked on another game idea for two days before completely scrapping it; that's the pixel art bits at the beginning.  Left me with around 30 hours to make this one.  Time ended up hurting me in the end but it came out alright although it's really rushed all over the place.

GMCJAM5 : -0.5 Hours Left

Well, I finished it.  Something messed up with the submission process so I'm fixing it with one of the mods but it's done.

Didn't get much music in and there's no menu and it's pretty primitive overall but I'm glad it's done because this was probably one of the worst timed jams I've participated in in a while.

Going to do a final post with postmortem and timelapse and screenshots and a download link and all.

GMCJAM5 : 2.5 Hours Left

This is around the time I start panicking and stop updating my devblogs.  Don't expect an update until it's finished at 7 PM.

GMCJAM5 : 13 Hours Left

No screen but lots of engine progress.  Have to design 15 or so levels by tonight.  Added conveyors.

GMCJAM5 : 21 Hours Left

Download b7

Not doing so well on time. Level design is a nightmare with how complex it's getting.

GMCJAM5 : 25.5 Hours Left

Download b6

A story possibly.

Finally able to start level design.

GMCJAM5 : 26.5 Hours Left

Dialogue system done.  NPCs done.  Lots of engine refixes.  No download link until later.

GMCJAM5 : 30 hours left

GMCJAM5 b4 Download

Controls are WASD and arrow keys.  No goal yet.  Still in the engine stage.

GMCJAM5 : Intro

Make a game in 72 hours.  Theme is Facade.

Competition Link

Temporary name is GMCJAM5 until I can think of something.

Intro

Quick devblog set up to supplement my main blog at thatsnail.blogspot.com .

This one's mainly just for pre-beta updates for game jams and that sort of thing.