I’ve maybe been playing one to many games recently but the other day me and my girlfriend (Claire) came across Astropop on Xbox Live Arcade, a game by PopCap Games. Astropop can only be described as the video game equivalent to crack cocaine! I have no ground for comparison... apart from watching Claire get jacked up on the colourful puzzle madness…
“just one more game!” is the phrase I now hear very often.
I’ve been informed to post more contextual material, that isn’t of my making, so contextualise this…
Stumbled across this video whilst browsing Beyond Unreal
(an awesome Unreal community site - www.beyondunreal.com)
There is some strong language in this video, so be warned. But I think the issues raised justify the level of language, it certainly puts across several good points about today’s console FPS market.
Agreed… Turok is a big pile of MEH!
Check out Yahtzee’s blog HERE for more video reviews and ramblings...
Today I discovered the 2D Shape Editor with-in UT2004… AMAZING!
Now I can produce brushes of almost any shape and size... quickly and easily, thus allowing for much more interesting level design through the use of shapes.
Below is a 2D layout for a map that I am currently working on, I produced this level using the 2D shape editor.
Over recent days I have been learning about AI and Bots for UT2004.
Looking into path nodes, multiple paths, attack areas, defence points,
sniper spots, pick up areas… and so on...
With the last project finished I've had a few days off relaxing and as always playing games. I have also started to draw my focus back to making games (much more satisfying) this time with the Unreal Editor.
UT isn’t my kind of shooter, It’s a little too sci-fi for my liking, but I’ve been playing them ever since the first in 1998 and I can defiantly see why it has become so popular amongst FPS fans.
Through following their guidance and tutorials I have created my first map with the UT2004 editor. I decided to keep things simple so I can get accustomed with the editor’s user interface, so I just created a single room. Yeah, yeah easy I hear you say, well it is… but there are things you NEED to keep in mind before starting out…
The collision radius and height of your character for example… how tall they are when standing and when crouched and how their measurements in UT relate to real world measurements, the technicalities of scale basically.
There are other aspects and work flows that I needed to familiarise myself with before I started to create my first map, i.e. the UT2004 editor is a subtractive tool, so essentially you are carving out your map from a solid block.
I also learnt about the use of snapping to the grid and that by doing so prevents BSP errors and the nasty HOM effects at the seams.
Below is a screen shot of me running about and firing off a few rounds in my room... it’s a lovely room isn’t it.
Below are the links to some very interesting videos about the Unreal Engine and the wonder that is Epic Games...
The History of Unreal Tournament
The Making of Unreal Tournament 3
It’s finished, click the image link below to play the game, hosted at newgrounds.com
As well as newgrounds.com I have uploaded the game to various other Flash sites that allow you to submit your work to be played and rated by other gamers. I really like how gamegum.com has projected and framed my game. Click the image link below to play it hosted at Game Gum.
If you do play please post your feedback, reviews and SCORES in the comments link below (no account required to comment) I’d really appreciate the feedback.
The other week I bought myself a new keyboard on an impulse buy, it was cheap and I needed a new one. I HATE it and I am completely regretting not looking over the key layout before I purchased... all because of one blinding design flaw, see image below.
Take a look at where the power shortcut button is situated in the below image… it sits right underneath the Delete key, one of the most commonly used keys on the humble keyboard. This is a BAD place to put this pointless, un-needed, un-wanted shortcut button. Especially if it’s a power button, devastating if it is accidentally pressed
If the powers that be at Genius insist that they need those shortcut keys, power, sleep & wake then this problem could have been easily solved by placing them above the F keys, or even above the num pad.
Granted I didn’t spot it at the time of purchase but didn’t Genius user test this layout?! If they had done properly then they would have come across this design flaw very quickly.
"Genius" my ARSE!
Think I’ll be modding this keyboard, bye bye power button!
It has been a good few weeks since I last posted and yet again a
What has changed and why…?
1 – The player now has a set field of vision which they can throw items into, where as before they could throw items anywhere upon the pond. This field of vision enhances the game play greatly; it is linked directly to the avatar and gives the player a defined reason to move the old lady left and right.
2 – Most noticeably I have added TNT as an extra item, this allows the player to throw in explosives to clear away unwanted ducks for a short period of time. If the player hits the BAD ducks then points are gained, if the player hits the GOOD ducks then points are lost. I have given the user a set amount of x20 TNT, originally I had x10 but after play testing the game with various players I observed that they used x10 very quickly into the game, so I increased it.
3 – I have altered the background and given the ducks more room to swim about, thus allowing a bigger play area; this improves the game play yet again.
4 – I have increased the movement speed of the avatar (old lady) she is now a lot quicker on her heels and easily matches the ducks in speed. This allows the player to chase around a chosen duck and target in on them more easily.
5 – I have changed the way that I have coded the avatars left and right movements. In previous versions of my game the user pressed the left or right arrow keys and the avatar moved once, then paused, then started to move again. In Adobe's attempt to improve every aspect of Actionscript, they deleted some features that arcade game programmers have used for years.
6 – I have added several water animations to boost the visual feel of the game, a splash animation and a water ripple animation. I have also added an explosion animation for the TNT.
7 – Bonus ducks (little yellow ducklings) are a recent addition, if the player hits certain score targets BONUS ducks are unlocked, if the player feeds these ducks bread they will earn BIG points.
I have also been working on the menu screen and various other screens that appear throughout the game. The looming deadline is just a few short days away and I feel pretty confidant with my progress and what stage I am at.
I’d post the latest version up here but I want to wait till the game is complete, so for now here is a screen shot, click the image to enlarge to full resolution - (800 x 600)
