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[BigWeather]

Heya, looking for a little advice on which way to go for an idea I'd like to implement.

It'll be a top-down procedurally generated dungeon crawler. Probably real-time, single-PC with multiple NPC henchmen. The pace would be closer to something like Dark Souls than Diablo.

I'm pretty certain I want to use Unity for this. Not certain whether to go 2D or 3D. 3D has a distinct disadvantage for me -- I'm much more comfortable creating assets for 2D. I know Unity 4.3 has some nice 2D support, including physics, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to work into a top-down perspective. Gravity, for instance -- rather than objects falling from top to bottom they'd essentially get smaller in place (if something fell into a pit, for example). Also, will I be fighting Unity every step of the way doing procedural generation? I'll want to be able to place tiles that have collision boundaries, for instance.

Finally, imagine a top-down fighter swinging a sword. I'd like to detect a collision with an adjoining wall and stop the swing with a clang -- doable with a collision box on the tip of the sword and sinking an event when it collides with the wall's collision boundary, right? Now imagine the sword connects with a critter's elbow -- is it possible (easy-ish) to actually remove the forearm of the critter from the sprite? Like have the sprite be a combination of multiple limbs with some kind of primitive skeleton, detect the collision with the joint, and at run-time remove the limb at the joint?

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, just trying to figure out if Unity (and more specifically 2D and box physics) is a decent fit for what I'd like to do.

Thanks!

 

[Feep]

Someone had something surprising to say ....(featuring Corrin's invisible phone and invisible computer)

 

[Anustart]

Ugh. Trying to implement an effect in my game and I want to freeze the z rotation of objects during the process, but doing so results in other side effects I do not want :/

 

[Ashodin]

Someone had something surprising to say ....(featuring Corrin's invisible phone and invisible computer)

Is that supposed to be a surprised call? He should be jerking slightly as he hears something interesting.

 

[bkw]

Someone had something surprising to say ....(featuring Corrin's invisible phone and invisible computer)[/IMG]

Looking sharp! I recall in the older screenshots, the background was more painterly or textured. Is the style evolving or just a different environment? Looks good either way!
This gif reminds me of Evil Genius for some reason. =)

 

[Blizzard]

I found an OpenGL IRC channel, and was informed by a helpful person that shaders typically do NOT do the matrix construction etc. for transformation matrices. Instead, the CPU sets things up.

This makes sense, I suppose, especially since as they pointed out, a vertex shader operation is going to happen for every single vertex, instead of just once per object.

 

[missile]

IndieGaf, I have experience in both visual-based programs such as MMF and GameMaker, and I also have some inkling in c++, at least enough to finish a product if i started. Though my understanding of certain concepts isn't that great. Would you recommend just sticking with C++ and just cramming it until I know the important concepts I need to know, or would you suggest a more visual approach. What are the pros and cons of each system? Do recent versions of GameMaker, CM2, and Stencyl have support for multiple platforms? That would be one of my greatest concerns. I will be doing 2D games as I have no knowledge of 3D concepts. Thanks!~

Can't remember any programming concept necessary for programming games in
C/C++ nor any other language. You may better start out with your idea
tinkering around instead of studying different concepts. Once your idea is
clear and you know what you want to do concepts can help you along the way.
Regarding your 'pros and cons' question; you can try to make a small game in
C/C++ and then try to make the same game in, for example, GameMaker. Note:
It's not my intention to point you at GameMaker, or any other similar tool,
just because you may realize to be faster using it. Speed means nothing if one
runs the wrong way(s) -- and I'm particular against the common opinion of
using game maker tools just because one might be faster. In the end you may
come up with many pretty useless things while not haven't put some good
amount of time/thoughts into them. Hence, it's not about speed, it's about
understanding what each of them, i.e. C/C++, GameMaker, etc. can do for you.
And this is better found out by doing.

The answer I often hear to this question is "Do you want to make engines or games?" People who try to roll their own engine often get stuck in that step for so long, they don't even manage to start on the game itself (just making a game is hard enough, making both a game and its engine is obviously even harder). Learning C++ is a good skill to have, but if you are more interested in just making a game, I would recommend a tool like C2 instead.

Indeed. Yet it depends on the game, i.e. the scope and the degree of
sophistication. Doing an engine on your own is, up to my point of view, a
cool thing
(a) if your game is relative simple, or
(b) if you want to gain a great learning experience, or
(c) if you know what your are up to, i.e. you have the abilities/skills
necessary to make something different, something which can hardly be done by
using other systems/tools/engines.

And this is relative independent considering the type of the engine (graphics,
script, physics, animation, etc.) and the framework (C/C++, Unity, GameMaker,
etc.) used. As long as the given system offers one some Turning complete data-
manipulation rules, one can build whatever (s)he wants, yet ease of
implementation and efficiency is a different story.

Top left of the screen is 0,0. ...

On a historical note; The old vector tubes had their origin in the center of
the screen. But the than new raster scan tubes had their origin places at the
top-left, because such tubes were mainly a western invention with western
people reading from top-left to the right and downwards. Hence, pointing the
electron gun to the top-left while starting to render text (character mode)
would be a pretty good idea. Rest assured that if the Arabs had invented the
raster scan display the origin would be the top-right.

Someone had something surprising to say ...

That's Feep working while getting a call from Sony requesting the sh!t being
ported to the PS4.

 

[Zissou]

I know this keeps coming up, but is there somewhere that has good information on C2, Gamemaker, and Stencyl and how exactly they compare with one another? I have no real programming experience and I'm looking to make a 2D beat'em up, but would like to have a decent amount of fine control over the combat system and such (something with a good stable framerate, something with predictable physics, etc. is also important). Do any of those three stand above the others as being best-suited for this purpose? If so, why? Thanks in advance for any advice anybody can offer!

 

[Five]

I know this keeps coming up, but is there somewhere that has good information on C2, Gamemaker, and Stencyl and how exactly they compare with one another? I have no real programming experience and I'm looking to make a 2D beat'em up, but would like to have a decent amount of fine control over the combat system and such (something with a good stable framerate, something with predictable physics, etc. is also important). Do any of those three stand above the others as being best-suited for this purpose? If so, why? Thanks in advance for any advice anybody can offer!

I only have experience with GameMaker, so I have no authority to make a comparison, but GameMaker's definitely good enough for that. I suspect the others are as well, however I can't say for sure.

 

[Feep]

Is that supposed to be a surprised call? He should be jerking slightly as he hears something interesting.

Not a bad idea! I'll tell the animator.

Looking sharp! I recall in the older screenshots, the background was more painterly or textured. Is the style evolving or just a different environment? Looks good either way!

It's a different environment, and it's also pretty zoomed out. The brushstrokes are still there, just kind of tough to see here. = D

 

[Zissou]

I only have experience with GameMaker, so I have no authority to make a comparison, but GameMaker's definitely good enough for that. I suspect the others are as well, however I can't say for sure.

Thanks for the advice! I am mainly concerned with which (if any) of the three wouldn't be suitable for my needs, and of those that are suitable, which is the easiest to learn either because it's intuitive or because there are lots of good resources available for learning it.

 

[F-Pina]

I know this keeps coming up, but is there somewhere that has good information on C2, Gamemaker, and Stencyl and how exactly they compare with one another? I have no real programming experience and I'm looking to make a 2D beat'em up, but would like to have a decent amount of fine control over the combat system and such (something with a good stable framerate, something with predictable physics, etc. is also important). Do any of those three stand above the others as being best-suited for this purpose? If so, why? Thanks in advance for any advice anybody can offer!

We have been using Game Maker since April and it is an excellent tool for 2D games. GM can handle physics. We have not used it in our game any way though It looks like it is precise but I am not sure if it can handle a good stable frame rate while keeping precision physics at the same time. It is however an excellent tool to quickly build and rebuild your game in any way and easily port to several platforms.

You should try and see what games exist that use the physics part and see if it is any good. You can use the GM showcase -> http://www.yoyogames.com/showcase

 

[razu]

I dragged a few sprites that I selected to a sprite object just now and it created an animation. When I run the game with my controller all it does is loop an animation with all the sprites and Physics doesn't effect it. I can't believe they didn't explain this in the documentation.

I had difficulty finding any documentation! I just watched a video!

 

[AusRoachman]

I decided to revive an old unity project ive been working on and off on for the last 4 months , now is a good time as any now that 4.3 has dropped.

So i have started giving it a new lick of paint and finally settled on a name and art style.

The game itself is a slight mixture of turn based and rts games, combining the movement strategy of typical turn based games with the resource gathering of rts games.

I am far from a designer so i have a longgg way to go , but i want to go for a very minimalistic/abstract style because

• i am no artist and
• i really love that simple look.

The game is called Abstraxion and i am hoping to get a demo out soon. Here is a screenshot of my main commander base

 

[More_Badass]

Are there any other tutorials for Stencyl? I think the one Jobbs provided was a bit outdated, and while the current crash course ones are useful, they really leave out some critical information. Like sure I plugged in movement behaviors for moving and jumping, but it doesn't tell you how to actually create those events on your own. I'm trying to follow the events in the pre-made games, but it's pretty confusing. Or how to actually import tiles. I asked on Stencyl forums, still haven't gotten a response. So I'm hoping I could get some help here in the meantime.

Sorry if my beginner questions are getting annoying

 

[charsace]

IndieGaf, I have experience in both visual-based programs such as MMF and GameMaker, and I also have some inkling in c++, at least enough to finish a product if i started. Though my understanding of certain concepts isn't that great. Would you recommend just sticking with C++ and just cramming it until I know the important concepts I need to know, or would you suggest a more visual approach. What are the pros and cons of each system? Do recent versions of GameMaker, CM2, and Stencyl have support for multiple platforms? That would be one of my greatest concerns. I will be doing 2D games as I have no knowledge of 3D concepts. Thanks!~

Game loop is something you must understand if you are gonna make a game from scratch without an engine or framework.

I had difficulty finding any documentation! I just watched a video!

I watched both videos. Now I know how to do it no problems. They need to document it better though.

 

[nicoga3000]

Thanks for the advice! I am mainly concerned with which (if any) of the three wouldn't be suitable for my needs, and of those that are suitable, which is the easiest to learn either because it's intuitive or because there are lots of good resources available for learning it.

Game Maker is fine for what you want to do. And there are a LOT of resources out there for it - the YYG forums are actually very good for getting assistance (as long as you know what you're asking).

I say grab the demo/free version of Game Maker, do the tutorials, and see how you feel about the software. It's going to take you a while before you can make the game you want to make anyways, so just make some really simple stuff. Once you get that down, go to the TIG Source forums and do the GM For Beginner's tutorials (1-4) to make yourself a nice Gradius clone. If you don't like the engine, move on to the others...But Game Maker will do what you want.

 

[Five]

We have been using Game Maker since April and it is an excellent tool for 2D games. GM can handle physics. We have not used it in our game any way though It looks like it is precise but I am not sure if it can handle a good stable frame rate while keeping precision physics at the same time. It is however an excellent tool to quickly build and rebuild your game in any way and easily port to several platforms.

You should try and see what games exist that use the physics part and see if it is any good. You can use the GM showcase -> http://www.yoyogames.com/showcase

It uses Box2D, which is pretty good by all accounts and easily the most popular 2D physics solution. It's also deterministic, aside from floating-point calculation differences on different platforms.

 

[Thaumaturgic Tomato]

I recently came across a faster way to make normal maps. It can get tedious by hand in Photoshop. Crazybump is easy to get into Unity. Found this yesterday and can already tell it will save a lot of time for me.

Crazybump various tutorials
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...bump&oq=&gs_l=

just google crazybump

 

[Amirai]

That is a fantastic question Amirai, I of course want to make games, but I have worked on engines here and there and I really never got anywhere as you stated. I do feel it would be important to atleast know how they function though. Will give Stencyl and C2 a go though as they seem to be fairly popular around these parts to see which I prefer. Its about time I actually created something instead of just fiddling. Thanks for the advice.

EDIT: I did mention I used Multimedia Fusion in the past, does anyone have any thoughts on Multimedia Fusion 2?

In my opinion, C2 is everything MMF should have been. It solves all the problems I had with MMF and then some. Since you've used MMF before, you'd probably feel right at home with it as well, as they are similar in some ways (I haven't used stencyl so I can't comment on it).

I don't want to tear into MMF because great games can be made with it, but there was a lot about it that really frustrated me, and I felt sometimes like I spent more time fighting with the program than I did working on my game. In comparison, C2 just glides, and often has been an outright joyous experience to use.

C2 isn't perfect yet, but it's also one of the newer engines around and is being rapidly developed and improved via updates like every week or two. Its main problem is it's slightly ahead of its time - targeting html5 when html5 is still so new, meaning things like depending on third party software for iOS export which has some issues (Scirra announced recently a plan to improve android export so that hopefully will significantly improve relatively soon), but lots of people, some of them at huge companies like google and Microsoft, are working on the remaining problems and trying to improve the situation, so hopefully those issues will be resolved soon as well.

Even with that downside, the upsides to C2 are very numerous, and it's being improved rapidly, so I definitely recommend it.

 

[More_Badass]

All right, so I kind of stalled with Stencyl, so I'm going to try Construct 2 and Game Maker and see which of the three I prefer

 

[nicoga3000]

All right, so I kind of stalled with Stencyl, so I'm going to try Construct 2 and Game Maker and see which of the three I prefer

Smart move! Trying them all out is the best way to learn what you like.

 

[More_Badass]

Smart move! Trying them all out is the best way to learn what you like.

Yes, I think that's the best choice. I like Stencyl's format, but I felt extremely lost even after the tutorial kits. So I'm trying those two program, and the free version of Unity. But seeing that Game Maker Standard is so cheap compared to the others, and that it was used to make Valdis Story, Gunpoint, and Frog Sord, it looks the most appealing to me. I've discovered I have a deep passion for pixel graphics, and I'd love to try and animate my own sprites, so Game Maker seems great

(Is that a one-time purchase for GM, or is it a yearly license like the other programs?)

But I'll be sure to post my impressions later

 

[Ashodin]

C2 really fits my development style. I work more visually than mathematically or coding wise.

 

[More_Badass]

C2 really fits my development style. I work more visually than mathematically or coding wise.

I haven't tried it yet. Would C2 be better for someone with little to no coding experience?

 

[Ashodin]

I haven't tried it yet. Would C2 be better for someone with little to no coding experience?

That's what I feel. Sure you're "essentially" learning how to code with it, and in time you'll start thinking of how to piece together scenes and objects and events as if it was real code, but in a more workflow thought process style.

 

[More_Badass]

That's what I feel. Sure you're "essentially" learning how to code with it, and in time you'll start thinking of how to piece together scenes and objects and events as if it was real code, but in a more workflow thought process style.

That sounds like it would suit me. I'm also very visual. When I write, I see scenes like a movie and try to transcribe that into words.

I had always felt that my lack of programming ability would prevent me from making something, but - and I'm sure you and all the other devs here have had the same feeling - you just want to create something, to take all those ideas you have and turn them into something tangible and cohesive.

 

[Ashodin]

That sounds like it would suit me. I'm also very visual. When I write, I see scenes like a movie and try to transcribe that into words.

I had always felt that my lack of programming ability would prevent me from making something, but - and I'm sure you and all the other devs here have had the same feeling - you just want to create something, to take all those ideas you have and turn them into something tangible and cohesive.

Yep pretty much Construct 2 allows me to do what I didn't think I could.

 

[nicoga3000]

Yes, I think that's the best choice. I like Stencyl's format, but I felt extremely lost even after the tutorial kits. So I'm trying those two program, and the free version of Unity. But seeing that Game Maker Standard is so cheap compared to the others, and that it was used to make Valdis Story, Gunpoint, and Frog Sord, it looks the most appealing to me. I've discovered I have a deep passion for pixel graphics, and I'd love to try and animate my own sprites, so Game Maker seems great

(Is that a one-time purchase for GM, or is it a yearly license like the other programs?)

But I'll be sure to post my impressions later

GM is a one time purchase. Studio is the best choice to purchase if you're going to go that route. Also, they will probably do a sale on Steam for Christmas - half price for the pro version. But Steam GM Studio won't allow you to use 3rd party plugins...Not a HUGE issue (I've never used them in all my time), but something to think about.

 

[friken]

We finally got a bridge backdrop done for an alien race. Feedback?

Will have whole scene animated soon I hope. but here is very rough gif of just the alien:

 

[More_Badass]

So of the four programs I downloaded (Stencyl, GM, C2, Unity), I already tried Stencyl. Now I checked out GM. I really like the event-action/drag, drop style here. Especially for someone as new as me, it's definitely more intuitive and easier to grasp than Stencyl's modules.

Edit: please tell me there are some good spriting tutorials out there. Either I have no artistic skill or it's the first time I'm doing this, because even my little stick figure looks like crap.

 

[nicoga3000]

So of the four programs I downloaded (Stencyl, GM, C2, Unity), I already tried Stencyl. Now I checked out GM. I really like the event-action/drag, drop style here. Especially for someone as new as me, it's definitely more intuitive and easier to grasp than Stencyl's modules.

Edit: please tell me there are some good spriting tutorials out there. Either I have no artistic skill or it's the first time I'm doing this, because even my little stick figure looks like crap.

My favorite part about the drag and drop stuff is that it allows you to do really basic stuff early on. I still use it in more elaborate projects for stuff I just don't want to code. If you decide to stick with GM, a great exercise for learning GML is to take an old project you did with DND and slowly convert it all over to GML. That's how I learned it at first.

 

[Anustart]

Fraps and Unity do not mix well...

I was wanting to record some stuff from the editor for a buddy of mine and for god knows what reason fraps recorded each window of unity separately, meaning I got a video of hierarchy, editor window, game window etc. And recording stops when I'd stop running the game :/

 

[Tash]

Fraps and Unity do not mix well...

I was wanting to record some stuff from the editor for a buddy of mine and for god knows what reason fraps recorded each window of unity separately, meaning I got a video of hierarchy, editor window, game window etc. And recording stops when I'd stop running the game :/

Haven't tried it myself though:
http://www.renderheads.com/portfolio/UnityAVProMovieCapture/

 

[Feep]

Fraps and Unity do not mix well...

I was wanting to record some stuff from the editor for a buddy of mine and for god knows what reason fraps recorded each window of unity separately, meaning I got a video of hierarchy, editor window, game window etc. And recording stops when I'd stop running the game :/

Just build it out and fraps the stand-alone? That's what I did.

 

[Hazaro]

Fraps and Unity do not mix well...

I was wanting to record some stuff from the editor for a buddy of mine and for god knows what reason fraps recorded each window of unity separately, meaning I got a video of hierarchy, editor window, game window etc. And recording stops when I'd stop running the game :/

Use OBS

 

[Alienous]

So, a couple of years ago I had an idea for a gravity manipulation platformer. I had perhaps seen parts of VVVVVV, but the main inspiration was the idea that the ultimate power to give the player in a platformer is power over gravity (i.e. the power to not fall into a pit, for instance).

Anyway, I've tried for a while to make it work. Between my ineptitude at making games, and lack of general artistic skill, it has slowly, but surely, made progress. I had worked out the mechanics, and the key challenges. I had figured out how I wanted gravity to behave, and even a rough level structure. Acts would be themed to challenge your ability to not touch anything, constantly move, remember where platforms are etc.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get the level design to work. In reflection, I suppose it should have been obvious from the start. It would be akin to designing a shooter where your bullets automatically curve to kill enemies, or a racing game where you have the option of driving in a straight line to the end of a course.

Well, I'm rambling. The reason I mention all of this is because the latest Ratchet & Clank has sort of relieved me of an 'responsibility' I thought I might have to see the project to its completion, as it basically executes on the idea I independently had. But in viewing the gameplay, I feel like the same pitfalls that made my project unfun crop up in that game. The only real difference is a persistent chasing element in the design. Otherwise, it ends up being a matter of floating between large passageways rather than platforming. More akin to the Helicopter game than VVVVVV.

So, GAF, I want to ask you what you vetting process for your ideas were before you started working on them. I learned a lot trying to make my gravity manipulation platformer, and still have a ton of ideas for a ton of genres. But I want to make sure that the next idea I embark on has a solid foundation. So what's my best bet? Play it safe? I've been working on a combat-free 'metroidvania' game that I feel is solid, but I'd like to commit to something that is reasonable. So, do I go for something new (the combat-free game) or play it safe? My limitations weren't technical, but just piggybacking on a flawed gameplay concept.

Thanks in advance, GAF.

 

[Blizzard]

So, a couple of years ago I had an idea for a gravity manipulation platformer. I had perhaps seen parts of VVVVVV, but the main inspiration was the idea that the ultimate power to give the player in a platformer is power over gravity (i.e. the power to not fall into a pit, for instance).

Anyway, I've tried for a while to make it work. Between my ineptitude at making games, and lack of general artistic skill, it has slowly, but surely, made progress. I had worked out the mechanics, and the key challenges. I had figured out how I wanted gravity to behave, and even a rough level structure. Acts would be themed to challenge your ability to not touch anything, constantly move, remember where platforms are etc.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get the level design to work. In reflection, I suppose it should have been obvious from the start. It would be akin to designing a shooter where your bullets automatically curve to kill enemies, or a racing game where you have the option of driving in a straight line to the end of a course.

Well, I'm rambling. The reason I mention all of this is because the latest Ratchet & Clank has sort of relieved me of an 'responsibility' I thought I might have to see the project to its completion, as it basically executes on the idea I independently had. But in viewing the gameplay, I feel like the same pitfalls that made my project unfun crop up in that game. The only real difference is a persistent chasing element in the design. Otherwise, it ends up being a matter of floating between large passageways rather than platforming. More akin to the Helicopter game than VVVVVV.

So, GAF, I want to ask you what you vetting process for your ideas were before you started working on them. I learned a lot trying to make my gravity manipulation platformer, and still have a ton of ideas for a ton of genres. But I want to make sure that the next idea I embark on has a solid foundation. So what's my best bet? Play it safe? I've been working on a combat-free 'metroidvania' game that I feel is solid, but I'd like to commit to something that is reasonable. So, do I go for something new (the combat-free game) or play it safe? My limitations weren't technical, but just piggybacking on a flawed gameplay concept.

Thanks in advance, GAF.

One of the key things if you're not sure about a concept might be to get a prototype working as quickly as possible. Whether it's Game Maker or Unity, game engines can help make that happen, so you can get an idea whether a concept will be fun.

 

[nicoga3000]

So, GAF, I want to ask you what you vetting process for your ideas were before you started working on them. I learned a lot trying to make my gravity manipulation platformer, and still have a ton of ideas for a ton of genres. But I want to make sure that the next idea I embark on has a solid foundation. So what's my best bet? Play it safe? I've been working on a combat-free 'metroidvania' game that I feel is solid, but I'd like to commit to something that is reasonable. So, do I go for something new (the combat-free game) or play it safe? My limitations weren't technical, but just piggybacking on a flawed gameplay concept.

Thanks in advance, GAF.

You're already sort of doing what I would normally suggest - take a familiar concept and at with it a bit. We all go through ups and downs...Make something that is NOTHING like our original vision. But what's nice is that you can always revisit it later web you've learned something and feel more complete or experienced.

I'm not sure I completely understand your situation, but why not do a simple Mario clone or something? Toy with the level designs just a little bit ere and there to make them more interesting? If it's not mechanics that you're having issues with, it sounds like it's making the games "fun". In that case, nothing but time and experience will help you there.

 

[charsace]

In Unity 4.3 they left out applying impulses for the box2d even though they have function in the 3d physics that lets you apply impulses.

 

[jrDev]

Hey fellow devs,

Dunno if you guys saw in the iOS thread, but I finally released my game that I've been working on FOR YEARS!

PRICE: FREE | Download iPhone Version | Download iPad Version


FEATURES:

• Controls specifically designed for touch-screens! Arcade football with full control of your team: run, pass, throw, and tackle -- all at the touch of your fingertips.
• RPG mechanics that reward you with XP every time you do something awesome. Level up and your players abilities will increase.
• Build the ultimate team by collecting Hero Cards for your roster; Each Hero Card has unique skills and powers; Level each card to maximize their abilities.
• Deep fighting game system with special moves such as: Spinning Fists, Dragon Punch, Tornado Kick, Rocket Shoes, Lock-On Tackle, Time Bomb, Bullet Pass, Teleport, Proximity Mine, Oil Slick and many more!
• Build the ultimate football team and battle in Cup Mode or in Multiplayer; Customize your Team Name and City; Upload an image from your phone or tablet for your custom team logo. This will appear in your stadium and on your players' helmets; Customize all of your players' names and numbers.
• Single-player Cup Mode pits you against increasingly power teams with unique tactics and deadly special moves; Defeat each Cup and claim the coveted Cup Trophy.
• Multiplayer anywhere: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GameCenter, Online (Coming Soon!)
• Cross device synching: Play with the same team on your smartphone or tablet!

I'd really love any feedback you guys have.

BTW, does anyone know how to get into the FlightPath beta? I submitted my e-mail (and we've been using TestFlight for over a year), but I haven't received any information on how to activate it for a retail build. It would be great to have real-time crash reports instead of iTunesConnect's periodic unsymbolicated crash reports.

Really cool! Did this by yourself?

 

[Anustart]

Just build it out and fraps the stand-alone? That's what I did.

I would, but I actually was trying to record the editor as well, not just the game.

I'll look into Haz's advice!

In other news, I just now, about 2 minutes ago got the main hook of my game coded up in a workable fashion! Been working on it for weeks and just now saw the fruits of my labor when I ran it! So excited :3 It's of course still not finished, but I'm really glad I got it running in it's limited state.

 

[Raonak]

My favorite part about the drag and drop stuff is that it allows you to do really basic stuff early on. I still use it in more elaborate projects for stuff I just don't want to code. If you decide to stick with GM, a great exercise for learning GML is to take an old project you did with DND and slowly convert it all over to GML. That's how I learned it at first.

Totally agree with this, the neat thing about GM is that you can learn using the drag and drop, then start doing GML. GML, once you've gotten used to, allows much more flexability. I actually learned GML as I was making nax.

 

[EDarkness]

Here's a screen from the game I'm working on. It's very very early, but since people are always sharing what they're working on here I figured I'd do the same.

Gotta admit it's pretty fun tinkering around in Unity. I've been focusing most on the internals (stats, skills, GUI, combat, etc.) and haven't been playing around with getting the world to look nice. It's coming along fairly well, though. Kinda cool to see it come together.

 

[patchday]

@EDarkness, That looks very good!

(Unrelated) Funny thing I'm noticing on kickstarter. I see a lot of projects by guys where they barely back anyone else as it is. Then they turn around and ask their backers to checkout other projects of their 'friends' to back those. Yet, when you check the profile of the project owner they don't back the projects they're recommending. Just seems like a pretty lame trend.

Is that bad form or am I just being picky?!

Anyways...

 

[Pasta_Soup]

That lighting is looking really great, EDarkness. Nice image!

 

[Heart of Black]

Totally agree with this, the neat thing about GM is that you can learn using the drag and drop, then start doing GML. GML, once you've gotten used to, allows much more flexability. I actually learned GML as I was making nax.

Only thing is porting is a pain in the ass.

BaraBariBall (made by my buddies) was all in GM and the port to C++ was painful, but doable.

My game, Treachery in Beatdown City, was also all GML and we essentially had to rebuild it when porting to XNA (as Vlambeer has to do too when they decide to build their games later).

I'd rather have a minimal coding environment where I can get stuff running much easier than figuring out Game Maker's code base and then having to redo anything, anyway.

 

[patchday]

That's what I like about Unity. My friend tells me he just had to tweak some minor things to port his game to IPhone, Android, etc.

Add to that you have access to a massive library of plugins & assets in the Asset Store and you have a pretty nice foundation to build a game with. I've been playing around in Unity myself and got a basic prototype going. Probably won't have screenshots to share for awhile though

 

[AcceptableGhost]

Level zoom outs sure are neat.

 

[nicoga3000]

That's what I like about Unity. My friend tells me he just had to tweak some minor things to port his game to IPhone, Android, etc.

Add to that you have access to a massive library of plugins & assets in the Asset Store and you have a pretty nice foundation to build a game with. I've been playing around in Unity myself and got a basic prototype going. Probably won't have screenshots to share for awhile though

Only thing is porting is a pain in the ass.

BaraBariBall (made by my buddies) was all in GM and the port to C++ was painful, but doable.

My game, Treachery in Beatdown City, was also all GML and we essentially had to rebuild it when porting to XNA (as Vlambeer has to do too when they decide to build their games later).

I'd rather have a minimal coding environment where I can get stuff running much easier than figuring out Game Maker's code base and then having to redo anything, anyway.

GM is not the perfect solution by any means, but it's really satisfying for new developers or casuals. I think learning Unity is a great step in indie development, but it can be daunting to a complete newbie. As a casual myself, I don't want to learn Unity [right now] because I simply don't have time to learn the environment with everything else I have going on in my life. But one day, I may make that leap and dive into Unity.

Level zoom outs sure are neat.

These sorts of images make me smile so much - looks great!