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Indie Game Development Discussion Thread | Of Being Professionally Poor
- Thread starter chubigans
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I've rearranged, remixed, or redone this particular area so many times, did some more work on it and I think it's close.
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
well looks like that is happening. funny that I just asked that today.
Mystic River
Member
I see, I have to think about it too, since I had to make 4k spritesheets for my game due to so many sheets... Maybe I should break to 2k and do more batches...things do get complicated when using too many texture files
MikeHaggar
Member
lots of cool announcements today. i'm especially interested in monogame for ps4 since i'm so familiar and comfortable with xna. i really need to get a project underway. feels like a really exciting time and i want to strike while the iron is hot.
I've rearranged, remixed, or redone this particular area so many times, did some more work on it and I think it's close.
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
Polish makes perfect! Looks great
This is looking really good. I love the art style. I'd love to see your game use this 2d light system:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/finnmorgan/sprite-lamp-dynamic-lighting-for-2d-art
In no way do I think what you have is lacking... I just would love to see something like your game use the killer lamp lighting.
Does anyone know if there are any games in dev using it yet or is its still in closed dev?
thanks
this is just one of many things I'm going to be keeping an eye on and make note to learn about once I'm on the next game. I can't really spend time trying to learn all new tools and methods and stuff right now, I'm knee deep in it and gotta stick to what I know.
bumpkin
Member
Man, I'd say you raised the bar for how an HD 2D game can look, but I think that'd be an understatement. I'm still in the super early stages on my engine, and seeing your screen cap makes me think "Fuck, how can I possibly match that?"I've rearranged, remixed, or redone this particular area so many times, did some more work on it and I think it's close.
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
I mean I'm not looking to make a Metroidvania style game or anything, but still.
I pledged on your Kickstarter campaign. Can't wait for the game to be released!
thanks
I know what you mean. I have a list a mile long on things I want to add/tweak/polish etc and I'm only 25-30% done w the project. A retool would be insane.
I've rearranged, remixed, or redone this particular area so many times, did some more work on it and I think it's close.
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
Overall it looks great! The bloom bit especially. I do see a lot of repetition in the noise though. Is that just from the capture?
Great work.
Laurentius
Member
Just a lurker in this thread, but some awesome stuff on the last few pages!
I've been thinking about doing a small game prototype for a final project in one of my classes this semester. The idea is sort of based off of one aspect of the magic system in the Mistborn series (great books, by the way). There's a system in those books whereby you can "push" and "pull" off of metals from a distance. It's all weight based. So if I tried to push against an object heavier than me, it would send me flying backwards. And if I pulled on an object heavier than me, it would pull me towards it. Likewise, lighter objects would either get pulled towards you or pushed away.
My idea is to do some sort of 2D platformer that lets you "push" and "pull" off of objects in the world. So you could pull an object towards you or push on the ground to send yourself flying into the air.
Anyway, since I only have about a month and a half to do it I think I might just see if I can get the most basic core of that working in a tiny level. I'm wondering if that sounds feasible. It's going to be in PyGame, and I'm pretty experienced with Python. I've only made very basic games with PyGame, though. (Like, a Breakout and Pong clone.)
Thinking about using the Pymunk physics library. Anyone here have experience with it? Would you recommend it, or perhaps a different Pygame physics library?
I've been thinking about doing a small game prototype for a final project in one of my classes this semester. The idea is sort of based off of one aspect of the magic system in the Mistborn series (great books, by the way). There's a system in those books whereby you can "push" and "pull" off of metals from a distance. It's all weight based. So if I tried to push against an object heavier than me, it would send me flying backwards. And if I pulled on an object heavier than me, it would pull me towards it. Likewise, lighter objects would either get pulled towards you or pushed away.
My idea is to do some sort of 2D platformer that lets you "push" and "pull" off of objects in the world. So you could pull an object towards you or push on the ground to send yourself flying into the air.
Anyway, since I only have about a month and a half to do it I think I might just see if I can get the most basic core of that working in a tiny level. I'm wondering if that sounds feasible. It's going to be in PyGame, and I'm pretty experienced with Python. I've only made very basic games with PyGame, though. (Like, a Breakout and Pong clone.)
Thinking about using the Pymunk physics library. Anyone here have experience with it? Would you recommend it, or perhaps a different Pygame physics library?
I'm sure that's what he wants - the grainy look to the game.
HellBlazer
Member
Oh yeah, that's for sure. Grain is cool. It's just a bit distracting to me, in that gif. Looks like there's 3 frames of 'noise' and the repetition catches my eye.
Just_myles
Member
Water said:
Dude so much this, in the beginning I wasn't sure how to save, so I saved as a project only to find that once I re-opened I would have to go through all of the prefabs that I had prior not to mention other assets. Saving scene was what I needed to do, and like you stated there is more functionality that is needed in there like selectively choosing which state to start from. That would mean a lot to me. Great post!
legacyzero
Banned
I've rearranged, remixed, or redone this particular area so many times, did some more work on it and I think it's close.
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
Can I buy this now?
lordfroakie
Member
Anyone know some good maya/3d max tutorial sites?
You can set the start scene, and you can additively load any number of additional scenes to it. If you're clever about how you lay scenes out, with a top level game object, you can async load the next level, (deactivating it as soon as it's loaded), and then transition between the current scene and the next. When the transition is complete, delete the previous scene's root node and children.
I put my core systems in static classes, and get each scene to request initialise on load, (only the first request is acted on). This avoids requiring running through a "boot scene" that you will skip if you just run the scene you're editing. Core systems include player profile loading, etc.. It's pretty simple and doesn't require any random game objects.
The whole scene thing, and architecting in general, does take a bit of getting used to though.
thanks guys, reading your comments really does give me some energy, and that's part of why I post things here.
I genuinely think you give me too much credit, but I really appreciate the comment.
Thank you! The noise effect may end up standing out a bit against brighter more even backgrounds, ultimately this is an art design decision, it's a certain kind of sci fi I'm going for.
Yep.
No, not yet. In the near future there'll be the option to preorder on humble bundle for those who are interested in doing so, and we'll be working to get existing backers a humble page. But nothing like that is public as of yet.
Man, I'd say you raised the bar for how an HD 2D game can look, but I think that'd be an understatement. I'm still in the super early stages on my engine, and seeing your screen cap makes me think "Fuck, how can I possibly match that?"
I mean I'm not looking to make a Metroidvania style game or anything, but still.
I pledged on your Kickstarter campaign. Can't wait for the game to be released!
I genuinely think you give me too much credit, but I really appreciate the comment.
Thank you! The noise effect may end up standing out a bit against brighter more even backgrounds, ultimately this is an art design decision, it's a certain kind of sci fi I'm going for.
Managing to get some work done despite Dark Souls, Jobbs?
Yep.
No, not yet. In the near future there'll be the option to preorder on humble bundle for those who are interested in doing so, and we'll be working to get existing backers a humble page. But nothing like that is public as of yet.
I agree that there's a lot of repetition in the static. Are you just flipping back and forth between two presets? Or maybe you're using a something like perlin noise, but are reseeding the RNG constantly, so it gives you the same values? It would look a lot nicer if the static was more random. Please address this because it really sticks out on an otherwise pleasant aesthetic.
there's 3 states it animates between. it could be made repetitious by the low framerate of the gif.
In any case, I'll look at re-doing the noise effect later.
That's it, then. People will start to notice patterns if there is a lot of repetition in a short amount of time. Not everyone will notice at first but it will become apparent eventually and some will be distracted by it. The more unique states are added, the less apparent it will become. The most organic solution would be to generate new static every frame.
But I'm sure you have more pressing priorities at the moment. We're here to help if you decide to rework it in the future.
Most of you probably know this already, but Unreal Engine 4 has been released and the pricing seems geared towards indie devs.
https://www.unrealengine.com/
https://www.unrealengine.com/
Well, I can't compete with Jobbs, but here is a gif from my sci-fi roguelike.
.gif)
After about two years of part time work, it's finally starting to resemble a game. Built from scratch in XNA.
nice work, and you surpass me in techncial abilities, since i have no such real time lighting system, my game is very uncomplex programming-wise.
Dynamite Shikoku
Congratulations, you really deserve it!
Lots of game engine news today. I hope Unity drop their subscription price a bit.
Yeah, between Unity, Unreal and Crytek it's been super interesting. Unity remains the most interesting in my eyes just due to the range of things you can do, so I'm also hoping for more aggressive pricing.
I can't believe Unreal Engine went open source. I would have never predicted that.
Apologies is this is old news but I received an email tonight that Sony and Yoyo games have announced that you can now use Gamemakerr Studio to design and publish for free on the Playstation Network. As long as you are an licensed Playstation Developer you can begin creating games for the ps3,ps4, and Vita. This news was announced today at the conference in San Fran I believe.
I doubt I'd be anywhere near as productive in UE4 or Crytek as I am in Unity. Read the official statement. UE4 sounds rough as shit.
Will be interesting to see what small or one person teams do with it, especially compared to what they get out of Unity.
Big news and, yeah, there were a couple of threads on it (one GMS specific and another that included Sony bringing Monogame into their fold).
I'm pretty excited about the possibility, but I'm still several months out with my game before I'd even want to start working towards all that. Gotta incorporate a company, drum up the funds, get the project in a more presentable state, et cetera.
For me, Unity wins hands down. Not fond of the monthly pricing for the engine, but at least if you pay up front you get it and can move on with your life. It's also easy to port projects over to multiple platforms without too much trouble. My next choice would be CryEngine, but it doesn't support Macs for some odd reason. But for $9 a month, that's hard to beat. I wouldn't touch Unreal 4, simply because it has way fewer porting options than Unity...though it does have a little Mac support. I'm just not that interested in making Win PC only games.
I've rearranged, remixed, or redone this particular area so many times, did some more work on it and I think it's close.
As ever, I'm figuring out ways to getting what I think are interesting results using pretty simple methods. For example, I made what looks like a bit of a light bloom effect just by partially erasing the borders around the rock layers. Beyond that, I'm just spawning layers of graphics and moving them.
(For reference, here's this area from the original version of the game, pre-Kickstarter: http://www.ghostsonggame.com/miscd/shipgif.gif)
This is gorgeous Jobbs. Looks so solid and polished and the jump from pre-KS to this is truly mind blowing.
Still hope you will be able to port Ghost Song to consoles too, in the near future.
oxrock
Gravity is a myth, the Earth SUCKS!
I just got done making "Space Shooter" via unity's tutorial where they provide the assets for free through the asset store. I have to say I'm pretty amazed at how well it explains things and helps you through your first project. Definitely adds to my confidence going forward. I highly suggest at least looking at it for anyone looking to make a shmup in Unity. It can give you a good foundation to build from.
Dynamite Shikoku
Congratulations, you really deserve it!
The little things often get me. A little effect that I want just right can have me tied up for days.
ZehDon
Member
Haha, thanks man. It's just a polygon hack to simulate shadows, nothing terribly impressive. Your stuff, however, just blows me away every time. Can't wait to throw money at you.
I know that feeling. When I get burnt out, I swap to a smaller project. I'm working on a mobile project on the side, really simple, but still fun to put together. Usually, half-way through putting together a new method or class for the smaller project, an idea will pop into my head, and I'll rush back to my main project.
I also keep a log of all the major developments of my game. When I need a pick-me-up, I look back at what I've over-come and remind myself: when I started, I knew nothing.
If none of that works, throw a new gif on here, and we'll tell you how awesome it looks
bumpkin
Member
That's like me, except collision detection is the bane of my existence at the moment. After a few days of trials and tribulations, a lot of code changes, a ton of reading, and a boatload of patience, I finally have at least the core aspects working right. When the character moves left or right and comes to a wall, they stop. When they jump, they come back down to the ground or change direction if they hit their head. And if they jump towards a wall (or are against one when they jump), they don't clip into the edges at all and can land on top.
Now what's killing me is applying gravity so that when they walk off of a ledge or wall, they automatically go into a falling state. I've been trying a bunch of things, including a Sonic Retro Physics Guide approach where sensors on the bottom test for open space underneath the character. I just haven't gotten it quite right yet. I think it's a timing issue -- when I do this test -- but I haven't found the proper priority yet.
Still, this is the closest I've gotten to having it working 100% in all of my prior attempts. I could make a game where gravity isn't involved with what I have, but a Mega Man style platformer is my target.
MikeHaggar
Member
just build in a collision check that always looks for a collision underneath the player. if no collision is found then put them into a falling state. it should be able to be implemented the same way that your wall checks are set up.
is your jump state set up as a single state or do you have it so that jumping up is one state and coming down is another? if they are two separate states then anytime the collision underneath returns false simply put the player into the coming down state.
bumpkin
Member
That was what I intended to try next. Right now my collision detection routine is broken into two discrete checks; check the x axis first, then the y axis second. I want to implement sloped terrain at some point, and this was how that "Guide to Implementing 2D Platformers" suggested doing the checks to allow for it.
My routine plays out like so:
- Determine if the player is moving horizontally (x speed != 0)
- Figure out which grid tiles are in the direction of movement (calculate based on the left or right edge)
- Check the tiles for solidity
- If they're solid, do an AABB comparison
- If they're penetrating, figure out how much and reset the player's x position (+/-1 pixel to push them off the tile's edge)
- Set x speed to 0
And then...
- Determine if the player is moving vertically (y speed != 0)
- Figure out which grid tiles are in the direction of movement (calculate based on the top or bottom edge)
- Check the tiles for solidity
- If they're solid, do an AABB comparison
- If they're penetrating, figure out how much and reset the player's y position (+/-1 pixel to push them off the tile's edge)
- If they were penetrating and their state before the check was moving upward, invert their y speed
- If they were penetrating and their state before the check was moving downward, set the y speed to 0
The jump state is a singular state. I've thought about breaking it into two separate states. The states are used almost exclusively for changing the sprite and setting/maintaining any values needed during the state's duration (i.e. maintaining x speed while the button is still held). Having a secondary state for falling might be a good idea though. I was just trying to keep it simple and then expand upon pieces once they were working.
What I'm thinking is doing the check you suggested to determine if the player should be set into a falling state before I run the checks against the two axis. It was the one thing I didn't try last night.
AusRoachman
Member
So much amazing work being done in here. Thought i would share a bit of a artstyle overhaul for my game
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Chaos
Member
The best bang for the buck Maya/Max training is The Mastering Fundamentals Dvds from http://www.3dbuzz.com/Store
They use older versions of the software but you can follow along with the latest versions no probs.
I think the first projects from the dvds are free to watch on the site.
I made this from the Maya training a few years ago - http://vimeo.com/16166386
Meesh
Member
My question is more about an app than a game. I've had this idea for a random type of text generator for over a year but I'm not sure how to create it.
Would anyone know the best method of creating such an app for someone who doesn't know code?
I've got a few ideas where this could be amusing and I'd really like to see I realized. Any help would awesome. Thanks.
Would anyone know the best method of creating such an app for someone who doesn't know code?
I've got a few ideas where this could be amusing and I'd really like to see I realized. Any help would awesome.
Thanks.RelentlessRolento
Member
So much amazing work being done in here. Thought i would share a bit of a artstyle overhaul for my game
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Ooh! I wish more games had this look
makes me miss that ole solid look of past 3d gamesMy game is finally launching on the 25th on Steam! Made a new poster for it:
More here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/262210/
More here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/262210/
I tested my game on a retail budget desktop (I think the GPU is a 7350) and it ran smoothly with 8X MSAA no problem! There's only a few thousand triangles in my scene, but it surprised me that it would be able to do that much AA - I guess because I usually only see anti-aliasing options in demanding games.
EDIT: Congrats Davision
BIG boostSo much amazing work being done in here. Thought i would share a bit of a artstyle overhaul for my game
EDIT: Congrats Davision
Depends on your needs. You can use a random number generator to pick a random word from a dictionary or create a random string of characters (a sequence of random letters). If you want to make randomly generated sentences, you should study up on abstract data structures and also linguistics. Good grammar combined with meaningful nouns/verbs is tough stuff.My question is more about an app than a game. I've had this idea for a random type of text generator for over a year but I'm not sure how to create it.
Would anyone know the best method of creating such an app for someone who doesn't know code?
I've got a few ideas where this could be amusing and I'd really like to see I realized. Any help would awesome.
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