My new blog!

Hi all,
  I have decided to create another blog for myself now that isn't dedicated to any one topic, so feel free to follow me here:

www.paulsbitsandbytes.blogspot.com

Thanks for reading!
cheers,
Paul

Hi all,
    I meant to post this earlier, but I forgot! LOL

The results of the PGD Annual - Arcadia competition are in...I came in second place!! Woo Hoo!!

I am so pleased, and it was very very close between 1st and 2nd place - 6 points!!

The announcement is here:

http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/forum/index.php?topic=5846.msg49457#msg49457

The results are here:
http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/PGDLib/PGDAnnual2009

Now all I have to do is improve upon the game and 'perfect' it! hehe

cheers,
Paul

Well, as of Sunday just gone (29-November), the PGD Annual 2009 - Arcadia competition finished.

I uploaded my final competition version of the game to the site and now it's just a waiting game to see how I fair...

I don't expect to win any prizes, but if I do, hey that would be great! ;)

Good luck to all the compeditors :)

Now I just have to improve (and bug-fix) my game till it is 'perfect'! LOL

Till next time all!

Hi all, well for better (or for worse), I have uploaded my entry to the competition page as I am not sure if I will get time to work on it more before the due date (29-November)...

I have also updated this version (in .7z format) to my website:

http://paulsbitsandbytes.webatu.com/dod

I have updated the .pdf instructions file so it has all the new and changed features in it (satellites, game continues, etc).

I am fairly happy with the results - I managed to squeeze in all the competition required features:

Your game should use one of the two control methodologies specified below:-

   1. The player will use the mouse and only the left and right mouse buttons, no other controls allowed
   2. The player will use no more than 10 button style inputs (e.g. Up, Down, Left, Right, Fire, Punch, Kick, Duck) for normal controls.

You can play the complete game (short of quitting) using only the mouse if you wish

Joystick is also supported, but the judges will be looking for complying with (1), so I should be safe there 

TA - Rules applying to (a) A computer game

   1. Your game should be organised into levels.
   2. Your game should get progressively more difficult as the game progresses.
   3. Your game should provide the player with a limited number of 'continues'.
   4. Every new game should start in the same place and the overall flow of the game should follow the same path for each successive game.

I have done all of the above

BP - Bonus Points (each one is worth 10pts. NOTE:- These are OPTIONAL elements only and the scoring may be subject to change depending on the number of judges)

   1. Make you game multiplayer (e.g. allow multiple players on muliple PC's, or multiple players on a single PC by way of a splitscreen mechanism - Note:- These are just two examples of multiplayer mechanisms)
   2. Make your game arcade cabinet ready (i.e. Provide full configuration options such that it could be loaded on a PC in an arcade cabinet and then be stuffed with quarters).
   3. Provide an on-line high score table for your game.

I have even managed to get (3) working, and theoretically, even (2) - not tested though

The game could have more features and more variety, but for the first time, I have "completed" a game, and a competition!! Woo! Hoo! So I am very pleased with myself

I'm getting closer to finishing my entry now (I know, I know...only 17 days left)

I have changed the game-play a bit - now you start with six (6) defence satellites each level orbiting the Earth, and when you fire at an asteroid the nearest satellite to the target point is the one that fires.

Each satellite gives you 1/6 of your total maximum firing energy allowance.

NOTE you cannot fire through the Earth (need line-of-sight) so if you have missing satellites, and your target is on the other side of the planet, near gaps in the satellite 'grid', then you can't fire if you would hit the planet...

The closest satellite to the current cross-hairs position has a green circle around it, unless you have no line-of-sight, in which case there would be no green circle around any satellite, and you can't fire at the current target location.

If asteroids hit a satellite, then the satellite is destroyed, and the asteroid splits or is destroyed.

Each time a satellite is destroyed, your maximum available energy is reduced by 1/6, down to 0 energy (or no shots allowed any more).

The game is much easier IMHO now too.

I have uploaded the latest version (6MB) which includes the new game-play (satellite defence grid), and now nicer asteroid png explosions!

I also fixed a joystick issue where it wasn't working for me at home...

http://www.paulsbitsandbytes.webatu.com/dod/dod_download.php

I haven't updated the .pdf that comes with the game yet to reference the new satellite stuff, but just read the instructions above...

Any feed back would be great!!

cheers,
Paul

I've been following tutorials and posts about IMGUI (Immediate Mode GUI) systems, and have been adding a simple GUI to Day Of Destruction!

IMGUI Links:
http://www.johno.se/book/imgui.html
http://sol.gfxile.net/imgui/index.html
http://www.mollyrocket.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=10

This is so I can hopefully add in control-configuration within the game itself...

Here's a screenshot of the test GUI I have whipped up using IMGUI techniques

Here is an on-line video of the GUI in action (including hot-items as flashing blue)

http://paulsbitsandbytes.webatu.com/dod/downloads/gui_test/gui_test.html

Till next time :)

Well, I have managed to improve the joystick handling when playing the game so now it should be playable (ignoring difficulty issues) by using a joystick or game-pad.

Even an analog joystick should work nicely (touch wood), as it should allow the cross-hairs to move at pretty much any speed up to the maximum speed :)

Instead of relying on SDL joystick events, I am now checking the joystick axii in the render routine like so:

Function  GetJoyAxisValue(Const AJoystick        : PSDL_Joystick;
                          Const AAxis,AThreshold : Integer) : Single;
Begin
    Result := SDL_JoystickGetAxis(AJoystick,AAxis);
    If Result < AThreshold Then
        Result := 0
    Else
        Result := Result / 32768;
End;
{..}

        If FHasJoystick Then
        Begin
            FCrossHairs.x := FCrossHairs.x + cMoveSpeed * GetJoyAxisValue(TGame(FOwner).JoyStick,cJoyAxis_X,cThreshold) * ATimeSlice;
            FCrossHairs.y := FCrossHairs.y - cMoveSpeed * GetJoyAxisValue(TGame(FOwner).JoyStick,cJoyAxis_Y,cThreshold) * ATimeSlice;
        End
 
Get it here while it's still hot ;-)

http://www.paulsbitsandbytes.webatu.com/dod/dod_download.php

cheers,
Paul

I have uploaded a new version of Day Of Destruction!

http://fpc4gp2x.eonclash.com/downloads/DOD.7z

I have reconfigured the control inputs via ini file stuff, and have updated the documentation help file (now is a pdf file).

Most actions in the game can be controlled via multiple input types (keyboard, joystick, mouse - configurable via the ini file) 

You can now control the complete game (except for exiting) via joystick or mouse only

You can now use the joystick/mouse to add credits, start a game, play the game, and enter high scores!

The joystick movement might need some work still though - I might need to change to using a thread to poll SDL joystick movement

Enjoy, and feedback would be most welcome

cheers,
Paul

Hi all,
   I have now managed to create my own packfile format (with zlib compression).  I have stored all my fonts, textures, sounds, and music in it with easy access (via TMemoryStreams) from my program!

This has two bonuses:

1. All resource files are in one neat package.
2. As it is my own format, it protects (to a reasonable degree) the music files I have been allowed to use in my game (thanks Imphenzia! [http://soundtrack.imphenzia.com/]).
   

There is a new version of the game for download (around 4.7 MB).  This version includes a .rtf (rich text format) file with instructions (and feature todo list), and background music...yeah! :)


http://fpc4gp2x.eonclash.com/downloads/DOD.7z

Please DO try it out and let me know what you think!

ANY feedback is welcome so I can improve on the game :)

NOTE: If I ever manage to add password protection to my packfile reader/writer classes, then I will release the source code so other people can use it :)

Email: paulfnicholls AT gmail DOT com

cheers,
Paul

WooHoo!! I have gotten permission to use two .OGG music files from the site below for free (as long as I keep my game free):

http://www.imphenzia.com/soundtrack/

So now my game uses SDL_Mixer to do the sounds, AND it now has the two .OGG tracks as background music...pretty sweet I think, in my opinion :)

Hopefully I will have a new download for you all very soon to show off the background music!