Game Engine

Ok before writing a game, first I need to make an engine (framework?) for it. I want something simple to begin with, so first I will create 2D engine with gui support. I also want it to be portable "out of the box", so I will write it using Java + LWJGL. This blog will be some kind of dev diary of my engine and later of game made with this engine. I will try to write posts at daily basis, but we will see how this ends up.

A catchy game

I was thinking what makes game catchy. I come to conclusion that addictive game should have something from these :

• Some high-score system, so players can compete with them selfs. This system doesn't have to be made using points, for example in Diablo such high-score system was in form of player's character level. The higher level character was equivalent of higher score. Anyway, addictive game should have some kind of ranking.
• User customizable content. It would be nice if players could make maps for their favorite game or create their own units, in game logos, avatars, or weapons.
• The game should have some elements which make player "involved". Such element could be hero which player controls and can identify with or something what player creates like city (in sim city) or town, base, organization (in any tycoon style games).
• Humor - This is always good, I remember playing Fallout games because of this.
• Rewards - it's good if game rewards player for his efforts. It's connected with high-score system, but this is not the same. I mean, if you play long, your character is stronger, more powerful. Your empire is more significant.

Now the problem is to invent such game ;)

Game ideas

I'm thinking of what to do next. I want to make a game for PC that's for sure.

I have these ideas :

1) Space station manager - I have written about it previously.
2) Space trading/exploration game - you have one space ship and some cash, you may travel across universe, be a pirate or fight with ones
3) Something like Sigmore Mines but for PC..
4) A game where you flight an old aeroplanes (yes I've watched recently "Flyboys" ;) )
5) Platformer
6) other ideas?

Simore Mines Gold version

Recently I've been thinking what to create next. Writing new game means creating new graphics which I'm not so good at. So I come to conclusion that the best solution is to continue upgrading Sigmore Mines and make the gold version (to which people who bought from me can upgrade freely). I want to change how magic works, add resistances to magic elements like fire, cold etc. Also I want to add new quests and few more things ;)

XNA Shaders

I've just putted on my page source code to some shaders in XNA. You can find them in University projects.

What's in package :
- Phong Lighting (per vertex and per pixel) : Key 1 and 2
- Bump-maping : Key 3
- Paralax-maping : Key 4
- Miror like material : Key 5
- Glass like material : Key 6
- Glass like material with light spliting : Key 7
- Glass like material with light spliting : Key 8
- 2D Post processing - Negate : Key 9

What's happening.

Long time no update, so looks like it's time to tell you what's going on lately on my yard.

First thing. When I wrote Sigmore Mines (version 1.0) I played it few times.. I thought that I have a final version. I uploaded it on getjar (this was at the beginning of February) and I were happy of feeling that I have done something to the end. Now, just few minutes earlier before I started typing this post, I uploaded to getjar SM version 1.05.. Looks like some people enjoy my game and actually play it - which is good, while they play they find bugs - which is good and bad... Good because I can fix bugs and make my game more enjoyable, bad because my game shouldn't have any bugs.. No I don't claim that I'm some super human who creates bugs free code, but some bugs where so stupid that they shouldn't ever be in first place. For example bug which makes that monsters at any dungeon depth where just rats or orks.. The pseudo code for this looks something like this: if player.getDungeonDepth > 4 then do something, bugfix to this was: if player.getDungeonDepth <> or vice versa, but you know my point : don't write code after midnight ;)

And my plans for games? Writing bug fixes of Sigmore Mines (if any left). I'm in the middle of creating new game for mobiles, nothing RPG,this time I wanted something easy, casual and what I will be able to develop fast. I'm also planning new RPG for mobiles, at the beginning I was thinking about continuation of Sigmour Mines (I've created design doc), but I added so many things/ideas/gameplay changes that I can't call it Sigmore Mines 2 :)

At university I'm still torturing XNA, this time shaders come to play, you can expect demo with per pixel phong lighting with attenuation, bump-mapping, paralax-mapping, reflection and reflaction.

I also want to learn Ruby language, master Ruby on Rails, and if I like Ruby maybe I will contribute to it in form of 2d game engine for RPG games (Ok there are such engines but this time it will be mine), time will show ;)

New news

I have few news to share :

1. Alias to my page (www.kamilt.go.pl) is not working since a week now.. I've created new one on different host : www.kamilt.1k.pl . Or you can use direct link : http://zb.net.lodz.pl/~kamil/ ..
2. I have signed partnership with Hovr.com. Now you can download Sigmore Mines and Treasure Digger from them for free :) (but you will see adds while starting the game)
3. I'm working on new RPG for mobile. Right now I have design doc done. I want it to be in 3D. Stay tuned :)