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DrDerekDoctors
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« on: August 08, 2011, 03:37:12 AM »




Hullo! I've been working on this for ages but I've only really knuckled down and made lotsa' progress comparatively recently. The latest thing I did on it is get the moving platforms working (believe me, I was dreading this task) and so I'm hoping it'll be full steam ahead from now onwards (until I get to the enemy AI, at which point it'll be "ICEBERG! DEAD AHEAD!").

Ptoing is on graphical duties (although the tiles in these images are WIP, he's still figuring out what kinda' colour depth he wants to go with) along with mucking in on the design. The engine's being coded from the ground up with a few bits brought over from my previous one (Retrengine, which I used to remake Exolon (http://retrospec.sgn.net/screenshots.php?link=exolon) and Wizball (http://retrospec.sgn.net/screenshots.php?link=wizball)). This one uses SDL, though, as it just seems nicer and less "DO THINGS THIS WAY, DAMMIT!" than Allegro was.

World collision supports the usual things (slopes, jump-through platforms, etc). The moving platform collision, as it stands, is really very lovely and will allow for all kinds of fun crushing, maiming and ferrying. Although as it stands it doesn't allow for jump-through moving platforms, although I'm gonna' see about adding that as it'd be nice and it's pretty simple with how my collision code works (my tiles are basically four-sided heightmaps).

It'll be a Metroidvania game - because they're my favourite - and it's set on the eponymous Phantom Island, which is a Bermuda Triangle like location in the sense that people generally end up on it by accident.

Design wise it's a mish-mash of elements from dozens of my favourite games, I'm borrowing bits and bobs from Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (PSX), Switchblade (Spectrum), Spelunky (PC), Solomon's Key (Arcade), Snow Bros (Arcade), Fire 'n' Ice (Atari ST), Emerald Miner (PC), Diggers (Amiga), Feud (Spectrum), La Mulana (PC), Waterworks (SAM Coupé!), Alien 3 (Megadrive), Rakugaki Showtime (PSX), Miner Disturbance (iPhone), Spooked (Spectrum) and many, many more.

Although I'm using the Metroidvania model of unlocking rooms within an area, I want to make it so you use the abilities extensively once you're in them, rather than them being used just to get you over the threshold and then never again. However the actual temples in which the game (which are kinda' the "worlds" of it) unlock via a Mario 64-esque mechanism of collecting enough orbs as I think this will lend itself to far less linear gameplay within each temple.

I plan on updating this thread weekly with developments although this first week will be minimal as I'm redecorating and then going to Edinburgh. Tongue

And now, some tedious screenshots! (linked, because they're frame-busting)

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/map_editor.gif

This is the macro level map editor. It allows you to move rooms around and link 'em an' stuff. Better that than a honkingly huge tilemap.

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/tileset_editor.gif

This is the tileset editor. See the glorious amount of tileshapes and boolean properties I have! Mwu-ha-ha-ha!

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/tilemap_editor.gif

This is the tilemap editor. See the... Um...
Tiles.

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/entity_editor.gif

Entities! Get your entities! Only a couple have been made so far, as you can see. They're all defined by descriptor text files.

http://www.drderekdoctors.com/phantomisland/path_editor.gif

And this is the path editor. Rather than Bezier or Catmull Rom splines I've rolled my own by having separate movement curves on each axis (using sine waves). This gives you really nice consistent speed along the path without a lot of the bunching around nodes you can get with some spline types (i.e. it saves me a normalisation pass).

I'm thinking a late 2012 release, realistically, because it's gonna' be a big game in terms of content. Lotsa' plot in there, but told in as non-intrusive a manner as possible. Also hopefully lotsa' humour. Smiley
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Savick
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« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2011, 03:48:09 AM »

I'd like to see the star of the show.  Well, hello there!
Or did I miss where you put that in >_>?
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DrDerekDoctors
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« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2011, 03:50:44 AM »

Uh, no, he ain't in there as Sven and I haven't exactly locked down who he is. He started as a wizard, but we're thinking more along the lines of an explorer at the moment.
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Me, David Williamson and Mark Foster do an Indie Games podcast. Give it a listen. And then I'll send you an apology.
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Savick
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« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2011, 04:26:07 AM »

Uh, no, he ain't in there as Sven and I haven't exactly locked down who he is. He started as a wizard, but we're thinking more along the lines of an explorer at the moment.
Explorer Wizard? Can't go wrong with Indiana Potter. Or maybe that's a terrible idea.
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Ishi
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« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2011, 02:18:53 PM »

I like those tiles so far, and that editor looks rather comprehensive!

I like the sound of making all the abilities properly useful. Any idea what sort of abilities you'll be going for?
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ptoing
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« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2011, 02:37:37 PM »

I shalt post stuff here as I get stuff done!   Hand Shake LeftCrazyHand Shake Right
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Bones
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« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2011, 05:36:45 PM »

I'm excited to play a game from both Ptoing and DrDerekDoctors.  Hand Shake Left Epileptic  Hand Shake Right
BTW looking good gents, look forward to seeing what's to come.

Also quite the neat looking editors you've got there Graham.

-Bones/Souly
« Last Edit: August 08, 2011, 05:48:13 PM by Bones » Logged

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DrDerekDoctors
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« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2011, 11:07:30 PM »


Well, obviously there will be some pretty "bog standard" ones, like your wall-jumping or being able to stay underwater for long periods, but the more exotic ones will be magnetic boots which allow you to walk on any side of metal platforms, a grapple swing, a Solomon's Key like ability to pull certain platforms out of the background and push them back in, a simplistic water simulation thing (like Terraria's, but with pressure simulation - I got the algorithm from an old game called Waterworks) which allows you to manipulate water to solve puzzles, summoning zombies and remote-controlling them to do your bidding (like in Feud) and a bunch more. I'm also making it so the "achievements" of the game are built into the fiction of it and are fun challenges which you have to figure out and which have tangible rewards that can further assist you in the game. Also fire will have a large part in the game as a system you interact with with it spreading and causing platforms to collapse or become weak, etc.

And cheers, Souly. This game is gonna' be my magnum opus - I'm sticking everything I've ever wanted into it so it plays like a buncha' slightly different platform games depending on what room you're in (in order that the player can easily identify the two-or-three gameplay devices they'll be using in that room and not get confused, and also to maintain variety). I'm at the stage where I'm certain I can program it and I think I've got the design chops to pull it off.
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Alex May
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« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2011, 12:49:01 AM »

Looking hot, lads.
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ptoing
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« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2011, 08:40:03 AM »

BAM!


This stuff is just a test and not final in any way, but I like the general direction. It's 8 colours per tile as a rule of thumb, Which I think I will try and stick to for most things
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« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2011, 08:52:09 AM »

Cracking stuff there chaps.
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« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2011, 01:26:01 PM »

following this.  Shocked
Looks oh so crispy so far.
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Ashkin
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« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2011, 02:40:45 PM »

ptoing
teach me how to be awesome like you
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happymonster
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« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2011, 05:34:22 PM »

Do you want any C&C?
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Thomas Finch
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« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2011, 07:59:44 PM »

BAM!
This stuff is just a test and not final in any way, but I like the general direction. It's 8 colours per tile as a rule of thumb, Which I think I will try and stick to for most things

Beautiful...  Kiss
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ptoing
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« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2011, 12:40:09 AM »

Cheers all.

happymonster: I am always open to CnC, although there is a lot I will still change with this. Not necessarily the tiles, but I am not convinced by the separation of inside and outside, The blue blocks at places where you can not go should look have a different colour and such for example.
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happymonster
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« Reply #16 on: August 14, 2011, 02:11:25 PM »

Hi Ptoing,

Yes, I'm not sure that the difference between the orange tiles and the blue background graphics works at the moment. The orange tiles seem to be floating in space.

My main point was that the tiles all have the same light-dark contrast amount in each design. Therefore everything looks the same overall value. I think if you had some blocks darker and others lighter it would appear less similar.

Does that make sense?
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ptoing
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« Reply #17 on: August 17, 2011, 02:29:52 AM »

Some fiddling. I think this makes it look a lot more solid.



Looks good with the dither lighting as well.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2011, 02:49:00 AM by ptoing » Logged

 
goshki
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« Reply #18 on: August 17, 2011, 03:32:15 AM »

Some fiddling. I think this makes it look a lot more solid.

Those tiles are getting better and better.
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ptoing
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« Reply #19 on: August 17, 2011, 04:07:38 AM »

Anything else would be counterproductive and I would have to fire myself.
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