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[Sean A.]

This is my first competition entry here. It is be a grid based game where players take turns moving pieces. You will have one laser piece and 5 mirror pieces (2 of which are one-way mirrors), each turn you can move or rotate one piece, or fire your laser. Lasers will bounce off of any mirror regardless of who's it is, unless it is a one-way mirror of your colour. The game ends when a player has shot the opposing players laser with their own. As of Feb 12 both online and local are working. Anyway that's the game and hopefully all goes well. Also I will be using Game Maker because it is what I am most comfortable with.

Edit: I updated it on March 5th but I only compiled with a new version of the Faucet Network Extension because it fixed some bugs. I also gave them proper credit and I fixed a musical looping bug. So hopefully that is alright.

Alpha Version: Download Rebound Alpha.zip (1.48mb)
Beta Version (somehow smaller): Download Rebound Beta.zip (1.47mb)
Final Competition Version (way bigger because of music): Download Rebound Competition Build.zip (9.94mb)


In-Game Screenshot


Timeline:

27/02/2011
Didn't update in a while but I finalized everything tonight. Also there are now 2 modes of play.

12/02/2011
I uploaded the beta version today which comes with online functionality now! I'm quite excited so let me know if you have any problems playing it. Next up adding sound and music, finishing tutorial section and making proper winning and losing during online play.

12/02/2011
I uploaded the beta version today which comes with online functionality now! I'm quite excited so let me know if you have any problems playing it. Next up adding sound and music, finishing tutorial section and making proper winning and losing during online play.

10/02/2011
Haven't been able to find much extra time but I will today so today I uploaded the playable alpha version (local only) and updated the screens.

05/02/2011
I completed to local play completely with winning and restarting and the lasers work in all situations, continued working on online functionality and starting to brainstorm music ideas.

02/02/2011
Today I got one section of the tutorials up and rewrote the start of the online play because I had it all wrong, I also ironed out some bugs regarding selecting a piece and then firing the laser (it would let you move the piece while the laser was firing, thus giving you two moves on one turn).

30/01/2011
Today I started work on the tutorial section explaining how to set up an online connection, how to join a host and playing the game in general.

28/01/2011
Made up for yesterday's lack of work, I made a complete custom font, added shattering mirrors, added a menu system at the beginning (a title screen), fixed the laser drawing so that when it bounces there isn't that weird overlap, and started online implementation getting two copies of the game to connect.

27/01/2011
Was ultra busy and couldn't do any work.

26/01/2011
Updated more sprites and started an a title screen and menu as well as begun to work on shattering mirrors.

25/01/2011
Added proper one way mirror implementation. Added some text that displays whose turn it is, and updated some sprites.

23/01/2011
Got lasers working with bouncing on standard mirrors and implemented proper scaling.

Later on 19/01/2011
Got rotating pieces working.

19/01/2011
Got basic grid engine working with pieces moving and players taking turns.

18/01/2011
Brainstormed ideas and created topic and mock-up.

[Wilson Saunders]

I tried making a game similar to this at one point. There is some fun math behind angle computation and ray creation. Good job on keeping the idea simple for your first contest. I look forward to seeing what you make.

[Sean A.]

I'm not really sure if I should allow for the full 360 degrees of rotation or limit it to 8 directions, also I had some ideas for one-way mirror piece were only a certain colour can go through.

[Sean A.]

I coded the basic engine right now so there is a grid players take turns moving their lasers around, that all I got so far but my semester is coming to a close and we have projects/exams so I can spend a whole lot of time on it right now.

Edit: You can take your turn to rotate any piece or move it one space now.

[Inanimate]

This sounds pretty interesting! Aren't there board games like this, too? Might want to check those out, 'for research'. 

[Noyb]

Neat. Sounds like balancing the game for turn order (making sure who goes first doesn't give someone an unfair advantage) might be tricky.

You will have one laser piece and 3-5 mirror pieces, each turn you can move or rotate one piece, or fire your laser. Lasers will bounce off of any mirror regardless of who's it is. The game ends when a player has shot the opposing players laser with their own.

Won't this always result in a stalemate? Anyone who finishes a path to their enemy knows that the other player can shoot them along the same path in the very next turn...

I had some ideas for one-way mirror piece were only a certain colour can go through.

Ahhh. This is essential!

[LiquidAsh]

Sounds interesting.  I usually enjoy laser bouncing games like this.  It will be interesting to see how hard it is to balance, and how deep the strategy becomes.  I'm looking forward to playing.

[Sean A.]

Thanks for the replies, I think that, like chess, the player going first may not have much of an advantage. Also it will take a turn to fire the laser so you may try to open a path that your enemy will not see, also one way mirror can prevent players shooting along the same path.

Edit: Oh yeah also if you own laser gets deflected back and hits your laser you will lose so you have to choose your shots carefully and look ahead. Also possibly thinking of giving each player a split block that will split the laser into two. This could add another layer of strategy because lets say red has a splitter where one of the paths hits the enemy, on blues turn he could make the other path deflect back to red therefore not allowing red to fire.

[Sean A.]

Development has been put on hold for a little bit because my computer hates me and decides to stop functioning properly right as the competition starts. Anyway I've been working on getting lasers firing and bouncing around but it's proving to be a bit trickier than I thought. Just an update on progress.

[Sean A.]

Got the bouncing lasers working in game, check first post for screens.

[Sean A.]

Added one way mirrors and some other stuff, check the first post for details. I also wanted to discuss an idea I had. What if when a laser hit a mirror on the edge (like ====--- (equal sign is laser dashes are mirror)) that mirror would shatter. So you could destroy enemy mirrors so they have less to work with or accidentally destroy your own.

[Sean A.]

Yes Yes YES! I am happy my first foray into online programming and the two instances of the game connect to each other properly the first try. Just updating because I made a ton of progress and I will soon upload a playable version. Got so much stuff done today I am in a good mood, check the timeline in the first post for progress.

[Sean A.]

Have not found much time to continue progress but I am uploading a playable version today (local only right now). I also updated the screens.

[lasttea999]

Very interesting chess variant, very nice pixel art!

EDIT: I think it'd be nice to be able to see whose turn it is at any given moment.

[Sean A.]

Thanks for the kind words, the art was supposed to be temporary but I'm running out of time and I still have to get online working as well as put in music and sound so I may have to leave it. Yes that it very good idea about displaying who's turn it is. I will put that in right now.

[Sean A.]

Just an update because I uploaded the beta which means it is almost complete. After a bug-crushing day I got the online part to work so try it out and let me know if there are any bugs or just let me know what you think. Cheers.

[Sean A.]

Finally finished it in time for the compo! That's a load off of my back, try out the final version and let me know what you think.

[Sean A.]

Just did a quick update which gave proper credit to the right people and fixed a music playing bug (kind of). Also compiled with a new extension version which fixes bugs. Hopefully that is fine with people even though it is after the deadline. If not I will revert it back to the old one.

[JAnd]

I love the idea! Nice job

[Sean A.]

Thanks for the kind word, I put a lot of effort into this one.