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[Geti]

So I made a mockup:

And then it escalated: (It'll be viewed at x2 later probably but this is fairly typical for a generated level)

And now the todo is like:

• Collectables -> Points
• Items -> Simple Inventory
• Deployables -> The thing in the mockup
• Water
• More robot types -> pre-game planning
• Terrain sets -> environmental variation
• Enemies for each set -> content production

I'm essentially doing this for an exercise in procedural generation for prelude's mapgen and a project with Allen, as well as to learn the new flixel version.

The todo will be tackled in no particular order.

[DementedChicken]

Making procedurally generated environments can be fun! The only problem is dealing with quirks and making sure they don't happen.

Play test lots! I still have a quirk in my game which I haven't got around to fixing, where one in about 100 levels will be almost completely submerged under water! 

Anyway, good luck 

[Geti]

I always playtest lots My games are probably the ones I play the most, time wise, but then again I don't play many other games these days.

The only large problem I have with this algorithm at the moment is disconnected areas, which I'll fix by ensuring a spanning tree exists, I suppose.

I'm hoping to only spend a week or so on this, btw. Here's hoping

[AaronLee]

Oh crap it's Geti. I mean, hi Geti! Remember me from the CC forums?

So what's going to be in this? Is it a standard fare platformer with deployables, because I get the feeling there's something else under the hood.

Also; like the graphics style. More saturated than a sponge floating in the ocean.

[Geti]

Hey Aaron, yeah, I remember you. Glad you like the graphics.

As I'm pushing for time we'll see how far it gets in terms of features but what I'm aiming for is essentially a random treasure hunt with fairly merciless obstacles - 1 hit kill mines and the like. I want to get a feeling of exploration and discovery above all.

"Finishing" each stage requires a set amount of loot, which you have to spend to advance, so "skipping" stages is possible but costly, and unlikely to get you onto the leaderboards. You'll also miss out on pickups (items and health) if you skip stages or dont search thoroughly.

You'll probably be able to spend loot on buying more items and deployables later on, as well as possibly upgrades for your robot, but I want a spelunky-like "start from scratch each time" motif so that'll probably be limited to extra health and boosting your health cap rather than "levelling up".

There will probably be 3-8 biomes with different enemies (3 for starters and expanded later on, most likely), and each will probably include a boss room somewhere in the third stage, which would be followed by a change in biome.

Ideally it'll be both something you can pick up and play for 5 minutes in a coffee break as well as something you can spend a few hours on trying to get deeper and deeper. Maybe you can unlock more robots to play as by doing special things?


Got wallsliding and the core of water done today. Should've got a lot more done but I took on some other work as well <_< Off I go for the day.

[Geti]

Had to work on other things today frustratingly so the "by the end of the week" estimate is unlikely to pass if I'm to have any of the fun persistence but no matter, I have a framework for loading objects now which means I can start making enemies and have fun with that.


A mockup of the game-plan.

More info here

[pen]

I really like your ideas for games geti, keep it up! There's been a lot of procedural games popping up in the devlog forum as of late, and there's room for many, many more 
(I've got something slightly similar to this that I'm thinking about doing, but lack of programmer/programming skills leads to more assets&ideas than an actual game )

[Geti]

Procedural levels is a (fairly) simple way to inject replayability into a game like this, so I understand why people are into them. I've got a bunch of stuff on my plate until this afternoon but when that rolls around I'm going to try to get the kinks out of the level gen (disconnected levels my ass) and build the little crab tanks.

(I'm pretty busy for the next few months but maybe I could help you out with getting your idea coded at some point, it's always a shame to see good game ideas never go anywhere)

[pen]

Procedural levels is a (fairly) simple way to inject replayability into a game like this, so I understand why people are into them. I've got a bunch of stuff on my plate until this afternoon but when that rolls around I'm going to try to get the kinks out of the level gen (disconnected levels my ass) and build the little crab tanks.

Yeah. Procedural + rpg-like elements (equipment(spelunky), upgrades(dungeoncrawls)) are not only replayable, they're crazy fun too!

Crab tanks? Like the boss in metal slug? 

(I'm pretty busy for the next few months but maybe I could help you out with getting your idea coded at some point, it's always a shame to see good game ideas never go anywhere)

That'd be freaking awesome! Hell, even chilling and discussing ideas with someone would be pretty kickass. Is it OK if I throw you a P.M. sometime tomorrow basically saying what I want to do, so that you can tell me which parts are ridiculously hard/annoying to do?

[Geti]

Yeah. Procedural + rpg-like elements (equipment(spelunky), upgrades(dungeoncrawls)) are not only replayable, they're crazy fun too!
Crab tanks? Like the boss in metal slug? 

I'm aiming for a mix of both honestly, though I'd like a lot of the pickups to also be consumable (in the sense of one time use, not omnomnom) like grenades, mine and planted explosives, as well as a superjump item and probably a disposable rocket launcher.

I'm planning on having two inventory slots, one active and one inactive, so that bringing consumables with you is viable. If you aren't holding anything (your active slot is empty) then you'll be able to do whatever action your robot can perform, which might be nothing in some cases but could be a weak laser for the flying bot or a punch for the humanoid.

I'm quite keen to have >1 robot available, I just have to make sure the levels are playable regardless, which might make the wheely bot difficult to execute :/

Heh, more like fodder enemies but there might be a giant one as a boss; we'll see.

That'd be freaking awesome! Hell, even chilling and discussing ideas with someone would be pretty kickass. Is it OK if I throw you a P.M. sometime tomorrow basically saying what I want to do, so that you can tell me which parts are ridiculously hard/annoying to do?

Yeah, throw me a PM and I'll send you my email, we'll see what we can work out.

[Nugsy]

Sounds fun Geti! I'm a sucker for procedural stuff.
Bonus round if it has sweet pixel art.

Can i join the small talk club? It's fun down here.