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[Robotacon]

SHADE: Ghost Academy is "Finished" for download.

You'll need XNA installed to run it.





CONTROLS
Left or Right: Run
Z: Fire
X: Jump
S: Switch between Canister Rifle and Grenade Chucker
Down: Kneel, Lay down
Ctrl: Cloak

There are a couple of tricks you have to find out for yourselves. Nothing fancy but I figured it plays better if I don't give it all away. There's only one real level that takes you to the armory and from there you can go to a evac point where you see the SHADE-logo taking up about half the screen. That's when you know you've beaten the trail.



Depending on what September looks like I might post more levels but now I just won't be able to.

All SFX were made with SFXR.
All graphics were drawn in Pro Motion with added in-game shader effects.

There are a few glitches. If you manage to end up in a wall you might get pushed out of the map and will fall through an ever repeating world.

DISCLAIMER:
Due to the time constraints I've used the game engine for another game, Arcade Academy, that I'm making. The graphics is very similar because I used that game as a template for the graphics in SHADE and at worst some sprites (like the grenade explosion) have just been recolored to fit the demake. I understand if that will disqualify my entry but I still had a lot of fun working on SHADE.

--- ORIGINAL POST ---

OK, putting everything else on hold, here we go!

I hope you don't have to make a game that actually runs on a retro system because I plan to fake my way through this competition using XNA.

I can't see anything in the rules saying you have to conform to any specification so I'll just make something that simply looks old.

--- DEVELOPMENT DIARY ---

DAY ONE:
 Made a logo.
 Created a new XNA project based on my Arcade Academy motor.
 Research.
 Started working on HUD.
 Started drawing level designs on paper.

DAY TWO:
 Created a WIP development sprite sheet.
 Worked on controls.
 Adjusted a lot of properties for the main character.
 Created the game font and HUD elements.
 Came up with an idea for real time event puzzles.
 Started sketching on enemy behavior.
 Research.

DAY THREE:
 Kept editing the sprite sheet trying out different number of frames and different number of colors.
 Made some tiles.
 Designed the first level.
 Decided to rely heavily on puzzles.

DAY FOUR:
 Made a bunch of SFX in Sfxr.
 Made a mock-up using the tiles I've got so far.
 Considering a circular map with parallax scroll.

DAY FIVE:
 Implemented bouncing grenades.
 Worked on AI.
 Refactored a lot of engine code.
 Considering mini-map.
 Considering multi-player support.

DAY SIX:
 Worked on map editor.

DAY SEVEN:
 Finally got a map editor that works.
 Worked on the HUD.
 Added stealth mode.
 Decided to have combined map and pause screen.

DAY EIGHT:
 Added more SFX.
 Added naive line of sight routines.
 Attached rage meter to enemies.
 Main character can now roll forward while in kneeling state.

DAY NINE:
 Made an "intro".

DAY TEN:
 Refactored a lot of code.

DAY ELEVEN:
 Worked on pixel shaders.
 Added more SFX.
 Sketched out some enemies.
 Struggled with enemy AI.
 Added "swinging/flipping up a story" move.

DAY TWELVE:
 Substantial improvements made to AI.
 Cleaned up and rearranged HUD.
 Considering bumping up the bootleg factor.
 Considering making an oldschool manual.
 Added GFX for enemy soldiers.

DAY THIRTEEN:
 Introduced some randomness to the frag grenade chucker.
 Added zerglings.
 Reduced the alpha on the HUD slightly.
 Considering title change to something more descriptive.

DAY FOURTEEN:
 Added 3D sound.
 Gave enemies guns.

DAY FIFTEEN:
 Added mini map.

DAY SIXTEEN:
 Added sub title (Ghost Academy)

DAY SEVENTEEN:
 Bumped up contrast between foreground and background.
 Improved enemy LOS.
 Almost finished neck snapping maneuver.

DAY EIGHTEEN:
 Added more frames to back flip animation.
 Introduces blast radius for grenades.
 Limited grenades to one at a time.
 Considering death animations.
 Decided against pause screen.
 Remade the logo with the added sub title.

DAY NINETEEN:
 Made a short loop in musagi for the start page.

DAY TWENTY:
 Implemented death animations.
 Redesigned level 1.
 Considering ladders.
 Considering doors (shortcuts).

DAY TWENTY-ONE:
 Added ladders.
 Added muzzle flashes.
 Added real time event puzzle indicators.
 Considering enemies dropping rations, ammo, grenades.
 Major improvements to the level editor.

DAY TWENTY-TWO:
 Added climbing animation.
 Added level exit.
 Considering really short cutscenes inbetween levels.

DAY TWENTY-THREE:
 Improved LOS even more.
 Added vents (shortcuts).
 Started working on level 2.

DAY TWENTY-FOUR:
 Level design.
 Play testing.

DAY TWENTY-FIVE:
 Struggling with release.

DAY TWENTY-SIX:
 Promotion.

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN:
 Rest.

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT:
 Dimmed down the HUD to better see enemies below you.
 Enemies won't jump from platforms any longer.
 Enemies in rage now chill quicker and forget where they last saw you.
 Added the Seeker Drone that can spot you while in stealth.

DAY TWENTY-NINE:
 Reading up on SDL.

DAY THIRTY:
 Porting game to SDL.

[Hideous]

Exactly, as far as I know you don't have to

And what is this based on?

[Melly]

I'm fairly sure it's Starcraft: Ghost.

And I'm pretty sure I won't be playing. XNA doesn't work for me. And yes, I installed all the bullshit. At least I TRIED.

[moi]

OK, putting everything else on hold, here we go!

I hope you don't have to make a game that actually runs on a retro system because I plan to fake my way through this competition using XNA.

No but you have to do one that runs on a PC so that rules out XNA for many people.
(but you'll find lots of XNA apologists around here too anyway  )
JUST DO IT

[muku]

I hope you don't have to make a game that actually runs on a retro system because I plan to fake my way through this competition using XNA.

The rules allow you to. But... XNA

[Melly]

XNA is allowed. Just don't except everybody that wants to play it to actually get to play it.

[Hinchy]

i THINK this is F.E.A.R.

not sure though.

[Annabelle Kennedy]

even though i dont like the idea of XNA and its incompatabilites... it does run on my computer, and i really look forward to what you make :D!

[JamesGecko]

i THINK this is F.E.A.R.

not sure though.

It's not F.E.A.R. ;-)

I'm definitely looking forward to playing this; especially if it turns out like Splinter Source, that 2D Splinter Cell fangame with a single level. Hint hint. 

[Annabelle Kennedy]

[Robotacon]

Yes it's StarCraft: Ghost.

But I didn't realize XNA would be a big problem for people.
I'm going to research my options and see if I can port the code to something leaner.

Suggestions are welcome.

[moi]

Don't fret.
Many other people can run XNA and many compo entries have used it in the past (including winners)

[Massena]

I think a new name should be used, something more obvious. Stellarvessel: Poltergeist?

[team_q]

I will be using XNA too, its a hell of a lot easier getting things done fast that way.

[muku]

I will be using XNA too, its a hell of a lot easier getting things done fast that way.

I haven't used XNA, and I try to avoid it (don't like vendor lock-in at all), but what does it do better than other game libraries/frameworks?

[Robotacon]

I won't change the name, I've made a logo and I'm going to stay with it. If I start doubting myself I won't get this game done I know it.

I use XNA because I like C# and because I have a working game skeleton so I can get a running start.

[Bezzy]

XNA burned me as far as the last compo went.

Not to sound arrogant, but I think I could have expected a few more votes last time if I hadn't used XNA (and thus people had been able to try it). Then again, XNA enabled me to do more than I would have been able to in a month.

It's a shame, because it's fun to use (really, REALLY fun to use), but as far as getting people to get over that barrier to entry... that's a total nuisance.

As a result I'm starting a new engine from scratch, using C# and Tao. It's a bit more work, is the only problem.

[seregrail7]

This app looks like a God send if it works well.

http://xnamatrix.com/xnareq.php

[Eclipse]

i said I'm using XNA for Cirle now?


(it's true)
anyway XNA runs flawlessy both in xp and vista, you just need to install the .net framework 2.0 or above, if your pc does not, you did a mess, uninstall all the stuff an reinstall a vanilla copy of the framework and it will run for sure

[Melly]

i said I'm using XNA for Cirle now?


(it's true)
anyway XNA runs flawlessy both in xp and vista, you just need to install the .net framework 2.0 or above, if your pc does not, you did a mess, uninstall all the stuff an reinstall a vanilla copy of the framework and it will run for sure

I tried that.

3 times.

I'm not touching that shit again.