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[droqen]

The newest version of Probability 0 is better in just about every way. Click here.

below lies old, old information about a beloved but very outdated game!

Version: 1.05 Download's at the bottom. Also on GameJolt. Probability Zero is a fun little downwards platformer in which you utilize the abilities at your disposal, either starting with a handful of points to spend or collecting them along the way (to great potential totals). It has some small aspects of scrolling shooter in it, but those are rather muted in comparison to my original concept. The game features randomly-generated levels that go on for ever and ever while continuing to provide interesting challenges. The Character is about 140cm tall (4'7"). Which is to say he's rather short. He usually slouches so he looks even shorter. His abilities of note are his jump height (over 3m) and his ability to survive a fall up to 7.5m, although any further and he will hurt himself. Current Events: 20 amazing talents, now with in-game descriptions! 4 mini-boss enemies, 8 enemy types, and 4 block types. All kinds of jumping, maneuvering, and shooting challenges are to be had until your inevitable demise A "Pickup Queue", which is a different take on randomly dropped items by your enemies. Dynamically generated levels, and music that changes depending on the current state of the game. What more could you ask for? Oh, and sound too! Yay, sound! A Menu that demands NECK CRAMPS. To-Do List: Low stars notification (when you have 1 or 0 stars remaining) Bugs: Weird font bug (see page 11, first post) Crashing (no idea, but apparently it happens late in the game ._.) Downloads + Installation Download pzero-105.zip (13.2 MB) here. pzero-105.zip mirror (Softpedia) Download pzero-patch-100-to-105.zip here (patch, not full version). If this doesn't work for you, please notify me so I can remedy the situation! Hopefully it will, but I mean if it doesn't... better to fix it faaaaassst. pzero.exe This file is for you if you can run this sort of executable, and like double-clicking. No extra downloads or preparation should be required. pzero.pyc This file is for you if you have Python and Pyglet installed already, or are desperate. First, download Python here. Second, download Pyglet here. I didn't want to have to do this to you people... but you're also gonna need PyAudiere and NumPy (no links). Download AUR package for Linux here, courtesy of Marach :3 Download just the music right here. The music downloaded here is in .mp3 format; if you, for whatever reason, desire a different format, contact me. And if you just really enjoyed the music? Check out JMickle's other stuff -- it's awesome. Also, we recently got AN AWESOME MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT from him. Huzzah. For those with Snow Leopard... "Pyglet unfortunately is incompatible with Snow Leopard's system python. Snow Leopard ships with a 64-bit build of python, and because pyglet depends on the Carbon API, it cannot run in 64-bit environment. You can download and install a 32-bit version of python from python.org, which should allow pyglet to run."

i love formatting

[BlueSweatshirt]

The game sounds awesome, and you've won me over with your fucking beautiful presentation format. 

[droqen]

Yessss I love the formatting options here. And thanks, glad you like... everything? :3 Also, sound is coming on the way because I was recently inspired by a song that I was playing... hell, this is a devlog. Go go title!

Musical Inspiration



I was listening to this song and playing this game at the same time. I was thinking about how well it was fitting in with the game.
Then I lost, and the song faded out perfectly alongside the blocks sliding off the top of the screen.
I almost forgot I was listening to the song outside of the game.

In any case, now I am using pxtone to make some nice music.

The music may or may not be turning out well. I plan to include some sound too for the next release... probably. Looks like this still hasn't happened :p

edit:: I was just listening to another song and it seemed to fit well, too. I think it might just be really early in the morning when everything seems to fit together, I dunno D;

[Doktor_Q]

It looks neat, though apparently requires Python. I'll get to playing it once I find the .dll I need. You really might want to consider including all of the files needed to run.

[EDIT]
Can't find the .dll after a half-hour on Google. Including PYTHON26.DLL is probably a good idea.

[droqen]

Sorry, Kikaru

I'm working on it; I love Python but distributing Python stuff has been a bit of a pain for me -- especially since I don't have a computer without Python/Pyglet readily available for me to try testing things on.

---> I added, to the first main post, the two downloads that I used to make everything work. If you do that (they both include downloads for, I believe, any OS) then run the [p].pyc[/b] file, everything should work out.

edit :: good news!
A new version is rapidly approaching, this one featuring:

• 1 Enemy
• Mini-tutorial
• Robust scoring system
• & even more :3

[droqen]

Enemy, Text

I added lots of text. Now the player will be able to see not only how deep you have gone in km, but also in leagues, inches, cubits, and more!
In sticking with randomly-changing text, there is more and will continue to be more. I kind of think it's interesting.

And moving along with the gameplay, I also added an enemy (the first ever!) that's surprisingly annoying to hit.


Soon I will add an enemy with a more shooter-like challenge to combat,
as well as more open areas to fight it in.
I'm trying to decide how best to work the level generation;
should enemies be specially generated in certain areas, too, or be smart/flexible enough that it doesn't matter WHERE they go?

---> The next step is to add a second point system, entirely separate from the Depth point system. It would encourage the destruction of blocks and the murdering of your enemies.


OH! And I added some really pretty death animations for the breakable blocks, which I am incredibly proud of. I wasn't sure what I could do to make it look nice but I did it, yay!


1. I'm allowed to multi-post, right? Since this is devlogs. I probably will try to avoid it though.
2. He is not shooting lightning out of his ass.

[Doktor_Q]

Really awesome! Just a few notes:

I'd like a way to retry without quitting the game.

The first jump is often high enough to damage you, almost no matter where you aim.

[droqen]

awesome: Yesss! Awesome. Glad you like it.

retry: Yeah, I should probably work on resetting everything (code-wise). Luckily I think I should be able to handle that fairly well. Once I make a reset button, I'll proceed to add a simple menu.
Thanks, I wasn't sure how much of a problem this was, good to know it's something to be fixed.

fall: The first fall is safe as long as you don't jump, and you last on the highest layer of blocks. This is kind of a placeholder to introduce the player to falling damage; unless the top layer is completely empty or only contains painful spiky blocks, it's possible to land w/o falling damage. (I'll admit the two "middle" blocks are tough to hit but you can do it)
But I will work on easing the player into things a bit more smoothly ^^

edit ---> I'm glad that something got it working for you :D

[droqen]

super fantastic new version

I'm really happy with the way the upgrade options turned out. There are really a wide variety of interesting options for you, the player, to choose from. And you should try different things! Experiment!

+ 2 Enemies
+ Scoring
+ Star Capacity (limit to how many you can throw)
+ 12 Abilities (SPACEBAR to access and spend 4 points; most are modifications to things you can already do)

+ Q for reset, D for toggle debug (fps,#objs) display.

With this update I really feel like I can take this game even further... building up some points to unlock instead of getting them right at the beginning? Sure. More abilities? Why not? More enemies, level designs = definitely. I am going to start looking into implementing some kind of boss enemy who is larger and has a direct effect on the environment.

---> Note: If you haven't, yet, see the controls at the top of the page. Some stuff has been added and I don't want any curious people getting confused as to why they can't punch any more!

[rayteoactive]

Sounds so freaking amazing. I'm working on a vertical platformer too, though mine is all chirpy and bright. But I like what you're doing for the gameplay. Any chances to make the installation less troublesome though?   

[droqen]

You can still try the .exe ^^;

It miiight work but I've sort of lost regained faith in it =/ =D
I will definitely take a look into that and see if I can figure out the problems.

[Doktor_Q]

It would be good to work on the .exe, not many people are willing to download Python and Pyglet just to play the game.

.exe didn't start, here's the contents of the log file:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "pzero.py", line 244, in <module>
  File "pzero.py", line 105, in load
  File "pyglet\resource.pyc", line 482, in image
  File "pyglet\resource.pyc", line 426, in _alloc_image
  File "pyglet\resource.pyc", line 384, in file
pyglet.resource.ResourceNotFoundException: Resource "pzero_verticalbanner.png" was not found on the path.  Ensure that the filename has the correct captialisation.

[droqen]

I got it!

And yeah, I realized just very recently that a lot of people won't be willing to give it a try because of this horrible gauntlet I tried to put them through.

The "Droqen Finally Tried To Get the .exe Working and It Did" Party!

 I tested it out on my dad's laptop (which is sans Python), worked out all the difficulties, and now hopefully every problem is just about fixed.

Python.dll issue? Fixed.
Missing graphic issue? Fixed.
That other weird issue that I ran into? Fixed.

Therefore, I have now uploaded a new file, "pzero-win.rar" which contains the current build.
It has some pickup items that are a little unpolished at the moment. They restore stars, and have a small chance of being empty, and a tiny chance of restoring a point of probability (health).

[Doktor_Q]

Okay, some feedback:

1. You should be able to fall a lot farther without taking damage.

2. Lose the star limit, or make it a lot higher. It's the only effective means of attack or breaking blocks.

3. You said something about different combos, but the attacks work just the same as always.

4. Make the enemies hit boxes bigger. Hitting them once, let alone twice, will usually cost a three or four stars.

5. In general, enemies should die in one hit. Exceptions can be made for a type who have extra health as their special ability, or bosses.

6. I am actually obligated to hate you now because this game, especially it's graphics, is what I've always dreamed of making but never actually managed to do. Good job.

I love the new enemies, and look forward incredibly to bosses. Keep up the good work!

[droqen]

edit :: Everything will be made more clear (i.e. how to get abilities and that they do exist and all that) once I work on the player-friendly aspect of things. Don't worry about anything related to "well I didn't know that", not for now anyway.


Just wanna make sure: Did you take a look at the abilities? :D (Press spacebar!)
Because they make things waaayy easier.

1, 2, 3 are all ability-related.

Abilities:
Fall+ and Fall++ increase fall height (first from 75m to 100m, then to infinite).
Stock+ and Stock++ increases star stock (first to 25, then shooting stars is free). However, I will probably make restocking less painful. ---> The goal was to make the limits somewhat restrictive.

• 5-Star Limit is to be used as a utility weapon, only in certain situations. Punching, once upgraded, is incredibly potent. I may change this up to 10. Maybe.
• 25-Star Limit is to be used as a weapon that must be conserved occasionally. You can use it a lot, but you might also run out so it's good to play it safe.
• Infinite Stars is what a real star lover (with no self-control) will use. Never again will you worry about running out of stars.

Up+X requires Star^, Down+X is only required to override Star>.

Hit boxes:
I'll think about making them bigger, but if I do it'll only be for stars. They're already a bit chunky for hitting the player. ---> I was thinking about this a bit but I didn't want to make enemy hitboxes bigger, or star hitboxes bigger, because those would have annoying side-effects. (easier to hit player, easier to hit walls)

Damage:
I may add a star damage upgrade, but stars are pretty amazing already once you can spam them in four unique directions. (nef, roo, dennis, and arntet)

The hate:
<3 It's been so many years of abandoned game after abandoned game... it's all finally paying off. Wheee

[Doktor_Q]

I found the upgrades, which are pretty neat. Some stuff you should look into, though:

Text that tells you what an upgrade does, how many points it costs, and how many points you have left. In addition, your point count on the game screen could go down as you use them.

Empty blobs are exceedingly annoying. And the health restore should be a little more common, to allow for longer games.

I was suggesting larger hit boxes for attacks, including punch, and maybe smaller hitboxes for hurting the player. Also, you should tone down the bouncing a little when you get injured, it kills me way to often, almost to the point of game breaking.

[droqen]

Pickup system is definitely being altered (I did say they were a bit unpolished). I'm still trying to figure out exactly what kind of useful pickups I can make, beyond stars and life, but the new system will be better.

Upgrade text: I think it would be fun to leave them as they are (icon-only), but in some cases it just seems mean. Note: They all cost only one point. And upgrades will be 100% separate from points, so there will probably be pickups to boost your "level".

Hit boxes: I should note that the punch upgrades, aside from increasing damage, make the hitbox bigger too -- even though it's a relatively little expansion, it makes a big difference. Just like the base-level star throwing is a little bit nerfed, the base-level punching is pretty weak too.

Bouncing: Ahahaha maybe. I like the bouncing, but I might make it not last as long or something. Possibly a new upgrade idea that prevents any loss of control whatsoever when you do take damage. It might be really low-tier, since taking damage is something you normally try to avoid.


I did want the game to be rather challenging, but I might make an easier mode. Maybe two difficulty levels.
edit :: Challenging enough that a game will not last very long unless you're very good. I mean, currently everything's randomly-generated so I didn't want to spend forever on each game, you know?

edit again :: And I appreciate the comments, definitely helping me see what is more/less liked by someone who is not me xD

[droqen]

An update, again.
The upgrades have more of a sense of growth to them now!

Pickup items are more fair,
and enemies are more varied.

 

I am considering making a post on the Feedback thread but I think I'll work a bit longer on it before I get to that. Besides, I'm getting some good feedback here already. :p

---> I hope other people aren't scared by us, Kikaru.

Area Concepts
. A starting area where there are only solid + glass blocks, and there are only the simplest enemies. This would not last very long. Also, there would be no (or not many) steep falls, long drops, and if there are any they should be easy to avoid.
. An area where a large emptiness travels down the middle; one would have to climb down the sides carefully. Designing such a place so that it is even POSSIBLE is going to be difficult.
. An area with 'rooms'; generally a more organized layout. Not to say I'd abandon the scattered blocks I have, I like the way this looks. But it's something I would like to try.

Boss Concepts
. Some form of thing that comes from the bottom of the screen and doesn't really leave there; it's destroying any blocks that would come from beneath it, leaving a big air column like the area-design concept described above. You'd probably have to rely on stars.
. What about something like the (old) game Centipede? Crawling from the top, consuming blocks... I should give that a try, it sounds easy. Tough to fight without Star^ upgrade, though.

. Interesting, intelligent bosses = hahaha like that's going to happen. They're not going to be very aware of their surroundings.

[Doktor_Q]

Okay, the new powerup system is much better. I should comment that the menu is a little counter-intuitive, as I want to press space to select power ups, and escape to exit, but that will vary from person to person.

I'd have to say that fall damage and bouncing when should be reduced by default, as they make the game much less enjoyable, and I'd rather not waste my precious upgrades on that when I could be getting something much cooler.

If you happen to run out of stars, you're pretty much screwed. The bigger star->enemy hitbox would be very nice. Also, maybe make it so that if you run out of stars, you'll regain one after 5~ish seconds?

Lastly, the level generation algorithm seems to be a bit different. It's nicer in some ways, but is making a lot more literally impossible areas. Maybe you could establish a check for that?

[Hideous]

Infinite improbability drive?