| |
"Zombie Town Editor"
|
|
Owner:
| jimmorris
| | Showcase Entry:
| None | |
| Total Entries: 6 | jimmorris
Entry: 6
07/08/2002
06:25 AM
| Last night I thought to myself, if you can't feed gremlins after midnight then they must know the different time zones across the world?
My interface for the editor has now reached an acceptable level, instead of just debug type text plunked on the screen. I have created little windows(tm)-like boxes for the text to go in. Also, because some may feel it clutters the map some what, the whole options interface can be turned off by pressing O. (O for Options, if you haven't already guessed.)
Also last night, apart from the gremlins fiasco, I made a couple of tracks to go with the game. There only demo tracks, so please excuse the quality. The first track is from level one, which is set in New York City. The second track is from the ending credits. Please download and tell me what you think. Email me or tell me in the forums or something.
Say bye bye Sooty.
SideEye Games 2002 | jimmorris
Entry: 5
07/07/2002
07:50 AM
|  The re-coding of my little baby is now complete and the features I previously wanted are now working.
Though this ain't a very big project (at all!) I just want to do everything right - and after that horrible lack of planning I feel I've been doing it all wrong. I've now made myself a complete data dictionary, that lists all my variables and their purpose, so I have something to reference and I know what does what. I'm also currently making myself a design document, detailing all the enemies and things that will be in the game. This will provide me with a complete reference of what I need to draw, what needs to be implemented and other stuff too.
The current version of my data dictionary is below, aswell as some current screenshots of the editor.
Back soon mates.
SideEye Games 2002 | jimmorris
Entry: 4
07/04/2002
12:41 AM
| When you just thought everything was going ok, you realise you made one fatal mistake. No planning.
"If only I planned!" I said to myself. "If only!"
The trouble is, I now need to recode my whole program so to include some new features. I was lacking in thought-out arrays and types and had been used bog standard variables to represent the different tiles and categories. Now this must be changed so that everything can operate smoother and without alot of coding.
Hopefully, after the recoding of my project, I'll have some new features incorparated.
- Mouse controlled interface.
- Complete control over tiles and content.
- Better map saving
- Smoother and easier interface to operate.
If I've survived the coding I'll be in touch, my saviours.
SideEye Games 2002 | jimmorris
Entry: 3
07/03/2002
06:26 AM
| As I sat thinking about the Simply Madonna night I went to at Bar Med in Oxford last night, I couldn't help but think that Madonna's songs aren't that bad. Or am I just thinking these terrible thoughts just to avoid the slaps from the misses... Anyway, I got some stuff sorted and coded yesterday and this morning. I've now got that tickling feeling of excitement that only coders know about, when they start a project they're interested in.
I've been coding the level editor for my game. The engine will have simple 8 way scrolling, using 32x32 tiles for the terrain, the items and the enemies and will by very arcadey (hopefully). The best way to describe the vision of this game in my head is from Streets Of Rage on the Mega Drive, but instead of cool slick players you've got a fat bloke in a suit. Also instead of street fighters to have a punch up with, you have zombies after your rather delicious A-Class brain. The editor, I hope, will also be easy to use. This is a major priority because almost every editor I've ever used you've needed at least two degrees in computer jiggamee-bollocks, and so I've never used the bastards.
Every option available in the game will have keyboard indications around them. For example, the cursor used to place the tiles will have arrows around it to say what keys are needed to move it. My aim is definitely on user friendliness and I will be doing a lot of testing in this area, my friends. Screenshots of the editor are pictured below.
I've also coded a save routine that now saves all the tiles into three different categories. The information that is saved in the .sgm file (Sideeye Games Map) are below...
- Map Width / Height - This data is the actual width and height of the tiles. It knows where the first tile is and the last tile so the width/height don't store more blank tiles then needed.
- Map Offset X / Y - The maximum area of each level is 250x25 tiles. So the offset is where the actual map data starts within this edit area.
- Terrain Tiles - This holds the tiles that are to do with the terrain.
- Enemies Tiles - This holds the enemies tiles that are going to be the starting place for the enemies.
- Items Tiles - This holds the items data. Where everything is and what they are.
More later. If your good.
SideEye Games 2002 | jimmorris
Entry: 2
07/03/2002
06:10 AM
| With a few little game design ideas firmly placed in my non-zombie eating brain, I thought I'd make it known publicly what I'm trying to achieve. I've got some weapons sorted, but only on paper, because I'm not to clued up on the sums and calculations that go with them (unless anyone wants to help me :)
- Punch - You, the zombies and your fist, respectively. Very weak but useful when your out of ammo.
- Hand Gun - Automatic gun that fits in the palm of your hand. It shoots only one bullet at a time and is the weakest weapon of choice.
- Machine Gun - Nice rapid fire so you can fully penetrate those lovely zombie scum.
- Shot Gun - Made for blasting, this one. Watch as those limbs fly. Lovely.
- Flame Thrower - Taken straight out of Aliens. This will surely heat things up when the going gets tough. Good for toast too.
- Rocket Launcher - The classic gun for tearing your foes apart. Trust me, nothing will be left after this has had a blast.
- Grenades - The tactful placement of a good grenade could mean the matter of live and er... undeath? Anyway - grenades are lovely.
As you can see, the weapons are not exactly original. I know this, but that's the point. I want my game fast, easy to play and simple. With weapons like these, you know what to expect and so you know what's best to blast the bastards. I've also got some items lined out that can be picked up or brought (more on this later). For now, the items are:
- 25+ Health - Good old top up to your life.
- 50+ Health - Again, good old top up to your life, but with a little more added.
- Hand Gun Ammo - Ammo for your hand gun.
- Machine Gun Ammo - Ammo for your machine gun.
- Shot Gun Ammo - Ammo for your shot gun.
- Rockets - Nice big rockets for your nice big launcher.
- Grenades - How could such a little green thing cause so much damage? Well they do and here they are.
- Zombie Radar - This little contraption lets you know where zombies are in the level. So you can be one step ahead of those undead freak faces.
- Eradicator - A little something to wipe out any enemy on screen. Useful. Trust me.
- Extra Life - The age old extra life. Excellent.
- Extra Continue - The continue lets you have another go. Think of it as a reincarnation of your former self. Or something.
- 25+ Energy Bar - This actually gives you more energy, so you can fill it up with more health. Making you last longer in the field of undead battle.
- 50+ Energy Bar - Same as above, but with a little more, of course.
More soon.
SideEye Games 2002 | jimmorris
Entry: 1
07/03/2002
04:10 AM
| After making myself a lovely cup of PG tea, I sat at my computer and starting a journey of self exploration and hideous porn. Then an idea for a game came into my head... A funny time for this to happen, but it happened all the same.
I've always liked zombies. If I could meet a zombie I'd take him down the pub for a slim cool glass of bile and swift bag of brains. I've always liked the style of Resident Evil and I have always wanted to make my own zombie blasting blood bath. My first thoughts were , if I should make the game in 3D or 2D (using Blitz of course). Basically, because I didn't have Blitz 3D and didn't know how to use it at all, I thought I might as well make a little 2D game - using Blitz Basic that I know and love.
The features, my friends, what features would be in this graphical story of zombie killing? I got a fresh pad of writing paper, a well sharpened pencil, a tightly oiled sharper and my rather unfashionable thinking cap on... I sketched everything I could - from the backgrounds, to the players, to the weapons, to the enemies, right up to the title screen. I'm a shit artist, not denying that, but an artist is only as shit as their imagination.
I had also been thinking up a story to go with my game, it goes something like this - rough copy, kids...
"Your a big man, working for the big suits, in the big city. Things were great, until one unfortunate day, you managed to lose your wife, lose your kids and lose your job. Things, you thought, couldn't get any worse until you stepped outside and realized that zombies have taken over your town."
Below, is a basic list of the features my game will have...
- A level editor.
- Tile backgrounds.
- Items and weapons.
- Varied enemies (of the zombie kind).
- Possibly a couple of bosses.
- Single player game play.
- Possibly a multiplayer (in arenas and shit).
That's about it. Until next time.
SideEye Games 2002 |
|
|
|
