Hi there I’m just getting ready for my first Mini Ludum Dare this weekend, just setting up the blog and going to get some code and drawing practice in to limber up, not sure how I’m going to get a game done in 48 hours but let’s go for it!
I’ll be mostly using BlitzMax, some art packages and lot’s of caffeine!
My current games can be found here, but they took me a lot longer than 48 hours!
Right have I got enough caffeine, milk and healthy snacks!
Well my Mash up was going to be a mix between up between Escape From Anathema Mines and Boomshakalaka
The concept was trapped in a mine with a lazer to trigger sticks of TNT to explode and clear boulders, take out enemies and handy mirror/crystals to bounce the lazer around corners. Oh yeah you were was supposed to have a light like the first escape from Anathema.
It’s been good fun so far and I will finish it off and update, just to see if it will be fun to play!
Features completed:
To do…
Tags: blitzmax, boulders, caves, great hud, unfinished
Hi All, wow it’s a full version of LD, well I think I’ll just have to dust off my keyboard and give it a whirl!
I’ll be mostly using:
Language: BlitzMax
Platform: Windows
Graphics: Xara, Gimp
Sounds: mostly beeps, or microphone sillyness, no singing I promise!
Note to self get plenty of sleep, walks, fluids and the simpler the better!
Got up to find out it was Wall of Doom, tried to think about it but fell asleep again, no inspriration other than tetris dreams!
Up just had my Weetabix breakfast and drinking a cup of tea, I’ve sketched the game design, back of napkin stuff. Now drink tea and code! ;o)
Well I now have a start screen with basic destructions, some sound effects and almost a game…. Just a few more things to add hmm gameplay how does that work!
Tags: beta, startScreen
Here is my final entry…
You can find my submission here it’s a windows only app BlitzMax http://www.arowx.com/Arowx_LD14_AWOD.zip
Tags: final
Outline of 48hrs as I recall it…
Day before compo…
Stayed up too late on Chatroom, just getting hyped about the competition – Should have slept more.
Got up at 4am to check theme – found that it was AWOD couldn’t think of anything and went to bed.
Got up again jotted down game concept in notebook (see below)
Went to work knocking together basic sprite object – I know I should have grabbed a pre-developed set of objects but at least I can refine and reuse these now!
Went for a very free form map, no tiles just objects relying completely on BlitzMax’s in built pixel perfrect collision detection.
In the first day I managed to get the basic game mechanics working block growing, turrets firing, player deploying turrets – it was now almost a game.
Went to sleep thinking about adding towns, people, animals, plants running from the AWOD… Dream on!
Day two
Added screen, levels, win/lose states, basic sound effects
Afternoon – time was running down fast added …
Powerups – providing a limited upgrade to turrets
Base something for the player to defend and powerups to appear next too
Last minute play testing
Quickly zipping and posting it near the deadline – Phew Final post
What went right…
I managed to create a game in 48 hours!
I avoided getting tied into the complexity of a tile based system, thankfully BlitzMax’s collision detection works well!
I kept the ‘artwork’ to the bare basic minimum – inspired by the BUPA adverts (Coloured circles as people)
I kept the design very simple as well.
My Keep It Simple Stupid – KISS approach worked!
What went wrong…
Wrote too much code to start with I need a basic prototyping framework for at least sprites, collision detection, screens, menu ect.
Then I could have spent more time designing filling out the game design further but staying flexible, this might have prevented the last minute addition of powerups and base leaving next to no time for game testing balancing.
Motivation wandered during day two, it was a playable prototype and therefore in theory a game, thankfully I managed to get moving again and ‘polish’ it up a bit, again a framework will make this a none issue.
I quickly realised that there was a performance issue with the block count, once you get over the 1000 mark the framerate really drops so I had to limit that.
I wanted a wrap around world where you can’t run away from the wall of doom, althought this should have been an easy thing to add I did not get around to adding it, possibly resting on my laurels a bit!
In Summary
I really enjoyed this although I wish I had setup a time laps screen capture, probably not a webcam feed ;o).
Well I must judge some more of the other amazing entries, Looking forward to the next competition already!
Regards
Merx
Tags: design of AWOD, postmortem
Right this time sort out basic framework, make sure it’s open source before hand!
Get lots of sleep (getting old you know) ;o) and do a trial run!
Using BlitzMAX and any free to use modules I can get my hands on!
Brunch
Slept in after staying up way too late!But a good brunch should sort me out!
Note all the amazing concepts I've got 7 hours in!
Concepts so far after getting up and reading the theme at 4 am!
What a difference a 30mins brainstorming can make!
It’s the game I would like to play, core concept defende core cavern from attacking army or attack cavern from surface or both, hey it’s a concept in development…Title of Game: Assault on Zeonia! TM
Bacon Butties and Ribena
Well started working on the artwork and realised I needed to go horizontal, so side scrolling is the way forward.But Just had some bacon butties to get motivated…
Now how does a side scroller work again!
Well man can't live on..er well!
Well minor progress have basic level map drawn in art package just need to convert to image and then tilemap, but that will involve code!
Red vs Blue or BLue vs Red?
Chicken Balti…
Got a basic menu screen appearing … OMG I’m trying to create an RTS in 48hrs don’t tell me the odds, now where is more red wine and lots of coffee!
Tags: food, screenshot
Coffee, Weetabix and Ribena
3 x Weetabix, Semi Skimmed Milk, Coffee and a Glass of Ribena Light, Good Morning Ludum Dare!
Today I have a scrolling tilemap, but need some little soldiers, carriers, landing craft, bunkers, doors, engineers/sappers…. OMG lol!
Well I now have two unit’s appearing and the logic starting to come together for them to shoot at each other…
Only they shoot at each other making a racket but no shot’s are dislpayed or hit anything, time left 6:54.00 !
Plan – So get shot’s and movement to work, then let loose 2000 units to check it works!
Hi, well lower in unhealthyness than other snacks TM ;o)