Hey, my name is Capitals and I am getting ready to join the solo competition this year. I have watched some people live stream their submission for the last 3 years and I am finally good enough at LWJGL and Java to be able to program a game in such a small amount of time.

My toolkit:

• Language: Java
• IDE: Eclipse
• Libraries: LWJGL
• Graphics: PyxelEdit, Photoshop
• Sound: PXTone and FLStudio

Tags: compo, java, LD28

This the player sprite for my ludum dare game. You have one life, you get older and eventually die. But you can see how far you get before dying!

So far the three main items have added into my game;

1. Realtime Physics (Coded all by me)!
2. Animation on all entities.
3. Wizardly Powers (Watch out because you only get one).

I am in, I am riled up too create a game 100x better than I did last time; What I created last time was a side-scrolling slime-em-up which after a while running you would just fall off the world. In the game I made my own physics engine which took too long, but this time I am using LibGdx and Box2d lights to hopefully just get down to the core of the game creation within half an hour (1:30 AM in the UK). That will hopefully allow for me to build upon some of the better features, such as the shop, coins and research. It also will allow for more time focused on art! I also now have made my own game tools which will help me accelerate the speed of this process even more, it is called C-GDT (Capitals’ Game Development Tools), you can get it here. If you would like to use it in your Ludum Dare game you may (but notify me so i can praise you to the old gods), I am putting tutorials on the wiki as I write this. You can also check me out on YouTube and see last years timelapse. Done.

TOOLS:

Language – Java

IDE – Eclipse

Framework – LibGdx w/Box2d, Box2dLights and Controllers. C-GDT (Capitals’ Game Development Tools).

Music Software – Unknown, but I will be using a keyboard. I will also be using SFXR & BFXR to get game sound.

Art Software – Pyxel Edit, and Photoshop

Misc – Notepad++ to create the Vertex XML file from C-GDT, and Physic Editor (To get the vertices of complex bodies).

My Idea is a space sim, similar to FTL but more like a 4X. The game will see you colonise and discover what is ‘beneath the surface’ of the solar systems. What I have now is a randomly generated universe which gives you one solar system at a time with a max of 5 planets. I am going to tell the story like through an event system. Here is the obligatory screenshot:

I can’t wait to do the music for this!

I managed to get 3 hours of sleep so I didn’t get much done. But what I did get done was a tick system similar to crusader kings 2 and euiv where one day processes one set of actions.

The normal I’m in post. This is my 4th Ludum Dare using Java, Libgdx and PyxelEdit; With sound being a secondary objective, I am also going for something much more simple!

Good Luck!

Let’s go! I haven’t been able to take part for the last 4. So I’m super buzzed for this.

I’m using

• Unity (C#)
• Pyxel Edit!
• And whatever I can get my hands on!

A strategy game about choosing best of two possible situations.

“The glorious king of Voxelnor has been assasinated. King Cubelet was poisoned in the walled gardens. You, as the late king’s only son, should be able to seize the throne on your arrival.

No!

Your Uncle, Cubius, has seized the throne and is sending an army to capture you. Use what you have learnt in your studies abroad to build up your own army and sieze the palace for yourself.”

This is my 4th Ludum Dare, and my first time making a game in 3d.

Play Here!

• A bug which lead to the army size to go below zero.
• A long and steep (for ludum dare games) learning curve.
• The inability to move forward in some situations.
• Lacked sound and feedback to the player.
• The reasoning for the battle system was arbitrary and confusing.

• The graphics. The graphics do not have a unified theme throughout the game. I could have added some more animations.
• A interactive tutorial. While I did manage to make a tutorial it was not clear enough.
• Added in audio feedback and music.
• The game design lacked basic balancing. The other buffs had little effect compared the the advantages of moving forward.

• RadMcCool said that he liked the “weird dissonance” of the game and between it’s move set.
• MorganLeFay stated he enjoyed that it was a “Very complex game”.
• PowerSpark remarked that it kept him “hooked!”
• Neoludo thought that I had “invented a new board game”.

• The 3D graphics were good to look at. Especially with my first time to properly use Anti-Aliasing.
• I thought the game was several times simpler than my last two.
• It was accessible to web users, making it quicker and easier to play in the Ludum Dare playing environment.
• It had depth despite being somewhat simple in it’s control. A challenge of the theme I chose.
• I managed my time somewhat effectively.

1. Remove the tutorial and replace it with an interactive tutorial which contains a character to allow me to speak to the player. This would allow me to include the story and relate it back to the gameplay despite the abstract graphics.
2. Address the disparity between the text and the UI and the styling of the 3D models.
3. Balance the other buffs / debuffs, making them as useful to the game as the “Move 1 Forward” Buff.
4. Restructure the Battle system, possibly including an animation of the two armies fighting – which can be skipped.
5. Animate the game. I think this would add bundles of character to the game.
6. Transition it to a mobile platform.

Is it down for anyone else?

Merry Christmas everybody! Wow, I think this is my 6th LDJAM. Damn it’s gone quick! If you’re wanting to get into the Christmas cheer – and you like murder mysteries – then check out:

Twelve Days of MURDER!

It’s a game about finding the killer elf in Santa’s grotto. It’s quick and different every time. I’d love to hear what you guys think and how to expand it!

Thanks in advance,

Capitals.

Every fortnight I do a small show on youtube called The Razor. Where I look at a facet of game design or creation and look at it from a certain position. Since I haven't done much to with games after my holidays, other than LD39, I decided to create something on what I have learnt over my six Ludum Dare games. If you're interested in my game YoHoHo! I'd also love to hear your feedback on my videos and my game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra0WSfKfFRY&lc=z23qjzkhdrecwx4ukacdp434eenmz2m3nrdoz1todb5w03c010c

Come try your hand at pirating and play our game, YoHoHo!

I'm going to be fixing my LD game and playing a few other LD jam games. Come by and send us a link to yours if you want me to play it!
https://www.twitch.tv/occupycapitals

I’m going to be adding a post game screen, which I failed to add in my allotted time to my LD game and playing a few other LD jam games. Come by and send us a link to yours if you want me to play it! https://www.twitch.tv/occupycapitals