This will be my very first Ludum Dare, but it probably won’t be my last. I’m intending on using pixelart graphics made in GIMP and Java with LWJGL for the backend (I’ve never used LWJGL before, and indeed I’ve only ever created tools before with Java, so this will be my first Java game as well as my first Ludum Dare game). Ultimately though, I’m greatly looking forward to next weekend
I’ve decided to go from participating in the competition to participating in the jam, but doing it solo. I’ve heard that the competition is very difficult and I don’t think that 2 days is a reasonable timeframe to complete art creation, seeing as each one can take a couple of hours on most of my projects. Will probably post a timelapse for the 72 hours when it comes.
just want to confirm that I am using Java in Eclipse using the LWJGL and slick-util (for loading textures into the former), with GIMP for graphics and audacity/my guitar for music and sfxr/royalty free sound effects (depending on the promt) for sound effects
I’m using java array literals for my levels (bad form, I know, but I’m pressed for time and want to have as much time as possible creating content) but it keeps saying my arrays are null. This is the offending code:
protected Integer[][] rawLevel =
{
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
{1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1}
};
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated
Every time I load an image into LWJGL with slick-util the display just blacks out and refuses to work. any help?
I finished my game (at last) about 2 hours ago, but I’ve spent the time since then trying to compile the damn thing. Any tips from people who’ve used it before?
Well, that’s my first ever Ludum Dare over and done with! Cannot describe how much fun I’ve had, it’s definitely cemented my love of game design/development. Will probably enter into as many future LDs and mini-LDs as I can handle without completely failing college, because if anything is good practice for game design, it’s being constrained to 48 hours. You can find my game here.
What went well:
My art assets were pretty much finished by the first hour of the competition, which meant I didn’t have to use placeholders, which I hate with a passion
My level creation code, although messy, is pretty versatile and meant I could make some fairly interesting puzzles, although more on that later
Once I’d finally got my collision detection code working, I had absolutely no problems with it. It was very simple, which meant it was very, very difficult to break
The overall game, I found, was very fun, even if it was rather difficult and short
What didn’t
The collision detection code. Jesus, when it worked it worked beautifully, but before then it was a major headache that cost me somewhere in the area of 5-6 hours. At least now I know how to do it.
The levels were very simplistic, with only 3 unique puzzles spread across 4 (non-tutorial/boss) levels. Even though the puzzles were not necessarily easy, the very, very basic level editor meant that it was hard to visualise more complex puzzles, especially as this is my first puzzle game.
LWJGL is a harsh mistress. I used a .bat stating the location of the native library for my original submission, but after almost a day of tweaking I managed to make it find the library when you run the .jar verbatim.
In my next game, which I’ve already decided on, I will use an xml-or-similar-based level file, to allow for easier scripting of levers and such, and a graphical level editor for easier visualisation.
Well, that’s that. When all’s said and done, my game’s development went rather smoothly, and I hope yours did too. Now go play 800-odd indie games, you’ve deserved them.
I’m hardly a Ludum Dare regular, but I’ve done it once before and I was absolutely happy with the result, so I’m trying something a bit more ambitious for this LD – a game made in UDK. I’ve been using it a lot recently and I can more than do the programming part, and I want to force myself to have a more comprehensive knowledge of the engine. Obviously, I know how to work within my means and I more than intend to keep all content creation to a bare minimum, with minimalist levels and simple gameplay. I will also use Photoshop for graphics and Flash for HUD creation. If the brief ends up as something requiring too much content for 2 days work, I will switch to Java and LWJGL, with GIMP or PyxelEdit for graphics.
I can’t say that it didn’t go well, which is surprising seeing as how unfinished it was at 12:00 yesterday.
In the final 12 hours (I’m on GMT so I had until 2:00 this morning, but I finished at 12 GMT regardless) I added sound, a menu, fixed graphics, shooting that wasn’t horrific to use, combos, and a HUD, and that’s not even beginning to mention the stuff I fixed, and jesus, does building games from first principles in LWJGL leave a lot to be fixed.
Unfortunately, I can see myself being very busy this time 4 months in the future, so I might not be able to participate in LD24, but I am damn proud to have produced something for the 10th anniversary of a competition that has caused me so much work and effort and stress, but I can’t help but love.
You can play the fruit of my labours here.
I’ve got some ideas for games that I’ve been wanting to make for a while, so with a little luck the themes will line up with that. Failing that though I’ll just do what I always do: panic.
Tech:
Good luck equally to all the fresh-faced newbies and the grizzled veterans, let’s make it a good one.