Hello, I am xot. This may be my first Ludum Dare. I’ve been looking forward to it, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to find the time.

I’ll be using Game Maker for the gutty-works. Photoshop and maybe LightWave3D for the pixels. Audacity and sfxr for the bleets. Music is doubtful. I may dip into a my code library which is posted at my site GMLscripts.com but I’ll only be using code I’ve written myself naturally. There is an outside chance I may use some gizmos and/or doodads posted in the forums there.

I hope I did that right.

Tags: compo, tools

I’ve a lousy LD track record so far, but I’m giving it another go.

Tool Pool:

• GameMaker
• Photoshop
• LightWave 3D
• CorelDRAW
• Spriter Beta
• Fontstruct
• Bfxr
• Audacity
• QuantiZe
• LabChirp
• Sound Effects Generator
• Cylonix
• Linear Predictive Codec
• Musagi
• Rebirth
• LMMS
• Synplant
• Bitspeek
• MicroTonic
• proprietary tools
• personal code library (much of it posted here: GMLscripts.com)

I might attempt HTML5 delivery but I’ll most likely to stick with a Windows executable.

Tags: antigen-redux

Gah! I had so much difficulty getting my 3D software running. Wasted a full two hours just to find out how incredibly rusty I am. Getting decent results, though. I think they’ll work.

I also managed to forget to turn on my screen capture after sorting out the 3D problems, so I missed recording about an hour of work.

Recharged my batteries before all that with vegetarian chili over rice, iced tea, and fresh bread.

Tags: antigen-redux, foodphoto

I’m out of the competition. 8.5 hours ago it was clear I was just spinning my wheels due to fatigue. Even under the best conditions, a short nap probably wouldn’t have left me enough time to finish by the competition deadline. So I decided to get some real sleep and try to come back fully refreshed for the final leg of the jam. I’m trying to stay positive, but there is so much work still to do.

Tags: antigen-redux

I’m in.

• GameMaker
• Code I’ve posted at GMLscripts.com
• Photoshop
• Lightwave 3D
• Audacity
• Bfxr
• LMMS? cgMusic? Some kinda tracker? Music ain’t my strong point.

We’ll see if I can maintain my unbroken record of failure. GMC Jam is happening the same weekend which should help.

Tags: gamemaker, GMCJam, GML

Here’s my office.

Tags: desk, deskphoto, office

Tools

BOX: Windows 7
GMX: GameMaker: Studio, GMLscripts.com
GFX: Photoshop, LightWave 3D, FontStruct.com
SFX: Audacity, Bfxr
MSX: 1/f noise, LMMS, Sonic Charge VSTs
ROX: Frank Zappa, SolidSteel.net
MEX: Fish Tacos, Beans, Rice
HAX: OMGWTFBBQ
FUX: none given
VOX: @gmlscripts


OK, I’ve just started after some seriously uninspired floundering. This theme.

But, I think I can actually do this in the time allotted. It’s a simple yet novel idea and it’s similar to the first game I made in Game Maker 5 years and years ago. It has a punny name and the first sprite I made is an explosion. All signs point to success.

After a very late start but some good progress, this idea just isn’t going to work out in the time remaining.

The premise of “Missile Demand” is to protect your cities by shooting down a barrage of ICBM warheads. The catch is, you only have one anti-ballistic missile to defend yourself. Your only chance of survival is a well-timed, well-placed missile setting off an exploding chain reaction of incoming warheads.

It looked like it would be fairly easy to construct puzzles automatically, but the constraints of the existing form of “Missile Command” make this more difficult than anticipated.

First, it is too easy for warheads to pass through explosions at the wrong time, breaking the intended chain. Intense heuristics might produce some good challenges but this is speculation. Manually designed challenges are feasible with some more time but this particular problem makes the puzzles seem rather bland.

The second problem is poor situational awareness. Within the existing form, a satisfyingly long chain reaction requires too many warheads to be off-screen when the critical shot is fired.

Something Connor Ullmann tweeted during this rings especially true at the moment.

“It’s a very sad thing, to me, knowing that I’m far more interested in the potential of an idea than the realization of it. An idea may seem AMAZING, but the main reason it’s amazing is because you’re not actually sure what it is yet.”

I’m out.

A little late but what difference does it make since I won’t finish.

Good. Now that I have my positive attitude out of the way:

TOOLS

• GameMaker: Studio
• Photoshop
• bfxr
• LMMS
• GMLscripts.com
• Shaun Spalding’s platformer tutorials

DISTRACTIONS

• Food & Drink
• Twitter
• NES emulator
• Space Giraffe
• LotRO
• YouTube

Already have an idea that might not be unfun. Thanks to @JasonCecrle for the inspiration.

I’m beginning to get the feeling that in order for this game to be played “correctly” all of the fun will need to be sucked right out of it.

OK. Time to take a break and cook some dinner. Mysterious freezer chicken that hopefully won’t make me sick, green beans with yellow squash, and potatoes.

I’m going in but will anything make it out?

TOOLS

• GameMaker: Studio
• Photoshop
• LightWave 3D
• bfxr
• LMMS
• GMLscripts.com

“Simplify, simplify” – Henry David Thoreau

Waste of Time Shader

What I want to do is pretty clear in my head but it does involve the creation of a couple of new shaders. That always seems to take longer than expected, although these are not as complex as the first. The rest is fairly simple but nothing is easy and some GM:Studio functionality I was expecting to use appears to not be implemented (despite assurances it was implemented 4.5 months ago). Not sure how I’m going to get around that problem gracefully.

Time to sleep again. If I’m undisturbed for the final stretch, it’s possible to finish something basic. Otherwise, I’ll transition to the jam. I have a feeling I’m not going to be allowed the time I need, either way.

Whether or not I finish is an entirely different matter. It would be a first if I did.

I’ve got a simple idea. REALLY simple. Simple enough … this time … I think. But it will require an AI and that is scary.

Tools:

• GameMaker: Studio
• Photoshop
• LightWave 3D
• Bfxr
• GMLscripts.com