Jump to content
Ultra Engine Community

Clackdor

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    227

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Clackdor

  1. Clackdor
    I just uploaded Swords and Skellies to the Asset Store in the Games section.
     
    http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/files/file/324-swords-and-skellies/
     
    This game release represents the first milestone in the larger project I have in mind. Creating such a simplistic game serves as a mechanism for advancing understanding of game coding, asset management, and engine usage. That is not to say it was simple. There were quite a few challenges when throwing this together. There were also major accomplishments:
    Developing and implementing a sandbox scene.
    Developing a 3rd person player controller.
    Developing a non-player character controller.
    Incorporating 3D art assets.
    Incorporating animations.
    Rudimentary GUI.

    I have several next steps in mind. Of course, I will be fixing some of the more egregious bugs that are found. But also, I need to do some major code optimization. The program is bloated and performance is terrible for what it is. I also need to go back and do some better documentation. There are already places in the code I have found that I am puzzled by what I was thinking. To help with this step, I'm going to pick up two of the more recommended C++ books available:
    http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Principles-Practice-Using-C/dp/0321543726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330789894&sr=8-1
    http://www.amazon.com/Coding-Standards-Rules-Guidelines-Practices/dp/0321113586/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330789459&sr=8-1-spell

    Looking forward I have a list of the next features I want to be adding to the game. On the technical side:
    SQLite for game settings and entity management.
    A real installer.
    A release version as opposed to debugging version.
    A* pathfinding for the skeletons.

    On the gameplay side of things:
    More levels and sandbox maps.
    An overhead minimap feature.
    RPG fight sequence (as opposed to pac-man mechanics).
    Wizard character.
    Simple networking for head to head competition.

    Eventually, I plan to get a page going on indiedb.com. But that may be a ways in the future. Let me know what you guys think of what I have so far.
  2. Clackdor

    Prototype World Tour

    By Clackdor,

    I was able to spend a lot of time with the editor over the past couple of weeks. I was also able to get all of my art assets converted for use. Take a look below at a video tour of my prototype world.
     
    This will (hopefully) be the world I use for my first finished game. It will be a re-imagined pacman clone, in 3D. Instead of ghosts, There will be skeletons. Instead of a pac-man, there will be a classy red-head with a sword. This game will be a sort of project milestone. I still have what I think is a great idea for a game, but working on this simple 3D game has been tremendously educational.
     
    You may recognize some of the assets. The huts, walls, and rocks were downloaded right here for free from the Asset Store. Thanks to the community for providing those. All of the vegetation and the character came from Dexsoft. I have plans to use zaphos' skeleton model prominently.
     
    First thing that really jumped out at me is that I have got to do some optimization. My CPU was struggling to do everything it was asked there. I'll need to go back and fully implement LOD models, and look at texture resolutions. (Any other suggestions?)
     
    Hopefully, my next blog entry will be a gameplay demonstration.
     


     
    FYI, I'm fairly disappointed in my video capture. The FPS is 60 when running alone and most of the distortions are caused by the capture.
  3. Clackdor

    My First Demo

    By Clackdor,

    Here's a look at what I've been working on. The games I'm interested in making will resemble World of Warcraft, Dark Age of Camelot, and Warhammer Online, so the look and feel will mimic those as much as possible.
     
    I've been working out the programming kinks. Had a 20 minute headache the other day when I suddenly realized that I was mixing up radians and degrees.
     
    The animations look pretty good. I don't know that the video clip does them justice. I will probably revisit them later on as I add audio, but its time to move on. Models and animations are from Dexsoft Games.
     


     
     
    Next steps:

    GUI
    An actual outdoor world

     
    At least working with the editor gets me away from the coding for a little bit. Also, it should be a lot more interesting to look at than the prototype platform in the video. My son likes for me to fall off it. And he wonders where the bad guys are.
     
    If I miss coding (yeah, I miss coding sometimes) I'll start working on a primitive GUI.
     
    Let me know what you think, if anything. And if anybody is really that interested in looking at the code, message me. Thanks for reading and watching.
  4. Clackdor

    First Blog Post

    By Clackdor,

    Greetings all. I'm going to use this blog to document the process as I embark on the harrowing journey of a gaming enthusiast who dabbles in indie game development. The desire to do this stems from my utter disappointment with multiplayer RPG games that are available out there. Also, it serves as a project to help me develop my C++ skills and better understand "under-the-covers" networking which is useful in my professional career as a, well, not a game developer.
     
    I was amazed at how much free or inexpensive resources were available online for game development. That plus the online community support network gave me the nudge to start investigating how I might go about pursuing the nerd dream. Thinking about what sort of work would need to be done for a multiplayer 3D RPG. I broke it down into 2 categories.
     

    Technical Challenges

    Examples include networking, including dealing with lag and cheaters; game logic, and just about anything that is doable with C++.
     

    Artistic Challenges

    Examples include 3D graphics, animation, website design, etc.
     
    I am not scared of the Technical challenges. I am scared of the artistic ones. I'm not a very good artist. Luckily, I discovered Blender and the outstanding community over there; and Dexsoft-Games, whose resources should allow me to develop all kinds of characters and environments for not too much money invested. (Un?)Fortunately, 3D graphics will be one of my first obstacles. I will either conquer it early or decide to abandon the project without too much wasted investment.
     
    I'd be interested in any tutorials, articles, experiences any of you have to offer. I think I know what I'm getting into here, so I'm not looking for discouragement. Advice is always welcome.
Copyright © 2024 Ultra Software.
All rights reserved.
×
×
  • Create New...