Fuck that I'd still make the code pretty, what if you need to use the code for a future project!
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Indy Game Development: any GAF'er ever make their own game, or even make money on it?
- Thread starter Mengy
- Start date
Fuck that I'd still make the code pretty, what if you need to use the code for a future project!
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
So much of it is just written for specific situations though. I have like three different state tracking variables I'm using just to make sure that the animation transitions between running, jumping, and falling are all correct.
This work has made me very very very fond of enumerators.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Can anyone recommend me a general programming technique for tackling things like menu screens? I'm currently using a switch case in the game loop for a "pause" type menu, so I guess I'm asking more about a "main menu"
JasoNsider
Member
I hear you. Working directly with render API is a severely daunting task. Personally I'm beginning work with Ogre3D and it's so good that I couldn't imagine me writing all this from scratch. And if I did it probably wouldn't be anywhere near this refined!
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
What are you programming in?
In Game Maker, you can use the process of deactivating instances.
Code:
//Initialize
pause = 0;
//Pause code (could probably do a switch)
if (pause key pressed && pause = 0)
{
pause = 1;
}
if (pause key pressed && pause = 1)
{
pause = 0;
}
//Pause process
if (pause = 1)
{
deactivate all instances in room;
execute draw event/jump to pause room;
}One thing you have to remember is that, depending on how the environment you're working in functions, you need to make sure you don't deactivate the object/process that has the pause control in it.
Does that make sense, or is that completely a waste of space? Haha
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I'm working in C++ and that gives me a vague idea that I might mess around with. Still would love to hear what anyone else says though
I'm probably the last peson who should instruct people on programming techniques, but anyway here's the way I'm doing it.
In my main loop I'm calling the update of a menu manager, which has a list of all open menues and in turn calls all of their updates (with a special flag for whatever menu is on top in case of menu stacking). Each menu has a flag saying if they should pause the game or not, and of course if there's any menu open that requires a pause I don't update the game session.
The menu manager is a pretty basic class with a stack of menues and an openmenu/closemenu/closeAll(Though in most cases I don't call closeMenu but rather let the menues report themselves as dead to go back in the menustack) and an update function and I have a very basic Menu class which all menues inherit from.
This is better and more detailed than I was going to post. I was just going to say that in the simplest sense, you might call menu input handling, menu update, and menu drawing functions from your main loop instead of game input handling, game update, and game drawing functions.
You might have your game loop use switch(someEnum), and have states like MAIN_MENU or MENU_SYSTEM, IN_GAME, or whatever. Then for each subsystem of the overall application state enum you could have specific modifiers (like more specific game state, or more specific menu system state).
I don't know if that's a good way but it's a possibility. If you go with the menu system approach as beril mentioned, you can call it from the switch case as part of your main game loop.
You could make a Gamestate class that provides an update(float deltaTime) and a draw() method, from which you derive your different states (ingame, mainmenu, etc).
Your main class then has objects of your various states and a pointer to the current state.
The main loop would look like this:
Code:
while(bRunning)
{
fDeltaTime = getTime();
currentState->update(fDeltaTime);
currentState->draw();
}Your Mainmenu class then could have a menu screen, which for example consists of a background and a list/vector of menu items.
A menu item could then consist of a string that you display in your menu and a function pointer to a function that does something when you select the corresponding menu item (exit the game, switch to another menu screen,..).
I hope that makes sense, it's getting kinda late here
oh and instead of something like
you could just saynicoga3000 said:
Code:
if (pause key pressed)
{
pause = !pause;
}AcceptableGhost
Member
This is the basics of how I used to do it, though I will be changing how I make menus in my next game (probably develop some sort of editor/dataformat so I can just make the menu visually). This worked pretty well for a basic menu. I wrote this menu system like a year and a half ago so it is pretty rough and is written very inconsistently in the full code (well... this is actually a C++ port of it - but I did not change or rewrite anything really).
Code:
//Inside of a Menu Class (basically a linked list)
void Menu::Update(GameTime* gameTime)
{
if (!onLowerMenu)
{
UpdateHelper(); //Overrideable for derived classes
RefreshOptions(); //Iterate through list of (class) "option"
Input(); //Grab input to determine what and where the player is in terms of selecting options
if (optionIsSelected && optionvector.size() > 0) //check for select
{
if (!optionvector[optionSelected]->locked) //check for lock
optionvector[optionSelected]->DoSomething(); //do what the option wants
optionIsSelected = false;
}
}
else
{
nextMenu->Update(gameTime); //if we are on a lower menu.. got to update it obviously..
}
}
void Menu::Draw(SpriteBatch* spriteBatch) //Drawing self explanatory
{
if (!onLowerMenu)
DrawHelper(spriteBatch); //Overrideable for derived classes & draws options
else
nextMenu->Draw(spriteBatch);
}
//Above the menu class is the "MenuHandler" class which builds linked lists of menus and etc
//also is the one calling the menus update/draw as well
void MenuHandler::BuildMenu()
{
mainMenu = new Menu(this);
mainMenu->Tag = "MainMenu";
mainMenu->AddOption(new LoadLevelOption("Start Game", "Start From 1-1", mainMenu, 0, 0));
mainMenu->AddOption(new ContinueGameOption("Continue", "Continue From ", mainMenu));
Menu* levelSelectMenu = new LevelMenu(this);
mainMenu->AddOption(new LoadMenuOption("Level Select", mainMenu, "Select Level", levelSelectMenu));
Menu* medalStatisticsMenu = new MedalStatisticsMenu(this);
mainMenu->AddOption(new LoadMenuOption("Checklist", mainMenu, "View Accomplishments", medalStatisticsMenu));
medalStatisticsMenu->AddOption(new BackOption(medalStatisticsMenu));
etc...
}
//For the classes based on "option" you would just override the DoSomething method like this:
void ToggleSoundEffectsOption::DoSomething()
{
float value = SaveHandler::GetGameSaveData()->currentSFXVolume - .25f;
if (value < 0)
value = 1;
SaveHandler::GetGameSaveData()->currentSFXVolume = value;
ChangeDialogText();
}
//Or say to load a menu lower...
void LoadMenuOption::DoSomething()
{
CurrentMenu->onLowerMenu = true;
CurrentMenu->nextMenu = menuToLoad;
CurrentMenu->nextMenu->RefreshOptions();
CurrentMenu->nextMenu->previousMenu = CurrentMenu;
}I finally pulled up the full-sized ingame screenshot of our global game jam GameMaker game:
Did the jam make anyone else want to do more on personal game projects after the fact? I seem to recall being exhausted and burned out at the end of last year's jam, but this time I'm wanting to work on some ideas that I was originally thinking would be practice for the jam, but which will maybe now become a more complete game.
Did the jam make anyone else want to do more on personal game projects after the fact? I seem to recall being exhausted and burned out at the end of last year's jam, but this time I'm wanting to work on some ideas that I was originally thinking would be practice for the jam, but which will maybe now become a more complete game.
Is anyone an expert master guru cryptographer? Technically this may be basic stuff, but it's been years since I took classes on such things, and I am just now starting reseach on it in relation to a game.
The problem is, say there is a game where two players each choose a secret setup/move, say simultaneous moves in some strategy game. Ideally, you would have a trusted game server that would mediate the players. Both players would tell their secrets to the server, and the server would transfer the data once the players are committed. However, if peer to peer is to be used instead (ignoring arguments against peer to peer for the moment), how can this be done without the possibility of one player cheating (by waiting, then changing the data they were about to send to give themselves an advantage)?
As far as I can tell, this is known as a "simultaneous exchange of secrets" cryptology problem, and I am reading up on ways to solve it. I just thought I would ask if anyone has encountered it before.
The simple approach I originally thought of was to have both players send encrypted secrets, then both send their keys. This would depend on it being effectively impossible to engineer a key that would decrypt part of the secret correctly (a hardcoded message header, for instance), yet warp the rest of the message in such a fashion that one player gains an advantage.
I am guessing that with a strong encryption scheme this is PROBABLY good, but I'm interested in learning if it is theoretically sound.
The problem is, say there is a game where two players each choose a secret setup/move, say simultaneous moves in some strategy game. Ideally, you would have a trusted game server that would mediate the players. Both players would tell their secrets to the server, and the server would transfer the data once the players are committed. However, if peer to peer is to be used instead (ignoring arguments against peer to peer for the moment), how can this be done without the possibility of one player cheating (by waiting, then changing the data they were about to send to give themselves an advantage)?
As far as I can tell, this is known as a "simultaneous exchange of secrets" cryptology problem, and I am reading up on ways to solve it. I just thought I would ask if anyone has encountered it before.
The simple approach I originally thought of was to have both players send encrypted secrets, then both send their keys. This would depend on it being effectively impossible to engineer a key that would decrypt part of the secret correctly (a hardcoded message header, for instance), yet warp the rest of the message in such a fashion that one player gains an advantage.
I am guessing that with a strong encryption scheme this is PROBABLY good, but I'm interested in learning if it is theoretically sound.
Legato.Reborn-
Member
I'd love to do something, yeah.
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
I finally pulled up the full-sized ingame screenshot of our global game jam GameMaker game:
Did the jam make anyone else want to do more on personal game projects after the fact? I seem to recall being exhausted and burned out at the end of last year's jam, but this time I'm wanting to work on some ideas that I was originally thinking would be practice for the jam, but which will maybe now become a more complete game.
I have Monster Hunter on the brain but that really does look similar to it. An earlier screen had the logo, what was the typeface?
Edit- That may sound crazy out of context. What I mean is that the art style for the sprites sort of matches the icons... I dunno. Ignore me.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Nice looking 48s, guys.
In the final weeks before the games studio I worked at closed, a few of us got together and fleshed out a small moment in a game I've been designing on and off for a long time.
It's been sitting on vimeo for a while and we've not worked on any gameplay since this was posted. The company went down and we all went our separate ways (still in contact but not working together).
It's not much but we got it done in around 3-4 weeks and there's more than what is shown in the video. It was a bit of a rush job so animations don't blend perfectly and characters look dodgy but I was extremely proud of the team. I can give a little more info as well if anyone cares.
Click the image to see the video clip.
It's been sitting on vimeo for a while and we've not worked on any gameplay since this was posted. The company went down and we all went our separate ways (still in contact but not working together).
It's not much but we got it done in around 3-4 weeks and there's more than what is shown in the video. It was a bit of a rush job so animations don't blend perfectly and characters look dodgy but I was extremely proud of the team. I can give a little more info as well if anyone cares.
Click the image to see the video clip.
I don't know the typeface for the logo, but the energy bar used Alba, I think? (I think it might be from the XNA font pack) As far as I know, the sprites were done based on photo references and go with my artist's normal style, but I've never played Monster Hunter games to have a source for comparison.I have Monster Hunter on the brain but that really does look similar to it. An earlier screen had the logo, what was the typeface?
Edit- That may sound crazy out of context. What I mean is that the art style for the sprites sort of matches the icons... I dunno. Ignore me.
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
In the final weeks before the games studio I worked at closed, a few of us got together and fleshed out a small moment in a game I've been designing on and off for a long time.
It's been sitting on vimeo for a while and we've not worked on any gameplay since this was posted. The company went down and we all went our separate ways (still in contact but not working together).
It's not much but we got it done in around 3-4 weeks and there's more than what is shown in the video. It was a bit of a rush job so animations don't blend perfectly and characters look dodgy but I was extremely proud of the team. I can give a little more info as well if anyone cares.
Click the image to see the video clip.
Looks really nice, reminds me of a Pixar movie. Shame that's all there is.
In the final weeks before the games studio I worked at closed, a few of us got together and fleshed out a small moment in a game I've been designing on and off for a long time.
It's been sitting on vimeo for a while and we've not worked on any gameplay since this was posted. The company went down and we all went our separate ways (still in contact but not working together).
It's not much but we got it done in around 3-4 weeks and there's more than what is shown in the video. It was a bit of a rush job so animations don't blend perfectly and characters look dodgy but I was extremely proud of the team. I can give a little more info as well if anyone cares.
Click the image to see the video clip.
Man that looked super cool. Is it supposed to be a puzzle game? Are there any special mechanics in the game? Or maybe you have some mechanics in mind, but couldn't find the time to implement them?
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
That is quite ominous.
Thanks for checking out the video, it feels like it's been locked up in a basement for the last year.
Cheers. The relationship between Ellie and Carl in 'UP' was definitely a strong inspiration for the game.
In terms of the actual gameplay elements it's definitely a puzzle/adventure game at heart mixed with action sequences. As you said though there was just no time to implement it all. You can walk into the house in the second scene (where there's a break in the fence) and find some ores for the boat. You can't row to the island though.
The game is based on the relationship between these 2 main characters. First they meet, then after a while their interaction changes based on the development of their relationship (as they get older).
Creating an enjoyable game through the use of emotional rewards rather than points and collectables is an important part of its design as well. For example in this sequence your friend is visibly upset. You walk towards her but she is too upset to talk. How can you cheer her up without trying to engage her in a conversation?
- You decide to pick a flower and pass it to her.
- She wipes away her tears, hugs you and smiles.
I like that the reward is something another character feels and expresses as a result of your decisions.
Looks really nice, reminds me of a Pixar movie. Shame that's all there is.
Cheers. The relationship between Ellie and Carl in 'UP' was definitely a strong inspiration for the game.
In terms of the actual gameplay elements it's definitely a puzzle/adventure game at heart mixed with action sequences. As you said though there was just no time to implement it all. You can walk into the house in the second scene (where there's a break in the fence) and find some ores for the boat. You can't row to the island though.
The game is based on the relationship between these 2 main characters. First they meet, then after a while their interaction changes based on the development of their relationship (as they get older).
Creating an enjoyable game through the use of emotional rewards rather than points and collectables is an important part of its design as well. For example in this sequence your friend is visibly upset. You walk towards her but she is too upset to talk. How can you cheer her up without trying to engage her in a conversation?
- You decide to pick a flower and pass it to her.
- She wipes away her tears, hugs you and smiles.
I like that the reward is something another character feels and expresses as a result of your decisions.
Hey Jebus
The premise for the game really interesting, having the pair get older the farther you are into the game just sounds amazing and the art is amazing, love its aesthetics (great lighting choice too! it really gives the simplistic style an extra kick ) . It would be a shame if this was never made. Any plans at all on continuing with the project be it on your own, or pitching it to publisher?
The premise for the game really interesting, having the pair get older the farther you are into the game just sounds amazing and the art is amazing, love its aesthetics (great lighting choice too! it really gives the simplistic style an extra kick ) . It would be a shame if this was never made. Any plans at all on continuing with the project be it on your own, or pitching it to publisher?
CiroContinisio
Neo Member
Wow, I'm new around here and I didn't think there were so many indie developers on NeoGAF!!
I am a dev from Italy and I'm currently working on a game called UFHO2. It's a little game focused on strategy and quick thinking, that we're trying to finance with a Kickstarter campaign.
Here's some characters from the game, actually the full cast up to now:
The graphics are mine. You may recognize 4 familiar faces from the indie scene (yees, I have the creators' permission!)
Hope we'll make it, I'm very eager to finish the development!
I am a dev from Italy and I'm currently working on a game called UFHO2. It's a little game focused on strategy and quick thinking, that we're trying to finance with a Kickstarter campaign.
Here's some characters from the game, actually the full cast up to now:
The graphics are mine. You may recognize 4 familiar faces from the indie scene (yees, I have the creators' permission!)
Hope we'll make it, I'm very eager to finish the development!
Here's some characters from the game, actually the full cast up to now:
The graphics are mine. You may recognize 4 familiar faces from the indie scene (yees, I have the creators' permission!)
Awesome character design !
Lots of personality with so little
And .. only recognized 2 familiar faces ... need to play more indie games xD
And ... how was to get permission ?
They just acepted, wanted to know everything or something inbetween ?
CiroContinisio
Neo Member
Thanks! Which one do you know?
All of them were very supportive and kind, and they just accepted. Probably they liked the game in the first place, but I know at least one of them just said yes without even looking at the trailer (in fact, I got an answer from him after 10-20 seconds). And he's one of the most popular in the bunch, his character not pictured here because I haven't announced it yet.
But yes, they were all very kind.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
The indie community at large seems to be really keen on cameos.
Wiz
Member
Always been a dream of mine, and I'm just now beginning to make it a reality. I was going to use Game Maker but I decided to start from scratch and learn C++ as much as I can first before attempting to make a game.
Currently a CS major in University, and I hope to have my first game started before I finish school. (Currently a Sophomore)
And btw, there's some awesome stuff in here. Might have to play some of y'alls games. 8)
Currently a CS major in University, and I hope to have my first game started before I finish school. (Currently a Sophomore)
And btw, there's some awesome stuff in here. Might have to play some of y'alls games. 8)
CiroContinisio
Neo Member
Cameos are cool!
No, but seriously, my plan is to go further than a simple cameo appearance.
Also, those guest characters all come from games I really, really love. I wouldn't just put anybody's character into my game.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
Indie Dev Brother Brawl?
CiroContinisio
Neo Member
No, I mean, the characters will be playable, have their own 'powers' (based on the ones they had in their original games) and also be integrated in the story.
I have detailed them here in the updates from #5 to #8.
I have detailed them here in the updates from #5 to #8.
Thanks Animatik.
I agree about it being a shame if I never get the chance to develop it further. I still work on the game on and off, but it's all design and story work.
The worst part of it all is that I have extremely talented and experienced contacts that could help to develop something I know would be amazing, but it just comes down to money.
Which brings me to the question about pitching it to publishers. Simply put I just have no idea where to begin so I've always put it off. I spoke to an old boss of mine for tips on getting funding (not about this game specifically) but it's not something that screams 'return on your investment'. I came up with the ideas because it's the kind of game I want to play, which is the opposite to what publishers want to hear.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
In the final weeks before the games studio I worked at closed, a few of us got together and fleshed out a small moment in a game I've been designing on and off for a long time.
It's been sitting on vimeo for a while and we've not worked on any gameplay since this was posted. The company went down and we all went our separate ways (still in contact but not working together).
It's not much but we got it done in around 3-4 weeks and there's more than what is shown in the video. It was a bit of a rush job so animations don't blend perfectly and characters look dodgy but I was extremely proud of the team. I can give a little more info as well if anyone cares.
Click the image to see the video clip.
Have you thought about bringing this to something like iPad?
What engine did you make it in?
I haven't because when it was created the Ipad was only really just hitting it's stride and the Iphone was still a device for quick fun gameplay mechanics. I always envisioned it as a game to be slowly absorbed rather than 5 minutes here and there on a train. Now you mention it though i think the Ipad has developed into the kind of device where this could work.
It was developed using Unity.
brettchalupa
Member
This is a good question, and it's one that a lot of people have.
1. Don't narrow down the options to just "hire a programmer" in terms of working with others. There are plenty of programmers who would love to collaborate with you on a project or hear your ideas. All you need to do is look in the right places. For example, TIGSource's forums have a specific section for those looking to collaborate.
If you don't want to work with a programmer, then I'd suggest you start messing around with code. Try it out, follow some tutorials, etc. It's a lot of fun, but you need to be open-minded about it. Math definitely helps with programming, especially when coding specific parts of a game; however, being amazing at math is not at al required in programming. There aren't really any other good options for making a game if you aren't willing to learn to code or to work with others.
2. Game Salad is somewhat flexible. It's got a really low barrier of entry and is simple enough to work with. It's definitely something great to start with, but there will still be programming involved. They use their own language for Game Maker, and it is very similar to many other scripting languages. Game Maker does have its limitations. These aren't anything you'd run in to immediately, but it's something to think about.
My advice to you would to simply try making a game. Whether it be by yourself or with a few others. Everyone thinks that they have some great ideas and concepts for games. That's awesome, really! What's makes the difference between having an idea that you think is good and having an idea that everyone thinks is good is the execution. That's the different between people who want to make games and people who make games.
There is a lot that goes into making a game, from the design, to the art, to the code. It's a much lengthier and difficult process than most people think. I wouldn't suggest diving into making commercial games for iOS or Android from the start. I'd suggest trying out some free and open resources that exist on the web. Off of the top of my head, I would say try one of the following if you're interested: FlashPunk, Flixel, Unity, or Love2D. If it's too much code and is overwhelming, then look for someone to help you out or some tutorials online.
I will play this if I can play Notch and throw his hat Oddjob-style.
By the way, I recommend people watch the Global Game Jam keynote/intro video from this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jsYc5iFpHhQ
The stuff from the guy from Uruguay, from Will Wright (with his very strange video elements), and from the guy from Japan are probably the best in my opinion. The rest is eh.
The stuff from the guy from Uruguay, from Will Wright (with his very strange video elements), and from the guy from Japan are probably the best in my opinion. The rest is eh.
I don't really see the point. A lot of iOS devs will probably be using Unity, which people are talking about here as well, and/or make it crossplatform with Android and possibly other platforms in which case it doesn't make much sense to split up the thread. It's not like this thread has gotten too big or too hard to follow anyway.
Quick question for folks on Unity:
1) If we want to target iOS for our game, I assume we need to buy the $400 iOS add-on? Can one person buy that and we use their copy of the free Unity package to deploy/publish or does every person on the team have to buy it?
2) What type of source control do people usually use with Unity Free?
1) If we want to target iOS for our game, I assume we need to buy the $400 iOS add-on? Can one person buy that and we use their copy of the free Unity package to deploy/publish or does every person on the team have to buy it?
2) What type of source control do people usually use with Unity Free?
CiroContinisio
Neo Member
I assume if you want to work with two or more people on an iPhone project in Unity you have to buy two or more mobile licenses.
Although maybe you can do most of the work on several free license and then do the final tweaks and publish through the mobile one? It would depend on the size of the project though, with big projects it would become a bit tricky.
I'm not sure though, wait for an answer from somebody who published something with Unity.
Although maybe you can do most of the work on several free license and then do the final tweaks and publish through the mobile one? It would depend on the size of the project though, with big projects it would become a bit tricky.
I'm not sure though, wait for an answer from somebody who published something with Unity.
CiroContinisio
Neo Member
Yes of course, I'm not saying I invented anything new here
As you say cross-overs are common in the indie scene. I will try to integrate them more in the story though.
Also, in SMB most of the characters were difficult to use so in the end you would go with some classic ones, I used Meat Boy all the time for instance. You would change it only if in a particular level there's a bandage piece that's easier to get with a certain character.
What I'll try to achieve instead is to have all characters to be meaningful to use and balanced, so that it really makes sense to always use one of the ones that are not the basic two, to establish your peculiar playing style and confuse other human opponents.
brettchalupa
Member
Myself and others have used git in the past. It handles the binary files okay, but it's nothing spectacular. It does what it needs to do for binary files and functions as it should for the source code.
For larger Unity projects, Unity recommends using their own Asset Server software, but it's very pricey if I remember correctly.
I also know, from experience, that you can use SVN if you want. I'd recommend git though.
This is my first post here but have been reading gaf for years and meaning to sign up.
My first game is about to release on iPad either this week or next depending on approval www.endnightgame.com
It's an open world survival horror game, with a bunch of weird experimental ideas, Touch Arcade did a pretty indepth preview and also talked about it on their podcast last week.
Made the game pretty much by myself over about a 12month period, using blender2.5 for all the art assets, and unity for the rest, along with purchased mocap,sfx,music
Really enjoyed the development part especially using unity, however finding the marketing/release/review part really stressful.
My first game is about to release on iPad either this week or next depending on approval www.endnightgame.com
It's an open world survival horror game, with a bunch of weird experimental ideas, Touch Arcade did a pretty indepth preview and also talked about it on their podcast last week.
Made the game pretty much by myself over about a 12month period, using blender2.5 for all the art assets, and unity for the rest, along with purchased mocap,sfx,music
Really enjoyed the development part especially using unity, however finding the marketing/release/review part really stressful.
Woah, impressive. Would love to try this out, but don't have an iPad.
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Yeah, Git should do just fun. <3 it.
That does look really good. Interesting idea, too.
Similar threads
- Locked