YOU DECIDE: Collaboration or Competition - Page 5

Bolshevik · #41 12-30-2006, 01:35 AM

photics says,

Quote:

I look forward to seeing it. If it's good enough, would you want it mentioned in the next edition of Photics: The Guild Wars edition? If it's not good enough, would you want to open the project to collaboration?

It's up to you I think it's coming out pretty good I think you will be pleased. Right now I am having some trouble with some things that I thought were going to be extremely easy but turned out to be harder then I thought so I am going to have to rethink how I am going to do it. It might get pushed back a bit but ultimately the plan is for saturday wish me luck. If I have to work on it really hard I will I am really liking how it is looking so far and I hope once it's finished you will to.

Bolshevik · #42 12-30-2006, 08:22 PM

Sorry if it seems like I am double posting but I am not. I wanted to ask a few questions. Tell me whats manditory I figured out the problem that was going wrong now I just need to put the finishing touches on the project to get it to finished. I'll check what I got done basically. Everything that basically doesn't have an x isn't done.

A title screen, with a cool looking logo-x
An instruction screen-x
Gwen's animation
Getting ready to draw
Standing still
Rock-x
Scissor-x
Paper-x
I Win (Gwen Giggles)
You Win (Gwen gets sad)
Tie (Gwen looks confused)
Background graphics-x
happy puffy clouds that drift across the sky-x
flowers that sway with the wind-x
Sound Effects
Gwen's Voice
Background Music-x
Title Music-x
Game Over Music
Game Over screen, that ties into the High Scores
Scoring-x
(You start with three hearts, you keep challenging Gwen until you lose.)-x

Photics · #43 12-30-2006, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bolshevik

Sorry if it seems like I am double posting but I am not. I wanted to ask a few questions. Tell me whats manditory I figured out the problem that was going wrong now I just need to put the finishing touches on the project to get it to finished. I'll check what I got done basically. Everything that basically doesn't have an x isn't done.

There's no rush. You said you needed like two weeks. I think you still got one left. I think most gamers would probably agree - games shouldn't be rushed. As for the High Scores, that part is something for me to take care of. Just have a game over screen that displays the score. I can make the flash game talk to v3arcade.

Heh, I wonder what you did for the "happy puffy clouds".

Gwen's voice can be dropped, but I don't think any animation should be cut. Nothing's mandatory, as this is a volunteer project. Yet, wouldn't it be better to take more time with the project or open it up to collaboration?

The difference between a good game and a great game is the last 5%. Why is World of Warcraft so much more popular than Guild Wars? Do people like paying monthly fees? NO! I think it's how smooth the game plays. The interface is like silk and the learning curve is gentle. I say take the time to polish your game. Make it something to be admired!

Photics · #44 12-31-2006, 11:11 AM

Classic Mode Sketch*

* Not to scale

Even just looking at the sketch, this is a game I want to play. I can almost see the vertical scrolling stars. Can't you just hear Hank yelling, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Heh, if I had an infinite amount of time, I'd like to make a sketch version of this game. B&W For teh winz!

Not reflected in the sketch, Camera movement. I think the camera should be tilted a little bit back. Not too much, just a little bit. In Classic mode, all of the action happens on the same plane. Yet, a slight tilt back would give the game some depth. Keep in mind, all of the graphics are in 3D. The controls are 2D in classic mode.

Side view ______ /_______ X-Axis

(Crude ASCI drawing to illustrate the camera angle.)

Camera zoom should be controllable by the player. The Capital ship is huge. I mean HUGE. We're talking Spaceballs - "We Break For Nobody" - huge! It won't fit on one normal sized screen. Yet, to get that full effect, the player should be able to zoom the camera in and out. On the PC, this would be done with the mouse wheel. On the XBOX 360 controller, this would be done with the L & R triggers.

Nemisari · #45 12-31-2006, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photics

Yet, to get that full effect, the player should be able to zoom the camera in and out. On the PC, this would be done with the mouse wheel. On the XBOX 360 controller, this would be done with the L & R triggers.[/left]

Love the sketch, and most of the description, except for zoom control

I think the + pad should control zoom and leave the triggers for firing guns / missiles

Speaking of which, how do you want to handle weapons, upgrades, reloading etc.? I was thinking for reloading there could be a part on the back of the Capitol Ship, and you'd have to leave shooting the asteroids for a minute to go behind and fill up the ammo.. and Hank could communicate to you when they have finished developing a new type of weapon

Photics · #46 12-31-2006, 06:29 PM

Photics: Revisions - Course Correction
Classic (Top-Down) Controls

XBOX 360 Controller:

Left Analogue Stick - Move Ship
Right Analogue Stick - Move Crosshair
Left Trigger - Shoot Missles
Right Trigger - Shoot Gun
Left Button - Zoom In
Right Button - Zoom Out
A Button - Fire Shockwave Weapon*
B Button - Fire Main Gun

Windows PC Controls:

Mouse - Move Crosshair
Left Click - Fire Gun
Right Click - Fire Missiles
Mouse Wheel - Zoom In/Out
A - Move Left
S - Move Down
D - Move Right
W - Move Up
Q - Fire Shockwave Weapon*
E - Fre Main Gun

* I later realized that a sonic weapon would have little effect in space.

Bolshevik · #47 01-01-2007, 02:54 AM

photics says,

Quote:

Gwen's voice can be dropped, but I don't think any animation should be cut. Nothing's mandatory, as this is a volunteer project. Yet, wouldn't it be better to take more time with the project or open it up to collaboration?

The difference between a good game and a great game is the last 5%. Why is World of Warcraft so much more popular than Guild Wars? Do people like paying monthly fees? NO! I think it's how smooth the game plays. The interface is like silk and the learning curve is gentle. I say take the time to polish your game. Make it something to be admired!

Ok, I was just wondering because I don't like to do more work then I have to but I was just making sure you wanted it done. I got this far with the game it's about oh say 80% done with the finishing touches, I just gotta do the animations for gwen and then thats pretty much it. Once it's done I think you will rather enjoy or otherwise if you hate it thats a possibility to. By the way I liked playing WoW it's really fun and I would play it more but I can't.

Also I wanted to note

Photics says,

Quote:

* Not to scale. Even just looking at the sketch, this is a game I want to play. I can almost see the vertical scrolling stars. Can't you just hear Hank yelling, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Heh, if I had an infinite amount of time, I'd like to make a sketch version of this game. B&W For teh winz!

The more description and drawings you have the better because your going to be working with a team and then they can contribute their ideas or tell you what's possible with coding and what's really hard to do even if the drawing looks like its beat eatin and pooped out by kittens it's still better then nothing and having a great description always helps but I didn't need to tell you that right?

Photics · #48 01-01-2007, 12:54 PM

Are you making fun of my sketch?!

My 3D work looks A LOT better than my sketching. Now, if I can just figure out how to export textures with .FBX files from Carrara to XNA. One month ago, I wouldn't have understood anything about that question. HA! Although, I did learn something new today. I used Wings3D to do the .FBX exporting, instead of Carrara. I found a sample .OBJ file online. It's from a great tutorial, related to this very topic. I took the .OBJ file, used Wings3D to convert it to an .FBX file, then I dropped it into XNA.

WHOA... IT WORKED!

There it was - a spinning pencil, in full 3D glory. It was textured and everything!

Ah ha! There must be something up with Carrara. Perhaps this is a limitation of the demo. I plan to buy the full version, but not if it can't export to .FBX properly. I contacted Daz Productions. I'm waiting for a reply. Meanwhile, I decided to play around. I was looking to see just how good XNA really is. A pencil isn't exactly a high-poly model. Something more visually pleasing was needed, like a woman in a bikini...

As you can see, there were some issues with the conversion.

I think it has something to do with the bikini, as she exports almost flawlessly when she's naked. I'd love to show you those results, but I think my advertisers would have a problem with that.

Wings3D struggles to manipulate objects of this size. I tried to scale the lady in Wing3D, but the program pretty much laughed at me. "HA, that file is much too large!" Despite this, I had more luck using Wings3D to convert files than the Carrara demo.

Bolshevik · #49 01-01-2007, 04:07 PM

photic says,

Quote:

I think it has something to do with the bikini, as she exports almost flawlessly when she's naked. I'd love to show you those results, but I think my advertisers would have a problem with that.

Wings3D struggles to manipulate objects of this size. I tried to scale the lady in Wing3D, but the program pretty much laughed at me. "HA, that file is much too large!" Despite this, I had more luck using Wings3D to convert files than the Carrara demo.

Did you check your poly count maybe the demo only lets you render so many polys or something of that nature but other then that it shouldn't be doing that. The only suggestion I can give is using a poly reduction tool if it comes with it but sometimes if you are lucky you can download one for free. Also I don't want to say your graphics card is bad but it might be time for a new graphics card unless you have a really good one other then those 2 things it might just be the program.

By the way I wasn't making fun of your sketch. I was just saying that you need more of them because without sketches how the hell are you supposed to convey your idea, unless all your teammates are psychic and can read your mind.

#50 01-01-2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photics

Hmm... a tie... what do I do now?!

Play a game of rock, paper-- wait, no you can't do that, yet.