Vapourware Codexian Game Development Thread

[gaussgunner]

In that case, yeah a raycasting engine / algorithm is probably what you'll want to look at, if you want smooth transitions between angles. Any attempt I've seen that tries to hack a transition with static wall sprites (like Grimoire) just looks awkward as hell.

The original Doom is open source now too I think, maybe look at that.

Grimoire transitions look fine to me. Maybe you're just picky.

Also, Doom isn't "2D all the way" and neither is the type of raycasting engine you're talking about, if I understand you right. Snorkack you might wanna save that for version 2.0.

 

[ProphetSword]

In that case, yeah a raycasting engine / algorithm is probably what you'll want to look at, if you want smooth transitions between angles. Any attempt I've seen that tries to hack a transition with static wall sprites (like Grimoire) just looks awkward as hell.

The original Doom is open source now too I think, maybe look at that.

Grimoire transitions look fine to me. Maybe you're just picky.

Also, Doom isn't "2D all the way" and neither is the type of raycasting engine you're talking about, if I understand you right. Snorkack you might wanna save that for version 2.0.

What do you mean it isn't "2D all the way?" Doom isn't real 3D, so I don't know what else it would be.

 

[ProphetSword]

How about instead of just disagreeing with me, you answer my question. Doom was completely 2D.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/4xaagg/doom-wasnt-3d

 

[Zep Zepo]

Doom was 2.5 D.

It not only had X and Y but also a crude Z.

Zep--

 

[gaussgunner]

How about instead of just disagreeing with me, you answer my question. Doom was completely 2D.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/4xaagg/doom-wasnt-3d

Fine, I changed my rating to [citation needed]. That answers MY question. I still consider it primitive 3D but I didn't realize how much they "cheated" in the first few iD games.

 

[Joined on the 4th of July]

If World of Xeen is good enough for you, you can draw everything with SDL's own drawing functions. No need to figure out raycasting or anything like that.

Computer graphics is about creating believable enough illusions with whatever tricks you have at hand. Arguing about what's real and what's not is quite gay and pedantic.

 

[Snorkack]

It doesn't. I'm not sure its code will help in any way if it's what you're looking for.

Absolutely! I'm not looking for engine source code that fits exactly my needs so I can carbon copy it. I'm more interested in how modules and components interact with each other in this kind of game. For that purpose, it seems to be perfect (apart from being written in javascript).

 

[ortucis]

Speaking of vaporwares.. I was making this back in 2009-2010 in UDK. A horror level just to learn UDK. Modeled everything from scratch, until I got bored..

No Photoshop involved, all effects in the image are actually in-game, including the filmic edges mimicking the burned/ruined film. I realized later on that it would become way too distracting while playing, so it was fun for taking shots only.





The girl is just a texture from Google I planted on a one poly square, it shows up when you walk inside, like those shooting range targets.



Features, a haunted sofa, a working flashlight indoors and reduced filmic effect on the edges.




As the level progressed, I added water cause the game was taking place on a flooded, dying Earth (global warming or whatever as an excuse). You heard noises, like footsteps in water as you explored the rooms (and all rooms are visitable btw).




I used a slightly edited version of the same building I created for that UDK project, a year later, in isometric project I created for lulz in Game Maker:



After years of not doing anything since the above, restarted learning again recently, this time in Unity, including modelling and texturing (substance related mostly). These shots are from the "test" project which I made recently to learn Unity editor. Next step is to learn importing/making animations and modular assets. Trying to re-create Gothic 3's first village/area for learning purposes.







These shots are not using any custom tree models or grass, those are default Unity. I was testing the mood/environment and trying to get familiar with the terrain editing only. This is just a junk level to learn things anyway.


Now to go back to the Substance abuse learning..

 

[Lexx]

Last secondary location finished. Maps, dialogue, scripts.

1 1/2 primary locations left to do until beta.

 

[Nathaniel3W]

New starting town. Trying to get the lighting right.

Baking the light is crashing my editor. The error is completely meaningless to me. I'm just taking a wild guess and I think that maybe some of these meshes have messed up lightmap UVs, and the toggleable lights don't like that. I'll see what I can figure out tomorrow.

Edit: Looking at it now, I think those blue roofs are too saturated, especially compared to the rest of the scene. I have to do something about that.

 

[toro]

Last secondary location finished. Maps, dialogue, scripts.

1 1/2 primary locations left to do until beta.

How did you achieve this?

 

[Lexx]

toro: Black magic and killing virgins.

Don't get me wrong.. there is still a lot work left to do... but the actual bulk, that is usually the reason for such mods to die out, is nearly completed.

 

[Prehistorik]

Missing option: "Shut your filthy sewer and prepare to eat some bullets."

 

[ortucis]

toro: Black magic and killing virgins.

Don't get me wrong.. there is still a lot work left to do... but the actual bulk, that is usually the reason for such mods to die out, is nearly completed.

I don't see any of your images, only

[ IMG ] tag.

 

[Lexx]

Yeah that image hoster ia crap nowadays. Should work again in a little while. I'll upload shit somewhere else next time.

 

[Lexx]

Missing option: "Shut your filthy sewer and prepare to eat some bullets."

 

[Reinar]

Would be interesting to write some short dialogue by showing NPC text and then letting codexers (with various personalities) write the responses.

 

[Tavernking]

HELP ME IMPROVE MY COMBAT SYSTEM

Players face one enemy at a time (turn-based), but while they are fighting their foe, their companions and the barbarians battle amongst themselves. The idea I'm going for is that you aren't a hero or special character, just another fighter in a chaotic skirmish. Representing opposing sides with just a number means I can have battles involve thousands of allies and enemies fighting at once. If you've just started this game, you're not a demigod superman like in most RPGs. You're probably just another peasant with no combat experience at all. You're very unlikely to determine the outcome of a battle you're participating in, even if you're a harderned veteran or a knight you'll have minimal influence on the outcome of a large battle. Winning battles will revolve around having a bigger army, which is done through your diplomacy, reputation and charisma skills. Players don't even have to fight, they can 'rest' their way through the battle and watch from afar as the battle plays out through the turns.

While you're facing your individual enemy, your allies and the other enemies are fighting against each other as well. The more enemies your allies can kill, the less enemies you have to face by yourself.

Once a battle is initiated the player's base damage is calculated by combining his strength, combat experience, weapon type, weapon quality, armor type and armor quality. What are some better skills/calculations for calculating base damage?

When attacking, the damage dealt to an enemy will be your base damage plus or minus a certain number. There's also a 5% chance that you will roll a critical hit (x3 damage) and a 5% chance you'll roll a fumble (0 damage dealt).

The player's hitpoints in a fight is the same as his HP statistic, so if you start a fight when your HP is low you'll be weaker and easier to kill. If you start a fight and realize the odds aren't in your favor you are allowed to surrender or attempt to flee at any time. Your chances of surrendering and being taken captive depend on the type of enemy you are facing, some enemies might decide to execute you. Monsters are the most likely to execute you, followed by criminals, then common folk, then soldiers, and knights/paladins are the least likely to execute you because they have a code of honor. If you're winning a fight then enemies will be able to surrender or flee, and if you capture them you can choose to rob them, execute them or set them free.

My problem is, the combat is extremely boring right now. You can only press Attack, Rest, Surrender or Flee.
I don't want spells as this is a low-magic setting. But I've considered adding abilties like shieldbash and war cry etc etc.

Does anyone have any good ideas?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

HELP ME IMPROVE MY COMBAT SYSTEM

Players face one enemy at a time (turn-based), but while they are fighting their foe, their companions and the barbarians battle amongst themselves. The idea I'm going for is that you aren't a hero or special character, just another fighter in a chaotic skirmish. Representing opposing sides with just a number means I can have battles involve thousands of allies and enemies fighting at once. If you've just started this game, you're not a demigod superman like in most RPGs. You're probably just another peasant with no combat experience at all. You're very unlikely to determine the outcome of a battle you're participating in, even if you're a harderned veteran or a knight you'll have minimal influence on the outcome of a large battle. Winning battles will revolve around having a bigger army, which is done through your diplomacy, reputation and charisma skills. Players don't even have to fight, they can 'rest' their way through the battle and watch from afar as the battle plays out through the turns.

While you're facing your individual enemy, your allies and the other enemies are fighting against each other as well. The more enemies your allies can kill, the less enemies you have to face by yourself.

Once a battle is initiated the player's base damage is calculated by combining his strength, combat experience, weapon type, weapon quality, armor type and armor quality. What are some better skills/calculations for calculating base damage?

When attacking, the damage dealt to an enemy will be your base damage plus or minus a certain number. There's also a 5% chance that you will roll a critical hit (x3 damage) and a 5% chance you'll roll a fumble (0 damage dealt).

The player's hitpoints in a fight is the same as his HP statistic, so if you start a fight when your HP is low you'll be weaker and easier to kill. If you start a fight and realize the odds aren't in your favor you are allowed to surrender or attempt to flee at any time. Your chances of surrendering and being taken captive depend on the type of enemy you are facing, some enemies might decide to execute you. Monsters are the most likely to execute you, followed by criminals, then common folk, then soldiers, and knights/paladins are the least likely to execute you because they have a code of honor. If you're winning a fight then enemies will be able to surrender or flee, and if you capture them you can choose to rob them, execute them or set them free.

My problem is, the combat is extremely boring right now. You can only press Attack, Rest, Surrender or Flee.
I don't want spells as this is a low-magic setting. But I've considered adding abilties like shieldbash and war cry etc etc.

Does anyone have any good ideas?

Is there a stamina mechanic, which could improve or deteriorate the damage and/or accuracy of your attacks. Aimed strikes to body parts, tripping, blinding, feinting to set up a more powerful attack, holding yourself ready so you can force your opponent to hit and miss, wasting his stamina reserves, taunting or intimidating him to screw with his combat capacity etc.
Fuck spells, spells are for faggots.

 

[Reinar]

HELP ME IMPROVE MY COMBAT SYSTEM

...

Players don't even have to fight, they can 'rest' their way through the battle and watch from afar as the battle plays out through the turns.

...

Does anyone have any good ideas?

The combat ought to be more like action sidescrollers, if you don't want buttons like "Attack from left", "Attack from top left", "Pretend to attack from top left then attack from right" or "Pretend to attack from top left then kick him in the groin. While he's recuperating, unscrew your pommel and finish him rightly". Stamina is definitely a good idea. You could make a combat system around it. Characters would have low amount of health, for example 3 would be "average levied soldier" score, while attacks actually hitting the character would do 1 or 2 damage. The gameplay would be more about draining stamina and feints to allow a strike to flesh.

Also, make hobbits a playable race and make it possible to rest through the game to victory.

 

[gaussgunner]

You're probably just another peasant with no combat experience at all. You're very unlikely to determine the outcome of a battle you're participating in, even if you're a harderned veteran or a knight you'll have minimal influence on the outcome of a large battle.

In five years everyone will be saying "Fuck this shit, I don't play rpgs to be a fucking peasant and have the same outcome whether I win or lose. I wanna be a God, damn it!"

My problem is, the combat is extremely boring right now. You can only press Attack, Rest, Surrender or Flee.
I don't want spells as this is a low-magic setting. But I've considered adding abilties like shieldbash and war cry etc etc.

NEO Scavenger is a good example of the possibilities with this type of combat. There's a demo version.

I think it is kinda boring. If combat isn't like chess, and it isn't a decent FPS, then I say get it over with quickly and focus on other aspects of the game. It should be mostly/entirely based on stats, skills, and items - not too random. Think of a fight as gate you can unlock using a combination of experience, loot, character build, etc.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

NEO Scavenger is a good example of the possibilities with this type of combat. There's a demo version.

That, or AoD

 

[Tavernking]

Thanks guys, also another question. I've been experimenting with 'shock advertising', how does this sound:

Sacrifice children to evil cults, marry a horse, genocide an entire gnome village, exterminate a town’s population of peaceful orcs, torture prisoners for information, rape and pillage after winning a siege, make your very own half-orc bastard offspring then abandon him or even murder him.

 

[gaussgunner]

Thanks guys, also another question. I've been experimenting with 'shock advertising', how does this sound:

Sacrifice children to evil cults, marry a horse, genocide an entire gnome village, exterminate a town’s population of peaceful orcs, torture prisoners for information, rape and pillage after winning a siege, make your very own half-orc bastard offspring then abandon him or even murder him.

Players will figure that out for themselves, don't spoil it for them.

Nothing is shocking anymore, besides. At most it will get your ads censored.

 

[Zombra]

Thanks guys, also another question. I've been experimenting with 'shock advertising', how does this sound:
Sacrifice children to evil cults, marry a horse, genocide an entire gnome village, exterminate a town’s population of peaceful orcs, torture prisoners for information, rape and pillage after winning a siege, make your very own half-orc bastard offspring then abandon him or even murder him.

"Genocide" isn't a verb, and even if it was, it wouldn't make sense that killing a single village would equal the absolute destruction of an entire race. Edginess aside, that usage makes you sound dumb. "Slaughter" would work much better. While I'm at it, don't put "kill gnomes" and "kill orcs" right next to each other; it spoils the cadence of a varied list to put the same thing twice in a row.