RTS-X Development Update: Path-Finding

Been busy with lots of stuff recently.

I've realised that the pathfinding hasn't really work in more complex environment. Which is certainly something I plan to have down the line. So I've been spending a great deal of time researching pathfinding especially A* algorithm.

So following that I set on reworking the unit pathfinding. After many hours I've manage to put on a modified, light weight  A* algorithm. I'm quite pleased with it although there might be more tweaking to be done. Here's a screenshot of the algorithm in action, the line of green dots indicate the waypoints or path calculated.

It's quite difficult to make the algorithm light enough not to put a strain on the system resource considering there are many active unit on screen constantly performing the search. Must say I've been tempted to use some readily written unity pathfinding algorithm. Anyhow I'm learning about how to manipulate the mesh and stuff so probably in the future I will replace the current navigation grid with a navmesh.

RTS-X Development Update (Unit Upgrade Demo)

A lastest development report of my unnamed RTS project. Hmm, perhaps I should give it a name.

In short, here the stuff I've implemented since last update:

• AI is now in place. You can expect in the final build each time you fight them they will employ different strategy. Unfortunately I can't demonstrate them just yet.
• All GUI elements are now in place. The GUI and control scheme are almost finalised. Except all the icons for button, which are still place-holder until the finalised icon is drawn.
• All units/towers are now upgradable, each with multiple levels of core upgrade and one unique ability that reflect their strategic role. I'll add even more upgrade in the future.
• A prototype base structure that placed at the spawn point of each side. A game objective so to speak. Destroy enemy's base and you are victorious

So basically almost all the core gameplay element are in place. The rest are the visual aspect of the game. which is what I'm working on now. Of course, The path-finding can still use some work. The unit do get stucked from time to time for various reason.

Here's a lastest demo I put together to show some of the recent progress. There are no tower in this demo yet, I meant to save them for a late surprise.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23073684/T-Mech_UnitDemo/unit_demo_with_upgrade_full_GUI/WebPlayer.html

This demo features:

• all available unit in current development.
• all the relavant upgrades of the units.
• tooltip that gives you insight about the strategic element of the game.
• AI with easy/moderate difficulty.

The power balance of the units and upgrade haven't been tested thoroughly. Therefore any feedback is welcome.

Technical Demo Update

Made some major update on the inventory system and uploaded a new demo.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23073684/TechnicalDemo/WebPlayer.html

The changes are:

• Revamp the inventory system. Now the interaction works like a typical drag and drop. Just like the typical one in most RPG, ie. World of Warcraft.

• Also added a shop option, no money transaction yet (a relatively easy feature I think). but the point is to demonstrate how the shop items is arranged.

• Item can be deleted by right click when it's picked up. 

• Functioning tooltip showing information of the item in the inventory slot when mouse hover over.

• Currently tweaking the whole system so it's easily adaptable to other project. Also working on making the system more flexible so any configuration to the system can be done easily.

* The link in the previous post has been modified to link to the lastest version of the demo.

A Technical Demo

This is RPG demo showcasing what I've done in the past. It's piece together from some of my own experimental project and the work I've done for others.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23073684/TechnicalDemo/WebPlayer.html

There are 4 interconnected scene in this demo. Player can travel through each scene in reverse or chronological order. Well basically it's like travel between rooms in an rpg game. There's a running loading screen between each scene change.

A mini-map is display at the top right corner indicate player position and view orientation of the camera as well as the position of the event orbs. A scene change will be triggered whenever player enter this orb.

An simple pick and drop inventory system is in place. player can equip the character with the item in the bags slots. The are 3 equitable slot, weapon, shield and helmet. The equipped item will be shown visually on the player character.

There are no combat system or any monster in place yet. Not that I've never done it but I don't feel like putting it in now. Perhaps I'll add in more stuff in the future when I've more things to show for.

RTS-X Development Update (Unit Demo)

I've decided that it's time to put up a demo demonstrating the units in action.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23073684/WebPlayer/WebPlayer.html

For the sake for demo, both side will simply deploy whatever that is clicked by the user.

RTS-X Update 4th May 2011

Some progress report on the development.

I've decided to change the theme of the game to sc-fi setting. With laser and plasma and mech hacking and shooting each other. Give me more freedom to think what the towers and units can do, without resorting to magic. Well actually not, It's just easier for me to do the modeling and texturing. I can come out with whatever vague shape and texture and say that is whatever I say it is.

Here's a preview of how are the units gonna looked, or shaped like in the game. I said 'shaped' because obviously they arent textured yet and I'm really hopeless at that.

I didnt give them legs as that would require more effort to animate them. Instead I give them some sort of jetpack stuff. So it looks like they are hovering above the ground. Pretty neat work-around I think.

I've basically have all the core gameplay elements wrapped up. So I've now got functional unit and tower. Like to put a video up but I gave up after spending a while trying. I've never ever make a video before. One of the new feature is a new path finding algorithm. So instead of being confined to navigate along a narrow path, the unit can now navigate open area with multiple obstables so the action can now take place in an open area.

In the new game, each unit/tower is gonna get their own set of upgrade options. Which mean this gives me a huge amount of work to put together a working and not so ugly GUI for the players to navigate through all the upgradables option. It's a long and painful job this, plenty of graphical work and tedious coding. This the fruit of my labor so far after almost a full day works:

Looks completed but I'm cheating by putting on the similar button texture. In the end product they should all be different. So I might have only completed 10 percent? or less if I decided to throw in more stuff. But at least it look quite decent at this stage. The most painful thing is, I might use another method of GUI implementation in the future in favor of game performance so all the coding work might go down to the drain. >.<

Just another typical development process I guess...

The march of the Footman

A week past since Footman v0.1 is first published on knogregate. Have to say I've been very much on the edge everytime I check the play count and comments.

But I'm very pleased to say that it's overally well-received. I've got 1700 plays in seven days! Above all, I've got a rating of 3.2 our of 5 after being rated by more than 100 people. Not bad at all, considering the game itself is very minimal. Really, big thanks to all those people played and rated.

To be honest I didn't want to publish it. It's still too basic and unpolished in my view. Anyway, at least now it motivates me to come up with a better version. I plan to have it ready no lastest by mid May. Not sure if that's possible. It is a hell lot of work to do for a one man team. Anyone who can contribute some 3D props are most welcome.

Stay tune...

Footman version 0.1

Introducing my first ever publicly available game demo, Footman, version 0.1.

It's a very simple RTS with it's only goal is to stop the incoming enemies from stealing your crate. It is actually an idea originated from Tower Defense(TD). Instead of bulding towers like typical TD, you deploy different types of units to stop in incoming waves. You can also upgrade your unit to fair better against the increasingly powerful incoming waves. Of course, there are towers to aid your struggling effort like any TD defense. Instead of pumping all your resources into deploying more unit, you can spend them on tower which is also upgradable like the units. Here's a screen shot:

The demo is now being host on kongregate in the following link:

http://www.kongregate.com/games/songtan/footman-v0-1

This is of course but a very very early demo about a new game concept I'm working on (There's only one level!). So please pardon the any shortcoming you come across. Please, do feel free to leave a comment after you play it. I love to read positive comment, even more so about constructive criticism.

Ultimately the end product of this project is gonna be an alternate RTS. One where you decides the general strategy bu need not worry about controlling and micor-manage the unit. I'm working on the next demo, which would more or less resemble the final gameplay. And it's gonna be very different from this one.

Cant wait...

First Post!!

Wahey! First post!

Not being a typical chatty chaps that blog, not really sure what to say here.

Anyway this is gonna be my game development blog. I'll try to post what ever I've done in regarding my involvement in any game development project. Hopefully that means be lots of exciting stuff. This is a shoutout, I'll post about the project I'm working on when I got time.

Great things are coming up!