...whoa...tommorow...really?

Self explanatory really. I don't really have much time for blogging, but I must do it, my grade...Nay, my life depends on it.

Extremist exageration aside, I really need to get to work, I'm gonna post What we have right now to the team wiki page, and then step up to the challenge with a musical montage.

Oh yeah, I'm doing this. I'm making this happen. Yeah...

Working

My Game seems to be comming along pretty well, Currently I'm working on getting my jump to work. The jump height seems right, now to make actual floors. Yes, we don't have floors. Yay, time to do a tutorial.

Game Design: Deadline is dying...

11:15 AM, the decided time for our team to meet up. I was the first to reach the front desk, followed by Cook, and then Alex.

"The keys to the upstairs computer lab, Mr. Gibb." I say to the kindly front desk-men

"There will be a compass test up there in 45 minutes..." He responds, "If you think you can be done by then..."

"We won't be so..."

"I suppose we should call it a day then." Cook says as he prepares to go.

"We could still work on it a bit." Alex points out.

"Yeah, Cook, concept art these enemies up. Since we aren't doing slimes as enemies now, Alex needs some art to work with." I hand cook a piece of paper with some ideas for enemies.

"No. I'm sticking with slimes for enemies, with the little red vein up here." He motions to his upper right corner of his forhead.

I take the sheet back and read over a bit of my work. When my eyes raise from my writing, I find Cook on his way out the door.

"Cya guys. You can talk to me on AIM if you need me."

And we never saw cook again. KRAKOOM THUNDERBOLT.

Absolute Terror: such a wonderful name for such a wonderful game

Gary Approaches, his face shows what is sure to be excitement. "Hey, ever heard of that show, Evangalion?"


"Turns out I have." I reply

"Well, I'm playing this awsome game called...uhhh...something... its based in that shows world. Its pretty sweet."

"Huh...let me google search this something, and I suppose I will give it a shot."

Upon finding the web page, I found that the page is poorly designed and the menu options disapear behind the text on the homepage. I laugh at this, but because of my ridiculopothy, I forgave these shortcomings, and gave the game a shot, and I am glad I did.

The game offers three factions, Angels, NERV, and SEELE. Angels are the alien biomechanoid thingys that only want to be loved, NERV are the Human response to angels, drafted primarily from children and forced to pilot EVA's(giant robots), and the SEELE are the human special forces. Yes Generic Human Special forces, the vastly outnumbered and outgunned every men and women.

I see the SEELE, and I cry "Hark! We shalt be the SEELE, Gary."

He glares at me. "We are going to be the generic humans?..."

"Yes! We can have tanks!"

"Tanks? We can be giant robots though, or aliens, even, but you choose tanks...Why?"

A smile "Why not? They even have giant robots if you really want to."

"Fine, I'll be tanks too."

Let the games begin.

Now I can't really explain why I enjoy this game, but I do. I get a full energy bar every day, and I can spend it in less than 10 minutes. I now have two tanks, so I can spend it all in around 15 minutes. The game is anything but fast paced, the homepage is bugged, and the game play seems like it could've been done better, but I love it.

I keep praying for the day they patch and fix this, but there is no guarantee, they are at least running a event right now, Attempting to get new users to join.

Game Design Today

Today we went over our game idea, and I found that our issue appears to be that we know to little. The real problem appears to be that our third person is MIA once again. My attempt to contact him yesterday failed, and he really needs to contact me and/or the dean.

So here we go, and now I have to Start working on the coding and the ideas. Wish me luck blogosphere.

Visiting Tech

Today I am to begin my adventure towards WVU Tech. My father is to pick me up from my house around 3:30 today, and we are to spend the night in a hotel nearby the campus. Tommorow, STRIFE, I mean, exploration. I feel both aprehensive and excited, for there should be internet access at the hotel, so I can finally get online after SOOOOOO LONG!!! Also this will be the first time I have seen my father since this summer, and I'm sure he will be pleased that I haven't cut my hair since then. Yeah, by pleased I mean he will probly yell at me. Great.

Spring Break

My spring break was full of ambition,
It was an epic war of attrition,
against the boredom the haunts me.

Day and Night I toiled for naught,
for on the weekend we raged and fought,
in the black heart of the world of darkness.

The fun we had is gone and past,
and in its week left only gas,
along with a feeling of bloating.

So now its over and no lessons were learned,
except those of which Jason Cook has Spurned,
For he refused my help.

Resistance 2: fall of Cook

The disk slips into my console, and the game starts up. Cook and I sit in my basement preparing for the total whuppin we are about to recieve. The Co-operative mode on resistance is brutal with 2 people, but we persevere regardless.

It all started back at his house, when we sought out a game to Co-op one night.  We found Resistance and we were promptly destroyed. Wanting to take a break, we turned off the console, ate a small snack, and when we returned, we found that the second player account reset. This promoted a rage quit of the highest calliber.

So now we are at my house, both level 1.  The level starts out with us onlooking a bridge in which two enemies spray us with pew pew lazers.  I spray several shots into their respective faces, and then they decide it would be wise to take cover.

Paper Prototype: Final

Our Paper Prototype is up on Viddler, and I must say, its quite good. So here is the masterpiece:



The only thing I think we forgot is how to use a normal attack on the controls screen, but that can be fixed. The paper prototype is there to help us find errors, not as a endgame. Regardless, I think we did a good job. Ours was the longest in the class, also we read our games storyline to the camera. All the naysayers out there can't be dissin our cred when we be doin this good!

Running a World of Darkness campaign

Books a million, 2:30 pm:

I stand in the book store, perusing the selection of Game based books, when I stumble along a certain book that has interested me since the beginning of time... The Bakugan Video Game Strategy Guide.

A smile crosses my lips, as I bend over to obtain the book.  It's paper-like paper massaging my finger tips, the freshness of the book allows me to run my finger over the cover and make a loud SQUEEEEAAAAK.  I do this for several minutes until Tyler decides he has had enough. With a uppercut, the book soars into the air. I do my best to catch it, but fail.  Disgusted at life in general, I bend over to recover my guide, but stop when my eyes wander to my left.

White Knight Chronicles: The Naked Truth

We stand in front of my Playstation 3. Cook holds the case of White Knight Chronicles in his left hand, the disk, in his left. He motions to hand it for me, and I gingerly relieve him of it. I stare at the disk of the game I have anticipated playing since the day Cook got it.

I lean over and insert the disk into my console. I return to my couch, and relax and prepare for the Adventure.

I am brought into a world where old people with a very minor grasp of magic can completely confuse and destroy the mind of a simple town guard. Where a complete and total boob can be selected to control a world destroying apocalyptic weapon.  Where princesses are captured, for a vaguely defined reason, you can destroy giant beasts without wearing pants or a chest piece of armor.

Wait... what?

Yes my friends you can.

The End of the Crone: Part 4

The animated corpse of the hero with the black blade stands ready for combat.  Gossamer and Sinokin are both looking pretty bad. Gerald, "Master of the Arcane", has disappeared into one of the many winding passageways curving throughout this bunker.

Sinokin is a dragonborne sorcerer with red scales. Gossamer is a beautiful eladrin, with a extremely cold attitude.  She's the current leader of The Thunderous Fury, so I suppose I owe her some respect, though she shows me little.

Gerald didn't even enter this mission with us.  He just sort of plummeted from the ceiling, and introduced himself as, "Gerald, Master of the Arcane Arts." For a master he doesn't teleport very well.

"ROOOOOOAAARRR!" Kratos Crashes through a once beautiful painting behind the hero. He catches the Hero unaware, and manages to bullrush him toward Sinokin. The Hero takes this opportunity to slash Sinokin across the chest.

Paper Prototyping

The dean said that we should post about paper prototyping, so here we go.

Our prototype is mostly done, and we are doing a pretty good job. Alex missed class again today, so we need to talk to him post haste!

We need to cut out our slimes and prepare our animations... also draw a few backgrounds. I think we should be able to finish this class.

This post is not done...yet. I must answer the question "what will I need for my game idea?"

Well...

Random Number generators... first. We will be doing a primarily wave based game, with the education thrown in the onset of the game. The random numbers will be controlling the enemy spawns and the damage dealing. I also need to learn how to make buttons. I have a feeling most of us will need this.

The ability to shoot projectiles is also a requirement. We need to code the projectiles to shoot when the mouse button is clicked, and also towards a the mouse pointer. We will definantly need to learn about hit detection, but I have a idea about how I would do it. Menus will also be important. I also wonder if variable arrays are possible in flash. Hope so, because they seem important.

Finally, I will need to learn how to implement sound, and music. Something with a beat, trancy, and fun. Keep the player occupied. The sounds have to evoke adorability, cuteness of slimes, but the bigger enemies must have a deaper soundset.

SUPER HAPPY FUN TIME

If you are reading this blog, and have a blog of your own, I must recommend you update your interests to include 'SUPER HAPPY FUN TIME', without the ' ' of course. See, SUPER HAPPY FUN TIME is a secret codeword to a amazing club you too can be part of. The current members include me and Draconica132.

JUST DO IT.

You know you want to...

Mall Tomorrow

I am going to the mall tomorrow, as you may have inferred form the title of this post, and I cannot wait. First of all, FFXIII is out RIGHT NOW, which may mean that by the time I get to gamestop around 12-ish tomorrow, the damn thing may be sold out. BOO HOO. I also must obtain the newest album by Say Anything, Say Anything. Its self titled, you see.
Finally, I must procure a copy of White Knight Chronicles. The game overall seems pretty good, though the reviews have been luke-warm at best. My good buddy Cookie has been pushing me to get it for awhile, and he has finally swayed me.
So yeah, when I get either of these games, I can finally stop killing myself on Demons Souls. That game is incredibly cruel some times, but oh, do I love it.

The End of the Crone: Part 3

"SCREEEECH!"
Shadow enshrouded bats rise from the pit of garbage, the primary source of income of this small little town. Their high pitched screeches call to me, I respond by covering my ears and crying.

"I think I know why the villagers have been having trouble sleeping..." I call to Ukin, the nearest of my current group.

Ukin is a Shadar-Kai, he has dark black skin, black hair, and blacker leather armor. I know of the tendency for Shadar-Kai to betray and distrust others, but our group needs someone who can pick a lock and disarm a trap. Ukin assures me he can.

I'm Ballad Blue, a human bard and adventurer. I wear enchanted chainmail procured from the corpse of our latest enemy, the leader of a band of orcs. My hair is blonde, my eyes are blue, and my skin is a pale white. My ears are also currently ringing.

Ok this is wierd

My newest post, End of the Crone: Part 2, is up, but its a few posts down, two from this actually.

Really, check it out, I'm workin on part three so you know, great right? I know my adoring fans can't wait for the next update.

Link:

http://fizzlesgame.blogspot.com/2010/03/end-of-crone-part-2.html

E-Pop is down. AGAIN.

So, I'm at my friends house, preparing for class today, when my cell phone rings.

"It's prolly cook." I think aloud. "I wonder what he wants..."

But- its a number I don't recognize.

"What in the..." Cell phone flicks open... "Hello?"

"Hello Howard..."

How does this mysterious person know my name?

The End of the Crone: Part 2

"Hello..." a Female voice emanates from a Hooded Figure wearing snug leather armor. She stands on the ceiling of the wide part of the cavern, looking down on Valekor and Azreal already at in the room. I still struggle to climb the last bits of rope.

"So I guess you shot the bolt at our target," Azreal says. "Why are you here?"

"I was in the area and I heard the town was having trouble sleeping due to screeching noises at night. Figured I could help."

"Well I suppose you could help us. We are here for the same reasons..." Azreal motions towards me as I ascend the last few inches of rope. "Ballad here can cut you in on the payment we are to receive. He handles the book keeping. I just kill stuff."

The End of the Crone: Part 1

It was chilly in the garbage pit, and the smell was nigh unbearable. The locals use the "bottomless" pit as a garbage dump, taking all the garbage in the land and chucking it in there.

The running joke in our group is that the pit runs all the way to the Underdark, and there are some very angry Drow down there wondering why their chosen goddess allows garbage to fall from above onto their heads.

Maybe I should introduce myself. I'm Ballad, bard and adventurer, and current leader of the Thunderous Fury. The group is quite famous in the town of Raven's Bluff, though our survival rate is quite low, even by our profession's standard. Traveling with me are the newest initiate, Azreal, whose disdain for most other beings is unsettling, and Valekor, a dragon borne and sorcerer.

We were about fifty feet down the hundred foot rope when the cavern widened as Gooba, our goblin spelunker, had said it would. Gooba is a member of our group, summoned from Gods know where by the previous owner of this box on my hip.

Mini Game Project

Last week we worked on a mini-game project, which I found fun.
Finally getting into some real Game design!
So our objective was to make a rabbit move up and catch a carrot that moved slowly to the right of the screen.
It was nice and simple.
Too Simple...
I allowed the rabbit the ability to move both left and right.
After playing the game a small bit, I found a exploit allowing the player to rack up score extremely fast. Exploits being a bad thing I made the carrot randomly spawn across the playing field. This game now held a small amount of difficulty.
I am not done yet!
I then placed a assortment of bikes set to move across the screen when the players score gets to high. The bikes will be set to drain the players score. This is still in the debugging phase, but It seems to be coming together.
I'll see what more ridiculopothy I can drop into this "mini-game" project. Because It will not be Mini when I am done.

MUA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!...*cough*...hmhmhm...

Have a good day, now.

Choosing a topic as I See it

I have to make a Educational game... NOOOOOOOO00000oooooo!!!

During a short discussion with the professor however, I came up with the idea of a Survival of the Fittest game..
This conjured thoughts of a Role Playing Game(RPG). Many RPG's touch upon this idea, simply by the need to level up and buy new equipment so they are able to face the challenges they are destined to face.
Example: You and your friend are each a level one Novice, and your both considering what monster you should challenge first. Your friend decides to hit a dragon with a stick and you decide to beat on some giant rats. Your friend is immediately stomped into a fine dust, while you do similar to the rats. You gain a level, while your friend has earned a burial.
Survival of the fittest has kicked in; your friend made a very bad decision and payed for it with his virtual life (and experience and gold) and one less incompetent adventurer exists.
You have to work to be strong enough to fight a dragon. You can't just skip all of the working up.

Okay, my logic may not be impregnable, but at least you can see how a RPG would work with a Survival of the fittest game. You start the game off as a little slime, and must continue to grow stronger or face the end of its sad existence. The game could play as a top down action game, with waves of stronger and stronger enemies challenging your slime. Perhaps instead of leveling your slime, you evolve it in branching ways, all of which improve your chances of survival. Hopefully we would be able to implement a visual change in your character with each evolution.

Of course, this may not even be remotely doable.

To summarize:
My two genre Choices are RPG and Action, and I picked them because they seem to fit my idea well.

So now I ask you, my loyal followers, what do you think?

Game Review 2: Kute Little Aliens

The game opens with a small story being told. "This is pliptonia, and something is wrong here. click to find out what it is."

This is why I fear I will not be able to make a game I enjoy. This is a shoddily done adventure game with the ability to suicide your 'Kute Little Aliens' over a cliff repeatedly. I guess the poor art and story may be intentional, but even then it feels rushed.

Glitches abound, and the game just suddenly ends after the game forces you to head into the forest. If you attempt to pick up the apples while inside the forest, it keeps sending you to pick up the same apples repeatedly until you quit the game. Yet if you decide to ignore the apples, it sends you to a village that the aliens have built while you wondered off with the other half of the tribe. You then get the option to stare at the same screen of a creeper pink alien in a doorway and a green blob that may be a tree for AS LONG AS YOU WANT, or quit, by closing the tab/window.

Honestly, I didn't really enjoy the game. I think they should have been able to fix the glitch that everyone who I've heard played the game runs into, and even then, there should be branching paths.

Game Review 1: Third World Farmer

The game opens up with a view of your little family of (gasp) third world farmers. They are a poor lot, and you have 50 dollars to spend on that which you deem necessary.

On my very first play through, I was immediately rofl-stomped by a drought which killed all of my plants and left me with -2 dollars. The game then politely informed me that my family cannot afford the price of living, and their health will suffer. Luckily, a businessman gave me a deal I couldn't afford to pass up, offering me 75 dollars to put his harmless barrels of toxic waste on my farm. Surprisingly, My family didn't grow extra appendiges, so I planted my 73 dollars of crops, and got a woman pregnant. The crops then failed fantastically, leaving me with -25 dollars. We flawlessly had a baby however.

GREAT!

The merry man of business then proposed to me the previous deal, again. I accepted, planted my 50 dollars of crops and pressed go. The little window of updates and joy informed me that the barrels were not safe this time, and someone had died.

Yay. Alt+f4.

Playthrough two showed me a fabulous turn of luck.

I bought a shovel this time with some of my opening cash, and speckled my field with corn. Preparing for the worst, I pressed go. Corrupt officials then stole my 2 dollars of savings for a farming tax. My harvest however gave me sixty-sum dollars.

I smiled and sent my family back to the farm, planting a mixture of Cotton, Wheat, and Corn.

Next update: ALL UR PIGS R DED FROM SWINE FLU. Huh--- wasn't aware I had pigs, so I suppose I'm fine. I continued dodging various maladies and when the drought decided to steal mah waters I was ready with a well. This continued until I beat the game.

I didn't know it was going to happen, but when you buy all of the special upgrades, (school, clinic, non-asshole Politicians...) You win the game. Granted, it warns you immediately before you click WIN, but thats a bit late, in my opinion. Score saves, explains how you got your points, and lets you save your score.

The first problem I found with the game is the lack of tutorial. The loading screen tells you everything you need to know, but I know for a fact some people may either ignore the whole thing or at least miss the part about "clicking family members for more options."

The tool tips are also a bit questionable. (ex. "Elephants: Elephants help.", "Cotton: Cotton is light and fluffy.") Would really like to know exactly how much elephants help, or how fluffy the cotton is. Failing that, it would be great to see how much profit I can expect from my cotton or corn.

It would've also been great if the game told you how to win during the exposition, as opposed to let you click around for 3 hours and not know why the game hasn't declared you a winnar yet. Would've also been great to see how I could obtain points in the game before I started, rather than after I finished.

In conclusion, the game was acshully quite fun. I enjoyed the random events (as long as it didn't destroy in you during the begining) and the upgrade system with the tools was quite well done as well. The tool tips were iffy, and it seems like a quick fix would be all it would take to fix them. The educational value is also a bit surprising if you care to look for it. I learned that life as a third world farmer is quite difficult, and the fact that I rage quit on my first playthrough will attest to that.

Overall, I enjoyed the game, and I recommend to my followers to give it a shot.

Game Idea

Okay, I need to brainstorm for game ideas.
My friend keeps pushing me to make a wall jumping game, but I'm not sure how far we can go with that. Keeping in mind the games I've tried on the globaloria web page, the game should probably be simple.
So I guess the gist seems simple, but It's impossible to truely tell until we get the chance to start work on it. The wall jumps seem like a good idea, but I fear the coding and design will run much deeper than our experience (or lack therof) will allow. An even better idea may be to make a simple platforming game.
Next, I wonder if a plot will be required. The man is jumping across a chasm, but why? Will combat be necessary? Should there be cinematics, or Character Growth? (When i think Character Growth I mean a level up system) Will we put much emphasis on player skill or will power-leveling your way past all problems be a viable solution?
I wonder if we will learn to make a save/load system for our game. A password system sounds simple enough, and I have a small amount of experience in creating a save/load code in the Warcraft 3 map maker, so perhaps this knowledge will serve me well.

I guess my answer to all of these questions is "I don't know, and I can't wait to try."

the first day

How much is there to it? The class just started. We went over the syllabus and set up our accounts. The class seems fun, and I cant wait to get started. I'm honestly a bit worried about what our skill and technology will be capable of, but I suppose that would mainly be my fault for setting my expectations so high. I look forward to working on a 2d game, but what?

Rpg's, Shooters, Platforming, puzzle...educational, even. What Ideas shall I flesh out?