The Quartet

[alias]

Some of you may have noticed "The Quartet" under the Future releases section. It is a game im writing in TNT basic because GM couldnt quite handle it due to sprite limitations and code limitations (Al what are you raising them to in GM4?) Dont expect anything soon as i am working out TNTs syntax as i go along, and it took a whole day just to work out how to write a "Save" Function. But im really looking forward to doing this cause i think i have some great ideas to implement in this game like..

- Massive free roaming world (by massive i mean in comparison to games ive made so far)
- Wandering AI who you might meet on quests/dungeon romps
- Real time combat
- phat lewt


SIMPLE DEMO
http://focusdesigns.gamemakersgarage.com/Archive.zip
 
 
Controlls
movement - "wasd"
attack - "space bar"

[Silverwind]

Sounds incredible! I definitely wanna see this game finished!

I'm gonna try to have roaming NPCs to an extent in my next game, though I doubt I'll be able to have them wondering around dungeons. I originally thought I'd use a World Handler app that would handle all the background things in the game, optimizing code space in the player app. Allot of the game's data would be stored in text files, including the coordinates for each NPC individually, which would allow them to wonder off cards and such. (free roaming)

Now though I'm not so sure if I'll go with the World Handler idea.

[alias]

I tried that and it works very well. Most professional games do i that way. With the "engine" and then the part that puts the visible bits on the screen.

The only problem lies in the fact that GM can only handle 20 sprites. And if all free roaming NPCs are on a card.... You get the idea. And thus TNT. I even tried making the engine in GM then writing files and reading them in a TNT program that reads it and does the graphics. Then i hit the code limit on GM. Its just more efficient on TNT atm. But i have in no way stopped using GM and am looking forwards to V4 which will hopefully be more powerful/elegant that TNT (in some ways at least).

EDIT: omg writing pathfinding AI is hard

[Silverwind]

EDIT: omg writing pathfinding AI is hard

Yup!

[alias]

Im debating wether the AI should try random directions or have a pre-scripted path to follow given certain events. (ie a player their LOS)
maybe both. At least collision mapping isnt so hard in TNT.
EDIT i take that back, its much harder. Damn you hardware graphics mode!

[alias]

My god this is confusing.  But i think i can code rudimentary pathfinding and do real time combat. The whole real time sandbox world is.. very hard, theres so much room for error. I think i might do a grid based world...

[EqwanoX]

you should make a good foundation for a game before working on these additional features. whats the point of npc haveing inventories? that sounds like it would be worth the time to develop. but i like the real time gamplay idea

npc random movement is easy, actually all npc movement should be easy. dont you just have the code for movememnt then run the boundry code after it

[Gan]

If you need any help, I am getting pretty good at tnt.

Also,

EDIT i take that back, its much harder. d**n you hardware graphics mode!

Couldn't you use "window hardware mode"? Or if you didn't want to use opengl, "window mode".


-Gandolf

[alias]

I mean in hardware mode you cant used masked sprite collisions only rectangular thus rendering the way i handled all collisions with one sprite useless. I guess ill just stick with software rendering lol
Luckily i HAVE finished doing pathfinding AI i shall post with a download link to a demo of it. Also ive rethought the whole game idea, and the engine i have atm might be able to handle the AI i wanted to incorperate... Sort of.. They'll be 'almost' free roaming.

The only problem i have come across is graphics, how did people here learn to make such pretty graphics (silverwind!!)?

[Tireas Dragon]

You finished pathfinding? That must of been tough. I mean REALLY TOUGH!
EDIT: Silverwind makes good graphics because he has that gift. I unfortunately lack this gift.
EDIT: For a link to some good 32*32 and 48*48 graphics click here

[Silverwind]

Silverwind makes good graphics because he has that gift.here

Silverwind makes good graphics because he works his rear off. I never give "talent" the credit for the hours of hard work I give to my projects.

[alias]

I think i might try making my own graphics.

i give up, im having some serious trouble with sprite collisions, ill post the project file so you can see.

http://focusdesigns.gamemakersgarage.com/Untitled copy.tbproj.zip
(copy and paste that link)
It may seem confusing but if any1 knows TNT try finding bugs in the minionAI() procedure.

Run the App and you'll see the problem, i think it has to do with the way in which sprites are rendered that utterly messes up the code i have atm. Have a look

[Tireas Dragon]

First of all bad link second of all what do I run the app with.

[Swamp7hing]

Sounds like an epic endeavor. I want to see this complete.

[Silverwind]

The only problem i have come across is graphics, how did people here learn to make such pretty graphics (silverwind!!)?

Well, I've been drawing cartoons for years so I know a bit about anatomy and structure. At the end of the day though the only thing you can do to get better at drawing is practice, practice, practice! I teach cartoons every friday (though not in the summer) and the thing I stress most of all to my students is that everything is drawn with basic shapes. Practice drawing triangles, squares, cubes, cylinders and circles. (particularly circles)

Of course, pixel art is quite different to other art styles due to the small workspace, and I've only been doing it a year or so. For me it's a trail and error process. I make a rough outline of whatever I'm trying to draw and work on it for hours (often a day or two for entities) until I'm finally happy with it and can start adding details. Then, after what seems like an eternity, when I've finally finished the Goblin, Dragon, Lizard Man or whatever it is, I usually become unhappy with it and start from scratch again! Eventually I get it right though. Well... most times I do.

One thing that's very important though is to never delete something you're unhappy with if you're gonna start from scratch on it again. Keep it as a reference. I've still got the original roughs of my human sprites for example.