TMC's Space Ranger Dev Diary

[JDog053]

I just fiddled with it, thats awesome! Took a moment to get used to it, but after that it was smooth and natural!

[T_M_C]

I just fiddled with it, thats awesome! Took a moment to get used to it, but after that it was smooth and natural!

Yeh, thanks.

I find the twin stick controls quite intuitive too.   

Thats pretty much how that arcade game plays.

I'll stick this on my, "Another project to do at some point" list.

TMC

[fog]

Tank demo looks really cool.  I'll give it a proper try when I have a joypad at hand.  Any idea how you would tackly the controls for PC users without a joypad?  Would simple key digital controls for each track work or does it really need to be analogue?  (I can't comment until I try the demo )

[T_M_C]

Tank demo looks really cool.  I'll give it a proper try when I have a joypad at hand.  Any idea how you would tackly the controls for PC users without a joypad?  Would simple key digital controls for each track work or does it really need to be analogue?  (I can't comment until I try the demo

The Tank demo also has Mouse and Keyboard controls.

Which i think work pretty well too.
Mouse to spin the tank around and cursor keys for forwards / backwards and strafe left / right.

But yeh, the twin stick controls could work equally well for keyboard.  It's up to the user which method they prefer.




Update
----------

Well, as previously mentioned, work on my platformer has stopped now.  
I'm just bored of it, thats all.  And not due to any technical issues.  

The good news is though, i've decided to start another project and i'll start a new dev diary for it too.    

I expect to switch between the two projects when the mood takes me, if not concentrate on my second project full time.  I expect the dev time for my second project to be about a year.  
So for me, thats a short term project.

And it will be a commercial endeavour too.  Which means i plan to sell the finished game.

So, what is it then, i hear you cry.

It's going to be a 4 player scrolling vector shoot em up.  Think a cross between echoes and R-type.
Multi directional scrolling, end of level bosses, loads of weapons ect ect.

Full report next week when i start the new dev diary.

Must say though, i'm really excited by this new project.  It's something i've wanted to do for a while now.

TMC

[JDog053]

Wow that sounds pretty sweet! Looking forward to reading what you've got planned Sometimes a break iswhat we need, Istill think about Fireworks on and off, as I know that theres game in there somewhere!

Good luck!

Speaking of which, how goes your write up on Echoes+ Fog?

[fog]

A new project?  Looking forward to hearing about that   As I've said before I could never do a large project like your current platformer one, but I can see how doing the odd smaller project alongside it could make it a bit more bearable.

Anyway I finally tried your two demos.  There's something strangely satisfying about messing with curves although I've no idea why.  The tank demo was cool too.  Although the twin stick controls didn't work properly with my pad it certainly showed off the concept well.  The background graphics looked great too.  Is the tank demo kind of the inspiration for your new project?  I know it's not tank based, but I could see how that world and camera system could work well in a multi scrolling shmup.

Speaking of which, how goes your write up on Echoes+ Fog?

With the amount of free time I currently have that's not going to happen any time soon.

[T_M_C]

Wow that sounds pretty sweet! Looking forward to reading what you've got planned  Sometimes a break iswhat we need, Istill think about Fireworks on and off, as I know that theres game in there somewhere!

Good luck!

Thanks  

A new project?  Looking forward to hearing about that   As I've said before I could never do a large project like your current platformer one, but I can see how doing the odd smaller project alongside it could make it a bit more bearable.

Anyway I finally tried your two demos.  There's something strangely satisfying about messing with curves although I've no idea why.  The tank demo was cool too.  Although the twin stick controls didn't work properly with my pad it certainly showed off the concept well.  The background graphics looked great too.  Is the tank demo kind of the inspiration for your new project?  I know it's not tank based, but I could see how that world and camera system could work well in a multi scrolling shmup.

Yeh, a much smaller project is what i need at the moment.  I've always said my platformer is a long term project and i'm in no rush to complete it.

The spliens code i have now is very useful.  I can see that being used alot in future code.

A pity about the joystick problems in the tank demo though.
The joystick code reads the joystick ports and returns a value -1 to +1 for the x,y axis.  I just test for <-0.5 or > 0.5 ( halfway ) in order to register a movement.

The tank demo was only a prototype for my own amusement and isn't relevent to my new project.

Details of my new project here.

http://www.binaryzoo.com/forum/index.php?topic=1358.new#new


TMC

[fog]

A pity about the joystick problems in the tank demo though.
The joystick code reads the joystick ports and returns a value -1 to +1 for the x,y axis.  I just test for <-0.5 or > 0.5 ( halfway ) in order to register a movement.

Unfortunately those "ports" change from joypad to joypad.  As we know with all things PC there's always a complication   That's why I "wasted" a good month or so writing a joypad config app for the old PC version of Echoes.

[T_M_C]

Unfortunately those "ports" change from joypad to joypad.

Not sure what the issue is, because i was reading the joystick info from windows and not directly from the port.

So, if your joystick is configured correctly in windows, in theory, i should be able to read it without any problems.
Or any other joystick device thats registered as a windows controller.

Will be interesting to see if you have any more problems with any of my demos.  Thats an issue i'll have to resolve one way or another.

Thanks for the feedback, anyway.   

TMC

[fog]

Unfortunately those "ports" change from joypad to joypad.

Not sure what the issue is, because i was reading the joystick info from windows and not directly from the port.

So, if your joystick is configured correctly in windows, in theory, i should be able to read it without any problems.
Or any other joystick device thats registered as a windows controller.

Will be interesting to see if you have any more problems with any of my demos.  Thats an issue i'll have to resolve one way or another.

Thanks for the feedback, anyway.   

I only used the word ports because you did.  Hence the "" in my post   My point still applies though in that different controllers use different registers/channels/ports/variables or whatever you want to call it for different things. 

"Input 1" on one device might be the left thumbstick, but on another it's the right trigger.

And it's a serious pain. 

It's an XBox 360 controller so yeah it works fine in Windows

[T_M_C]

OK.

Thanks for the heads up.

Obviously with each demo i release i'll need to include controller config options then.  

My platformer has all the relevent code, where the user can configure whatever control input option they have to whatever game action is required.

So, i'll include that option for all future releases.  

Controls are of those things i just take for granted, which i shouldnt obviously.

It's no good asking for gameplay feedback if the game can't be played, can it.  

Cheers.

TMC

[fog]

Yeah it's a serious pain and the main reason why Echoes+ on PC isn't released yet.  It works perfectly with an XBox360 joypad on the PC, but I need to write a config app to support other joypads.

[JDog053]

Yeah it's a serious pain and the main reason why Echoes+ on PC isn't released yet.  It works perfectly with an XBox360 joypad on the PC, but I need to write a config app to support other joypads.

Hadn't even considered that...

[T_M_C]

Yeah it's a serious pain and the main reason why Echoes+ on PC isn't released yet.

Well, since Echoe's has been my main motivation for my latest project, you can imagine that waiting for Echoe's + is just killing me.   

All good things come to those who wait.   

TMC

[fog]

Knowing how much work you put into this game Masked, I thought you might appreciate this.  Another indie effort I stumbled across with a few similarities to your game.  I love the use of the physics engine and the strategic possibilities it opens up.

intrusion 2 gameplay trailer	powered by Aeva