Messages

1

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: October 10, 2015, 10:19:13 PM »

Update:

Progress continues rapidly... Everything going as planned...

Some things I'm playing with now...

Got a decent overworld generator... Continents, islands, mountains... Dungeon generator also works well... Working on regional 'terraforming' next, ie, desert, forest regions... Lots to do over the long term - overworld generator will evolve with the rest of the program...

Worked out the kinks with the turn-based system... Fully turn-based, ended up sticking with a variation of the Charge Timer technique (I love the mechanic that entity A with Spd 4 times entity B's speed may move 4 times before entity B can move once...) And yet this causes no lag with thousands of entities... Super happy about that...

Skeleton structure of the skill system, item system in place...

very basic proof-of-concept melee functionality... will have to do this for realz once the equipment system (mod stacks, status effects) is implemented...

Other than that, lots of work on the UI... getting everything to scale properly (message log, buttons, stat display) on resize events, all of that bs...

next few days are about the projectile system..

--------------

Major thought as to the purpose of the game itself and how this will affect gameplay... NF will be a true roguelike (proc gen terrain, permadeath, turn based) yet the actual goal is not the traditional 'retrieve amulet, bring to altar'... Without giving away too much, the goal of the game has more to do with balance within the simulation itself.. Something like a story line - more like a thematic context - has begun to take shape...

life is so awesome

2

Design / Re: ATB system??

« on: October 03, 2015, 06:05:44 PM »

Thank you for the valuable input. This discussion seals the deal, turn based it is. I'm definitely attempting to create a true roguelike.

3

Design / Re: ATB system??

« on: September 30, 2015, 02:02:14 AM »

Currently the game supports both modes...

Classic Turn-Based Mode... Characters with faster speeds have turns more often. When it is the player's turn, the game is paused.

Real Time Mode is pretty cool actually... It's the same as Turn Based Mode except that all entities still update even though it's the players turn. (Based on a constant gamespeed... .2 seconds between iterations works nicely... Longer delay is easier...) If it is not the players turn, the time delay is disabled so that computation happens faster... Thus, it is effectively always the players turn.

Agreed Krice, I think focusing on classic turn-based mode makes a huge difference... I didn't realize this was so essential for so many people. I certainly would prefer this game to be a true roguelike. I'll keep support for real time mode as long as it doesn't break the turn-based game mechanics...

4

Design / Re: ATB system??

« on: September 27, 2015, 11:13:06 PM »

Sorry I didn't wait for replies... Did the research and ended up with a pretty cool semi-original system...
Went with the ATB, but the one cool feature is this... If it's not the player's turn, there's no time-delay to compute the rest of the environment... So nice! It's always the player's turn... I'm stoked, sorry for the useless topic...!

5

Design / ATB system??

« on: September 27, 2015, 09:39:57 PM »

Thinking about shaking things up a little with a roguelike I'm working on.
The game will feature procedurally generated terrain as well as permadeath so, as far as I'm concerned, is a true roguelike.

One departure I'm considering is a slightly more real-time turn system... Sort of like the ATB in final fantasy.
The idea is essentially that each character gets a 'Charge Timer' to which, every iteration of the game loop, the character's current Speed is added.
When the Charge Timer >= 100, it is the characters turn.

In most roguelikes, the game is paused while it is the player's turn. Thinking about dropping that, but I'm not sure....

Then it would come down to a Game Speed variable which would affect difficulty signifcantly...
Strategy would be altered considerably...

Any thoughts appreciated!

6

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 26, 2015, 04:27:32 AM »

Rickton:
Short answer is yes. The game will be very trippy.

I have a bit of a moral dilemma. If this game is successful by any measure, it represents thousands and thousands of hours of players' lives devoted to... what? The only way I can justify this is if the game increases awareness in meaningful ways. (While retaining fun) I'm exploring mechanics that convey real-world knowledge, ie, of herbs, and other subjects. The game may also deal with certain heavy concepts, such as addiction. Ideally the game itself will directly lead to various levels of self-realization... The game is targeted to a more mature audience, probably 16+, in order to appreciate the tactics of the game in the first place... Less cartoony graphics than many other options. The game is intended to have a spiritual impact, perhaps in similar ways that various cartoons have had.. Avatar: The Last Airbender comes to mind...

Also, and I know this won't be a popular decision, but please understand where I'm coming from... If I feel like I am harming the world by creating a video game, I won't do it. Video game addiction is real, and it's ugly. Designing a serious game like this is similar karma to designing a slot-machine. However.. recognizing that people will invent these games anyway, I've chosen this as an opportunity to introduce the concept of a gaming-governor. This game will have a 5hr play limit before the player is locked out for at least an hour with a message that says, 'Go Outside' or perhaps redirects to information about a healthy lifestyle...

I want people to pay attention to reality, to BE CHANGE, not get lost in games... Even if its a game I made...

For now I just code, code, code... The big picture will come together...

No this game will not simply be a soap box for me to philosophize... It will, however, be trippy as fuck and lead to deep, meaningful realizations.. or I'm wasting my time.

7

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 21, 2015, 10:37:47 PM »

I am @.

The game I'm making is about exploring, facing various challenges, growing in skill and awareness...
Same with life, especially the life of an explorer, adventurer. (I'm kinda like the dos equis guy...)

Also, my real life is quite magical (applies to magic system, lore), requires the consciousness of survival (combat), etc... My awareness of holistic herbalism applies to game mechanics... And more than anything, as a real life @, I can encode that vibration into the game... Believe me, it applies, though it may not be apparent at first...

Sort of how someone writing a story might develop an extensive lore from which to draw from during the creation of the story itself - even though many of the specifics are not present in the final version, it gives an underlying sense of coherency that increases immersion into that world.

My life is roguelike. And I'm a kung fu computer wizard...

8

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 20, 2015, 05:45:53 PM »

If you saw me walking through your town with my backpack, threadbare jacket, long hair and dog, you would probably label me as homeless. And if you're anything like the majority of people that see me, you will pretend not to see me and try to go about your business, or else judge me or pity me. You might even be scared of me. And it's true that I haven't lived indoors for over 3 years. I carry a sleeping bag and a tarp with me and prefer very much to sleep outside. I was born in Vegas, grew up in New Orleans, spent years in Reno and other cities... I'm just not into cities, or the system that it represents (the war machine, killing the environment, raping the land, poisoning the minds of the slave-population, pharmaceuticals melting the brains of my brothers and sisters, fucking profit and destruction and ignorance) anymore. I prefer to live with minimal impact on the environment, not living for money but for intense human interaction. (Hunter\gatherer\nomad style)

Yes I am actually a shaman, actually a healer. I know how to heal multiple diseases and have saved many people's lives. I've been initiated into multiple spiritual modalities at this point, and have been exposed to them since I was a child. I am what Buddhists would call 'self-realized', specifically that I've seen through the illusion of duality, recognized the underlying reality of consciousness (self) as the substance of the universe, practice Bhakti yoga and extensive forms of energy work. I see auras and have talked to spirits. Dealing with spiritual crises is my passion and calling. Especially since I met the Ancient African Grandfather Spirit and became Bwiti. I've studied Ayurveda, several forms of massage, advanced pranayama for many years... I astral project, lucid dream.. The organizing principle of my life is synchronicity and frankly if I told you some of my stories, you almost certainly wouldn't believe me. I've studied with Thai monks, Peruvian shamans, and actual wizards, not to mention several forms martial arts all my life. I don't smoke, don't drink, don't do any drugs except for puffing the herb and, in certain sacred contexts, imbibing certain spiritual medicine plants.

I know the path to samadhi and am a capable guide. The clear light is a clear memory for me. I'm a national merit semi-finalist, in the 99th percentile of my generation academically. I was a chemistry major for several years before I became disheartened by the self-serving scientific community who pay their rent with lies that don't accomplish anything of benefit to life. I'm an author, artist, musician, dog-trainer, lover of all life. Every violent thing I've ever seen I've interrupted. I'm writing this all down in a journal, and it would make the craziest book or story you've ever read. I am well respected with friends all over the country. I can go get a job (sell my soul) any time I want.

Home-free, not homeless, and I'm not schizo, not crazy - I'm just NOT SATISFIED. I live this way because I intend to make an impact in this society, and I'm DOING IT. Sure I could make millions and influence the world that way... But there is another path, much more Taoist... Something like zero-point energy. By having nothing there is another form of energy available. People who aren't as courageous convince themselves, "I'm going to change the system from within it..." That's not the way I'm going about it. I am light-hearted and clear-headed. And I know and live deep secrets of the universe. Most people aren't ready to take the red pill. Most people are not prepared for the ultimate truth, even though it's closer than all the scientists, scholars, and sages would have you believe.

But I want to be of benefit to this planet. So what do I do, save the whales? To save the whales I need to save the oceans. To save the oceans I need to stop nuclear technology and pesticides. To stop those things I need to encourage self-sufficiency, perma-culture... What is the root cause of all of the wanton destruction and ugliness on the planet? Human beings. Thus there's only one purpose to my life - ACTIVATION of human beings. I want people to turn their brains on, and even more importantly, ACTIVATE THEIR HEART. Most people are SO deluded by society, locked in boxes within boxes, that they literally don't see what's right in front of them. (Like, the suffering of their brothers and sisters is invisible.) And I think it's fucking disgusting. And yet I also live and walk among beautiful selfless activated people that society does not even acknowledge, that popular culture would refuse to believe even existed - and I mean DEEP, potent, aware people, who hold the keys to all of the mysteries attainable as a conscious being in this universe.

My purpose is to be a catalyst of the mass cultural awakening on this planet. This is the age of 10 million buddhas. Never before have we had this chance - we must take the next step in our evolution as a species. Or die painfully, leaving this planet in worse shape than when we got here.

Got a youtube channel btw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-s3wYWCCVU

Hope that answered your question...

9

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 19, 2015, 11:57:24 PM »

Really looking forward to Land of Strangers, looks awesome!! Really interested to see how that plays out, your blog is awesome...

¹ Which, speaking of berries, incidentally even includes the maxim to always delete all backups and start refactoring whenever one has happened to ingest some fly agaric broth

literally LOLed just now, thanks for that =D

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Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 19, 2015, 06:03:46 PM »

Oh and I'm still living out of a backpack btw... :-p Currently in Oregon, working my way south along the 101... I do most of my development in libraries\cafes along the way... Something about the lifestyle of a traveling\shaman\coder... 9-5s just don't do it for me. I love waking up in grassy a field, pulling the tarp off, rolling up my sleeping bag and choosing a direction... I think the discipline that my lifestyle requires is actually a plus for game development... (Even though I have to lug around this freaking laptop, keeping it dry somehow...)

11

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 19, 2015, 05:57:18 PM »

@Minotauros:
Sorry that never played out Minotaur, AstralHex was looking pretty cool for a while there.. I was 20 when I worked on that project and have lived in 4 states since then, lots of crazy adventures... The game just wasn't meant to be... I still would like to do a hex-based roguelike someday, just keeping it a little simpler this time around... But I guess this is all talk for now, especially given my track record so far... Soooo less talk, more coding I suppose. :-p

@getter:
The UI can be scaled to multiple resolutions easily, and the world-view, ie, pixel art, will be scaled in multiples of 2 and rotated within the screen... I like that somewhat pixelly look, personally, especially if the art is decent.

Regarding viewpoint, wasn't going to mention it at first but since you asked... it is going to be isometric.

Latest libgdx - should be able to target the vast majority of devices...

The game will have an 'ultimate attainment', (a really simple "master quest" that doesn't need much of a story...) There will be a plethora of smaller dungeons ADOM style (generated once, then saved), accessible from overworld. This is all I'm striving for with the first playable version... It's actually rather generic. (or, let's say instead, classic!) Once that version is live (a year from now?), I can space out for another year developing content - that's the fun part - which includes quests (quest generators), a story\theme, etc, and will flesh out the world itself. (will talk with some cool creative types and dnd nerds, probably outsource a good amount of design just to get some depth to it all :-p) The goal of the game is to be winnable, but still enjoyable and with secrets to unveil even after the game is 'won'.

Yes there will be sound effects and music, although that's one of my last priorities for development.. will get someone to compose some original music for the game when the time is right...

@krice:
okay, true that... you're totally right. i've never completed a full-sized "major" game... (i've come close but the projects succumbed to natural disasters, etc...) So I guess I won't talk up my abilities any more than I already have.. I don't want to end up with my foot in my mouth over another piece of vaporware.. In fact it's a little early to talk about it, but I'll keep chugging along and I'm confident in my success this time around... (Lots of backing up projects, etc..)

Next post will have some gameplay, either video or a demo...

12

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 18, 2015, 09:22:54 PM »

Lol, right getter... The world needs a serious roguelike for android, iOS, etc... it's time.

And anyway, let's look at each of these 'lofty goals'...

Extremely lightweight - It's lightweight because of procedurally generated and scriptable content. The engine is what I was referring to, the game itself will of course have scripted data, pixel art, and music... Roguelikes are usually lightweight, nothing unusual here..

Highly procedurally generated (Overworld, Dungeons, Items, etc) - Will focus on Overworld and Dungeons for first release... Item system is going to be in-depth but for a later day.. I wrote a tutorial on random map generation like 6 years ago that people seemed to appreciate... I've made random overworld generators and random dungeon generators a dozen or more times, even on hexagonal grids... kid stuff!! Old hobby, and I dream in code.

very dynamic environment - by this I mean, trees burn (fires can spread), rock can be mined, walls can be built, all simple stuff.

highly expandable through scriptable content - i wrote my first scripting language for an rpg game when I was 15... I've updated my design pattern theory significantly since then... Already have an awesome structure for the language modeled out, implementation will be easy.

awesome pixel art - I am an awesome artist. Regarding pixel art, my most notable creation was the tileset for the under-appreciated roguelikelike, Legerdemain, some 1200 or so *beautiful* tiles, if I do say so myself. I mean... Most people don't get far enough into the game to appreciate the graphics but... it's a fucking rad tileset.

flexible skill system which allows for adding skills over time - again, easy, by that I mean essentially that a skill (which generally performs a scripted action on execution, though not always) which has experience, leveling system, etc... Add a new skill to the skills list, actual coding will be minimized...

Complex AI profiles, etc... Last AI system I wrote was for hexagonal tiles which was *way* more complicated than a grid-based world... It included many behavior types like, Aggressive, Wait Until Attacked, Coward, etc... That was like 6 years ago... I'm a little better at that stuff now...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDtEvpKV7-8
That game even supported an ally (a dog)...


Soooo basically, what I'm getting at is...
By making the engine scriptable and procedurally generated, it actually makes it *way* easier to create...
and also, maybe we should all eat a few berries once in a while... 

and ONE MORE THING

how about a little encouragement, sheesh!!

now, excuse me, back to development...!
<3

13

Development Process & non-technical / Re: New RL in development

« on: September 18, 2015, 06:37:09 PM »

Ahh right, Mr. Cynical, I remember yoouuu! But it's all good brah, I ain't no noob programmer. (But yeah, the good ones... And cactus, all kinds of magical plants actually... =D)

I've done all of this shit before - a LOT.

14

Development Process & non-technical / New RL in development

« on: September 16, 2015, 03:43:19 PM »

Hey community! My name is Ian MacKenna aka Nomad.

I've been walking around for the past three years, living out of a backpack, mostly in the forest, eating berries, practicing shamanism, etc, you know how it is.

Several years ago I started a project called AstralHexRL, a graphical RL with hex tiles... Aspects of the project were getting too tricky (line of sight on hex-grid, ARGH!) to handle (computationally intense) and it didn't seem worth it to spend that much effort to produce a serious game for deployment to PC only... Game faded away...

So after a few years of "finding myself", living a real life RL, I've found my way back to society and noticed that the development tools have been advancing steadily along!

Just in time, it seems, I've found my way back to game development... And today I am making the first official announcement of a new RL in development, currently code-named: Project Nomad

The game is programmed primarily in Java using the libgdx framework, which allows for simultaneous deployment to Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android, etc. I've been working in the game for the past few weeks and am pretty serious about it. (5+ hours a day coding) No worthwhile screenshots just yet, but a playable demo should be released within the month.

Some features of this game:
Extremely lightweight, highly procedurally generated (Overworld, Dungeons, Items, etc), very dynamic environment, highly expandable through scriptable content, awesome pixel art (by me, and perhaps others as the game grows), flexible skill system which allows for adding skills over time, complex AI profiles, etc...

And there's MORE! But that's a secret for now.

I am FULLY QUALIFIED to produce this game, at least to the point where beta testers become involved. At some point I will also have to enlist the help of a 'sound guy', and probably seek out a few people to generate a serious core of content. A little ways away from that point, although the game is looking great so far...

So... I guess this post is really more of a teaser than anything else... 

More to come...