Warframe Co-op Part 5

I finally got around to uploading part 5 of the Warframe Let's Play my brother and I were recording. This time, with two friends!

Words

A word cloud for this blog, created with http://www.wordle.net/.

I kinda want to do one for my site now.

Quick Update

This is just a quick update on some new stuff I've been working on.

Real-time Non-Eucldiean Raytracer

Short Demo

Level Editor

Ray-tracer Experiment

I was experimenting in PyGame, and I created a simple raytracer based off of this video. I'm glad how it looks, although I wan't to test it out in GLSL to see if I can create a real-time ray-tracing engine. The ultimate goal is to be able to render non-euclidean space interactively - something not possible with rasterization. The end result would ideally be something like this.

In the same way that Fez and Portal challenge notions of space, It would be cool to have a game that takes place in R'lyeh - described in The Call of Cthulhu as non-euclidean and alien in nature. What would it actually be like to explore the resting place of Cthulhu? With computers, its actually possible to visualize and experience what Lovecraft described as "all wrong."

I also made a quick fractal test. It never ceases to amaze me how something so intricate could arise from a few simple rule definitions.

Update

I was able to create a real-time ray-tracing demo with GLSL - it runs surprisingly well. Next up, I need to figure out how meshes are going to be loaded and rendered, and how the game will be structured.

Generic MMO - The Quest for Grinding

I recently started playing a few MMO's, specifically the original Guild Wars, and World of Warcraft. I made a basic game to represent my frustrations, and serve as commentary on perceived design tropes in the MMO genre.

It's a very simple game with no actual goal ending - you just keep on grinding. Use right-click to move and attack. The further you move from the spawn point, the stronger and larger enemies become. The game auto-saves your current level and experience.

Download

I Want My Rollercoasters to Have Plots

How does one tell a story? Oral recounting, of course, represents one format. Performance Art? Music? Poetry? All these forms of storytelling have one aspect in common – they constitute direct depictions of events and emotions of the author of the work, to be read and understood by an audience.

But more “indirect” forms of storytelling exist. These forms tell the story of an environment through clues and hints, making the audience participate in its articulation. These types force the reader to exercise creativity and become a detective - such stories rely on the induction of the player. These works aren’t read, watched, heard, or played – they’re experienced.

Perfect Example: The Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios Los Angeles. Anyone who’s ridden on it knows exactly the meaning of this rant. Although the ride is most certainly a roller coaster (splashes, drops, etc.), the ride strives to be a much more memorable experience. Through voice clips, recreated scenery, and strategically placed items (ponchos, wires sparking, etc), the ride tells the story of a trip gone wrong through a theme park. After a dinosaur derails the ride and sends it off course, riders are nearly crushed by cars and pipes, squirted at, and directed into the Environmental Systems Building. Learning that the life support systems are failing, the ride narrowly escapes through the emergency evacuation exit, just as a T-Rex lunges at them.

The story in this ride is not “told” explicitly like it would be in any other medium. Instead the story happens, and It’s up to those on the ride to actually piece together the cohesive picture of the entire event.

It takes a special kind of storyteller to recount events indirectly - to create a sort of puzzle with clues and hints intended to be pieced together.

Rides With Plots:

Plot of the Jurassic Park Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Park:_The_Ride_(Universal_Studios_Hollywood)#Ride-through

Plot of the Revenge of the Mummy Ride at Universal Studios Florida
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_of_the_Mummy_(Universal_Studios_Florida)#Summary

The Perfect Game Engine

Does not exist... Like any craft, designers need to learn the limitations and strengths of every tool they use - and consequently, how each tool fits into the production pipeline. Once all the technicalities are dispensed with and interfaces internalized, only then can deliberate and intentional artistic vision begin to shine through.

But sometimes a tool can just "click." As in, the tool itself conforms to your way of thinking. Maybe it was made by someone like you. Maybe you made the tool. Those tools can be enjoyable to use and efficient. But those tools are nearly impossible to make.

Or at least that's my perspective on the subject.

A much more well documented tool design concept is the trade-off between flexibility and complexity. By sacrificing features and flexibility, the tool can become much easier too use. This is because, when strict guidelines are imposed, more parts of the process can be automated, and interfaces can become more intuitive as excess options and possibilities are removed. Official game editors tend to resemble this.

But that restricts creativity and innovation.

As more options are added, more and more burden is placed on the creator to handle the complexity of the environment. Because so many different combinations and single-use cases can occur, the designer is tasked with performing what could be automated in a simple system. Licensed game engines tend to be like this.

In my opinion, the Creation Kit does an excellent job of balancing both parts of this spectrum. Limiting itself to modifying existing archetypes in Skyrim, it still allows for a remarkable amount of flexibility and scripting in quests, item design, and location creation. Simple modifications are extremely easy to form, while complex ones are proportionally difficult. It really is, probably, one of the best official game editors released. I'm having almost as much fun in the Creation Kit as I had in Skyrim itself.

Trying Out Some More Photoshop Stuff

I've been playing around with Photoshop some more - so far I'm really liking it.

I used to do a lot of sketches of creatures as a kid, and I really enjoyed them, so I started doing a few. Maybe if I have time, I'll go back and color in some. They aren't that great, but hopefully my drawings will improve over time.

Edit: Found some time to try coloring a sketch of a bee.

I want to try my hand at some landscapes and see how they turn out.

Trying Out Photoshop For the First Time

So I remembered that I had Adobe Photoshop (Bought with Production Premium) that I never really used for anything. I decided to try it doing some basic stuff in it. Now I know why beginners always start out drawing fruits.

Finishing the Game

I had originally started Ludum Dare 21 in hopes of finishing a complete and coherent product, but I had to stop my entry due to personal problems. My final submission was a simple game with a meager four levels. I liked the concept, but the game lacked any substance to be of enjoyment.

So, now that I have the ability, I've decided to direct efforts into finishing the game. Its taken quite an upgrade and is now what I would actually call a game, rather than a concept. As of now, there are only 8 levels (World 1), but a world system is in place to make it easier to create more levels. The upgraded version also has a level select and a saving system which saves completed levels and the total amount of deaths. I want to have at least 5 worlds for the final version - the next ones should be coming soon.

Play World 1 here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2727127/Pressure/World1.swf

Upgraded Version

For those of you who noticed, my game did in fact take a lot of inspiration from VVVVVV, specifically the tower level.

VVVVVV - Art of Our Generation

   

Something different, yer familiar. Something strange, yet totally relatable. Something difficult, yet immensely gratifying.

From the minute you start the game up, its clear that VVVVVV is a game you'll never forget. Unique in style and gameplay, nothing of the like has ever been crafted in the course of human history. Everything is creative, beautiful, and unique, from the inspiring techno music to the flashy retro graphics, to the entire concept of the game itself. Flipping.

There are so many elements in VVVVVV that layer together to make some of the most complex and mind-bending platforming puzzles ever seen. There are no tutorials - you inherently understand how the mechanics work, and have to retrain your brain to function in nontraditional laws of space.

Oh, and the reflexes. VVVVVV is hard - everything in the game requires precision accuracy and spot-on timing. While it can be very frustrating, nothing can beat the sense of gratification that you get when you complete a challenge - the feeling of overcoming a great obstacle in your path.

Beating VVVVVV took me 2 hours and 756 deaths. This guy did a perfect run in 15 min.

A Square Life: My Adventures and Revelations in Minecraft

"Ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go."
- James Cook

I recently purchased the Humble Indie Bundle 3 (VVVVVV is awesome!), and it came with free access to Minecraft, a game that I had heard of, but never had a chance to play. Up until that point, I thought Minecraft was nothing more than a silly distraction. However, seeing as it was only free for a week, I decided "I may as well give it a try." I loaded the game, only to find that there was no server list! After doing a quick google search, I realized that the creation of a "server list" had been tasked to the community. Numerous sites had been created for the sole purpose of serving as directories to servers. But the sites were not just sites. Each individual one was a community - a forum of individuals uniting around a common interest to deliver something of value to the world. Every single site had an active forum and a massive user base - something that completely surprised. I hadn't expected this out of a server list.

I picked a random server and entered in the ip address. The server "CityCraft" dropped me into a short test where I had to confirm that I understood the rules of the server. After that I was dropped into a massive entrance hall. My first though - "Woah..."

Part of the building hasn't even loaded into view yet.

Intricately and extensively crafted, the entry hall imposed itself upon my memory. However, one more surprise awaited me. I left the entrance hall, only to be confronted by a massive open world city, complete with streets, skyscrapers, pubs, and houses. I spent hours exploring, looking at what people had built - taking numerous screen-shots as I went.

After exploring CityCraft, I decided to see what else the community had built. The spawn point for another popular server, named "The Lord of the Craft" was a decorated temple. I slowly walked outside - I could see several other newcomers following me. What I found was a massive town with people, both computer controlled, and player controlled. Awe-struck, I wandered aimlessly around, eventually leaving the town. As I explored the land for hours, I cam across numerous landmarks, hamlets, dungeons, and all variety of interesting sights and places to explore (Check out a dynamic map of the world here). I discovered that the server had a wiki, which contained a full lore/backstory article for many locations within the game; I eventually used it as a travel guide in my numerous ventures.

The truth took a long time to dawn on me, but when it did, my mind melted. People had created this world. A team of dedicated individuals had created something great for others to enjoy. They shaped the mountains, they built the cities, they even manually crafted each tree in the forests. But these people were not professional artists, or Renaissance men. They were ordinary people. Ordinarily people with an extraordinary sense of organization, and an unmatched respect for each other. A single, egotistical individual could not have accomplished what this team of people did in such little time, with such attention to detail.

I don't know - maybe I'm just gushing, but my day as a block guy was anything but square - even if it looked like it from the surface.

Gaming Technology

In the past, the video game industry has lagged a bit behind mainstream technology. Video games would utilize existing mainstream technology and ideas in new creative ways to develop a playable experience.

Over the course of the past decade, this has completely flip-flopped. What was the first mainstream device to fully utilize accelerometers?  Not the iPhone (2007), but the Nintendo Wii (2006). How crazy is that? It's because of the video game industry that this technology became mainstream in the first place! Now it's in basically every single modern cellphone. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. New graphics card technologies such as CUDA evolved to catch up with ever increasing graphics standards in video games. You know what else CUDA is used for? Predicting protein conformation, medical analysis simulations, fluid dynamics, and accelerated encryption and decryption. Oh yeah, it's also helping the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI). It's also what makes Just Cause 2 so freaking awesome. If you've caught onto my point, you know exactly where I'm headed with this.

That's right - the Microsoft Kinect. If you've been following the stories, then you've seen some of the freaking awesome things that people have done with the Microsoft Kinect. You can dance in front of it, or you can record hologram messages. You can pet a virtual animal, or create freaking 3D replicas of a real world environment. Or drive a robot. Maybe in the future, the Kinect will be driving our cars!

Really gives some insight of the role of the entertainment industry.

This Was A Triumph

And you make a neat gun, for the people who are still alive. So yeah, I'm still alive, and working on a whole bunch of new projects!

Cool People Discussing Video Games in Physics Class

So me and a group of friends have video game related discussions everyday in Honors Physics class. Literally like everyday. So we had the genius idea of recording our discussions and turning them into a podcast. So we did a pilot episode, and it turned out really awesome, thus spawning a whole series. You can check us out on iTunes here. If you're short on time, I'd recommend episode 8. It's probably our best so far.

Warped Reality

Reality sucks. So should blogs. Me and one of my most sarcastic friends decided to take it upon ourselves to make fun of stuff. Like what, you ask? Everything. Politics, sports, life - and even ourselves. Yeah, we make fun of ourselves. Check it out!

Sorry to Burst Your Bubble

So me and my friends decided to make a short video. It's pretty cool with some effects and music thrown in, as well as a bit of randomness.

Basic Math Engine

So I added a bit of tools to my Basic Math Engine site. It's sort of like a framework that I've created (running on Google App Engine) that I can use to play around with stuff and create my own tools, such as calculators. Among the tools added are a Euler's Method Calculator, a Directional Field Grapher, and a Density Map Grapher.

Ludum Dare 19 Entry

So I made a entry for Ludum Dare 19 (a 48 hour game making competition). Unfortunately, it was a bit to simple to compete with the many other awesome games that were made. You can check it out here.

Star of Doom: A Basic Framework

For the past few weeks, I've been slaving away at Star of Doom, and now a basic framework is starting to come together. As the engine is completed, you'll start to see more content to replace the temporary models and maps.



The current models and animations are only temporary. This video demonstrates the ability to switch and use weapons, as well as obtain pickups.



This video shows the integration of a basic inventory system into conversations.

Computer Science Club Recap (9/20/2010)

That was an awesome meeting that we had today, guys! A lot of stuff got done. Before I forget, I just want to recap on everything that we discussed today.

Game Concepts
We started the meeting today by discussing some game concepts. I was originally going to do a presentation, but I found some recording that I made a while back that basically summarize what I was trying to talk about. I originally made these videos for some other group that I was in, but it applies perfectly for this situation. The videos basically explain some basic concepts that apply to every game. It's kinda boring, but you should still watch it. It's important.

Show Off
After that, I took a bit of time to show off my own projects, in order to demonstrate how the same concepts are applied even in much more complicated games. In addition, I discussed why all of the games we make will be coded from scratch. Remember, this is a computer science club, not a game making club, and the goal is to learn the fundamental concepts behind how something works. Games are an effective and fun way to do this.

Star of Doom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWr9koi1YlM

Voxelvania:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgrLLN1YFXQ

Game in 5 Minutes
After that, I did something cool! Well... Not so much... Basically, I made a game in less than 5 minutes (Swaroop was timing). A really simple game, but an interactive one nonetheless. You basically just move a cube around the screen.

Prototypes
After that, we discussed some of our short term goals. Our eventual goal is to tackle that wizardry-esque RPG, with full battle and graphics etc. To start though, its best if we move in increments. At some point, I want to create a simple text based adventure games, because these can help to teach you many of the basics of programming. If you don't know what that is supposed to mean, I have a simple prototype that you can try.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2727127/HHSCSC/Prototypes/TextAdventure/game.html

Star of Doom Progress!

I've made some considerable progress with Star of Doom! The basic framework is laid in place (1605 lines of C++!), and I've begun to setup a workflow for creating maps and other content. Take a look at this video of what I have so far:

Traveling Down Memory Lane

    So I've been missing for a few days. My mind has been drifting in and out of reality, adventuring into the deep recesses of my past. Basically, I've been playing a bunch of old games that I used to play as a little kid. I found a bunch of my old CD's, some in good condition, while others mostly battered up. Of these games, many were LEGO games. Most of the games were only average, but they symbolize something much more to me: the past.

LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge

    An adventure of epic proportions spanning multiple islands, interesting and varied characters, and a really cool story. What else did a game need? In my opinion, this game was a true LEGO game. It really matched the feeling of goofing around with LEGO sets, and making weird scenarios to thrust mini-figs into. Oh, and there was the skate park music.

LEGO Island Xtreme Stunts

    What do I remember about this game? Epic music. Just epic music. LEGO Island Xtreme Stunts was a fitting end to the series, sporting a bunch of cool mini-games in true LEGO Island fashion. I had a blast exploring the island and getting all of the collectibles.

Hot Wheels Stunt Track Challenge

    You know what race I remember from this game? This one. And I had an amazing flashback while playing Koopa Cape Mario Kart Wii. The game had awesome fast paced racing, as well as a bunch of mini-games to spice up the experience. I never actually beat this game, and I got stuck on the first challenge in the final area, but what I did play was a blast.

LEGO Stunt Rally

    Lego Stunt Rally wasn't exactly my favorite game, but one thing gave it the privilege of being on this list: the track creator. I have no idea how much of time I spent creating random tracks and racing on them. It was just amazingly fun! I also made countless attempts at going off the borders of the map, but I re-spawned each time.

LEGO Racers 2

    LEGO Racers 2 was a pretty awesome game. Although it bears little resemblance to the original other than the concept, it was still fun to play. My favorite part was exploring the several thematically distinct areas that the game had to offer. Multi-player was pretty awesome too.

LEGO Racers

    LEGO Racers was great! Just amazingly fun! The game had great artistic style, and left a lasting impression on me. What's great is the physics, which stick to what's fun, as opposed to what looks real. Multi-player was a blast to play with friends, and I loved leaving them in the dust with my amazing knowledge of the shortcuts! It's also noteworthy that this game is 11 years old, yet installs and runs without a hitch on my Vista Core i7.

Sonic Adventure DX

    Sonic Adventure DX is probably one of the best Sonic games that I have ever played (Shares the spot with Sonic Adventure 2 Battle). Someday, I'd like to play the original Dreamcast games. This game was probably one of the best games that I have ever played, and exemplified everything good about Sonic. It had cool music too! Multiple characters, fast paced game-play, great environments, and an awesome story all came together to create this work of art, which I still enjoy today.

Star of Doom

     Ok. This is it. I'm going to finish this game. I've failed before, but this time, I can finish it. Watch out world! Here comes Star of Doom!

And development begins...


Using Ogitor to block out a basic map


NPC Conversations

Voxel Terrain Engine Update

Just finished version 0.3 (Voxelvania) of the engine. This has a fully playable demo, with three maps and 1 player, 3 bot death-matches.

You can download the game here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?c1rj9jbtzxjddc9