Original Post

Hi,

So I’m organizing and participating in a Game Jam event (more details here http://gamejam.cdm.depaul.edu) and I’ve decided to try my hand at making a VB game! I only have about 24 hrs left…but I plan on sharing my progress (and asking questions! here.

The basic idea for the game:

Channel Sweeper

The player controls a turret (reticle) at the bottom of a sea channel and must harpoon swimmers as the try to get across (from left to right or right to left). I plan on having a HUD with lives, score and whatnot. However I only want the HUD displayed on one eye. (it would be semi-translucent). The idea is to make the game trickier to play by forcing you to focus on the HUD (thus lose visual focus on the background). I’m not sure if this is technically possible or even if it will work…We’ll see. I’m not aiming for a stereo effect here, rather I want to take advantage of the two displays to make the player focus their eyes (rather than their attention) on the screen in different ways.

  • This topic was modified 14 years, 9 months ago by jzagal.
31 Replies

HorvatM wrote:
Hey, that’s a pretty nice game! Good work. Will you add more levels, possibly larger ones with more enemies?

If I have time… I’m more interested in exploring the 3D aspects for the moment.

On a side note, is there a way to print text to only one screen? That way you could make 3D-looking sprites with text characters. (I’m asking because I want to make something text-based, with 3D effects)

Yes, Id like to do that as well! Especially as an extension to this game..hehehe…

1. You need to be in “grab mode” to hit collect a “$”. (press A or B and then run over the $.
2. “E” stands for enemy. πŸ™‚

It probably helps to read the instructions on screen… πŸ˜€

Here’s a recording that shows the glitch twice, at 4 seconds and at 12.

If you could clear the screen after the fadeout is done it would remove that glitch from Reality Boy (I think)… If you can find the time. If you write the new screen and then fades it in it solves the problem too I guess.

BTW I won the game! πŸ˜‰

Heh… I lost and won… I got the last $ and E landed on me… it said “you lost”, faded out, then said “you won” πŸ˜›

DogP

If you could clear the screen after the fadeout is done it would remove that glitch from Reality Boy (I think)… If you can find the time. If you write the new screen and then fades it in it solves the problem too I guess.

Thanks for the video.
Yes, I’ll have to write the new screen before fading back in. I was doing:

(1) fadeout (2) clear screen (3) fade in (4) rewrite.

I should have a new version up within the hour.

BTW I won the game! πŸ˜‰

Congratulations! πŸ™‚

New version!

Minor tweaks to display (now fades) and fixed end borderline condition (grab last loot and die, now you lose. Thanks DogP!)

I got my 16 bit programming adapter (DIL version, already got the TSOP32, 40 and 48 set) and four 27C160 eproms today – so I’m probably trying this on a real unit later tonight. πŸ˜‰

Could we perhaps supply you with new levels?

A 32×18 grid of ascii? . $ and start position x and E for enemy/ies?

Or how have you set up the current level?

And what’s the back story?

You’re a burglar trying to break into all safes in a whole neighborhood in one night. But to get in you have to disconnect the alarm system before you can safely break into the safe (holding A or B) but beware…
… the law will hear you breaking in and if you’re not quick enough they’ll catch up to you.
Remember to disconnect the alarm system before trying to get the loot or the law will be there to haul your sorry ass to jail!
Have fun!

this game is pretty cool, especially considering the time restraints. you should rip some graphics from jack bros, make bigger stages and various enemy types and have a cool rogue-like game on your hands.

e5frog wrote:
Could we perhaps supply you with new levels?

A 32×18 grid of ascii? . $ and start position x and E for enemy/ies?

Uhm..sure… I haven’t had much time to think about what next steps I will take. I really wanted to try to get some actual graphics and stereo effects in, but I was rather frustrated after failing to do so in the first few hours of the Game Jam.

Or how have you set up the current level?

I’m currently using a (static int) array with values that indicate empty or cash. The enemy is placed manually. (there is no reason not to have the enemy defined in the array)

And what’s the back story?

You’re a burglar trying to break into all safes in a whole neighborhood in one night. But to get in you have to disconnect the alarm system before you can safely break into the safe (holding A or B) but beware…
… the law will hear you breaking in and if you’re not quick enough they’ll catch up to you.
Remember to disconnect the alarm system before trying to get the loot or the law will be there to haul your sorry ass to jail!
Have fun!

Nice one, I like that. To be honest I was thinking more along fantasy and dungeons. Mostly because it reminded me of an old ASCII game called Rogue. πŸ™‚ I guess I’ll have to throw something together.

jojobean wrote:
this game is pretty cool, especially considering the time restraints. you should rip some graphics from jack bros, make bigger stages and various enemy types and have a cool rogue-like game on your hands.

Hmm.. I wonder if there is an open source implementation of Rogue that could be ported over to VB. There would be some changes (to account for the reduced input) but it could be fun!

you should really do it! that would be so cool. i love rogue games. you should combine my other idea too. steal the graphics from the dragon hopper screens. πŸ™‚

 

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