34 replies to this topic

[alpha123]

Okay, you can access the old topic here. As you can imagine, a lot has changed since that version, but you should read the old topic for instructions if you can't figure something out.


Download Alpha 3.5

The changes since the last version are too numerous to list, plus I forgot most of them, so here's the major ones:

• Two player mode works! Yay!
• A much improved GUI.
• Music! The music when you're fighting is the Power Miners theme, and the title theme was composed by me. If there are any musically inclined people out there, feel free to contribute something better.
• Owned a few more bugs. The thing should be rock solid now.
• And I think there were some new powers. The last time I worked on this was June 25, so I don't really remember. Now that I can actually release it again I'll work on it more.

Have fun guys. Please report any bugs or feature suggestions in this topic. Remember, your feedback, positive or negative, is what makes this game fun.

Coming next version:

• Powerups. If you have any ideas for any, let me know. I've got a few.
• Water power.

How to help:

• I need sprites. Matoran and elemental powers. This is the biggest thing you can do for me right now.
• Music. A nicer title theme would be good.
• Bug reports. I think I got rid of most of the bugs with this last release, but it's basically impossible for software to be bug free.
• Feature suggestions! This game gets a little boring after a bit, especially if you aren't using the multiplayer features.
• Map concept art would be nice. If anyone knows how to use Sphere, making a high-quality map (think BIONICLE Fighter) would be amazing.

To do:

• Improved sprites. I suck at spriting, so volunteers are appreciated.
• Elementally powered boxes. Walking over an ice box would slow you down, fire would deal a tiny bit of damage, etc.
• More maps.
• Improved network multiplayer that doesn't require editing code files to set up and allows more than 2 players
• Internet multiplayer. This is far in the future, but it's coming.
• Edit this post to be more detailed and include most of the information from the old topic.

Edited by alpha123, Oct 16 2011 - 10:15 PM.

[Bulik]

Well, im glad you posted this back. ill re-download the new version soon, because right now i have topics to post XD

[Katuko]

When I run "engine.exe", it just tells me it can't load "titletheme.midi" then quits. All files have been extracted from the ZIP, of course. This error occurs even if I turn off sound completely via "config.exe".

The exact error message is:

Script error in 'scripts/main.js', line: 30
Error: Could not load sound 'titletheme.midi'

Edited by Katuko, Oct 15 2011 - 10:03 AM.

[alpha123]

Hmm. There's a file called "startup/sounds/titletheme.midi", right?

Can anyone reproduce this?

[UltraHau]

Hmm. There's a file called "startup/sounds/titletheme.midi", right?

Can anyone reproduce this?

Nope. It works fine for me in Linux (using WINE).

[Katuko]

The file exists in the folder and I've ensured that the program is allowed to run Javascript both via Admin settings and my anti-virus/firewall. I'm running 32-bit Windows 7, if that helps.

[alpha123]

Did you extract it to somewhere under Program Files maybe? I dunno, it works fine under Windows 7 64-bit here (and worked on 32-bit Vista until that computer's hard drive died....).

Nope. It works fine for me in Linux (using WINE).

Good to know it works on Linux (I haven't actually gotten around to testing the latest version on my Linux computer).

[Katuko]

The files have been placed in my usual download spot (in a custom folder right on the desktop) and I haven't got User Account Control or anything like that running. I am also an admin of my own computer, with full access to most things. I've never bothered to let my computer tell me what to do, and I'm not afraid of viruses from things I've already manually downloaded and scanned.

The only thing I can think of right now is that my system locale is set to "Norwegian". I know I've had problem with running some foreign programs (mostly Japanese and Chinese, though) due to the special characters; but Norwegian uses the same charset as English computers, so...

I'll try changing my locale the next time I restart.

Edited by Katuko, Oct 16 2011 - 08:57 AM.

[alpha123]

Okay, that's just weird.

If changing the locale fixes it, let me know and I'll report it as a bug in Sphere.

Does the old version (found in the archived topic) work? For Alpha 3.5 I switched from Sphere 1.5 to Sphere 1.6.

[Katuko]

Yes, the old version works for me, and it has music.

[alpha123]

Yes, the old version works for me, and it has music.

Okay, I'll let the Sphere developers know. Try changing your locale and see if that works in the mean time.

There was music in Alpha 2? I better remove that from the new features list then....

[Jedi Knight Krazy]

It worked fine for me, so I'll talk about the gameplay:

Quite simply, I got bored. There's no skill involved in the game. Right now I only have a few options for things I can do:

Shoot a box that's in my way
Hide behind a box
Shoot my opponent
Run from my opponent

Of all of those, only the aggressive maneuvers (shoot box/opponent) get me anywhere. There's no tradeoff: either I charge headfirst at my opponent and win, or I don't and I lose.
There simply needs to be more choices to make. The most basic thing you could do is add powerups. That would add a single other option: to trade firing for a few seconds to get something that increases your power.

[Bulik]

good to see you back JKK. do you have any idea when Cyan productions topic will be re-posted?

[alpha123]

It worked fine for me, so I'll talk about the gameplay:

Quite simply, I got bored. There's no skill involved in the game. Right now I only have a few options for things I can do:

Shoot a box that's in my way
Hide behind a box
Shoot my opponent
Run from my opponent

Of all of those, only the aggressive maneuvers (shoot box/opponent) get me anywhere. There's no tradeoff: either I charge headfirst at my opponent and win, or I don't and I lose.
There simply needs to be more choices to make. The most basic thing you could do is add powerups. That would add a single other option: to trade firing for a few seconds to get something that increases your power.

Yes, I realize that it's very boring in single player mode. Sometime I'll make the AI better. Right now it's really, really simple.

Powerups are a good idea. I'll add those next version.
Would it help if the map was bigger and different elements created different types of terrain instead of boxes?

[Jedi Knight Krazy]

Yes, I realize that it's very boring in single player mode. Sometime I'll make the AI better. Right now it's really, really simple.

Powerups are a good idea. I'll add those next version.
Would it help if the map was bigger and different elements created different types of terrain instead of boxes?

Terrain really isn't your problem at the moment. Terrain primarily effects mobility, and in a game where the only valid strategy is to charge at each other mashing the fire button, mobility isn't a factor.

Just adding features isn't going to help you; that'll make it a boring complex game instead of a boring simple game. You need to reevaluate your game design and decide what choices a player can make during the game and what tradeoffs those choices have.

I apologize for being harsh

[alpha123]

Yes, I realize that it's very boring in single player mode. Sometime I'll make the AI better. Right now it's really, really simple.

Powerups are a good idea. I'll add those next version.
Would it help if the map was bigger and different elements created different types of terrain instead of boxes?

Terrain really isn't your problem at the moment. Terrain primarily effects mobility, and in a game where the only valid strategy is to charge at each other mashing the fire button, mobility isn't a factor.

Just adding features isn't going to help you; that'll make it a boring complex game instead of a boring simple game. You need to reevaluate your game design and decide what choices a player can make during the game and what tradeoffs those choices have.

I apologize for being harsh

I appreciate it. I'm not a game designer by any means, and so far I have focused on multiplayer stuff rather than making it fun. Thanks for the feedback. I'll add some more strategy choices.

[Jedi Knight Krazy]

Thanks for being open to feedback! I've seen plenty of beginner game designs whine "it's supposed to be like that" when you point out critical flaws in their design.

I'd suggest playing some fighting games for inspiration. Decide on a few you'd like to primarily emulate (read: copy). Don't worry, it's not stealing if you smash enough stolen ideas together that it becomes a new experience! Well, it's still copying. But at least you make a better game for it.
Watch for things like character diversity and moves/combos, environment and powerups, as well as the effect of mobility on gameplay.
(A note on mobility: Smash Bros is especially interesting because it has no health bar in the traditional sense; as you take damage, you get knocked back farther by attacks, and you die by going offscreen)
Ask yourself some questions. What stops players from always using the same strategy or moves over and over? Why do you keep playing after you've unlocked all the characters and stages? Does the game allow multiple styles of gameplay? How do you like to play the game, and why? How do others like to play it, and why? Is their style different from your style, and why?

[Nujanii: Kanohi Master]

I have made some sprites for you. Not many but some. Will compile and PM shortly.

[Katuko]

Jedi Knight Crazy mentions some important game design elements. I still can't play the game myself even after changing my system locale, so I cna't say much for the gameplay myself, but judging from the older version it didn't consist of much more than moving and mashing Spacebar. Heck, your opponent needs to be kind of retarded (no offense!) to get hit, because the shots are so slow you can actually run past your own. Have you ever seen a projectile weapon that was slower than the person using it? Because if it is you might as well be using melee, just saying.

Ramp up the speed of the projectiles something fierce, then work on adding a few special effects. They don't need to be complex, just something so that all the shots don't feel boring. Shooting should be fun.

I can help you make some graphics, by the way. I need to see what kanohi_master has made first so I don't make the same things, but if you send me a link to the sprite sheet you use I can try to make some stuff. Just specify what you need (Attack poses? Other stuff?) and I'll try. I can also do projectiles and special effect, but since I do those in After Effects they might look out-of-place here.

By the way:

making a high-quality map (think BIONICLE Fighter)

I'm flattered.

Edited by Katuko, Oct 19 2011 - 09:31 AM.

[alpha123]

I have made some sprites for you. Not many but some. Will compile and PM shortly.

Thank you!

Jedi Knight Crazy mentions some important game design elements. I still can't play the game myself even after changing my system locale,

I'll see if I can somehow find out how to fix this.

so I cna't say much for the gameplay myself, but judging from the older version it didn't consist of much more than moving and mashing Spacebar. Heck, your opponent needs to be kind of retarded (no offense!) to get hit, because the shots are so slow you can actually run past your own. Have you ever seen a projectile weapon that was slower than the person using it? Because if it is you might as well be using melee, just saying.

That was mostly fixed in the latest version (though it's still somewhat slow in network multiplayer mode, but that's because of lag and can't be helped much until I rewrite the network code (which is something of a prototype right now anyway)).

Ramp up the speed of the projectiles something fierce, then work on adding a few special effects. They don't need to be complex, just something so that all the shots don't feel boring. Shooting should be fun.

Sphere 1.6 has an undocumented particle engine, so I'll see what I can do.

I can help you make some graphics, by the way. I need to see what kanohi_master has made first so I don't make the same things, but if you send me a link to the sprite sheet you use I can try to make some stuff. Just specify what you need (Attack poses? Other stuff?) and I'll try. I can also do projectiles and special effect, but since I do those in After Effects they might look out-of-place here.

Thanks a ton. I'll PM you when I get kanohi_master's PM.
The biggest problem with the After Effects stuff is Sphere's animation system is primitive at best. Can After Effects export to MNG? (or FLI/FLC, but MNG is better)

Edited by alpha123, Oct 19 2011 - 01:54 PM.

[Nujanii: Kanohi Master]

Go ahead and PM him. I may do more, especially considering I haven't dome too much already.

[Katuko]

The biggest problem with the After Effects stuff is Sphere's animation system is primitive at best. Can After Effects export to MNG? (or FLI/FLC, but MNG is better)

It can export to all standard video formats (like AVI, MPG, etc), but more importantly: It can also export GIFs and individual JPG or PNG frames.

I honestly haven't heard of MNG before. Is it some sort of silly mac format?

Edited by Katuko, Oct 19 2011 - 04:34 PM.

[alpha123]

The biggest problem with the After Effects stuff is Sphere's animation system is primitive at best. Can After Effects export to MNG? (or FLI/FLC, but MNG is better)

It can export to all standard video formats (like AVI, MPG, etc), but more importantly: It can also export GIFs and individual JPG or PNG frames.

I honestly haven't heard of MNG before. Is it some sort of silly mac format?

Ah, good, individual PNG frames, that'll work. MNG is an animated PNG format, developed by the same people that developed PNG. It never really caught on, but somehow this odd little game engine good at everything and well suited for nothing ended up using it.

[Katuko]

The biggest problem with the After Effects stuff is Sphere's animation system is primitive at best. Can After Effects export to MNG? (or FLI/FLC, but MNG is better)

It can export to all standard video formats (like AVI, MPG, etc), but more importantly: It can also export GIFs and individual JPG or PNG frames.

I honestly haven't heard of MNG before. Is it some sort of silly mac format?

Ah, good, individual PNG frames, that'll work. MNG is an animated PNG format, developed by the same people that developed PNG. It never really caught on, but somehow this odd little game engine good at everything and well suited for nothing ended up using it.

Ah, I see. I've seen APNG before. Did it replace MNG, or was it the other way around? Bah, I'll just Wiki it later.

[alpha123]

Ah, I see. I've seen APNG before. Did it replace MNG, or was it the other way around? Bah, I'll just Wiki it later.

It was Mozilla's attempt to replace MNG. It wouldn't be too hard to hack APNG support into Sphere if you can export APNG, but individual PNGs would be the best.

[Katuko]

I can export just about anything if I also run the images through a Photoshop batch conversion. So I export to BMP/JPG/GIF/PNG from After Effects, then I just mark the whole folder and go auto-shoppin'. Voila! A bunch of TIFF files. Or ICO, PDF, whatever there's a plugin for.

[Toa Spirit]

On another note, can you provide screen-shots for the first post?

[UltraHau]

I concur - screenshots would be nice. That way, people can see how the game looks before they download it, so they know what to expect.

[alpha123]

Okay, I'll put some screenshots up with the next release (hopefully within the next two weeks).

[Nujanii: Kanohi Master]

I can't get it to start.

[alpha123]

I can't get it to start.

Does it give you any sort of error (e.g. SetDisplayMode() failed or similar)? Did you move any of the files? Is your system locale set to Norwegian?

[Katuko]

System locale wasn't the problem, unfortunately. It must be something else with my computer. (Oh, and it was actually set to Japanese at the time I first had trouble, I'd forgotten to set it back. )

I'm gonna whip up some elemental effects for you soon, but as you can imaging I've had my hands full with school and my own game. Any sort of powers you had in mind? I guess they'll all be projectiles, but it's still nice to hve a goal rather than just slapping effect filters on top of each other and see what pops out.

[alpha123]

Any sort of powers you had in mind? I guess they'll all be projectiles, but it's still nice to hve a goal rather than just slapping effect filters on top of each other and see what pops out.

Air and Gravity would be great, but really anything except Fire, Shadow, and Plasma, which I used the particle engine for (unfortunately, it has some weird issues with invisible walls popping up on the right side of the screen ).

[maxthethrax]

I can't download it.It says that it is a invalid or deleted file

[Hahli Husky]

Closed for revival.