Page bang! Update.

Ok I've updated AlphaHack to version 1.01, although I feel it should be 0.01 ;), and uploaded it to my new... static download page! No more searching for a post that has a download link. Yeeee.

Changes:
* Going into Help now will pause the game. (thx GamerD)
* Tweaked the help content a bit.
+ Health can now be found in skull drops.
* Leveling fixes, ability gain at 3,5,7 and HP boost on 2,4,6. Attaining HP boost levels is faster than ability levels.
+ Extra player levels.
* Fix a few minor bugs.
* UI tweaks.
* Level tweaks.

Please find the new version on the Download page.

NOTE: equiping health items stacks, putting an ability in the item equipment slot will discard all items in that slot.

IGF 2011 Entry!!!

Ok so yesterday I finished my entry for IGF 2011, if you have no idea what that is go here. This release is not all I wanted it to be and I could not add all the content that I wanted, content creation is hard work and I have a lot more respect for all levels of the game indistry's content creators... some long running MMOs come to mind; EvE, WoW. :)

Below you will find the build I submitted as well as the screenshot. PLEASE go play-test it. I need some feedback. The controls might be a bit tricky but there is a README file plus in-game help via the 'H' key. ;)



Download (MediaFire)
Download (FileHost.co.za)
[7.2Mb]

A sound level of music ability...

Hehe, I've been working on adding Levelling and Abilities as you level and was surprised to find that I had no real difficulties. Yeeee! While abilities needs some visualization, and I cannot work on that stuff while at RL work, I thought I needed to add some music and sound effects. This also was not too hard to do and thanks to some awesome free-to-use 8bit music and sfxr to generate the audio effects the game has some audio goodness in now.

My next drive is to expand the level/ability system with content as well as add extra minor features to the audio system and some random loot to pick up to add to a score system.

A new release will probably be done for end of next week.

Combat Alpha Test

After a lot a work on the backend, changing the animation system... twice and updating the model format to allow for better skinning and animation blending (and a bit faster), plus making the whole application a lot easier to take crossplatform by using the SFML 2.0 framework.
Small optimizations here and there plus beter LUA integration plus a slightly updated combat control system allow us now to test the combat system as it is in alpha. There is a lot of room for change so PLEASE test and comment.
Multiplayer will come later and most of the alpha level architecture is in place but still needs some work.

This is a very simple level just to test combat, blocking has been reworked. There is a readme file in the root of the game folder with extra info.

Download
Download (SA local mirror)

New Release

Here it is after almost a month of delays with actual work and new features eating up the time. So what is in this release, glad you asked:

• FX System redone, scriptable and managed. (Particles and Animated textures)
• Trigger system added, when triggered a script function is called.
• Items are fully scripted.
• Some actor properties are scriptable.
• Blocking is working and now comes with animation.
• New map with new tiles.
• New weapons and health pickups.
• A lot of bug fixes and optimizations.

Little screen:


Download
Download (mirror)

=Instructions=
-Left click to attack when in-range of a bad guy.
-Right click to block if you picked up a shield. NOTE: You can not attack and block. Only attacks from the front are blocked.
-To pick up stuff just run over them.
-The game will end when you die, pressing ESC will quite the game also.

PLEASE help me debugging not only the game but the new tile set, if you see any jaggies or weird lines please take a screenshot and send it to me. Thanks.

=What’s coming in the next release=

• Multiplayer (already started)
• Outdoor/Indoor terrain (already started)
• Sound!!!
• Upgrade to animation system and model format.

PS. If anyone knows a low-poly modeller who wants work please contact me.

Delayed

Delayed due to weather... well not really, my last two weekends I was supposed to be working on this but was very unfocussed due to rugby, water cuts, birthdays and awesome games.
I can tell you that I'm working on:

• Better scripted items
• Fx system scripting
• Fx attachment and management
• Item attachment to animated actor
• Extra animations

Also I fixed the flickering shadows, which was a simple change. Blocking of attacks as well as item pickup is in and working.

All that needs to be done is testing on fx attachment and extra graphics for nicer looking levels.

Loot in the boot

... ok not completely, item pickup and proper weapons will be in the next release this coming Monday. (24 May) There will also be a bunch of other small tweaks and additions like more detail in the levels, a new level, shadows will also move along with the player as if there was a big light above his head, fewer tile seams... yes I saw them. ;) Plus whatever I can add and test before Monday. A full list will be posted with the download link as with the previous post.

Update to Tech Demo

The tech demo has been updated with a few fixes and improvements under the hood:

- Fixes

• Death animation now displays properly.
• Pause did not work on the whole system only on bot updates.
  

- Improvements

• Bots are now destroyed and removed properly.
• Attack does proper area damage according to type. (You can now hit more then one target at once)
• Slight optimization in physics checks for attacks.
• Slight optimization when instancing a bot.

- Additions

• There is now a performance ticker on the right hand side. (This is not frame-rate and is very sensitive to computer environment)

- Changes

• The way the game plays has been sped up.
• The player now does a whole lot more damage and the bots less.
• A max of 30 bots can be spawned. (Over 200 at one has been tested but it gets a bit crazy)
  

Download
Download (Mirror)

Back in action.

EDIT: Updated demo with correct relative path to the resource file, thanks to Nerosis for picking this up. ;)

Wow it's been a long time since I posted anything on this blog... a lot has happened, as it normally does, and I'm in the process of releasing my first tech. demo. Currently its being tested on a friend's computers (and a virtual machine) for compatibility but as soon as that's done I'll post the download link here.

The dev. logs I've been posting will be updated and new ones posted, probably in a txt file that can be downloaded with a summation of the important points in the post.

Download link
Download link (mirror)















PS. Mediafire really works for small projects like this. :)

EDIT: Please note that it might not work on all computers as some compatibility issues might still exist.

First Release

Yes, after an absolutely ghastly struggle to find a steering/movement model that I like and would work for what I want I have done it. Using a combination of grid navigation using A* searches and a flexible steering model, plus quite a few interesting meta data tweaks to do grid queries, the actors run around without problem and can swarm the player.
There are a few tweaks left to make so that you get proper piling of attackers and smoothing out cross room movement but they are all in the box basically thanks to my current ground work. :)

Also work on the scripting, AI, attack system and particle system is at a level that allows me to... TADA release my first pre-alpha tech./gameplay RTP (release-to-public) test. It will be on the Download post shortly.

If you want any more details about the technical side of things please drop me a mail and I'll be more then glad to answer them.

PS. Ignore the date on this post, it was in my draft box for a long time while I sorted out a lot of other little things.

Pathing is a bitch!

I've been having pathing woes, damn bots keep bumping into walls and each other when following the path! This has to do with the grid search and path optimization technique used. The grid layout in respects to the environment was causing the bots to clip corners. This was also the problem with LOS as I was also clipping corners when using the grid. Both problems was solved by using the line algorithm supplied by James McNeill on his blog PlayTechs and shifting the environment so that it originates from the center of the grid blocks.

The main reason I picked up these issues was due to the fact that when I had multiple bots running arround it looked crap. So with these refinements hopefully I can continue towards a prototype...

So close... to proto!

I think its high time for an update. Development on AlphaHack's prototype is going strong. I've finished, for prototype level, the sensory and attack system that the zombies are going to use as well as created the goals needed to automate them. They also now have a 'hunger' stat and will wander around until they need to feed! >:) I've been working also on optimizing graph pathing and goal allocation and that is running smooth as well.

In the works is grid pathing for wandering and fine-grained seeking behavior from AI. Almost done and tested.

Player, left, is standing around while AI, right, is wandering.

AI, right, has become hungry and spotted the Player, run P run!

Player, left, is trying to hide but thanks to sensory memory the AI has an idea where he is...

As you can see the prototype is in a very 'low level debug' state, this allows me to tweak and play arround with concepts and test changes to the engine. Also the LUA integration is paying off a lot for tweaking and flexibility.

My next objective is going to be the scripting of more game mechanics like random Zombie placement and game states. This is going to be handled by a Commander.

Only forward...

State of 'AlphaHack'

I was friendlily requested to do a little presentation about my current hobby project. Thx Grimmy :) Most of these will appear on GGE... as soon as they figure out how they want to implement the blogging.
So 'AlphaHack' is my first prototype and tech. demo of the engine I'm developing. Its basically just going to be a zombie survival game set within a very basic town. Zombie AI is easy. :P
The engine, which is called PixelHorizon, is very simple and is geared towards diverse gameplay rather then next gen. graphics. And seeing as I'm not an artist this suits me just fine. :)
Ok so whats in the engine:

• LUA scripted deep integration.
• ODE driven physics.
• Goal driven AI system for 'actors'.
• Commander level AI for grouped 'actors'.
• A* Pathing using both graph and grid.
• Complex environments through simple 'room' concepts but dynamic interaction.
• Neuron based messaging system.
• Entity/Map construction, AI management and Event handling via scripts.
  

And that's the basics, its actually a lot more complex but everything normally is. :) I'm currently busy with:

• AI Sensory memory.
• Attack/Targeting module.
• ... and then ...
• Create more goals for the AI and Commanders
• ... and then ...
• Damage module.

Currently my development method is 'get it done!'. I've been working on 'game engines' for far.. far... FAR too long and need to show something for all that time spent. So the prototype is more of a goal, I dream if you will, to reach, to pull something solid out of my typing.

But like I said I want to post more details on Great Games Experiment as well as a running development log but they don't have the facilities to do it blog-style... yet...

A lot of concepts and ideas where 'procured' from Mat Buckland's book Programming Game AI by Example. It shows you how to create a game. Not just concepts and tech. gibber-gabber but an actual working game. Learned so much. Thank Mat where ever you are.

Please feel free to leave a comment.

GGE

Created a profile on Great Games Experiment, the link is on the right. I'll be posting my current project 'AlphaHack' on it as soon as I have 3 screenshots which is a requirement. :P