Crunching Once Per Week

Goodness Gracious, and that's 3 semesters of the Digipen life!

2011-08-24T01:18:00.000+08:00

Oh man, school's tough. School's really tough. Now that semester 3 is over, I can finally catch up on all the sleep I missed out on. No more falling asleep while in the midst of studying, yes!!

We have been given 2 short weeks of break - about enough time for me to start a new short project! Hopefully this is one project I can finish before school starts =S.

References and pointers and const

2011-02-23T22:00:00.001+08:00

Gahh!!! Mid-terms tomorrow. Everyone's panicking about const-ness and references!
Thought I'd write some nonsense for practice.

oh boy so nervous. XD

// chinykian
// 23 Feb 2011

#include ‹iostream›

const int gInt1 = 10;
const int gInt2 = 20;

const int*const& MyFunc (const int*& pI)
{
    pI = &gInt2;

    return pI;
}

const int*const& (*pFP) (const int*& pI) = MyFunc;

int main(void)
{
    const int*const& (**const&ppFP) (const int*& pI) = &pFP;

    const int* pI = &gInt1;
    std::cout << *((*ppFP)(pI)) << std::endl;

    return 0;
}

Actionscript Awards 2010

2011-01-09T21:21:00.001+08:00

Last Friday was the Actionscript Awards 2010 Ceremony and winners and guests alike were invited for the prize presentation. Everything went as expected until one organizer mentioned that the prize winners were to present their games to the audience.

Video courtesy of Wei Liang.

Back! With good news!

2010-12-24T01:47:00.002+08:00

The first semester at Digipen is over in the blink of an eye. Boy, was it a busy semester.
.....

A few months ago, I participated in the local Actionscript Awards 2010 competition. As it turns out, I managed to get myself a 3rd place. Yippee~

That said, I really wish the organizers were more efficient - till now, I still do not know what I've won, the website isn't updated with the details either. I suppose I'll need to wait till the prize-giving ceremony for a surprise.

3rd Week gone by

2010-09-25T00:26:00.001+08:00

Okay, I admit it. I probably will not be posting any new updates on Final Boss any time soon simply because I. have. no. time. (I'll still update the blog though)

3 weeks in Digipen has proven to be a little hectic and at times, downright nerve-wrecking(yeah, Math quizzes). Despite that, I'm having a great time in the school- its another step towards my dream of becoming a game developer and quite frankly, that's all that matters to me.

(Okay, maybe the Math quizzes weren't so great)

School Starts... tomorrow!

2010-09-02T13:45:00.000+08:00

Just great. My National Service of 2 years is finally ending in a week, school's starting tomorrow, and I'm no where near finishing Final Boss! The ORD (Operationally-ready Date) mood must be getting to me.

Well... Digipen Singapore, here I come! =)

HTML 5 Canvas

2010-08-10T21:12:00.004+08:00

I once saw someone posted a link to a game developed purely with Javascript and HTML. While making a Javascript game isn't on anyone's "TODO" list any time soon (view source, anyone?), it does bring to mind the possibility of creating much more complex and innovative web content.

With that in mind I dragged along an experienced web developer friend to guide me while I fooled around with the scripts. Click on the link below to see the result:

Particles! Yay!

Filler! Sorry!

2010-08-02T18:46:00.001+08:00

Good Break

2010-07-04T21:47:00.000+08:00

I've been enjoying a good break, playing games such as Resident Evil 5 and Okami. It's good to finally take a breather after so many weeks of hard work. That said, it's about time I get back to my projects again. A new, short game =). Final Boss can afford to wait a little longer.

The WeatherMan: Submitted for Competition

2010-06-23T22:05:00.004+08:00

Okay, pardon me for not updating the blog lately, but for the past 2 weeks I've been really up to my neck with projects and deadlines. It is therefore with a great sigh of relief that I announced the completion of the WeatherMan project.

Fancy a peek?

I suppose I ought to emphasize it's not a game. Rather, it's a little about telling a story, and a little about conveying a message to the "players".

I've learned a lot from working on this project, especially from the technical perspective, considering it's my first time working on a Bitmap-blitting system (which I really should have done long ago). I've experienced first-hand how transformation of bitmapdata can KILL framerates (and thus stuck to copypixels() thereafter), and for some strange reasons, how the Timer instance didn't quite run at the specified interval it's supposed to run at on Internet Explorer (Firefox seemed fine).

When I headed into development, I was determined to not make sprite sheets for my character sprites. As such, all art assets were completely drawn and animated in the Flash IDE before being cached as BitmapData at run-time. Going all bitmap has yielded consistent framerates but has also made creation of certain "dynamic" game elements (aka in-game cut-scenes?) far more troublesome.

Perhaps a mixture of both vector and bitmap graphics is the way to go for my next project. For now, though, I need a serious break.

The Glass Ornament now known as The Weatherman

2010-06-01T20:52:00.001+08:00

The Glass Ornament : From MovieClip to BitmapData

2010-05-16T23:17:00.002+08:00

Even as Final Boss remains in development, I've taken on a new project for submission to the Actionscript Awards 2010 organized by Singapore's Republic Polytechnic. The project is tentatively titled - The Glass Ornament (TGO).

From a design standpoint, TGO is not much of a game. Rather, it would serve as a virtual experience for players. In case you are wondering, the contest theme is "Climate Change".

Now, from a technical standpoint, I intend to break away from rendering vector graphics onto the stage and instead, do the rendering by bitmap blitting. At this point of development, I am still working on converting my MovieClip(with the various frames of animation) into an array of BitmapData, skipping the sprite sheet step altogether.

Hopefully I will learn much from this project. Anything else ( such as winning ; ) ), is secondary.

Final Boss : 13th post

2010-05-02T23:53:00.000+08:00

Final Boss : 12th post

2010-04-20T21:25:00.000+08:00

Sorry, late again. >.<
Fever has been holding me back. I've implement a new throwing attack - a video will be up this weekend.

Final Boss : 11th post

2010-04-13T21:41:00.001+08:00

I apologise for the late entry >.<

For the past week, what I had done was mainly the tweaking of the boss' attack patterns.
Full stop. =(

Final Boss : 10th post

2010-04-04T23:26:00.000+08:00

The project is progressing, a snail step at a time.

Added features:
- camera shakes when the monster lands after a jump
- some scripted events to add tension

Final Boss : 9th post

2010-03-29T00:21:00.000+08:00

Way of the Ninja Boss.

Final Boss : 8th post

2010-03-22T21:13:00.000+08:00

Been busy the past week, so busy in fact, that I didn't really clock much time working on Final Boss. The least I could so was to fix some bugs.

Stay tuned for next week.

Final Boss : 7th post

2010-03-14T21:03:00.000+08:00

T_______________T

Added features:
- character can walk backwards while shooting
- particle effects when character dashes
- bugged boss behaviour

Ugh, bugs to fix...

Final Boss : 6th post

2010-03-07T22:27:00.001+08:00

Other than integrating some PHP into my web site, I have been (surprise!) working on Final Boss as well. As with last week, I'm still working on the boss behaviour.

But wait! That's not all! Incidentally I've managed to give the character the ability to dash (by double tapping).

*Cough* The difference between dashing and walking animation is just a shear transformation away *cough*.

Final Boss : 5th post

2010-02-28T21:22:00.000+08:00

5th post for Final Boss! I wish I have something to show (screen shot or something), but frankly I do not have anything presentable this week.

I've mainly been working on the boss behavior these few days; perhaps next week will see more progress =D!

Final Boss : 4th post

2010-02-22T23:01:00.001+08:00

Some animation frames for the boss character.

Unfortunately, I need to return the tablet to my brother for a period of time, and will not be able to continue with the development of the game (not much, anyway). I suppose I'll just have to work on the other projects in the mean time =).

Oh No I'm late!

2010-02-22T01:00:00.002+08:00

Late for last week's entry, that is. Worry not, I'll post my progress soon, before the day is over.

Final Boss : 3rd post

2010-02-14T23:39:00.001+08:00

Boss Design XD!

Oh and Happy Lunar New Year!

VisualNE : 2nd Post

2010-02-07T23:44:00.001+08:00

Aloha! Another week flew by us and once again I am posting an entry at the very last minute.

VisualNE remains early in development but already, key features are being implemented. The engine requires at least 2 xml files in the same directory as the swf (not a problem if user wants to host it on his/her own web page, but submission to flash portals is going to be a lot harder). One of the files defining the assets to load (pre-loading), while other the defines the main menu of the game.

At its current state of development, the engine has managed to support the creation of images as well as working buttons(kinda).

Here's how the main menu's xml looks:

Stay tuned for next week's entry.

VisualNE : 1st Post

2010-01-31T23:33:00.001+08:00

Development on Final Boss can't continue without a tablet, so I got to work on an idea I had in mind for some time.

A Visual Novel Engine! Thus the project name "VisualNE".

I've always been intrigued by the Japanese's countless visual novels, especially those that eventually spawned their own anime series(Kanon, Higurashi etc). I would love to make my very own visual novel (though I must admit my poor command of English is a major hurdle) and while I'm at it, why not make it an engine that everyone can use (as long as they know xml)?

At least, that's what I had in mind for now.

Proof that I did some work >:(

Final Boss : 2nd post

2010-01-24T23:56:00.001+08:00

This week saw no significant progress, thanks in part to the fact that my brother needed his tablet back. That said, I will proceed with this entry introducing the tension building sequence of the game, which also happens to be more polished than the other portions.

The "tension builder" attempts to create atmosphere, or rather, to build up the tension in the game right before the final showdown with the boss. This particular section of the game relies heavily on scripted events(such as lights switching on by themselves when the player approaches, camera zoom etc) to immerse the player in the scene.

Final Boss : 1st post

2010-01-17T21:17:00.001+08:00

It has been a while since my last post, and I figured it's about time I give the blog a little makeover. Now things look cleaner and maybe I'll feel more compelled to update the blog. About the self-imposed once-a-week entry? Well, it really is just another way to get myself to work instead of procrastinating about it.

Here's a little project I've been working on for the past months, crudely titled:

Basically a parody of the final bosses in video games in general, this game intends to mimick the cliches found in the most climatic moments of a generic action/adventure game.

As of now, the project remains early in development and is likely to remain so for some time, seeing as I have some other projects to attend to.

Stay tuned for more updates next week.

The Master has awakened

2009-08-30T22:22:00.000+08:00

So I was on my way home from the library (with some how-to-draw books) when Jon contacted me. Besides sharing a good laugh about my Houndwars-Mindjolt blunder, we talked about the current progress of Candida and Seventh.

Turns out Jon has already started reading though my codes and for the matter, found some flaws with the collision detection system; obvious flaws which, after he explained to me, made me go "Darn! Why didn't I think of that?" Looks like I'm still way too inexperienced.

I have handed the coding of the collision system to Jon since he joined me in the development of this project. To be honest, I can't wait to see what I can learn from the master this time.

oops... sorry

2009-08-30T02:12:00.004+08:00

Project: 07th

2009-08-03T19:35:00.002+08:00

I'll let the concepts sketches do the talking =)

From ChinyKian Productions to Ignite Games?

2009-07-27T14:21:00.003+08:00

Currently there's only 1 person working on the Candida project solo.
Me.

That's all possibly going to change however, as I struggle with performance issues and the sheer work load of various projects, one person comes to mind. Who else other than my best partner and teacher, Jonathan, would I trust with this project?

After a few email exchanges it appears he is interested in the project and would like to work on it once he is free(in a few weeks time). Here's hoping Jon will indeed join me in the development of this game.

Of course, that would also mean a much needed addition to the Ignite Games Catalog (which is EMPTY!).

*Ignite is a game development group formed by Jon, me and another friend; and is the name we use to label any joint projects we work together on*

Blender

2009-05-11T21:32:00.002+08:00

Can't afford Maya and 3dStudio Max? Use Blender, an abso-freaking-lutely FREE 3D modeling tool.

Rubber Duckies Title

2009-05-10T00:26:00.004+08:00

New side project

2009-05-01T11:28:00.004+08:00

Candida turns out to be a bigger project than I first envisioned it to be. As such, I've decided to take a short break from the project and work on a simpler game first- something that shouldn't take more than a few weeks.

This side project, tentatively titled "Rubber Duckies", will be a funny looking 3D shooting game. Thanks to available 3D rendering and 3D physics libraries out there, development is pretty much a breeze =)

(Early) WIP Screen

2009-04-11T01:39:00.002+08:00

A slow 2-month period

2009-02-01T14:22:00.003+08:00

As I am currently on a driving course as a National Service Personal, I am required to stay in my camp for 6 days of a week. Thanks to this, development of Candida has hit yet another slow period since the days of my Basic Military Training.

Nonetheless, development on Candida will continue. Hopefully the pace will pick up after my driving course =).

As a rough estimate, the game is about 35% completed.

Major sigh of relief

2009-01-12T23:50:00.003+08:00

For the past few night I've been busy fixing my new Camera class (which renders the scene to a Bitmap) so it wouldn't undo my efforts of the past several months. This new camera class is intended for a number of features such as zooming in and out, and rotation(hopefully). While these features has not been implemented yet, at the very least the Camera class no longer screws up the physics of the game(joy!).

Features implemented:
-States system for various game screens
- player control via controller class
- circle to plane collision detection and reaction with collision handling system
- main character sprite animation
- basic level class
- basic camera that works with Bitmap

Progress, progress. Bugs.

2008-12-27T01:19:00.005+08:00

As can be seen, Project Candida is still in production. The screenshot shows about a quarter of the tutorial level.

Things are going reasonably well (considering the fact that I'm juggling this project with army life), if all goes well, this project would be more or less done in a few more months =D.

On the less sunny side, bugs related to collision are a real pain T.T

Just to say I'm still ALIVE!

2008-10-28T17:03:00.003+08:00

Off to the Army!

2008-09-13T00:39:00.002+08:00

The platform engine for White Angel is more or less done; so is the sprite of the main character herself. Unfortunately, development will be slowed down a lot, thanks to enlistment to the Army for 2 years.

Despite that, development for White Angel and FreeRunning will still continue during the weekends. Combined with the fact that the underlying engine is near completion, we just might be seeing the release of both games next year!

Wish me luck =) !

Get Free Music Today! For Free! Really!

2008-09-05T23:00:00.004+08:00

Development for White Angel is still on going. Perhaps I will be able to provide some screenshots in a couple of weeks. Hopefully.

Are you a hobbyist involved in projects and are in need of free sound effects and music? You are in luck! Visit http://www.soundsnap.com for some high quality music and sound effects. Do consider this site, it's way better than flashkit.com.

Filler =)

2008-08-27T17:32:00.002+08:00

A little Introduction...

2008-08-25T00:24:00.003+08:00

Joining me on this development blog is Jonathan Ong, the guy who taught me C++ and has worked on several projects, including ToriBash. Together, we're called Ignite(ka-Boom!).

Jon is currently leading the development of FreeRunning and will blog about his vision and the progress of the project here, until our main Ignite blog is set up. Or perhaps even then he'll still be blogging here. (I sure hope so!)

Collision Detection with terrain

2008-08-23T16:33:00.005+08:00

Collision detection and reaction has got to be one of the most problematic aspects of programming a game, especially when uneven terrains are concerned. In order to properly tackle this issue, I have to first figure out the kind of collision detection I want for the game.

In the case of White Angel, I figured using lines to define the terrain would be a much better choice than to say, use a tile-based collision system, since the former would be much more flexible, and level creation would also be a lot faster.

The collision detection algorithm in used is based on the following article:
Simple Intersection Tests for Games

The first step is to create a "Plane" class (or to be more accurate, "Line" class). A MovieClip symbol was then derived from this class. This MovieClip, which I shall call the CollisionPlane, is defined by 2 other MovieClips within that represents the 2 points of the plane. Upon EnterFrame, the global positions of the 2 points will be calculated, along with other variables like gradient, normal etc. These variables will not only be useful for collision detection, but also the collision reaction and perhaps the game logic as well.

The above is just a very rough outline of what I did. Perhaps an image or two will help clarify the doubts. (Note: The following images shows a work-in-progress and are in no way representing what the final product would be.)

Notice it's a circle-to-line collision. The "terrain" is defined by the 3 CollisionPlanes.

Hide the collision shapes!

White Angel

2008-08-23T14:36:00.000+08:00

I have started work on yet another project, tentatively titled "White Angel". I intend this project to have a strong emphasis on story and style, bringing about a sense of "dreaminess" in the game. The following is a (very)rough sketch of the main character:

Development of the game is progressing steadily; with the underlining framework more than half-done, content creation isn't too far off.

The genre of White Angel should fall within the side-scrolling, platforming category. Of course, I will try my best to implement some unique gameplay features to enhance the gameplay and set it apart from the other side-scrollers out there.

FreeRunning

2008-08-20T23:12:00.000+08:00

Project FreeRunning is underway. FreeRunning is a collaboration between Jon and me. Jon is responsible for the direction the game is heading, in other words, the director for the game. He will also be working on coding of course. As for me, I will be working on the graphics and, (of course) coding as well. Being the better programmer(he taught me everything I know about C++, nevermind the lecturer), he will be working on the grittier aspects of the game logics XD.

What is Project FreeRunning? It's basically, a parkour game... with a story =D. Jon has plenty of ideas for it. I can only hope I will survive making all that load of animations.

Hello World

2008-08-20T23:11:00.001+08:00

Hello World! Hi, I'm chinykian, this blog is dedicated to news of games currently in development by Ignite, or just me. In other words, a development blog =D.

Stay tune.