Prototype level creation and progress

So work has begun building a basic level for Magma Surge. I have begun creating some of the different assets to be used in the game, such health, experiments and environmental hazards. This week saw me create my first full level (minus lava) in order to test how the game looks and how the different assets created thus far look. Overall I'm happy enough with it, but anticipate lots of revisions over the next few weeks.

I have also refined somewhat the way I plan to build each level. Stencylworks has a decent level editor and it has an interface quite similar to artistic design programs such as Photoshop. This has helped to make the level creation process much easier and also allows me to plan out each level before I begin creating it. One unfortunate side effect of Stencylworks recent release means the help guides are not quite finished and so there are a few things that need to be added. But that shouldn't be too big a problem.

This week I want to create the 3 or 4 levels that I will have in the prototype for September. Next I want to get some screens done for the games menus, so that the prototype will look and feel like a real game. More to come!

Early Design Decisions & Stencylworks

Well after another slow week of on and off progress, I have begun to use a new game making package called StencylWorks and I have managed to make some of my first design decisions. These were made as a result of using the new program. StencylWorks is a great tool, extremely intuitive and easy to use. Unlike its heathen brethren Gamemaker, it is much more logical and stable. The other advantage is it creates the games in Actionscript 3.0 and when you are done it spits out a nice little SWF file that is your game. I have spent most of the time that I devoted to the project this week messing around with it and following some tutorials. Having completed the basics I began to play with creating some simple test levels.

Iv got Mendel built and he moves and reacts smoothly. Overall he was pretty straightforward to build using StencylWorks, adding the required behaviors and controls until I was happy with what he could do. For now Mendel Strone is represented by a featureless black rectangle, however I will get working on creating his animations soon.

The major design decision was made as a result of how StencylWorks creates its levels. Initially I created a series of tile sets so that I could quickly create levels. However I found that adding any detail to the tiles tended to result in a large amount of repetition which looked ugly and unprofessional. I want the game look as varied and interesting as possible. So with this in mind, I have decided to create several different platforms and textures that I can reuse. I want to create about 5 - 10 of each type, be it rock, wood or ice. This should allow me to have enough variety that any repetition of the platforms will not be too noticeable.

So for next week I hope to have the platforms done and some items and obstacles created. My goal for July is to have the guts of a simple working level created. We shall see..

Getting to grips with college projects and Flash

This has been a tough week for the project. Finding time to concentrate on the project has really been difficult. When I finally do sit down and to work there are so many distractions its very hard to stay sitting down for more than 20 minutes. This whole week reminds me very much of the weeks leading up to my leaving certificate. I would lock myself away for hours with the intention of doing some hardcore study, only to emerge some hours later with my notes covered in graffiti and a half read games magazine on my desk. I really need to find a place where I can concentrate on working a little better. My upcoming internship in the Digital Hub should hopefully provide me with an opportunity to find somewhere to work in a more productive environment.

In terms of my Flash learning it has been another slow week. Actionscript is a complicated beast and my lack of usable coding knowledge is proving to be a major obstacle. Oh how I wish now I had taken the Flash module last semester... However it is not all bad news, I have been looking at different game blogs and tutorials, several of which have proven useful. There is also some interesting game making software available that may be worth a look. Despite the setbacks and seemingly insurmountable challenge of Flash coding, I feel I will be able to get through this stage of development. Once Iv got the core gameplay mechanics working, I can put together a functional alpha prototype for submission in September.

Iv also been working on creating the sprites and animations for Mendel Strone. This has proved difficult. Creating smooth sprites is very tricky and time consuming. So far all efforts haven't been up to a good enough standard to be included in the game. More experimentation needs to be done before a viable method and look can be found.

Next week will involve some dedicated tutorials and learning so I can get to grips with the Flash and begin the primary game coding.

It begins!

So after a busy month of chilling out after semester 2, the time has now come to get stuck into this project. Unfortunately it now looks as if I'm going to be working a lot over the next few months so time for Magma Surge development will be at a premium. I'm going to get busy doing up assets for the game for now and then spend as much time as I can getting the games basic coding sorted. Thankfully the overall game concept is relatively simple. Once I'm happy with how the basic gameplay performs, it will be time to hammer out as many levels as possible. I hope to add a post to this blog every week or so to keep track of my progress. Watch this space.

Some Early Concepts

Iv been busy putting the finishing touches to my proposal document over the last few days and have done up some early stuff regarding the games character and setting. These are very rough but shud give you an idea of how they will look when finished.

There will be only one playable character in Magma Surge. The main characters name is Mendel Strone, a powerfully built volcanologist entrusted by MIT to deliver and collect their most expensive and important experiments on Kaua'ahu. Mendel is a skilled mountaineer and survival expert completely at home within the blistering depths of active volcanoes. He is motivated by his passion for science and understanding and will fearlessly take up any challenge where he feels the scientific merit is worthy. 

Some quick concepts for Mendel

Kaua'ahu is a new island that has just broken the surface of the ocean in the last few years. Far to soon for any large plants or animals to have colonised its surface. The island is a black lunar landscape of boiling vents, creeping lava, unstable cliffs and of course, several growing volcanoes explosively and loudly announcing their births to the world. Human presence on Kaua'ahu has been established for a few months now on the most stable part of the island. This small scientific community was established to study the newly forming island. The settlement has been named Tvastar, after the Hindu god of blacksmiths. From here people send out regular scientific expeditions that visit the different volcanoes dotted about of the island. 

Creeping of the Feature

Having spent a few hours mincing through the game doc, iv noticed that the amount of content within my game is beginning to mount. While its still a relatively simple affair, it goes to show just how much work actually goes into a relatively simple game! I will have to learn most of the coding myself so I'm not looking forward to that aspect of the project. Right now however, the game is starting to form nicely within my skull. I think iv worked out the level structure as well as a rudimentary plot involving muscular scientists and a megatonnes of molten rock. If it all goes well it should be a colourful and cool little game for you everyone to have a go!

Me never having owned a smart phone also makes the port to smartphones idea quite hard to imagine for me. I'm one of those people who want to keep their phone a phone as opposed to a €700 media centre. I'm aware that smartphones will eventually become cheap enough that they become the hardy piece of shit I have in my pocket right now, but Magma Surge will be certainly done and dusted by then.

Annyyyyway, right now I will concentrate on visualising the game rather than the code. I'm just hoping that by the end of the game dev document I wont have added so much more stuff that I have to dumb down my project. Everything I've added today is important. I just gona make sure I dont get bogged down creating too much for my one self to manage. Maybe then the daunting task will merely become a scary one.

Magma Surge Outline

Magma surge is an upcoming browser / smartphone game being developed by yours truly for my major project. The game is a simple fast paced platform game where the player must escape from a volcano with a rising plume of burning liquid rock hot on his heels. Pun completely intended. The volcano will nicely enough contain a series of platforms that allow the player to leap out the way of the lava. This simple concept lends itself well to creating lots of interesting levels and iv already got several ideas to work on.

I intend to create a simple casual game that people will play quickly on their phones or laptops while killing time like waiting on a bus or download to complete. When complete it will be akin to the likes of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope insofar as being a game with numerous short levels that are fun and satisfying to complete. I want to look at implementing a simple leader board system and to incorporate some social network websites in some way shape or form.

The game is gonna be built in Flash using Action Script 3. This being a solo project for the most part, the decision to use AS3 was based heavily on the large amount of support available both online and from colleagues. I will be teaching myself most of the coding so it will be a challenge, but one I'm very much looking forward to taking. The biggest part i look forward to is doing all the artwork and level designs. With games like this having large amounts of short levels, it will be fun to come up with different ideas and scenarios for the player to overcome.

Right now I'm getting all of the paperwork done in terms of proposals and documents to keep my masters in DIT happy, but once all of that is done and dusted I can jump into this project with no distractions. Watch this space for further updates and probably lots of moaning about the difficulties of game design :)