sidescrolling game engine
Under the hood – Por baixo das cortinas
Mar 15th
[lang_pt-br]Esta semana o trabalho feito foi basicamente por trás das cortinas, basicamente transformando tudo de hardcoded para editável. Isto significa pensar bastante e trabalho duplicado, já que temos que implementar o editor e o jogo. De fato, se alguém olhar para o beta3 rodando e comparar ao estado atual do jogo, dirá que a versão antiga é melhor; o que não é alarmante, já que sabíamos desde o início que o motor de jogo iria sofrer alguns problemas pelo fato de qualquer um poder criar seu jogo, mas temos certeza que no fim das contas, o esforço será recompensado. Dito isto, nós criamos um novo editor para NPCs, mudamos a interface do editor e tambémc omeçamos a adicionar suporta a estas mudanças no motor do jogo. As boas novas são que, agora, as coisas serão bem mais organizadas, e provavelmente consumir menos memória para nosso porta para Nintendo DS, já que vamos carregar os gráficos em uma lista, e não mais para cada cópia de um NPC que houver no estágio como uma SDL_Surface. Esta semana vamos focar o desenvolvimento para acabar todas as novas implementações e começar logo a correção de bugs para termos um lançamento novo de versão para o início de abril.[/lang_pt-br]
[lang_en]This week work being done was mostly under the hood, basically turning things from hardcoded to editable. This means a lot of thincking and double-work, once we have to implement in the editor and in the game. Actually, if someone just saw beta3 running,a nd our current version, he would say that the new is worse. This is not alarming, we know that sometimes the game-engine will suffer, but the end result, allowing anyone to create games, will pay-off in the ending. That said, we created a new editor for NPCs and changed the editor UI greatly, and started the work in the engine to support it. The good news is that things will be much more organized, and probally will consume less memory for our Nintendo DS port, once we’ll have a list of graphics each NPC in the stage will point to, instead of having each one having it’s own SDL_Surface. We are trying to focus development this week to finish new features and start bug-fixing for a release in the april’s beginning.[/lang_en]
This week on Rockbot – Esta semana em Rockbot
Mar 8th
[lang_pt-br]Uma semana com bons progressos na parte de UI do projeto:
- adicionada tela de seleção de fase
- Adicionada introdução do chefe
- Adicionados mais alguns efeitos sonoros
- Atualizada versão para Nintendo DS com correções
- Implementada leitura de NPCs do arquivo de mapa (parcial)
- Correções na introdução
- Adicionados rostos para todos os chefes
- Adicionados gráficos (parciais) para todos os chefes
- Eliminado uso de threads, corrige intro em Nintendo DS
- Movimento em escada mais rápido no DS
- Atualização de gráficos da tela de início[/lang_pt-br]
[lang_en]This was a good week, with progress in the UI part of the project:
- added stage select screen
- added boss intro
- added more sound effects
- updated Nintendo DS port with fixes
- implemented (partially) reading of NPCs from map file
- introduction fixes
- added faceportraits for all bosses
- added (incomplete) sprite graphics for all bosses
- removed use of threads, fixes intro in DS
- faster staircase movemente in DS
- updated start screen graphics[/lang_en]
Prioridades/Priorities
Mar 3rd
[lang_pt-br]Nós estamos enfrentando algumas dificuldades com os ports. Basicamente, nosso problema é que a conversão da SDL para plataformas diferentes das de sistemas operacionais de PC (Windows, Linux e MacOSX) são bastante pobres e incompletas. A versão de Playstation 2 tem problemas com tempo (já corrigido por nós), som (interrupções durante o tempo em que o som está tocando) e suporte a mp3; a versão de Nintendo DS tem problemas com threads e suporte a mp3. Ambas podem ser solucionadas com o uso de código próprio para cada plataforma, mas a idéia da SDL é exatamente não necessitar fazer isso, portanto vamos tentar evitar fazê-lo, se necessário, corrigindo o código da SDL para estas plataformas.
Dito isto, abrimos uma enquete para que você nos diga qual é a plataforma que você mais gostaria de ter o Rockbot portado. Participe para que possamos priorizar a área de maior interesse.[/lang_pt-br]
[lang_en]We’ve been facing some difficulties with ports. basically, our problem is that the SDL conversion to platforms differenta than those of operating sistem for PC (Windows, Linux and Mac OSX) are very poor and incomplete. The Playstation 2 version have problems with timer (already fixed by us), sound hicups and lack of mp3 support; the Nintendo DS have issues with threads and also lack of mp3. Both can be solved by using code targeted for each platform, but SDL idea is to prevent it, and we want to do so, even if we need to fix SDL for each platform.
That said, we opened a query so you can tell us what is the platform you want most to have Rockbot ported to. Vote, se we can priorize the most voted one.[/lang_en]
Yep, still working
Feb 26th
[lang_pt-br]Nós ainda estamos trabalhando no beta4, a falta de notícias aqui no site é apenas em razão de que estou de férias, por isso me concentro em aproveitá-la ao máximo, para descansar, me divertir e programar, mas temos várias novidades.
A implementação na game engine do Rockbot está indo muito bem, mas decidimos passar algumas funcionalidades previstas no beta4 para o beta5, encurtando um pouco o tempo de desenvolvimento para tentar fazer um beta por mês, por isso teremos mais versões antes do lançamento da versão final, já que cada beta deverá ter menos coisas. Esta decisão tem como objetivo manter o foco nas funcionalidades realmente necessárias e manter o código mais estável entre cada versão, com correções de bugs frequentes. Mas enfim, algumas das novidades já implementadas na engine são:
- color-cycling: esta técnica permite criar animações ao alterar as cores da paleta da tela
- nível 2 de tiles no mapa: permite criar tiles com partes transparentes
- nível 3 de tiles no mapa: estes aparecem por cima do jogador, como nuvens, postes, etc.
- escadarias
- troca de tela: dividimos os mapas em peças menores, e quando o jogador chega em um ponto, um novo mapa é carregado
- leitura de joystick por eventos: acelera bastante a versão de PS2
- correção da SDL_Timer: permite usar basicamente os mesmos tempos de animação em PC e PS2
- projéteis (tiros) usando gráficos
- indicação de quando um jogador está trancando o movimento (troca de tela) do outro
Está faltando ainda terminar a implementação de carregar os npcs definidos pelo editor. Além disto, o editor em sí tem muitas funcionalidades que ainda precisam ser implementadas, como melhor edição de NPCs, Zoom, definir ponto de início para o jogador 1 e 2. Ele irá passar a ser distribuído junto com o jogo neste próximo beta, mas tenha em mente que jogos criados em um beta não necessariamente funcionarão no próximo; apenas quando a versão final for lançada teremos uma estabilidade no formato de arquivos do mapa.
É isto, continuem nos acompanhando na jornada rumo a um jogo muito legal para todos os fãs de megaman por aí :)[/lang_pt-br]
[lang_en]We are still working in beta4, the lack of news here in the site, is just becaquse I am in vacation, so I focusing in enjoy it at it’s best, to rest, have fun and program, but we have several news anyway.
The game engine implementation of Rockbot is going very well, but we decided to pass some functionalities from beta4 to 5, making the development time shorter, in a way to try to make a beta each month, that is way we’ll have more beta versions before the final version launch, once each beta will have less stuff on it. This decision comes with the goal to keep focus in the functionalities that we really need and keep the code more stable between each beta, with bug fixing more often. But in resume, some already implemented features are:
- color-cycling: this technique allow us to create animations by swapping colors in palette
- tileset level2: allow to create tiles with transparent parts
- tileset level 3: those are shown over players, like cluds, trees, etc;
- staircases
- screen swapping: we divide the maps in smaller pieces, and when the player reaches a point, a new map is loaded
- joystick reading using events: makes PS2 version much faster
- correction in SDL_Timer: allow us to use same timings from PC version
- projectiles (shots) using graphics
- indication of when a player is holding the other one (screen swap)
We are still missing finish the implementation of loading NPC defined by the editor. Besides that, the editor itself have lots of things that still need to be worked, like better NPC editing, Zoom, setting the starting point for P1 and P2. It will be distributed from the next beta with the game, but keep in mind that games made with a beta, will not meant to be compatible with the other ones; onely when the final version is released we’ll have file format stability.
That’ s it, keep following us in the journey to a very cool game for all megaman fans out there :)[/lang_en]
Beta 4 kickoff
Feb 8th
[lang_en]
In this last weekend, work on beta 4 has been started with great success. The new colision detector and movement handler are almost completed, and work much better than in beta3, and the code is cleaner and better too, I dare to say that there is only one bug that is very hard to reproduce.
Also, we started testing sound, it works pertectly in Linux, but will need some work on Playstation 2 because our current implementation of key/joystick reading (we are not using threads at this point of development) makes the music glitch, probally we need something to read input less often or put it on a thread.
Another thing was that we finally fixed a but that made the game goes freeze. It was just that using short int for a timer is not a great idea, and after passing the 32k, the number goes negative and our timer testing, just were not released.
So, here is the list of planned features for beta 4:
- Fix beta 3 bugs:
- a) projectiles are clearning the screen in the wrong position (above) – DONE
- b) sometimes the game freezes (animation still run, but player do not move) – DONE (CheckDelay)
- c) colision detection have a bug that allows player to “walk in the air” (1) – DONE
- d) player can fall to the left side of screen (1) – DONE
- (1)revise whole collision detection – INWORK
- try to hack SDL to disable bilinear filter (not possible currently) – CANCELLED
- fix SDL_Timer (see http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=2842&highlight=clock+tick) – DONE
- (2)fix SDL_mixer (see http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=9798&highlight=sdlmixer)
- commit SDL changes to ps2dev.org
- music (2) – DONE
- sound effects (2)
- editor: allow user to set p1 and p2 starting position (must be in same screen area – MAX_W and MAX_H of distance)
- editor: allow user to add boss door
- editor: add npc support (including a wizard to define it’s frames)
- editor: add line tool
- editor: add stairs (use locked 2)
- editor: allow second level of tiles (this will allow user to create transparent tiles, for stairs, etc)
- better “loading”: make it generic and allows two types:
- a) scroll messages up when new one reaches bottom of screen (for debug)
- b) loading with a progress bar and showing only the last message)
- add loading for all elements, including intro screen and such
- load NPCs from the game/map file
- NPC movement types (wait, attack, loop, left to right and right to left)
- NPC can only execute acions that are defined in the frameset list (if do not have jump frame, can’t jump)
- NPC must return when killed and out of players vision
- create transitions between two differente stages (like a boss door, or a staircase)
- if the whole screen height have a wall (locked) ahead, do not scroll beyond it, hidding the contents after it (this will allow us to use more regions in the map)
- make win32 version run from anywhere
- must find a way to determine the jump size by the time of button pressed
- create a new animation system, that have individual frames with duration [add_frame(posx, duration)]
- redesign whole game intro (use in-game like graphics)
- create graphics of players in several angles to improve graphics ideas
- add some animation using color cycle in intro by switching palettes
- working staircases
- indicate when a player is blocking the scrolling (using a P1/P2 above it’s head)
- add boss (Apebot)
- make the screen rendering in real time, use a small part out of the screen to render when necessary instead of rendering the whole thing at onde
- (create function render line and render column) – memory should go from 226x63x256=3.600kB to 22x15x256 = 84kB (main app still uses ~1.5MB)
- compile the game for Nintendo DS (no real build yet, just start testing)
[/lang_en]
[lang_pt-br]
No último fim de semana, o trabalho na versão beta 4 começou com grande sucesso. O noivo sistema de colisão e gerenciador de movimentos estão quase completos, e funcionam muito melhor do que no beta 3, além do código ser mais limpo e melhor. Eu ouso dizer que existe apenas um pequeno bug, bem difícil de reproduzir.
Também começamos a testar o som, ele funciona perfeitamente em Linux, mas vai precisar de algum esforço para o Playstation 2, porque nossa implementação atual de leitura de teclado e joystick faz a música ficar cortada, provavelmente vamos precisar ler menos frequentemente o dispositivo de entrada ou colocar a leitura em uma thread (não estamos as usando neste momento do desenvolvimento).
Outra coisa que fizemos foi corrigir um bug que fazia o jogo congelar. A causa foi que, usar uma variável do tipo short int para tempo não é uma grande idéia, já que ao passar de 32 mil, a variável fica negativa, e o nosso contador de tmepo ficava simplesmente preso.
Então, para finalizar, aqui está a lista de tarefas para o beta 4:
- Corrigir bugs do beta 3:
- a) projéteis estão limpando a tela na posição errada (acima) – FEITO
- b) algumas vezes o jogo trava (a animação continua, mas o jogador não se move) – FEITO (CheckDelay)
- c) a verificaçãod e colisão tem um bug que permite andar no ar (1) – FEITO
- d) o jogador pode cair para o lado esquerdo da tela (1) – FEITO
- (1) revisar toda a verificação de colisão – INWORK
- tentar desabilitar o filtro biliniear na SDL (não é possível atualmente) – CANCELADO
- corrigir a SDL_Timer (see http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=2842&highlight=clock+tick) – FEITO
- (2) corrigir a SDL_mixer (see http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=9798&highlight=sdlmixer)
- enviar modificações na SDL para o ps2dev.org
- música (2) – FEITO
- efeitos sonoros (2)
- editor: allow user to set p1 and p2 starting position (must be in same screen area – MAX_W and MAX_H of distance)
- editor: allow user to add boss door
- editor: add npc support (including a wizard to define it’s frames)
- editor: add line tool
- editor: add stairs (use locked 2)
- editor: allow second level of tiles (this will allow user to create transparent tiles, for stairs, etc)
- better “loading”: make it generic and allows two types:
- a) scroll messages up when new one reaches bottom of screen (for debug)
- b) loading with a progress bar and showing only the last message)
- add loading for all elements, including intro screen and such
- load NPCs from the game/map file
- NPC movement types (wait, attack, loop, left to right and right to left)
- NPC can only execute acions that are defined in the frameset list (if do not have jump frame, can’t jump)
- NPC must return when killed and out of players vision
- create transitions between two differente stages (like a boss door, or a staircase)
- if the whole screen height have a wall (locked) ahead, do not scroll beyond it, hidding the contents after it (this will allow us to use more regions in the map)
- make win32 version run from anywhere
- must find a way to determine the jump size by the time of button pressed
- create a new animation system, that have individual frames with duration [add_frame(posx, duration)]
- redesign whole game intro (use in-game like graphics)
- create graphics of players in several angles to improve graphics ideas
- add some animation using color cycle in intro by switching palettes
- working staircases
- indicate when a player is blocking the scrolling (using a P1/P2 above it’s head)
- add boss (Apebot)
- make the screen rendering in real time, use a small part out of the screen to render when necessary instead of rendering the whole thing at onde
- (create function render line and render column) – memory should go from 226x63x256=3.600kB to 22x15x256 = 84kB (main app still uses ~1.5MB)
- compile the game for Nintendo DS (no real build yet, just start testing)
[/lang_pt-br]
Art
Feb 5th
I’m using my free time between beta 3 and 4 to rethink some parts of the code and to draw, here is one parcial result:
Beta 3 released
Feb 2nd
This release adds Ubuntu and Playstation (both USB and CDROM) packages to the Windows one.
Please notice those known bugs while testing it:
- projectiles are clearning the screen in the wrong position (above)
- sometimes the game freezes
- colicion detection have a bug that allows player to “walk in the air”
Now get it on our project page at sourceforge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/rockman-engine/files/
Changelog includes:
- DONE – one/two player mode
- DONE – allow multiple instances of a same NPC (to reuser the same graphics in a different position)
- DONE – adjust players initial position
- DONE – add players HP bars
- DONE – fix collision verification when falling from a jump and moving left/right (still needs more work)
- DONE – make NPC shield itself (shiled flag, plus frame zero in animation)
- DONE – player hit animation
- DONE – add collision verify into player hit animation to not move where it can’t
- DONE – NPC hit animation
- DONE – player hit animation
- DONE – make players loose 3 hit points when touching a NPC
- DONE – fix jump+shoot and walk+shoot animation
- DONE – player teleport animation in stage start
- DONE – “ready” text animation on stage start
- DONE – align hit animation centered vertically and horizontally to the player or npc
- DONE – editor: add fill tool (still needs work for non-continual areas like a square)
- NOT – separate hit into NPC check into a separate function and call it even if player is stopped
- DONE – make NPC shoot
- DONE – NPC shoot must diminish 1 HP from players when hit them
- DONE – NPC killed animation
- DONE – editor: show locked areas only when in lock-mode
- DONE – editor: always show grid
- DONE – map PS2 joystick buttons correctly
- DONE – fix timing for PS2
- DONE – use timers instead of counters
- DONE – adjust timings
- DONE – npc face to RIGHT
- DONE – npc shoot from left to right
- DONE – optimize sprites: only clear-draw if made scroll or another sprite is over it, make it very short
- DONE – initialize units for PS2 according to need (use argc to find run path)
- DONE – 2 player on pc freezes when there is no joystick attached
- DONE – player hit from shot coming from left, must face left
- DONE – finish player sprites adjustments (teleport on P2, p1 new face)
- DONE – fix small underscreen bug on top of the screen (changed map, still a mistery)
- DONE – show projectile more near to the hit target (is vanishing too soon)
- DONE – underscreen when player hit is doing something wrong, drawing background from previous version AFTER moving
- DONE – fix scrolling that is goind beyound the end of screen width
- DONE – create a complete map (without boss)
- DONE – add a small text in the stage ending (beta and credits)
- DONE – shots are moving in the Y axies when scrolling
- DONE – fix npc-player colision function for PS2
- DONE – make linux version run from anywhere (and not only from ./)
- DONE – create an official PS2 build
- DONE – create deb package for Ubuntu/Linux
Future
Feb 1st
While we wait for beta3 to have all of it’s bug list squashed, we can already start looking to the future, and here is what beta4 has planned to bring:
- must find a way to determine the jump size by the time of button pressed
- create a new animation system, that have individual frames with duration [add_frame(posx, duration)]
- redesign whole game intro (use in-game like graphics)
- create graphics of players in several angles to improve graphics ideas
- revise whole collision detection
- add some animation using color cycle in intro by switching palettes
- working staircases
- indicate when a player is blocking the scrolling (using a P1/P2 above it’s head)
- load NPCs from the game/map file
- editor: allow user to set p1 and p2 starting position
- editor: allow user to add boss door
- editor: add npc support
- editor: add line tool
- music
- sound effects
- NPC movement types (wait, attack, loop, left to right and right to left)
- NPC must return when killed and out of players vision
- create transitions between two differente stages (like a boss door, or a staircase)
- add boss (Apebot)
- compile the game for Nintendo DS (no real build yet, just start testing)
- make the screen rendering in real time, use a small part out of the screen to render when necessary instead of rendering the whole thing at once (this probally will reduce around 3~4 MB of memory usage)
Have suggestions for what we should implement first? Write a comment here.
