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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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sixteen days until the release of my new game.
today's updates:
i finally fixed (i hope) a persistant and annoying bug that caused the player to clip through the ceiling. it's a tricky bug because it's rare and i can't reproduce it. which is exactly why i can't be sure it's fixed: all i can know for sure is that it hasn't happened since i changed the code. if i can go a week without it reappearing, i'll pronounce it dead.
implemented a way to switch control sets. the game defaults to keyboard controls, but pressing the jump button on the joypad will switch the game to joypad controls. pressing the jump key on the keyboad (Z) will switch back. this let me get around having to check both devices at the same time, which is a headache i would rather avoid. (invader does this.)
implemented the opening animation. self-explanatory.
and i got rid of the debug keys, since (as far as i know) the game is bug-free at the moment. i could easily see myself accidentally leaving them in the final game, so i'm glad to have that done now.
features still to implement:
redesign the hallway area before the "crypt" (the weakest part of the game)
implement time display
implement intro and extro
music
implement saving / loading (probably not going to bother)
tweak the mechanics of the game
improve game speed
sixteen days to leap day! _________________
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kirkjerk .
Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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I will admit being mildly disappointed that getting the high score in Electronic Arms didn't bring me into any other areas of that sprite sheet.
I will also admit I haven't come up with a better strategy than alternating left and fire rapidly. _________________ =/ \(<D)_/
==/\/ >_ kirkjerk.com |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, that's what I thought the concept would have been, too. It's a relatively simple and addictive game with an seemingly possible high score, but when you reach that high score MAN OH MAN the shit goes down. Didn't happen though.
I reached 72. That game scares the shit out of me, which is kind of a good thing because it's space invaders. I think the graphics should be white not yellow, though.
At what point do other things start happening? |
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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electronic arms is styled after an lcd game, so static sprites the whole way through.
today's updates:
redesigned a tedious area at harveyjames's suggestion (he's one of my co-conspirators). i hadn't been happy with the area myself, but i think i needed to hear it from someone else to give me that last push.
fixed a bug with a checkpoint.
put the debug controls back in.
still need to redo those hallways. _________________
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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updates:
finally redesigned the hallway area. i remade it so that it's entirely about the new element that i introduce in that area. it's not anything startling by that point in the game, but now it feels like it is because it gets such a thorough introduction. and it explores an aspect of my game physics that really wasn't adequately explored before.
and i made it so that the player can swap between joypad and keyboard during the intro, even though she can't actually play then.
took the debug controls back out. _________________
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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the past weekend's updates:
finally got around to (i think) solving a long-standing control issue. the game has a bunch of verbs mapped to a single button: press it to jump, press it again in midair to stop jumping, tap it to "flap" and maintain altitude. mash the button and you'll be able to affect a horizontal movement.
the issue is that, when mashing the button, you're likely to accidentally jump again upon touching the ground, likely putting yourself into danger. it happened to me; it happened to jamesharvey. his suggestion, and the obvious solution, was the make a small "cool-down" period after landing before the player could jump again.
why this was undesirable to me is that the secondary goal of the game is to achieve the fastest time possible from start to finish. corner jumping - jumping, cutting off the jump, and then jumping again as soon as the player touches the ground - is essential to speed. a cool-down period would unfairly punish skilled players and precise jumping.
my solution was to have the cool-down period only take effect after "flapping". a single button-press won't trigger it, but repeated mashing will. that way there's little risk of the player not jumping when she tries to, the counter-problem to the accidental jump (and one i equally want to avoid).
while testing that i discovered another bug in a feature i thought had worked but really it seems i hadn't adequately tested. fixed that.
got rid of a nagging slow-down issue by telling the game not to draw wall objects, just the tiles that appear over them.
put the debug keys back in, took them back out. twice. _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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I like the weird feeling of satisfaction I get by being able jump up steps two at a time in this game. I like it when games make me feel clever, like OH SHIT I can take these steps you put in two at a time, fuck you developers
It's amazing that this is still satisfying to me when I'm the person who suggested being able to take two steps at a time, and that this was achieved simply by putting in twice as many steps as needed so you can jump past half of them, and it's actually harder to take the steps one at a time anyway. |
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:52 am Post subject: |
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you'd be surprised at how many times i redesigned that stairway to get to how it is now. staggering the stairs at just the right length so that the player can jump straight up a single side or jump from one side to the other without bumping her head on the stair above and making sure that the player is forced to set foot on the "diving pad" before jumping down the shaft (while keeping a measure of uniformity between the four sets of stairs spread across that area) was tricky work. i tore up that stairway and replanted it four or five times before i got something i was comfortable with.
updates: playing n+, i keep hitting the jump button to try and brake in mid-air. i've been playing my own game too much.
nine days to leap day! _________________
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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3 _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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Uh-oh, I'd better get started! |
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:27 am Post subject: |
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2 _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:26 am Post subject: |
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1?
You clowns had better like this, I just had to bust my balls to get everything in on time, under penalty of 'murder' |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:43 am Post subject: |
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I'm sure I'll love everything aside from the art! _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:50 am Post subject: |
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Oh, so games aren't art, SMOOTH MOVE CYCLE, WELL DONE, WAY TO OFFEND EVERYONE |
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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JILL OFF
for a while i've been complaining about the lack of adequate exploration of vertical space in platformers. so it's natural that my first platform be pretty high-minded (despite its mind being in the gutter).
i've been working on mighty jill off for the past two months in between my classes and classwork. this is as good as any a place to point out that this game was created entirely without input or resources from my school. i just sit through lectures about 200-person game teams and it makes me want to go and make a game with three people.
my band of rogues included james HARVEYJAMES harvey, who drew the amazing illustrations that bookend the game, and andrew MISTER TOUPS, perpetrator of the nesly background beats.
my best time through the tower is eight and a half minutes. what's yours?
as with every game i develop, jill off began with a concept sprite sheet for me to doodle on. (possible spoilers if you havn't finished the game - go do that and come back!) the second column from the left is the tileset i used to decorate the tower (at quadruple resolution for a nice blocky look). many of the tiles i drew didn't end up being used in the final game.
some spoiler-colored notes below - hilight to read.
those with 8-bit eyes will notice that many of the tiles in the game are modelled off of those in drasle family / legacy of the wizard, one of the famicom tilesets i most admire. others are based, unsurprisingly, off of mighty bomb jack. you'll also notice an embarrassing mistake: my initial tiles are 15 by 15, before i thought better and moved to 16 by 16. powers of two are the way to go.
there are a bunch of ideas that didn't make it to the final game, including depicting the starting oubliette as a round well. the fire animation went through many iterations, as did the enemies. there are also quite a few wall tiles i couldn't find a place for.
i drew a bunch of dungeon furniture for the torture chamber. i wanted something that wouldn't look out of place in a medieval dungeon, as well as something obviously kinky. so you see my many attempts at drawing a spanking bench. i just couldn't make it recognizable at a jill-sized resolution, so in the end i went with a rack in the foreground and a st. andrew's cross (or x-frame) in the background.
last are a few screenshots of my work process. first i block out the elements the player can interact with (spikes, fire, walls), then i draw the tiles over and under them. there are two tile layers in jill off: a background layer (walls and shadows) and a foreground layer, which includes objects that jill can stand behind like the chains at the beginning of the game, but also the walls. the wall tiles are actually drawn on top of the wall objects which obstruct jill's movement.
there's a bonus game forthcoming, too. watch for it!
HAPPY LEAP DAY! _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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Hooray!
Can you make the website link to my blog?
My best time was around 11 minutes. 8 is hardcore. |
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Winged Assassins (1984) .
Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 996 Location: Super Magic Drive
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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So this game is called Mighty Jill Off because it's a female Jack Off (Bomb jack rip-off/a-like), right? _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, it assumes you're already familiar with the childish convention of referring to Mighty Bomb Jack as Mighty Jack Off. Then it layers another play on words on top off that. Dessgeega says there is no way the game would work being called anything else. |
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simplicio .
Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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Just finished, and I pretty well suck- 30:20!
I really like the pacing Dess. I appreciate how you followed up the most tense sections (spiders in the dark in particular) with the release of simple hazard free jumping, and freefalls and such. Those were where I felt most compelled to play well, stopping jumps just at the right height and falling past flames with no cape, etc. It's where I began to think it would make a great speedrun game (oh ho ho!), and I really appreciated the game design.
My only issue technically was the couple times I had to jump up through single gaps (boss room and one earlier, with spikes on either side) I seemed to have a problem running into hitboxes or something. A little frustrating though.
I enjoyed the whole thing though- great work, you guys. Have you got a speedrun video yet? _________________ "Worlds turn the new machine to thee. To thee. Though, thine the new machine space."
-Kurt Schwitters, 1919 |
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Intentionally Wrong .
Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 248 Location: [Subject Hometown Here]
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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So, dess! Rumor has it you're a sadist!
Seriously, this is pretty good. Even if the spike chambers make me curse my imprecise fingers. |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers, Dess! That was a lot of fun. Final time taken for my first ever run through was 27 minutes 31 seconds. Game kind of reminded me of Kid Icarus a bit, which ain't a bad thing at all. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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HARVEYJAMS I DO NOT APPRECIATE UNSOLICITED MAIL PIMPING YOUR PRODUCTS.
HOWEVER, I WOULD ACCEPT FREE REVIEW COPIES AND MERCHANDISE.
I can't play this game until monday just fyi. _________________
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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Winged Assassins (1984) wrote: | So this game is called Mighty Jill Off because it's a female Jack Off (Bomb jack rip-off/a-like), right? |
yes.
the bomb jack games are the platform games i most admire for the way they explore how 2d space could be navigated in a platformer; jill off is built around the same jumping mechanics. what i essentially wanted to do was take the way jack moves in his scoring arcade games and transfer it to a strict platform adventure in an unbroken world.
(one thing i didn't attempt to emulate: jack can hold up or down to make an extra high or extra low jump. i wanted jill to have a fixed jump height to build around.)
"jill off" is a neologism for female masturbation. which is what the game is: watching me test the game this past week, one of my classmates commented that the little person on the screen must be a masochist - there's no other reason to climb a tower full of spikes. my reply was a knowing chuckle. _________________
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Swimmy .
Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 990 Location: Fairfax, VA
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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Won't work on my computer. Glitches out immediately and says "an unexpected error occured."
For that matter, I never got Invader to work either. . . _________________
"Ayn Rand fans are the old school version of Xenogears fanboys."
-seryogin |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Cycle wrote: | HARVEYJAMS I DO NOT APPRECIATE UNSOLICITED MAIL PIMPING YOUR PRODUCTS.
HOWEVER, I WOULD ACCEPT FREE REVIEW COPIES AND MERCHANDISE.
I can't play this game until monday just fyi. |
So far the only merchandise is a Mii I made of Jill! Hey Dess you should have sent that to everyone to promote the game. |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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I somehow pulled off 16 minutes exactly! _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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What did you think of it? |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Depends, do I get a special ending with a shot of the queen and jill doing the nasty if I finish it under 10 minutes? That will totally score it another star.
The name of this game keeps reminding me of JACK OFF JILL, some band whos female lead provided the vocals for the Alice soundtrack. _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Cycle wrote: | Depends, do I get a special ending with a shot of the queen and jill doing the nasty if I finish it under 10 minutes? That will totally score it another star. |
Wow, it almost sounds as though you're saying you like my drawings! |
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daphaknee just enemies now
Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 892 Location: YAY AREA
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Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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harvey james can i have the stills of the bootlicking picture and the YOU GREEDY SLUT picture please pleease pleeassee |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:11 am Post subject: |
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12 minutes, 8 seconds!
This game gives me wankers wrist.
You can put that on your press page.
EDIT: 10 minutes, 38 seconds! _________________
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JasonMoses .
Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 407
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:57 am Post subject: |
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Finished it in 12 minutes the first time. I like it a lot! I was enormously impressed by your art, Harvey. I uh, admit that I expected a "second loop" after the ending, but I'm kind of glad that wasn't the case. Great job, guys! |
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daphaknee just enemies now
Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 892 Location: YAY AREA
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: |
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FUCK THIS
FUCK THESE COLUMNS AND THESE YELLOW BLOCKS THAT CANT MAKE UUP THEIR MIND WHETHER THEY KILL ME OR NOT
seirously im like OH I CAN WALK ON YOU adn they're liek HAW AHW NO and fuck you queen FUCK THE QUEEN im mad at the queen
ma'am im going to beat this whne you're here tomorrow ithink i need proper motivation |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:11 am Post subject: |
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ten minutes, ten seconds!
So close to getting the sex ending I made up!!! _________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:22 am Post subject: |
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Seriously I can draw a sex ending in mspaint if you want me to. |
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daphaknee just enemies now
Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 892 Location: YAY AREA
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:45 am Post subject: |
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DO ONE but take the girls hat off and make sure she has short red hair, ok |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:47 am Post subject: |
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I DON'T NEED YOUR CHARITY
9:57!
EDIT:
9:16!
EDIT:
_________________
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Wow, you really got into this game! Awesome! |
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Worm .
Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 142
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: |
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Why can't Jilloff shoot or jump on monsters? ... or have fun? _________________
Exit stage left, exit stage right, there is no place to run, all the fuses in the exit signs have been BURNT OUT |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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16 minutes 17 seconds! _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:32 pm Post subject: |
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GOD DESS WHY IS THERE NO SHOOT BUTTON |
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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HOW DO I KILL THE ROBOT MASTERS THERES NO SHOOT BUTTON _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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Frankly, if Jill was going to have a means of attacking the enemies I'd rather she had a whip or something like that instead of a gun. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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ApM Admin Rockstar
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1210 Location: Ottawa, ON
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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18:8! (Which I assume is 18:08.)
There was one spot where I jumped around the wrong side of a column and died, but respawned at the place where I'd have landed after hitting the jump. I appreciated it. |
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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ApM wrote: | 18:8! (Which I assume is 18:08.) |
yeah, i didn't notice this until yesterday. it'll be simple to fix when i get back from california. _________________
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bleak .
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 258
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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JasonMoses wrote: | Finished it in 12 minutes the first time. I like it a lot! I was enormously impressed by your art, Harvey. I uh, admit that I expected a "second loop" after the ending, but I'm kind of glad that wasn't the case. Great job, guys! | but it would be the first time a valid excuse was given for a second loop ever in a videogame, I think. _________________
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Worm .
Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 142
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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Harveyjames wrote: | GOD DESS WHY IS THERE NO SHOOT BUTTON |
Also, why isn't there fun?
dessgeega wrote: | HOW DO I KILL THE ROBOT MASTERS THERES NO SHOOT BUTTON |
I think this is pretty apt actually. It's like if iceman's stage was just all the hardest jumps one after another. Even then, the jumps in megaman were about timing, or not getting knocked down. They weren't about needing to jump form the last five pixels of the platform you're standing on. _________________
Exit stage left, exit stage right, there is no place to run, all the fuses in the exit signs have been BURNT OUT |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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Sensitivity not a strong point for you, huh. |
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bleak .
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 258
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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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It seems to me like less of an actual game and more just a kind homage to the days of yore. Of course, the fact that the game times you doesn't lend any credence to my standpoint, but the game doesn't punish (heh heh) you at all, which I think does. I mean, hell, sometimes you die and end up further than where you originally were. It's not hard at all, and on the off chance that you die the game's just like oh, here you go, sorry about that. _________________
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