Alrighty. The gameplay, graphics, art, music, and sound are all complete. I have a few finishing touches to put on it:
But effectively, Mop of Destiny is complete, and should be showing up sometime tomorrow evening (Tuesday, PST).
Scripting’s done. And I use the term “Scripting” lightly.
All “scripts” are hard-coded into the game. For instance, a sample short script would look like the following:
Add(new StopMusicPoint(m_audio));
// Whistler fades in.
Add(new CreateEntityPoint(this, m_audio, m_renderer, m_world, "Whistler", "Whistler", Vec2(14,1)));
Add(new LerpEntityVarPoint(this, "Whistler", "alpha", 0, 0.5f, 50));
Add(new DialogPoint(m_audio, m_renderer, 0xFF7FFF7F, 20, "Sound\\3-1.ogg", " 'Nuther seal down, Jack? Good for you! Man, you're sweatin' like a pig...you look like you could use a towel."));
Add(new DialogPoint(m_audio, m_renderer, 0xFF7F7FFF, 20, "Sound\\3-2.ogg", " Silly me for leaving home without it. Arthur Dent would be so disappointed."));
Add(new DialogPoint(m_audio, m_renderer, 0xFF7FFF7F, 20, "Sound\\3-3.ogg", " Who?"));
Add(new DialogPoint(m_audio, m_renderer, 0xFF7F7FFF, 20, "Sound\\3-4.ogg", " Just a...nevermind."));
SkipTo();Basically, that creates an entity named “Whistler” given the entity type “Whistler”, lerps its alpha value from 0 to 0.5, plays a bunch of dialog (the dialog point both plays the ogg dialog sound file and displays the text), then ends.
The SkipTo lets the script know that this is the point that it skips to when the user skips a cutscene. I’m not using it to make unskippable sections, it’s just a quick hack because I’m also using scripts to set up the background music at the beginning of each music zone, so I don’t want the player to be able to skip THAT.
Anyway, a couple of screenshots to tide you over. The first shows a script that’s running (along with the shopkeeper, Whistler P. Higgins), and the second shows the game running in wireframe (That’s right, I’m not using textures! For anything!)
Anyway, I hope to finish up the history details in an entry soon…I haven’t had much time to do so!
I did all of the voice acting today, including the most important line in the game:
…my voice is still hoarse from doing that voice.
The art for Mop of Destiny is now 100%.
Here are some shots from the final level of the game. Yes, you can jump on the gears, and yes, tracing the clock face took a very long time.
Today, I will start the cutscene work.
Level 4, the shadow realm. If there’s one thing that Super Mario Brothers taught me, it’s that all enemy fortresses HAVE to be made out of bricks.
I’m not happy with the brickwork in the palace (it’s a bit flat)…I’ll fix it later if I have time.
ON WITH THE SHOW!
Moving on to level 5!
Escape!
That is the goal of the fifth level. I have one screenshot that’s fairly representative of what the level looks like (there is no boss of this level).
Only one more level to go.
Didn’t quite finish level 3 last night, I got fed up of drawing all of the bevel borders on the rock platforms (it’s all hand-done). Finished it up this afternoon. Moving directly on to level 4.
An in-level screenshot, and a shot of the boss.
‘sall I got.
Again, not much energy to say stuff. I remember what sleep was like. I remember it fondly.
Level 2 is not quite as varied in appearance as level 1 – it’s a bit narrower in focus.
Here are a couple screenshots. Jack’s standing on a falling block in the second shot.
Side note: Keep in mind, when viewing these screenshots that I have a strict “NO TEXTURES” policy. Every detail is a polygon. The idea was to have total resolution independence. There are a lot of polys in my little 2D sidescroller. …In retrospect however, maybe I should have just had textures.
Level 3 tomorrow! I hope to have the background art done by the end of the weekend.
…then all I have left is the cutscenes/music/sound. It’s a bit of an uphill battle to finish, but sometimes those are the most fun battles.
Level 1 has backgrounds. Level 2 tomorrow.
…too tired to say anything interesting.
15 days left. The gameplay is done and in “test” (a bunch of friends are playing through it). Thus, I had that terrifying moment where you send out your creation to the world and hope that it works.
…then someone reports that there’s a serious bug which you quickly fix.
That’s how it goes.
And now, TO THE WAYBACK MACHINE!