PDA

View Full Version : Portal Adventure



Jimmy Valavanis
03-04-2012, 10:29 AM
Hi, I've spend the last few days thinking about the theme for my entry.
I came up with a basic scenario: portals that can travel you all around the world not only in space but also in time.
In some cases the player must obtain keys to jump from a place to another place.
I will use simplified 3D, no fancy stuff, due to limited time and possibly a lot of "programmer's artwork".

WILL
03-04-2012, 09:22 PM
Very cool! :) I'm imagining seeing the other world through this oval/square shaped portal 'window'.

Ingemar
04-04-2012, 09:56 AM
Time portals, won't that make things really tricky? I mean, if you can go to the same place in different times, what if you get there in an earlier time than the previous visit? Classic time paradox problem.

Jimmy Valavanis
04-04-2012, 10:52 AM
Classic time paradox problem.

I don't have in mind to revisit a place in different time periods, each place will be visited in only one time period.

Ingemar
04-04-2012, 11:00 AM
I don't have in mind to revisit a place in different time periods, each place will be visited in only one time period.

Sensible. Less exciting but sensible. It would be interesting to model how changes in the past affects the present, recursively, but it would be really, really hard.

WILL
04-04-2012, 12:09 PM
Ingemar got me really excited thinking about the idea of such gameplay. :)

In theory it can be done by recording the player's actions in the game, then as you return (back at the same time) you could litterally end up playing against yourself. Though you wouldn't have that same interaction as if it were really happening. :) Basically your other version of you would simply ignore you. Unless you code the first REAL game time machine. lol I think you'd easily win the competition should you do something like that. At least for innovation and fun. ;)

For a 4 week development period though, not sure if such complex game mechanics would be feasible though.

Ingemar
04-04-2012, 12:14 PM
In theory it can be done by recording the player's actions in the game, then as you return (back at the same time) you could litterally end up playing against yourself. Though you wouldn't have that same interaction as if it were really happening. :) Basically your other version of you would simply ignore you. Unless you code the first REAL game time machine.

Or, you have a really good AI that reconstructs what you should have done if what you do to yourself had happened... and then the rest of the world has to react to push the events to convergence...

I'd better not dig too deep into that. :)

Jimmy Valavanis
05-04-2012, 08:11 AM
For a 4 week development period though, not sure if such complex game mechanics would be feasible though.

It's even less than 4 weeks. I came up with a plan of about 10 days of programming, 10 days for content and the final 10 days for both.
I'm also planing to create at least a couple of puzzles for the player to solve which will also take a lot of time.... :(

Ingemar
05-04-2012, 11:03 AM
I'm also planing to create at least a couple of puzzles for the player to solve which will also take a lot of time.... :(
Oh, that sounds like something that can take time. We have discussed puzzles for my game, but it requires much extra beyond the basic engine and game data.

WILL
05-04-2012, 07:52 PM
Yeah you really have to start with the core of the game, then from there cut what just won't fit in what time is left. As I'm sure you know from the last challenge. :)

Jimmy Valavanis
06-04-2012, 10:58 AM
Indeed, puzzles are more difficult than I though, not only the programming part, but also need a lot of creative thinking to come up with something good...

WILL
06-04-2012, 11:05 PM
Yeah good puzzles can take a lot of time to tweak them and make them work. Just don't get into the trap of making them too hard though. :) That'll take even more time, sometimes a few simple ones in between give that gratification factor too.

Jimmy Valavanis
11-04-2012, 10:52 AM
A WIP screenshot....

It's a container ship ....

Jimmy Valavanis
18-04-2012, 06:20 PM
Some WIP screenshots.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/3847/img00094w.th.jpg (http://img809.imageshack.us/i/img00094w.jpg/)

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/434/img00131p.th.jpg (http://img684.imageshack.us/i/img00131p.jpg/)

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/2568/img00180.th.jpg (http://img838.imageshack.us/i/img00180.jpg/)

Most of the locations have been made, I'm curentrly working on one more location. The dead-line day seems very close to implement all the ideas for the game.
Another problem is the dialogs between the characters. So far I'm displaying them in "comic" bubbles, I've tried to record some vocal voice but my English accent is not that good :(

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6531/img00039l.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/10/img00039l.jpg/)

Ñuño Martínez
18-04-2012, 09:09 PM
Really nice characters and sceneries. They say "Play with me"! :yes:

The dead-line day seems very close to implement all the ideas for the game. Don't worry. Me neither. But we can finish our games after the dead-line. I'll do it and I hope you too because your game looks nice.

WILL
19-04-2012, 03:54 AM
Very cool Jimmy. You screenshot kinda reminds me of Little Big Adventure! :D Not sure if you would remember that game it was an old raytrace simple primitive 3D DOS game from the mid-90s.

I love how these competitions bring out such creativity. Keep pushing, just need to get a fun prototype done that runs well.

paul_nicholls
19-04-2012, 04:33 AM
Nice Jimmy...looks like it will be very interesting :)

Jimmy Valavanis
19-04-2012, 04:38 AM
Thanks guys!
The last days will be a "battle" between programming and content, I suppose....

Jimmy Valavanis
28-04-2012, 06:54 AM
I've just uploaded the game to server. The filename is Portal_2ndPGD.rar, contains binary (Win 32) and complete source code.

WILL
28-04-2012, 10:06 PM
Awesome! Good luck Jimmy! :)

WILL
30-04-2012, 04:08 AM
2 day extension, does this appeal to you? :) http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/showthread.php?13347-2nd-PGD-Challenge-2-Day-Extension

Jimmy Valavanis
30-04-2012, 08:27 AM
I think I can use these extra 2 days to make some minor changes.
To be honnest I've "locked" the uploaded version since Tuesday 24rth. Before uploading I spend 3-4 days for the "lazy" work, such as correcting bugs, source code clean up and formating/beautification and as well playing the game again and again to see if the play-through is acceptable and everything "fits". A complete play-through is about 30 minutes (it will be much more for someone who will first play the game and is not aware of the "secrets"). Initially I was planning 3 additional locations (I have the ideas) but I prefered to stop as the game "complied" with the challenge goals. I would like to implement more locations but, adding even only one new location would be imposible for me to make it in just 2 days (even if I have the ideas in my mind), considering that a new location needs resources, design, source code, and, mainly, changes to the scenario and finally testing-testing-testing (one "universal" test = 30 minutes +).
There is always "room" for some speed improvements but current version gives 100-300 fps in modern hardware (HD resolution) and most of the time speed improvements makes the source code more complex. Also, from my experience, when making speed improvements in a hurry you have the risk of a buggy release.
I always try to finish in time, not on time, because "on time" leaves no time for correcting bugs. But there is always room for a post competition release without the anxiety of an upcoming deadline :)

Jimmy Valavanis
30-04-2012, 06:20 PM
I've just uploaded a small video.

WILL
01-05-2012, 09:59 PM
Well hopefully you can get some use out of it. I was actually thinking "...if everyone starts to expect an extension will anyone have their games ready in the future?" :) I hope it never comes to that.

Something that a lot of people complained about with the PGD Annual was that it was a long development period. To some maybe, to come not. We have a game made in 3 days where we have a few that have worked day and night for 4 weeks straight. Maybe that's a discussion all on it's own, but it does make you think about how people perceive available time as opposed to allotted time.

Thanks for posting the video! :)

SilverWarior
02-05-2012, 11:17 AM
Maybe that's a discussion all on it's own, but it does make you think about how people perceive available time as opposed to allotted time.

Well it is hard to talk about free time or allotted time. Many of us have jobs, schools, families and other obligations wich lowers our free time a lot. Also you need to realize that most pepole don't allot all the free time to programing and game development. Pepole just don't have enough energy for that.
I myself had for about two weeks of free time during whole competition time, and I allotted about 10 days of it for game development.
Yes I know that for many pepole 10 days would be more than enough but I myself am a bit slow. The main reason for that is that I tend to be thorough in whatever I do. Thats who I am.

Ñuño Martínez
02-05-2012, 05:39 PM
I've just uploaded a small video. And where is it?::)

Jimmy Valavanis
03-05-2012, 04:30 AM
And where is it?::)

Folder "videos" :)

I've uploaded a newer version with some minnor fixes.

Ñuño Martínez
03-05-2012, 11:48 PM
I see. Thanks :)