WILL's Artillery Game Tutorial

[WILL]

Hey everyone!

I've finally started up my tutorial series on making an artillery game. The original release date of the introduction was December 2004! :? Seriously!

So this one has been in the works for some time now and I've got a list of them. I'm making them nice and short so that they are easy to digest and easy for me to put together in a relatively short amount of time. In doing it like this, I'll likely be able to release them a little more frequently than if I did it otherwise.

Feel free to leave me comments, requests, add helpful code snippets or simply just drop me a line to tell me that you enjoyed the series. :)


Part 1 - Introduction (http://redantproductions.blogspot.com/2009/03/artillery-game-tutorial-part-1.html) *
Part 2 - The Dirt (http://redantproductions.blogspot.com/2009/03/artillery-game-tutorial-part-2-dirt.html) *
Part 3 - Placing The Tanks (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=63&p=1#article)
Part 4 - Ready, Aim, Fire! (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=73&p=1#article)

* New Host

[Traveler]

Nice! :D

Looking forward to the next part!

[WILL]

Thanks Alex! :)

I've just released Part 2!

Part 2 - The Dirt (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=62&p=1#article)

[Traveler]

No problem. :)

I actually meant to write back after your PM, but I've had little time, yesterday. I was able to read through the tutorial, but found very little to comment on. I thought it was quite easy to follow.
Something that might make a nice addition once its completed, is a conversion to Delphi and/or a different wrapper (DelphiX/Asphyre). Although I suspect that with the current code examples, pretty much anyone is able to do a conversion on their own.

In any case I'm looking forward to reading the rest!

[WILL]

Thanks again. ;)

Well anyone is free to take my sources and adapt them to other libraries and wrappers as they choose. I'm obviously not licensing the game so it's safe to consider it the same as freeware, no? :)

[Traveler]

Something I just realized. You might want to create a copy as Word or PDF document, too.
A considerable portion of all questions I received about my own tutorials involved the question: 'Do you have a printer friendly version?'

[HopeDagger]

The article series is looking good so far, Will! Best of luck with their continued development. :)

[jdarling]

I gotta say WILL, its looking good so far. Though, you should make mention that depending on the sample size for smoothing, the ground may never reach the max height. This would be due to the averaging that you put into place. Interestingly enough, your source thus far greatly resembles the source of the original Scorched Earth.

Can't wait for #3 :)

[WILL]

Thanks guys! ;)

...and who says that I didn't have a hand in Scorched Earth? :P

j/k :D But Scorch is the main inspiration for having started this tutorial long ago. (Ok attempt to start long ago! ;))

[WILL]

Part 3 is just about done now. :)

I've gotten all the code and the write-up done. I just have to run it by my small team of proof-readers and check to make sure that I haven't missed anything.

Should have it published sometime this weekend. Maybe tomorrow...

Thanks again for all the feedback, it really helps! :thumbup:

[paul_nicholls]

Part 3 is just about done now. :)

I've gotten all the code and the write-up done. I just have to run it by my small team of proof-readers and check to make sure that I haven't missed anything.

Should have it published sometime this weekend. Maybe tomorrow...

Thanks again for all the feedback, it really helps! :thumbup:

Great tutorials Will!
I love these sort of games :-)

I have been fiddling with the code so it works for 320x240 mode so I can get it ready to run on the GP2X (hopefully) :-)

If it helps, you can download one of the first artillery games for the PC: Tank Wars by Kenny Morse (1990, 1991?).

http://www.flashback-aw.net/files/t/tank_wars.zip

I used to play this heaps :-)

Scorched Earth was inspired from this game...

It requires dosbox, the dos emulator program to run properly on modern systems.

cheers,
Paul.

[WILL]

Hey cool! :)

Send me some pics of it working on an actual GP2X if you can get it working. ;)

I'll probably end up making a list of artillery games down the road. :p

Sascha Willems sent me a link to a pretty cool tutorial on how to make a Worms-like battlefield. It's a bit off from the direction that I'm going, but it is pretty interesting how he does it.

KTB Tutorial 1: 2d randomly generated terrain for Worms style game (http://www.indierover.com/ktb-tutorial-1-2d-randomly-generated-terrain-for-worms-style-game/)

WARNING: It's also a bit more advanced than I go in my tutorial series too.

[WILL]

Part 3 is now released!

Might take a little more time before I do Part 4, but it's coming next. ;)

Part 3 - Placing The Tanks (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=63&p=1#article)

[jdarling]

Looking good WILL. Can't wait till you can actually do something :)

[WILL]

Thanks. :) That'll be the next one.

It might be a bit big so I'm taking my time with it.

I've gotta get out my old CS papers from highschool too. Though I can't believe that I actually kept them. :P

Basically you're looking at a mini trig. lesson, a tiny bit of faked physics and a primer on look-up tables. :)

[paul_nicholls]

Part 3 is now released!

Might take a little more time before I do Part 4, but it's coming next. ;)

Part 3 - Placing The Tanks (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=63&p=1#article)

Looks great so far chief! :)
cheers,
Paul.

[paul_nicholls]

Part 3 is now released!

Might take a little more time before I do Part 4, but it's coming next. ;)

Part 3 - Placing The Tanks (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=63&p=1#article)

Bump :-)

Hi Will, I'm curious as to whether you had done part 4 of your artillery tanks tutorial?

I remembered about your tutorials after playing worms today on my GP2X GBA emulator and thought I'd ask :)

cheers,
Paul

[WILL]

Hey Paul. Thanks for the renewed interest in my tutorial series. I was actually inspired to work on it a little bit last weekend. :)

Can't say exactly when I'll be done, but it should be almost double the size of the last one. I'm about 3/4 of the way through it, but thats before adding in illustrations and proof-reading.

For those that have followed the series it covers the aiming and firing of shots in the game. After reading you should almost be able to make a full game from it.

[paul_nicholls]

Excellent! Keep up the great work Will :)

cheers,
Paul

[WILL]

Well I've just finished the tutorial today at about 9 pages. :D

I have to add illustrations and have it proof-read, but for all other considerations it's completed. Check back for it in about a week or so.

[paul_nicholls]

Well I've just finished the tutorial today at about 9 pages. :D

I have to add illustrations and have it proof-read, but for all other considerations it's completed. Check back for it in about a week or so.

Great! I am looking forward to it :)
cheers,
Paul

[WILL]

Well I've just finished putting in illustrations and uploading the source thanks to Dom's help getting me access to the filespace again. Once it's proof-read, I can set it to be published and available for all to see.

Talk about a delay in getting it out there huh? Over a year! :shock:

Hopefully it's worth the wait. ;)

[paul_nicholls]

Well I've just finished putting in illustrations and uploading the source thanks to Dom's help getting me access to the filespace again. Once it's proof-read, I can set it to be published and available for all to see.

Talk about a delay in getting it out there huh? Over a year! :shock:

Hopefully it's worth the wait. ;)

I'm sure it will be worth it :)
cheers,
Paul

[WILL]

The latest installment is now up: Part 4 - Ready, Aim, Fire! (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=73&p=1#article)

[paul_nicholls]

The latest installment is now up: Part 4 - Ready, Aim, Fire! (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewarticle.php?a=73&p=1#article)

WooHoo! Excellent, thanks Will! :)

I am looking now :-)
cheers,
Paul

[paul_nicholls]

Great, very nice Will :D
Thanks for putting in the time to do this :)
cheers,
Paul

[WILL]

No problem! :)

[WILL]

Hey guys, just wanted to tell everyone who liked this series or never got a chance to check it out. I am now reposting it on my new blog page.

I've redone the first 2 parts and they are available right here:

Part 1 - Introduction (http://redantproductions.blogspot.com/2009/03/artillery-game-tutorial-part-1.html)
Part 2 - The Dirt (http://redantproductions.blogspot.com/2009/03/artillery-game-tutorial-part-2-dirt.html)

Enjoy! ;)

[paul_nicholls]

Hey guys, just wanted to tell everyone who liked this series or never got a chance to check it out. I am now reposting it on my new blog page.

I've redone the first 2 parts and they are available right here:

Part 1 - Introduction (http://redantproductions.blogspot.com/2009/03/artillery-game-tutorial-part-1.html)
Part 2 - The Dirt (http://redantproductions.blogspot.com/2009/03/artillery-game-tutorial-part-2-dirt.html)

Enjoy! ;)


Thanks for that WILL :)
cheers,
Paul

[savage]

Nice one!

[WILL]

I think I'm going to start publishing these in the next few issues of Pascal Gamer. I'll most likely start with the first 2 parts and finish off my series one part at a time there after.

Did anyone really read/follow these at all? :)

[dazappa]

I read Pascal gamer, at the very least. As for following specific tutorials, it depends whether or not I like the idea, but I do read all of them anyway. I'd be quite interested if this artillery example would be the type that uses surfaces for destructible terrain (being a sidescroller), otherwise I'll have to wait and see if I like the idea enough to tinker with it :)

[paul_nicholls]

I think I'm going to start publishing these in the next few issues of Pascal Gamer. I'll most likely start with the first 2 parts and finish off my series one part at a time there after.

Did anyone really read/follow these at all? :)


I definitely followed those tutorials, thanks for them :)

cheers,
Paul

[WILL]

Thanks Paul. :)

Well the next instalment was supposed to be about tanks taking damage and dirt removal use to explosions. How you calculate for this and how you handle the dirt removal and falling tanks. This would be the next part if I continue my series.

[DarkBow]

I think I'm going to start publishing these in the next few issues of Pascal Gamer. I'll most likely start with the first 2 parts and finish off my series one part at a time there after.

Did anyone really read/follow these at all? :)


I definitely followed those tutorials, thanks for them :)

cheers,
Paul


+ 1 :)