PGDmC: Castle of Thorns

**cairnswm** · 20-06-2011, 04:57 AM

Well I am going to try put something together for the Mini Challenge. I have not done any game deve for the last 18 months.... I have dug out all my old S2DL code and read through it to make sure I remember what I was doing with it all those years ago - overall I am still quite impressed with what I achieved with it.

I have been wanting to write a puzzle game for quite a bit, a proper puzzle game with level progression, trophies, highscores etc. So for this contest I will throw a basic puzzle game together.

So here are my plans
1. Review S2DL and repackage it as needed (Done - will release S2DL ver 2.1 this week)
2. Build a puzzle game template that manages the Game State transitions etc. This template will be added to the S2DL package and distributed as an add on to 2.1 - Game states will probably be Splash Screen, Menu - 2 levels, Progressions screen, Puzzle screen, Highscores and closing screen. I might include a Movie state for cut scenes if my SMPEG libraries are working
3. Build a basic keyboard based puzzle game
4. Get someone to build me some nice graphics - I have 2 graphic designers I can use for this

I dont really have a decent idea for a puzzle game mechanism but have a faint idea of using the Bejewelled 3 in a row system, but using the 'missing piece' puzzle system. So the puzzle screne has a 10x10 grid. In the grid are arranged a number of objects and the goal is to get 3+ items of the same type in a row. within the grid are 4 blocks that are empty (Marked A,B,C and D) selectable by choosing the relevant controller button. By pressing an arrow key the neighbouring block moves into the open space and the game checks for a 3 in a row etc.

No idea if that mechanism will work using the controller.

I am also going to have a non-pgd mode that allows using the mouse to click a block and switch with the neighbouring empty square. Obviously for the PGD contest this will be disabled.

I have been wanting to build a 'sleeping beauty' game for a long time - ever since I created a simple board game for my kids using the theme. So for the contest the idea is you are the prince trying to find the princess....

**paul_nicholls** · 20-06-2011, 09:04 AM

Sounds good to me

I have absolutely no ideas yet on what I am going to do! haha I hope it doesn't end up with me doing a last minute job in the last few days or something hehe...

Good luck

cheers,
Paul

**Ñuño Martínez** · 20-06-2011, 10:00 AM

Sorry for invade your space, cairnswm. BTW, your idea sounds good to me too.

Originally Posted by paul_nicholls

Sounds good to me

I have absolutely no ideas yet on what I am going to do! haha I hope it doesn't end up with me doing a last minute job in the last few days or something hehe...

Good luck

cheers,
Paul

I have just the opposite problem: I have a lot of ideas and I don't know what to do. The main problem is most of these ideas are too much complex and I haven't time enough; I don't mean the 3 weeks for the contest, I mean time each day.

**chronozphere** · 20-06-2011, 03:54 PM

Good to see the first idea's popping up!

I also have an idea that's totally different. It's more of an action-based idea, with only 3 or 4 buttons! Time is more of a problem now. Hopefully, I will be able to make a start tomorrow (Pick a lib and play with it etc..). I will also need another designer to help me, but I allready have two people who I can call for help. Also I have Genetica!

**cairnswm** · 22-06-2011, 08:11 PM

Gave up on the idea of building a template - so much easier just to code the game

So far got the splash screen working

Started working on the Puzzle screen as well - so far I have the images loaded and stuff displaying on the screen. I dont have assets yet so I am just using my old game "Weapons of War"'s assets.

Plan for this week
1. Get a timer working - basically a reverse progress bar
2. Get a progress bar working showing how far you have progressed towards the level goal.
3. Get the open block, click a cell and it moves to open block, find 3 in a rows and remove

Next Week
4. Explosions when rows get removed
5. Menu, Help, and Progress screens (no profiles just option to restart)
6. When I get to this point I will ask someone to start making me some graphics....

**paul_nicholls** · 22-06-2011, 10:46 PM

Looks good mate

Is that a jpg image, or something else? it is rather pixelated

cheers,
Paul

**cairnswm** · 23-06-2011, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by paul_nicholls

Looks good mate

Is that a jpg image, or something else? it is rather pixelated

Low quality JPEG

(Though my background is rather pizelated the forground images are fine when the game runs)

**WILL** · 23-06-2011, 11:15 PM

Looking good so far. I don't think I've played a puzzle game quite like yours will turn out. Should be interesting to try. Keep up the good work.

So far your the only one who has created a thread about their entry.