Saturday, October 4, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Change of schedule
I think MWF is too goddamned hectic considering I'm also a full-time student. Fridays only is better.
I coded some crude combat random gen beatdown thing. I was going to release the code for public but unfortunately it's too much of a goddamn spaghetti code mess to run properly. I can't manage my time because current hectic events and holy shit people will not just leave me alone. I NEED TO CODE
Edit: By people I don't mean fanbase or anything I mean just my family members that order me to move a goosebumps book every 5 minutes.
I coded some crude combat random gen beatdown thing. I was going to release the code for public but unfortunately it's too much of a goddamn spaghetti code mess to run properly. I can't manage my time because current hectic events and holy shit people will not just leave me alone. I NEED TO CODE
Edit: By people I don't mean fanbase or anything I mean just my family members that order me to move a goosebumps book every 5 minutes.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Ja, ach
Not much to say unfortunately so far. It's hard to shift gears in programming thought when you're used to using procedural methods and have to go into OOP. Not that it's hard it's just unusual to learn and not exactly my forte. A combo of that plus an upcoming double midterm day tomorrow has ground progress down for the past couple of days.
For combat I'm unsure how to approach striking with melee weapons. Should I make it so player just puts in >attack and then it targets a random limb, or should I let the player aim for specific body parts? I think I should incorporate both. But usually, from my experience anyway, nobody really uses aiming systems all that much as far as limbs go. Take a look at games like Fallout which have the VATS aiming system. Yeah it's nifty in theory to be able to shoot a gun out of someone's hand, but you never find people actually doing that. Everyone ends up either aiming for the head for a quick kill when up close or aiming for the body when far away, or the dick when they're feeling giddy. Very rarely the limbs. So in execution it seems like a waste to code all that limb-targeting combat when people just end up aiming for the head, body, or dick. That's just in an FPS though, so maybe it'd be different in a game like this. I will say though that if it is just a vague "attack" or "strike" command with no real targeting then it will randomly target things such as legs and arms just for kicks and to be able to see messages like "The loogieman's leg breaks and crumples apart" and whatnot.
Will give more content next post, but for now I think I should study some.
For combat I'm unsure how to approach striking with melee weapons. Should I make it so player just puts in >attack and then it targets a random limb, or should I let the player aim for specific body parts? I think I should incorporate both. But usually, from my experience anyway, nobody really uses aiming systems all that much as far as limbs go. Take a look at games like Fallout which have the VATS aiming system. Yeah it's nifty in theory to be able to shoot a gun out of someone's hand, but you never find people actually doing that. Everyone ends up either aiming for the head for a quick kill when up close or aiming for the body when far away, or the dick when they're feeling giddy. Very rarely the limbs. So in execution it seems like a waste to code all that limb-targeting combat when people just end up aiming for the head, body, or dick. That's just in an FPS though, so maybe it'd be different in a game like this. I will say though that if it is just a vague "attack" or "strike" command with no real targeting then it will randomly target things such as legs and arms just for kicks and to be able to see messages like "The loogieman's leg breaks and crumples apart" and whatnot.
Will give more content next post, but for now I think I should study some.
Monday, September 15, 2014
AI Extravaganzzzzza
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| WIP Woods graphic. Graphics aren't meant to be the highlight of the game, but they are provided in order to give a better sense of atmosphere than just plain text. |
As far as AI goes, I've been prototyping the NPC behavior for a couple of days now. So far it's just rudimentary basics, making sure that they reply to commands like talk to, ask about, etc. As far as NPC-to-NPC dialogue goes, I have no clue how to tackle that. I want the game to feel natural rather than NPC's bumping into each other and automatically entering some conversation like two robots. Lots of emphasis will be based around player-to-NPC reactions though. I'm looking at examples like Postal 2, which actually had some surprisingly good AI considering the rest of the game's content.
Those are pretty much the only two concepts I'm working on now, and it's fun to see how I thought I'd spend longer just trying to learn the language I was coding this project in, but what can I say other than Python's one hell of an easy language to learn. If you can't learn it in less than a day you just weren't meant to be a programmer or something.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Getting off ma arse
Python's fun. Will definitely be using it. Also thinking of using XML to allow for people to mod the game and leave it more flexible, maybe use it for something like character creation for use in towns and traveling and blahdy blahdy blah. Just in the air, not really solid.
Right now I definitely know that I should keep some characters static and leave them in the game, but I should also generate some who fill a less important role. Like making a shopkeeper a familiar face instead of a randomly generated personality, so that'd give players something to joke about and experience together instead of each person's game being totally different, but still give each player a unique experience.
I've been thinking of ways to keep the players from being total assholes. I do want to give them almost complete freedom to do what they want, but like real life there should be consequences. Like robbing or stealing or killing people should give some sort of punishment. There's been a few methods of keeping the peace outside of conventional police that I've been thinking of, but I don't want to spoil them and let anyone reading now to know what to expect.
So far in Python I've coded tests on various elements that will be present in the game, basic things like collision detection so the player doesn't hover through walls and things I haven't dealt with before much like classes and such! Oh what a little coding infant I goddamn am.
NPC behavior will honestly, I think, be the hardest to code. I'd have to take a look at chatbots and such and figure out their capacity to learn, because with the many things the player would be able to do it'd be a waste to code it all in manually and instead it'd be better for the bots to procedurally generate their own reactions. Actions themselves would have tags or descriptions, like if they're violent or sudden or loud, and then from there the NPCs can generate how to react based on their generated personality. There's so much about the human brain, but thankfully there's not a lot that's demanded of the NPCs.
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Right now I definitely know that I should keep some characters static and leave them in the game, but I should also generate some who fill a less important role. Like making a shopkeeper a familiar face instead of a randomly generated personality, so that'd give players something to joke about and experience together instead of each person's game being totally different, but still give each player a unique experience.
I've been thinking of ways to keep the players from being total assholes. I do want to give them almost complete freedom to do what they want, but like real life there should be consequences. Like robbing or stealing or killing people should give some sort of punishment. There's been a few methods of keeping the peace outside of conventional police that I've been thinking of, but I don't want to spoil them and let anyone reading now to know what to expect.
So far in Python I've coded tests on various elements that will be present in the game, basic things like collision detection so the player doesn't hover through walls and things I haven't dealt with before much like classes and such! Oh what a little coding infant I goddamn am.
NPC behavior will honestly, I think, be the hardest to code. I'd have to take a look at chatbots and such and figure out their capacity to learn, because with the many things the player would be able to do it'd be a waste to code it all in manually and instead it'd be better for the bots to procedurally generate their own reactions. Actions themselves would have tags or descriptions, like if they're violent or sudden or loud, and then from there the NPCs can generate how to react based on their generated personality. There's so much about the human brain, but thankfully there's not a lot that's demanded of the NPCs.
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Beginnings!
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| Various sketches of items, creatures, and locations. Of course they're very rough, but I'm pretty proud of the bottom three doodles. |
The bottom creature on that page there is meant to not really be a monster, more like just shoggoth-like wildlife. It's a vicious herbivore if that makes any sense and is meant to come in packs and devour the player's garden. Their meat is very greasy and abundant, and can be used to render tallow from for candles very easily, which can be used for lanterns or trading. Sort of one of those beginning pick-me-up commodities that allow the player to get started on self sustaining income while also giving them an excuse to kill something. Of course these are just rough sketches that don't represent the final art quality of the game. Everything's liable to change!
By Friday or next Monday I should be bitching about the language I'm coding in if I'm productive, otherwise expect more (hopefully quality) art. Have any questions drop by the comments box or send me an email at mrfat32 at gmail.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Welcome to Ramblewood
Hello, and welcome to the development blog for the upcoming game/simulation, Ramblewood Grove. I'm the primary author and developer Monket. My goal is to update this blog on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday basis to help promote my own personal work schedule and also provide a steady stream of content to anyone interested in the project. The first couple of months will be mostly art, concepts, and creative ramblings from me, admittedly, as I'll be struggling to get the hang of the new language and library I'm using for the game engine, and will be mostly experimenting with different theories and algorithms rather than game development. Sometime come November or December though and sure enough I'll be starting on solid game development and feature implementation. The release date is unknown as of yet, and I know how awful it looks with no content to show, but believe me when I say a lot of thought and effort has been put into this game beyond daydreaming and idle wishes.
Ramblewood Grove will be a unique blend of different game genres put together. You, the player, are a young adult that has inherited a small plot of land. It's a peaceful land, where the crystal-clear streams bauble, and the soil is fertile, and the skies are cloudless all summer long. But even in what can look like paradise for the tourist, it's a much more strenuous life for the landowner and the pioneer. The world is unknown to the player, and it's up to them to discover the secrets of the land. There may be fairy tales and legends brimming and alive in this strange land, their existence only whispered of by drifting leather-clad wanderers, creatures dancing and lurking in the shadows of the woods in deep, moonless nights...
The player can acquire money in any way that they want and head to the local towns to trade their goods. Carpentry, gardening, hunting, fishing, these activities and more to come are all plausible options for the player to acquire income. There are no limits and no deadlines. There is no back-story or exposition beyond the simple sentence given earlier. It's what you make of this world that's given to you. It's up to you to make the story, to forge your own legacy, to create your own triumphs and perils in this land.
For the most part, it will use a text parser that the player types basic commands into, similar to what would be found in a text adventure game. However, using a sophisticated and yet simple, free-form method of accessing complex commands via using verbs and adverbs along with actions, the game allows for nearly unparalleled flexibility in inputting commands compared to other games of the nature. Something like an FPS will allow you to crouch, sure. Walk, maybe. But with this versatile system, the players can do much more than that. They can hold their breath to steady themselves while lining up their sights to aim for the lungs of a trespasser. With advanced dialogue and AI, they can converse with NPCs on a far greater level than a simple dialogue tree or mute nodding. In a tense situation, they can choose either to lay prone and crawl quietly or burst out in a sprint. All in a system that's turn-based and works with the player's pace, with simple and easy to learn input. Instead of being twitch-based and all muscle memory, this system requires a much more cognitive form of interaction, one that requires planning, foresight, and wit. The player can get themselves out of any situation they find themselves in, with the right amount of cunning.
Of course, text-based doesn't mean that it will be drab, boring text to stare at the entire time you're playing. I plan on utilizing music, ambience, and sound to its fullest extent, along with some very detailed pictures to accompany the player's journey. I want to fill in just enough to kindle the flame of the player's own vivid imagination, and let everyone have their own journey and experience in this game. I plan for this game to be open to everyone of all skill levels without sacrificing depth and complexity.
Plunge yourself into a land unlike any other. A land brimming with mystery and warmth.
Ramblewood Grove will be a unique blend of different game genres put together. You, the player, are a young adult that has inherited a small plot of land. It's a peaceful land, where the crystal-clear streams bauble, and the soil is fertile, and the skies are cloudless all summer long. But even in what can look like paradise for the tourist, it's a much more strenuous life for the landowner and the pioneer. The world is unknown to the player, and it's up to them to discover the secrets of the land. There may be fairy tales and legends brimming and alive in this strange land, their existence only whispered of by drifting leather-clad wanderers, creatures dancing and lurking in the shadows of the woods in deep, moonless nights...
The player can acquire money in any way that they want and head to the local towns to trade their goods. Carpentry, gardening, hunting, fishing, these activities and more to come are all plausible options for the player to acquire income. There are no limits and no deadlines. There is no back-story or exposition beyond the simple sentence given earlier. It's what you make of this world that's given to you. It's up to you to make the story, to forge your own legacy, to create your own triumphs and perils in this land.
For the most part, it will use a text parser that the player types basic commands into, similar to what would be found in a text adventure game. However, using a sophisticated and yet simple, free-form method of accessing complex commands via using verbs and adverbs along with actions, the game allows for nearly unparalleled flexibility in inputting commands compared to other games of the nature. Something like an FPS will allow you to crouch, sure. Walk, maybe. But with this versatile system, the players can do much more than that. They can hold their breath to steady themselves while lining up their sights to aim for the lungs of a trespasser. With advanced dialogue and AI, they can converse with NPCs on a far greater level than a simple dialogue tree or mute nodding. In a tense situation, they can choose either to lay prone and crawl quietly or burst out in a sprint. All in a system that's turn-based and works with the player's pace, with simple and easy to learn input. Instead of being twitch-based and all muscle memory, this system requires a much more cognitive form of interaction, one that requires planning, foresight, and wit. The player can get themselves out of any situation they find themselves in, with the right amount of cunning.
Of course, text-based doesn't mean that it will be drab, boring text to stare at the entire time you're playing. I plan on utilizing music, ambience, and sound to its fullest extent, along with some very detailed pictures to accompany the player's journey. I want to fill in just enough to kindle the flame of the player's own vivid imagination, and let everyone have their own journey and experience in this game. I plan for this game to be open to everyone of all skill levels without sacrificing depth and complexity.
Plunge yourself into a land unlike any other. A land brimming with mystery and warmth.
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