Game: the GEM machine

Kiwi · May 2006

Hi all,

I'm moving this game discussion from the Wanted: Game Ideas! thread to here, so we can concentrate on just the game.

Any comments/suggestions on this game, please post them here.
New game idea should still go into the other thread. Thanks!

The team so far is
Kiwi - coding, design, and some programmer art
Mr. Millside (RetroCoder) - coding - menus, high score table other misc stuff
Lee_Dc - AY music composer
Sadako - additional graphics

Cheers,
Kiwi

Kiwi · May 2006

This is a repost of the information on where to get the game files from the Wanted: Game Ideas! thread.

Kiwi wrote:

Ok, I have uploaded a zip file onto my web space that contains a TommyGun project with the start of the Gem machine game.
http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/gems.zip

Simply unzip the file into your TommyGun projects directory.
c:\Program Files\TommyGun\Projects
If you don't have TommyGun (why not ) you can get it on the utilities page.
You can use TommyGun to open the projects.xml file and check out the graphics and game code.

There is a tap file in there so you can run it in your favorite emulator.
Although because it uses the kempston mouse, I found I couldn't use Spin as I couldn't get the mouse emulation to work, so I used Spectaculator instead.
You can also move the mouse arrow pointer by using the Interface II joystick which are keys 6789 and 0 for selecting a gem.
Or use the kempston mouse and left button to select a gem.

Click the new button to refresh the gems on screen or
Click the quit button to quit to BASIC

Use Run 40 to restart the game again

You can only select a gem at the moment and not much else.
I haven't done any real game logic yet.
Its only a day and a half of programming so lots more to come.
Sorry if the code is not optimized for some.
I program to get things done first and optimize later IF needed.
As it is I already have to slow the game down, so I have no real need at present for any fancy code.

Tell me what you think so far.

Dunny · May 2006

The only real problem with SPINs kempston mouse emulation is that the buttons appear to be reversed - but I'm not sure about that. Can anyone confirm?

And no, comparing with Spectaculator's emulation isn't any help :-p I need to know if the real hardware has them inverted or not.

If you choose kempston mouse in SPINs control options, then elect to hide the windows pointer and choose if you want a crosshair (though that is only really useful for the lightgun).

If you click the main window, then the mouse emulation becomes active and you can play. Press the "home" button on your keyboard to release the mouse back to windows.

D.

Kiwi · May 2006

Thanks Dunny, I'll try that and see if it helps

Kiwi · May 2006

Ok, I started a simply game design document.
http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/gem_game_design.htm

Any suggestions/additions???

I know this game is not as exciting as the zelda clone.
But PLEASE remember that if you want to help make a game then lets try to make a simple one first to prove that we can all work together to make it.

The Zelda game will go the same way as all the other over ambitous projects if we are not careful.

Anyway, this game document is a starter for the Gem Machine game.
I shall try to get a little more done on the game over the next week or so.
I'll hopefully also be chatting with some of the other team members on what they can do next as well.

So if you have any suggestions for us, please let us know here.

Lee_dC · May 2006

Kiwi wrote:

Ok, I'll started a simply game design document.
http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/gem_game_design.htm

Any suggestions/additions???

great stuff, tony ;)

some ideas and thoughts i had:

1) About the music/sounds, rather than 2-channel AY music and 1-channel AY sounds, how about 3-channel AY music and beeper sound effects? Either is fine for me, i'm just thinking it might make for better quality music and possibly easier-to-program sound effects (The tracker I use is AY-only, no beeper, so there'd be no chance of conflict between tracker and sound effects routines). Though the sound effects from the beeper may be a little more limited than they would be coming from an AY channel.

I don't know a massive amount about the coding side of the sound stuff, but perhaps aowen can help out here? From what he was saying in the "Zelda clone" thread, maybe his sound routine can be adapted to handle some sound effects?

And another bonus would be that for the 48k version, you just drop the AY music, but you still have your beeper sounds.

2) Perhaps as well as a few different styles of music, there could be a few different sets of gem graphics with different themes.

3) As far as the music goes, I have one tune semi-done in 2-channel AY, a pretty upbeat one, but it has a soothing kind of intro, and so could possibly be split into two songs. I'm a bit busy at the moment, but should have plenty of free time starting later in the week :)

chop983 · May 2006

I'd like to see a spectrum version of the GBA's Advance Wars, shit sorry I shouldn't be posting this here should I

Kiwi · May 2006

Lee_dC wrote:

great stuff, tony ;)

Thanks Lee!

I will update the document and add your suggestion.
Will also update the spelling and grammar mistakes ;-)

Kiwi · May 2006

I have updated the design doc to include Lee_Dc's suggestion for music and graphics themes.
Fitting in with this idea, I have also added Sadako's latest gem graphics.

http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/gem_game_design.htm

Kiwi · May 2006

Dunny I also tried your suggestion to get the mouse to work in Spin, but it didn't work.
The mouse moves but is fair too sensitive and just jitters all over the screen, even a very small mouse movement causes the cursor to simply jump from the top to the bottom of the screen and back again.
Almost like the port reading is not accurate or its reading floating values from the port - like when a device is not present.

Dunny · May 2006

Hmm. Which version of SPIN do you have?

Make sure that the kempston joystick isn't enabled, and that kempston mouse is enabled in the options. I can only state that it works fine here :(

D.

Lee_dC · May 2006

Lee_dC wrote:

1) About the music/sounds, rather than 2-channel AY music and 1-channel AY sounds, how about 3-channel AY music and beeper sound effects?...

having actually looked into this properly, i see that you have to manually modulate the beeper to produce any sound with it, so its always going to use up CPU time. oops! :lol: i thought you could just set it to beep at a certain frequency and leave it to do its business, like an oscillator, but it seems its an entirely manual thing. it could be done, of course, just will be trickier than i anticipated. you could use any code loops you might have as good places to send data to the beeper port, or just have a short loop per 50hz cycle dedicated to doing something with the beeper, which is probably how games like manic miner do it, hence the "stuttered" sounds. this might be fine for this game though, as i don't think it needs overly flashy sound effects.

i'll just stick with the 2-channel AY for now, until we know the best way to deal with this :)

Kiwi · May 2006

I made some changes to the gem machine game.
Have included the scoring functions from RetroCoder and added some simple menu's and I will also be adding music by Lee_Dc this week.
I have also incorporated some different graphics themes from Sadako.
Then finally next week I will be working on the real game play stuff.
But in the meantime here is a small update just to show its not dead yet!

http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/Gems.zip

xfa84 · May 2006

Looks very nice. :)

Kiwi · May 2006

http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/Gems.tap

This one has music by Lee_Dc.
Sorry no real game play yet, that will be coming next.
The menu's are temporary working on better ones, these are just working place holders.
3 graphics themes, 3 musical tunes, 3 control systems.

More to come, so watch this space ......... but not too closely cos it'll be a few weeks yet ;-)

xfa84 · May 2006

I'm getting a bit of 404 when I click on the link.

Lee_dC · May 2006

xfa84 wrote:

I'm getting a bit of 404 when I click on the link.

lowercase "g" ;)

http://www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/gems.tap

xfa84 · May 2006

Thanks. :)
I'm liking the music, great stuff!

Lee_dC · May 2006

btw, the music you hear on the title screen is actually a 3-channel tune, but here it's playing with only 2 channels, and so it's missing the melody - so you're only hearing two-thirds of a tune at the moment! it just needs the FX routine disabling during the menus and all will be good :) the other tunes are 2-channels, so they play OK.

Kiwi · August 2006

***BUMP***

Here is an update to this game.

Its available under my web site at www.users.on.net/~tonyt73/TommyGun
Please look under the projects section and download the latest tap file.

Its a work in progress, but at least the game is playable to some extent.
Still need to adjust the difficulty and fix a few bugs (aka alot).

Cheers

redballoon · August 2006

Yep, that's playing just nice - I love the Zookeeper/Gems game. Looking forward to seeing it with the funked up graphics. A couple of minor things - and they're only minor, mind - keeping the last block hilighted seems weird and the pointer seems very sensitive...mind you, maybe I'm just used to a DS stylus these days.

I assume that one of the bugs is the 'mixing' of graphic blocks?

Still, looking good.

Kiwi · August 2006

Now if only I can get it finished soon enough so we can make a proper start on the Zelda clone. ;-)

I know the mouse issue, as at present it reads the absolute mouse position of the kempston mouse port.
I will be changing the mouse routine to a differential one before I'm finished.

In mouse mode the block being left highlighted is of no real benefit, but in joystick/keyboard mode I found it to be easier.
Maybe make it a game option to have on or off.

Mixing of graphic blocks in the game cursor not restoring correctly, yep a known bug to be fixed.

Thanks redballon.

chop983 · August 2006

just played your game and really enjoyed it

my points -

leaving the last block highlighted, I don't like this as I found myself clicking on the block I wanted to move first (this seems more natural then clicking on the one you want to move it to first) so they swap which isn't always what I want to do

does this make better sense

A B C

A is higlighted I want to swap B & C, I naturally found myself clicking on B which I wanted to move this would then swap with A setting of a reaction that I didn't want
what i needed to do was click on C my destination then click on B to send it to C the opposite of what you do most of the time.

In normal game can the game detect when there are no moves left?

Kiwi · August 2006

chop983 wrote:

In normal game can the game detect when there are no moves left?

It should but its the latest routine I added, so i might be a little buggy.
I have been trying to test it, but having to complete a game first means testing is hard.
Will need to create some test screens to test it completely.

Currently Timed game is not implemented both game options give a normal game.

Thanks for your input.

When its finished I will be releasing the TommyGun project files (includes all source code).
Hopefully Chaosmongers will like to release it on real media for me, and any/all profits will goto the WWF.

chop983 · August 2006

Kiwi wrote:

Hopefully Chaosmongers will like to release it on real media for me, and any/all profits will goto the WWF.

their called The WWE now :-D

Metalbrain · August 2006

Detection of lines is a bit weird. When you make a change that should clear two lines, such as:

AABCE
CBABF

When you swap the middle column A and B, only the bottom line is detected, the line is erased and the two A's fall to the bottom line without doing the upper line. IMO all lines should be cleared at the same time.

psj3809 · August 2006

Game looks very impressive ! Cant wait either for the Zelda clone !!!

Still strange why someone wants to donate to some greased up huge wrestlers though ;)

xfa84 · August 2006

Very nice, just spent a while playing it. :)

Only one thing, I got to level 30 and there was clearly another move
possible but the game disagreed and said there was none.

Still, it's looking all good. Nice work.

chop983 · August 2006

Whilst playing I've encounted a Sprite corruption where the falling sprites show part of the sprite that was there before, I have a bitmap image, if you want a look PM me your email.

Kiwi · August 2006

Metalbrain wrote:
Detection of lines is a bit weird. When you make a change that should clear two lines, such as:
AABCE
CBABF
When you swap the middle column A and B, only the bottom line is detected, the line is erased and the two A's fall to the bottom line without doing the upper line. IMO all lines should be cleared at the same time.

Yep, I've spotted this one too.
Will fix it before its released.
Its not tricky to detect but it is tricky to make sure you scroll the correct number of items into the column.

eg.
Your example shows the need to scroll the middle column twice.

AACA
BDAB
EFAC

This one shows the swap of CA on the top row produces a scroll replace for all A's on the top row, and then 2 addition scroll replaces for the 3rd column.
Tricky, but not too difficult. ;-)

Thanks for the input.

I'll post the TG project file and source code on my web site if anyones interested.

chop983 · August 2006

Kiwi wrote:

I'll post the TG project file and source code on my web site if anyones interested.

[/whisper]The opertunity to steal someone else's top secret code? yes this always interest's me[/whisper]

Game: the GEM machine

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