Wow, you mean they're actually contacting people for permission to use the games?
They haven't contacted me about Buzzsaw+... :cry:
Yes, they didn't contact me thought, they only seemed to find Ray's email and he told me they were trying to contact people. Then Einar told me and passed on my email address to them so it all happened. Thanks again Einar :)
Drop them a line, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to include it. They were friendly and positive.
I'll drop a note here later, once I've had a chance to review progress :)
Well, that was a worrying 30 minutes or so...
I couldn't find any of the FK+ source or anything to do with the project!! :(
I have now located a bunch of it in a folder called TempToArchiveOrSort. I have yet to further investigate how much of it is there, but the number of files seems about right.
If it had all been lost I was prepared to start again and just treat the previous work as revision work about the original source, but I do at least have some of it.
I'll try and get it running and do a further update shortly :)
Yes, they didn't contact me thought, they only seemed to find Ray's email and he told me they were trying to contact people. Then Einar told me and passed on my email address to them so it all happened. Thanks again Einar :)
Drop them a line, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to include it. They were friendly and positive.
I just gave them joefish's contact already. As I mentioned in this post, I have been trying to help them contact authors, although I have been very busy lately.
If any other Speccy author would like to have any of his/her games included in the Vega, please contact the Vega team directly or let me know!
But don't worry... I've suddenly rebuilt my enthusiasm for the project :)
Even if I have to rewrite some of the new FK+ features I have a list of what they all are and at least I'm not starting from scratch. I will look further and see if I can find a more up to date copy of the code though because I'd really rather not have to rewrite stuff if I can avoid it.
I might have a backup on one of my many memory sticks. In fact it's very likely I have multiple backups, but it's a case of finding them.
No more updates today, but I'm back on the case one way or another :)
I just gave them joefish's contact already. As I mentioned in this post, I have been trying to help them contact authors, although I have been very busy lately.
If any other Speccy author would like to have any of his/her games included in the Vega, please contact the Vega team directly or let me know!
Sorry, I didn't read that post. I didn't realise they'd been in contact with anyone to do with this site or community.
Occasionally I backup my entire Google Drive and I found what looks to me to be pretty much where I got up to in one of those backups. Yay! :)
I must remember to be more careful when restructuring the layout of my Google Drive in future. I think that's how I lost the code :(
So, I've decided to proceed with this project in a new way. To give you all confidence that it isn't vapourware and/or egoware (is that an existing type of ware or have I just made that up?), I'm going to tidy up what I have so far and upload it to my website.
It isn't playable yet and I'll be hiding most of the new bits so you'll get the full effect of them when it's all complete, but I think this will have the following advantages for all of us :-
For me
1. Will make me finish bits so I can make them visible to you
2. Will enable me to receive more encouragement feedback
3. Will concentrate my mind on adding enough to each new update to avoid comments like "Is that ALL?"
For you
1. Will give you more confidence that I'm actually writing it
2. For those of you who are interested in game development it will show you how a game comes together over time
There are probably other advantages, but that's enough for me to justify doing it this way. I intend putting out at least one update per month starting with an early February one.
What you can expect to see in the first update is :-
1. Main menu, instructions, joystick options (untested, just copied over from FK for now), key configuration
2. Main game screen and all the rooms. Sprites not yet in the rooms
3. Test/Debug keys to cycle through the rooms
What you won't see, but is there
1. Some extra features
2. Some of the support code for features I've not yet reimplemented
What you won't see because it isn't there yet
1. Room sprites
2. MK walking and jumping
3. Mazes
4. Object collection, trading, examination, dropping etc
5. Pretty much all of the actual gameplay
Not that you asked my opinion but I think providing running commentary and updates makes it less likely to be completed, and can spoil the impact of the finished product.
Either way I hope you finish and I look forward to seeing it :-)
Not that you asked my opinion but I think providing running commentary and updates makes it less likely to be completed, and can spoil the impact of the finished product.
Either way I hope you finish and I look forward to seeing it :-)
I'm happy to take any and all opinions and thoughts on the subject :)
To answer your perfectly valid points I shall modify slightly how I intend doing this.
1. Running commentary regarding content and all downloadable updates will now be confined to my own website. That way, anybody who doesn't want to risk any accidentally slipped out spoilers and/or deliberate teasers can still read this thread. They just need to avoid looking at my web site. And anybody who wants to know everything I'm willing to give away (which won't be a lot because I DO want to have a decent impact on the final product) can read it on my website :). When I update my site with new downloadable content I'll mention it here.
2. I want you all to have confidence that the final product will actually arrive, so keeping a running commentary will actually help me to write it and keep you in the loop. I'm not really a fan of modern game development, but there is something (not a lot, but something) to be said for milestone builds. It concentrates the mind on the final product and helps in the creation of a more stable end product.
For me
1. Will make me finish bits so I can make them visible to you
---- Yes!! Motivation and focus on a certain part of the game/routine is great - many times I put to one side part of the Bomb Munchies game because I couldn't handle the code or get it working properly - the Push Bomb routine was my enemy for a long time, even had comments in the code - "this is the push bomb flag for when the player picks it up, but it's too difficult for my fried brain to write" - the day the routine was written and the utter joy of deleting that line.....
2. Will enable me to receive more encouragement feedback
---- Yes!! Feedback is always welcome. Sometimes giving a spark to add something else or make it better.
3. Will concentrate my mind on adding enough to each new update to avoid comments like "Is that ALL?"
---- Yes!! Two weeks worth of hard slog writing/improving/drawing graphics, can sometimes result in nothing new that is visible to the player, but only the coder knows how much hard work has gone into rewriting that sprite/screen redraw routine to grab 1000 tstates back so it runs faster/smoother or for adding extra sprites onscreen without a juddering slowdown.
For you
1. Will give you more confidence that I'm actually writing it.
---- Yes!! FK+ is being written/added to, made better, feedback is taken and noted. Please enjoy what you have at the moment, the next edition will appear when it is ready.
2. For those of you who are interested in game development it will show you how a game comes together over time.
---- Yes!! It's personal diary of how a game is written and how things are progressing. A game is not written in a day, it takes time and effort and lot of frustration to get ideas into code and to make it work.
I'm going to add point 3 - I release a new version of BM when I get to a stage that I've added enough to make it worthwhile, the game is still playable, items can be used, the game looks and feels complete.
I have a huge list of things that I want to add to BM - memory permitting. I can spend a few hours/days re-writing a routine to save a few bytes or making it faster - I am still learning new tricks with Z80 code.
Some people moan... oh! not another version of the game, not much added, pah! - When version 600 was released I stated it was the final release. But after a few weeks of playing the game I got out of the rut and continued coding because I wanted to see how much I could do to it - if I had left it as it was then there wouldn't be the new, faster improved edition sitting on your harddrive/Spectrum right now.
Ideas and sparks to add to a game don't all appear at once, sometimes they just happen and can then be written down and then later added and improved upon.
We are not going to live forever, so atleast there will be a current version available for when that day eventually comes.
Looking forward to seeing the first installment of FK+!!
+1. *ALL* my source code is stored there along with a symbolic folder link to the Dropbox folder into One/SkyDrive too - double backups with only one save.
Yes, a TO DO list would work for this thread. Obviously edited from my own one so I don't give away the extra features :)
I can highly recommend using Trello. I find it incredibly useful for managing To-do/Doing/Done lists and it's very easy to use. It works excellently on a tablet/smartphone too.
You can even set up the board so others can view it either by membership to the board or publicly available (which still only allows members of the board to edit). Link
I like that I can add screenshots and download links. I will investigate further and probably use it.
EDIT:
I've now seen that I can create a secret board for all my new features and a public board where I can have all the visible features and keep you all updated about their progress. And that I can copy cards between boards. And it looks really easy to use :).
I'll try and get a board up and running with initial tasks and a screenshot or two by the end of the weekend
Thanks Mike, but I've spent 10 minutes learning Trello now. I don't want to waste that learning curve :) (It's a really shallow learning curve, so in that time I've seen that Trello should be able to do everything I need and I can pretty much see how to do it all)
I like that I can add screenshots and download links. I will investigate further and probably use it.
EDIT:
I've now seen that I can create a secret board for all my new features and a public board where I can have all the visible features and keep you all updated about their progress. And that I can copy cards between boards. And it looks really easy to use :).
I'll try and get a board up and running with initial tasks and a screenshot or two by the end of the weekend
You're very welcome. My workplace converted to it about six months ago after using all manner of docs and various Windows folders that were a nightmare to maintain.
I use it for all sorts now. I'm in the process of putting all my recipes on one board.
I can highly recommend using Trello. I find it incredibly useful for managing To-do/Doing/Done lists and it's very easy to use. It works excellently on a tablet/smartphone too.
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+1 for Trello. It is used by the developer team at my company, and it is a really, but really, very good tool.
I should point out at this time that I am merely coding. All graphics and audio is being dealt with by the very excellent Saul Cross and, of course, overseeing and updating responsibilities go to Mr Jones.
What happens next really is up to David, and he is probably the best person to answer the question all things being even. The game is about ready to roll in its original form, but I don't think that any of us really want just a plain old remake, so as soon as we have agreed on a firm way forward and added any new puzzles, NPCs, objects, etc that David is happy with, then there isn't much more to do.
I'm hoping that the game is ready for release within the next few months as life has got in the way for all 3 of us and the project has, at times, slowed to a crawl making the development time far longer than any of us anticipated and certainly longer than we wanted.
Anyway, Finders Keepers+ thread. As you were......
Comments
Please let me know if they don't contact you tomorrow!
Yes, they didn't contact me thought, they only seemed to find Ray's email and he told me they were trying to contact people. Then Einar told me and passed on my email address to them so it all happened. Thanks again Einar :)
Drop them a line, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to include it. They were friendly and positive.
Well, that was a worrying 30 minutes or so...
I couldn't find any of the FK+ source or anything to do with the project!! :(
I have now located a bunch of it in a folder called TempToArchiveOrSort. I have yet to further investigate how much of it is there, but the number of files seems about right.
If it had all been lost I was prepared to start again and just treat the previous work as revision work about the original source, but I do at least have some of it.
I'll try and get it running and do a further update shortly :)
You are welcome!
I just gave them joefish's contact already. As I mentioned in this post, I have been trying to help them contact authors, although I have been very busy lately.
If any other Speccy author would like to have any of his/her games included in the Vega, please contact the Vega team directly or let me know!
Mini Update:
The FK+ code I've found assembles ok
I'm now looking for the emulator to test it...
Sadly that's an ancient archive :(
But don't worry... I've suddenly rebuilt my enthusiasm for the project :)
Even if I have to rewrite some of the new FK+ features I have a list of what they all are and at least I'm not starting from scratch. I will look further and see if I can find a more up to date copy of the code though because I'd really rather not have to rewrite stuff if I can avoid it.
I might have a backup on one of my many memory sticks. In fact it's very likely I have multiple backups, but it's a case of finding them.
No more updates today, but I'm back on the case one way or another :)
My email is chris *at* fusionretrobooks.com. Please do get in touch :D
Cheers, Chris.
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
Occasionally I backup my entire Google Drive and I found what looks to me to be pretty much where I got up to in one of those backups. Yay! :)
I must remember to be more careful when restructuring the layout of my Google Drive in future. I think that's how I lost the code :(
So, I've decided to proceed with this project in a new way. To give you all confidence that it isn't vapourware and/or egoware (is that an existing type of ware or have I just made that up?), I'm going to tidy up what I have so far and upload it to my website.
It isn't playable yet and I'll be hiding most of the new bits so you'll get the full effect of them when it's all complete, but I think this will have the following advantages for all of us :-
For me
1. Will make me finish bits so I can make them visible to you
2. Will enable me to receive more encouragement feedback
3. Will concentrate my mind on adding enough to each new update to avoid comments like "Is that ALL?"
For you
1. Will give you more confidence that I'm actually writing it
2. For those of you who are interested in game development it will show you how a game comes together over time
There are probably other advantages, but that's enough for me to justify doing it this way. I intend putting out at least one update per month starting with an early February one.
What you can expect to see in the first update is :-
1. Main menu, instructions, joystick options (untested, just copied over from FK for now), key configuration
2. Main game screen and all the rooms. Sprites not yet in the rooms
3. Test/Debug keys to cycle through the rooms
What you won't see, but is there
1. Some extra features
2. Some of the support code for features I've not yet reimplemented
What you won't see because it isn't there yet
1. Room sprites
2. MK walking and jumping
3. Mazes
4. Object collection, trading, examination, dropping etc
5. Pretty much all of the actual gameplay
Either way I hope you finish and I look forward to seeing it :-)
To answer your perfectly valid points I shall modify slightly how I intend doing this.
1. Running commentary regarding content and all downloadable updates will now be confined to my own website. That way, anybody who doesn't want to risk any accidentally slipped out spoilers and/or deliberate teasers can still read this thread. They just need to avoid looking at my web site. And anybody who wants to know everything I'm willing to give away (which won't be a lot because I DO want to have a decent impact on the final product) can read it on my website :). When I update my site with new downloadable content I'll mention it here.
2. I want you all to have confidence that the final product will actually arrive, so keeping a running commentary will actually help me to write it and keep you in the loop. I'm not really a fan of modern game development, but there is something (not a lot, but something) to be said for milestone builds. It concentrates the mind on the final product and helps in the creation of a more stable end product.
a to do list would help?
For me
1. Will make me finish bits so I can make them visible to you
---- Yes!! Motivation and focus on a certain part of the game/routine is great - many times I put to one side part of the Bomb Munchies game because I couldn't handle the code or get it working properly - the Push Bomb routine was my enemy for a long time, even had comments in the code - "this is the push bomb flag for when the player picks it up, but it's too difficult for my fried brain to write" - the day the routine was written and the utter joy of deleting that line.....
2. Will enable me to receive more encouragement feedback
---- Yes!! Feedback is always welcome. Sometimes giving a spark to add something else or make it better.
3. Will concentrate my mind on adding enough to each new update to avoid comments like "Is that ALL?"
---- Yes!! Two weeks worth of hard slog writing/improving/drawing graphics, can sometimes result in nothing new that is visible to the player, but only the coder knows how much hard work has gone into rewriting that sprite/screen redraw routine to grab 1000 tstates back so it runs faster/smoother or for adding extra sprites onscreen without a juddering slowdown.
For you
1. Will give you more confidence that I'm actually writing it.
---- Yes!! FK+ is being written/added to, made better, feedback is taken and noted. Please enjoy what you have at the moment, the next edition will appear when it is ready.
2. For those of you who are interested in game development it will show you how a game comes together over time.
---- Yes!! It's personal diary of how a game is written and how things are progressing. A game is not written in a day, it takes time and effort and lot of frustration to get ideas into code and to make it work.
I'm going to add point 3 - I release a new version of BM when I get to a stage that I've added enough to make it worthwhile, the game is still playable, items can be used, the game looks and feels complete.
I have a huge list of things that I want to add to BM - memory permitting. I can spend a few hours/days re-writing a routine to save a few bytes or making it faster - I am still learning new tricks with Z80 code.
Some people moan... oh! not another version of the game, not much added, pah! - When version 600 was released I stated it was the final release. But after a few weeks of playing the game I got out of the rut and continued coding because I wanted to see how much I could do to it - if I had left it as it was then there wouldn't be the new, faster improved edition sitting on your harddrive/Spectrum right now.
Ideas and sparks to add to a game don't all appear at once, sometimes they just happen and can then be written down and then later added and improved upon.
We are not going to live forever, so atleast there will be a current version available for when that day eventually comes.
Looking forward to seeing the first installment of FK+!!
Mat
Download the latest version of Bomb Munchies Ver2210 4th July 2020
+1. *ALL* my source code is stored there along with a symbolic folder link to the Dropbox folder into One/SkyDrive too - double backups with only one save.
I can highly recommend using Trello. I find it incredibly useful for managing To-do/Doing/Done lists and it's very easy to use. It works excellently on a tablet/smartphone too.
You can even set up the board so others can view it either by membership to the board or publicly available (which still only allows members of the board to edit). Link
That looks useful, thanks.
I like that I can add screenshots and download links. I will investigate further and probably use it.
EDIT:
I've now seen that I can create a secret board for all my new features and a public board where I can have all the visible features and keep you all updated about their progress. And that I can copy cards between boards. And it looks really easy to use :).
I'll try and get a board up and running with initial tasks and a screenshot or two by the end of the weekend
http://libreboard.com/
Thanks Mike, but I've spent 10 minutes learning Trello now. I don't want to waste that learning curve :) (It's a really shallow learning curve, so in that time I've seen that Trello should be able to do everything I need and I can pretty much see how to do it all)
You're very welcome. My workplace converted to it about six months ago after using all manner of docs and various Windows folders that were a nightmare to maintain.
I use it for all sorts now. I'm in the process of putting all my recipes on one board.
https://trello.com/b/gGPCA0YG/finders-keepers-plus
I've started it, but there's a lot of useful work to do to make it reflect the full list of tasks done, active and outstanding.
You should all be able to see it. If I could get a quick confirm or fail from somebody regarding the visibility that would be useful please.
I'll be adding a link back to this thread and mention WoS and my own site so if anybody finds it and doesn't know about WoS they'll become informed :)
EDIT: I can see Trello being pretty useful for a whole bunch of projects
Yep, I can see it :)
Write games in C using Z88DK and SP1
+1 for Trello. It is used by the developer team at my company, and it is a really, but really, very good tool.
/Pedro
Any news on the Ouya version of Spellbound? Is that still happening? Looks lovely on the screens on your website...
You should pop over to Retro Remakes and ask Spraydough - he's the one making it.
http://www.retroremakes.com/remakelounge/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=418
My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation, SQIJ.
Twitter: Sokurah
Cheers Sok :)
I should point out at this time that I am merely coding. All graphics and audio is being dealt with by the very excellent Saul Cross and, of course, overseeing and updating responsibilities go to Mr Jones.
Feynman, to answer your question as much as I can, the bulk of the original game is fully implemented and available to test in beta form ( http://geminusporta.com/2014/11/29/spellbound-ouya-beta-launched/ ) and seems to be holding up nicely.
What happens next really is up to David, and he is probably the best person to answer the question all things being even. The game is about ready to roll in its original form, but I don't think that any of us really want just a plain old remake, so as soon as we have agreed on a firm way forward and added any new puzzles, NPCs, objects, etc that David is happy with, then there isn't much more to do.
I'm hoping that the game is ready for release within the next few months as life has got in the way for all 3 of us and the project has, at times, slowed to a crawl making the development time far longer than any of us anticipated and certainly longer than we wanted.
Anyway, Finders Keepers+ thread. As you were......