Fetch with Puppy - Unexpected Progress but no Screenshot

Well, this is interesting. It turns out that Flixel has made this go really quickly. The code that I thought would take all day took an hour and a half. I don't have graphics yet, so no screenshot. (sorry!)

Not sure what to do now. I had planned to be working all day on this logic. Hm.

In other news, I will be ditching C++ and Ogre3D for my action RPG and will use 2D graphics and AS3/FlashPunk. It seems to me that it's a better choice. I will be using the Adobe AIR platform (IE: Desktop/mobile app) rather than Flash, though.

What to do with the rest of today, though..? Not sure yet. I don't have much more time today since I've got a long-ish homework assignment that I'm starting in about 45 minutes and after that I have a class that I'll get home from at about 11PM. Bah.

Peace, love, and fast progress,

--- Henry

A Wild Timed Challenge Appeared!

I've made a decision about Fetch with Puppy. I'm doing it with Flixel instead of FlashPunk. Also, I'm starting over at 8PM EDT and giving myself until Sunday at 8PM EDT to finish it.

I'm excited about that, honestly.

(Edit: That is, I'm starting on 8PM Wednesday in case that wasn't clear)

A Code Painting - Fetch with Puppy

I've started on a code painting. It's about a kid playing fetch with a puppy; hence the title, Fetch with Puppy.

I'm writing it in AS3 using Adobe Flex and FlashPunk.

Its mechanics boil down to the following:

• You have a puppy and a ball
• You can walk back and forth
• You can throw the ball either overhand or underhand
• Your puppy will try to catch the ball when you throw it

That's a pretty simple set of mechanics, I think.

It was inspired by the "fish pond" applet that I have on my other blog, which is usually good for calming myself down when I'm feeling stressed out.

By the end of the week, I plan to have something playable.

Today, I'm going to be busy cleaning up my room (it's gotten awful) and I also have a bit of homework to do (college does that), but I'll try to get something together by tomorrow afternoon or so.

Here's hoping I can get it done.

Peace, love, and soothing play,

   --- Henry

A Purpose for Code Paintings and a Larger Project

I've decided to ditch libPainting in favor of doing code paintings free-form. Defining the interface that strictly wasn't the best way to go about the idea.

I will be working on a large action RPG project which will likely take a very long time. I'll post updates and the occasional demo on this blog. The first demos will probably come when I get around to making a Sourceforge page for it.

As for the code paintings, I will be using them as side projects to take a break from the action RPG. The simple nature of a code painting lends itself to being a minor project.

Peace, love, and the best way forward,

   - Henry

libPainting - A Library for Code Paintings

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am making a library for "code painting" games. This library is being written in C++ using SDL, but will be ported to other languages and libraries. In particular, it will be ported to Python+Pygame.

Currently, I have some very basic functionality in place.

• Image wrapper that can draw itself
• Basic entity that can move and draw itself
• Application class that can update itself and handle SDL events
• Input state containers
• Container for a button state (down/changed)
• Container for a "joy hat" state (horizontal/vertical)
• Container for mouse state (position/movement/buttons)
• Container for all input states (uses other containers)
• Configuration container (currently contains screen zoom and key controls)

I am also developing a test/proof-of-concept game alongside this library. The game is titled "Little Fox" and it is about the titular fox hunting rabbits and bird in a procedurally generated forest.

I will also be working on an API specification for the library, and will find somewhere to host it (I'm writing it in HTML) once it is reasonably complete.

Peace, love, and a shared library object,

--- Henry

About My Future Projects

So, without posting specifics (mainly because I'm flip-flopping about the ideas that I have for games), I'd like to talk a bit about what kinds of games I will be making.

This was covered in a more philosophical way on my other blog, just in case you'd like the philosophy behind it. For those reading later on (IE: after I have posted more on that blog), the philosophy is in this post.

I have decided to take the title of that blog for the type of game that I will make. I've decided to call this type of game a "code painting."

I am working on a specification for this type of game but have only just started on that. I will probably put the document up on Google Docs and link to it when I have the first draft completed.

Here's a summary of it, though:

• Minimal interface, menus opened with key presses
• Game starts in play state, becomes idle when not playing
• Simple concept with no unnecessary elements
• Avoid traditional or cliche premises
• Use either procedural content or as little content as possible
• Prefer polish over technology or amount of content

I will, again, post more about this idea when I have a document that actually gives a specification. I will also be creating a library for these functions that will be written in C++ and use the SDL media library.

With PyWeek coming up, there may also be a Python/Pygame version of this library.

Peace, love, and a direction to move in,

--- Henry

Resurrecting this Blog

Wow, it's been a while, internet. How's it been going? Me? I've been drifting around.

LandFish Studios is back from the depths with its latest slew of projects. Here's hoping it goes okay, huh?

I have a new policy which will help me. I'm not posting the plans for a game until I have a demo for you fine folks out there in net-land. So, more about this slew of projects later on down the line.

LandFish Studios will also be participating in the upcoming PyWeek game development competition with my "LandFish: Foxer Delta" project. Here's hoping, huh?

Peace, love, and blogs reborn,

--- Henry