PDA

View Full Version : Dev.Mag 30 prep thread



Chippit
15-02-2009, 11:08 PM
I'm a little low on ideas this month. Throw ideas pls.

Deadline this month is Sunday 1 March

News

Opinion

As always, open for submission if you want.


Feature

Someone want to look at getting hold of Derek Yu (http://www.derekyu.com/) for an interview about Spelunky (http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=4017.0)? (Tr00jg the Interview Man)


Review

Something Game.Dev. (LionsInnards)
Robokill (http://www.rocksolidarcade.com/games/robokill/) (LionsInnards)
Rock Boshers (http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=2571.0)


Development

Narrative part 2 (Q-Man)
Game Maker 3D (Gazza_N)
15-minute feature (Evolution)


Tailpiece


Global Game Jam writeup (plspls)
IGF student showcase roundup


30 issues sounds like a helluva lot, doesn't it? :P I'd appreciate some suggestions for content this month, though, so we can make it comparatively special.

TheLionsInnards
16-02-2009, 07:16 AM
How about naked pin-ups of the editorial team?

I'll do one of the two non-dev.mag reviews (Robokill looks fun), and I'll pick one of the local ones this afternoon.

Gazza_N
16-02-2009, 10:27 AM
Are you keen on an introductory overview of Game Maker's 3D functions, as well as a rough guide to implementation? Needn't be too hardcore, just "GM has 3D. Here's what it can do. Here's what it can't do. Here's what you'll need to do yourself. Here's how to make it work."

Just lobbing it out there. We can discuss specifics if you like the idea. ;)

Nandrew
16-02-2009, 10:42 AM
You should totally nag Dis and Aeq for a writeup about their Global Game Jam entry and what it was like working under the competition restrictions.

dislekcia
16-02-2009, 11:29 AM
You should totally nag Dis and Aeq for a writeup about their Global Game Jam entry and what it was like working under the competition restrictions.

I am an artist. I don't write...

Chippit
16-02-2009, 12:41 PM
I am an artist. I don't write...

Actually, it would be great if each of you (YOU TOO, NANDREW!) would write a small little something about the competition and what you did/how you managed. :P


Are you keen on an introductory overview of Game Maker's 3D functions, as well as a rough guide to implementation? Needn't be too hardcore, just "GM has 3D. Here's what it can do. Here's what it can't do. Here's what you'll need to do yourself. Here's how to make it work."

Just lobbing it out there. We can discuss specifics if you like the idea. ;)
This sounds great! And you've struggled with the niggles of the system enough to know. Make it happen.

Bonezmann
16-02-2009, 09:27 PM
Are you keen on an introductory overview of Game Maker's 3D functions, as well as a rough guide to implementation? Needn't be too hardcore, just "GM has 3D. Here's what it can do. Here's what it can't do. Here's what you'll need to do yourself. Here's how to make it work."

Just lobbing it out there. We can discuss specifics if you like the idea. ;)

Ooh, sounds interesting. Maybe I'll give the opinion another go? I suspect my last entry was phailz...

edg3
17-02-2009, 05:52 PM
Chippit: how about throwing in something like "code snippets" where you choose x-feature and do a write up on how to put said feature into your game. I know it probably makes little sense, so look here for what I mean:

Part 1 (http://www.catalinzima.com/?p=503)
Part 2 (http://www.catalinzima.com/?p=504)

Things like this are quite nice.

Evolution
17-02-2009, 06:33 PM
Chippit: how about throwing in something like "code snippets" where you choose x-feature and do a write up on how to put said feature into your game. I know it probably makes little sense, so look here for what I mean:

Part 1 (http://www.catalinzima.com/?p=503)
Part 2 (http://www.catalinzima.com/?p=504)

Things like this are quite nice.

I checked out the website that shows you the cursor from world of goo, my guess without looking at the code is that they use a Vector2 array holding the positions of the circles. They use a white and a black circle, they loop through the positions and first draw the white circles at the positions in the array, then they draw the black circles over the white circles, giving the effect that there is an outline. They also scale down the size the circles are drawn at as it loops further threw the array. They could also use a white circle and just throw a black tint over it for the black circle. I guess using two separate sprites will work out faster.


If you want I can write an article on how to create this cursor in game maker.

SkinkLizzard
17-02-2009, 11:26 PM
I could possibly do some game maker code snippets
on things like HUDs, click to move with object avoiding
or possibly the funky dynamic inheritance type stuff dis used in ex vitro(I think, some genetics organism thingy) and showed me :)

even though varsity has gotten back into the swing of things and is trying to hammer me
with work my Wednesdays have several hours of idle time.

Chippit
17-02-2009, 11:30 PM
...mah HR tags broke. :( WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, MIKTAR!?

I liked those... =(

Tr00jg
18-02-2009, 05:10 PM
Me interview Derek! me meme!

Evolution
18-02-2009, 10:21 PM
World of Goo cursor in game maker.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6850/screenshot2vv1.th.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshot2vv1.jpg)
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3062/screenshot1yt3.th.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshot1yt3.jpg)

Download exe & code (http://www.mediafire.com/?zdwnd0dnm2f)

There are still some flaws. First the circles separate when you move the cursor quickly, I have to pull the circles closer to each other if they get to far apart. The next thing is the outline is smaller around the smaller circles, I should make a loop that determines the scale of the white circles according to the scaled black circles after being scaled using their texture dimensions to judge, so I can use a constant variable to set the outline size in pixels.

Nandrew
19-02-2009, 11:33 AM
To be honest, I think this would be a rather cute article proposal. "Create your very own World of Goo cursor in 15 minutes!" Would be pretty nice if spun correctly.

It would be up to Chippit to decide whether it would deserve mag space, though. And then, of course, your article writing capability would have to meet a particular standard and stuff.

edg3
19-02-2009, 02:42 PM
To be honest, I think this would be a rather cute article proposal. "Create your very own World of Goo cursor in 15 minutes!" Would be pretty nice if spun correctly.

It would be up to Chippit to decide whether it would deserve mag space, though. And then, of course, your article writing capability would have to meet a particular standard and stuff.
The other thing is you could perhaps make it part of a regular addition to the mag. (Not the cursor sample over and over again, but a new one every month) "15 Minute Features"?

Chippit
19-02-2009, 04:14 PM
I like the idea. Assuming we can come up with topics for it every month, I think it should make a really good regular thing. Make it happen and we'll see from there.

Tr00jg
19-02-2009, 08:25 PM
I've had Spelunky on my PC for ages now, but haven't come round to playing it. I will try and fit it in this weekend (family coming from overseas). So once again I would love to get some suggestions for answers if you have some. I'm a bit pressed for time.

Nandrew
20-02-2009, 08:54 AM
You know, regarding the Game Jam writeup ... I think it would be quite glorious if all three of us wrote something in a humorous vein, each with our own version of the "story" -- I think that, when put together, the three pieces of writing would play off each other wonderfully.

Chippit
20-02-2009, 11:29 AM
You know, regarding the Game Jam writeup ... I think it would be quite glorious if all three of us wrote something in a humorous vein, each with our own version of the "story" -- I think that, when put together, the three pieces of writing would play off each other wonderfully.

Indeedy, that's what I was hoping. Are the three of you (including your Artiste) up for this?

Nandrew
20-02-2009, 11:42 AM
I'm going to say yes. On their behalf. With absolutely no permission whatsoever.

Evolution
20-02-2009, 02:13 PM
I have the World Of Goo cursor looking like the real thing. Fixed all the flaws the first version had.

download exe (http://www.mediafire.com/?wirh3dhjwx1)

I've decided to download the WoG cursor from the link on page 1 and compared it with my own. My version has all the modifications that that one has, only its at a coding level. The next thing is that in the version in the link the guy never managed to fix the problem with the separating circles, in my one I managed to find a way to fix the problem. I wanted to add some Anti Aliasing to the circles but I didn't want to make things to complicated for the person reading the article. So on the whole my version is way better than the one made with xna.

Chippit
24-02-2009, 01:09 AM
Roit, since the last issue is a bit late (expect that this week sometime, though), I've decided to shift this deadline up a little bit. We can work up lost time next month. Deadline is now this Sunday instead of this Wednesday. That is, Sunday 1 March.

Next month and the month after will probably be really busy for Dev.Mag. I hope to make some fairly big and drastic changes by then, assuming all goes well. And then things will, hopefully, be simpler, so no more 2-3 week creation cycle.

Chippit
28-02-2009, 11:39 PM
Liek, reminder thyme and stuphs. Please have everything in by tomorrow please, folks. I'd very much like to get the magazine back on its old schedule, so the fewer articles I have to worry about, the better. Thanks :)

Q-Man
01-03-2009, 11:54 AM
Plus having just finished 29, I'm "in the zone" so to speak - so act now before I fall into a the quick downward spiral of procrastination and ham and cheese sandwiches. And remember the pictures! phoreals.

Tr00jg
01-03-2009, 01:24 PM
Emailed the interview to Derek some time ago. Emailed him today to see how far he is.

Tr00jg
05-03-2009, 11:50 PM
He still hasn't come back to me. Nagging him again...

Chippit
06-03-2009, 12:17 AM
He still hasn't come back to me. Nagging him again...

Grah. If all else fails, I can use the GGJ pieces for a feature. But I'd rlyrly like this.

Tr00jg
06-03-2009, 06:15 PM
Grah. If all else fails, I can use the GGJ pieces for a feature. But I'd rlyrly like this.

He let me know that it would be done either today or tomorrow.

Chippit
06-03-2009, 08:19 PM
\o/