Blockdude Released !

[prairiefire]

Help! Blockdude robbed me of my friday evening!

Great game. Thanks for porting this to the GP2X!

actually it's not a port it's a remake, so written from scratch. Glad u liked it doh, next time i'll have to include warnings like warning this game is highly addictive, i can not be held responsible hehe

Sorry, my mistake. Very impressive! and yes... highly addictive.

 

[joyrider]

okay, i fixed the little bug when you were playing a level from within the level editor and choose to play it again that the player would be moving in the last direction you were moving before you finished the level.
I removed that debugging thing i forgot about wasn't noticeable anyway, and i added in a grid in the level editor as well as options to hide the grid.
about the grid doh i tried 2 ways's drawing the grid on top of the tiles what didn't look quite good at all and u couldn't (clearly) see for example which roof corner piece u had selected so i decided i draw the grid behind the actual tiles which looks much better and is more visible.
I tried the parralaxing effect but couldn't get it to work like it should because the effect you see now is created by moving around the camera / viewport and not the background(s), also i have no idea how i could implement fast horizontal scrolling (vertical is easy) but with horizontal i'd have to redraw pixel per pixel on the sides or sumthing so i'm sorry but i think i'll leave it out :unsure: Maybe if i make a platformer like mario bros or sumthing someday i'll add it in like it should.

edit:
You can grab the new release from my webpage here. till the archive gets updated
and here's a screenshot of the teck skin made by fusion power :

 

[fusion_power]

Isn't it beautiful?

Well, thanx for trying these parallax-experiment. I'm sure it's harder to realize than I think in my little mind. I thought, when the current effect is "just for free" because of foreground-moving without bg-moving, you could "smuggle" a layer between fore- and Background with the same Moving like the foreground minus 50% speed and textured horizontaly. So I think the rest will come "for free" to, but of course it's just a Idea and I have no clue of coding all such things.
Even with one (pseudo)-Parallax-Layer there can be great effects, thats why I like my skin.

Oh, your new version didn't run. It always brings me back to Gmenu. I had deleted everything of the old game-files and installed new but it just crashes...and creates a 0 byte "music.raw" file in the game directory. ^^" (Dam'n and I think I had deleted my solved Level-data file to... :blink: )

Besides, I had another Idea for lazy Level-Editor users: another option so switch through the tiles to find the right tiles faster. - Maybe a popup-Window where all tiles displayed and you can choose the tile you want, or some kind of "copy and paste" for tiles, I don't know...

 

[Ravnos]

I finally got around to playing this yesterday when the voip phones at work went down and I'm really glad you released this. It's good stuff.

 

[joyrider]

Oh, your new version didn't run. It always brings me back to Gmenu. I had deleted everything of the old game-files and installed new but it just crashes...and creates a 0 byte "music.raw" file in the game directory. ^^" (Dam'n and I think I had deleted my solved Level-data file to... :blink: )

ah damn it crashes ? i had tested the release doh i'll check again, weird i just deleted everything of my sd card as well downloaded the file from my website and ran the game, and it worked without a problem. not much has changed doh, are you sure that you copied all files and that you're zip archive isn't corrupted from downloading ? also check if there exists font1.tff, font.tff and a font2.ttf file in the same directory as the gpe

The creating of the raw file is normal. It seems to me doh that it crashes on the graphics loading (that is if those font file exists) there should be a grid.png file inside the graphics directory as well.

yeah if you deleted everything u lost your progress file (blockman.dat) as well.

say u don't happen to have access to usbnet do u ? (u could try to run the game over telnet and see what error message that it gives u)


does anyone else have a problem with it ?

 

[fusion_power]

Oh, your new version didn't run. It always brings me back to Gmenu. I had deleted everything of the old game-files and installed new but it just crashes...and creates a 0 byte "music.raw" file in the game directory. ^^" (Dam'n and I think I had deleted my solved Level-data file to... :blink: )

ah damn it crashes ? i had tested the release doh i'll check again, weird i just deleted everything of my sd card as well downloaded the file from my website and ran the game, and it worked without a problem. not much has changed doh, are you sure that you copied all files and that you're zip archive isn't corrupted from downloading ? also check if there exists font1.tff, font.tff and a font2.ttf file in the same directory as the gpe

The creating of the raw file is normal. It seems to me doh that it crashes on the graphics loading (that is if those font file exists) there should be a grid.png file inside the graphics directory as well.

yeah if you deleted everything u lost your progress file (blockman.dat) as well.

say u don't happen to have access to usbnet do u ? (u could try to run the game over telnet and see what error message that it gives u)


does anyone else have a problem with it ?


HA! Me=stupid! I forgot one file: the Grid! :lol: Now it's working and everything is fine. Grid behind the Tiles is a nice Idea, but I would use a more tiny grid with 1 Pixel thickness:

 

[joyrider]

HA! Me=stupid! I forgot one file: the Grid! :lol: Now it's working and everything is fine. Grid behind the Tiles is a nice Idea, but I would use a more tiny grid with 1 Pixel thickness:

Phew you got me scared there for a moment
yeah indeed your grid looks much better. u know i had it first also with one single pixel but somehow i changed it to 2 pixels again, i'll see that i change it again to one pixel cause it looks much better!. Still have to wait before the archive gets updated but i'll change it on my website already.


btw did you lose ure progress file ? if so if you tell me what level you finished lastly i can make u a progress file. Unless you want to start the levels over again

 

[fusion_power]

Hehe, I don't need a progress file because I can play every Level in the Editor. Yes, I'm mean :lol:
But like I sayed, I just test my skin in the game and do not actuallyplay the game -lack of talent. ^^" And at the Moment I enjoy Baldurs Gate on GP2X via GPSP. This brings me to the point, that we need a GP2X own Hack'n Slay, maybe you could code such a game calibre "Diablo 2" How many Time would you need, one or two weeks?

EDIT: oh, the new version runs much faster, nice. At 200MHz nearly to fast for my playertank-blink-animation. Maybe I have to redo this but I use 166MHz at all so everything looks good enough.

 

[hitbyambulance]

how's this for a suggestion - an option to make the 'solid earth' tile partially transparent (i think it was possibly mentioned above)? since there's so much of it, it might be nice to push it out of the way, graphically...?

 

[prairiefire]

Okay, two days spent on it now.. no progress. I think Level 9 is technically impossible

 

[joyrider]

how's this for a suggestion - an option to make the 'solid earth' tile partially transparent (i think it was possibly mentioned above)? since there's so much of it, it might be nice to push it out of the way, graphically...?

Well i just tried that, it looks a lot better with fusion power's skin, the default skin looks not so great, the ti83 skin looks ok. However the game is ultimately slow with alpha blending but that's because i used sdl_displayformat and not sdl_displayformatAlpha. So when using SDL_Displayformatalpha the game runs great but color keying doesn't work then IO you can't have semitransprant parts anymore. Except if you do this in the image itself perhaps. haven't tried that yet. I'll make a screenshot of all the skins and show u what i mean. Hm hangon i have to set the colorkey before calling sdl_displayformatAlpha i think lemme try this out
update:
hmm can't get it to work nomatter what i try i use sdl_setalpha before or after calling sdl_displayFormatAlpha the alpha value doesn't get applied it only gets applied when using the normal sdl_setdisplayformat function, which is pretty weird if u ask me :/ maybe it's not implemented or something goana ask on the dev forums

Okay, two days spent on it now.. no progress. I think Level 9 is technically impossible

here i don't want to spoil your fun but i don't want you to get frustrated either so i uploaded the level 9 solution to youtube. (i know all the solutions ). How about i realease a new solution monthly or sumthing or on (popular) request ?

anyway here's the solution : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLyWkbjRwb8

 

[fusion_power]

My solid earth tile is partially transparent because solid tiles looking to "dominating" if there are to much on screen. But I have no clue, what (smooth) Alpha-blending should do in this game... (?) or is it just mentioned to replace the funny pink color keying? Well, I think the current solution is the best at the Moment because the game is very fast. I only could imagine to make the editor-grid semi-transparent with smooth alpha transparency but who cares. :lol:

Oh, here is my (useless) second layer for the Background. I had to daw it because it was spooking in my head and I have to leave it out. (sometimes I'm a Maniac :lol: ) Now I can sleep peacefully again. ^^
If someone want, he can copy the graphic over the Tech-Background png, aligned center ground (because of the 312 pixel wide ) Only the Parallax scrolling you have to imagine in your head

 

[joyrider]

damn looks cool ffs wish i could implement it without to much of an hassle i'll try again will make a backup of my code doh hehe cause i got a feeling i could mess it up (again) hehe.

btw this is what hitbyambulance talked about, using alpha blending & colorkeying it would look like this :



it looks pretty much ok for your skin but the default skin is really not good if u want i'll take screenshots of it to show it.

however i still can't figure out how to do it with sdl_displayformatalpha it would be great if that worked and i could make it optional then but now with just sdl_displayformat it's way too slow ! almost like the game is running in slow motion

 

[fusion_power]

Oh, true transparency...Hmmm.... I don't like it because my skin is solid metal and transparent Metal only exists in Star Trek :lol:
Maybe when this tiles would designed as glass or so or wire but for my taste, my skin is good as he is (yes, I like my own skin XD ) But it seems,that I'm not hte only one who think, that the solid "earth" tiles are sometimes a little bit to much, thats the reason why I cut a hole in. And so there is no need for big Alpha Experiments.
But only in the small levels the Earth is dominant, later levels have much more free Air and hover platforms. And my fav-tiles are my other tiles like floor, corners and roof. XD
Like I sayed before, another earth tile could add more alternation, which brings nothing in existing levels of course.

For the Parallax-Thing, maybe you can start to draw the Layer between the 2 Game layers like the editor grid and then to start with "seperating" it from the scrolling and give 'em his own speed (50% of the front-layer), when the "Camera" is mooving and if its working you could think about "texturing" the graphic horizontaly over the screen...or so...or not...maybe... ^^"

 

[joyrider]

well i got the scrolling partially working it looks cool as hell ! but there's still some bugs in it lol i really can't grip my head around it It works if the scrollvalue stays positive, but if it goes negative it doesn't work :/ i'm not giving up yet doh cause it looks cool

 

[joyrider]

hey fusion,

i got something for u to play with !

http://www.willemssoft.be/misc/blockdudegp2xTest.zip

i had to adopt your layer2 image so that it was 320 in width (i did a resize sorry hehe) but you can now try ure own things it should be working although only when actually playing a level. It's cool if you create a level that has only horizontal long pathway to see the parralaxing effect. There is a problem doh, it's hard to see the front (boxes / player etc) with your current layer image.

i've included a changed version of your layer2 image. The image must be at least 320 in width, height may max be 240. but can be smaller in height for performance purposes (look at the image i included for your skin) currently the image when scrolling up goes also up i'm going to try to change that so that it doesn't do this.

Also i don't have a parralaxing effect for the default skin so i made the default layer2.png image a 1 pixel 360 width colorkey'ed image so that hasn't got any effect on performance and u don't see it (so it's just like the previous skin). Maybe u can come up with something

well i quickly did this for u so i hope there's no problems, cause i have to go for a few hours but i'll be back then !

 

[fusion_power]

Hell Yes! Thanx man, I love you.
I will test some time I think. The most ideas came just by moving around in the game (you know I have no talent to serious play this game )
I hope there will be a various size of the parallax layer because the 312 are important for current skin but I will test everything of course and collect new Ideas. Bad Joyrider, now my brain explodes! :lol:

Oh, why 312 Pixel wide layer? It's because of the 12x12 px tiles from that layer and why 12x12 px? Its because the foreground has 16x16 grid and my background 8x8. -Parallax physique or so. The secret is to find the correct size, color and brightness for the deep-effect - scrolling alone does nearly nothing I have figured out. Thank good there are only 8px difference to 320. ^^ Maybe it will working with other values but for short testing I can say IT LOOKS GREAT! I have to play with brightness and shade (more blueish I think) so the foreground stayes more out.

Oh, if the 2. layer is optional, there will be no need for it in other skins. If file there than layer if not - not... :lol:
Yes, the vertical way has to be done to. Glue the layer to the Levelground ground but with scrolling to. Sounds weird but it will work I think:
-When you on the level bottom, the layer looks as now when you on the level bottom. Aligned to floor. But when reaching higher places, the 2. Layer scrolls to, of course with the 50% speed of the foreground. Because of the overall-scrolling you should never see the bottom end of the layer graphic.... But there are more tests needed.

Besides, I made a longer level but only for various graphic-build experiments. maybe I post it.

AND I have a crazy idea for people with various "solid-earth"-problems and you don't need alpha and you don't need to reedit existing levels to get more freshy gfx-alternation!!!!!!!
...but sorry, I have to test the new FX first... stay tuned!

EDIT: so, here are my improved layer2. It's not easy to find the correct colors and brightness. Everything changes the visual effect of distance. ^^"" But the 312 wide works perfectly - This problem seems solved
I had recolored the box to so there shouldn't be problems with the background anymore. Maybe you have better colors for the box in mind.
Oh, good Idea to hide the 2. Layer in edit mode, makes everything more easy to edit.




And my Idea for more solid-earth tile-fun:
If someone don't like the standard tile, you could alter the earth tile into a placeholder, a template for another bigger texture. This Texture could be 16x16 to or 32x32 or 320x240 but it is only visible where the earth tiles are (and completely texture them out with repeating). This way there can be done many various filled tiles via one Graphic. To fit everything onto all the normal Tiles the big texture should be use the 16x16 tile grid but you could have hunderts of DIFFERENT 16x16 tiles, incl. color keyed transparency.
For example, if I want to let my level look like it looks now, I would use the current earth tile as "texture" for the template-earth tiles. Or I use a big texture where I can mix up various earth tiles or just empty space or...
You know what I want to say? ^^""

 

[joyrider]

Hey fusion,

been fiddling with it all the evening i almost have the vertical scrolling working, this is way harder than i thought, & way harder then the horizontal scrolling. you see i made it so that level can start anywhere in the 50x50 grid (max size for a level) and the viewport is locked onto that position i could be anywhere in that grid so the layer 2 image can start at various Y positions, i almost have it but i'm getting tired and all i'll try to get it working tomorow. Also when a player presses the y button & scrolls the position of the parallax layer is not set correctly again i'll figure that out tomorow as well will start with trying to get vertical working then trying to get images smaller then 320 width working (cause now if u scroll u can see there is a part of the image missing near the ends and it pops up all of a sudden) then i try to get the layer back into its right position after you have scrolled using the Y button. I think i had that fixed for a while could be even in the test version u have but i managed to brake it again and have to refigure all of it out again ;(
i hope i can get it working doh cause it looks cool !

i didn't quite get the trick for the solid tile but i'll reread your post tomorow to tired to understand it now hehe

 

[gaterooze]

I just have to say: you rock, joyrider

 

[fusion_power]

Soon, I will repost my updated Skin, more improved Layer 2 included! I have recolored the Player Sprite so it's more visible on screen. Today I have played with the Layer 2 and redone some graphic and shades here and there.
Yes, I mentioned the disappearing layer on the right when the screen scrolls to the left. These are the missing 8 Pixels right? I think i will try to use a wider layer which would be 24 more pixels and overall 336 Pixels, maybe this let the Layer disappear outside of the visible area.

Oh, I haven't tested the y-scrolling option in the Levels with the new layer, hmm I hope this + vertical scrolling will work someday. Maybe you can "teach" layer 2 to know where the Level starts and ends so the layer is in every level alligned on the right point. Somehow your camera knows when stopping scrolling at the ends of the Level and never shows something outside (only in Editor of course) So I think you can do it. I would allign the 2. layer bottom left or bottom right while Cam has this "0 position" Of course the layer has to be start to the right parallaxing moved position, when the player starts in the air or far away from this 0 point, hmm... Then Layer 2 has to end at his start position if the player/camera reaches this position... I know this is not easy to do. Maybe Google can help (maybe not):
http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/collision.asp
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=parallax%20scroll
http://www.palib.info/wiki_ger/doku.php?id=day13de (german DS tutorial how to code a mario game incl. parallax scrolling but the code is english, maybe it helps you a little bit )
http://www.palib.info/wiki_ger/doku.php?id=day5de (DS background tutorial also with parallax section, english code descriptions )

Would be cool if everything could work at the end, so Users could be surprised with this feature. :lol: The first levels are non-scrolling and you don't expect something happens in the background. (The layer 2 should be always visible, in the level selection to ) And then there comes the first scrolling level.

EDIT: wider layer2 is working! Nothing disappears and everything seems correctly drawn. Nice. I think I keep this 336 wide layer. Looks great.