Monaco Gp2x, First Release - Retro By Design

[twojame]

Hi there chaps,

Hope you are all well. Right then.... What we have here is possibly the worst driving game out ...Well it's perhaps not that bad.

I've kicked major code as* and i'm please to share with you the first release of my humble 2d racing game. My first ever game. I've added many new features and tried to correct the issues raised in the development versions. i.e. impossible AI :rolleyes:

I look forward to all comments and I hope to be of assistance to others making their first games. This has been a great learning process for me. I've really enjoyed making it and I recommend others to have a go at doing the same.

notes:
*delete '_resources' folder if upgrading.
*the game now supports motorway driving(aka Spy Hunter).
*Support for multiple checkpoints which are configurable using the level editor. Over 19000 tiles used for the game level. Game ships with 2 checkpoints with a level pack in development.
*tested with f200 firmware 4.0 and Windows XP (waiting on my brother for f100 firmware 2.11 testing)
*for further details please see readme in download...from my website.

*I'm personally hosting the content for now. Please do not put in archive. Still more to come (a/b/c)...

dev notes:
---------
v1.0.0...

Support motorway driving (aka Spy Hunter) with standard level format of {o,r,r,o,o,r,r,o} , where o is not road and r is road
Revise loading bar for very long levels that take a few moments to load
Adjust alpha blend on scoring UI for better visibility of new motorway driving
CPU set at 233mhz...
New tile type ***'97'***... Place anywhere within level and it will grant ***30*** seconds extra play. 3 new challenging checkpoints/stages in game.
You can move it around to make the game time easier or harder. I've got it at just the right spot to wind everyone up!
2 new sets of level data for first release.
Overhaul the draw road function. This allows for far more level data and multiple stages. The tweak is required to keep 50fps gameplay.

v0.9.9...

When crash force ai to be on left plane-easier. Update highscore as its being beaten.

...snip (see readme)

 

[jbrodack]

I had been following the releases of this on your site and am happy to see it reach 1.0. I was just starting to get frustrated with the course and my scores when you introduce the checkpoint system which let me get to some new stuff which was refreshing to see.

great work on this. fun game even though I always crash numerous times in the narrow dark tunnel.

 

[twojame]

I had been following the releases of this on your site and am happy to see it reach 1.0. I was just starting to get frustrated with the course and my scores when you introduce the checkpoint system which let me get to some new stuff which was refreshing to see.

great work on this. fun game even though I always crash numerous times in the narrow dark tunnel.

Hi there,

thanks for following along.

I was very worried at the start as I had a serious bug in there which stopped me from designing levels beyond 60 seconds. Each time I did the framerate on the gp2x slowed to a crawl. With that fixed I could now go upto many many more checkpoints. Having said that my brother mentioned that in his opinion the game length is just right. Just glad to get there in the end The whole lot nearly went through the window many times :lol:

One of the issues I had with earlier builds is that it was just sooooo hard. I used to force my girlfriend to playtest it. She hates me now and wants to move out , but anyway if you have any further observations to perhaps 'help the player out' in the tunnels please let me know.

edit: v1.0.0a is up... nothing major just better visibility.

edit: my bro has confirmed that it works on <f100 firmware 2.11>

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Congrats on completion twojame

I'll give this a go tonight.

 

[twojame]

Congrats on completion twojame

I'll give this a go tonight.

cool...take a look have a play

 

[senquack]

Just tried the new version, quite improved and fun.. One idea for improvement is a highscore table with initials (even if this was not a feature of the original games)

 

[twojame]

Just tried the new version, quite improved and fun.. One idea for improvement is a highscore table with initials (even if this was not a feature of the original games)

Glad to here you feel that the new version is improved and fun. Even i'm finding it much better now... The thing that was killing it before was the repeated crashing issues and short levels.

You may laugh at this, but I did actually create a spec for a full highscore table abit like most of the retro games out there. {todays 8 best etc}... Unfortunately I felt the need to prioritise other features (checkpoints etc) over a full highscore module for release 1. Having said that I will be working on another game and the first feature for that is a highscore module. So there is a good possibility that i'll just drag over the module and recompile “Monaco GP2x”... I don't see why not I could release such a module for people to use in their games for free...

bye for now.

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Very nice game Great work twojame

Liked the inclusion of the windows version, might have to erm, borrow that idea..

 

[twojame]

Very nice game Great work twojame

Liked the inclusion of the windows version, might have to erm, borrow that idea..

Thanks very much for that. Yeah it didn't come out that bad in the end.... I've enjoyed making it so thats the key thing for me.

Sure do the windows thingy . The only issue I have is that I need to include a controller mapping for the windows version. Whats preset works ok for now, but still...

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

I've enjoyed making it so thats the key thing for me.

I hear you bro. B)

 

[onumad]

Really a nice remake. I can only request you that add a 4 or 5 seconds of immunity when we collide with a car or with the wall.

Regards! and keep this good work.

 

[twojame]

Really a nice remake. I can only ask you that add a 4 or 5 seconds of immunity when we collide with a car or with the wall.

Regards! and keep this good work.

Thanks for that. I should be pushing out another minor revision yet

All the best....

 

[jbrodack]

Really a nice remake. I can only ask you that add a 4 or 5 seconds of immunity when we collide with a car or with the wall.

Regards! and keep this good work.

Thanks for that. I should be pushing out another minor revision yet

All the best....


I think I had suggested something like that before. If you put that in it should probably only be a second or two. Make it too long and some of the skill required is lost. Maybe put something like that in a special easy mode or something with its own highscore list.

Really, the only area that still bothers me is driving in dark narrow tunnels. I had also suggested a while back that maybe you could treat more minor side hits as having less impact than a full collision so that tapping another car in a tunnel doesn't totally stop you. Another alternate suggestion would be to give the AI cars some kind of light source you can see when you're in the dark. You still wouldn't have the full visibility until they are in your headlight but before that you'd see some kind of indicator of where they are so you don't have completely wait until they're right on you to start avoiding them. Last alternative I can thing of is to simply extend how far your headlights shine when in the dark. I think that may be the best and easiest way to do it.

For me that's the only part of the game that actually feels unfair. I've learned to time my entrance back on the road to avoid multiple collisions in a row. Though, narrow bridges can be (very) tricky, with careful maneuvering you can still get through them unscathed. With the dark tunnels it seems that if I don't hit anyone its more luck that cars didn't move in my way then skill on my part.

 

[twojame]

Really a nice remake. I can only ask you that add a 4 or 5 seconds of immunity when we collide with a car or with the wall.

Regards! and keep this good work.

Thanks for that. I should be pushing out another minor revision yet

All the best....


I think I had suggested something like that before. If you put that in it should probably only be a second or two. Make it too long and some of the skill required is lost. Maybe put something like that in a special easy mode or something with its own highscore list.

Really, the only area that still bothers me is driving in dark narrow tunnels. I had also suggested a while back that maybe you could treat more minor side hits as having less impact than a full collision so that tapping another car in a tunnel doesn't totally stop you. Another alternate suggestion would be to give the AI cars some kind of light source you can see when you're in the dark. You still wouldn't have the full visibility until they are in your headlight but before that you'd see some kind of indicator of where they are so you don't have completely wait until they're right on you to start avoiding them. Last alternative I can thing of is to simply extend how far your headlights shine when in the dark. I think that may be the best and easiest way to do it.

For me that's the only part of the game that actually feels unfair. I've learned to time my entrance back on the road to avoid multiple collisions in a row. Though, narrow bridges can be (very) tricky, with careful maneuvering you can still get through them unscathed. With the dark tunnels it seems that if I don't hit anyone its more luck that cars didn't move in my way then skill on my part.


Thanks for some very interesting points here.

I like the idea of giving the AI it's own light source (or 2 white dots someplace on the AI). I was playing with something similar before, maybe combined with a slightly longer player light beam as you mentioned. This is the main area of the game that i've struggled to get right (feel right). I keep making minor adjustments which makes it easier, but perhaps a few more are required is the consensus.

edit 1: version v1.0.0b..>adjustment to difficulty (car headlight, ai night col), increase length default level. Speedup AI checks. *If upgrading delete resources folder.

v1.0.0b shown...

another small step for man in the direction of easier gameplay and faster framerates

 

[jbrodack]

Nice update with 1.0b. However, one problem I encountered after upgrading by deleting the old resources folder and moving the new one in, is that I got no sound when I played the first time and when I tried to exit it just hanged on me and didn't return to gmenu. Once I restarted my gp2x and played again I had no such problems. Not too big a deal since it just happened on the first play but thought I'd mention it.

Now what I really wanted to comment on: I love the tweaks in this version. The way you implemented light on the AI cars in the dark is exactly the subtle way I had pictured it. Plus the distance the distance of the headlight just seems right.

After playing a couple times I reached 4418. Previous threads for this had mentioned high scores so I thought I'd mention mine.

The great thing about this version is that though it can still be frustrating I always feel its my fault when I screw up, thought I'd like to blame it on something else sometimes . But really the tweaks as far as I see makes thing more fair but don't eliminate the skill needed to do well. Sometimes with freeware games people try to get the dev to make it easier but such changes would actually make the game lose some of its original appeal. Some devs stick to their vision, some try to please players and later regret it. Point is, I'm glad you listened to suggestions but stayed true to retro, skill based gameplay, where paying attention to the finer details of the game pays off.

So great job with the game and I feel the tweaks on this version make the difficulty perfect. Though I would also like to hear what others have to say.

edit: changed estimate to exact score

 

[twojame]

Nice update with 1.0b. However, one problem I encountered after upgrading by deleting the old resources folder and moving the new one in, is that I got no sound when I played the first time and when I tried to exit it just hanged on me and didn't return to gmenu. Once I restarted my gp2x and played again I had no such problems. Not too big a deal since it just happened on the first play but thought I'd mention it.

Now what I really wanted to comment on: I love the tweaks in this version. The way you implemented light on the AI cars in the dark is exactly the subtle way I had pictured it. Plus the distance the distance of the headlight just seems right.

After playing a couple times I reached 4418. Previous threads for this had mentioned high scores so I thought I'd mention mine.

The great thing about this version is that though it can still be frustrating I always feel its my fault when I screw up, thought I'd like to blame it on something else sometimes . But really the tweaks as far as I see makes thing more fair but don't eliminate the skill needed to do well. Sometimes with freeware games people try to get the dev to make it easier but such changes would actually make the game lose some of its original appeal. Some devs stick to their vision, some try to please players and later regret it. Point is, I'm glad you listened to suggestions but stayed true to retro, skill based gameplay, where paying attention to the finer details of the game pays off.

So great job with the game and I feel the tweaks on this version make the difficulty perfect. Though I would also like to hear what others have to say.

edit: changed estimate to exact score

thank you for taking a moment to play test the new release and some very interesting comments here. I'm glad your enjoying it.

regarding the 'no sound' that happened to you once it's something that I've noticed 1 out of a few dozen plays. Strange, but I'll keep an eye out . I've got solid fresh batteries (The game runs at 233mhz) in this morning and with a new build direct from the website it's fine. So touch wood...

I've always tried to make very small adjustments so as not to damage the core game mechanics, but take any annoying fustration out of the gameplay... Part of my vision was that to do well you need to weave in and out of the AI, use the brakes, get close to the AI then gas it past them. That sort of thing... Just like the arcade vids...

edit: I've stomped all over your score with 5628

 

[jbrodack]

I'm catching up to you. High score is currently (edit) 5456. This can be a real intense game especially when trying to break high score.

Main reason for this post is that I came across a bug with checkpoints that I could have used to cheat and break my high score but would have been really lame. Anyway, at around where a checkpoint is I hit another car and somehow being stuck right where a checkpoint is (I probably crashed more than once there) kept giving me the time bonus. I had over 100 seconds left afterwords though I sucked that race. I don't remember exact details but thats the best I can describe how it happened.

 

[twojame]

I'm catching up to you. High score is currently 5303. This can be a real intense game especially when trying to break high score.

Main reason for this post is that I came across a bug with checkpoints that I could have used to cheat and break my high score but would have been really lame. Anyway, at around where a checkpoint is I hit another car and somehow being stuck right where a checkpoint is (I probably crashed more than once there) kept giving me the time bonus. I had over 100 seconds left afterwords though I sucked that race. I don't remember exact details but thats the best I can describe how it happened.

Yeah its a good game for score beating... I thank its possible to clear 6k of points with the current level... Thats what i'm going for.

I think there is a small issue that can arrise if a crash occurs at the exact same time of a checkpoint grant. I'll be releasing an adjusted level soon to minimise the issue . This is due to the way in which the level data get sent to the game engine. I'm aware of the issue, but thanks for reporting...

Rgds,

edit 1: v1.0.0c..>Increase road around checkpoint grant tiles...., nothing major (on the website)

edit 2: v1.0.1>New 'Queue tile system' for all special tile to game engine actions (warning flags, checkpoints etc). This allows the level designer to string together complex sequences of warning tiles and checkpoints. This also fixes the issue raised by jbrodack regarding checkpoints.

edit 3: v1.0.2b>Fix occasional lockup on AI look ahead....see readme for further details. L Trigger/F Key toggles debug output...

THE END :lol: ....time to put the kettle on then go for a lie down

 

[jbrodack]

I don't know if you did any better yet but I finally beat the high score you had posted. My best is now 5740. So many obscenities were yelled trying to get that score.

The version I was using is 1.0.0b

I haven't tried the newer versions yet though I see you fixed the AI going where they shouldn't from looking at the readme. That was one thing I was going to mention since rarely that threw them in weird places that are almost impossible to dodge. A last annoyance is that sometimes when I hit the AI on a bridge I get smacked again repeatedly without moving. It's a rare occurrence and not too big a deal as I was able to stop it by moving out the way (into the water) then going back on the bridge, but still a last balance issue to look at if you feel like it.

Anyway if you're finished with it you made a hell of a good game. Your attention to detail really shows through at least to me. And if not I look forward to seeing more tracks and stuff.

 

[twojame]

I don't know if you did any better yet but I finally beat the high score you had posted. My best is now 5740. So many obscenities were yelled trying to get that score.

The version I was using is 1.0.0b

I haven't tried the newer versions yet though I see you fixed the AI going where they shouldn't from looking at the readme. That was one thing I was going to mention since rarely that threw them in weird places that are almost impossible to dodge. A last annoyance is that sometimes when I hit the AI on a bridge I get smacked again repeatedly without moving. It's a rare occurrence and not too big a deal as I was able to stop it by moving out the way (into the water) then going back on the bridge, but still a last balance issue to look at if you feel like it.

Anyway if you're finished with it you made a hell of a good game. Your attention to detail really shows through at least to me. And if not I look forward to seeing more tracks and stuff.

thanks for the comments on this. The feedback is great.

I say its finished, but I still enjoy the odd tinker with the game :lol: :gp2x :lol: ... Expect minor revisions for the next 10 years

Get ready to say goodbye to your score!

edit 1: My game can now be found in the archive. However please check at my website for the latest version and level editor.