New Version Of Wire3d

[charlieb]

It been a while since the last release and since I'm pretty happy with the graphics and gameplay at this point I thought I'd make my first upload to archive.gp2x.de.

Please grab and test (and enjoy) the latest release.

Updates include:

• Proper game menu system.
• Campaign and level play options
• Objects fade at distance (extra depth cue)
• Improved targetting and lock system
• Tutorial Campaign
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Please give me feedback on any aspect of the game.

Enjoy!
charlie

 

[linoleum13]

Do you have a couple of screen shots? This sounds interesting but I dont have time to play it right now.

 

[deps]

I second the request for screenshots. My GP2X haven't arrived yet
(and no word from the company that sold it to me. I'm starting to fear the worst )

 

[charlieb]

Here's an old screenshot, give me a few minutes ...

 

[Alex.]

Hey Charlie, good to see a new release of this game I remember I tried the first one and it was a lot of fun. I am glad you decided to turn it into a full-fledged game! I will try this as soon as my batteries finish recharging.

Keep up the good work

 

[fredster83]

Just had quick go with it and it's a pretty good game. Thumbs up from me!
I cant seem to do anything other than repeat the tutorial, even tho I've finished it (twice)

 

[charlieb]

Yeah there isn't much content yet but if you go into the level menu and select "hard" I think you'll be kept busy for a little while (you must destroy *every* cube to pass)

From the "hard" level:

 

[Null]

It's a fun game, but I think it would be useful if you added a control configuration option because at the moment I keep accidentally knocking the X button and failing the level.

 

[charlieb]

It's a fun game, but I think it would be useful if you added a control configuration option because at the moment I keep accidentally knocking the X button and failing the level.

Yes, you're right, also the fire and double speed buttons could be better placed (i.e. so you can hold speed and fire repeatedly)

 

[virusx]

Yep great style of game. I used to like the original wire star wars arcade game .
The fact that we have to keep Y pushed is a bit hard with the A for fire. You should bind it to the R shoulder button.

Looking forward to test more of this!

 

[Lithosphere]

Nice game!

I really like the graphics. The gameplay itself I find a bit boring and too difficult in the "hard" level. For tutorials it is ok that everything has to be done. But for the game itself it may be better to work with a score of how much cubes you got instead of having to get each cube in the level.

I would also like the double speed at the R button because A + Y is a bit difficult to switch.

 

[Gruntfuggly]

Would it be possible to add the classic 'star field' effect so it feels like you are travelling through space? At the moment it feels like you are just moving a cursor around to blow things up - with a feeling of movement, you'd be half way to writing a GP2X version of Rez!

 

[clone]

Would it be possible to add the classic 'star field' effect so it feels like you are travelling through space? At the moment it feels like you are just moving a cursor around to blow things up - with a feeling of movement, you'd be half way to writing a GP2X version of Rez!

Haha, now it just needs a progressive trance soundtrack and to flash up random pseudo-philasophical messages every once in a while

Why limit it to a star-field... If your engine allows for it you could always make it like an on-the-rails shooter, so you're dragged through a 3D environment and have to destory cubes for some unknown reason. But that's probably a bit too convoluted of an idea, so instead I think I'll just stick to congratulating you on what you have already achieved. Well done.

 

[charlieb]

with a feeling of movement, you'd be half way to writing a GP2X version of Rez!

Actually that game was the inspiration for this even though I have never actually played Rez I have seen it played and I thought it looked fantastic. So thank-you, fine praise indeed.

Why limit it to a star-field... If your engine allows for it you could always make it like an on-the-rails shooter, so you're dragged through a 3D environment and have to destory cubes for some unknown reason. But that's probably a bit too convoluted of an idea, so instead I think I'll just stick to congratulating you on what you have already achieved. Well done.

The engine is definitelly capable of a full rails shooter it's really just a case of generating the content and making sure that it doesn't get too confusing with all the wires everywhere.

The gameplay itself I find a bit boring and too difficult in the "hard" level.
<snip>
But for the game itself it may be better to work with a score of how much cubes you got instead of having to get each cube in the level.

Yup, content, got it . You actually don't have to necessarily get every cube in every level it's just the hard level. The level files are just text and it you look at the header there is a score item that tells you what score you have to get to pass the level. Scores are calculated like so: each cube destroyed is worth 1 point, the score for each group destroyed at once is squared so 2 cubes destroyed together is 4 points and 3 cubes is 9 points. The hard level is ... wrong actually ... the required score is set to 216 which is double what it should be ... oops ... 12 waves of 3 cubes each is 9*12=108 damn, please feel free to change it to 108.

No-one's mentioned the lack of sound yet so I'll make that a secondary priotity to generating more content and changing the keys around.

Thanks for trying it and I'm really happy that you all think its good.

Cheers
Charlie

 

[jbrodack]

yeah im liking this too. more content and this could be something to play for a while

 

[charlieb]

I've made a new build and added a couple of levels.
Keys are now:
In menus: A selects, X backs out
In game: A is fire, R is double speed and start is quit.

Levels:
Easy version of the hard level
Circles level, somewhat complete level with lots of spirals and stuff.

Since the archive latency is too much for small releases I have put a release on my basement web server:
http://charlieb.hopto.org/wire3d.tar.gz

I have a darcs repository at http://charlieb.hopto.org/darcs/wire3d with a web interface at http://charlieb.hopto.org/cgi-bin/darcsweb.cgi

Enjoy!
charlieb

p.s. the combination of old hardware and sucky upload bandwidth (50K/s max) means you may not get great download speeds so please have patience

Updated the circles level again, it's finished now.

 

[chaozz]

I love Rez on my PS2 so I am sure to check out your game. Hope you will finish it, cuz it looks promosing.

 

[charlieb]

I love Rez on my PS2 so I am sure to check out your game. Hope you will finish it, cuz it looks promosing.

I will definitelly finish it, in fact as far a graphics and gameplay go it's pretty much there. It's no Rez tho, there's no sound yet, no backgrounds and no textures. I will fix the first two but I'm not getting into textures; I'm sure they're simpler to code than I think they are but no, not this project.

Oh yeah and content, I must generate more content.

Cheers
charlieb

 

[Huxley]

Personally I think textures would take something away from this game. Its beauty is its simplicity.

Anyway, thought it might not work when I was playing through the tutorials but the levels proper are great fun. Look forward to the next update...

 

[A_SN]

Interesting. I like your use of vector graphics. What do you use to antialias your lines? Looks like linear anti-aliasing to me.

Anyways, I couldn't get past the one tutorial which says something like "you can only target 3 cubes, shoot two from each group" I keep failing this one, I just don't get it.

Oh also, I noticed quite some geometrical distorition in the render of your cubes when they're far from the center of the screen.