Pandora League Dodgeball - Help Wanted

[Zuk]

I was going to release Pandora League Dodgeball, a Super Dodge Ball (NES) clone/update, for the Pandora Rebirth Compitition. Fortunately, and unfortunately I got a new job and will be moving around quite a lot for the next month or so. This isn't going to leave me time to finish it for the compitition, so I figured I'd try to start getting help with this now.


I have found out that I am a horrible spriter. :huh: Also, I don't have my sound equipment with me so I can't really write any background music, sound effects, ect.


The game is the same basic premise and layout as Super Dodge Ball, but with these updates:

• Multiple balls in play at the same time (optional)
  
• Faster gameplay
  
• Super Throws with Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat like key combos
  
• Local two player is already in place, but I want to try my hand at some two player net code after the rest of the engine is complete.
  
• Different balls for the different levels, maybe with different properties. I haven't gotten that far yet.
  

Instead of having teams by country, I was going with these:

• Pirates
  
• Robots
  
• Ninjas
  
• Aliens
  
• Vikings
  
• Zombies
  
• The Pandora Dev Team (As the final stage)
  

I'm writing it in GLBasic, and I would say I am about 60% done with the code for a functional game. I'm planning to release open-source, if that matters to you. I've attached some example sprites I've been working with. I'm liking the 8 bit look, but I'm open to a different style if it works well. If you are interested in helping out, post some sprites or PM me.

 

[Zuk]

If anyone can point me to a good, free capture software for Win 7 I'll make a vid and post it. I just tried CamStudio but the video comes out all stretched and crazy.


EDIT: added OS

 

[pmprog]

FRAPS, it's not free (though there is a free download, can't remember the limits though). It's great, I use it to record games like Starcraft 2.

 

[Zuk]

Sorry for the slow replies. I've been tied up in getting ready to move. I got FRAPS (Thanks pmprog!), I just want to add a few more functions in before I make/post the vid.

 

[pmprog]

Cool, look forward to seeing it

 

[Teajunky]

Loving the themed balls. Brain ball really explains to me why zombies would play.

 

[Zuk]

Loving the themed balls. Brain ball really explains to me why zombies would play.

Thanks! I ripped the sprites from the original game to get a starting point and start programming. I am slowly (and not doing a very good job of) replacing them. The idea is each stage is themed to the opponent, including the balls. The skull is for the viking stage. The grey ball is for the alien stage. I figured the robot stage might have a giant nut to throw around. I don't know what I am going to do for ninjas yet. Pirates will probably have a cannon ball. I'm trying to think of more teams as well. I think I've covered most of the "cool" genres.


The original idea was to rip sprites from other games to make teams. Like Team Atari, Team Mario, Team Megaman, ect... Unfortunately that would have disqualified me from the compitition. I think it would be pretty easy to add something like team packs to make the game extensable and add characters. So, maybe that will still happen.


EDIT: Added info about original idea.

 

[Fworg64]

Ninja's are easy! Do some shurikens!

 

[Zuk]

Ninja's are easy! Do some shurikens!

I considered that too. What dissuaded me was my thought that if you got hit with a giant shuriken you would die instantly. Also, shurikens bouncing around like a ball wouldn't look quite right.

 

[Zuk]

Sorry I haven't posted the vid yet. I was moving around blocks of code when I was overly tired and messed a few things up. I've almost un-fudged it all and will have a vid soon. I also googled around and dropped a couple of lines to pay-for-work spriters because nobody here really seems to be interested. I haven't been able to get a rough quote back from anyone. Does anyone know of a reliable source for spriters, paid or otherwise? I don't mind dropping some money on the project if it means I will have good sprites. Also, dumping some money on it will probably help motivate me to finish sooner.

 

[pmprog]

Both PixelJoint and Pixelation forums have a job request section. There's some good artists on both sites. I'm assuming you wanted pixel artists?


http://www.pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=11


http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?board=6.0

 

[Zuk]

Yes, I'm looking for pixel art. I belive it was Pixeljoint that I found. I looked through several examples of most everyone's work and e-mailed the two people I thought had a look that was great and matched what I'm doing. it's only been a couple of days, but nothing yet.


Also, I just got a PM... I may have found someone from here on the forum.

 

[Zuk]

OK, here's a vid. I was playing myself, so the action isn't that great. For debugging I have a button that switches me back and forth from player one to player two. I also have a "reset" button that I press a time or two. I copied my code from one computer to the other, but not the sprites. I had renamed some of the sprites so it looks like I lost load on a sprite or two making some of the characters just disappear while doing some actions. The red arrows are the "throw" targets. The blue arrows are the "pass" targets. You can choose your targets by which direction your character is facing. It defaults to whomever is in the center depeding on your point of view, but if you press the left or right buttons it will switch focus to the left or right accordingly.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zk5VzgqtdqU?feature=oembed

Roughly what I have so far...

• Walking
  
• Passing
  
• Targeting
  
• Throwing
  
• Catching
  
• Picking up the ball
  
• Damage (right now it's just a random amount)
  
• Ducking
  
• Jumping
  
• Throwing while jumping
  
• Ball "physics"
  
• Input queue (shown at the bottom left) in prep for the special move detection
  
• Boundry enforcement
  

There is still a lot of stuff left to code, and to tweak, but it's coming along nicely.

 

[skeezix]

ha, pretty cute Now just needs powerups! (3 ball, hard thrower that knocks people over..)


jeff

 

[Zuk]

ha, pretty cute Now just needs powerups! (3 ball, hard thrower that knocks people over..)


jeff

Thanks! If you have ever played Super Dodge Ball you know the hard throws are coming. Back then, hitting the guy so hard he flew back through the other side of the screen just seemed brutal, and I loved it. I want to crank it up a notch, so after hard throws there will be super throws. It's going to be painful.

 

[DaMummy]

I'm guessing we won't be able to scissor-kick the ball back into thrower the way Nintendo World Cup had?

 

[Zuk]

I'm pretty sure scissor-kicks are against dodge ball rules. Now if you are holding a ball and bounce a throw back at the other guy, that is a different story.

 

[pmprog]

Looks great!

 

[Zuk]

Just a small update to let you know this isn't dead.


I've done all my moving and am settled in at my new job. I've been coding hardcore on this for the last couple days. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I have started again from scratch. The new goal is to primarily support Pandora, but also make it easy to compile to Wiz, Caanoo, Windows, and Linux (I also own and use these platforms). I'm not planning for touch screen only devices, but someone should be able to come in after me and impliment support easily if they want it. I'm making my code as multi-platform and open-source as GLBASIC allows.


Moz has been working his ass off for me on sprites and I just changed the name of the game on him with my new codebase. I feel bad because I really liked where his sprites were going. They were a more 16 bit look, but I think we are about to go back to an eight bit look to make everything even with scaling across platforms.


My other announced project, Space Base Pandora (do any of you remember that?), is on hold for the moment. I decided to knock Pandora League Dodgeball out because I thought it would be easier. I didn't realize faux physics in a faux 3D/2D environment would be so time consuming/hard to get correct. I won't stop until the controls feel *right* and the ball moves *right*. I can't stand a dodgeball game with bad ball "physics". I REALLY can't stand a game with bad controls.


For all of you out there, please let me know what controllers you are using with anything PC, Pandora, Chtulu MC, whatever game pad, iCP modes used, ect. I'm trying to accomodate everything I can. There is a F*-load of stuff out there, though.


Notaz, Skeezix, Aria64, MWeston, Pickle, McCobit, and any other super coder, firmware writer, porter, harware designer, or Pandora anything extrordinaire (please correct me if I forgot you in this list, there are too many to name and I am somewhat drunk. ), I'd like to add you into the final round as the insurrmountable Pandora Dev Team. I do not wish to do this without your blessing, though. I already have ED and Craigix's blessing. on my other game. I assume this applies to this game as well. Please note otherwise if it doesn't. There are 12 spaces. I have ED and Craig filled, I think...


Thanks again everyone!


~Zuk

 

[Zuk]

Milkshake, linuxswat, link, I didn't mean to disinclude you... anyone really, stand up, I'm bad with names (and a bit drunk).


Gruso, Prometheus, Sony, mods or users with 2k+ posts...