Pandora Pandora Panic


The graphics are really unique and I like the somewhat geeky style ;) but I would swap the background for something more simple, maybe just a gradient or a solid color, the way it now is it is much too disturbing and also hard to see the maze and enemies.

hehe, thanks. the graphics are just made by me, and im no expert. I will try to enhance it some more, all in the current style because that's all i know : P The background was one of the things i did not get to yet, but i needed something otherwise sprites would not be deleted..

And i made the counter go behind the maze and enemies when the hero is near, but im planning on making things flash quite a bit if time gets short
 
Just another quick video update:

New Video

Has players spear fixed so it clips properly with the floor, has animation for player, and has some scrolling clouds at the top of the screen. The scrolling clouds actually took quite a while to do because they move really slowly, so by default you really notice them jumping along each time they move across a pixel boundary, so now they are rendered three times, once at the current location, once a pixel to the left, and once a pixel to the right. The right/left versions are blended in and out to give a smooth (ish) transition.

Still more work to do but I thought I'd do a quick update!

Steve
 
I'm loving the recent updates, all you guys rock!
I know I have come across as being a bit of a lazy ass recently. That's not strictly true, but I'm not working as much as I feel I should be. The new computer(because of laptop) has caused time to be spent on setting up and stress with the hole it burnt in my wallet(I'm not rich so £413 on a comp is a big deal...(pm if you feel like paypalling me something :lol: ))

Anyway regardless I'm trying to fix some annoying animation related bugs that Dragons_Slayer pointed out to me(you really should add them to the bug tracker though...)
I'm setting a Penjin test suite project for this sort of thing to try and reduce some of the more annoying bugs. I will add this to the Penjin repo as soon as I have anything real to show.

Some things that are still left for us to do in the time before Pandora launch:

  • Feature freeze and tidy. There are minigames with more serious bugs than physics glitches and logic errors(memleaks/segfaults) These either need to be fixed or cut from the first release.
  • Readme.txt - we as devs may know how to setup and play the game, but this game needs to be accesible to an end user too.
  • PXML - there is a draft version by MarkoeZ and I believe it is in the repo. The PXML format has had some revisions, the PXML file should be brought up to the latest standard.
  • PND packaging? I don't know much about this really, but if that's the format were expected to follow then it's something we need to look into.
  • Finilised Pandora controls - Last time I setup Pandora controls... Joystick buttons weren't really working in SDL on Pandora, I had to map some of the keys instead... I will look into this... again. If anyone can shed some light quickly, then that will help things!
  • Anything else I've overlooked.
  • Build a final Pandora build and package everything and send it to ED to put on the CD! :)
I know I've said things WE need to do and that's because I really do need all you guys to help get this finished, I'm struggling to have a thinking mind with my crappy bar job, I hate it... but anyways I'm doing what I can if you feel you are able to take on something on this todo list, then please shout up here!
And with that I'm going to try and fix those animation bugs, catch ya later!
 
Just added the AnimatedSprite issue to the Penjin bug tracker, When I find other bugs I will add them immediately :)

I will also try to finish one complete art style for my arenagame and fix the code as there are still some pointers that don't get deleted and that is not good.
 
PokeParadox said:
  • Finilised Pandora controls - Last time I setup Pandora controls... Joystick buttons weren't really working in SDL on Pandora, I had to map some of the keys instead... I will look into this... again. If anyone can shed some light quickly, then that will help things![
How many games do actualy support the Touchscreen? :) I can imagine many funny games that take advantage of this input method. I hope, Pandora-Panic will not be gamecontrols-only.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
fusion_power said:
PokeParadox said:
  • Finilised Pandora controls - Last time I setup Pandora controls... Joystick buttons weren't really working in SDL on Pandora, I had to map some of the keys instead... I will look into this... again. If anyone can shed some light quickly, then that will help things![
How many games do actualy support the Touchscreen? :) I can imagine many funny games that take advantage of this input method. I hope, Pandora-Panic will not be gamecontrols-only.

Currently no game uses the touchscreen, but I can imagine some fun games using it too (I once started making a Flash minigame collection with touchscreen controlled games - for the Archos 605 and 5, around 15 games are done by now). But currently all games use button or nubs control and as the game is pretty fast it would be too hard / frustrating / confusing to have to switch to the touchscreen for a game. Maybe there will be some dedicated touchscreen games in the future, but not now and it's better that way...

Btw, good to see it is coming all together, maybe someone should ask ED about the deadline for the CD so we have a fixed date...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Of course I mean games FOR the touchscreen, this kind of mini-Game-compilation is actually made for heavy Touchscreen Usage, I wonder why nobody has made a game for this cool Pandora-feature.
Imaging "wipe the screen clean" games or games where you have to connect things with a drawn line or "paint a way through a labyrinth" or one of these puzzles where you have to move the elements to reveal a coorect picture...
so many possibilities... :)
Or is it just to complicated to code Touchscreen-input?
 
fusion_power said:
Or is it just to complicated to code Touchscreen-input?
It totally isn't, everyone's just lazy (or too used to the GP32 or whatever) :p

The touchscreen is just a mouse per default, and a mouse is all you need for the things you talked about.

I would also like to see some touchscreen-based challenges.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I had been thinking about some touchscreen games, it is possible for sure, the only thing that these games need is a intro screen saying something like "Ready to touch..." or "Stylus ready!" so you have some time to take your stylus. Or we could make a separate minigame library apart from the normal one.
 
fusion_power said:
Of course I mean games FOR the touchscreen, this kind of mini-Game-compilation is actually made for heavy Touchscreen Usage, I wonder why nobody has made a game for this cool Pandora-feature.
Imaging "wipe the screen clean" games or games where you have to connect things with a drawn line or "paint a way through a labyrinth" or one of these puzzles where you have to move the elements to reveal a coorect picture...
so many possibilities... :)
Or is it just to complicated to code Touchscreen-input?
Yeah the possibilities are certainly endless and entertaining, I would also like to see some, but as I said I would not mix button controlled and touchscreen controlled games as you always had to change the way you hold the pandora (with both hands for full button control or with only one hand while the other is used for the touchscreen input).
Dragons_Slayer said:
I had been thinking about some touchscreen games, it is possible for sure, the only thing that these games need is a intro screen saying something like "Ready to touch..." or "Stylus ready!" so you have some time to take your stylus. Or we could make a separate minigame library apart from the normal one.
That would help (maybe add a check that it only continues after you have pressed a button when you are ready), but imo having two different "libraries" of minigames is the better way to go (though developing a library system for minigames would be a lot of work I suppose, so you would simply have to release two different games/executables).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
foxblock said:
fusion_power said:
Of course I mean games FOR the touchscreen, this kind of mini-Game-compilation is actually made for heavy Touchscreen Usage, I wonder why nobody has made a game for this cool Pandora-feature.
Imaging "wipe the screen clean" games or games where you have to connect things with a drawn line or "paint a way through a labyrinth" or one of these puzzles where you have to move the elements to reveal a coorect picture...
so many possibilities... :)
Or is it just to complicated to code Touchscreen-input?
Yeah the possibilities are certainly endless and entertaining, I would also like to see some, but as I said I would not mix button controlled and touchscreen controlled games as you always had to change the way you hold the pandora (with both hands for full button control or with only one hand while the other is used for the touchscreen input).
Dragons_Slayer said:
I had been thinking about some touchscreen games, it is possible for sure, the only thing that these games need is a intro screen saying something like "Ready to touch..." or "Stylus ready!" so you have some time to take your stylus. Or we could make a separate minigame library apart from the normal one.
That would help (maybe add a check that it only continues after you have pressed a button when you are ready), but imo having two different "libraries" of minigames is the better way to go (though developing a library system for minigames would be a lot of work I suppose, so you would simply have to release two different games/executables).

Yes I think this is the next feature to add after the first public (non test) release. The touch screen is already handled so it is certainly possible to make these sorts of minigames.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Speaking purely from a player's perspective, I'd just like to say that I'd love to see some touch-screen stuff added. :) It would make for some nice variety, and could perhaps add a touch of freneticism to the proceedings. Not knowing what to expect next is always fun - it's something that made, for example, WarioWare so amusing. Dragons_Slayer's "Stylus Ready!" warning would definitely be needed, of course.

Additionally, there's nothing stopping you from holding a stylus at the ready in your palm whilst you're playing the non-touch-screen games, after all. :lol: (Even with the Nintendo DS, it's always amazed me that nobody else seems to realise that you can do this, and instead complained about having to reach for a stylus during games that mix "standard" and stylus input... :blink: )
 
I'm going to have to vote for no touchscreen games in the first Pandora Panic. Either make all touchscreen games or all controller games, but don't mix the two. The thing that makes these games fun is frantically switching between different types of games. But you don't want to also have to fumble for the controls. You want to be thrown into a situation where you have to immediately work the controls that your hands are already on.

In this regard, I think a lot of the minigames could be pushed in a more frantic direction. Plander needs to start with your rocketship hurdling towards the rocky cliff-face, and you have to hit the booster rockets immediately to avoid death. Joust needs to start with you in the air and several enemies bearing down on you. Pang needs to start with more balls in motion, and more obstacles to block your spear. Punch Wrestler needs to get right into the fight, etc. The player needs to be thrown into situations where they have to make a split-second decision immediately.

Also, personally I think the Bad Vista game needs to go. It doesn't look very fun or clever. It's really annoying when Linux games try to take pot shots at Microsoft, or think they can get away with weak gameplay because they feature Tux as their hero (tux racer and super tux are really shallow implementations of the games they try to emulate). Maybe if you had a game where Steve Ballmer threw chairs at you and you had to dodge them then you could reach the level of amusing parody. But chunking the windows logo into a stick-figure trashcan just isn't up to the level that a launch title for a new platform should be at.

Right now the Pandora Panic team should be focusing on completing the games that are part of Pandora Panic, and polishing their gameplay, controls, and graphics to as professional a level as possible. Nothing should have stick figures or line art; these need to be replaced before release. Make sure every mini games is fun and looks good!

Gambatte!
 
mduffor said:
Nothing should have stick figures or line art; these need to be replaced before release.
You've never played a warioware game, have you? :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
B-ZaR said:
mduffor said:
Nothing should have stick figures or line art; these need to be replaced before release.
You've never played a warioware game, have you? :)

hehehe... well if the stick figures are animated and look like something Taro Gomi would draw, they can stay in. :)


I'm sure it is unfair to judge many of the games since they are early in production (and I'm going off of the videos of the games... I haven't downloaded the code and compiled/run it myself yet). But it looks like PanJoust still needs death animations, Plander should explode if you hit the launchpad too hard (it should probably explode on failure no matter what... Yea gratuitous explosions!!), PunchWrestler looks like it could use a few more frames of inbetween animation, etc. Also games like Balldrop need some sort of style to make it more appealing. Balldrop is just a simplified version of Kaboom!, where the balls were bombs with lit fuses and a bucket of water was used to catch them. Same gameplay, but adding a theme and some simple art makes the game much more enjoyable.

Actually, it wouldn't hurt if the various mini-game developers posted a small description of their game, including what is done and what is left to do. Without a known target for what the game is going for, it is hard to suggest how it might be better or for people to contribute art to it.

Just trying to help the process along with some constructive criticism :)

Cheers!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mduffor said:
Also, personally I think the Bad Vista game needs to go. It doesn't look very fun or clever. It's really annoying when Linux games try to take pot shots at Microsoft, or think they can get away with weak gameplay because they feature Tux as their hero (tux racer and super tux are really shallow implementations of the games they try to emulate). Maybe if you had a game where Steve Ballmer threw chairs at you and you had to dodge them then you could reach the level of amusing parody. But chunking the windows logo into a stick-figure trashcan just isn't up to the level that a launch title for a new platform should be at.

Right now the Pandora Panic team should be focusing on completing the games that are part of Pandora Panic, and polishing their gameplay, controls, and graphics to as professional a level as possible. Nothing should have stick figures or line art; these need to be replaced before release. Make sure every mini games is fun and looks good!

It's a reasonable argument. Another (now active PandoraPanic developer) commented negatively about the cheap slam as well. FWIW, the game is based on an image I grabbed from the badvista.org campaign. Originally I had the URL at the bottom of the screen, but that was removed after discussion earlier on this thread. [politics]The campaign was less about bashing Microsoft per se than about protesting its more invasive "features" -- the same features which caused me to ditch my Mac and to look askance at the whole iPhone fiasco. It's also related to my decision to buy a Pandora even though I'm not a gamer and might not ever run any emulators. The mere existence of an alternative to Sony/Dell running MS is something I find encouraging and worth supporting. [/politics]

I won't be heart-broken if BadVista is removed (speaking as the author). However, I would like to note that from the beginning, PokeParadox has been very inviting and encouraging to amateur efforts. BadVista was a first attempt to see if I could throw something together. The gameplay is indeed weak: just what you might expect from someone who'd never written a game before. It just so happens that the caliber of contributions has risen steadily to where the last few months have seen some really tremendous additions that utterly out-shine some of the early ones. If that means that PandoraPanic is ready to move up a level and cut some (or one!) of the lesser, testing-the-waters games -- so be it.

On a similar note, BadVista is one of the games with a bug in need of fixing. A very easy fix was suggested earlier in this thread. I just need to set up a development environment again. Life has been busy. But just this morning I was thinking, "I need to do that and get it off my mind." Then I saw gruso's entry on the unofficial blog about how PandoraPanic is wrapping up. So yeah, I really need to get on this. Hopefully I'll have a fix in this weekend. If it's still wanted. :rolleyes:

I haven't been watching the threads: no problems reported on PanicAttack? Has anyone gotten to try it on anything close to real Pandora keyboard/nubs?

Again, though, congrats and kudos to all of you guys still developing new minigames: each time a new batch comes out, it seems, they look even more awesome than the last ones! I'm excited & proud to be a part of the launch of an open, community-developed system with a fun batch of community-generated games.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
By all means, you can keep the basics of BadVista in there... just turn it into an artistic stick figure that has to shoot and make a certain number of basketball baskets in a short time frame. Or see how many angry wombats you can toss into a jar in 5 seconds. Or how many porcupines/hedgehogs you can stick to a wall without them bouncing off (and how high can you get them?... gotta get the arc just right...). You can even have it stick figury as long as the stick figure is a bit more artistically rendered. Just remove the politics.

I guess I'm not against stick figures per-se, just overly simple stick figures. (yeah, like that sentence makes sense.) For example one of my favorite online comics is Order of the Stick and I think the illustrations of Taro Gomi are brilliant. Just don't make it look like something drawn with the circle and line primitive tools in a paint program. :)

Also I think projects like Pandora Panic are great for welcoming in new game developers of all skill and experience levels. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I think that a lot of the software for the Pandora is going to come from new, amateur, and indie developers. You have a good start, just keep at it!

Cheers!
 
hello PP im just a 2 months old newcomer to the panda world

so lets say i would like to help the proyect.

im free as a programmer (dusty old C/C++ just let me get the rust off) java/PHP.
my best goes on the networking AI and I/O stuff.
as a translator (ENG/ESP/CH/JP).

also i know a some guys with neat drawing skills. on flash n ilustrator

just ask if help wanted.

mails to-> liuweng12 at Google MAIL.com (just safely wrote to avoid spammbots spiders).

PD: PLEASE tag the subject with "OpenPandora" due to the ammount of mail i receive the filter would get you a faster response.
 
Back
Top