GML and Pyxel Dev

[gml-pyxel]

Most of this afternoon has been spent on adding textboxes. It took a while to come up with a functional system that is both dynamic and expandable. The basic framework is in place but for now it just handles single textbox messages. In the future it will be able to shift the “portrait” and handle large chunks of text by automatically splitting it into several textboxes of information. This will make it possible to deliver some interesting dialog between future characters. The dialog and information used in these boxes will always be kept short and simple to stay as true as possible to the feel of a Nes-era game. With this framework in place i am now free to plan for both story and clues that will be given throughout the game. Super excited!

[gml-pyxel]

I have finally freed us from the first test area! :) This is an early version of one of the first areas in the game. It is some kind of underground swamp area. Most of the evening has been spent adding new graphics and enemies. I have tweaked some old code and added some new code. Still not happy with most of the sound fx and some of the enemy sprites are still placeholders. The next major milestone will probably be NPCs and textbox dialog. :)

[gml-pyxel]

Another afternoon of coding. :) Today i have been able to implement one way platforms and rideable platforms that move horizontally. This was easy work, as everything else has been built with these features in mind. So they just worked, out of the box! :) BTW: I promise that in the next video i will have built something more akin to a real level instead of this messy test area.

[gml-pyxel]

Some great progress tonight! :) It is now possible for the enemies to damage the player. Both are pushed back and the player flashes for a while during which the player cannot be hurt. I also solved some lingering problems with the ladders. They now work exactly like intended. (no more falling through ladders when walking on top of them). The major breakthrough tonight was the fixing of an unknown bug in the collision code. It was small but it would have been a big deal later on if I hadn’t caught it this early. Due to that discovery I went through all of the collision code another time and now it seems water tight *fingers crossed*. :)

[gml-pyxel]

I’ve found some time this evening to write another bit of code for the project. I have added a first version of “ladders”. Sure they look like wines in this video but they will all have the same basic function. There is still some tweaking left to solve some lingering issues but other than that i am realy happy with these early results. BTW : I hate the climbing animation. It is a placeholder. :) Disclaimer : Still the same test area. Not an actual level.

[gml-pyxel]

I have spent most of the day fixing the last bugs with collision detection. I have also tweaked monster movement and added a possible attack for the player character. I thought I would show some of the progress in motion. Disclaimer : This is not a level but a testing area and some/most of the graphics are incomplete and all of the sound effects are placeholders. Next: I am planning to tackle ladders, monster damaging the player, moving platforms, textboxes, and lots more. 

[gml-pyxel]

Further work on the tileset. I have started working on temple and forest areas. I have a goal to produce as many area styles as possible to give my project as much variation between areas as possible. So that exploration never gets dull.

[gml-pyxel]

My first engine test. After a couple of hours of coding i feel that the collision-engine is done. These “enemies” are only here to test out the game-engine. The enemies i am planning, all have movement patterns more reminiscent of the ones found in old Nes games. This engine uses a simpel array system to store the solid blocks so that the only “active” objects on screen are the monsters and the player. The rest is only drawn as inactive tiles. Disclaimer : This clip does not reflect the desired gameplay design and only illustrates the collision engine.

[gml-pyxel]

Almost finished with one(?) of the player characters. Most of the animations are done but more will probably be needed as ideas for gameplay are develop further.

[gml-pyxel]

Continuation with another hour of work on the tileset. I have also made some progress on character design and animation and a lot of concepts for gameplay. I have printed some gridded design-documents that my fiancée will use to help me with leveldesign. I have also gotten started with writing collision detection for a custom platform engine that will hopefully recreate the feel of a classic nes adventure. I will perhaps be able to post some video of that later.

[gml-pyxel]

I started a new project last night. Spent 2 hours on a basic tileset for use during development. The goal of the project is for it to have a nes+ feeling. Close to the original NES feeling but with some added touches. This tileset was thrown together using a sligtly tweaked Nes palette but otherwise close to the restrictions of the originial system. Games that inspire the look of this project is “Legacy of the wizard”, “Faxanadu”, “Castlevania” and several others. What do you think?