Blade Edge

Computer software | Video production | My life in general

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Collisions suck ass

December 10th, 2006 · Software

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

So I had this brilliant idea last nite (or should I say, this morning) that in order to keep blocks from knocking up against each other when they both fall in the same column at the same time (or nearly enough that they overlap), I’d use the collision layers functionality if TGB to place them on separate layers so they wouldn’t collide with anything but blocks already stacked on the play field, or the bottom of the play field itself.

yea, I started that at like, 4pm today and I’m still working on it five hours later. For some reason I can’t get TGB’s collision system to do anything that I want it to, in script or in the freakin editor with regards to collision layers

*sigh* the bitter taste of frustration. Argh.

I’m going to go watch a movie. A real one. Apocalypto. Yea yea, say whatever the hell you want about Mel Gibson, I don’t care. I betcha it’ll be awesome.

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Moving right along…

December 9th, 2006 · Software

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

I hauled myself outta bed around 1:30 today after sleeping for a measly 5 hours (bah, who needs sleep anyways?) and ran some errands, the highlight of which was taking my car to the guy I mentioned in my last post, who fixed it for me in like 15 minutes and for free. $90?? Screw you Nissan!! 😛

So I just did a few minor things to the game today. First I went back through all my script files and cleaned them up. I was rushing like mad crazy last nite so I could get the video done before I passed out, so I hardly commented/documented anything. So I tidied up, fixed a few minor minor bugs, improved my code in some places as well.

Satisfied with that, I completed the menus – added the credits menu and enabled the use of the Esc to navigate backwards from a menu as well.

Next I added some explosions for when I delete blocks. I’ll be using particles for this and other things, but I want to put in the particle effects all at once, so I’m holding off on that and using animated sprites for now, which code-wise isn’t all that different really.

Finally, I added the discharge arrows I mentioned in an earlier entry to the attack and defense blocks. What these arrows denote is the direction a block will release its charge when it lands on the stack. You need to carefully take into account the direction of these arrows when planning your strategy. Here’s what they look like overlaid atop the blocks (this is my first need for programmer art – ugh)

I know I’m still holding back on explaining exactly how the game works, but rest assured I’ll come clean soon. I want to get some block interactions going on, I’d rather make a movie demonstrating things.

Okay I guess I can say I’m done for the night. I’ll prob sleep until someone or something wakes me up tomorrow, so who knows what I’ll get done. May not hear from me till Monday, but by then I’ll have lots more to show

oh yea, and in case you missed it, the space shuttle Discovery made a perfect launch tonight. It was quite spectacular watching from NASA’s live video feed, and it was nice to catch a nite launch – this was their first nite launch in over 4 years. Good stuff, good stuff.

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Teh Video!!11one!! – TGB is my Bitch

December 8th, 2006 · Software

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

Yes, as you can see by the time on this post – I have been up all night determined to get this stuff finished. I went waaaaayy beyond what I had planned on accomplishing tonight – so much so that it was hard to find a place to stop and be satisfied with the day’s work. Wow. I actually just had to put my wireless mouse back in its charge stand a few minutes ago because the battery was running low

Techno mumbo jumbo time. If you want the video, skip to the bottom

So what’s done? Well, I started as I had planned, with getting the blocks to drop properly onto the playing field. I used the level editor to test all this rather than scripting the block creation at that time. I had wanted to apply a constant force to all the blocks, and then they would collide with each other and stop, then when a block was deleted the constant forces applied to the above blocks would cause them to automatically drop down. Awesome right? Unfortunately TGB’s collision system doesn’t work the way I had hoped. The constant force caused all the blocks to constantly collide with their neighbors. It wasn’t a visible effect, but the engine would have ended up generating hundreds of unused collision callbacks and possibly dragged performance. So I had to implement my own drop system, where when a block collided with another, it would cancel its constant force and collision callback call. When a block is deleted (destroyed) I used the onRemove() callback to search above for a block. If found, I apply a constant force on that block and re-enable its callback. Then that block looks above it, and so on and so forth up the stack. It was amazingly simple to set up in TGB actually. Even still, I made a suggestion on the GG forums about modifying the collision detection a bit.

So after I got the blocks dropping properly, my next step was to actually generate the blocks in script and drop them into the player’s clips while displaying the countdown banner to the game start. I got hung up for a while here because I had forgotten how the schedule() function works, since I use that to drop blocks onto the clip at a steady pace. Finally I made it so the blocks were randomly generated, so the same type of block wasn’t dropping down all the time, and each clip generated the blocks belonging to its player.

Banged that out, and moved on to implementing dropping blocks from the clip onto the playing field, first with just one player’s input keys, and then once that was ironed out I added in the second player’s input. Then I had to add some debug tools, namely the ability to move the drop cursor anywhere on the board I want and then destroy blocks manually, since I don’t have the block interactions programmed in yet.

Now that I could destroy blocks I was like, well why not implement the special blocks? These are blocks players get as rewards for taking out opponent blocks. For each 10 blocks you kill, you get a special block, which pops up under your clip Mario Kart-style (even sounds like it too ) cycling through till you hit your special block release key (it’ll also be auto-selected after 10s in the near future – simple schedule() add). Then you hit the key again to release it onto the play field, where it lands and has a certain effect depending on the type of block. if you hold on to your special block, the meter fills up red and if you pass 10 kills again, you lose the chance at earning another block and the meter resets to full yellow (this is all demonstrated in the video).

Last but not least I added in sound effects for all the actions going on during the game.

Now, I had a few bugs show up while developing this latest build – blocks seemed to get hung up for no apparent reason while dropping if I dropped them too fast from their clips. For some reason I didn’t come across this problem while making the video, using a release version of the game. Huh. Works for me

So! That’s enough of the techno mumbo jumbo – on to the video!

Okay, the dearth of comments is starting to annoy me Now you got some real candy, I want opinions!!

I might take a break this weekend, I’m not sure. But by Monday I plan to at least have some minor block interaction going on. There will definetly be another video released sometime next week showcasing full-on block battles.

Okay I guess I’d better go nap. Along with other stuff, I have to go get my car’s window reset tomorrow afternoon. The dealer wanted $90 to fix it cause I’m out of warranty, luckily one of the dads of the girls on the preteam at the gym works as a mechanic at an Infiniti dealer up the road, and he told me to just bring the car over his house and he’d take care of it. Awesome!! I love connections.

Don’t forget those comments people! I’m dying for some feedback here!

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last of the menu shots + game screen!

December 7th, 2006 · Software

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

Yea so I got done today all that I has planned on doing, which is good. I finished coding all the menus almost. I have a bit of code to add to the settings menu so that while the game is running it displays the game music track selection that’s invisible in the that screencap. But that can wait. I got the database up and running as well, so that I could display all the game setup options. Also put into place the basic architecture for the actual game code itself, which I’ll start working on tomorrow. I also managed to remove the need for an extra game setup menu, thanks to the fact that the options for Timed games and High Score games are the exact same with the exception of one. So it’s really just a matter of overlaying a different caption and menu title banner (on the left) depending on which game mode the player selects. You’ll see what I mean in the screenshots. Speaking of which… (hover for captions)


So after today’s work I can navigate through all the menus and into the game, with the player’s names setting up properly and all that. Whoo hoo. Tomorrow, as I said, I’ll actually begin gameplay coding. What I have to do is get the player class set up, then map out the controls, and then create the block class so that I can load up the player clips and start dropping blocks onto the play field. So – block dropping action tomorrow – maybe even a video!

Yea so I also stumbled on a (hopefully) ingenious idea to implement in the game design. It just came to me, like an epiphany. I know I haven’t gone into detail as to how the game works yet – I’ll save that for when I can actually examplify things – but one of the basic premises is that the blocks of each players attack each other. The problem I’ve had since I last worked on it was that when you drop a block that lands on top of one block and in between two others – which enemy block does your block attack? My solution is simple – stick an arrow on the blocks that points in the direction the block will attack when it lands on the play field. I had wanted to make it so you can rotate the arrow around the block to point down, left or right. Like Tetris, once the block lands, the arrow is locked in position. However, one of the things I like about the game is the ability to drop more than one block at once – in other words you drop a block and can reposition (or stay put) and drop another one before the previous block even lands on the play field (hence the term Blitz Blox – fast-dropping action). So the problem arises – if you’re dropping more than one block at a time – how can you control their direction? You can’t, so I’m just going to have to randomize the direction of a block’s attack. But that’s okay, because then it adds to the puzzle nature of the game – you have to pay even more attention to the deployment of your blocks. So hopefully that’ll add some more depth and fun to the game play.

In other news, I ended up not going out today to hang with the crew so I didn’t cover my car until just an hour or so ago. I walked outside and lo and behold it was actually snowing out there. It was just flurries, but still. First real snowfall of the season for us. Cool. It’ll get old fast tho, haha.

Oh and it seems my grandfather’s in the hospital after complaining about chest pains. They’re just keeping him overnight for observation, they couldn’t find any problems. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.

Righty then, lookin forward to getting a video out tomorrow! Nite!

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yey more pictarrrrs

December 6th, 2006 · Software

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

So my best friend Sasha finally got his mitts on a PS3 on Monday. He’s been looking all over for one, and so has every parent of the kids on his pre-team (he coaches gymnastics too). One of the moms was at Toys R Us buying a totally unrelated gift and overheard a clerk at the checkout on the phone with someone telling them they had just got in two. TWO, mind you. Holy crap Sony’s belly is so empty of consoles now they can only crap em out in single minuscule digits. But anyways that mom quick snapped up one of em and Sash is now a happy camper. So I was at his house last nite playing Resistance: Fall of Man, the game that came with his console. It was pretty damn good. Of course I didn’t have the heart to tell him that PCs have enjoyed graphics of this quality for the past 2-3 years. But it’s also a first-gen launch title, I didn’t expect it to make full use of the PS3’s power anyways.

So yea I didn’t get to bed until like 6:30 and totally slept through my alarm for an hour after waking up and hitting the snooze button. My boss calls me up and she’s like “It’s 5 past 1” and I’m like “Wha?? It was 12 o’ clock like five mins ago I swear!”. Oh well so it goes

Well, got some good work done on Blitz Blox tonight. Some of the things that hampered me tonight were so stupid though – mistakes I made because I hadn’t programmed TGB in a few months. Argh. Prob wasted almost two hours on stupid mistakes from not paying close enough attention to what I was doing. Yeesh. But I got the main menu and settings menu up and running, and I can even load the game and watch a few blocks drop. Wheeee. So no serious game coding yet still, I have more work to do on the GUI and general framework of the game’s data structure and whatnot. But it’s progressing well. Here’s some more candy.

Tomorrow I’ll be finishing up the menus, and hopefully getting a start on the game’s database.

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It’s been too long…

December 4th, 2006 · Software

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

It’s about time I had something game dev related to post in here! w00t!

I made an executive decision regarding Galaxy Conquest this past weekend – and that was to shelve it once again for the time being and return my focus to Blitz Blox instead. Yes, I can hear the collective groans of those who know how long I’ve been working on that game and how many times I’ve said I would finish it up. Sorry, but I have my reasons, and they are very simple. The first thing that factors into my decision is Microsoft’s new XNA platform, and the fact that GarageGames is putting out a new engine (TorqueX) for said platform. The fact that TGB games will pretty much be directly portable to this new engine and the fact that you can use TorqueX to easily develop games for XBox 360… well let’s just say that Microsoft’s Live! Arcade is quite the booming market these days. Although GC could be played successfully on an XBox, the best game for that platform would be Blitz Blox (left, right, and 2 buttons to drop blocks). Finally there’s the simple fact that Blitz Blox is totally complete asset-wise, all I have to do is code everything.

So to that end today I downloaded TGB v1.1.3 and got down to it. I had some reviewing to do to get the hang of the new level editor, since I hadn’t been able to use it exclusively during previous development cycles because it would cause my laptop to overheat and shutoff. After I was back up to speed I spent 4 hours redoing the art assets to be better compatible with TGB, created my game menus and started working on the game level itself. I still have yet to write a single line of code, such is the awesomeness of TGB. Unfortunately I’ve hit a small snag that forced me to seek help on the GG forums and it seems to be getting light outside (dammit!!) so I guess my work is done for the night.

Not much to post but I can tease you with this shot of the game level being built.

Much more comin’ down the pipe don’t worry

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Tips On How to Reduce Construction Cost | Home Construction Tips

December 4th, 2006 · Personal

Building a dream home is everyone’s aspiration. Every person wants to construct a home where they can cherish their memories. But when people want to make their dream into reality it is very hard to fulfill. It is because house construction cost is not cheap nowadays. For the middle-class family is about investing their whole life-income in building a home. People always search for ways to reduce construction cost. Get the best assistance from Reliable Roofing, Windows and Siding.

That’s why many people find it a large investment in their life. For this reason, they try to save as much as possible to get the optimum value of their price. Also, some people go for loans that are why it is necessary to effectively use the money to get maximum benefit. it is not a big task nowadays to construct a low-cost house construction in India.

Here, I am sharing some cheap construction methods & important tips on how to reduce house construction cost while constructing your home, and some DIY Construction Cost Reduction Techniques.

how to reduce construction costs in Kerala, Mumbai, Delhi, Banglore, Chennai, etc.

How to Reduce Construction Cost In India

Following are the best ways to save construction cost,

1. Selection of Plot

This starts with selecting a plot for your home. Always go for a roadside plot where transportation facility and communication to every necessary center is possible. Because that can reduce your transportation cost for a lifetime.

But many sellers are there who take the opportunity of high demand and sell the roadside plots at a very high price. So be careful while choosing the plot. If you are getting it a little far from the main road then it is ok.

2. Conduct Soil Test

While selecting a plot, just not focus on the communication facility but do soil test which is a much essential part of the construction. Because there are different types of soils are available, and each soil behaves differently. Before buying the plot check the soil if it is a paddy field, agricultural field, or soil with hard soil.

Because if the soil is not good or if it is loose soil then there you will have to expense a huge cost. And after if it comes to know that plot having a paddy field then the foundation cost is huge and again to get permission to make the home is huge. This is the best check when you are searching tips for how to reduce the cost of house construction

3. Confirm Electrical and Water Supply in Area

If there is no electric and water connection near your plot then you have to apply for a separate poll connection near your home and have to make a separate connection for plumbing, which is again expensive. So look after these factors before buying a plot.

 

4. Choosing Construction Materials

In any type of construction building materials play a major cost-effective role. Among all the construction material bricks, cement, rod, and sand make a large part of the construction material.

If you purchase material in the lot (mane one order for whole material) manner then there will be less expenditure regarding construction material. Because the dealer will give you more discount as you purchase more amount of material.

5. Prepare Structural Drawings

Preparing structural drawings for the house is essential. The majority of people ignore this and don’t know about the structural drawings of buildings.

They only thought about the architectural drawings of the building. But structural drawing is all about foundation plan detail, framing plan detail, column & beam plan detail and other structural components of buildings.

From this structural drawing how much amount of rod, sand, cement, and bricks will be required can be calculated in advance. And if this is done accurately then there is a chance of saving lots of money. This is important while you are searching for how to reduce building construction cost.

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So much for that…

November 30th, 2006 · Gaming

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Whoo hoo Supreme Commander FTW!

November 27th, 2006 · Gaming

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

Soooo I finally got to playing around with SupCom and it’s pretty damn cool so far. I didn’t actually play a game, however. First I made sure I was able to connect to games – I was able to make a link to a ranked game but the few times I tried joining a custom game I couldn’t get a connection – the Trying to Connect screen would just sit there for a few minutes before I gave up. Hrm.

So I downloaded a few replays and checked them out. I wish the replay interface had a timeline rather than just a speed adjustment. Other than that they were fun to watch.

I also set up the dual-head support. Sweeeetness!! I thought the second screen would be just a strategic map – but it turns out you can zoom in, select units and even issue commands! How awesome is being in two places at once? Tho I think this could be considered a major tactical advantage over people with only one monitor. But who said war was fair?

So I’ve really only messed around in Sandbox mode, just seeing what all the units can do and testing out the game’s economy – how to use the two resources in the game confused me greatly at first. But now I get it. I think my favorite race is going to the the Aeons (sp?). But we’ll see.

Ugh, I wish I could play more and try an actual game but… my eyes can barely stay open. If anyone wants to set up a match just send me a PM or try and find me online, my name’s Gaiiden (big surprise).

*YAWN*

crap guess it’s time to go…

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Stuff stuff and more stuff

November 26th, 2006 · Personal

Transposed from Gaiiden’s Scroll

Many Thanks

Thanksgiving was yummy, as always. I’m a dark meat guy since I don’t like gravy topping my turkey white meat is too dry. I also don’t like stuffing or mashed potatoes. Corn and cranberry sauce? Yummy. My plate each serving consists of corn, cranberry sauce, dark meat and a buttered biscuit. Nums.

New Firefox extensions

Made an addition to my Firefox menu bar, found a much better extension to replace TinyMenu – Personal Menu. It takes up less space on the toolbar, looks better (since it’s an icon) and is more customizable.

My second new extension is Faviconize Tab, which lets you shrink tabs to just display their favicon to help save space if you have lots of tabs open.

Boo, TV Tuner being a bitch

Tried setting up my Happauge TVR-500 yesterday and just got some really really messed up fuzzy, scrambled picture using the trial version of BeyondTV 4.5. Can’t figure out how to get the A/V connection to display either so I can play my GameCube and N64. Might have to reinstall the drivers. Bah.

Supreme Commander!!

I’ve heard much talk, so I finally decided to see what all the fuss is about. I waited nearly 30mins in line to download and when it started I foolishly closed the window (the download window was a popup) and the download abruptly petered out. BAH! So I just finished waiting in line again and the 1.2 gig file is coming down the pipe once more. 2 hours to go @ ~150KB/s…

The Great Games Experiment

GarageGames announced this new thing their participating in, called the Great Games Experiment. I guess it’s kinda like a 1Up/MySpace for developers, publishers and gamers to network. Haven’t played around with it much, just only got as far as creating my profile and editing it a tad. I’ll post about it more some other time, for now I just wanted to give it mention.

And finally…

Went to Best Buy today with my friend Sasha, walked in and saw the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie trilogy box set on sale for 18 bucks. Hells yea. Snatched that sucker right up. KOWABUNGA DUDE!!

Oh yea I also topped 110mph (topped, as in hit it and immediately braked back down to 80) driving there and back on the parkway. Couldn’t resist, you know

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