Shadow Wolf

[Dragyn]

Do Not Look Here!
Go to the new forum for information and downloads!

So...new project is under way, figured I'd post here.

Shadow Wolf is planned as a side scrolling platform game in the vein of Metroid or Castlevania, with a good bit of Street Fighter thrown in.

So far, I've got a fairly decent movement engine, which I've built from scratch. There's a lot more to go, but in the meantime...

Screenshots:
beastling.xepher.net/canon/games/SW/SWScreen01.png
The above is a test run, at a tiny resolution of 300 x 200. There's not much use for such a small screen, but I was curious.

beastling.xepher.net/canon/games/SW/screenshot002.png
This one is a bit more like the final version will be. The game automatically sets itself to match your current resolution.

I'll keep ya' posted.

[Faith]

Neat.

Heh.
Looking forward to hearing more. ^-^

[Dragyn]

Okay, current updates:

Updates:
Feb 1, 2010: Project Started. Rudimentary platforming engine constructed.

Feb 2, 2010: Gravity added, sprites for Mitz Aeori begun

Feb 3, 2010: Mitz Aeori implemented as player character

Feb 10, 2010: (Poor record keeping. Lots added since last note)
Platforms, Blocks, Hazards, and Props added to environment.
Weapons added. Mostly Just ranged projectiles for now.
Several tentative "final" maps added.

Feb 13, 2010: Basic Combo system implemented. Combos now need to be added for each character, but can be used once added.
each combo will need it's own animation, or to be mapped to a default.

[Fox]

'k. This looks pretty interesting; looking forward to the finished product. c:

[Dragyn]

Well, expect it to be a good long while. Lotsa' sprites to make...

[villageelder]

Hmmm. Needs 3D....

[Faith]

Heh.

I kinda like it this way, for this game, myself. It reminds me of some of my over-all favorite games. They may have not been really complex or 3D, but they were fun like that. =J

But I do think that you should consider 3D for a project, if you're taking programming seriously. A lot of people may prefer it... and, well, their opinion is kinda relevant to your success in making games that people like. XP


...
Woah... I just realized how many posts I have... XD

[Dragyn]

3d is not something I wish to do for this project. I actually have worked in 3d with Java, and I do know how to make 3d models (though I'm not particularly good at it) but the only game like this that uses 3d that I have played (Shadow Complex) was...not very good. It was fun, sure, but the 3d aspects felt forced and clunky, so I'd rather not try such a thing.

Besides, I actually rather like sprites. Maybe another game can be 3d.

[bloodreaper]

If it was 3D, he'd need to find a competent modeler.

Since he's using sprites, he can leverage the unemployed sprite artists that he knows to get free sprites done.

In today's culture of 3D worship, most sprite artists will work for food.

[Faith]

*Laugh!!!* XD

I am enjoying the sprites, to be perfectly honest.

Hehehe.
Hey, about the food...? XD

This is turning out to be a fun game, though.

[Dragyn]

Hmm...haven't said anything here in a while.

Ignore everything above here, as for updates. That's all Java stuff, and I'm using XNA for this, now. XNA is working quite well.

So...what I've got so far:

March 22, 2010:
XNA Redesign in progress, and has been for some time.
To Date:
--Rudimentary platforming engine (re)constructed. Gravity added.
--Platforms to stand on and blocks to run into re-implemented.
--Bullet lists added, and basic functionality restored.
--Mitz Aeori implemented as player character. Walk, standing attack, fall and jump animations added.
--Jump Attack and crouch attack functionality restored.
--Xbox controls added.
--Local Multiplayer control loop implemented.


March 23, 2010:
-HUD re-implemented
-Re-implemented decorative props.
-Re-implemented Traps and Hazards (Acid and Lightning traps), with Invul and Knockback
- Hazards are a subclass of Sprite, and use the Sprite draw function, allowing me to leverage the Sprite's built-in Stretch/Loop image, as well as the newly-added animated Sprite (for which you add an array of Textures instead of a single texture in the constructor)
-Add Death Animation to Mitz

March 24, 2010:
-Minor bug handling changes.

March 25, 2010:
-Sprite rotation handling added. Call function setRotationInc(float angle) to set up the rotation. Origin will be centered.
-Hazard class rotation handled. Moves the collision rectangle to reflect the centered origin.
-Idle Animation added to Mitz
-Fall Attack animation and functionality added to Mitz.
-Walk animation bug fixed. Now shows all frames of animation, rather that all but the last.
-Hero graphics load script optimizations.

March 26, 2010:
-Allow for "zoning" between maps. (Offload one map, load up the next, put people in fairly close approximations to their previous positions.)
-Added bullet collisions between players. You can't shoot yourself, and a Boolean value is to be set to determine whether team damage is on.

March 27, 2010:
-"Impact" graphics added. A cartoon-esque burst appears whenever damage is dealt, or a bullet hits a wall.
-Added destructible objects (Doors). Such objects have graphics for full health, half health, and dead.

March 28, 2010:
-Item handling added. Falling items will bounce, and items will slide off the edge of platforms they aren't all the way on.
-Medkit item added. Heals 25 HP.
-Dead players who somehow gain health, by medkit, cheat, or theoretical special ability, now come back to life.

[Dragyn]

More updates! I've been busy...

March 30, 2010:
-Extensive character Load script modification. Characters now load data from a text file, which allows for more diverse information to be readily modified and stored.

March 31, 2010:
-Load script modification: characters now store "Collision clip" values for each side, allowing for space where image is drawn, but collision does not occur (esp. Mitz' tail and Hair)
-Debug Toggle key set (0)-- I'll probably disable this before any actual release, but it's still good to note.

April 1, 2010:
-Black Mask added around map edges.
-Moveable Sprite support added.
-Moving hazards added, leveraging the newly added Moveable sprite system
-Sprites that move off the edge of the map re-enter the map from the opposing side.

April 2, 2010:
-Bug Fixes. Nothing major, here.

April 3, 2010:
-Item collisions fixed. Collision area now matches the graphical representation of the object.
-Basics of a combo system implemented
-Mitz' Super Jump combo implemented. Yay for Castlevania standbys.

April 4, 2010:
-(Happy Easter, all, and Happy Birthday, Me!)
-Ranged Attack combos added
-Mitz' Doubleshot (ranged attack combo) added

April 5, 2010:
-Move Action mirages modified. Color can now be set.
-Multiplayer Framework rewritten for versatility--any combination of controllers can be used.
-Close Actions (Melee-Range specials) now load, though they don't do anything yet.

[solecs]

I cant wait to play this it has the optimal old school feel to it. ;D

keep us posted

[Dragyn]

Speaking of keeping you posted, I really should do that...

UPDATES:

April 6, 2010:
-Close action implemented
-Mitz' Electric attack added.

April 8, 2010:
-Level building in progress. Nothing specific, just setting up the layouts and zone points, for the most part.

April 9-12, 2010:
-Bugfixes and grinding levels. Nothing really noteworthy, here.

April 13, 2010:
-Engine rewrite. I realized the current method wouldn't do what I wanted, so I changed some things. Pretty much the whole thing, actually. Should run more efficiently, as well, though not likely enough to notice, even on an old machine.

April 14, 2010:
-Engine rewrite, continued. Maps are now defined in their own, individual files. This gives me considerably more freedom, and the ability to script events on a by-map basis.
-Combo fix: No longer does the "retreat step" style movement combo occasionally move you the wrong way.
-Combo change: combos now have cooldown entries, and can't be used until cooled.
-Frame Rate displays in debug mode
-Character Variables added for scripting and cutscene handling.

April 15, 2010:
-Boss Fight Arena 1 built. Needs a boss and scripting, still, though.

May 18, 2010:
-General Debugging, Vacation Time, and basic level design happened between listed dates. My recording needs work.

-Moving blocks can now crush players/monsters, provided the block is moving downwards. Platforms cannot be used to squish players, because platforms only interact with players from above.

[Dragyn]

So...progress has been made, and I haven't been posting here very often, so:

May 22, 2010:
-Rewrote the moving object script. Multiple movement paths can be applied to a single object, allowing for more intricate paths.
-Versus mode functionality added. Still unfinished, but present.

August 3, 2010:
-Character "Phase" dropped from list due to complications with abilities.
-Character "Black" adopted as next character for work. Human form walk and Atk1 animations added.
-Melee attack animation handling implemented. Melee attacks still unable to deal damage.

August 6, 2010:
-Character Load system rebuilt, allowing for greater flexibility and differences between characters. Each character now has their own class.

August 7, 2010:
-Melee enemies no longer kill themselves when attacking.
-Enemy Class merged with Character class, and AI script added under Character. This allows me to reuse character-specific scripts for enemies as well as allies, if necessary.
-Melee Attacks now do the proper amount of damage, rather than dealing damage each frame

August 13-15, 2010:
-Black has jump, fall, walk, attack1, walkAttack1, and rough versions of recoil and death animations.
-Support for moving while attacking added. Character with no walkAttack graphics will have to stand still in order to attack.
-Knockback can no longer push people through walls.
-Jumping while directly underneath a block object no longer pushes you through the floor.

August 16, 2010:
-Minor bug fix regarding combo input--holding the attack key will no longer interrupt combos with a duration.
-Sketch version of Black's crouch and Crouch attack animations added.
-Crouch attack stats divorced from primary attack (Melee only, at the moment)
-Rudimentary stun functionality added. Graphics still needed.
-Bugfix: Melee characters in versus/ally damage modes can now hit players other than player 1.

August 17, 2010:
-Stun Effect fully implemented, complete with stars over stunned characters head.
-Mitz' Stunned graphic added.
-Melee Jump/Fall attack functionality added
-Black's Jump and Fall attack graphics added in sketchy version.

August 20, 2010:
-Double Jump Rewrite--Holding the jump key no longer makes you bounce forever. Pressing jump mid-jump now is a proper double jump (rather than having double jump be a combo). You must land before you can double jump again. Mid-air jumps of the old variety still exist, but aren't standard. Giving a character a double jump is now a simple boolean toggle.
-Black's "Stunned" animation finished.

August 22, 2010:
-Characters now have character specific color entries, used for HUD interactions.