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Games Hill Climb Racing game
- Thread starter melonZgz
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Hello there. I was fine tuning some details, and while testing with a large view I thought it would be interesting to see and share with you how world is created:
I work with small pieces (lets call them segments) of terrain. Some of them ar frefabs (objects, bridges, windmill...) and the other ones are randomly generated by a function (using simplex noise algorithm).
I allways have 4 segments, and when I come into a new one, I remove the first one and add another one to the end, and this way I have infinite levels. As I go progressing, the difficulty increases, the terrain becomes harder and the frefabs are also harder, and the fuel cans are further away.
Of course there has been a lot of headache while building this. One thing thing that was driving me nuts and in the end it was the easiest thing on earth was the soft terrain concatenation of different pieces. When I change a parameter of the function, the new segment doesn't start where the last one finishes! and also when I have a prefab, it starts and ends totally flat, and those around it don't start nor end flat. All I had to do was interpolating those terrains to get smooth transitions. It looks easy when done, but it was one of the things that made me leave this project and start another ones!
BTW:
Programs used: Gimp (graphics), Inkscape (vector graphics), tiled (maps), audacity (sounds), bfxr (sound effects), physics body editor (drawing the physic bodies), hiero tools (for the bitmap fonts), and some libgx utilities like the particle editor or the texture packer for the atlas.
I work with small pieces (lets call them segments) of terrain. Some of them ar frefabs (objects, bridges, windmill...) and the other ones are randomly generated by a function (using simplex noise algorithm).
I allways have 4 segments, and when I come into a new one, I remove the first one and add another one to the end, and this way I have infinite levels. As I go progressing, the difficulty increases, the terrain becomes harder and the frefabs are also harder, and the fuel cans are further away.
Of course there has been a lot of headache while building this. One thing thing that was driving me nuts and in the end it was the easiest thing on earth was the soft terrain concatenation of different pieces. When I change a parameter of the function, the new segment doesn't start where the last one finishes! and also when I have a prefab, it starts and ends totally flat, and those around it don't start nor end flat. All I had to do was interpolating those terrains to get smooth transitions. It looks easy when done, but it was one of the things that made me leave this project and start another ones!
BTW:
I don't do the graphics myself. I usually buy them, but I allways try to modify them until I like the result. Let's say I have an idea on my mind, and I don't stop untill things look like what I'm thinking.
in short: first of all I have an idea, then I look for graphics that could fit or I do some myself. Once I have base graphics I make a prototype, it's usually made in a week, or even in a weekend if I have free time. Then you have to convert the prototype to a game! (this one takes months of work) At some point of the development I start adding sound effects (I don't like to leave to the end, I consider it very important and I work a lot on that)
Programs used: Gimp (graphics), Inkscape (vector graphics), tiled (maps), audacity (sounds), bfxr (sound effects), physics body editor (drawing the physic bodies), hiero tools (for the bitmap fonts), and some libgx utilities like the particle editor or the texture packer for the atlas.
City connection rules! I used to play it a lot in the arcade.
Since the original levels have a fixed width you can create the map just once with an extra overlap buffer if you use .UpdateWorldCenter() to scroll around.
It will be easier to maintain the touched tiles aswell as you only need to redraw them once or twice if they are in the overlapping zone.
If you redraw yourself with bitmapcreator (probably too slow as it is not gpu based?) you can do it without the extra buffer (see below).
I guess back then the screen was build of 40 chars so they probably used a map of 256 chars wide which is easier to handle
then you could just use an and 255 inside the draw loop and it scrolled around without the need for an overlap buffer.
Old methods are sometimes more simple than with the advanced tools we have now
Since the original levels have a fixed width you can create the map just once with an extra overlap buffer if you use .UpdateWorldCenter() to scroll around.
It will be easier to maintain the touched tiles aswell as you only need to redraw them once or twice if they are in the overlapping zone.
If you redraw yourself with bitmapcreator (probably too slow as it is not gpu based?) you can do it without the extra buffer (see below).
I guess back then the screen was build of 40 chars so they probably used a map of 256 chars wide which is easier to handle
then you could just use an and 255 inside the draw loop and it scrolled around without the need for an overlap buffer.
Old methods are sometimes more simple than with the advanced tools we have now
Is it because there is no new B4i yet that support this new box2D lib that you do it via spritekit or something else?
It would be near equal code for both otherwise.
Indeed not much physics there but it could be usefull for poly based collision detection since car dropping and jumping involves angled sprites.
It would be near equal code for both otherwise.
Indeed not much physics there but it could be usefull for poly based collision detection since car dropping and jumping involves angled sprites.
Hello there guys!
It's been a lot of work, but finally I've released a beta version so you all can try the game! It isn't very far from the final version, I hope. Just some little things here and there.
I'd appreciate a lot your feedback, as I've tested only in two devices...
The default car is weak, so you should upgrade it as soon as you get some coins to really enjoy the game!
So, here is the game:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ninjagames.hill
Hope you like it!
It's been a lot of work, but finally I've released a beta version so you all can try the game! It isn't very far from the final version, I hope. Just some little things here and there.
I'd appreciate a lot your feedback, as I've tested only in two devices...
The default car is weak, so you should upgrade it as soon as you get some coins to really enjoy the game!
So, here is the game:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ninjagames.hill
Hope you like it!
Incredible, Great job!
Hello melonZgz,
Very nice and smooth and addicting.
Some items to mention:
* the neck breaking sound sounds really brutal. May be chose one which fits more or less in the game mood.
* the gas challange is too low. Since after buying for 5.000 there is no need to buy more since a refill comes always around 50%
* in the Garage after buying for 7.000 the next Upgrade is for 1.000. I assume it shall be 10.000.
Hope this helps. Greetings.
Very nice and smooth and addicting.
Some items to mention:
* the neck breaking sound sounds really brutal. May be chose one which fits more or less in the game mood.
* the gas challange is too low. Since after buying for 5.000 there is no need to buy more since a refill comes always around 50%
* in the Garage after buying for 7.000 the next Upgrade is for 1.000. I assume it shall be 10.000.
Hope this helps. Greetings.
Thanks for the feedback.
One of the hardest things when making a game as a lone developer is balancing difficulty. As it's my game I've tested it A LOT. So what looks easy to me can look hard to somebody who tries the game for the first time.
I've tried a lot of different configurations right now and I'm still not satisfied. ie: I think that the level starts so easy for the first 400m, and about 1000m becomes too hard.
Same with what you say about gas. Maybe the things should be cheaper?
Righ now the game is finished (I've added some things, so I'll upload another beta before final release) but it's a matter of adjusting parameters!
And finally launched!!
it's been a lot of work and testing, but finally I have a solid game!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ninjagames.hill
Hope you like it!
it's been a lot of work and testing, but finally I have a solid game!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ninjagames.hill
Hope you like it!
Congrats on launching your game - well done!
And just to remind you, I think this suggestion from July still is solid:
And just to remind you, I think this suggestion from July still is solid:
Congratulations! Installed! It's a massive task - even a 'simple' game ends up being an interwoven tangle of spaghettiness!! Well done.
ETA : It's great!! Puts my shoddy effort to shame. I've still got a list of 'to dos' and that's just the short term stuff, never mind all the extras...
It's a massive task - even a 'simple' game ends up being an interwoven tangle of spaghettiness!! Well done.ETA : It's great!! Puts my shoddy effort to shame. I've still got a list of 'to dos' and that's just the short term stuff, never mind all the extras...
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