Community Project: Squared Away

[MausGames]

squaredaway001.bin

 

This project starts out simply enough; with a square in a box. So, what next?

 

This is a superchip game, so there are a lot of variables to use, so the most valuable commodity here is cycles. That means that changes that happen quickly use more resources than changes that are complicated.

[jrok]

squaredaway001.bin

 

This project starts out simply enough; with a square in a box. So, what next?

 

This is a superchip game, so there are a lot of variables to use, so the most valuable commodity here is cycles. That means that changes that happen quickly use more resources than changes that are complicated.

 

Triangle?

[MausGames]

Triangle?

 

squaredaway002.bin

 

Now what?

[Josh]

Rectangle!

[cd-w]

• Square = 4, Triangle = 3, Line = 2, Circle = 1.
  
• Shapes with more sides can eat shapes with less (or equal) sides.
  
• You start as a circle - eating shapes makes you grow.
  
• Give the shapes eyes to make them look cute!
  

 

Chris

[A Sprite]

Apologies, if I am not understanding this... are we to add one simple thing each, adding to the game step by step, or throw out whatever comes to mind?

 

If one thing only...communication. Your choice how you create it, unless you want us to flesh out our own ideas...

 

( If that's true, here's my best shot at it: Pressing the button allows you to send a simple tonal message to the other shapes. Using the d-pad alters the meaning. You can question/greet, threaten ( try to send away ), beckon (try to bring closer ) or cry/laugh ( depending on whether you are with a friend or chased by an enemy. )

 

Every shape can communicate back. Understanding the enemy and finding friends is the only way you will survive. )

Edited January 11, 2009 by A Sprite

[Kurt_Woloch]

Let the circle jump around the screen (physics similar to how the square moves, or similar to how the bubbles in "Pang" move). The circle should be deflected by your player (similar to "Reactor") and by the triangle. The way it is deflected depends on which side of which object it deflects from (similar to Billard or to "Jinks" on the Amiga). Every time it touches the ground, you lose 2 points... if it touches the ceiling, you lose 1 point. If it touches the side walls, however, you gain 1 point.

[MausGames]

• Square = 4, Triangle = 3, Line = 2, Circle = 1.
  
• Shapes with more sides can eat shapes with less (or equal) sides.
  
• You start as a circle - eating shapes makes you grow.
  
• Give the shapes eyes to make them look cute!
  

 

Chris

 

I like this idea, but it sounds really similar to the 24 hour game. So, if you can always eat shapes with less sides, what can they do to defend themselves?

[MausGames]

Apologies, if I am not understanding this... are we to add one simple thing each, adding to the game step by step, or throw out whatever comes to mind?

 

If one thing only...communication. Your choice how you create it, unless you want us to flesh out our own ideas...

 

( If that's true, here's my best shot at it: Pressing the button allows you to send a simple tonal message to the other shapes. Using the d-pad alters the meaning. You can question/greet, threaten ( try to send away ), beckon (try to bring closer ) or cry/laugh ( depending on whether you are with a friend or chased by an enemy. )

 

Every shape can communicate back. Understanding the enemy and finding friends is the only way you will survive. )

 

I like your ideas a lot, but if I was going to try a game like that, I think it could use more interesting sprites than just random shapes. Any ideas on something less abstract? What kind of playfield and areas would work with that?

 

If I increase the playfield resolution to 32x32, I take a huge hit on cycles but I can have two virtual sprites using playfield pixels.

 

[A Sprite]

...

Edited January 13, 2009 by A Sprite

[A Sprite]

...

Edited January 13, 2009 by A Sprite

[A Sprite]

...

Edited January 13, 2009 by A Sprite

[MausGames]

Let the circle jump around the screen (physics similar to how the square moves, or similar to how the bubbles in "Pang" move). The circle should be deflected by your player (similar to "Reactor") and by the triangle. The way it is deflected depends on which side of which object it deflects from (similar to Billard or to "Jinks" on the Amiga). Every time it touches the ground, you lose 2 points... if it touches the ceiling, you lose 1 point. If it touches the side walls, however, you gain 1 point.

 

I'll try this out, but I'm not clear on what the triangle should be doing. How would the game get progressively harder, and what if the walls are protected by barriers that require a certain key or upgrade to the ball?

[MausGames]

 

squaredaway003.bin

Edited January 12, 2009 by MausGames

[Kurt_Woloch]

Um... OK. Right now, the triangle does nothing. What it actually should do is to deflect the ball when it's hit by it. But how the deflection works should depend on which side of the triangle gets hit... let's assume that X is the horizontal motion (up / down), and Y is the vertical motion (left / right).

Then, when the ball hits the lower side of the triangle: Xnew = -Xold; Ynew = Yold

When it hits the upper left side: Xnew = -Yold; Ynew = -Xold

When it hits the upper right side: Xnew = Yold; Ynew = Xold

 

I hope that was clear enough...

 

Actually, the square the player controls reminds me of the player sprite in "Centipede". How if you could earn points by hitting the playfield objects with the circle, which would disappear, and new objects would appear at the same time?

[MausGames]

Considering that the main sprite is a missile, it would be nice if the two sprites were used for something more visually creative than basic shapes. I like the idea of using the circle to collect/destroy things though. The square can be anything at any time. One of those things can be some type of object that deflects the circle, but I think that should be one out of many.

Edited January 13, 2009 by MausGames

[MausGames]

...

 

I was in the process of trying to work out how to program some of these ideas, and now they're gone. Why?!

[A Sprite]

...

 

I was in the process of trying to work out how to program some of these ideas, and now they're gone. Why?!

 

My mistake.

 

It was a bad time offline...

 

I saw you'd replied to another poster, no response to me...

 

I thought it would be better to hide any evidence of my insanity. I still remember what I wrote. I can repost any ideas you found interesting, if I haven't scared you off?

Edited January 14, 2009 by A Sprite

[A Sprite]

Just quick summaries...

 

1. Alien sea. Limited visibility. Creatures use lights to communicate through the darkness, creating an organic world that plays to the strengths of the 2600's graphics chip. Missiles could be used to represent sensory organs, or fade in and out like tiny fireflies...

 

2. Moonlit night, freshly fallen snow. Details suggested with patches of light and shadow. An abandoned cat struggles to survive. Other cats can be allies, or your rivals, depending on how much food you're willing to share.

 

3. Nanotechnology. Carry information, discover and delete disguised trojans. Try not to be slowed down by spyware. Every line is simple and straight, every sound the most basic, but there is a world within.

 

4. First contact. You represent one nation, facing multiple alien races. All have different goals. As do the countries below. If you succeed, mankind will no longer be alone. If you fail, mankind will be surrounded.

 

5. Wild west. Same as above, but closer to home. Based on the idea that your triangle looks like a tipi.

Edited January 14, 2009 by A Sprite

[A Sprite]

I realize I'm probably begging to be torn apart, but, please, don't leave me hanging in suspense, waiting for a verdict. If you meant what you said about the ideas being worth posting, at least let me know whether or not they are useful.

 

That my ideas were even noticed is like a fan being asked by their favorite sports team to call the next play....

 

I want to know what happens next.

[MausGames]

You flatter me. I like that. I like all of your ideas, but they are all somewhat obscure as far as play mechanics and goals. Pick one and flesh it out a little, and we'll make it happen here in this thread. The first two are my favorites.

[MausGames]

Did you pick one of those? Got a name for it?

[A Sprite]

Apologies. I wasn't going to show my face here again until I had finished all the sprites, animations, level design...can you tell I have no idea what I'm doing? I wanted to prove that us idea peddlers weren't slackers.

 

What are you asking for, specifically?

Edited January 28, 2009 by A Sprite

[MausGames]

Sprites, animations, and level designs would be a great start. You don't have to use any of the elements from the demo I posted, it's just an example of what resources are available. Can you post what you have so far?

[A Sprite]

Give me a week to make a decent presentation? If I fail, I want to fail with my best...