Redshirts

[jrok]

Okay, I figured it out (somewhat).

Yeah, so far the problem seems to be gone, but there seems to be a new problem. Many times now when I enter a screen, instead of being in the middle or the opposite side of the screen, a bad guy will start out really close and kill me before I have a chance to react. Did you change how bad guys are placed on a new screen?

 

The bad guys appear in one of five random positions, depending on the layout of the screen. If you enter a room close to one of them, you had better roll out of danger ASAP!

 

So, this not a bug. After all, I vividly recall entering some very dicey rooms in "Berzerk", and receiving a none-too-friendly reception from the robot occupants!

Edited November 24, 2010 by jrok

[jrok]

*FYI*

 

For anyone playing the demo on real hardware, I made a version that allows you to cycle the background through the TIA palette, so you can find the best color to minimize the flicker. Just press the select switch to step through the palette (color shifts two values with each press).

 

Cheers,

Jarod.

Redshirts1_colorselect.bas.bin

[+Random Terrain]

The bad guys appear in one of five random positions, depending on the layout of the screen. If you enter a room close to one of them, you had better roll out of danger ASAP!

 

So, this not a bug. After all, I vividly recall entering some very dicey rooms in "Berzerk", wand recieving a none-too-friendly reception from the robot occupants!

 

That's weird. Every time before, they were always in the middle or on the other side as if the program was doing it on purpose. I guess I got lucky. I thought you were kind of doing what I was doing in my program. In the crappy program I'm trying to finish, an 'enemy' drops in from the top semi-randomly, but it will not drop on the player. If the player is on the right side of the screen, the 'enemy' will appear randomly on the left side. If the player is on the left side, the 'enemy' will appear randomly on the right side.

[jrok]

The bad guys appear in one of five random positions, depending on the layout of the screen. If you enter a room close to one of them, you had better roll out of danger ASAP!

 

So, this not a bug. After all, I vividly recall entering some very dicey rooms in "Berzerk", wand recieving a none-too-friendly reception from the robot occupants!

 

That's weird. Every time before, they were always in the middle or on the other side as if the program was doing it on purpose. I guess I got lucky. I thought you were kind of doing what I was doing in my program. In the crappy program I'm trying to finish, an 'enemy' drops in from the top semi-randomly, but it will not drop on the player. If the player is on the right side of the screen, the 'enemy' will appear randomly on the left side. If the player is on the left side, the 'enemy' will appear randomly on the right side.

 

I thought about doing that, but it seemed like taking it too easy on the player. After all, this is a Sci-Fi suicide squad!

 

However, that could be a good thing to implement when I integrate multiple levels. In the earlier missions, the enemy could be less likely to appear near you, and as you proceed through the game, they gradually become more likely (maybe capping the likelihood at 50% or something).

 

Or another potential method might be to start with an empty room, and have the baddies enter it from the screen edge a second or two after you enter. This way, they could potentially attack from anywhere, including right behind you! Or it could be a mixture of the two - sometimes they are already in the room in one of the random positions, and sometimes they enter the room after a short delay. What do you think?

[+Random Terrain]

What do you think?

You might remember that controlled randomness is at the top of my list of importance, but another thing that is high on the list is some kind of AI. I love 'smart' enemies, but I also love it when the program seems to be smart. I like it when the program is thinking ahead and looking out for the player, making sure everything is as fair as possible. It won't start you out in an impossible position where you'll die no matter which way you'll go or start out with an enemy that has a gun pointed at your head. It's kind of like treating the player like a guest at your home. You don't punch them in the stomach as they walk in (you wait until later to do that after they piss you off ).

[jrok]

What do you think?

You might remember that controlled randomness is at the top of my list of importance, but another thing that is high on the list is some kind of AI. I love 'smart' enemies, but I also love it when the program seems to be smart. I like it when the program is thinking ahead and looking out for the player, making sure everything is as fair as possible. It won't start you out in an impossible position where you'll die no matter which way you'll go or start out with an enemy that has a gun pointed at your head. It's kind of like treating the player like a guest at your home. You don't punch them in the stomach as they walk in (you wait until later to do that after they piss you off ).

 

Well, it's not some Kobayashi Maru Test...or is it :) ?

 

You don't die right away. You have time to react, and roll away from danger. Besides if you pay attention to exactly "where" the enemies start each time , rather than just plowing into a room at random, you can control whether or not the Damn Dirty Cheating Enemy appears next to you . This is literally controlled randomness, as far as I'm concerned. Random within a limited range, with the danger minimized by a little observation, forethought and planning.

 

Oh but perish the thought that we should demand such things of our players! I forgot we were supposed to hold their hands and whisper sweet nothings into their ears

 

Other controlled random elements include the map layout itself. The tiles are randomly positioned, but with a key to the pattern that allows you to predict which room is next. If you pay attention when you move across this "random terrain" you'll probably figure it out within a few games. And knowing what room comes next can lead to even *more* planning for how you want to enter the room.

 

As for smart enemies, I think these are fairly smart. They can navigate simple terrain and locate shooting angles. They can't solve complex riddles or physics equations yet, but I'm working on it

 

So, basically these elements you mentioned are already there, and can be discovered with a little patience and perseverance.

Edited November 24, 2010 by jrok

[+Random Terrain]

Oh but perish the thought that we should demand such things of our players! I forgot we were supposed to hold their hands and whisper sweet nothings into their ears

Why demand anything? The whole point is to help make players feel happy and feel better after playing instead of feeling frustrated and abused. And why not whisper sweet nothings into their ears? HJs and BJs don't grow on trees, you know.

[Lendorien]

Jrok, urok and so does this game.

 

Seriously, I love the concept and the gameplay is very clever. I too look forward to seeing how this develops.

[jrok]

Jrok, urok and so does this game.

 

Seriously, I love the concept and the gameplay is very clever. I too look forward to seeing how this develops.

 

Thanks!

[jrok]

Here is an alternate movement/firing method. Curious if anyone likes this version better:

 

Move Joystick (no button) - Move the crewman in 8 directions as usual.

Hold Down Fire Button - This locks the crewman's aim to the current direction.

Move Joystick with Button Held Down - Strafe the crewman in 8 directions without changing the direction he is aiming his laser in.

Release Fire Button - Fire the laser.

Tap Joystick - Perform a combat roll in the direction tapped. If the button is pressed, the crewman can roll in a different direction then the one he is aiming, along him to pop out from behind terrain shoot enemies.

 

Also, I've revised the terrain collision detection a bit in this version. Now you should be able to move smoothly along walls no matter which direction you approach them from by pressing diagonally against them. This should make it easier to slide around obstacles and find shooting angles.

 

Cheers,

J

Redshirts1_alternate_move.bas.bin

[jrok]

Okay here's a revision of the last type of movement. Now, tapping the joystick in a direction only does a defensive roll if you have the button held down (strafe mode).

 

Actually I think this is probably the best movement setup of all three, and I think I'm probably going to stick with it. With this version, you can change your aiming direction quickly without going into a roll if you don't hold down the button, making it easier to lock in a new direction.

 

Obviously, the best control setup would be to have two buttons on the stick (one for strafing and one for firing, maybe), but that would require a Genesis joystick.

 

Cheers,

J

Redshirts1_button_roll.bas.bin

Edited November 26, 2010 by jrok

[sandmountainslim]

Love it!!

First Post-Thanksgiving video game I have played

Wp

[abaudrand]

Is "redshirts" title came from the characters who have redshirts in Star Trek classic and always died while on duty?

[sandmountainslim]

I FOUND the Shuttle Craft....Now what do you do when U find it? How do U radio up to let them know the stage is done?

Wp

 

Post Scriptum

 

This is the PERFECT use for the Circus Galacticus engine! Love it.

Edited November 26, 2010 by sandmountainslim

[Piggles]

Okay here's a revision of the last type of movement. Now, tapping the joystick in a direction only does a defensive roll if you have the button held down (strafe mode).

 

Actually I think this is probably the best movement setup of all three, and I think I'm probably going to stick with it. With this version, you can change your aiming direction quickly without going into a roll if you don't hold down the button, making it easier to lock in a new direction.

 

Obviously, the best control setup would be to have two buttons on the stick (one for strafing and one for firing, maybe), but that would require a Genesis joystick.

 

Cheers,

J

 

The controls are sexy and the game plays really well with Cannibal Corpse in the background. You have the knack for getting maximum visual quality and gameplay from the standard kernel and it's fantastic.

[jrok]

Okay here's a revision of the last type of movement. Now, tapping the joystick in a direction only does a defensive roll if you have the button held down (strafe mode).

 

Actually I think this is probably the best movement setup of all three, and I think I'm probably going to stick with it. With this version, you can change your aiming direction quickly without going into a roll if you don't hold down the button, making it easier to lock in a new direction.

 

Obviously, the best control setup would be to have two buttons on the stick (one for strafing and one for firing, maybe), but that would require a Genesis joystick.

 

Cheers,

J

 

The controls are sexy and the game plays really well with Cannibal Corpse in the background. You have the knack for getting maximum visual quality and gameplay from the standard kernel and it's fantastic.

 

Thanks Piggles . Fred's standard kernel combined with a lot of the enhancements and advice other AA folks have contributed is really very flexible, I think.

[+Random Terrain]

The bad guys appear in one of five random positions, depending on the layout of the screen. If you enter a room close to one of them, you had better roll out of danger ASAP!

 

So, this not a bug. After all, I vividly recall entering some very dicey rooms in "Berzerk", wand recieving a none-too-friendly reception from the robot occupants!

That's weird. Every time before, they were always in the middle or on the other side as if the program was doing it on purpose. I guess I got lucky. I thought you were kind of doing what I was doing in my program. In the crappy program I'm trying to finish, an 'enemy' drops in from the top semi-randomly, but it will not drop on the player. If the player is on the right side of the screen, the 'enemy' will appear randomly on the left side. If the player is on the left side, the 'enemy' will appear randomly on the right side.

 

I thought about doing that, but it seemed like taking it too easy on the player. After all, this is a Sci-Fi suicide squad!

Forget what I said about my game. What I described would allow the player to hug the top of the screen and have a permanent safe spot. Since the 'enemy' makes a sound before appearing, I'm going to drop it above the player instead of on the other side of the screen. Goodbye safe spot.

[jrok]

Okay, I've done a bit more work here. There are two kinds of rooms, now.

 

The first kind is natural terrain, where the playfield obstacles are a slightly darker color of the background, with some trees or grass added for decoration. I'll eventually add some functions to these decorative items (perhaps the trees can function as a way to hide from the enemy or vice versa?) but for now they are just static elements.

 

The second kind of room is a "machine" room. I guess these can be thought of as alien mini-bases/encampments. In machine rooms, the playfield obstacles are grey, and emit various kinds of beams that effect you in different ways.

 

• Red beams - These kill you instantly when you touch them.
  
• Green beams - There are two of these in the room. When you touch one, you are instantly teleported to the other one.
  
• Purple beams - Ultimately these will cause a random (and usually very strange) effect, but for now they, uh, give you a drastic makeover.
  

For now, the enemies are unaffected by the beams, but that will change. Ultimately, I'll add a trigger device to some of the rooms (probably using the ball object), so that the player can flip the rays on and off while the baddies are walking under them, and add some additional smarts to the enemies so they can avoid the beams when they are on, and occasionally target the triggers when you are standing under a beam that's off.

 

On a side note, I've basically used up all of my RAM now, so I'm thinking of reducing the playfield resolution to free up some superchip RAM. I don't think this should affect much, since the playfields are already quite blocky.

 

Cheers guys,

J

 

Redshirts3.bas.bin

Edited December 1, 2010 by jrok

[Brian O]

Okay, I've done a bit more work here. There are two kinds of rooms, now.

 

The first kind is natural terrain, where the playfield obstacles are a slightly darker color of the background, with some trees or grass added for decoration. I'll eventually add some functions to these decorative items (perhaps the trees can function as a way to hide from the enemy or vice versa?) but for now they are just static elements.

 

The second kind of room is a "machine" room. I guess these can be thought of as alien mini-bases/encampments. In machine rooms, the playfield obstacles are grey, and emit various kinds of beams that effect you in different ways.

 

• Red beams - These kill you instantly when you touch them.
  
• Green beams - There are two of these in the room. When you touch one, you are instantly teleported to the other one.
  
• Purple beams - Ultimately these will cause a random (and usually very strange) effect, but for now they, uh, give you a drastic makeover.
  

For now, the enemies are unaffected by the beams, but that will change. Ultimately, I'll add a trigger device to some of the rooms (probably using the ball object), so that the player can flip the rays on and off while the baddies are walking under them, and add some additional smarts to the enemies so they can avoid the beams when they are on, and occasionally target the triggers when you are standing under a beam that's off.

 

On a side note, I've basically used up all of my RAM now, so I'm thinking of reducing the playfield resolution to free up some superchip RAM. I don't think this should affect much, since the playfields are already quite blocky.

 

Cheers guys,

J

 

Redshirts3.bas.bin

 

This game keeps getting better and better. The whole concept of a game based on characters whose only purpose is to die is pretty fun in and of itself

 

Haven't had a chance to play too much yet, but one minor issue I noticed is that the characters have a tendency to overlap some of the square obstacles. Especially if you do a barrel roll move too close to one. I was even able to barrel roll and walk right through some of them, or even walk around inside them (see attached pic). It doesn't really cause any functional issues, however. Just thought I'd point it out. Also, there seems to be a score field at the bottom, but no matter what it remains "000038". If this is not active yet, or if it has some other purpose I have overlooked, please disregard this.

 

 

Will keep playing and let you know if I find any other bugs, etc.

 

-B

[jrok]

This game keeps getting better and better. The whole concept of a game based on characters whose only purpose is to die is pretty fun in and of itself

 

Thanks! Yeah, I am going to try to expand on that concept along the way and integrate it into the scoring system. Particularly painful, awesome or hilarious deaths will earn you bonus points.

 

Haven't had a chance to play too much yet, but one minor issue I noticed is that the characters have a tendency to overlap some of the square obstacles. Especially if you do a barrel roll move too close to one. I was even able to barrel roll and walk right through some of them, or even walk around inside them (see attached pic). It doesn't really cause any functional issues, however. Just thought I'd point it out.

 

It's a bug. It happens to me sometimes too, although I guess not as often as it's happening to you. I had to try really hard to get it to happen just now, and I'm still not sure how to consistently replicate the bug. I think the main problem is with the fractional movement of the player sprite and the way I'm dividing it to find the player's PF position. I'll squash it eventually (I hope).

 

Also, there seems to be a score field at the bottom, but no matter what it remains "000038". If this is not active yet, or if it has some other purpose I have overlooked, please disregard this.

 

I have the score disabled for now. It's basically just showing the decimal color of the background (I have background switching disabled for now, too... I needed the RAM! Hahah).

 

Will keep playing and let you know if I find any other bugs, etc.

 

Thanks, Brian!

[sandmountainslim]

This is without a doubt one of the most fun Atari games I have played all year

Can't wait to see it progress! I have been playing it everyday after work and I love the latest build.

Wp

[jrok]

This is without a doubt one of the most fun Atari games I have played all year

Can't wait to see it progress! I have been playing it everyday after work and I love the latest build.

Wp

 

 

Thanks Slim.

 

Although lately I've been giving it some thought, and I'm now thinking of maybe taking taking the work I've put into this and transferring it back over to Circus Galacticus. The run-gun-and-roll style just seems more appropriate for an enclosed arena, and now that I'm not using the playfield for weapon fire it's relieved a lot of problems with the engine.

 

I do like the idea of multiple player characters, so I reworked that into a "Character Selection" Screen, where different characters have different strengths, which can be slightly upgraded over the course of the game.

 

I still do like the "Redshirts" concept, though, so I'll save that for another game.

 

Cheers,

J

[+SpiceWare]

this seems appropriate

 

[Lendorien]

Thanks Slim.

 

Although lately I've been giving it some thought, and I'm now thinking of maybe taking taking the work I've put into this and transferring it back over to Circus Galacticus. The run-gun-and-roll style just seems more appropriate for an enclosed arena, and now that I'm not using the playfield for weapon fire it's relieved a lot of problems with the engine.

 

I do like the idea of multiple player characters, so I reworked that into a "Character Selection" Screen, where different characters have different strengths, which can be slightly upgraded over the course of the game.

 

I still do like the "Redshirts" concept, though, so I'll save that for another game.

 

Cheers,

J

 

Let me be one of the first to say I'm disappointed that you're abandoning this game. It really is a fun concept.

 

Still one can understand having priorities.

[jrok]

Okay here is a reworked "Circus Galacticus" that includes many of the same concepts and controls from "Redshirts." Use the select switch at the character selection screen to select a different gladiator. The gladiators begin with different balances of speed versus armor, and will ultimately vary in weapon range as well.

 

I've put in 9 very basic kill-or-be-killed levels, after which the game will simply reset. After a you kill or die, press the fire button after a few seconds to either move on to the last level (if you won) or return to the Title Screen (if you lost).

 

Cheers!

J

Circus_Galacticus1.bas.bin

Edited December 8, 2010 by jrok