Moving to New Site

I've moved my blog to my new sight. This will no longer be updated. Future posts will be here:

http://blog.benshutt.com/

Project Echos: The End

Sorry for the late post. I've been busy starting the next project for the class. Unfortunately, I was not able to fix some errors, such as the game crashing from switching levels, but it has all the levels included ( you just have to restart the game to get from one level to the next ), and while respawning is in the game, it may crash the game. I have also included the videos and game design doc. I also have a link farther down with the finished APK file for the game. This will most likely be my last post on this project. Feel free to comment on anything. Now enjoy :)

Project Echos - Update 10-21-11

The project deadline is coming up next week on Tuesday, so I will be doing a post, or possibly a series of posts showing our game design document, gameplay video, uploading an Android .apk file, etc. I'm really excited to finally be finishing up this project, and hope to show a good game. There have been some setbacks in the form of programming problems, but I hope to get the major ones sorted out. I know at least one of my group still wants to work on the game after the deadline to continue adding content and polishing the game more, so we can use it as a major portfolio item, and possibly releasing the full game on the market. I am interested too, pending time constraints.

Learning OpenGL - Part 1

I decided to start teaching myself OpenGL since I have not programmed 3D graphics yet. It took a while to find a tutorial that didn't rely on too many third party libraries, but I eventually found one that I felt relied on the minimum. I am using the tutorials on xoax.net, since they only rely on OpenGL and GLUT. GLUT only deals with starting up OpenGL, is easily accessible, and as far as I know doesn't have a problem with being depreciated anytime soon.

I went through the first couple  tutorial pretty quickly, since they just overviewed OpenGL, and taught me how to draw a line. The third tutorial was a little tricky since I had to create algorithms to create the different parts of an American flag. It seemed simple at first glance but got harder once I realized I was rusty on my geometry, which was a large part of creating a star. It eventually clicked though, and I was on my merry way.

I have included a link to the my source code hosted on my github, which better shows what the tutorial required.

https://github.com/PhaZ90771/XOAX.NET-Tutorial

Project Echos - Midterm Report

As of this Thursday, my group will worked on this project for 5 week, leaving 3 weeks left until it is due. I have worked out most of the underlying systems, but have had to abandon some of them for the sake of finishing the game before the deadline. One such example was loading the maps as external files. This means that all the levels will be more or less hard coded into the games. All that is left is implementing as many levels as we can in the next 3 weeks, and debugging.

Some people in my group have stated their interest in continuing the game after the deadline as a portfolio item, and hopefully reach our original vision of the game. I also have this interest, so I may post more updates after the deadline. If we had more time we would be able to reach our original vision, but the extremely short time frame along with our relative inexperience with some specific aspects, like Lua and Corona, prevents us from reaching it.

As I said with my last post I will show some of the assets for the project, and here they are:

Comments On the 3DS Ambassador Program & News

Nintendo has finished the list of games that 3DS early adopters (3DS Ambassadors) will receive for free in response to the recent price drop on the system. The list includes both NES games and GBA games for the virtual console on the 3DS's eShop. While the NES games will eventually be released to the general public, the GBA games, which are the only GBA games being released so far for the 3DS, will only be released for the 3DS Ambassadors. This, in my opinion, is outrageous.

CGT 245 Project - Project Echos

I started a game development course this semester that deals with game development. As part of the class we have two main projects, which are a 2D mobile game, and a 3D mobile game. We were able to choose our own groups, as well as how many people were in our group, and essentially told to have at it with the teacher giving lectures and tutorials associated with the project and weekly status updates.

My group decided on making a game we have code named Project Echos. It is a puzzle/action platformer in the spirit of the classic SNES games, such as the Mario, Metroid, and Donkey Kong Country games, as well as similarly retro style games, such as the Golden Sun games. We have 8 weeks as of last Thursday, and we hope to have a prototype completed by the end of week 2. We will be using the Corona engine, and be releasing on the Android initially with the possibility of the iPhone.

The gameplay of the game will be centered around the elements, and using your powers to affect the environment to solve puzzles, beat bosses, and possibly some standard enemies. The perspective beyond 2D will be from the side, like most platformers. For the controls we will be using an onscreen dpad similar to the GamEvil games, Zenonia 1-3.

I would like to post again at a later date once we have something more to show. I have not had any comments on this blog yet, but if there are any questions feel free to comment, and I will try to get to them as soon as possible.

Nuzlocke Challenge 1.2 - Insects & Sacrifice

« Previous Nuzlocke

First Nuzlocke »

When we last left off, I had just beat Gary, and was ready to tackle the Viridian Forest. My goal this time is to pick up a Pikachu, but first I have to pass through Route 2. This post is actually a combination of some small play sessions, since they weren't long enough for individual posts by themselves.

Navigation & Readability Update

Today I did a some things to improve navigation and readability. First, I added page jumps, since my posts have started to get longer. Second, I added links at the top of my nuzlocke posts to make it easier to page through just the those posts. Third, I increased the number of posts per page to three, since it seemed my original intent, which was to have a single-post-per-page low-scrolling design, feels like it hurts navigation.

Eventually, I may add a page at the top that will works as an archive for all the nuzlocke posts.

Nuzlocke Challenge 1.1 - Team Bonding and Training

« Previous Nuzlocke

Next Nuzlocke »

I decided to play this session on my Super Game Boy, which has the added benefit of color :). When we last left off, I was training my new pokémon, Pidgey (Lvl.5) and Rattata (Lvl.4), on Route 1. So, my first point of business is to go to the local Poké Center to heal my team.

Nuzlocke Challenge 1.0 - Beginnings

« Latest Nuzlocke

Next Nuzlocke »

I am starting my first nuzlocke challenge in Pokémon Red. I am using a slightly modified set of rules.

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RULES:

1. If your pokémon faints, you have to release it.
2. You can only catch the first pokémon you meet in an area.
• If the pokémon is one you have previously caught or is along the same evolutionary path as one you have caught in the past, then you may skip that pokémon. You may repeat this until you receive a unique pokémon.
3. All pokémon must be given nicknames.

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Blog Revival...Hopefully

Well, I haven't updated my blog for a while for a variety of reason. Mostly it is that I haven't had much to write about, and have been to preoccupied with the rest of my life to start something that would give me material.

Luckily, something has come up. I will be attempting a Nuzlocke Challenge in Pokémon Red. This should provide an ample amount of material for a bit.

Also, I am hoping to have something along the lines of programming and game development soon. I don't want to say anything more until I have got something to show, so stay tuned.

Site Update - Facebook

I've created a Facebook page for my blog. I also added a link on the right, which will take you to this page offering you a new way to follow the blog.

Site Design Update

I've just have a quick update. I messed around with the blog design today. I tried to simplify it a little, and have less of an information overload.

I'll hopefully start updating the site with real content soon. I'll have a lot of free time over Christmas, so who knows?

Project - Fetchin' Tennis Balls - Complete

This is the first of my games made with Allegro in C++. It's a basic game where you are a dog picking up tennis ball, and after you pick it up, it appears somewhere else on the screen. Your score is shown at the top of the screen, and the dog barks every time you get ten balls. This is version 1.0, so it should be stable on Windows XP & Vista & 7. There is no victory condition though.

Pneumatic Games Homepage - Dead

I have decided to delete the original homepage, and move everything to one centralized location, this blog. I will start adding posts with the sites content soon.

C++ Primer - Delayed

It has been a while since I have posted anything. Unfortunately, I had to put aside my plans for going through the C++ Primer book. I realized I did not have the time to follow through with it. Also, a couple week ago, the library that I was borrowing the book from requested that I return the book because someone had requested it. I do not know when I will get back on track with it, or whether I will start over using the newer version of the book. My hope is that once I have gotten into my new major next semester, I will be able to focus more on programming and updating this blog. In the mean time, I may be able to start putting up reviews of games that I have played.

C++ Primer - Week 1

First off, I unfortunately underestimated how long it would take me to finish chapter 2, so I just finished it today, but I believe I will still be able to finish this week goal.

Now on to what I have learned from the 1st and 2nd chapter.

C++ Primer - Week 0

I decided a while ago that I didn't have a good enough grounding in C++, so I ended up getting a book called the 3rd edition of "C++ Primer" by Stanley B. Lippman and Josée Lajoie from a library at Purdue. It was sitting in my apartment for a while, since I had a lot going on in my life at the time, but I can have it indefinitely, as long as I remember to renewing it online.

First Post

This is my first post for my blog, so I guess I'll go over my goal for this blog.

My goal is to post my thoughts on gaming, game development, etc. I also will post news on what I have been doing to fulfill my goal in getting into the video game industry, and anything else that won't fit into a tweet.