Panky the Panda - new WIP homebrew

[TROGDOR]

This game shows excellent potential. I particularly like the inertia when when you stop pressing the controller.

 

I vote for 16K. Make it an epic adventure.

[GroovyBee]

With that in mind, I think maybe I'll make a very simple Java level editor that allows me to place the game tiles for a screen visually and then output the appropriate text. I have a feeling this could be a major time saver down the road...

I use Tile Studio for level design. It has some quirks (save your data often!) but it does the job. It can also output the level data in a variety of formats including C and raw binary. Normally I just write a conversion tool to work on the raw binary.

[Ben_Larson]

I use Tile Studio for level design. It has some quirks (save your data often!) but it does the job. It can also output the level data in a variety of formats including C and raw binary. Normally I just write a conversion tool to work on the raw binary.

It looks interesting but, looking over the scripting language, I'm not quite sure how/if it might work, because what I would need to output isn't really graphics data per se, but just 6-bit indexes (indices? ) to tiles. For example:

 

		.byte #%00001100,#%00110000,#%01000001
	.byte #%00001000,#%00000000,#%00000100
	.byte #%00010100,#%01000001,#%00000101

...is the first room. Each room consists of 12 tiles in a 4x3 arrangement. There's 64 tiles to pick from total (actually 32 plus a reflect bit, but who's counting ).

[GroovyBee]

It looks interesting but, looking over the scripting language, I'm not quite sure how/if it might work, because what I would need to output isn't really graphics data per se, but just 6-bit indexes (indices? ) to tiles.

It can output the tile graphics data in *.bmp format and the level map (indexes into the tile data) in "C" if you use the correct output settings. You'd then need to take the level map *.c files and process them into the format you need. The most annoying thing it does is to reorder the tile bitmap that you give it, so you have to double check the output graphics file it produces . Maybe there's a way to stop it doing that but I haven't found it. Usually I write Perl scripts that convert the data into structures my games understand.

[Ben_Larson]

FYI:

 

In case anyone was wondering ( or cares ), I am still working on this. Been adding content, mostly. I did implement my own little Java editing app a while back which is indeed proving invaluable in doing the screens. Attached is a screenshot of the editing program (with the rest of the development related stuff open too). I'm up to 48 screens thus far, out of I think 122. Hopefully another binary will be forthcoming soon but I want to get a few things done first so that it's at least a semi-playable experience...

 

Ben

[Ben_Larson]

Ok, here's a new binary. This one is semi-playable, although I've removed the orange key to prevent proceeding to certain currently unimplemented areas.

 

There's no enemies, no save points yet, and no 'lives' yet (you just get infinite), but there are a couple of keys and other assorted things to find. Also (this is important): there are some secret passages which look just like walls. You've been warned!

 

Feel free to play it around, give feedback, see what you can find, etc.

 

Lastly please try not to give away game spoilers in the thread...

 

Thanks,

Ben

pp.bin

[StanJr]

It's fun running the little panda around and the platforming is pretty cool. I couldn't find any items, or secret rooms, but I did find a blue door and the orange one. Man, those are some wild physics you've got running on the panda's movements. Are you going to reel them in at all, maybe some slowdown upon change of direction or something to keep me from running him off platforms all the time?

 

Very fun, cannot wait to see where this is going!

[uosipa llamxew]

This is really cool so far.

 

I'm not incredibly fond of the title though.

[TrekMD]

Looking nice...much more playable now. Thanks for the update.

[cd-w]

Ok, here's a new binary. This one is semi-playable, although I've removed the orange key to prevent proceeding to certain currently unimplemented areas.

 

Nice work - the movement is very fluid and the game it is already fun to play.

 

My only gripe is that you get sent to the beginning of the game when you fall off the bottom of the screen, even when you know there is a ledge underneath (and when it is much less distance than falling from the top to the bottom of the screen). I would prefer it if you could fall any distance, or if there were some maximum fall distance. I guess this would mean that you could get trapped in pits, but it might be possible to add lava or spikes to remove this problem?

 

Chris

[Ben_Larson]

My only gripe is that you get sent to the beginning of the game when you fall off the bottom of the screen, even when you know there is a ledge underneath (and when it is much less distance than falling from the top to the bottom of the screen)

Yea I know it doesn't make much sense. I'm not sure there's a consistent way to do pits on the horizontal parts and also do vertically oriented screens, though. If you allow falling off the screen, then you have to make separate screens for each pit on the horizontal parts and just watch your guy fall to his death each time, which I thought would be very aggravating for people. I mean, we all know watching your player fall in a pit over and over has already been done on Atari and no one liked it (*cough*, E.T ). Alternatively, you could just make the player die instantly when falling in a pit on the horizontal part, but then it's kind of inconsistent.

 

My final rationale for doing it like I did was "well, you die on the vertical boards in Contra when you fall off the bottom of the screen... so if they did it then I can do it"

Edited August 31, 2009 by Ben_Larson

[cd-w]

My final rationale for doing it like I did was "well, you die on the vertical boards in Contra when you fall off the bottom of the screen... so if they did it then I can do it"

 

Fair enough - it is a difficult issue to solve.

 

One other point - if you have space in your kernel it would be nice to mask the sprite at the edges of the screen (i.e do an "and MASK" before the "sta GRP0", where MASK is set to conceal the parts of the sprite that are off the side of the screen). This would avoid the sense of the player leaving the playing area.

 

Chris

[Ben_Larson]

Here's a new ROM. The game is now completeable (if that's a word), sans enemies. Nothing in the last room to see though, but... an empty room.

 

There's save points now. Basically you get 3 lives but unlimited continues. When you lose 3 lives you just start back at the original spawn point with all your stuff you've collected so far.

 

I'm contemplating doing in-game hints, but here's some non-in-game hints for now:

 

* Not everything is as it appears. Watch out for ledges that seem out of place.

* The flute might be useful when it looks like you're stuck

* Jump boots enable you to... jump high of all things

* Ice is generally hard to walk on without snow boots

* The penitent panda shall pass...

pp.bin

[Mord]

Yea I know it doesn't make much sense. I'm not sure there's a consistent way to do pits on the horizontal parts and also do vertically oriented screens, though. If you allow falling off the screen, then you have to make separate screens for each pit on the horizontal parts and just watch your guy fall to his death each time, which I thought would be very aggravating for people. I mean, we all know watching your player fall in a pit over and over has already been done on Atari and no one liked it (*cough*, E.T ). Alternatively, you could just make the player die instantly when falling in a pit on the horizontal part, but then it's kind of inconsistent.

 

My final rationale for doing it like I did was "well, you die on the vertical boards in Contra when you fall off the bottom of the screen... so if they did it then I can do it"

 

Another possible way to implement it is let them pass if there's an actual room connected below (usually indicated by the presence of a ladder) but if no room is below, save the current room and push them into a "penalty" room of sorts. In that room the goal is simply to get back up to the top and climb a ladder. Doing so returns them to the room they fell from.

 

You'd just need a single room for all those unconnected rooms, just spice it up a little with randomly selected monsters or something to keep them "company"

[cd-w]

Here's a new ROM. The game is now completeable (if that's a word), sans enemies. Nothing in the last room to see though, but... an empty room.

 

There's save points now. Basically you get 3 lives but unlimited continues. When you lose 3 lives you just start back at the original spawn point with all your stuff you've collected so far.

 

I'm contemplating doing in-game hints, but here's some non-in-game hints for now:

 

* Not everything is as it appears. Watch out for ledges that seem out of place.

* The flute might be useful when it looks like you're stuck

* Jump boots enable you to... jump high of all things

* Ice is generally hard to walk on without snow boots

* The penitent panda shall pass...

 

Very nice work - how many screens are there in the game now? I got stuck quite early after I got the blue key and couldn't find a way to get up to the blue door. I still find the death-by-falling-off-the-screen thing to be extremely irritating, but then you know that already Perhaps if you had infinite lives, but always returned to the last save point after you died (like Pitfall 2)? I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

Chris

[Ben_Larson]

Very nice work - how many screens are there in the game now? I got stuck quite early after I got the blue key and couldn't find a way to get up to the blue door. I still find the death-by-falling-off-the-screen thing to be extremely irritating, but then you know that already Perhaps if you had infinite lives, but always returned to the last save point after you died (like Pitfall 2)? I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

Chris

I think there's 123 screens total.

 

When you say you weren't able to get up to the blue door, you mean you saw the blue door but couldn't get to it? Because you should be able to get up to it without any special equipment... although it does requires a little creative jumping. I haven't actually tested all the jumping with a real joystick, though, so I don't know if things that are doable on the keyboard will end up being next to impossible with a real joystick. Any feedback in that regard would be appreciated.

[LS_Dracon]

I've collected the blue and orange keys without the boots and I found the two boots as well. The trick is find one secret passage.

 

This game is hard, but I liked the gameplay. Perhaps more lives turn the game a bit easier...

 

How about the save points be light bulb turning on when enabled?

 

The item is selected pressing down, however in a ladder you unselect the item accidentally.

 

Very promissing game, I'm follow the progress

[Ben_Larson]

Been a long while without an update. Work is still progressing, though, just at my usual leisurely pace of a few hours here, a few hours there.

 

Here's a new version demoing 3 of the enemies: the Armadillo, the Fireball, and the dreaded Goon. Walk to the left and right and you should see them (they can't hurt you yet though).

 

LS: Making the orbs/lightbulbs change color when you encounter one is on my to do list, BTW...

 

Ben

pp.bin

Edited January 9, 2010 by Ben_Larson

[TrekMD]

Cool, thanks for sharing and for keeping up the good work!

[Devin]

Been a long while without an update. Work is still progressing, though, just at my usual leisurely pace of a few hours here, a few hours there.

 

Here's a new version demoing 3 of the enemies: the Armadillo, the Fireball, and the dreaded Goon. Walk to the left and right and you should see them (they can't hurt you yet though).

 

LS: Making the orbs/lightbulbs change color when you encounter one is on my to do list, BTW...

 

Ben

 

This is truly impressive work!

 

I love the enemy designs in this version. The flicker is also don't extremely well. I can't wait to see your next release!

[e1will]

This looks pretty neat. I especially like the sprite graphics. Good work! I look forward to seeing more of this as it develops.

 

(I do agree with cd-w and the others about the death-by-falling-off-the-screen, though.)

 

--Will

[+Nathan Strum]

It's great to see this still in progress. My only quibble with it at the moment is that on the screens where the background is blue, it's easy to confuse the lower (display?) part of the screen as part of the playfield, since that's blue as well. Maybe a dividing line running the length of the screen would help, or just using a color down there that isn't replicated in the playfield.

 

The death-by-falling-off-the-screen doesn't bother me so much, but maybe you could have him fall from one screen to the next, so you could see him go "splat". Maybe have it so if he falls more than the total distance of the height of one screen, he dies.

[Devin]

The death-by-falling-off-the-screen doesn't bother me so much, but maybe you could have him fall from one screen to the next, so you could see him go "splat". Maybe have it so if he falls more than the total distance of the height of one screen, he dies.

 

I love that idea! It also gives you the ability to create rather advanced levels. For instance, you have to fall down to make it to a platform in the level below.

 

But, in any case, this is going to be a great game!

[lapetino]

I dig this a lot, but agree that the falling/dying seems hard. I'd prefer it would be more like Mega Man, where falling doesn't kill you unless you land on something bad. But, it's still amazing.

[STGuy1040]

I'm really liking this! It's fun and challenging (jumping to each platform without falling can be a challenge!), the graphics are incredible, and the concept is fresh (i.e. having save points). Finish this! I want a cartridge!

Edited January 15, 2010 by STGuy1040