StoneAge (WIP)

[Trebor]

The baby dino addition is a great feature.   I absolutely love how much this title has evolved.  It's occasions such as these where I enjoy watching and reading about the development as much as I do playing the game.  Kudos to both of you gents, @TwentySixHundred and @TIX!

[TwentySixHundred]

28 minutes ago, Trebor said:

The baby dino addition is a great feature.   I absolutely love how much this title has evolved.  It's occasions such as these where I enjoy watching and reading about the development as much as I do playing the game.  Kudos to both of you gents, @TwentySixHundred and @TIX!

Thanks for the kind words mate, it's great to hear you're enjoying the development process as much as we are 😉👍

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

ZeroPage Homebrew is playing StoneAge on tomorrow's ZPH stream LIVE on Twitch! Hope you can join us!

 

Fri Mar 7, 2024 | LIVE @ 6PM PT | 9PM ET | 2AM GMT+1Day

WATCH LIVE: https://twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/

WATCH LATER: https://youtube.com/zeropagehomebrew/

 

Games:

• StoneAge (2024 WIP Update | 7800) by Anthony Quinlan @TwentySixHundred / Konstantinos Giamalidis @TIX (Graphics)
• Drone Patrol (2024 WIP Update | 7800) by Steve Engelhardt @Atarius Maximus / JAM  @H3xaFli6ht (Music)
• Knight Guy - In Another Castle (2024 WIP Update | 7800) by VHZC Games / Vladimir Zuñiga @vhzc

 

[+fdr4prez]

Great update!

 

On 3/6/2024 at 4:53 AM, TwentySixHundred said:

Changelog:

Build_20240306

• graphics - baby dino running sprites (KG)
• graphics - baby dino laughing sprites (KG)
• engine   - egg idle then pulsates when ready to hatch (KG)(AQ)
• engine   - baby dino chasing caveman routine (AQ)
• engine   - baby dino laughs when caveman retreats (AQ)
• bugfix   - lava splat skipped when bitten by baby dino (KG)(AQ)

 

Love the new little baby dino stuff!

 

On 3/6/2024 at 4:53 AM, TwentySixHundred said:

• graphics - HUD changes and level displayed during gameplay (AQ)

thanks!

 

On 3/6/2024 at 4:53 AM, TwentySixHundred said:

• engine   - for every two levels you can get an extra life (AQ)

I'll play some more, but I don't recall getting any extra lives.

[TwentySixHundred]

22 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

Great update!

Love the new little baby dino stuff!

Thanks, the baby dino really adds character

 

22 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

thanks!

No worries and was high time i focused on updating the HUD. Playing around with this has given me some more ideas to spruce it up.

 

22 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

I'll play some more, but I don't recall getting any extra lives.

Yes, i really should have waited as that was a rushed feature to add.

 

Basically you can gain a life every 2nd level if you have less than the original 3. The concept really makes no sense and i have no idea what the method to my madness was 🤣 This will be a fix for the next build.

[TIX]

Hey @ZeroPage Homebrew, guys, I just had the chance to watch the ZPH video on YouTube,

I appreciate all the great comments for the game graphics, I love doing them

 

 

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

On 3/10/2024 at 10:50 AM, TIX said:

Hey @ZeroPage Homebrew, guys, I just had the chance to watch the ZPH video on YouTube,

I appreciate all the great comments for the game graphics, I love doing them

 

You're so welcome @TIX, the graphics and animation you've done for StoneAge is really stunning! The work that you and @TwentySixHundred have done translating the super fun tabletop game into an arcade style game is excellent. I'm already looking forward to playing it again on the show next time!

 

- James

[+MattelAquarius]

"Electric Dreams"

 

Haven't seen this movie in decades.  I fell in love with Virginia Madsen when I first saw it BITD as a youngster.

 

It showed up in my YouTube feed last night.  Couldn't stop myself from watching it immediately.  Music, computers, and Virgina Madsen, make the perfect movie.  LOL

 

However, you'll see a relevant treat in the background of the scene at ~6:33.

 

 

 

[+fdr4prez]

2 minutes ago, MattelAquarius said:

However, you'll see a relevant treat in the background of the scene at ~6:33.

Neat!

 

So many of them

[TwentySixHundred]

Hi all, just an update as it's well overdue.

 

There was some other changes i wanted to make, however i will save them for the next. If you notice any bugs or want to share ideas feel free to let me know. Cheers 😊👍

 

Build_20240626

• graphics - mama t-rex laying egg sprite revision (KG)
• graphics - text changes (AQ)
• graphics - Mrs Caveman (KG)
• feature   - Mrs Caveman has entered the game (KG) (AQ)
• sound     - new sounds added (AQ)

                              - mama T-Rex hit

                              - volcano
                              - caveman hit
                              - egg pickup/drop
                              - pterodactyl steal an egg
                              - pterodactyl hit (axe)
                              - pterodactyl hit (floor)
                              - baby egg hatching
                              - baby laughing

• data        - additional graphics packing (AQ)
• fix           - lava splat on the floor would sometimes remove prematurely (AQ)

StoneAge_20240626.a78 StoneAge_20240626.bin
 

[TwentySixHundred]

 

[+fdr4prez]

in the original game, the dino randomly bites down when the caveman isn't underneath it, so that can do something similar to add more life and motion into your dino.

 

Also, in the original game the dino looks behind itself - this is to see/watch the baby dino get hatched and walk away.  You can have your dino looked behind, too, again to add more life and motion into your dino.

 

when there is an egg available, when the caveman gets there, it is not an instant grab.  The caveman actually needs to stay there is a bit of time before it registers as a successful grab, so it is a risk of grabbing the egg.  The dino may recover from the hit as you are trying to grab the egg.

 

Since there is a bit of a delay in grabbling the egg, you can actually go there when there is an egg there but not stay there long enough to actually grab it, so you can go there and leave without it because you didn't stay quite long enough.

 

Also, for the dino, isn't an instant bite down of the dino when you are there because the dino may be looking behind at that time. So if the egg is there, and the dino is looking behind, then you can go grab the egg without even hitting the dino.  It is quite risky, but it is certainly possible as you linger there grabbing the egg, then the dino will turn back around and see you.

[+fdr4prez]

On 6/26/2024 at 5:50 AM, TwentySixHundred said:

feature   - Mrs Caveman has entered the game (KG) (AQ)

I'll need to play to see more of the Mrs Caveman.  

 

From the video, it seems that she is not really doing anything.

 

Any plans for a level intermission cut screen that will show Mr and Mrs Caveman cooking or doing something together?

 

What if you change between the Mr and Mrs Caveman after each death?

 

So after the Caveman gets hit, then she takes over for the next turn as he is recovering.

 

When she gets hit, then he comes back and take the next turn as she is recovering

 

[CPUWIZ]

Is it the YouTube video or is it me, the gameplay looks really slow, or is it frame limited to 30 or something?

[Jinks]

When I played this on the js7800 player it seemed to play faster than the video.  Maybe on later levels. 

[TwentySixHundred]

On 6/27/2024 at 2:43 PM, fdr4prez said:

in the original game, the dino randomly bites down when the caveman isn't underneath it, so that can do something similar to add more life and motion into your dino. Also, in the original game the dino looks behind itself - this is to see/watch the baby dino get hatched and walk away.  You can have your dino looked behind, too, again to add more life and motion into your dino.

Yes TIX and myself have had discussions about adding this feature and agree this would add more life to mam t-rex. I have added it to my 'todo' list and bumped up its priority. Although there is a slight caveat, due to lack of graphics space and the sheer size of mama t-rex sprites, it won't be possible to add a look back sprite.

 

TIX has done a great job on modifying a couple of the eating sequence sprites. This means we can duel purpose use selected frames in a sequence (TIX has already formulated) so she can also look downwards. In addition TIX has mentioned as an alternative "lookback sprite" to use the sprite where she looks at the camera. This will total all the movements of the original tapbletop, with the exception of her looking at the camera rather than her baby.

 

On 6/27/2024 at 2:43 PM, fdr4prez said:

when there is an egg available, when the caveman gets there, it is not an instant grab.  The caveman actually needs to stay there is a bit of time before it registers as a successful grab, so it is a risk of grabbing the egg.  The dino may recover from the hit as you are trying to grab the egg.

This will most likely coincide when adding mama t-rex head movements. Both seem to be tied together on the tabletop

 

On 6/27/2024 at 2:43 PM, fdr4prez said:

Also, for the dino, isn't an instant bite down of the dino when you are there because the dino may be looking behind at that time. So if the egg is there, and the dino is looking behind, then you can go grab the egg without even hitting the dino.  It is quite risky, but it is certainly possible as you linger there grabbing the egg, then the dino will turn back around and see you.

Yes from memory mama t-rex would look behind at her baby hatching. You are correct though because at times it was random which made it look like she was checking if the egg is behind her. I feel it was random movement when the egg isn't behind her. But they seem to have a call that forced her to look when it was.

 

The "bite down" sequence came from TIX having too much fun and sent me an animation saying "hey have a look at this" 🤣. We decided very quickly to replace the fire with this animation, as it made the game a little unique and obviously something that wasn't possible on the tabletop. I wasn't taking no for an answer and i think TIX felt the same way 😄

 

On 6/27/2024 at 2:48 PM, fdr4prez said:

I'll need to play to see more of the Mrs Caveman.  

 

From the video, it seems that she is not really doing anything.

 

Any plans for a level intermission cut screen that will show Mr and Mrs Caveman cooking or doing something together?

 

What if you change between the Mr and Mrs Caveman after each death?

 

So after the Caveman gets hit, then she takes over for the next turn as he is recovering.

 

When she gets hit, then he comes back and take the next turn as she is recovering

 

Ah yes so Mrs Caveman... I hadn't really explained what her deal is but here goes.

 

Basically her existence is a two part scenario, as suggested before and TIX really likes the idea of having the cave as a safe zone from lava balls. The plan was always to have the safe zone, although i would get hesitant because i felt it's too easy to hide out and wait for eggs. Well kind of the same story as "bitedown", TIX got back to me with another "hey have a look at this... she reminds me of my boss" 😮😄. So after some talk we decided to add her to prevent the player lurking around the safe zone (soon to be safe zone).

 

I had to really start crunching and stacking more graphics to make space for her. You will notice she is composed of 4 sprites chopped in half, otherwise we would only have had 2. The fact her primary goal is to send caveman back to work or she will hit him, it was better to have more frames over two full width sprites.

 

With that said it answers the question about her being playable and sadly she is not.

 

As for intermissions i do have the idea to duel use her sprites when taking the eggs into the cave after each round. She could always send caveman back out when shes done aswell 😊👍

[TwentySixHundred]

On 6/27/2024 at 3:19 PM, CPUWIZ said:

Is it the YouTube video or is it me, the gameplay looks really slow, or is it frame limited to 30 or something?

Not exactly sure because it plays fine on my end. I have checked OBS and it's locked @60 1080P so it should be running at 60