discussion Anti-Social & Lurker - Hideout spot

[luciddream]

I'm not sure, Underlord gifs come in very useful...
I'm coding some little RPG type thing in Unity. It's all text based, since I can't make art, but it's kinda cool. It behaves a little like Dwarf Fortress/Rogue in displaying everything in text and such. It's just a bit of fun, no commercial intentions behind it.
What about you?

Sounds cool. Fun projects are the best projects. The moment you wanna do something commercially, you keep questioning everything and telling yourself it's not good enough instead of just doing what's fun.
How far are you in the basic gameplay loop?

I'm sort of doing two things at once. One is making a RPG in RPG Maker (my artist does the art & graphics) and I do the programming - mostly in Javascript. We're basically using the engine as convenient basis to design our own systems on top of it.
Beyond that I work on multiple plugins for game developers that use RPG Maker. From advanced dialogue systems, weather systems, to my own variant of a Fire Emblem like tactics system.

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Makes me feel bad how I spend my time, but love that you make games for fun. Can't see Dwarf Fortress without responding, so many hours playing with those little buggers, just got used to the new tileset but still switch to ASCII to see movement of the waves, it looks so good in it.

 

[Dad70]

Time for some sleep before this

Spoiler: happens

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See you later alligator...

 

[kuraiken]

You can mainly just move around and talk to people. But I'm trying to make it completely randomly generated, which means it constantly feels like it lacks in depth. I'm aiming for emergent gameplay over an actual story.
But, you can chop down trees, dig under ground, farm some veg. Fight whoever you want to fight. But, it's all text based, so you're literally just watching a letter X move over to a letter T (for Tree) for example haha.
I've got a Map Editor which I'm quite happy with though! Can produce a map from a seed and adjust its climate/mountain level/water level etc.

Have you considered eventually adding graphics?
If you have letters already displayed, replacing them with graphical objects shouldn't be too difficult, depending on how unity handles the display?
Yeah, games that are meant to provide a lot of flexibility & options are generally going to feel underdeveloped while you're working on them. The worst part is, I wouldn't be surprised if it keeps feeling that way, since you'll grow more and more used to what the game can already do.
It might help to every once in a while show off the game to some people, just for fun, so that their reactions can be a measuring stick rather than your own perception.

A map editor is quite the thing to add. Is that external tooling or is it an in-built feature of the game you're making?

Oooooh. Sounds awesome! I know people can get pretty crazy in RPG Maker, when you use it as a foundation and go above and beyond. I hope you'll keep going with it!

At some point I plan to play around more with Unreal Engine, but right now I still have so much I wanna do in 2D first. I recently started going a little into writing GLSL shaders to see what kind of stuff you can just directly do on the graphic card's cores (since you can just add a shader to any sprite). It's pretty cool, but what some people can do with it is straight-up magic. So far I'm just going to use it for some smooth flowing UI effects and maybe special rain shaders.

Mines all Unity. But it's definitely not just me coding it - I'd be waaay behind without my best pal ChatGPT.

How's that working, exactly? I've always shied away from it, because I'm handling so many interconnected managers & handlers that everything has to meet very specific specifications or it won't work.

And I looooove the Tactics System! Making something like that more accessible would be ace for people.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I'm working on it. It's just a timelessly good system and if done right, would make developing tactics games super easy.
I've already implemented a lot of stuff on the battle map, including the pathfinding. Now I mostly have to settle on the final design for combat stats & how I want the combat menus & combat interaction to look. xD

 

[Monokuma]

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Makes me feel bad how I spend my time, but love that you make games for fun. Can't see Dwarf Fortress without responding, so many hours playing with those little buggers, just got used to the new tileset but still switch to ASCII to see movement of the waves, it looks so good in it.

Never feel bad for how you spend your time!
"Time Enjoyed Wasted is not Wasted Time" - As long as you're enjoying what you do, it's valuable. There's too much pressure on us to spend time "Being productive" - studies, working, family time, etc. Just do you.

That wave movement is amazing! Totally puts my little game to shame. Here's a snippet for those interested:

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Can consider this to be the "Overworld Map" or, in Dwarf Fortress terms, this is similar to picking where you "Embark" to. A very high level map. Can see Forests (F) but not individual trees.
The X is the Player.
L for Basic Land.
M for Mountains
F for Forest
W for Water
Pale Yellowish S for Sand (only by water edge usually)
Green S for Swamp (between forest and water usually)

Edit: I should also add, this is showing hte South East section of the map (you can tell from the Water all around the botton and the right). I generate Islands to limit the player from going too far. Theres 9 of these sections in total. Technically the map editor can take any value you put in, but I standardise it to 9 sections anyway as it feels neater.

 

[micmitja]

Time for some sleep before this

Spoiler: happens

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See you later alligator...

sleep well

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[El Buho]

Hi All, Thinking again about all the great science fiction movies I have seen in the past, and remembered a little known one that actually introduced drones to movie goers b4 Star Wars. "Silent Running" 1972 with Bruce Dern is worth a watch.

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[Bloodheart]

Time for some sleep before this

Spoiler: happens

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See you later alligator...

Spoiler: night

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[micmitja]

Hi All, Thinking again about all the great science fiction movies I have seen in the past, and remembered a little know one that actually introduced drones to movie goers b4 Star Wars. "Silent Running" 1972 with Bruce Dern is worth a watch.

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here you go

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[Monokuma]

Have you considered eventually adding graphics?
If you have letters already displayed, replacing them with graphical objects shouldn't be too difficult, depending on how unity handles the display?

Right now Unity handles it by simply producing text.
There IS possibilty for it to render graphics in future, but I've honestly ignored it. I think my way has a kind of Nostalgic Charm, haha. I've posted a screenshot: Here

Yeah, games that are meant to provide a lot of flexibility & options are generally going to feel underdeveloped while you're working on them. The worst part is, I wouldn't be surprised if it keeps feeling that way, since you'll grow more and more used to what the game can already do.
It might help to every once in a while show off the game to some people, just for fun, so that their reactions can be a measuring stick rather than your own perception.

Totally! I have some friends lined up to give it a go already. I'm sending them a little taste at the end of May... What do you mean it's already August? Damnit.
Joking side though, I've literally been linking some systems together today so it'll be playable. Everything was kind of... losely attached (because I work on the bit I'm most passionate about at any given time, which means nothing ever gets fully done...). And that's fine for debug mode, when I know what I'm doing, but if I want someone else to play it, I need things connected at least a little.

A map editor is quite the thing to add. Is that external tooling or is it an in-built feature of the game you're making?

Built in via a script. Basically creates some perlin noise across a grid, and assigns terrain based on the value. I throw in some randomness, and it makes for a semi realistic map.

At some point I plan to play around more with Unreal Engine, but right now I still have so much I wanna do in 2D first. I recently started going a little into writing GLSL shaders to see what kind of stuff you can just directly do on the graphic card's cores (since you can just add a shader to any sprite). It's pretty cool, but what some people can do with it is straight-up magic. So far I'm just going to use it for some smooth flowing UI effects and maybe special rain shaders.

I'll be honest, Unreal scares me a little, haha. 3D scares me in general.
My friend and I do little "GameJam" type things between us, I tried 3D on the last one (in Unity) and damn it was a struggle to get my head around. Just the level design made me nauseous.
If you get onto it, I wish you better luck than I had! Haha. I think I'm comfy in a 2D world right now (which is sad, because I wanted to make a Metroid Prime style game... Sigh... Oh well!)

How's that working, exactly? I've always shied away from it, because I'm handling so many interconnected managers & handlers that everything has to meet very specific specifications or it won't work.

Honestly? Incredibly.
I have the paid version of ChatGPT and the latest release, 4o, is insane. It could code an entire game on it's own, if you let it. But I still want to at least try it myself - it helps me with corrections and teaching me what I don't know. But it can be overzealous, sometimes I say "Can you spot why this isn't working?" and it says "Here, I've rewritten your entire script!" And, well, it's better... So I begrudgingly accept it... haha.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I'm working on it. It's just a timelessly good system and if done right, would make developing tactics games super easy.
I've already implemented a lot of stuff on the battle map, including the pathfinding. Now I mostly have to settle on the final design for combat stats & how I want the combat menus & combat interaction to look. xD

Sounds like it's come so far already! That's awesome.
And you're right, it's such a good system. Underutilised too.

 

[luciddream]

Never feel bad for how you spend your time!
"Time Enjoyed Wasted is not Wasted Time" - As long as you're enjoying what you do, it's valuable. There's too much pressure on us to spend time "Being productive" - studies, working, family time, etc. Just do you.

That wave movement is amazing! Totally puts my little game to shame. Here's a snippet for those interested:

You must be registered to see attachments

Can consider this to be the "Overworld Map" or, in Dwarf Fortress terms, this is similar to picking where you "Embark" to. A very high level map. Can see Forests (F) but not individual trees.
The X is the Player.
L for Basic Land.
M for Mountains
F for Forest
W for Water
Pale Yellowish S for Sand (only by water edge usually)
Green S for Swamp (between forest and water usually)

Edit: I should also add, this is showing hte South East section of the map (you can tell from the Water all around the botton and the right). I generate Islands to limit the player from going too far. Theres 9 of these sections in total. Technically the map editor can take any value you put in, but I standardise it to 9 sections anyway as it feels neater.

It looks great. I can play a game that looks like this, looks just like Adventure Mode in DF, once your eyes adjust you can see all the details, always thought graphics are overrated.

Hi All, Thinking again about all the great science fiction movies I have seen in the past, and remembered a little know one that actually introduced drones to movie goers b4 Star Wars. "Silent Running" 1972 with Bruce Dern is worth a watch.

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Old science fiction moves, remember watching these classics, and watched a few of the Flash Gordon serials, they were airing on TCM on Saturday mornings.

 

[spacez]

Hi All, Thinking again about all the great science fiction movies I have seen in the past, and remembered a little know one that actually introduced drones to movie goers b4 Star Wars. "Silent Running" 1972 with Bruce Dern is worth a watch.

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There are a lot of good old sci-fi movies out there for those that don't need the latest cgi.

Andromeda Strain
THe Black Hole
The thing from another world
Soylent Green
clockwork orange

Ccome to mind

 

[El Buho]

here you go

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Thanks, and as a reminder please use a VPN when downloading content from a torrent.

 

[Monokuma]

It looks great. I can play a game that looks like this, looks just like Adventure Mode in DF, once your eyes adjust you can see all the details, always thought graphics are overrated.

Adventure Mode is exactly what it's like! Just my take on it.
I have moments where I'm like "Why am I even doing this when DF exists?" but, I remind myself I'm doing this for fun and just to prove I can! haha.

And, with that, I'm going to bed.
Been lovely chatting with you all. But I can BEARLY keep my eyes open.

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[micmitja]

Adventure Mode is exactly what it's like! Just my take on it.
I have moments where I'm like "Why am I even doing this when DF exists?" but, I remind myself I'm doing this for fun and just to prove I can! haha.

And, with that, I'm going to bed.
Been lovely chatting with you all. But I can BEARLY keep my eyes open.

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sleep well

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[luciddream]

Adventure Mode is exactly what it's like! Just my take on it.
I have moments where I'm like "Why am I even doing this when DF exists?" but, I remind myself I'm doing this for fun and just to prove I can! haha.

And, with that, I'm going to bed.
Been lovely chatting with you all. But I can BEARLY keep my eyes open.

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Good Night Mono. A good game is a good game, if you add your own stuff to make it yours all the better.

 

[-Bonk-]

Spoiler: i return

Spoiler: hello there

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Spoiler: later algeo have a nice

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Hi Blood Brother, good to see ya

Hiya Blood. doing fine.


Thanks for the cup, think it might be awhile before using all coffee gifs, cat drinking coffee has tons as well.

And Brother Lucid, welcome home mate

 

[Mahbu005]

Head to the head thread! Head to the head thread! Head to the head thread!

Now, where's the fun in that? Here:

Hot damn

Mmmmmmm this gif makes my pussy tingle

 

[sentinel13]

Do you ever plan for a nice, relaxed evening where you do nothing at all, maybe post on this riddiculous forum, but then something completely scuppers that plan?

I noticed an addict collapsed over the street from my home. So had to help him, call the authorities, pass him over to them.
I was planning a nice little Forum/Coding session, but nooooo. I have to be the Good Samaritan don't I?

I know exactly what you mean. I had this whole evening of sleeping outside planned, and then some asshole called the cops on me!

 

[Bloodheart]

Hi Blood Brother, good to see ya



And Brother Lucid, welcome home mate

Spoiler: hello bonk

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[luciddream]

Hi Blood Brother, good to see ya



And Brother Lucid, welcome home mate

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Hiya Bonk, hoping you had a Good Day.