AGameAWeek 2010 - Game Number One!
We'll call this a test game, because the whole framework thing still isn't quite up to scratch, with all kinds of missing features!
Plus I've put in LOADS of little quirks, things that should be quick have been made extra lengthy, and there's a bunch of redundancy.. This is half-done on purpose so that I can see what the available systems can and can't cope with.
Hopefully we'll find that they can!!
<a href="https://AGameA...

Oooh, new engine this week, are you all looking forward to it?!
First Linux release, too! Blimey!
As the days drive on, I'm leaving myself with less time to actually code a game, here, but things are coming along nicely.
Joystick controls are in, little pop up text things are happening, debug file's being created, everything seems to be working!

Audio!
As you probably noticed, the past 100-or-so of my games have had a rather generic set of numbered sound effects, ranging 001 -> xyz.wav
Today I decided that I might as well make that a more permanent feature, so super-BlitzMax-engine now includes quick "LoadSFX" and "PlaySFX" functions that will work solely with those files.
Neat!

Blimey!!
Step 1. (3/4 hours)
After about 3 or 4 hours spent prodding Ubuntu to actually get it to install properly, I finally managed to get it up and running by downloading a different Ubuntu, and installing it onto a thumbstick instead..
Step 2. (10 seconds)

For something that just looks like this..
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/bmaxtesting_game.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/bmaxtesting_game_thumb.png"></a>
.. I have actually but a heck of a lot of work into the framework, so far!
Take a peek inside to find out some nice nuggets of info, and take a look at the future of AGameAWeek!!

That went as well as could be expected. Xmas intervened, family issues cropped up, all manner of snow based issues, and I pretty much rushed through the last 4 or 5 of those!
Not that it was entirely noticeable. I happen to think the last two were cracking games.
But which were your favourites?
Three Hens a-Laying seemed remake-able, could be something more interest.

Something involving Traffic Cones.
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/TrafficCones.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/TrafficCones_thumb.png"></a>
I made a nice little traffic cone physics engine (.. gamey physics!) and it's quite a bit of fun to play with, but the tricky part will be to try and come up with a playable game that's based around it.
Best Lap Times + Bonus Rounds seems to be a fairly fair way to go.
Now, how to make levels.. hmm....

I get to this point once every few months, and .. well.. here we are again!
A few things are getting me here, this time around.
Let's list the reasons, then think of some solutions..

This week, due to popular demand, Blockman's Getting More.
As you may have read, I attempted a new art style (fweeDee!!) last week, which really didn't work out at all.
So, this week I'm aiming for the Pseudo popped-out-a-bit art style, and all seems happy in the world of Blockman.
<img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/blockmangetsmoreb.png">

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Ok, let's try that Munky thing again, shall we!?
I've scrapped the "Portal" style stuff, and am instead focusing on a Munky Blocks styled affair.
Munky's Block seems an apt title, so we'll stick with that.
Currently I have only 1 setpiece, and 1 silly simple test level.

The big-ass catalogue is now up to 68 games, and I've reached a bit of a stumbling block.
If you search for (URL "https://AGameAWeek.com/GameList.php?Find=multiple+games">"multiple games"), you'll find a few games that have more than one internal game.
Today I'm tweaking the engine so that it counts each of those seperately inside the nice ever growing total.
I wasn't going to do that, at first, but then I came across Platdude's Retro Collection, and decided to do it.
It'd be a sh...

If you've been keeping track, you'll have probably noticed an ever increasing number in the folders of my games.
These are the weeks of the Wednesday Workshop, and as you trace through my games, you'll see a whole lot of matches between the WW and the game's basic idea.
WW is fantastic for ideas, but sometimes things don't quite work out.
Take this image, from a basic engine, all the way back in week #142.. (That's 76 weeks ago!)
(URL "https://socoder.net/uploads/1/Incomplete.png">...

I was struggling to come up with an interesting game, this week, when my Mum decided to show me her latest highscore on Yahtzee.
..
Pling!
New idea!

The ball from Pong, the gameplay from Tetris. The name seemed blindingly obvious to me.
But over the course of the past few days, I've received an inordinate number of complaints about the name.
It should be Breakout, it should be Asteroid, what!?

It's that unexpected time, where I randomly choose to rummage through the bundles of silly game ideas, and pluck out the best/worst!
Let's throw out the spam, and get started.
..
FFS, there's a lot of spam!

Uhoh, here we go again!
To be honest, I really wanted some time off. I planned to make a nice lengthy game, take my time, and maybe even finish off Patent Wars a bit, but as is usually the case.. I've written a game.
Well, it's not really a game, it's more of a toy. A play thing, if you will.
That's ready for release tomorrow.

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

The Home Str...

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

Back to work...

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

Alien...

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

AGame...

I can't believe I've still not finished this yet!
Seems that, no matter how much work I do on this game, it's still not quite done.
This week, I finally decided on the complete "Not Chance" and "Not Community Chest" card selection. 12 of each, ready and waiting in the engine.
Next, I added all those lovely patents.

I made a start on this game a few days ago, and things seem to be progressing at a decent enough rate.
The basic gameplay engine is in there, now. The test level (200x50 blocks) loads, platdude can run around, grab onto bars, jump around and use ladders. He can also work plungers and have the blocks open and shut accordingly.
So, that's all nice!

Occasionally, I like to jot down my current doings. It helps keep track of projects, and ideas, and sometimes getting a bit of feedback helps.
So feel free to do that!
1. Java/MidletPascal
Since I got my latest phone (an LGCookie) I decided to get back into Java coding... Except, without that horrible Java bit.

OK, as I said earlier, I've been playing with the Skeleton stuff today.
Whilst I was in there, I wondered how fun it might be if I added some kind of overriding features into my default engine.
You might (or not) have noticed, but since Wednesday Workshop Week #1, I've been placing all my game's data into the System folder, then into it's own Weekly numbered folder within.
If you get ALL my games (from the past couple of years), you can bundle them all together into the same folder.
...

OMG! The complaints are everywhere!
I guess the general verdict is that my games are too hard.
To be honest, I never thought of them as being "hard". I just kinda skip over the dull early parts, *ARRGGHH!! TUTORIALS!!!!* and get the player right into the game, instead.
But folk are complaining. So a new plan of action must be decided.