₦airaland Forum

Hello guys.

The game project page has really grown but organisation and participation have not been effective hence the lack of interest and lack of games.

Why? So many people and yet no games. Well, there are various reasons but rather than list the problems, implementing solutions is what we'll do.

After speaking with Ojukwu24 and others, we've decided that the best way to move forward is to make progress visible by allowing members to follow and

develop ideas that interest them.

Interested individuals ( programmers, artists, designers etc ) can now discuss whatever ideas interest them and proceed to form groups. They can easily find

help from the original project page and the individual game pages.


PS: Please think seriously about your ideas before posting them and make sure you can follow up on whatever task you want to help accomplish before posting.

LET'S BEGIN.

Hey guys! lost my internet connection for a week. Had to go mobile. It's back on now though.

@Lugan: Good to know you're an artist.

You can find source codes and tutorials on many sites, blogs and publisher sites.

Here's the source code link for a java game book: http://www.brackeen.com/javagamebook/ It might be tricky if you don't have the book to understand why the

author is using a particular method. Just have some fun with it; understanding will come. It includes the source for a sidescroller.

Asteroids mobile : http://jfdoue.free.fr/developers.html

java 2d games tutorials: http://zetcode.com/tutorials/javagamestutorial/

Another Asteroids tutorial: http://www.giosoft.net/Development/Java-Asteroids-Tutorial.html

video tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRgJAHWEYA

gamedev.net tutorial: http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/reference/programming/languages/java/java-game-programming-part-i-the-basics-r1262

old games like doom (not in java but I think some people might have converted them. search online): http://www.gamedev.net/blog/198/entry-2249403-video-game-source-code/

I just discovered this site today: http://ian-albert.com/games/super_mario_bros_maps/ Its a site containing mario level maps. You can use them for references

I've attached images of 2d tryout with flash and the flashpunk framework. The level in the second one was made with ogmoeditor. I was trying to make a basic AI hence the waypoint/circles around the green characters in the second image.

@lugan: What are your plans for sprites and other assets in your project. One of the problems we've been having is the lack of artists around here. Anyways, all games do not require serious graphics as the concept can be all that matters. Lets hope we can find ways to implement our ideas in fun ways quickly and easily.

@lugan: yup. just make sure you're ready to go before inviting people to the project. You should also explain what contributions you'll be needing and what progress you're making to those who join so that your project will be understood and appreciated.

@lugan: yup, people are gonna work on projects that involve tools they are comfortable with. Each project will have a thread and updates including videos and demos will be posted there. If someone wants to use a different tool, he can easily find others who have knowledge of it and development can progress quickly.

@Lugan: Hello! Welcome to the team. Please read the article below to know what next.

@Everyone: Hello! How's y'all doing?

I've been busy with some projects but most of them are near completion now but the problem is that skool will resume soon and my time will be short again.

Anyways, The good news is that I and Ojukwu24 have been communicating via mail and we've come up with a good way to move this project forward:

First and foremost is restructuring and reorganization.

Rather than having one long topic with many signups and discussions but no far reaching/viewable progress due to a number of reasons, we've decided to

divide tasks in a very organized way by making this the mother thread(general game project meetup zone) and to create new threads for game

ideas that members want to work on. So if you have a game idea and want to use any language such as java, things will now be easier as you can easily

inform members that the idea will be implemented in a particular language or using a particular framework. Also members will now be able to contribute more

efficiently as they can now follow ideas/projects they favor.

I and Ojukwu24 have decided to work on the vulcan's challenge project. I'll look at my project files tomorrow and create a thread for it when things are ready.

For those of you who have been suggesting 2D, I've researched a bit into some languages and frameworks. I've also practiced a little and will show you some

images as well as post some info on my practice project tomorrow.

Well, you guys are right.  The decision is still his to make anyways and pointing out important issues him wasn't bad.

@Mobinga: He says he's always wanted to make software,  He's not asking about the workload,  He's asking about the tools to do what he wants.

   We can't continue with the stick with the popular formula mentality. It doesn't matter when he starts and what happens. As long as he's doing what he wants and hopefully fulfills his dreams, everything will be fine. Happy Citizen, Happy Nation,

   @igbo-boy ( from your name, i hope u're not one of those ethnic/tribal oriented individuals): Here are some tips and links to helpful resources:

Definition: Programming is simply the art of constructing/writing machine readable chunks of data using various tools based on clearly defined syntax.

Meaning: To program, you need to learn/use a programming language(the syntax). there are many languages to choose from and making a decision for you is not a wise idea. My suggestion is that you search for c++, java, c#, python, php and javascript as these are popular and you can easily find tools and helpful lessons/tips. Study the easy/hello world lessons from them, pick a small project and try to achieve it with whichever language you fancy. Early lessons will teach you about the necessary tools and PC setup.

links [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programming_languages, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programming_languages_by_category ]

What To Do: From the earlier definition and a look at the meaning of data, you'll realize that everything is actually meaningless. It is what we do with it that gives meaning and appreciation to data or in the event of things, information. What I'm saying is go kick some a*s by thinking of some cool things and implementing them.


EDIT: Re-reading your post, I'm guessing you're motivated by communication and software of the kind. I'll suggest  that you take things slow and try to learn about the basic concepts underlying computer communications first. When you get the concepts to some extent, try simulating/faking them as you learn to program then slowly delve into the communications aspect of your programming language of choice.

@Ojukwu24: How's you doing? Sorry 'bout your system. The project is still on but I don't know about the interest of others. I'm studying physics and AI this

holiday and I've also got a lot of projects to complete which is why I don't post here regularly.

I uploaded a demo and a project file some weeks ago and asked people to look into how we could improve on it. Nobody has responded with anything yet. It

seems a lot of people have other things on their hands which is okay but things will progress slowly if things continue this way. I'll mail you soon so we can

discuss the issues. Hope you're enjoying unity3d,

@Justhappy: You can not understand if you don't want to understand. That is life. Okay, your position is that the God of the bible is not what people say he is.

All I'm saying is that you as well as those who think he is merciful should consider other factors before making decisions. I tried writing my previous posts on a

neutral ground though I had to compromise when it came to talking about the sacrifice and other issues. You don't have to turn it into an insult. Believe what you

want. If the gospel of judas is what suits your life, accept it and stop disturbing others with your doubts. No one is forcing God on you. Those who do don't know

God.

okay boss! You say evidence based on the bible.

What makes you think assessing what is written in isolation helps your case?

I ask you to consider things that were also not written in order to understand what is written.

https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6087163870_15d0fd6af9.jpg
AGAINST RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE by ibra.me, on Flickr

POST YOUR OWN IMAGES TO SUPPORT THE STAND AGAINST RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE.

When people say God is all powerful and can do all things, they confuse 99% of the christian population because they cannot really explain what they mean.

Regarding the sacrifice made by Christ, Most people think because God is all powerful, he should be able to say people are forgiven and it would be so.

This may be correct after all when you sin against someone, they can forgive you. But when you sin against yourself or your nature,

When you alter your existence,  Who forgives you? Yourself? When you cannot even control your supernatural being?

What if there are powers and natures we haven't considered?

What if the sacrifice was made to save us from ourselves? From supernatural forces ( I don't mean beings but just existing forces) that we haven't considered.

What if it was the sacrifice that made us humans again and not something else supernaturally?

Many people make the mistake of accepting what people tell them about God without thinking for themselves.

If you know God then you know that half of what you think about him are what other men have suggested. Know God. Make your decision on who God is. If you

see HIM as merciful or otherwise then so be it. Some see Hitler as the kindest man alive. Others do not. I know this is different but this comes down to you.

Define merciful. Define a perfect world. Define God. Envision scenarios. Try thinking about what you haven't considered. Do you know

everything surrounding the supernatural aside popular opinion? What if 90% of what you think is wrong? What if our opinions of Him are wrong?

If He did all you think should be done, Do you think you would exist? Have you considered the infinite nature of the God Man relationship? Of the very notion of

supernatural existence?

Most of us see things from the human perspective. That is why we cannot yet fathom life. When you can consider life from the point of view of the ant, then,

maybe you will find and know God.

@Mobinga: People need to type documents, Yes. A lot of people still need PCs but many don't anymore. You're right about describing it as casual usage declining but this will affect production as evident in HP's decision.

I'm talking about those people to whom HP and other companies advertised the PC to as 'entertainment systems'. These people - a very high percentage of PC buyers now have smaller more mobile substitutes and from basic economics, somethings gotta give.

These people no longer need PCs for most of their activities.

  Most can easily plug in usb sticks to transfer files between devices 'almost' eliminating the need  for their PCs.

  I say 'almost' because there are still restrictions and other issues such as file compatibility as well as app compatibility. In the nearest future, these restrictions will decline as these smaller devices will be made more powerful and more efficiient.

  An average consumer in simple terms: PC sales were high because we needed them. Now we have smaller devices. Who needs the PC, give me an ipod, ipad or any good tablet and I'm okay. (Imagine if the ipod had a flash drive and i could plug it in to transfer all the songs I needed to and fro - PC sales will fall overnight).

Please listen: http://www.4shared.com/audio/sw76CS-7/golden__ibrame_BUM_BUM_SHAWTY.html

@ Number_One: The issue is that these devices can be classified in different ways and going from popular convention, a PC is a PC and a mobile phone is a

mobile phone no matter how many ghz it claims to possess. PC sales are falling. Average consumers prefer smaller trendier devices and while you may still classify

them as PCs, the effect is still there especially in the books(accounts) of manufacturers and investors who have no doubt began to shift their investments to these

smaller devices at the expense of the PC.

The new c++ standard. Read about it here: http://www.cprogramming.com/c++11/what-is-c++0x.html?utm_source=newletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=seventieth-followup

Rules: No Hating 

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about HP's latest move concerning it's PC division. You've also heard about the conclusions of many stakeholders.

Here's one that stands out:[size=15pt]THE PC ERA IS COMING TO AN END[/size] 

What do you guys think about this? Do you think it's true? What does it mean for developers and enthusiasts? Short and long term effects?

Here's my analysis:

[size=15pt]It's really coming to an end. Why?[/size]
 
First of all, why do most people use PCs?

For years, tech companies made large PC sales by advertising it as an entertainment system. People could watch, listen and save large amounts of digital media on them. It was cool and interesting. But it never got beyond that. At least for the average consumer.

  What this meant was that people just used the PCs for basic stuff,  or underused them. The PC as we know it, to the general public is(or was?) just a phase. True or false?

   I think true because with the onslaught of new sets of devices (which we may finally accept as competitors to the PC), people began to abandon PCs and switch to these new devices. They are trendier, cooler and unfortunately, the average user thinks most of these are better than the PC.

  They may be right,  A device may just be as good as what you use it for. These average users only use the PCs for basic stuff. Why should they burden themselves with bigger heavier devices when smaller devices fulfill their needs?

   To the average user, the PC era might as well be DEAD. WHO CARES?

   To developers and other users such as hardcore gamers however, the PC is still very much needed. We are not yet ready to let go. DAMN YOU HP FOR MAKING US GO THROUGH THIS HELL.  When ipads and other tablets can do half of what the PC's do, we'll think about it but for now, nada. Thanks.

   [size=15pt]Anyways, Conclusion: It'll no doubt come to an end. I mean the current way of things. Afterall, We've always wanted our devices to become smaller and powerful (except for screen size of course).  I think users and developers stand to benefit. Forget about HP. If they can't produce something decent for people, That's their luck. Bye Bye HP[/size]

   [size=15pt] But Seriously, Tablets may just evolve into smaller, more powerful PCs. Right now, they're just smaller, less powerful PCs. Don't argue.[/size]

@AdeizaSama: You're right about the graphics designers. Why d' you wanna scrap your project. Depending on your plans, you can actually create a great and

memorable game even if it's really short. Think: The players could be the ones asking for more rather than you wasting your time creating something long.

You just have to create a few levels, kinda like introducing the story and stuff.

Just give them something they' ll love to play and everything will work out.

The codes are in this package: http://sourceforge.net/projects/naijadev/files/VULCAN_wip.unitypackage/download

You need to have unity3D installed. All you have to do is create a new project and import the package.

@mobinga: If you want to play in full screen, you'll have to deselect windowed in the dialog box that shows before the game starts.

Regarding the speed, you can't change it unless you download the unity package to edit the script.

I may add an option to tweak player speed and certain attributes in the next build though since it's a demo.

@omo_to_dun: No problem. I got to know about the update by chance too.

@AdeizaSama: Not much. There's still a lot of work to be done. If you play the game, you'll notice some quirks. We'll be fixing the codes as soon as possible.

The graphics and levels also require a lot of work.

We need suggestions on improving the game. It'd also be nice if you could introduce the project to graphic artists cuz we need em a lot.

Well, I decided to put up the browser versions since I had different results downloading with each of them. Have you downloaded yet?

Chrome is still giving me errors but the file is perfect with the other browsers. Guess I'll have to upload the folder and see what happens.

NEW LINK: sourceforge.net/projects/naijadev/files/Vulcan.7z/download

I've compressed it to 7z and uploaded.

Firefox 5 downloads perfectly. I uncompressed with 7zip and game runs.

Safari 5 downloads perfectly. I uncompressed with 7zip and game runs.

Google chrome starts and completes in less than 5 seconds meaning something is wrong. Game doesn't run.

PLEASE RETRY.

UPDATE: Were you guys using google chrome when you tried to download the file?

I tried downloading but it failed. I reuploaded and it failed again when I used chrome but Firefox 5 downloaded it successfully.

PLEASE CONFIRM WITH FIREFOX ( VERSION 5 PREFERABLY).

I'll try uploading the folder rather than the zip file later to see if it'll work in chrome.

sorry guys! I did mention that I uploaded it b4 my exams. I didn't do a download test. I'll reupload tonight.

Anyways, some improvements that will come later.

changing the pickup items (graphics). I put them in open chests but seems like it fills up the levels.

Character graphics and level graphics improvements.

I detect sarcasm

https://sourceforge.net/projects/naijadev/files/Vulcan-game.zip/download


I uploaded this before my exams, asking members to suggest improvements and for graphic designers to work on. No update on it yet. I guess everyone missed it.

I think he's experimenting with html5. Besides, knowing the stuff makes using any engine easier if you understand the concept underlying what you are doing. I'm also going to study as much physics as I can this holiday cuz the knowledge is gonna be useful.

@pheeque: add this to the other links: http://www.rodedev.com/tutorials/gamephysics/

@ pheeque:

  If the balls are not too fast, a simple method of checking 2D collision would be as follows
 
  1: Get the X and Y positions of each ball;
         
       WHY? We will use them to get the distance (or hypotenuse) between both balls(points).
       
   2:  Calculate the Hypotenuse/Distance:

        We know that our 2D grid is the cartesian or XY plane and we can easily draw a right angled triangle to join our points.

        If ball 1 is at (x = 2, y = 4) and ball 2 is at (x =  6,  y = 10), all we have to do is draw our horizontal line from x2 (2 on the x axis, 4 on the y axis) to
         
         x6(6 on the x axis, 4 on the y axis). From here, we draw our vertical line to upwards from x6 to y10(10 on the y axis). We can complete our triangle

        easily by joining our endpoint to x2 with a straight line  . This line is our hypotenuse. To get the value, use the next step.

  2b: Apply Pythagoras theorem: "The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides". All we have to do is square the x

        x and y values of our triangle. But what are the values? Note that the horizontal line of our triangle starts from x2 to x6, it's length is therefore 6 - 2
   
       (ie suppose we are using ball 2 to check collision : ball2.x - ball1.x and our y value is ball2.y - ball1.y).

       Pythagoras [H^2 or distance^2 = x^2 + y^2]

   
   3: Get the radius of each circle, add them together and square the result. You defined the radius of each one using
     
       canvas_context.arc(blah, blah,    radius, blah, 0, Math.PI * 2, true). lets denote the result as R^2.

   4: We now know the square of our distance, We know the square of the sum of the radius of both circle, all we have have to do now is compare them

       If( distance^2 < R^2) a collision has occurred. We give the ball a random velocity to simulate realistic collision.

   5: okay, step 4 and others involve some more work for efficiency and realism. We'll work on them as we progress.

   SOURCES AND LINKS: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/345838/ball-to-ball-collision-detection-and-handling

                                       http://www.canvasdemos.com/2010/11/04/simple-game-physics/

                                       1ST CHAPTER OF PROGRAMMING GAME AI BY EXAMPLE HAS A GOOD MATH AND PHYSICS PRIMER,

                                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastic_collision