Tidying up code

I decided to tidy up a bit the code (but not too much for now :) )...
Basically I moved the server code into a class which extends Flash XMLSocket class and moved the player code into a class which extends MovieClip.

This is the first step so that if someone would want to help in the coding part, he can just use the ActionScript files and I would up them on a CVS server ;)

Tonight I will try to continue on completing the server protocol so all the game language is there (activating lifts, ladder climbin, destruction of tiles etc)

CPU busted... no work today :(

My hard-working Athlon XP 2100+ CPU decided to die on me. Was gonna upgrade to a dual-core but Alex saved me lots of bucks coz i'm now using his retired Sempron. Don't need much CPU power especially since if I'd get more CPU power, that means I can play more games, which in turn means less work :)

No update on the prototype today, however I heard about Microsoft's Flash-killer... Silverlight. Still a long way to kill Flash but it may have potential.

Also I found these tiles at Lost Garden which I will try to temporarily use later on for the prototype.

Server code update started

I've started working on the update for the java server code.
So far I only added jumping and projectiles support.
Will need to support lifts (activating, hooking), destructable grounds and ladders.

At the end of next week I should be able to send you a link to test it out together. So the week will be a race to elimanate bugs and polish some usability stuff ;)

Created first level... almost

I didn't work a lot on the prototype today coz of some other work.
So tonight i just wanted to create a dummy level which would use the different stuff i had in mind and when everything is up and running it would be playable cooperatively too.

As I was using the editor I spotted some bugs and fixed them and also started inserting some usability tweaks to make it less frustrating to use :).
One thing that I must implement is selecting of multiple tiles and moving them around.
Another important thing is a mini-map (even for during the game, and not just while editing).

Bugs i need to fix:
- falling at high speeds can miss a collision with a tile
- big with climbing down a ladder that touches the ground (continues to go through the ground :) )

Aiming and some bug fixes

I've implemented aiming and strength.
The player can now aim where to throw projectiles (arrows and grenades) by pressing A and Z, and when he's ready to shoot he presses the spacebar to start charging the throw and on release, the projectile will be fired according to the strength given.

I've also done some minor bug fixes, minute details like I forgot to move the projectiles in the scene if I panned the level, destructed tiles where been selected wrongly (was destructing the undestructables ones hehe).

I've also started working on some graphics for the tiles coz I got bored looking at spheres, rectangles and triangles :). I stuck in an avatar from maple story MMO (not animated ofcourse for now). Yesterday night I tried firing up MAX to start working on a chibi character until Ganni makes a cool character, but damn it I forgot everything in MAX argh. I'm happy using the current avatar for the time being rather than waste hours to do something really ugly in 3d :)

Above is the first screenshot with pre-alpha graphics, everything is temporary.
Below is the game in level editor mode.


You can barely see the cross hatches to highlight the corners of the tiles. To the right you have the currently available tiles and you simply select the tile you want to place and just click where you want it to be.

Coming up next is a semi-decent playable level, then I will re-visit a bit the server code and then I can post the link here for you to see the prototype in action.

Ladders, projectiles and destructable tiles (with grenades)

It was a very productive day today...
I've implemented ladders, and projectiles (arrows and grenades), together with destructable ground (i.e. tiles).
Started to subclass the MovieClip class for the projectiles. Should make the code much more maintainable. I'll probably port the avatar code to use the same technique rather than code placed in frames blehhhh.

Will start coding the controls for firing a grenade/arrow :D

Level scrolling, edit mode, collision detection, lifts

It's been a while from my last post. I was busy perfecting the scrolling and going round the stupid bugs found in actionscript (besides other things like meetings with companies). I really got frustrated when i found missing important documentation to be found in some forum or when the native methods don't behave as they should.

Anyways, now I have level scrolling in place and also moved the editor inside the game, so the user can switch to edit mode while playing and add/change tiles on the fly and see how the level will feel. Pretty cool :D

The avatar is currently only a sphere graphically :$ but you can move him around and jump around. Collision detection with tiles have been put in place. I've also created a lift which is activated by a switch.

Coming up are ladders, projectiles and destructable tiles (with grenades)