Neko Apprentice (Dev Thread - Status: Rewriting alpha)

[datallboy]

sounds good lol i think

[jameswalker101]

I hope there is a 'save' function!

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by jameswalker101

I hope there is a 'save' function!

Not yet... There is a data file just waiting to be able to be modified for saves, but the code isn't there yet. No time or motivation right now to work on this...

[breandy]

aw well done. looks good!

[datallboy]

so are you all most done with the beta version?

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by datallboy

so are you all most done with the beta version?

Um, no.. As you see from the title the Alpha isn't even done yet. I'm still missing more enemies, and I have to figure out a good way to implement missions in a modular fashion, so it could easily be appended with more missions, which is pretty darn hard to do with my limited time.

The only thing working is the fighting interface, and that isn't completely done yet either.

I'm terribly sorry, but I'm just busy with more important stuff right now, and the time I do have free I have no inspiration.

[jameswalker101]

I am worried that it will be to big and will not work on the x-fi.

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by jameswalker101

I am worried that it will be to big and will not work on the x-fi.

It's working quite fine so far, only need some tweaking with animations for moving to get it smoother on the physical device.

And there's in actuality only 4 things missing before this can be completed, but they're quite big and I still have no time, I'm right now studying 3 "half-speed" courses, so I'm quite busy.

But the things left is:
1: Better leveling system, balance it, also balance the damage in fights.
2: More enemies added, and 'bosses'
3: Mission/Puzzle system built in a modular fashion to allow for addition of missions/puzzles.
4: Stand-alone software for map and ev. mission editing, impossible to do manually with any decent Map-size.

[Redwolfhome]

Originally Posted by jameswalker101

I am worried that it will be to big and will not work on the x-fi.

I am one of the current pingus developes and our project is very big! But we have one main load for the menu,config,levelchoose and so on (see the video) and then if i want to play a level it closed this images and load new images for the game. So we save a lot of memory!
But the main problem of all programs is the cpu because you can update the hole screen each 50 mil seconds

[Habhome]

Hi all!

I don't want to get your expectations up, but today I had a really boring lecture on Sonic Interaction Design where I could barely hear the guy talking, so I spent it developing the mission system. It is still very rough and will need improvements, but I have something to work on now at least.

Problem now is to come up with missions and storyline and everything with my limited time. I know the screens and the video doesn't tell much about what can actually be achieved in the game, but I would still like it if some people could just juggle some ideas around for missions and story and stuff.

The basic story is of course that the protagonist (the cat) is an apprentice of some sorcerer, and his objective is to learn as much magic as possible.
So in my first mission for example he will analyze the water (view it) and then collect it somehow and do something with it (needs story behind it..) and eventually learn the next spell he can use in fights, the Water Strike.

So, there you have it, progress, even if it is tiny.

[S1M1S]

Wow... it's been a while eh? I like the name for your project, and the pre-alpha playtest is looking sexaay! As rough as it is, I like the way the game is going

Right, so onto actually helping you out in some way shape or form:
How about in the first part of the game the master suddenly wants you to go out and learn a water spell so you can clean the tower (but don't make them clean the tower! God no!) or something like that

You should make the master really eccentric and spontaneous, to add humour and unexpectedness to the game. At some point, he should suddenly disappear (perhaps when the player has nearly all of the level 1 spells) leaving the apprentice to find out where he has gone and taking him into crypts full of riddles, forests with many enemies, et cetera.

Hope you liked those ideas

[Habhome]

Thanks for that feedback and ideas, it inspired me a bit for a new feature I need to code into the game engine, and some more graphics I'll need. It was helpful, and encouraging, although I haven't had time to do anything more with it yet, I am definitely more inclined to find some time for it now.

Keep the ideas coming people! I need inspiration to move forward with this with my limited time.

[S1M1S]

Glad I could help a little I actually only forced myself to come back to ABI to check on this, so I'm glad you're still working on it.

Enemy ideas:
- Dragow (Black and imposing, with hugeass claws and tiny little wings
- Shint (Like your neko world's rabbit? There always has to be a fluffy little animal to level up on.)
- Kraegell (Something about the name tells me it should be rare. I'll leave the rest up to you.)

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by S1M1S

Glad I could help a little I actually only forced myself to come back to ABI to check on this, so I'm glad you're still working on it.

Enemy ideas:
- Dragow (Black and imposing, with hugeass claws and tiny little wings
- Shint (Like your neko world's rabbit? There always has to be a fluffy little animal to level up on.)
- Kraegell (Something about the name tells me it should be rare. I'll leave the rest up to you.)

Nice to hear the project is that interesting, and those enemy ideas should be good, only problem is getting the art for it. So far everything is done either by me or my brother, but we're both busy with our Unis. I can try poking him a bit though, he enjoys these side projects. But first I need to get those last swimming animations from him, or the cat will be walking on water like jesus when going either south or north xD

[S1M1S]

You don't like the idea of the cat having Jesus-like abilities? XD Hey, by the end of the game, he'll be able to heal the injured and turn water into wine :P

Hmm... anyone out here interested in drawing some artwork that these two can work off? I can't, as I'm in the same time-sucking educational dilemma as he

[Habhome]

Okay guys, I'm sad to say, but right now I have no good inspiration at all for this code-wise, I'm completely stuck as to what to do next. Painted myself into, not only a corner, but a labyrinth, and I'm lost.

Dev on this has been on ice for too long so my initial plans I had for some things are forgotten, and my time is still very limited with Uni projects and my responsibilities in the shooting club.

Therefore I've decided to put up my code I have so far, including, what I think is all, image templates and such. Feel free to look at it (it's messy, I know...) and come with tips and ideas, or maybe even some implemented suggestions if you feel ambitious =P

Sorry for the disappointment, but who knows, I might get some Eureka moment some day and go on coding on this, but I think it needs a rewrite, and I don't have the time for that right now.

[jameswalker101]

I had a play today and I think, once it is complete, it will make a good game!

[datallboy]

hey i found some animals like these you can use for little enemies or allies! hope this helps!

[Habhome]

Originally Posted by datallboy

hey i found some animals like these you can use for little enemies or allies! hope this helps!

That is nice, but they seem to be by someone named Lucario377 at Deviantart, and I don't know if I have permission to use them (Since I'm releasing this to the public I don't want any copyrights being broken, in my other games I asked for permission to use art or took it from open source places)

(+ now I'm working full time during "summer holiday", so I've got even less time)

Thanks for the thought though!

[Habhome]

Good thing I uploaded my work here, noticed my backup was old and the laptop with the project on is half-fried and can't run for more than 15 minutes at a time.

I put my brother on sketching up a more detailed storyline for this, and have decided to strip it of some features and change the way the game is played a bit to make it easier to implement. This means I have lots of code which is completely unnecessary and has to go, but hopefully I can get some development going on this once I go back to Uni studies.

Just a bit of a status update.