Another project: The Snowman

Sokurah · **on:** November 25, 2009, 11:15:07 pm

Hell, I can see that most posts in here are about my projects so I may just as well post another one. Don't give the dust a reason to settle, right?

I wanted to make a quick Christmassy game now that it's that time year and I've decided on this remake of a Spectrum game from 1983 and for some reason I feel pretty good about making a completely non-violent game for a change.

I've been working on it for 2 weeks now and all the important or hard bits are working and now I just a lot of minor things and the gameplay, so it should be done in plenty of time for Christmas. I hoping for about 3 weeks from now.

Here's a screenshot from the original.

It will run at just twice the resolution of the original - 512x384 but it will scale to anything...even if you want to play in 1920x1440 windowed or something like that.

I hope Lobo will do the graphics...or the graphics won't be done by this Christmas.

-but I just need to code a little more before involving him.

Oh, and Flash...despite my glass of whiskey tonight I've still managed to add to the game - a nice snowy particle effect for when you pick up items (well...copied, pasted & tweaked from another of my games, but who's keeping score, eh?

)

...who knows how much I could've achieved if I hadn't been yapping on the phone all night and needed to drink because of it?

flash · **Reply #1 on:** November 25, 2009, 11:19:37 pm

Quote

Pasted and tweaked

Lol... As if I would keep score?

Looks great mate - you dangle the carrot and, then what? ? ? ? LOL

Sokurah · **Reply #2 on:** November 25, 2009, 11:21:03 pm

Quote from: Flash on November 25, 2009, 11:19:37 pm

Looks great mate - you dangle the carrot and, then what? ? ? ? LOL

Same as I always do - "dangle the carrot and leave people waiting forever".

flash · **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2009, 11:51:25 pm

So,

Is it done yet?

Sokurah · **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2009, 08:28:21 am

All the important stuff is done now.
Level 1 plays pretty well but I still need to implement logic for the rest of the levels.
...and a menusystem and a bunch of other small thing are also still left.

But here's a screenshot from level 1 showing Lobo's wonderful graphics.

flash · **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2009, 08:36:22 am

Looking good sokky me ol' china.

spacefractal · **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2009, 02:20:17 pm

with using a version of Frosty Snowman song of course

as ingame song.

I'm sending a another version of this today (version 3, which I think its the last one, the ending should been some where better now).

Sokurah · **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2009, 11:40:06 pm

Today I've reached a sort of milestone on 'The Snowman' as I've completed enough to make a demo.
I've sent it to Flash, Lobo & SpaceFractal so I'm looking forward to hearing some feedback on it.

I think it's a bit funny that, this will be my 6th game in the span of a year, and it's pretty easy to see that all of those 6 games are made by the same person, from the layout of the menu and the options in the game. At least I think so.

...even the one that was not supposed to be made by me, but I'll probably change the credits in the game and put it on my own website sometime soon.

Programming a game is no easy task but having built a small library of functions, and being in practise

, makes it easier to concentrate on getting the game to work rather than spending too much time on boring stuff...like the menu system...which is officially the most boring part of making a game.

...now, hopefully I'll get 'round to those piggies soon.

flash · **Reply #8 on:** December 09, 2009, 11:58:12 pm

Did someone mention mythical piggies?

flash · **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2009, 03:56:13 pm

I quite enjoyed it mate,

When you fall to bed, I would like a little bit more of a delay when the fade finishes before the level restarts.
Sometimes, I can walk through enemies?
By god - I just cannot complete level 2 LOL

spacefractal · **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:03:23 pm

read the rules.

Sokurah, I think you should make it more clear on the rules screen (that text should stood first I think about enemy).

Enemy just steal the snow you get on level 1 and 4, but can die on level 2 and 3. Only level 1 was finished yet in that version I have..... I have only tested that finished level.

Another issues as I have PM and talked about, is the stop-watch does not stop the enemy, which it should only do that on level 2 and 3, so its have no mean to use on level 1 and 4. Food should allways to been used for more energy.

Sokurah · **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2009, 04:55:00 pm

Alright, it's done. There's a few things that could be improved but this is the date I've decided to have it finished and overall I'm pretty satisfied with the result. Gotta leave a few things for version 1.1 right.

Click picture to go to the download page.

spacefractal · **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2009, 07:09:42 pm

look like you got it all fmod thing to work, released few days before xmas

flash · **Reply #13 on:** December 21, 2009, 12:16:27 am

I love it!

Though I do confer with an RR post - the ease at which you fall off the edge of a platform is a little frustrating sometimes. I walk toward a ladder, believing that I am pushing up, and fall off the edge

. This is the most common way I lose lives. I know the original is the same - so perhaps it should be so.

Lobo · **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2009, 01:29:22 am

I did report that 'falling off the edge at first' but the way the engine is set up is just can't be avoided I guess. The trick for me was to learn not to get too close to the edges. I've completed the game that way.

spacefractal · **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2009, 05:45:46 am

Fallling of edge is the only way you can die on level 1 and 4 except if you running out of fuel. In one of the test version he did fall very slow, but its MUCH better now and nice one. Its annoyring, but its a part of the game, so that it, so dont fall of the edge

.

Sokurah · **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2009, 08:38:41 am

If you read my post over at RR you'll see that I've fixed a few bugs and added an 'Easy' mode where you can't step off the platforms.

The original game was like that too so I didn't really want to change it - especially since the game was already very easy, but now the option is there for those who wants it. Everyone's happy.

On second thought I should've at least changed the scoring in easy mode to compensate a bit for how easy it gets - after all you can only die on 2 of the screens now (well, all 4 if you run out of time). I did lower the number of snowballs you have from 6 to 5 though.

So, a version 1.1 is available now.

flash · **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2009, 08:59:41 am

Weeee....

flash · **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2009, 09:00:12 am

Oh, I can't seem to find the button that allows me to write my name in the snow?

Sokurah · **Reply #19 on:** December 21, 2009, 09:20:28 am

Quote from: Flash on December 21, 2009, 09:00:12 am

Oh, I can't seem to find the button that allows me to write my name in the snow?

You need to look here:

...but it's probably better to go outside.