Danse Machina update 6 + side-program

Posted by Malaika on July 25, 2006, 6:05 p.m.

Well, in order to complete DM, I've decided to create a 'mask' program. This program will essentially be like the room creator in GM, but you only place black squares. Once you've created the room to your size specs, you can export it as a huge image, which is then just the right size to use as a mask for walls/obstacles/etc.

Neat, huh? I know you probably don't think it would be really helpful, but I think it would really help if your game runs slow (like mine) and you need huge levels (like mine). For instance, my tutorial level had 2000 objects (just over 1000 excluding shadow casters). By using the above-mentioned program, I can eliminate the majority of those obstacles, and replace them all with one - a mask object. Then I can cover it with tiles. Yay! If it works, I'll redevelop it so that you can import tiles and use those to create the mask.

In other news, I've *completely* redone the menu system. It looks very pretty now, but I'm having issues with placement. I suppose it works for now.

I've added the Carbine to the weapons list. Neat shotgun-thing. I'll also be changing the missile rack, so that it fires several missiles in the one volley, and adding the RPG and shard cannon tonight.

Comments

Malaika 18 years, 4 months ago

lol BH is teh bomb…

Malaika 18 years, 4 months ago

Oh, and if anyone can think of anything I should add to my mask creator, please let me know. I've decided to call it "canvas" btw

Joewoof 18 years, 3 months ago

I like the idea for the program. It should improve performance quite a bit. :)

Adventus 18 years, 3 months ago

wow Nny knows my favourite stand up comedian… bill hicks. Smokings fine by me (but drugs are better), the media (+others) have just blown its effects out of proportion.

I really dont know how this mask system, works… but wouldn't it require the dreaded precise collision detection? its not worth it if it does. My favourite method for cutting down objects (my game currently uses about 100 per level) is to have one wall object, then when your setting up the level, place the wall object at the beginning of a large stretch of wall then set its bounding box to the dimensions of the wall in the room creation code. This eliminates the need for long repeating stretches of the same object.

Did you end up using my lighting engine?

Malaika 18 years, 3 months ago

I'm afraid I didn't. It looked good, but I wasn't sure whether the shadow casters could cut off light… And the whole Z thing confuzzled me :P

And I can say, the media hasn't blown drugs out of proportion - they haven't even started. Dope in particular, is far worse for you than they let on - because the studies into its effects aren't finished. Plenty of my friends have fried their brain smoking weed.

ultim8p00 18 years, 3 months ago

Lol it's funny how some people say that smoking hurts you more than doing mary jane. Sad……..so Malaika are you gonna put in alt fire or what? Seriously alt fire rocks!

Malaika 18 years, 3 months ago

probably not. I get the feeling it will just add an unnecessary distraction. Besides, the upgrade system basically does it anyway.

melee-master 18 years, 3 months ago

Quote:

i've got it all planned out just incase my parents start!

People don't generally start at such an older age. Usually it starts as a kid, and the habit merely stays.

Malaika 18 years, 3 months ago

yep. besides, 99.9% of smokers never intended to be addicted, and alll of them start as casual smokers.