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Flight Game Example (fomerly FSK)
Flight Game Example (fomerly FSK)
| Name: | Martin Schultz |  |
|---|---|---|
| Date Posted: | May 16, 2007 | |
| Rating: |  5.0 out of 5 | |
| Public: | YES | |
| Comments: | YES | |
| RSS Feed: |  or Subscribe with  . | |
| Profile Page: | View profile page for Martin Schultz |
Blog post
(the screenshots are below the long text ;-)
Just wanted to give a quick update on the progress of the Flight Game Example (FGE), formerly named Flying Starter Kit (FSK). I renamed the FSK after I got a hint to re-read the TGE license and as I own only an indie license, I found out that the license doesn't allow to publish anything other than a game (who reads licenses? :-). And as I then continued and read the commercial TGE license I found out that publishing so-called starter kits wouldn't be allowed either (see paragraph 3).
I began wondering what the difference is between a starter kit like the starter.fps and the starter.racing and any other game or game example. Is there really a difference? Or is it just a definition? Does anyone know?
So I thought it'll be best to rename the whole thing to something that sounds more TGE license friendly and call it a flight game example that includes all art and script sources. Saying this it automatically means I couldn't include any custom C++ class (again TGE license restriction) which led me to the idea to make the C++ aiFlyingVehicle class available as public resource once the FGE will be out.
Anyway, I got sidetracked. The blog is about the FGE, not license stuff. If you remember the previous blog with first screenies from the FSK you might also remember it's ugly look. I heard the critics, sat down and began re-working the art in the game and hope I got now a look that is more satisfying and does not create instant eye cancer ;-)
On the feature side I added some new things like:
- a out-of-mission-area notification to the players and health drain as long as you stay outside the mission area
- new tropic island style mission
- all new terrain / water textures
- reworked ship controls to be _way_ better controlable now
- better weapon balancing
- complete new GUI look with transparent style
- Main menu with auto-changing backgrounds to give the menu some "life"
- Reworked the options dialog and added the option to invert all necessary game axis like ship left/right and up/down as well as keyboard left/right inverting.
- Added VMPlayer resource - the ultimate Torque music player (aka the Torque iPod) and now the 3+1 techno music tracks that are included in this game are played back like a charm!
- in-game steering help menu
- Max 7 compatible source art
- all 2D art assets for Photoshop 8
and lots of other stuff that doesn't come to my mind while writing this. :-)
I still have some to do's open on my list I want to have in like multi-game types and stuff so I guess it might take still some days until all is completed. From all the mails I got I know some guys are really waiting on this thing but I hope they forgive me that I tweak this game example a bit more until it gets released. I think the waiting will be worth it.
Oh btw: I used to experiment and tweak the UI in the game using this Gui Color Tweaker which I submitted as resource some time ago. With this control you can modify in realtime all colors of the gui incl. alpha values in realtime to see what color scheme you like.
Well, I hope you had some fun reading this and please enjoy now the screenies.
Have fun,
Martin
New GUI look with changing backgrounds (not visible in static screenshots ;-)
New start mission GUI.
Same for options dialog.
And the loading screen.
New tropic island style mission.
Water transparencies allows to view the underwater ground structure.
Top-down view.
Just wanted to give a quick update on the progress of the Flight Game Example (FGE), formerly named Flying Starter Kit (FSK). I renamed the FSK after I got a hint to re-read the TGE license and as I own only an indie license, I found out that the license doesn't allow to publish anything other than a game (who reads licenses? :-). And as I then continued and read the commercial TGE license I found out that publishing so-called starter kits wouldn't be allowed either (see paragraph 3).
I began wondering what the difference is between a starter kit like the starter.fps and the starter.racing and any other game or game example. Is there really a difference? Or is it just a definition? Does anyone know?
So I thought it'll be best to rename the whole thing to something that sounds more TGE license friendly and call it a flight game example that includes all art and script sources. Saying this it automatically means I couldn't include any custom C++ class (again TGE license restriction) which led me to the idea to make the C++ aiFlyingVehicle class available as public resource once the FGE will be out.
Anyway, I got sidetracked. The blog is about the FGE, not license stuff. If you remember the previous blog with first screenies from the FSK you might also remember it's ugly look. I heard the critics, sat down and began re-working the art in the game and hope I got now a look that is more satisfying and does not create instant eye cancer ;-)
On the feature side I added some new things like:
- a out-of-mission-area notification to the players and health drain as long as you stay outside the mission area
- new tropic island style mission
- all new terrain / water textures
- reworked ship controls to be _way_ better controlable now
- better weapon balancing
- complete new GUI look with transparent style
- Main menu with auto-changing backgrounds to give the menu some "life"
- Reworked the options dialog and added the option to invert all necessary game axis like ship left/right and up/down as well as keyboard left/right inverting.
- Added VMPlayer resource - the ultimate Torque music player (aka the Torque iPod) and now the 3+1 techno music tracks that are included in this game are played back like a charm!
- in-game steering help menu
- Max 7 compatible source art
- all 2D art assets for Photoshop 8
and lots of other stuff that doesn't come to my mind while writing this. :-)
I still have some to do's open on my list I want to have in like multi-game types and stuff so I guess it might take still some days until all is completed. From all the mails I got I know some guys are really waiting on this thing but I hope they forgive me that I tweak this game example a bit more until it gets released. I think the waiting will be worth it.
Oh btw: I used to experiment and tweak the UI in the game using this Gui Color Tweaker which I submitted as resource some time ago. With this control you can modify in realtime all colors of the gui incl. alpha values in realtime to see what color scheme you like.
Well, I hope you had some fun reading this and please enjoy now the screenies.
Have fun,
Martin
New GUI look with changing backgrounds (not visible in static screenshots ;-)
New start mission GUI.
Same for options dialog.
And the loading screen.
New tropic island style mission.
Water transparencies allows to view the underwater ground structure.
Top-down view.
Recent Blog Posts
| List: | 07/20/08 - My first app in the Apple iTunes App Store 05/23/08 - 20% discount for Flight Game Example (limited time) 03/27/08 - Development Diary: Balls of Steel 03/05/08 - New Game Out - Have fun playing! 02/03/08 - Meeting Thomas and Magnus in Copenhagen (and in sweden) 12/10/07 - FGE 20% Christmas Discount 11/03/07 - New Reticle HUD resource / FGE Update 10/09/07 - Flight Game Example - post mortem |
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Submit your own resources!| Stephen Zepp (May 16, 2007 at 15:24 GMT) |
You are reading a touch too much into the EULA by the way--you can publish source code publically as long as it doesn't contain any GG copyrighted source (which is rare, I admit), but more importantly you can certainly publish resources that are protected for license owners only, including source--since we mark it as "must have TGE to view", the source code distribution issue is covered that way.
| Maxim Lyulyukin (May 16, 2007 at 15:25 GMT) |
| Todd Pickens (May 16, 2007 at 16:27 GMT) |
There is a lot of room for basic working game starter kits in my opinion, and this is a good example.
As an artist, being able to get something that has all of the basic code and feature in place and requiring me to only replace art in order to get a good working concept of my game idea up and running is a massive benefit.
Great work Martin.
| Gianfranco Barone (May 16, 2007 at 17:00 GMT) |
Great work on art.
What about alienforce porting of FGE to tgea ?
@Stephen Zepp (just some constructive critics :-)
About licensing questions is sometimes very confusing, some definitions in the license terms would help our low bugdet indie TGE developers;
In license terms you can read:
"Licensee may not: (i) create any derivative works of the Engine, including but not limited to translations, localizations, starter kits, technology add-ons, or game making software other than Games;"
I think a better definition of what gg mean for "games", can help.
Another question about "game making software", please consider this scenario:
1. I make a game a FPS for example (I agree with license)
2. I make it free and redistributable (I agree with license)
3. I make to player the option to mod my game with World editor, creating new missions (I agree with license, think).
Someone download my game a made some new FPS missions, and/or characters, art etc.
He can sell this missions packaged with my game, eventually stripping off missions devoleped by me.
The seems to resamble the definition of "Game making software" but I don't make a step without license agreements.
What do you think about ?
P.S. Stephen, sorry if I waste your time
P.P.S. Martin, please excuse me I write far from FGE topic...
| Stephan (viKKing) Bondier (May 16, 2007 at 18:03 GMT) |
| Fucifer (May 16, 2007 at 19:50 GMT) |
| Geom (May 16, 2007 at 20:17 GMT) |
| Tom Spilman (May 16, 2007 at 20:21 GMT) Resource Rating: 5 |
| Martin Schultz (May 16, 2007 at 21:23 GMT) |
@Stephen: Will send a mail to Joshua. I already talked to James Wiley, but stopped further discussion as the project went through a depressive phase - but not it's back on track and I'll send you guys updated info soon plus a new demo version.
And thanks for the license clarification. But I was pointed to the TGE license sentence "no engine-derived work allowed" by a GG employee - that was the reason of all my efforts to get license-safe :-)
@Todd: I totally agree. Starter kits is something that got too much uncared and is so much needed by many people.
@Gianfranco: Alienforce will do the TGEA port once the TGE version is completed. The version above seen above is pure TGE 1.4.2. Will also showcase a TGE 1.5 version. And no problem because of the license stuff. It's something what keeps me thinking and occupying too :-)
@Tom: Thanks dude. Well, yeah, will talk to GG again regarding if it's interesting for them to have it in the GG store.
| Don Hogan (May 16, 2007 at 23:15 GMT) |
Can't wait to see more!
| Andy Hawkins (May 16, 2007 at 23:40 GMT) |
| Leroy Frederick (May 17, 2007 at 00:29 GMT) |
| Ian Roach (May 17, 2007 at 00:49 GMT) |
| Sean H. (May 17, 2007 at 07:57 GMT) |
I cant be sure but I would imagine that the section you quoted from the eula is referring to the development of products which may compete with torque. I think this is attempting to protect GG from people using the engine as a basis for another commercial game engine, game making tool, or development platform which is prohibited no matter how much the engine may have been modified.
| Sean H. (May 17, 2007 at 07:58 GMT) |
| Martin Schultz (May 17, 2007 at 12:19 GMT) |
Regarding the release: I'm developing this on a TGE 1.4.2 version and once feature complete, I'll re-port it again to 1.5.2 and TGEA (with Alienforce). So yes, you will get a TGEA version! :-) But to be honest I can't precisely say when it is done. Sometime beginning of June I think/hope.
@Leroy: Hehe, yes, it seems there is a need for more clarification what is allowed / what not regarding the licenses. It seems people think way different about it. Funny! :-)
@Sean: Hmm, yeah, but even at GG there seems confusion. I got a mail from one GG employee that explicit pointed me to the license and that engine derived works and starter kits would only be allowed if published by GG itself. At that time the FSK didn't look quite something that would fit into the GG store (way too ugly). It's getting to look way better now and who knows, maybe it shows up in the GG store, maybe I do a self-publishing - we will see :-)
And yes, I'm (still) thinking about seekers too. I have them ready here, but without client reticle stuff which would require heavy engine changes and so I'm thinking to include those missiles in a simple form that they seek the next target in front or so.
| Ben -Djaggernaut- Chavigner (May 17, 2007 at 12:35 GMT) |
| Andy Hawkins (May 17, 2007 at 13:27 GMT) |
| Florian (May 17, 2007 at 15:36 GMT) |
but i was wondering, it never worked with me but how do you make an island 0.0
i tried so many times, but i never works, :( how did you do it?
| Martin Schultz (May 17, 2007 at 18:05 GMT) |
| Ethan Groves (May 17, 2007 at 19:33 GMT) |
I have a model of an F-16 that I will donate to the project (yes, for free), if you want it. I made it using Blender. About 1500 verts and faces. It IS textured, although I did a quick job of it, and the .png file weighs in at a whopping 4mb! It's not the best...
Sorry, no textured screenshots.
Blender:
In-game:
Email me at ethan dot groves at gmail dot com if you are interested.
Edit: Trying to get the image tags to work...
Edit #527: Argh! I give up!
Edit #528: Thanks Andy.
Edited on May 18, 2007 01:49 GMT
| Andy Hawkins (May 17, 2007 at 23:54 GMT) |
Blender:
img521.imageshack.us/img521/3998/f161fl5.jpg
In-game:
img338.imageshack.us/img338/9913/f162ns4.jpg
| Florian (May 18, 2007 at 10:31 GMT) |
so basicly my question was, "how do you make an island?"
| Martin Schultz (May 18, 2007 at 11:54 GMT) |
@Ethan: Thanks a lot for the offer, but I have to decline for two reasons. First of all the F16 is a trademarked plane (if I remember right from Lockhead Martin) so using this plane might cause copyright problems and the second point is that the space ship included demonstrates afterburners in 3 directions (up, forward, backward) which would look strange for a F16. Maybe it would work with a Sea Harrier plane type or so. But thanks a lot for the offer!
| Florian (May 18, 2007 at 17:14 GMT) |
i dont know why :S
i use 1.5 and another problem is, when i try to manipulate my terain with the terrain editor, i can do it on my terain but i have to do it on a invisible(tile)
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4985/islandkm4.jpg
| Martin Schultz (May 18, 2007 at 22:15 GMT) |
| Florian (May 19, 2007 at 13:28 GMT) |
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/566/settingstr6.gif
this are the settings of my terain and water
| Ethan Groves (May 21, 2007 at 00:27 GMT) |
Oh well, good luck with your project.
| Martin Schultz (May 21, 2007 at 14:15 GMT) |
FGE has now multi game type support. Three game types are supplied and can be extended to more. Currently in is "Deathmatch", "Team Deathmatch" and "Bot Carnage".
"Deathmatch" is the classic all vs. all dogfighting mode. Nothing special here :-)
"Team Deathmatch" offers 2 different teams inclusive different team skins for the ships. Bots select only targets from the opposite team as targets. 2 new HUD bitmaps show the score of both teams and the individual scores are still counted seperately (via F2). Endgame Gui is now game-type sensitive and displays the game type plus, if in team deathmatch, which team has won.
"Bot Carnage" is a game mode mainly for debugging the AI. Human players spawn as cameras and can freely fly around. AI players spawn as regular ships and battle each other.
And.... Homing missiles are in!!! :-) I made a more or less simple solution by extending the existing projectile class and giving it a few new options:
- Projectiles can now auto-explode after the lifetime has expired.
- Projectiles can be blown up at any time via script (projectile.setExplodeNow() )
- Target selection is exposed to the script level. Means that the whole target selection is done in script. I'm going to supply a simple "select the nearest target" script to showcase it. Furthermore the script is build in a way that the homing projectile auto-checks every second if the target is still valid and if not, tries to find a new target. If meanwhile the ship that fired the homing projectile died, the projectile will explode (you can change this behaviour if you want).
Unfortunately no client-side reticle selection and that kind of super-fancy advanced stuff. That would involve super heavy changes in the engine and is not scope of this pack I think. As far as I know there are solutions for this and one can combine this then with the new script-exposed homing projectile setTarget(<player id>) functionality. Hope that's ok for you guys.
| David Janssens (May 24, 2007 at 14:19 GMT) |
| Martin Schultz (May 24, 2007 at 19:40 GMT) |
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