Survival Strike - Multi player BETA testing [image heavy]
by Jules · 08/30/2010 (10:32 am) · 15 comments
It's been well over a year since I last blogged about Survival Strike and thought it was about time I put up some screenshots. Development slowed when I had to get a job for about 9 months as Head of development for an ecommerce company (shame it wasn't game development! - I would have loved to work for another games company for a while). Still.. I'm not in that job now and back on that Indie road path again, at least until I run out of the green printed paper they call money which might be sooner than I had hoped! (note to self - start looking for a contract!). The downside of developing a game full time is that you don't make any money until it's finished! Maybe I should have created some smaller games first (ah well - slight pause)... back to it..
Multi-Player BETA testing will be ready in a week - available to anyone who wants to take part in this - just create an account here and I'll let you know when it's ready to download and schedule in some timezones for testing. I'm renting a dynamic cloud server setup that allows me to add upto 15 gig ram and 4 processors on the fly, so as the game expands into other zones and missions are added I'm going to need this extra power! Its also run off solar power (green energy!) - not that it makes any difference other than being environmentally friendly.
Anyway, here's some shots - enjoy.
Well that's it for now. I'm going to be blogging more on Survival Strike over the next few months and will follow up this blog with a video and some AI action real soon. Once Torque 3D 1.1 final is released I can then really push forward, adding all of the remaining functionality and features without having to migrate and port code several times (too much Deja vu!). I'm hopeful that a final cut of the game, bar any patches and updates will be ready before Christmas. Famous last words, but I'm aiming high :)
Multi-Player BETA testing will be ready in a week - available to anyone who wants to take part in this - just create an account here and I'll let you know when it's ready to download and schedule in some timezones for testing. I'm renting a dynamic cloud server setup that allows me to add upto 15 gig ram and 4 processors on the fly, so as the game expands into other zones and missions are added I'm going to need this extra power! Its also run off solar power (green energy!) - not that it makes any difference other than being environmentally friendly.
Anyway, here's some shots - enjoy.
Well that's it for now. I'm going to be blogging more on Survival Strike over the next few months and will follow up this blog with a video and some AI action real soon. Once Torque 3D 1.1 final is released I can then really push forward, adding all of the remaining functionality and features without having to migrate and port code several times (too much Deja vu!). I'm hopeful that a final cut of the game, bar any patches and updates will be ready before Christmas. Famous last words, but I'm aiming high :)
#2
08/30/2010 (11:27 am)
Looks awesome! I just signed up for an account, and look forward to the beta testing. 
#3
08/30/2010 (11:48 am)
looks like a cool game... :) 
#4
In cloudy old England ... :P
Looking good!
08/30/2010 (1:46 pm)
Quote:
Its also run off solar power
In cloudy old England ... :P
Looking good!
#5
@Steve: Solar power is not much good in the isles, but nobody's found a way to extract power from frustration yet, have they?
08/30/2010 (1:56 pm)
Looking really nice and currentgenny and stuff :)@Steve: Solar power is not much good in the isles, but nobody's found a way to extract power from frustration yet, have they?
#7
@Steve - Thanks - Actually I cheated - The servers are in Germany (Covering the whole of Europe)
PS. I have a server in Canada also. But that's only for when the game goes live.
08/30/2010 (2:41 pm)
@Mike, Tim, Daniel, Ronny, Marcus - Thanks!@Steve - Thanks - Actually I cheated - The servers are in Germany (Covering the whole of Europe)
PS. I have a server in Canada also. But that's only for when the game goes live.
#8
Survival Strike BETA 1.3 is going to have all of the GUIs and Shop facilities to buy weapons/ammo/fuel etc, more AI, possibly AFX back in ready for BETA 1.4 now that selectrons are working on roads, most of my tactical weapons are reliant on this - Vehicles (Drop Ships/Pods with Air to ground targetting, Tanks, and few other modes of transport to get you around the maps - my infamous Monorail system brought up to date!) - see here - I did restart this pack in 2009 again, but then my full time job took over. This will be also available as a pack soon for T3D.
08/30/2010 (4:02 pm)
Below is a small video snippet that was taken about a month ago, since these screenshots and video were taken quite a bit has been added to the main map with explosions and falling debris. I've yet to add in AFX for the jet pack effects, so this is switched off for the multiplayer testing. Also, the frame rate is not that good on my machine 25-30 fps without fraps and 10 fps with fraps, so excuse the jumping on the video. I need a faster machine and graphics card, any suggestions?Survival Strike BETA 1.3 is going to have all of the GUIs and Shop facilities to buy weapons/ammo/fuel etc, more AI, possibly AFX back in ready for BETA 1.4 now that selectrons are working on roads, most of my tactical weapons are reliant on this - Vehicles (Drop Ships/Pods with Air to ground targetting, Tanks, and few other modes of transport to get you around the maps - my infamous Monorail system brought up to date!) - see here - I did restart this pack in 2009 again, but then my full time job took over. This will be also available as a pack soon for T3D.
#9
Found the video for the Monorail system, originally developed on TGE then TGEA, being brought up to date with Torque 3D hopefully before Christmas and released shortly after implementing it in Survival Strike as a content pack with a track editor.
08/30/2010 (4:26 pm)
Other features will be to upgrade the missile development to Torque 3D for Survival Strike. This is the TGEA version.Found the video for the Monorail system, originally developed on TGE then TGEA, being brought up to date with Torque 3D hopefully before Christmas and released shortly after implementing it in Survival Strike as a content pack with a track editor.
#10
08/30/2010 (5:56 pm)
Nice work! Got my eye on this one. 
#11
@Steve:
Maybe you can use rain power that is what I am using here in any case :)
08/31/2010 (10:06 am)
Looking real nice.@Steve:
Maybe you can use rain power that is what I am using here in any case :)
#12
08/31/2010 (4:08 pm)
That's awesome, love the monorail :)
#13
@Mike - cheers. Yeah, the monorail is great.. a good way of getting around your game faster than walking or running. It makes a change from the normal vehicle. I'm looking at various implementation routes at present, as it may be easier in T3D now and with a few packs out there already that enable path following it may add a few options to those that do not have source - before it was using a heavily modified pathShape resource but then had to be written from scratch as there was a looming node bug, not sure if its fixed now though - been a while since I last looked at it and the artwork needs updating to T3D too.
09/01/2010 (10:03 am)
@Michael, Richard - thanks@Mike - cheers. Yeah, the monorail is great.. a good way of getting around your game faster than walking or running. It makes a change from the normal vehicle. I'm looking at various implementation routes at present, as it may be easier in T3D now and with a few packs out there already that enable path following it may add a few options to those that do not have source - before it was using a heavily modified pathShape resource but then had to be written from scratch as there was a looming node bug, not sure if its fixed now though - been a while since I last looked at it and the artwork needs updating to T3D too.
#14
First of all glad to see you post another blog and glad you're still pushing forward. I checked your site a couple times and thought maybe Survial Strike was halted, but awesome to see otherwise.
Hope you don't mind some constructive critisicm/point of view/opinion. I think the screenshots are looking good, but:
1. Kinda of hard to get a real feel for how it's gonna to be because the current screens are void of life/action. Understandable b/c as you said you're not showing AI yet.
2. The skylines in the screenshots look too smooth to me. Maybe it's intended, but the landscape just seems way too smooth and thus not organic enough and it draws away from the immersion some I think.
Although I have to admit that second screenshot up from the bottom totally took me back to Iraq. It reminded me of the one building I saw that had the center blown out of all the floors (as the walls on all sides where gone it was easy to see, yeah I know crazy stuff huh, looked like a bomb hit it), so if you're going for a void, destructive, a battle once took place here look you're headed on the right path.
Also I like the mini cam view when the missles are fired in that video that's a pretty sweet touch even if the gui is a bit clunky.
Watching the video of the monorail:
A. I think the monorail is a totally rad idea and unique to an fps oddly enough.
B. The walk/jet animations for the character came off very unnatural and robotic, but again could be the look you want idk. Though I believe the character is a human in armor thus perhaps the walk animations should be worked on/replaced so it doesn't look as though the character has been riding a horse for a year and walking bow legged and stretch as far as he can for each step (it's amazing he doesn't throw out his hip on each step ;P ).
Really the walking looks kind of messed up because of how torque handled it's collosion meshes then as well I believe. Characters always looked as though they were floating over the ground instead of actually runing on it. I hope that collosion is fixed for T3D but I don't know b/c of lack of cash to buy T3D. TGEA is decent for the price but really still years behind what unreal and others have had for years. So as I said hopefully T3D has corrected alot of what TGEA was lacking.
No offence meant by anything I said and if there is one thing you take to the bank out of what I say in the comment take this to the bank, Glad you are still moving foward!
Btw sorry for not getting you a rigging tutorial for blender 3d, but I kind of dead ended back then and I haven't picked it up since. Been playing games and modding them instead of developing or pushing forward on my 3d modeling =/.
-Scott
a.k.a. Sidikian
Edited once to add more.
09/01/2010 (1:41 pm)
@ JulianRFirst of all glad to see you post another blog and glad you're still pushing forward. I checked your site a couple times and thought maybe Survial Strike was halted, but awesome to see otherwise.
Hope you don't mind some constructive critisicm/point of view/opinion. I think the screenshots are looking good, but:
1. Kinda of hard to get a real feel for how it's gonna to be because the current screens are void of life/action. Understandable b/c as you said you're not showing AI yet.
2. The skylines in the screenshots look too smooth to me. Maybe it's intended, but the landscape just seems way too smooth and thus not organic enough and it draws away from the immersion some I think.
Although I have to admit that second screenshot up from the bottom totally took me back to Iraq. It reminded me of the one building I saw that had the center blown out of all the floors (as the walls on all sides where gone it was easy to see, yeah I know crazy stuff huh, looked like a bomb hit it), so if you're going for a void, destructive, a battle once took place here look you're headed on the right path.
Also I like the mini cam view when the missles are fired in that video that's a pretty sweet touch even if the gui is a bit clunky.
Watching the video of the monorail:
A. I think the monorail is a totally rad idea and unique to an fps oddly enough.
B. The walk/jet animations for the character came off very unnatural and robotic, but again could be the look you want idk. Though I believe the character is a human in armor thus perhaps the walk animations should be worked on/replaced so it doesn't look as though the character has been riding a horse for a year and walking bow legged and stretch as far as he can for each step (it's amazing he doesn't throw out his hip on each step ;P ).
Really the walking looks kind of messed up because of how torque handled it's collosion meshes then as well I believe. Characters always looked as though they were floating over the ground instead of actually runing on it. I hope that collosion is fixed for T3D but I don't know b/c of lack of cash to buy T3D. TGEA is decent for the price but really still years behind what unreal and others have had for years. So as I said hopefully T3D has corrected alot of what TGEA was lacking.
No offence meant by anything I said and if there is one thing you take to the bank out of what I say in the comment take this to the bank, Glad you are still moving foward!
Btw sorry for not getting you a rigging tutorial for blender 3d, but I kind of dead ended back then and I haven't picked it up since. Been playing games and modding them instead of developing or pushing forward on my 3d modeling =/.
-Scott
a.k.a. Sidikian
Edited once to add more.
#15
The game itself will be covering something for everyone, but I'll go into that later in further blogs without revealing too much at this stage :) gotta have those teasers!
Answer to A, yeah.. Monorail... I came up with that idea in 2007!! been on and off the back burner since then. Still it will see the light of day very soon as I don't tend to give up on ideas, just make them better. With the help of Maxim (Robomaniac), he brought my idea to 3D, from there a few modifications and some code helped it to take shape. Getting the angle right on the curves was fun too! I also have a Ski Lift and Mountain lift that use the same codebase.. more on this in a future blog.
B) These animations were done in TGEA days, so the video is about 1-2 years out of date, jet pack animations are there now, I must admit that the walking animation needs to be replaced with a running one, on my list but has not been a priority, seems to function better in T3D though. The idea is really to get everything in place then tweak certain features based off testing and launch feedback as the game is an MMO that will be constantly be added to and improved with every release but plan on getting the core in now rather than later, so yes you're right on the walk anim it's too casual for a soldier - I think I did have a new one done, but will have to check! Sometimes its difficult to remember what I do and do not have in the way of assets and revisions, the major factor is not having enough time to put everything in my asset management software that I developed, which almost cost me double lol! but rectifying that issue now - so always good to keep track of what you have and what you don't have, it makes it easier to plan your levels and make a better game. I'll be releasing v2 of this software as a tool for game developers soon. So stay tuned on this one - good for tracking art, licences and code.
Missile GUI is a bit flakey, it was only meant as a prototype. It selects players and AI targets from a list. The new version of this specifies different missiles roles (heat seeking - in other words nearest target, or target specific) - nearest target is not quite working yet, but trying to make it so that I can use this for ground to air, and air to ground.
No worries on the rigging tutorial, been madly busy myself and staying afloat, but plan on pushing forward with this game more than ever now with a release date in sight before Christmas, earlier if poss.
Edit: added more
09/01/2010 (2:28 pm)
Hey, Scott.. thanks for your long post :) Good to get some feedback, no doubt there will be more to make this game rock after testing. Still quite a bit to do after launch, but most of it is already done in principle, just porting and making it work with Torque 3D. In answer to your points, 1) yeah it's a bit lifeless at the moment, in the up and coming blogs you'll see some action taking place with AI and the results of the multiplayer testing. 2) Still plenty of work to do on the landscaping, it was only my first sweep of it - I'm a sucker for the smoothing tool! There were too many pointed egdges, so there'll be lots of things from stones to bits of debris laying around which will only take me about a day at most to do to give it some definition. I've yet to add in a decent skybox and horizon, but plan on adding in some more details, depends on how much of a hit on fps there is with multiplayer, so I'm keeping things spaced out without losing the feel good factor, at least until I know what the engine is capable of on final release as adding in too many trees did give it a bit of a hit.The game itself will be covering something for everyone, but I'll go into that later in further blogs without revealing too much at this stage :) gotta have those teasers!
Answer to A, yeah.. Monorail... I came up with that idea in 2007!! been on and off the back burner since then. Still it will see the light of day very soon as I don't tend to give up on ideas, just make them better. With the help of Maxim (Robomaniac), he brought my idea to 3D, from there a few modifications and some code helped it to take shape. Getting the angle right on the curves was fun too! I also have a Ski Lift and Mountain lift that use the same codebase.. more on this in a future blog.
B) These animations were done in TGEA days, so the video is about 1-2 years out of date, jet pack animations are there now, I must admit that the walking animation needs to be replaced with a running one, on my list but has not been a priority, seems to function better in T3D though. The idea is really to get everything in place then tweak certain features based off testing and launch feedback as the game is an MMO that will be constantly be added to and improved with every release but plan on getting the core in now rather than later, so yes you're right on the walk anim it's too casual for a soldier - I think I did have a new one done, but will have to check! Sometimes its difficult to remember what I do and do not have in the way of assets and revisions, the major factor is not having enough time to put everything in my asset management software that I developed, which almost cost me double lol! but rectifying that issue now - so always good to keep track of what you have and what you don't have, it makes it easier to plan your levels and make a better game. I'll be releasing v2 of this software as a tool for game developers soon. So stay tuned on this one - good for tracking art, licences and code.
Missile GUI is a bit flakey, it was only meant as a prototype. It selects players and AI targets from a list. The new version of this specifies different missiles roles (heat seeking - in other words nearest target, or target specific) - nearest target is not quite working yet, but trying to make it so that I can use this for ground to air, and air to ground.
No worries on the rigging tutorial, been madly busy myself and staying afloat, but plan on pushing forward with this game more than ever now with a release date in sight before Christmas, earlier if poss.
Edit: added more
Mike Large
EiKON Games