Putting the plan in .plan
by Kevin James · 11/21/2012 (9:04 am) · 9 comments
So, I have a functioning platformer made in TGB. It's been years since I worked on it, but I can't get over the potential it has. See my history for "Bobo the Byte". The following is my "TODO.docx" on my computer for the mountain of work I'd like to do:
______________________________
*Make a UML diagram of my custom classes
*Prepend "PS" for "ProjS" to all my custom classes
*Document any undocumented code
*Figure out why a bunch of player variables are globals instead of class variables
*Clean up code in any desirable ways
*PSModel class for infinite more flexibility in animation, actual slow down of animation during timescale change, etc.
*PSWorld class comprised of dynamically loaded PSSectors which are hopefully just t2dLevels. enables a Morrowind (mostly) seamless world.
*Instead of current jerry rig system of loading completely separate levels as the parallax background, make entire level, backgrounds and all, in one level, denote which layer (and somehow auto-adjust size of objects to look like how they will in-game (hard, because camera will be moving at different speeds)
*PSDialog class which uses a GUI to make creating dialogs point-and-click (they'll save to a new type of file parsed by TGB)
*Add a particle effect (PE) to show when player is falling
*Develop scripting solution for key-combos
*Make slanted surfaces a reality
*Make ladders, shimmiable railings, swing-aroundable poles, swinging bars
*Add parkour ability that lets you vault over low obstacles
*Add rolling and ninja dodge
*Probably going to have to add limited impulse energy (Red Eclipse term)
______________________________
The interesting thing is that when I started this game, I had no formal programming training, but now I've almost got a degree in CS. That's pretty neat.
______________________________
*Make a UML diagram of my custom classes
*Prepend "PS" for "ProjS" to all my custom classes
*Document any undocumented code
*Figure out why a bunch of player variables are globals instead of class variables
*Clean up code in any desirable ways
*PSModel class for infinite more flexibility in animation, actual slow down of animation during timescale change, etc.
*PSWorld class comprised of dynamically loaded PSSectors which are hopefully just t2dLevels. enables a Morrowind (mostly) seamless world.
*Instead of current jerry rig system of loading completely separate levels as the parallax background, make entire level, backgrounds and all, in one level, denote which layer (and somehow auto-adjust size of objects to look like how they will in-game (hard, because camera will be moving at different speeds)
*PSDialog class which uses a GUI to make creating dialogs point-and-click (they'll save to a new type of file parsed by TGB)
*Add a particle effect (PE) to show when player is falling
*Develop scripting solution for key-combos
*Make slanted surfaces a reality
*Make ladders, shimmiable railings, swing-aroundable poles, swinging bars
*Add parkour ability that lets you vault over low obstacles
*Add rolling and ninja dodge
*Probably going to have to add limited impulse energy (Red Eclipse term)
______________________________
The interesting thing is that when I started this game, I had no formal programming training, but now I've almost got a degree in CS. That's pretty neat.
About the author
Computer security, digital forensics, and platform jumper enthusiast. shells.myw3b.net/~syreal/
#2
www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/authorID/44571
11/21/2012 (4:02 pm)
Theres a big update a coming blending TGB & iTorque, there are some blogs about it somewhere, seems its been out shined by Torque3D going MIT at the minwww.garagegames.com/community/blogs/authorID/44571
#3
I totally agree - I've written down a lot of cool game ideas, but I have limited time to create them.
David, thanks for the link! I've been excited about Box2D in torque for a long time.
11/21/2012 (9:32 pm)
Thanks Doc!I totally agree - I've written down a lot of cool game ideas, but I have limited time to create them.
David, thanks for the link! I've been excited about Box2D in torque for a long time.
#4
If it's the latter, I have an idea that I plan to use but will share;
A script object as the main container for a conversation, and script objects for each "node" that contain the actual conversation content along with next/back link information and "action" information (for handling things like faction/reputation updates, break conversation and attack, etc).
I like this for mainly one reason: a script object can be saved and loaded by Torque out of the box.
An editor for this could be scripted into the TGB editor system (kind of a pain, the editor is a crazy conglomerate of dynamic bits all flying about at the same time), or built in another fashion (like building a stand-alone program that would save the information in a format compatible with Torque's object serialization). The former might be handier and probably simpler, the latter might be more extensible if you intend to carry the idea to other engines or tools.
11/22/2012 (2:12 pm)
By "dialog editor" do you mean a simplified GUI editor or an editor for in-game conversation trees?If it's the latter, I have an idea that I plan to use but will share;
A script object as the main container for a conversation, and script objects for each "node" that contain the actual conversation content along with next/back link information and "action" information (for handling things like faction/reputation updates, break conversation and attack, etc).
I like this for mainly one reason: a script object can be saved and loaded by Torque out of the box.
An editor for this could be scripted into the TGB editor system (kind of a pain, the editor is a crazy conglomerate of dynamic bits all flying about at the same time), or built in another fashion (like building a stand-alone program that would save the information in a format compatible with Torque's object serialization). The former might be handier and probably simpler, the latter might be more extensible if you intend to carry the idea to other engines or tools.
#5
Right now I'm working on implementing PSModel and I'm using multiple ScriptObjects for that, after doing a search and finding Stephen Zepp's recommended method of making classes (which though seemingly as elegant as torquescript can do, still a kluge). I'm glad scriptobjects have your blessing as well.
I've worked on Eclipse plugins so I wonder if the TGB editor is worse. That'd be impressive.
When do you think you'll implement any of this? It'd be sick nasty if you would develop this for me ;P
11/22/2012 (3:46 pm)
@Richard, I do mean the latter.Right now I'm working on implementing PSModel and I'm using multiple ScriptObjects for that, after doing a search and finding Stephen Zepp's recommended method of making classes (which though seemingly as elegant as torquescript can do, still a kluge). I'm glad scriptobjects have your blessing as well.
I've worked on Eclipse plugins so I wonder if the TGB editor is worse. That'd be impressive.
When do you think you'll implement any of this? It'd be sick nasty if you would develop this for me ;P
#6
TGB does have an annoying habit of saving stuff to the Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/ folder when saving to new files under Windows - this is a known annoyance resulting from having to deal with Windows' view on where users should be allowed to save things.
Ultimately I do intend to build this into an "interactive storytelling" system like (but hopefully easier to use than) the one in Neverwinter Nights for use in a project I'm planning for T3D. Not sure how long that'll take to come to fruition though.
11/22/2012 (7:17 pm)
Actually, I'm fiddling with a very simple version right now - and I should have said a SimGroup of ScriptObjects; just save the SimGroup out and it saves all of your nodes. My simple version just holds sentence parts for a haggling system - sentence beginning, insert counter-offer amount from shopkeeper, sentence ending. No choices or actions to be taken, it just lets me handle a collection of phrases more interesting than "No, how about X gold?" over and over. Probably have a functioning version done by Monday if I can keep myself from playing SWToR or Mass Effect or Skyrim all weekend....TGB does have an annoying habit of saving stuff to the Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/ folder when saving to new files under Windows - this is a known annoyance resulting from having to deal with Windows' view on where users should be allowed to save things.
Ultimately I do intend to build this into an "interactive storytelling" system like (but hopefully easier to use than) the one in Neverwinter Nights for use in a project I'm planning for T3D. Not sure how long that'll take to come to fruition though.
#7
My recommendation: look at the tgb/Torsion/TGB 1.7.5 Tools.Torsion project, down in the tools/levelEditor stuff for a start. I'd also recommend hitting Mitch up on where to find some of the hooks for this stuff if that's the route you end up wanting to go.
11/22/2012 (7:24 pm)
By the way - you can probably build the editor like a regular gui dialog and just add a menu or quickbar link to access it. If you intend to build a sidebar tool for it though, that gets kind of hairy.My recommendation: look at the tgb/Torsion/TGB 1.7.5 Tools.Torsion project, down in the tools/levelEditor stuff for a start. I'd also recommend hitting Mitch up on where to find some of the hooks for this stuff if that's the route you end up wanting to go.
#8
+1 to furthering game development over developing a game character further. ;)
How's "Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/" problematic?
Ah, NWN ... what a masterful approach to enabling one's audience to build content for you! I vaguely remember fiddling with some NWN mods, very awesome editor, if a bit enigmatic sometimes.
Awesome, I was wondering what file to start looking at to edit the editor. For PSModel, it would be appropriate to also have a GUI tool to edit animations, but it would also be very complicated.
11/22/2012 (9:19 pm)
Good deal - I'm working with a SimSet of ScriptObjects, but really only for it's array like qualities (the TS SimSet is surprisingly disjoint from a mathematical set)+1 to furthering game development over developing a game character further. ;)
How's "Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/" problematic?
Ah, NWN ... what a masterful approach to enabling one's audience to build content for you! I vaguely remember fiddling with some NWN mods, very awesome editor, if a bit enigmatic sometimes.
Awesome, I was wondering what file to start looking at to edit the editor. For PSModel, it would be appropriate to also have a GUI tool to edit animations, but it would also be very complicated.
#9
Thanks Richard.
11/22/2012 (9:28 pm)
So Michael Perry is the Mitch you're talking about? What's the best way to contact him?Thanks Richard.
Torque Owner Doc308
Fortunately, as the case is, there really hasn't been any break-thru's or major changes in nearly 4 years with TGB, and I wonder a bit why that is, but the simple truth is, there's a lot of power there, and it's just a matter of utilization.