Blog for Kevin James at GarageGames.com

diBALLic physics game available to download!!

Kevin James — 2008-06-06T19:57:04+00:00

Hey everyone!

I just recently finished working on a physics based game called diBALLic. Its basically Pong with some other cool features:

*Support for two human players
*Support for a human player and computer player
*Support for two computer players

You shouldn't download this game if you want to get any work done. Otherwise, here's some screenshots:

diBALLic gameplay:

Some more features include:

*Gamepad/Joystick support
*Customizable options text file
*Special energized hit ability
*Cool music and sound effects

The different customizable settings:

If there is enough interest, I will make a tutorial detailing how to make this game from start to finish in TGB. I'm not humanitarian enough to do it just because perhaps one person will benefit. Make sure to let me know what you like and what you dislike about the game. My email is:

syreal [at] syrealgames [dot] com

The AI in diBALLic relies on triangular waveform regression equations in order to calculate where the ball is going to go. The simpler AI just simply follows the Y coordinate of the ball. The smart AI is completely unbeatable at a speed of 60. Its pretty cool to watch two smart AI's going at each other, both at 60 speed.

Or leave a comment here on the .plan. In the very least, the source will be made available for TGB developers on the private TGB forums.

DOWNLOAD:
diBALLic version 1.02 [This version is out of date.]

Latest version:
diBALLic version 1.05 (5 megs)

New in version 1.05:

*Cool floating, multicolored squares in the background
*Some minor script adjustments

The new background effect:

diBALLic SOURCE is now available for TGB users.

www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=75920#537808

Killing the feature creep before the feature creep kills me.

Kevin James — 2008-03-24T03:01:30+00:00

I don't know about you, but I always come up with a super simple game idea that will take 2 weeks to bring to fruition, and will probably be pretty cool in the end. Nice simple, cut-n-dried game mechanics, clean graphics, moderate level of content -- you know.

The next day, I don't even know what the original game premise was, and I'm so excited to be developing the next killer indie game that everyone in the world will be talking about. I have game mechanics so complicated that I can't even make sense of them on paper, my plans for the graphics would take a professional team of animators, modelers and sprite artists approximately three years to complete, and I'm as happy as a skunk in a manure pile.

Until three weeks later when I realize that I'm an idiot.

This happened with a platform jumper that I was developing. I just now realized that I'm an idiot.

The entire original premise: A simple exploration game in which the player controls a little dude who can run up walls and jump and run.

The feature creep's idea in a nutshell: A complex exploration into the geopolitical workings of a civilization of beings who live on the surface of a planet and of a civilization of beings who live on islands orbiting the planet in the air above the aforementioned beings who live on the surface of the planet. You can fly also, in addition to being able to run up walls and what not.

I was so bogged down by the new features that I had to implement that I almost gave up on the whole thing. Then I remembered this one really important fact: "Hey, I'm an idiot! but also: "I HATE THE FEATURE CREEP!"

I proceeded to cut my plotline from a document 3000 words strong and growing daily to one simple line:

"Discover the ends of the earth."

Beautiful. Elegant. Simple . . . indie. I also completely nixed flying even though most of the work was done. The problem was that flying made everything 5x more complex. Plus, strange bugs reared their ugly heads as soon as I started messing with the flying code.

I've killed the feature creep and the Volkswagen sized leech attached to by chest has been surgically removed. THAT was a metaphor.

No one reads a blog that doesn't have at least one picture:

UNEK

Now that you saw the pictures, go ahead and read the rest of it. [encouraging] Its slightly witty! :D [/encouraging]

*goes to bed hoping that tomorrow the idea for Unek will be as simple as it is today* <--- Longest self narration to occur in a blog for aproximately 5 years.

New version of Glatte2!

Kevin James — 2008-02-01T02:23:21+00:00

Hey guys, just uploaded Glatte2 version 0.70 to syrealgames.com

Glatte2 is a two dimensional space adventure made with TGB. There's only one level at this point. A big thanks goes out to Jamie Vanadia of noise-floor.com for the sound effects, to Ajari Wilson for the title music and Jasmin Hadzic for the test level music.

Direct Download - Windows Zip File (19 megs)

Old Screenshots - a lot has changed since then.

Old alpha plan

syrealgames.com - come join the . . . communism!

Kevin James — 2008-01-28T23:12:30+00:00

Hail, fellow member of the downtrodden worker proletariat!

Are you tired of the incessant ignorance of your capitalistic slave drivers? Are you always exhausted when you come home from your interminable work day? Think of these problems no more, my friend!

Go to syrealgames.com, and forget your troubles for a while. There you can download wonderful .zip files containing games that you are bound to enjoy for many hours*. Consider these benevolent gifts a boon from our long deceased leader, Father Lenin. We apologize to our dear Mac brethren who will not be able to partake in our games because, unfortunately, they only work on Windows. But indeed, at this very moment, we are planning actions to fix this slight issue.

Also, you can go to the glorious Syreal Games Board and discuss the many differing facets and approaches of Marxism, Socialism and Communism*. (Even our Mac brethren can participate here!) Or you could also talk about the unimaginable benevolence that Father Lenin bestowed upon you when you downloaded Glatte, Shellcore, Glatte2, and Shellcore2.0. You can even say what you didn't like about the games, but you'd best be careful that you keep your respect otherwise we may throw you to the . . . capitalists.

Why are you still reading this? You should be enjoying the benevolence of Father Lenin, playing wonderful games, and participating in the forums by this time! Stop reading this now! Stop! STOP! STOOOOOOOOP!!!!

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* Actual game play time may vary
* Syreal Games and its affiliates are not actually communists

Shellcore 2.0- 2 Player Competitive Tank Game

Kevin James — 2008-01-22T12:46:53+00:00

Shellcore2.0 is a competitive 2 player tank game set in a glowing digital world. Have a blast with your friends as you blast them into digital nonexistence!

Features:

* Fluid, freeform tank combat
* Radar minimap
* Catchy level music
* Riveting sound effects
* Dynamic explosions
* 15 customizeable gameplay elements
* Local two player compatibility
* Eye popping visual effects
* Customizeable keys

Download the Windows version:

Shellcore2.0 Build 1 (7 meg Zip file)

Check out the readme for future features and some other pertinent info about the game.

Feedback would be greatly appreciated, my friends!

additional keys:

f1 -pause game
f2 -debug banner
ctrl p -screenshot
alt k -clear console
tilde -open console

Some screenshots:

The Green Arena Level (The only level at this point!)

15 customizeable options!

The Red Tank was just nailed!

The titans clash!

Minimum System Reqs:

Processor - 2.0 gigahurtz Pentium 4 or equivalent
RAM - 512 megabytes
Video Card - 128 megabyte video memory
Hard Drive Space - 12 megabytes

Gah indeed.

Kevin James — 2007-11-26T04:20:18+00:00

I agree with this fellow wholeheartedly. Have you ever spent an ungodly amount of time on an art asset only to have it suck? Bad?

I just spent three hours meticulously working on a new ship for my game, Glatte 2, only to have it look like complete poop in game. I had no idea that something I worked on for so long could fail so miserably. If I wasn't so lazy I'd show you the two comparisons, but at this point I'm just going to cry myself to sleep and call it a day.

Definitely the most amateur blog I've ever written - but hey - I'm allowed to be stupid once in a while.

Glatte 2 Alpha Demo

Kevin James — 2007-07-14T14:00:08+00:00

'Ello fellow Torquers!

Today I finally finished the alpha demo build of Glatte 2, the sequel of Glatte. I planned to make a game profile for it today on the GGE, but the GGE is spiting me today. Thus, I will provide you with the links here:

Glatte 2 Self-Extractor

Glatte 2 Zip

One or the other. It's whether you prefer a plain zip file or a fancy pants self extractor. Your destiny is in your hands!

The core of Glatte 2 is pretty much done, now I just need to add more content: more enemies, more weapons, more backgrounds. Hopefully the rest of the work is idyllic and joyful . . . ha! In any case I hope to add at least 4 different levels and add 3 more types of weapons.

Thanks for your valuable time!

EDIT: Oh yeah! Here's a link to my previous Glatte 2 .plan, just in case you missed it! (That one has screenshots galore)

Glatte 2 In Development Screenshots!

Kevin James — 2007-06-23T18:28:42+00:00

Glatte 2 is a vertical scrolling space shooter currently being made with TGB 1.1.3 and it is the sequel to the original Glatte which was made with the Pre-Alpha version of T2D. (You can find Glatte on the Great Games Experiment. You can find a small development clip in my profile on the GGE as well!) I've been working on it since before the beginning of June. At this point I'm still working on some of the game mechanics, but I'm getting pretty close to being done with them. To prove that I've been doing something for the last few weeks, I got some sweet screens for your viewing pleasure:

The player is pretty much fully functional. There is leftwards, rightwards, upwards and downwards movement for the player as well as ion repeaters. Eventually I hope there will be different weapons that the player can pick such as lasers, plasma launchers, ect. Right now I'm working on missiles for the ship.

Thus far in Glatte 2, I have three different kinds of enemies: eggs (Known as shieldstickers to most human pilots), drones and soldiers. Shieldstickers are pretty self-explanatory, they attach themselves to your shields (if you have any) and suck the power out of them. What is not so apparent however, is the fact that if they drain enough shield, you can use them as bombs against your enemies.

CHARGED SHIELDSTICKER:

EXPLODING SHIELDSTICKER W/ COLATERAL DAMAGE:

The drones and soldiers are simpler as of right now. Both drones and soldiers charge toward the player and bite him, but soldiers can shoot spikes too and they are bigger, meaner, and tougher. Soon there will be different AI for them including formations and different behaviors.

SOLDIER SPIKES:

Alright folks! That's as much of a scoop as you are going to get . . . for now. Suffice to say that work on Glatte 2 is going well and I'll probably be releasing a demo in about a couple weeks. Before I go, however, I'll leave you with a few screens to leave you guessing!

Silk Screen Logo

Kevin James — 2007-04-16T21:09:50+00:00

I am planning to do a silk screen shirt for Syreal Studios, the name under which I am making games.
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How does this design look? I'd appreciate any thoughts or suggestions, especially on shirt color.

Oh yeah,

Everybody Join the Polls!

The Impossible Independence

Kevin James — 2007-04-15T19:34:39+00:00

I recently entered Regional History Day with a "senior individual media". I took first place.

The Movie:
The Impossible Independence

What may be surprising is that the documentary is

. . . for the most part anyway. I had to use Camtasia for editing stock footage. I had to use GameCam to "convert" the Torque porgram to a video. And I also had to use some DVD burning programs, but the hard part was done with TGB.

TGB ROCKS!