I dig this Game (tentative title) development thread

[Previous]

I set the ladder placing to place a ladder next to the player if the player faces sideways and on the player's position otherwise (facing up/down).

As far as rope bridges go... Since you said that the first rope is paced on the same height as the player, the first rope hangs down from nowhere anyways (lets say it is afficed to the back wall of the cave). Thus, the player can just move onto that place anyways. Now I just have to make it impossible to create a new rope while the player is hanging on one.
That's how I made it, without actually differing between a hanging rock and a rock bridge. A rock bridge would actually rather be like a liana. If you'd still prefer vertical rope bridges, I could do that. However, that would require 'rope bridges' to be a different 'tool' (using the same counter), as the player should be able to decide which kind of rope he wants to use when there is a one block wide pit.


PS: As for columns, They do not support dirt blocks next to them, obly above. Since they are columns. Correct?

[Gors]

I don't know, really. Making columns support above blocks makes sense, but making it support neighboring blocks is interesting due to puzzle mechanics. I say make it support blocks next to it. If it proves to be useful, then keep it.

Also, being able to stop while climbing a rope and jumping out from it makes the rope-bridge useless. So, let's make the rope-bridge two blocks wide. That will give it a decent use. Save the length, it won't change anything.

[Previous]

Allrighty, I guess it's time for a little status report.
I'll make this short, as the technical mumbo-jumbo won't be really interesting to you folks.
Basic game mechanics are down (player movement and interactions). Puzzles can not yet be solved since all the game does at the moment is displaying a placeholder intro and then switching into a default puzzle, there is no puzzle selection yet. Also, I'd need to know how surfacing should work (as in, returning to the surface after collecting all gems) - shall it be triggered when the player reaches his initial height or shall he return to the exact starting spot or shall a special goal spot be defined in each puzzle?
I'm currently working on a puzzle editor - a seperate app which enables puzzle editing (duh!). This way, puzzles won't need to be hard-coded into the game and puzzle makers can test them more easily. When I've got that done, I'll return to the actual game and make a puzzle selection screen. Puzzle Editor will let you edit the list of puzzles, setting width and height for each and placing blocks (dirt, rock, gem, boulder, player (goal?)). The Game will identify puzzles by a ten character name (should be unique).

TL;DR - I'm still working on this. Progress is slow, though, since I don't have too much time and usually just work on this on the ~1h train rides to and from university.

[Gors]

I understand your struggle, man. Don't worry, though, as I am also having technical problemas that keeps me from browsing this site more frequently.

Anyway, yes, the goal. The puzzle is completed whenever the player resurfaces from the ground, and that doesn't necessarily mean exactly his spawn point. If you're outside the dirt with the gems in your hand, you win the puzzle.

[Previous]

So, digging away all the dirt would suffice, too? Or shall there be a certain 'ground' level (could be visualized through a fitting background)?

Code:

------ initial ground level

       <- all empty space
   P
###### Blocks(Dirt/Rock/Boulder...); new ground level
###### No gems left.

Puzzle solved or not?

[Gors]

there certainly should have some kind of limitation in this, but I don't know really. If something like that happened, it wouldn't make sense for the game to force you climb the air to win the level. I'll think more about this case, and will come up with a solution for this.

[Previous]

I had some trouble with level scrolling but I guess I can check that off the list. Next up will be possibility to solve a puzzle and a 'puzzle solved' screen with some statistics (like, number of tools used and amount of time taken and times of death - the latter just came into my mind and still needs to be included into untested data saving). And then there'll be automatic gamestate saving. Unencrypted since I don't care for those people who need to cheat, let them do what they want. Its their loss of fun, not mine

[Koopaul]

Ever think about digging through other things besides rocks and dirt and stuff? What if water was added into the equation? You had to make sure you don't cause water to fill up certain areas or maybe you have to?

[Previous]

Don't make it more complicated than it already is D':


About puzzle statistics, shall death count have the highest priority for record saving or time or used tools? I'd go for the first. Currently, it just saves the most recent one without checking anything.

[Gors]

Death count.

Also I am still thinking what would be the level complete event. Basically I'd say that the level ends when you're on a safe spot, i.e no rocks above you in a considerable height. I didn't discard the idea of a fixed spot, too, so I'm still planning which would work the best.

[Yo-Yo Boy]

Will there be collectibles like CDs or treasures?
I would really like to see that, and if there will be collectibles, then make sure you have to complete the level to obtain them, so it's more difficult to get them.

[sponge7325]

I think what Yo-Yo boy said makes since.

But treasures should be hidden somewhere in the dirt, somewhere where it won't be easy to get to.

[Gors]

I will think about that, but that isn't important to the game at the moment. Let's focus on the essentials first.

[Previous]

Most important is, however, that I'm going to take a break as I'll have other things to do, unfortunately. But, well, we're at a point where we aren't getting anywhere anyways without making a few decisions. Kinda.

Anyways, don't worry, I won't forget this. I never forget anything. Even Tselda is still on my mind (though that is put on halt whilst project DIG is running).

[Gors]

I have been testing the pre-alpha, and while it's shaping up quite well, I don't like the fact that:

1=you move hopping (or is that something I am missing?)
2=the tools aren't used even if I press the action button a hundred of times. They appear only to function if you press the action button and move button together which is annoying.

But thanks to the engine, I've been motivated to do some graphics for the project. Fitting a character in a 16x16 box is challenging, but the small size also makes easier for animations. I am straying away from those simple 4-frame animation style Cave Story popularised; check the animations here.

shovel

jump

pickaxe

placing column/ladder

placing rope

walk/run

also here's a beta sheet if you're interested. By the way, the guy's name is Cels, but if you have a better name please feel free to contribute