TFR: Scratch Edition [Program]

[TheShyGuy]

I'm sorry but I couldn't finish the tool. I'll upload the "monthly build, despite the current state of the game", later today.

There aren't really any obvious changes though. I'd say it's not worth the 60mb download, but I want to keep with the consistent updates.

Some things may not work, or break~

Additional controls:

"r" to create Chaoxy's grab assist.. which I forgot the name of...I wanna say glub glub but I'm almost sure that's not it.

"[home]" to open the editor. -You can't do much with it at the moment except select the character, set an action, pause, play or step the game, and set the subaction tick.

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Updates will probably remain to be slow throughout the semester. Again, I'm sorry.

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Edit:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lx1qyvaaov6co4...D.zip?dl=0

I didn't forget, but I wasn't able to get online.

[TheShyGuy]

I apologize for having no updates this month, it's been very busy.  I'll try to have a new build next weekend.

I've made some progress on the editor.  I've added support for setting up SFX to play during a subaction (basically an animation).  You have control on a per tick level.  There is no saving yet, but it should be no problem to implement.  Adding SFX to the game is as simple as putting it in the right folder, for common/shared SFX.  It's the same for  character specific SFXs, but to be loaded correctly, you have to load it yourself within your "Create[CharName].lua" script (which will make sense later).  Although its simple, I may just add an alternative way, where if the SFX save file exists, then the appropriate SFX data will be loaded.

For the collision editor, I technically have the game support done. It's been done(of course, modified) since a month ago.  But, creating editors/tools is more time consuming than coding the actual thing that it's supposed to edit.  It's not a hard thing to do, but it's one of those tedious things.

Hmm what else.  I have some general open questions:

-Cutscenes (story)
-AI Design

I have more, but they seem inappropriate right now.  Really, the timing isn't good for the top two either.  Though, AI would be important in case online doesn't happen or doesn't happen for a while.  I'm not sure what kind of question I'm asking though, perhaps a brainstorm?  Obviously, you can't have the AI just perfectly countering every move.  Neither do you want it to be stupid and be completely random.  I've never designed interesting AI (goombas and koopas moving back and forth isn't exactly complicated) so it'll be a new experience... However if it is, then maybe I should remain focusing on the main parts of gameplay (the fighting part) first- which means getting these tools and editors out.

I may also upload the animation tool so that you can add you own animations.  I'd need to make a tutorial, and the tool requires you to download additional stuff.  If I also upload the (simple) scripting tool, then ,along with a tutorial, you guys may be able to atleast screw around.  

Again, I apologize for the lack of updates.  

[TheShyGuy]

Sorry, I won't be uploading the build this month.  I just now got enough of the sfx editor thing done to be able to load and save....but I also just now found out that I can't open OpenFileDialogs or SaveFileDialogs in an XNA game app.  That means that I can't use those windows dialogs that you use when you open a file or save a file in [insert program]. I could get around this, but I'd rather not do any kind of file modifying without a safe way of doing so.

Basically, I think I'll remove the winforms GUI from the game app into it's own editor.  This also means that, for those who want to make custom content, you'll require the XNA hiDef profile, not the client profile, and the full NET 4 framework (I think Net 4.5 works fine too).  I may not even release the editors anymore.

The change isn't as simple as copy  + pasting code because I implemented it to work along with the game rather than as a completely separate window, so I'm not sure how long it'll take to recreate.

I know that there aren't many people into tFR atm, that's fine. The con of this is that I know that I'll be the one to be putting everyone's character in.  Honestly, I don't really expect anyone else to script their own characters and neither do I want you guys to.  The tools are far from user friendly and I'd have to both make in-depth tutorials + improve the editors to be public-friendly, which would likely take too much time.

The main advantage is that I can code each character quicker and with less bugs. I don't have to worry about making cool editors.  The major downside is that I'm back to doing all the coding again, like the other programmers (I find it a bit funny though.  I remember recommending programmers to make the game easily customizable by the community. Doing so is much harder than I thought it'd be...I apologize).

tl;dr There will no longer be a game + side editor. I may try to just script everyone's character myself.
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Hmm.. what else.

If I'm doing all the scripting, then what can you guys do?

I would greatly appreciate it if you make the scripting process as easy as possible in any way possible.  Characters require sounds and I'd rather not search for them myself, y'kno?  

...

When I figure out other ways to make the process easier, I'll let you guys know.


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The next devlog update will probably be me going through the game and summarizing everything I still need to do.  I haven't made much progress since school started and I forgot exactly what was still needed to be done.

[TheShyGuy]

No game update. There's only a month left of this semester so I'm just going to focus on school for now. I haven't made decent since it started and doubt I will. I'll resume around mid May.

[TheShyGuy]

News May 19, 2015:

• Required character animation count has been reduced to ~20 animations instead of the ~40 animations.
  
• Input Buffering, Online, AI, Story/Arcade Mode, Community Customization, Main Menu, and Options Menu are scrapped due to non existent community interest and lack of content. Each take a lot of time and hard work and the benefits are non existent, thus they will no longer be supported.
  
• Only Player Vs Player battles will be supported
  

The bare minimal required animations for characters are:

1. Idle
   
2. Walk Forward
   
3. Walk Backward
   
4. Duck
   
5. Jump
   
6. Fall
   
7. Punch 1
   
8. Kick 1
   
9. Duck Punch
   
10. Duck Kick
    
11. Jump Punch
    
12. Jump Kick
    
13. Special 1 (can be offensive, defensive, healing ,etc)
    
14. Grab
    
15. Grab Attack
    
16. Throw
    
17. Standing Defend
    
18. Duck Defend
    
19. Air Defend
    
20. Hit
    
21. Knock Down  (Face plant)
    
22. Get Back Up
    

The forward and back attacks can be replaced with the neutral attacks (normal punch or kicks). There only really needs to be one special for consistency between characters. Status effects (burnt, electrocuted, etc) and the variations of getting hit can all be replaced with the normal Hit animation. Although, due to game mechanics, Knocked Down (Face plant) and getting back up are still required.

As a result of the scrapped features, only the bare minimal of the game is needed to be coded. Which means that I only have to finish the fighting system and add content. As of today, I've finally supported working grabs and throws. Fighting-wise, I just have to support defending and cancelling out equivalent attacks that connect. After I'm sure the fighting system is done and stable, I will work on the menus and content. At that point, I'll probably restart a frequently updated devlog.


If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[TheShyGuy]

Is anyone still interested in The Fighters Resource? I've decided to port it to Unity so that I can use their tools instead of making my own. So far I've ported Gors, Babylon Kingdom and Chaoxy's Factory. I've also ditched Lua so the moveset is completely coded in c#.

Also, a major reason for the port is to allow noncoders to directly add in or modify their content without having to touch any code, you just have to learn how to use Unity's visual tools.

[TheShyGuy]

wip (Robo9 and Chaoxys don't have a portrait)

edit: oops, looks like Nicktendo made one for Robo9

[Chris2Balls [:B]]

Yes, I'm interested in trying out what you've been doing! Awesome

[TheShyGuy]

Bolt and Splot are pretty much done. As shown, grabbing and throwing work in the Unity port now. Throwing is really just another attack hitbox that's created after Splot releases Gors.

I'll have a test build up soon after I add a bit more content. I wanted to make the camera larger since the tops of the larger stages get clipped. But then the fighters become too small and there would be a lot of "empty non fighter" space.

[TheShyGuy]

Let's see.... ported the GFX system over, added Fieram assist, and The Space Ring stage. Oh and I added an input buffer so I can support quarter circles and stuff.

[Guy]

The updates to this look excellent, I'm thoroughly impressed with all the work you've put into it man.

Am I missing something or are you waiting to post newer build? I'd love to try this out.

[TheShyGuy]

Yeah, the newest build isn't up yet. There will be one soon though! There are just a few more things I want to add before then.

[The Phinx]

Heyyyy this thing's back up! So is there a new build?!

[TheShyGuy]

Almost ready for a build. I gotta give you guys some way to select characters and stages:

(....and I forgot Robo9's portrait again.... sorry Robo9 and Nicktendo)

Based off of Chris2Balls's concept. AFAIK, these are all of the complete-enough fighters. If I forgot anyone, let me know. I haven't scripted all of them, or completely scripted anyone yet. Gors and one other mystery character has all of their base fighting moveset scripted, excluding specials and hurt effects (flame, electrocuted, etc). They can both do Punch/Kick 1/2/F/B/Air/Duck, grabs, throws, and blocking (no parry yet).

The game supports xbox remotes on windows, though for some reason Unity's Input system doesn't support the DPad. I'm hoping to get local 2 player support before the upcoming build.

If anyone would like to create the portraits for Sol, Vipershark, Metaru and Chaoxys, that would be great, thanks.

[Guy]

Awesome, I'm still looking forward to the next build, I know you said Online was scrapped but how feasible would networking through hamachi be?
(After you get Local Multi done, I imagine you could switch between Local/Multi by deciding whether the player's inputs are sent to the host's game for Online, or just read locally...I could be over-simplifying it however.)

Also figured I'd take a crack at the portraits, but geeze it's time consuming with all the dithering.

Spoiler

I was thinking Rohan when I began (not done yet either)...but now I'm starting to think Jotaro would be a better match