Author Topic: NANY 2010 Release: Twigatelle (Read 198078 times)

timns · « **on:** December 10, 2009, 11:05 PM »

NANY 2010 Entry Information

Application Name	Twigatelle
Version	1.7
Short Description	Twigatelle is a game that Twiggles (of Head in the Clouds) is developing in order to make $1million or more from winning the NANY competition. No-one has yet dared to correct his misunderstanding of how NANY works.
Supported OSes	Windows, Mac, Linux
Web Page	tbd
Play online now (java)	http://head-in-the-c...m/game/Twiggles.jnlp
System Requirements	Some reasonable graphics card, that's probably about all
Version History
Author	http://timns.dcmembers.com/
Screencast	http://donationcoder...elle/twigatelle.html YouTube: http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=W2WR-3ucEHk

Description
Twigatelle is a simple game developed in Java inspired by any number of those pachinko-type games where little thingies bounce around hitting other thingies in a slightly hypnotic way. The name is a contraction of "Twiggles" and "bagatelle"

I chose to code up this game since:
(a) I like playing simple pinball-type games

(b) I was interested to see if I could develop a little game in Java that ran at a good framerate on any reasonable PC, Max, *nix box

(c) I wanted to see if I was capable of coding up various maths routines (collision and rebound of odd-shaped objects, procedural textures etc.) from scratch without nicking anyone elses source

and (d) I have not yet grown out of coding for 'fun'

Features: Java 2D game with animation, sound, simple particle system, simple physics effects, simple everything really. What can I say? I'm a simple kind of guy...

Features

Bouncy balls.
Things that bouncy balls hit.

Planned Features

Further items for the bouncy balls to collide with.

Screencast

Screenshots

Usage
Installation
How do you install and run the Application for the first time? Java WebStart

Using the Application
Hopefully pretty self-explanatory. I'll write a brief how-to later.

Uninstallation
Windows: from control panel
Other OSes: tbd

Known Issues
Are there any issues that users should know about? well, it may be kind of crummy

Also, it was written by a fat bird

skwire · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2009, 11:13 PM »

Nice.

timns · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2009, 11:16 PM »

Thank you

By the way, not saying I didn't nick anyone else's algorithms. Mr Perlin just kicked the back of my chair.

Deozaan · « **Reply #3 on:** December 14, 2009, 07:37 PM »

Looks fun!

Perry Mowbray · « **Reply #4 on:** December 14, 2009, 07:41 PM »

Looks fun!
-Deozaan (December 14, 2009, 07:37 PM)

I think they're quite serious though:

in order to make $1million or more from winning the NANY competition.
-timns (December 10, 2009, 11:05 PM)

timns · « **Reply #5 on:** December 14, 2009, 08:51 PM »

The game is playable in its basic form by now. DC hero nudone is doing some graphics for us, but if anyone wants to try it out just let me know.

Perry Mowbray · « **Reply #6 on:** December 14, 2009, 11:06 PM »

What are you talking about? We all want to try it!!!

timns · « **Reply #7 on:** December 17, 2009, 10:26 PM »

Folks, you can (probably) run the game from here:

http://head-in-the-clouds.com/game/Twiggles.jnlp

It's currently a 24 megabyte download

There's only one level at the moment, with boring old round shapes - nudone is waiting for me to request some graphics so when he works his magic I'll put a couple more levels in which will have more variation and even animation.

In the meantime, see if you can work out the following:

How to complete the level
What the colours represent
What the bonuses with silly names do

I hope you enjoy...

All the source code will be available at some point if anyone's interested.

Everything is home grown and Twiggles is quite proud of the collision routines. You'll see why in the later levels. There's also some reasonable code for poisson distribution, algorithmic textures, fast beziers, particles etc.

Perry Mowbray · « **Reply #8 on:** December 17, 2009, 10:38 PM »

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2009, 12:17 AM »

that is pretty impressive.. let's see if anyone can beat my score:
Screenshot - 12_18_2009 , 12_15_47 AM.png

JavaJones · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2009, 12:37 AM »

Nice, reminds me a lot of Peggle. Except this is harder.

- Oshyan

timns · « **Reply #11 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:19 AM »

Yes it was the demo of Peggle that made me wonder if it were possible in Java.

timns · « **Reply #12 on:** December 19, 2009, 07:30 PM »

that is pretty impressive.. let's see if anyone can beat my score: (see attachment in previous post)
-mouser (December 18, 2009, 12:17 AM)

Let me know if you'd like a list of hints 'n' tips so that you all can beat mouser

New levels coming up in a day or two, with new graphics too.

timns · « **Reply #13 on:** December 21, 2009, 03:47 PM »

Nice, reminds me a lot of Peggle. Except this is harder.

- Oshyan
-JavaJones (December 18, 2009, 12:37 AM)

Need more balls? I had actually reduced the number in order to make that one solitary level last a bit longer

Cyeb · « **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2009, 03:54 PM »

Ooh, I like it! It works on my netbook. Some things run slowly, but when you're actually in game, it works perfectly.

Just another thing, methinks the game is a good idea, only the graphics...well...I can help you if you want. Oh wait, I see up there ^ you say nudone is helping you? Can I is help too?

timns · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2009, 04:06 PM »

Ooh, I like it! It works on my netbook. Some things run slowly, but when you're actually in game, it works perfectly.

Just another thing, methinks the game is a good idea, only the graphics...well...I can help you if you want. Oh wait, I see up there ^ you say nudone is helping you? Can I is help too?
-Cyeb (December 21, 2009, 03:54 PM)

Thank you Cyeb. I greatly appreciate the offer and in fact you reminded me of something I keep meaning to post:

LEVEL DESIGN!!!!!

Once we have the other shapes in place (the game supports round pegs, square pegs and also curved pegs) then I shall be putting out the call to you creative types for some nice layouts.

Are you up for it?

Cyeb · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2009, 05:13 PM »

Sure! Only I have absolutely no java coding experience, and very basic c++ experience. (I only know how to do cin and cout stuff..)

I know how to use the GIMP though, which is what you need, right?

Deozaan · « **Reply #17 on:** December 22, 2009, 02:36 AM »

let's see if anyone can beat my score
-mouser (December 18, 2009, 12:17 AM)

That wasn't hard.

NANY 2010 Release: Twigatelle

timns · « **Reply #18 on:** December 22, 2009, 09:23 AM »

Sounds like the gloves are off.

Have you sussed out what each colour bumper does?

dragonmage · « **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2009, 09:32 AM »

Cool game so far, even though I'm only getting 32 fps. It made me late for work yesterday

I have found a couple bugs.

1. High Score list seems to be completely inaccurate. All recorded scores are way lower than the score reported in game. I haven't tried calculating to see if it's a certain percentage yet.

2. I got a Ball Frenzy and in the ensuing chaos another green bumper was hit and may have been Assassin Ball, not sure I didn't actually catch what was activated. At any rate the last two balls came into proximity of each other at low speed and became "caught in each others' gravity." That's the only way I could describe it. They bounced off of each other then pulled back together, endlessly. I had to start a new game.

Also had some ideas.

Pong Mode: Would it be possible to control the "paddle" in Pong Mode? As it is now Pong Mode only tracks one ball at a time, so a ball could go right by the paddle because it is tracking one that bounced back up.

Assassin Ball: Allow the player to "put a hit out" for a particular peg. Click on the problem peg, the ball then goes after that peg.

Claw Mode: Why not combine this with another arcade favorite the prize grabbing claw machines? The launcher could turn into a claw which could be launched, giving you a chance of grabbing the ball back to relaunch it. If you wanted to get really tricky with it you could also allow it to grab a peg and hold it. The cable could then become another surface for the ball to reflect off of.

That's all for now, I'm sure I'll keep playing

Cyeb · « **Reply #20 on:** December 28, 2009, 10:50 AM »

I hadn't noticed those, I just thought it was a nice game!

Hey, timns, when are you going to "put out the call to us creative types"? Don't you have only three days left to complete it by New Years?

timns · « **Reply #21 on:** December 28, 2009, 10:57 AM »

Cool game so far, even though I'm only getting 32 fps. It made me late for work yesterday
-dragonmage (December 28, 2009, 09:32 AM)

Er... ah. Sorry. How's your framerate if you turn off the antialiasing?

I have found a couple bugs.

1. High Score list seems to be completely inaccurate. All recorded scores are way lower than the score reported in game. I haven't tried calculating to see if it's a certain percentage yet.

Dagnabbit, you're right! There'll be a new release of the game in a day or two: I'll make sure that's fixed.

2. I got a Ball Frenzy and in the ensuing chaos another green bumper was hit and may have been Assassin Ball, not sure I didn't actually catch what was activated. At any rate the last two balls came into proximity of each other at low speed and became "caught in each others' gravity." That's the only way I could describe it. They bounced off of each other then pulled back together, endlessly. I had to start a new game.

Ensuing chaos is such a great way of putting it. I'll see if I can guard against that somehow.

Also had some ideas.

Pong Mode: Would it be possible to control the "paddle" in Pong Mode? As it is now Pong Mode only tracks one ball at a time, so a ball could go right by the paddle because it is tracking one that bounced back up.

Assassin Ball: Allow the player to "put a hit out" for a particular peg. Click on the problem peg, the ball then goes after that peg.

Claw Mode: Why not combine this with another arcade favorite the prize grabbing claw machines? The launcher could turn into a claw which could be launched, giving you a chance of grabbing the ball back to relaunch it. If you wanted to get really tricky with it you could also allow it to grab a peg and hold it. The cable could then become another surface for the ball to reflect off of.

Very nice suggestions! I can see significant added value for pong mode and assassin ball, so again I shall see what can be accomplished. Claw mode is very appealing so I will see if I can at least add some variant of what you propose.

Thank you very much for the feedback.

timns · « **Reply #22 on:** December 28, 2009, 11:01 AM »

I hadn't noticed those, I just thought it was a nice game!

Hey, timns, when are you going to "put out the call to us creative types"? Don't you have only three days left to complete it by New Years?
-Cyeb (December 28, 2009, 10:50 AM)

Er... ah ha.... well the game will be slightly less buggy

and also I hope have several more levels by the due date, but the intention is to have 'expansion packs' too which add more levels and different graphics over time.

With the next release, which I hope may even be later today, I shall include elements that you can use to design levels, or use as templates to provide new graphics

So thank you for the reminder. I shall now proceed to panic.

Yarg.

Perry Mowbray · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2009, 09:23 PM »

So thank you for the reminder. I shall now proceed to panic.
-timns (December 28, 2009, 11:01 AM)

No, no, no...

After me... Breathe in... and hold... breathe out... relax...

repeat as necessary...

Cyeb · « **Reply #24 on:** December 30, 2009, 10:47 AM »

Ideas for improvement:

When buttons are clicked, they are pushed down.

The bumpers start off-screen.

The bumpers do their animations as they get hit, saving time!

*Sigh* one day left.. Should I start creating some wonderful looking bumpers, buttons, and such? Or is somebody else taking care of that?

*EDIT**EDIT**EDIT**EDIT**EDIT**EDIT**EDIT*

I've created a bumper now, do you like it? Please, go ahead and criticize it, I don't mind. I'm going to stay here and help you finish it...If that's okay.

I've never helped anybody make a game before.