No wonder I'm late. Why, this watch is exactly two days slow.

Definitely more than that, I think.

For the past couple of weeks I have been catching up with my computing class - but alas! I've let down my SDI blog! Shock! Horror!
Loaf of horror!

The tank game (since the last post) has been untouched, as is that car game - but, due to unforeseen consequences, I will no longer be working on a 3D car game. Instead, I'm going back to basics - something that we have all missed from the beginning.

That is right - you're seeing the first mockup I have ever done in my entire life. Sure, it looks crap, but with a little imagination you could think of this new project (Which surprisingly enough is for my computing project, not SDI) as a HD remix of Micro Machines (Use your imagination if you want to see that HUD)! Of course, it won't be using that name outright (Due to copywrite concerns and such), but it shall play just like, well, all of the Micro Machines sequels should have played like. Good 'ole topdown 4-player car action.

Expect more on this later on (Resources are yet to be completely achieved in terms of what I need, to what I have)

AND FOR THE LAST TIME, I HAVE CHANGED MY EMAIL TO: tainted.fortune@gmail.com
Regor2012, if you're going to continue to send mail to my no longer accessible email account, prepare for the news that, well, I won't be able to receive the news that you send to me!

Two Dimensional, Polygonal wall collisions

It's finally complete! I've worked on it for the past half-year (With many versions spanning many months) and the final and most complete version of the Vector collision physics is done :D

It mostly uses maths and various if statements that make objects collide against a line on one side, yet through on the other side (Much a polygon in a 3D First Person Shooter game).

The engine though is only for games written with "Game Maker" as I decided that using a pre-made object-orientated programming toolkit is much better than trying to make soup-code in C++.

You can read what it does here: http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=463645&st=0&p=3426107&fromsearch=1&#entry3426107
You can also see what someone else made with it (Orange451 made a 3D FPS out of it!) here: http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=481373

Game Maker is a freeware/shareware programming toolkit for both beginners and advanced coders alike.
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/
Freeware version (LITE): Not as many advanced options, and many ads when you play a game compiled with the LITE version of Game Maker.
Shareware version (PRO): Once you have bought Game Maker, extra functions (Such as drawing rotated and scaled sprites) are unlocked, plus you are able to fully utilize Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL's) for more advanced usage.

Nothing much a-do with anything

So far, that's the most I have been able to (Redesigning/Vectorising the title image) along with fixing a swamp of bugs and glitches. I've even been adding in a couple of weapons, but untill I complete the menu system completely (And mode select/Level loading) I won't be able to add anything else to the project considering that, if I do, it will become unorganized, and extremely messy for the code.

Come to think of it, I really should clean up my object groups within the project...

As a side/backup project, I have been re-working my vehicle physics - but truth be told, it's nothing much. Just a remix of one of my older games. Hence the title "Pixel Racers HD remix".
(Yes, HD, because I'm completely remaking each and every graphic that I ever had in the original title - expect the finished game, both Tank, and Car, to be completed by the end of this year)

An update on that tank game

The title screen is now almost fully functional (Accompanied with a sweet tank graphic that I drew one day and then digitally coloured it late at night - though this is only the placeholder graphic. Once I get Adobe Illustrator, I will remaster this image) with several special effects going off in the background to make it as "professional" as a game can get.

I'm currently introducing two weapons - one called for a complete re-write as to how the players interact with their tanks, and the other doesn't really quite work (for some reason) yet.

1. A.T.T.A.C.K.E.D

This acronym stands for something, but I'll have to get back to my friend to remember what it is - it's basically a weapon powerup that allows you to teleport to the nearest point of a wall that you're pointing at, or if you're pointing at a player (and no walls are between) you may choose to swap places.

1. The F*** upper-er
   

This "powerdown" randomizes the keys of the opposing player for a small amount of time.

It's been a long time, and other SDI related stuff.

And how have I stuffed up with my organization. Wow... Well, the Elite project has stalled due to Copywrite issues (I can't exactly get a high grade in my SDI - Student Directed Inquiry project with something that has been made out of other material) so I had to go on off another tangent, and work on a different project altogether.

The projects that are related to real-time media (Aka: Games that I make) will be made in Game Maker (With the help of a few members off the Game Maker Community - a forum for Game Maker users) by only using scripts - not using the default/easy game making by using pre-made code blocks (I prefer to script as it is much more in-depth)

I will be working on the Halo project, however, it has the lowest priority as I already have multiple projects going, and it will not partake in my SDI scoring/achievements;
Machinima for Computing
Medium/Long novel for English
And two multimedia projects that are class interchangeable - the first of which is an RPG centered around a story that I have written up, and a simple (Yet ever evolving) tank game that currently has two working tanks (Both are controllable by player one, and player two) and three types of weapons;
Default (Slow rate of fire)
Quickshot (High rate of fire, faster projectiles)
And Electroshock (Beam based weapon, extremely powerful)

All projectiles in the tank game will bounce, to provide players with trickshot oppertunities. I have already developed a procedural terrain generating engine (Needs some bug fixing as terrain will sometimes build themselves around a player, thus trapping them) and a Work In Progress powerup/powerdown bonus that players can acquire by driving their tank over a box/pickup, which can be used against the other player as a weapon (Such as being able to pick up more powerful weapons).

Each projectile is unique in how much damage it adds to player tanks, and are now currently balanced with each other (To make gameplay as seamless as possible) and the tanks already have a death animation/dead state when their' health goes to zero (Thus removes the loser from play).

I have posted a picture 11 days ago (From this post) showing the first version of what the tank game is:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4106276

And I have proceeded to what is currently now known as (Unofficially, as for lack of a better name) "Battler Tanks" (The menu is still WIP, as are the rest of the features).
Currently all of the coding is completely by me, except for a few utility scripts here and there (One such would be collisions against walls). Effect sprites are also found from various sources such as Pixeljoint.com, Google, and other sprite resources (All shall be correctly credited in the info/credits/help page of the game)

The tank images are done completely by Niklas Jansson, 2007, (And then slightly edited to fit the theme of the game) of which can be found on his personal (But it looks dead/no longer updated) website for a Total Annihilation redesign: http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/ta/ta.htm
Niklas's projects/mainpage can be found here: http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/

I will be contacting him shortly, asking for permission to see if I can use his work completely. Until I get the a-ok, I will not be posting the playable game demo.
If he says no, then I shall work on my own graphics for it.

PLEASE NOTE: I am now using a new email address: tainted.fortune@gmail.com