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KeyRunner r3 Released
Now with Conveyor Belts and Push-Hold Movement
rustushki 4 months ago
December was a busy month for KeyRunner, and today I have a new release to make.
The two topics of r3 were Conveyor Belts and Push-Hold player movement. Both features were quite challenging to implement.
One challenge was developing the logic for determining the destination tile. After trying several strategies, I ended up with something I liked. Assume that the player is currently standing on a conveyor belt tile:
Check the tile in the direction of the current conveyor tile.
If that tile is a conveyor tile (and not the tile which led to the player's tile), use that as the...
Games Dads Can Play
StevoTheBrush 5 months ago
Time is a sensitive thing for anyone, but when your time is especially limited by crying babies or bedtimes (not to mention work), games that take 40 hours to complete may not be the best option. I've compiled a list of games that were fine for me when I had to jump out quickly to change a dirty diaper (keep in mind that this list isn't "kid safe"; some of them are mature in nature; they are simply easy to play a few minutes here and there):
Trials Evolution (Arcade) - Get a dirt bike and do some 5 minute runs...
KeyRunner r2 Released
New Levels and Features
rustushki 6 months ago
KeyRunner r2 comes with a number of major changes: teleporter tiles, edge wrap-around, Ubuntu packaging, Windows binary, and easy level editing.
The two gameplay features are teleporter tiles and edge wraparound. When Moschata steps on a teleporter tile, she is transported from that tile to another of the same color. Edge wrap-around causes Moschata to appear on the opposite side of the screen when she crosses a boundary. These gameplay features opened up new possibilities for levels which my level designing partner Alex latched onto.
Together, we've designed 10 more levels bringing the count of levels up to 15.
You...
KeyRunner Brainstorm
rustushki 6 months ago
Just after putting together KeyRunner r1, I brainstormed some improvements that could be made. There are five categories of improvements that come to mind:
Gameplay
Light Switches
Conveyor Belts
Pits
Fly Paper
Teleporter Tiles
Score
Switches
Color Coded Doors
Dynamite
Doodads
Aesthetics
Animation Support
Text Anti Aliasing
Sounds
Win / Lose Sequences
Usability
Eliminate Need of Repeated Key Presses
Play Again? (y/n)
Game Features
Level Packs
Multi Player
Level Editor
Packaging
Ubuntu/Debian Package
Windows Build
Windows Installer
More suggestions welcome!
For r2, I'll add Teleporter Tiles and Ubuntu packaging.
European Club Soccer: Part 1
Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Fußball
Ben 7 months ago
Last time we talked about club soccer in the United States (MLS). This time I want to talk about European club soccer leagues and specifically how they are different from sports in the US. However, in the process of writing I realized this subject was far too broad and my post was getting far too long. So, I’m going to divide it up into two parts.
First off, what are the European club leagues? Almost every nation has their own soccer league but here are the big ones:
- English Premier League (EPL) - United Kingdom
- La Liga - Spain
- Serie...
Key Runner Released
with more features soon
rustushki 7 months ago
Tonight, I'm releasing KeyRunner r1. It features:
1. Moschata, the Key Runner
2. 5 Levels which each contain a Key and a Door
3. A clock timer which counts down.
To win, you must navigate Moschata with your arrow keys towards the key, and
then towards the door. A key must be in hand in order to move to the next
level. If the clock timer runs down to zero, you lose. If you beat Level 5,
you win.
There is much room for improvements to gameplay and packaging. Expect to see a
list of future improvements posted here to Second...
MLS
Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Fußball
Ben 7 months ago
So last time I talked about the Euro 2012 tournament and how it got me started with soccer... I have more to say about Euro 2012 and international soccer in general but first we'll talk about club soccer in the US - or as we call it: MLS.
As you would expect given the name, club soccer features players playing in national or regional leagues for teams (clubs) that represent regions or cities. Like the NFL or other professional sports, players often cross their countries or the globe for enormous sums of money to play for these clubs. In the US,...
Euro 2012
Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Fußball
Ben 8 months ago
This summer I visited Germany. While I was there two things occurred:
1. I bought a German national soccer team jersey
2. Euro 2012 - Europe's international soccer tournament - began
These two things were totally unrelated. As a typical American male I have never particularly cared about soccer. Sure, I played it in elementary school but I haven't really given it any thought since then. And the jersey - I just bought that because I thought it would make a cool souvenir. So what's the point?
Well, when I got back to the US I decided it would be fun to watch...
Key Runner Designed
rustushki 8 months ago
Allow me to follow up on Quest for the Killer Game. In that article, I promised to complete and deliver a series of small, easy-to-design and easy-to-implement games. This prospect excites me because I know that I can write small, simple programs with relative ease in my spare time.
Enter Key Runner: the first such game. In Key Runner, the player must move about a fixed area containing a door and a key. The objective is to reach the door with the key before the time runs out. Any time remaining will be tacked on to...
Quest for Killer Game
an epic adventure with a well defined end point
rustushki 8 months ago
I want to make a game.
Let me try that again. I want to make a BIG game: A game that people will enjoy today and ten years from today.
I know you understand, because you too want to make a game just like that. You have some ideas about gameplay or characters. There are probably some great elements from your favorite games that you want to include. Perhaps you can program or write music. Maybe you're a graphics guy or a writer. I know. I understand: I'm right there with you.
Perhaps you and I have the same problem. I bite off...
Batman Rises In One Word: Meh
StevoTheBrush 9 months ago
Aside from the special effects, fantastic music and costume design, the movie didn't impress me. I hoped that in the morning after watching it I would think back and remember it being a good movie, but when i woke up i realized it wasn't. The "twist" at the end with Talia being the mastermind of the whole gig didn't feel right, and Bane getting shot by Catwoman was unfulfilling.
The biggest issue for me revolved around Bane's character. Specifically, what was Bane's goal in attacking Gotham? We know Talia's reasons (avenge her father's death and finish his initial plan to destroy...
Capstone
Solitaire and Poker Get Married
StevoTheBrush 1 year ago
I just finished a new Flash game called Capstone. It's an atmospheric puzzle game that incorporates both Solitaire-esque gameplay with Texas Hold-em winning hands. 1920's-style graphics and music carry you through fifteen challenging stages, with unlockables and other compelling modes. You can play it here:http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/586247
Have you given M83 a chance?
Pretty darn good band
StevoTheBrush 2 years ago
I started listening to M83 a few months ago and haven't been able to stop. Their ethereal sound is so catchy without being annoying, which is hard to come by (*cough* Owl City *cough*). I find that they are an exceptionally good band to listen to when you are trying to concentrate on something that requires your brain.rnTake a listen here:rnM83 MySpace, Or,rnM83 Wikipedia
Can't stop thinking about The Social Network
StevoTheBrush 2 years ago
It really is mind-blowing. Not sure how much of it is true. How'd facebook get so awesome so quickly? We are experiencing textbook history, people.
Development blues
StevoTheBrush 2 years ago
Making video games is easier said than done. Working on one now: there always seems to be a thousand things I never thought about. The code gets so long that it's easy to get lost in all the variables and functions and what-not. Hopefully the end product will be something worth playing.
Faith Is Out
The negative view of religion in video games
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
I just finished my fifth time through Dead Space, and noticed something that kinda got me thinking. The evil in the game, the reason for all the "hubub", is the Church. Now, it's not exactly the Catholic church we've all come to know and love (right), it's basically a cult that thinks becoming a zombie is a good thing, a way to reach the second life. This is okay with me, but why did they have to refer to the evil plague as the "church"? Why not create a new name for the cult and be done with it?rnrnThis...
This Just In: Dogs may suck
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
My wife and I just bought a black lab puppy and it just doesn't seem to be learning anything. It still poops in the house. It doesn't know its name. And it doesn't let us sleep at night. It's been two weeks of living hell, basically. Sigh... hopefully it will look better in a few days.
M. Night's at it again
Could this actually be a good movie?
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
It's called Devil:
Read more about the movie and see screenshots at io9
Are you a nerd?
Take this quiz from io9 to find out
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
"Answer the following questions as honestly as possible. Then add up your score and find out just how angry you really are.
"For each "yes" give yourself one point.
""Have you ever experienced a spike in your blood pressure when overhearing other people (especially strangers) getting their facts wrong when they talk about a science fiction story, game, or software?""
Continue the quiz at io9.com and share your results here!
GoldenEye in Real Life!
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
Ever want to see what you'd look like if your body was placed into N64's GoldenEye 007? Well now you can with only $40 and a lot of paper. Learn more at Instructables.
The Psychology of Wrong-Doing
How we are all like "The Machinist"
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
I think I can safely say that everyone has experienced a heart-wrenching, cataclysmic event at some point in their life. If you say you haven't, I'd argue you are either un-human, or too young in life. These difficult events change us, and make us wonder why life has to be this way. In a sense, we may argue that struggles in this life are other-worldly, that they simply don't mesh well with human nature.
I just finished watching The Machinist with my wife, and it rattled me quite a bit. Now, I won't ruin the story for you in case you...
Advice from an email
StevoTheBrush 3 years ago
I stole this from an email I received from my dad:
You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the message that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get...
The ultimate portrait and wedding lens?
Jacinda 3 years ago
Somehow I had missed the memo before...but it seems across the board the 50mm f/1.2 or f/1.4 is THE lens for portraits, weddings, and low light scenarios. It creates a sharp focus on the subject with plenty of soft blur around to make your subject stand out crisp and clear. The large aperture allows in plenty of light, giving that bride or baby that life-is-beautifully-bright glow professional photographers seem to nail. Who would have guessed a lens with no changeable zoom would be so popular?
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