BIZAR ENGINE
Programed in Dark Basic Classic
(and to eventually be converted to Dark Basic Professional)
Keeping with the trend, here is the Bizar Engine. This has been a side project since long before most of the projects in the wip area were posted, including the current Dream thread. Only recently though have I spent serious time on it, and it's gotten to a point where I feel I have to show it to people who really appreciate this kind of development stage.
Anyways, click the link to see
VID LINK
THE 1ST BIZAR ENGINE DOCUMENTATRY VID THINGY
Edit: I may be wrong about the most advanced platformer thing, Teh Coder Had some pretty impressive stuff and without all the features I'll add with Sparky's, he might hold that title still.
When I say introduce a lot of new things to gaming, I mean that I’ve never seen them used before or implemented as such. I don’t mean to say that everything here is new, I just mean I personally think it’s impressive, especially since realistically I’m certain I can do all of it.
So what are the core components I think are so amazing?
The first two were covered in the video:
1) Advanced Mouse Control System-
The entire game is controlled through the mouse, with only secondary buttons that do not effect the gameplay being mapped elsewhere. You hold down the right mouse button and drag the cursor in the direction you want to go. Your distance from the character determines the speed. Releasing the button brings you to a halt and resets the pointer to the characters position. That however is an understatement of how much work goes into making a mouse movement system in something as fast paced and hectic as a platformer, where you're exploring in all three dimensions. The ultimate goal is for the character to be smart enough that you're more guiding him with the mouse than actually controlling him, and I'm well over halfway there. The reason I said this was the most advanced DB platformer to date is because of all the things you
didn't see in the vid, which made going around the platformers with such a lose control scheme so tight and easy to use. I might at some point put his movement into the asimov AI system mentioned below, to give dynamically changing movement systems, to fit even better with the current situation. With the first demo release, you'll fully understand.
2) Advanced Smart(it's getting there) Camera System-
Basically a camera that not only can use any camera I throw at it, but is easy to code for and can adjust itself in realtime to work with the environment to keep the best and most artistic view of the player. I currently have everything but the realtime or "smart" part in place. The "smart" part of the camera will run on a modded version of the asimov AI system that I mention below, and will probably be the first thing to use it, as I consider camera AI simpler than Character AI, seeing how easy the camera is to work with at this point.
3) Realtime Music-
As in music that is generated as you play based on what's happening on screen, in a fluid song. This is mapped out and I understand the theory behind it even more than I did when I started items 1 and 2.
4) Scripting system with Cause and Effect-
An advanced version of what I already have in Dream, though with the ability to have a script that is affected by any cause and effect relationship I give it. The ultimate goal is to script an entire scene that can have as many outcomes as choices.
5) FLCL Style Battle System-
Three buttons, Attack & Block, Jump, and Dodge. Each picking the best fit move you know given your position and the situation. This is also planned out to the extreme, and I'll go into detail when I start coding it.
6) Realtime Animation-
The character will essential animate themselves, given boundaries I set. This one is hard to explain properly, as it’s going to start as nothing more than hard coded animations and evolve from there, the way the camera did.
7) Level Editor-
You’ll see- what I have down currently is specifically for Old School. I’ll keep this one under wraps for now, as I’m still working out how the different parts of it will work.
8) Asimov Style AI-
If you don't know, then there's no reason to explain. Anyways I'll go into detail when I get to it; just know I consider it the least impressive part of the project, as I'm an AI newb and it is only impressive in theory. I expect it to take two full games for me to get it right on anything other than the camera and the character, as I already know how to code the parts the AI would control for it. After that I can assure you it will be impressive.
9) Basic Physics-
I almost forgot!! It's not impressive by itself, seeing as this is going to pale in comparison to something like Dark Physics or any of the other big physics programs. Really, the only interesting thing about this is that it will be entirely adjustable in the code and will effect movement and AI in a lot of cool ways. Basic things included will be Gravity (check
), Buoyancy, Traction, Bounce, and Momentum. Please tell me if I'm forgetting something crucial.
10) Character Interaction-
I'm adding this because I realized most people probably think this is a strait up platformer engine. Not so! This engine will handle pretty much all the future games I make (and what ever it doesn't do I'll add), and I'm not one to make a game because of it's genre. This stuff is really simple and is mostly part of the AI, but you'll be able to carry on conversations in text bubble like those from Dream, only with the type of interaction of a Bioware RPG (as in you have multiple ways you can respond when you talk).
Again, THIS IS NOT A STRAIT UP PLATFORMER ENGINE, MY MAIN FOCUS RIGHT NOW JUST HAPPENS TO BE MOVEMENT, WHICH I CONSIDER ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE ENGINE, AND I LOVE PLATFORMING.
All the other parts of the Engine can be classified in the listed categories, and more than that, I want to have a few surprises up my sleeve.
Graphics are outside the engine entirely, because I consider them separate. So don't expect anything really pretty until I start making Old School Specifically.
BlockVerse-> Old School Beta Demo-> Dream-> Old School-> Guitar Platformer
