Late last night, as I was half-asleep and reading through Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/komiga">@Komiga</a> asked me if I was going to be using any version tracking software for my lovely framework.
My twittered response was limited (by lack of sleep, and also 140 chrs!!), so I figured I should explain it a little better.
Last year, around about Alien Deathmatch/Centipong time, I built up my 2D-in-3D framework to work in Blitz3D.
It worked wonders, and let me achieve a ...

MadTinkerer's Net is now ingame.
Simple method of adding it, there's a small blob in the middle of the screen, lining up with the mouse's X position.
The player holds Right mousebutton, and the small blob grows into a little basket/net.
The player collects 3 red pods and gains "Love" magnet mode.

The titlescreen of future games requires many things.
1. Title of Game
2. Credits
3. Highscores

Today, whilst uploading the new AGAW header for this site, I wondered if anyone would be interested in a simple little challenge.

Question : Name all the games in the new AGameAWeek header.
(URL "https://socoder.net/uploads/1/header.jpg"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/header_thumb.jpg">

AGameAWeek 2010 - Game Number One!
We'll call this a test game, because the whole framework thing still isn't quite up to scratch, with all kinds of missing features!
Plus I've put in LOADS of little quirks, things that should be quick have been made extra lengthy, and there's a bunch of redundancy.. This is half-done on purpose so that I can see what the available systems can and can't cope with.
Hopefully we'll find that they can!!
<a href="https://AGameA...

For something that just looks like this..
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/bmaxtesting_game.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/bmaxtesting_game_thumb.png"></a>
.. I have actually but a heck of a lot of work into the framework, so far!
Take a peek inside to find out some nice nuggets of info, and take a look at the future of AGameAWeek!!

Last week was Bonfire Night in the UK, and as such RetroRemakes.com had a little challenge. (They've started to do a monthly challenge..) Create a game/story/etc with Fireworks in it.
Here's my game.
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Firework_Chaos_20091117A.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Firework_Chaos_20091117A_thumb.png"></a>

So, after having attempted to create a racing game and a word game, I've finally settled on a game that appears to be coming together nicely.
Ninja Duck (temporary name, but they usually tend to stick) is about a Ninja who has a sword, and an oncoming swarm of ducks, frogs and birds.
Simple stuff, on a nice small arena.
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/arghfrog.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/arghfrog_thumb.png"></a>
Not really too much gamepl...

Sometimes you can start a game and it grows and grows and is wonderful.
Other times, you get about 10% through, and realise it's just not working out.
Game Idea 1
This week started with a word game. A decent enough idea, place the tiles in a scrabble-esque crossword style, and make words.

Like I suggested yesterday, those one-way arrows could lead to some serious deadends, so rather than allowing the game to plonk them down willy-nilly, I've brought back Path Mode's AI.
Path Mode will work the way it used to, a trail of dots leading to an eventual deadend..
But we'll also be using it to find paths for the arrows.
Find a path, pick 4 or 5 points at random, add the arrows.

Sometimes you have really productive days.
Occasionally, though, those really productive days seem to drag on and on, and not actually produce much at all!
Here's what I've done today.
1. We're up to 5 skins, since I added a plain rock+lava one.

A nice and simple game, this week, inspired by this week's Wednesday Workshop (#224) Board Game challenge.
Rather than having plain Questions and Answers, I've taken all the results from Socoder's daily polls, and rounded them up into the game.
Can you select the option that the most people at Socoder did?!
<a href="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Guesstimates_20091027A.png"><img src="https://AGameAWeek.com/complete/Guesstimates_20091027A_thumb.png"></a>
...

This week, due to popular demand, Blockman's Getting More.
As you may have read, I attempted a new art style (fweeDee!!) last week, which really didn't work out at all.
So, this week I'm aiming for the Pseudo popped-out-a-bit art style, and all seems happy in the world of Blockman.
<img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/blockmangetsmoreb.png">

The last time we tried Munky Blocks we had 1 munky and many blocks. Munky had to collect the blocks, piece them together to form coloured areas, and blammo, they vanished.
This time, we only have one block.
Munky needs to pick up that block, and place it on top of the red button, to open up the red exit, and then he can leave.
A simple enough concept, but one that took so long to build I didn't really have time to build a decent set of levels.

Ok, let's try that Munky thing again, shall we!?
I've scrapped the "Portal" style stuff, and am instead focusing on a Munky Blocks styled affair.
Munky's Block seems an apt title, so we'll stick with that.
Currently I have only 1 setpiece, and 1 silly simple test level.

(URL "https://agameaweek.spreadshirt.net/"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/platshirts.png">
Simple enough idea, not sure why it's not happened sooner.
There's a handful of little t-shirts online right now, and I'll be adding plenty more as time goes on.
And, maybe not just T-Shirts!!
Any requests?

And so another week trundles by.
I had hoped to finish off the ever elusive games, this week, (the RPG and the Patent Wars), but that doesn't appear to be happening at all.
Oh well.
If they happen, they happen. If not, carry on.

Tuesday 15th of September 2009 03:07:08 PM
Name : redmoth
Idea : invent a new gambling/casino game
A few years ago (2004!!) I created Kasino Green. It was supposed to sit alongside StringyThings (a nice collection of Word games), and be a similarly nice collection of Casino games.

Awww..
I was thinking of doing some sort of fruit machine thing, but I didn't really have any kind of plan for it, so it didn't really get off the ground.
Poor thing.
Maybe this week for that?

Many many years ago (about 20?!) I played a game called Painter on a mate's BBC Micro.
Haven't played the thing since, but what the hey, here's the "Done in a day" remake!
I had intended to do a bigger project, and in fact that project is nearly done, but the lack of time made me postpone the larger project for a week, while it all gets done.
So, quicky game this week.
<a href="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/Painter.png"><img src="https://socoder.net/uploads/1/Pai...

The ball from Pong, the gameplay from Tetris. The name seemed blindingly obvious to me.
But over the course of the past few days, I've received an inordinate number of complaints about the name.
It should be Breakout, it should be Asteroid, what!?

It's that unexpected time, where I randomly choose to rummage through the bundles of silly game ideas, and pluck out the best/worst!
Let's throw out the spam, and get started.
..
FFS, there's a lot of spam!

It's been a couple of weeks since I added the new Suggestion box, up there at the top right of the site.
Let's take a peek at what ideas we've got..
Tuesday 28th of July 2009 08:10:03 PM
Name : CodersRule

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

The Home Str...

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

10 weeks, 3 ...

The AGameAWeek 2008-2009 Retrospective

(URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-one/">Part One), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-two/">Part Two), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-three/">Part Three), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-four/">Part Four), (URL "https://www.agameaweek.com/2009/08/agameaweek-2008-2009-part-five/">Part Five)

Back to work...