The FXSeries
A series of games developed and programmed solely by Jeff Verkoeyen.
Purpose:
To recreate a total of ten arcade-style games, adding many cool special effects and features.
Details:
Basic things that will most likely be added to each game: transformation to 3D, Particle Engines, Multiplayer Network support, Music, Sound FX, and any other effects that pertain to that game.
Development Time:
I am hoping for each game to be developed in three to six weeks at a time.
Games completed thus far (as of 10/14/03):
--PongFX
Games currently in development:
--TankAttackFX
Details of each game:
PongFX
::This is basically just like classic Pong, except with MANY special effects tacked on to it. Yes, I know, it's "yet another pong game", but I chose this as the first game in my FXSeries because it was easy to make and quick to develop (three weeks).
-Features
::Classic mode where there's no items and you just bounce the ball back and forth (boring).
::Arcade mode adds items in to the mix including grow/shrink paddle/balls, and split all of the balls in two. Also makes the game much more challenging and longer lasting. Included is a high score system that will take quite a while to beat.
::Custom mode literally allows you to custom almost EVERY part of the game, including AI difficulty, having two computers duke it out, starting ball size, number of balls, camera mode, and items on or off.
::The options menu allows you to dive even deeper in to the customizations of the game. If you have a slow computer, you can turn the particle engine down (or off, though not recommended, it doesn't look nearly as cool without it). You can turn music on/off, disco mode on/off, sound volume, and other basic things for optimization.
::Networking: PongFX includes a VERY basic amount of networking ability. It's quite buggy, being the first program that I've integrated networking in to, so sometimes the game might get extremely laggy. However, throughout development, I can only get better at winsocking. Basically, the networking mode allows you to connect to a server and duke it out with a friend.
::Miscellaneous: Included throughout the game are many spectrum analyzer effects developed to work with FMOD (MANY THANKS TO FMOD FOR ALLOWING ME TO INCORPORATE SOUND AND MUSIC IN TO THE FXSERIES). On the intro screen, there is a 3D rotating block of towers that go up and down with the music. In the game, there is a circle in the center of the screen that shoots outward with the music, and in the high scores screen, there is a basic "lines" analyzer.
::Production time: September 02, 2003 to September 22, 2003 (20 days)
TankAttackFX:
::If you've ever played that game where you have two little tanks on the screen, one on one side, the other on the other side, and you shoot at each other back and forth, then you know what this game is like. However, add the element of real-time, 3D, terrain engines, particle engines, and 3D models, and you get TankAttackFX.
-Features
::The game is still entirely in development, but so far there a few key features that have been implemented.
::Terrain engine- includes basic frustum culling, loading a level from a bmp and then applying a texture to it, or automatically coloring it (depending on which function is used). The terrain engine uses triangle strips to help speed up performance. Also includes the ability to be morphed.
::Tank Physics- Currently, the tank physics are decently real and include things like accurately following the terrain, having a pitch and tilt so that if it goes down a mountain, it will actually fall downward, frontend first, and etc. Velocity and acceleration is time-based, so no matter what FPS you have, the tank will always go the same speed.
::Shooting Physics- Include basic projectile physics currently, later will be used to develop the AI in the game to allow the AI to shoot at you at any given point in time.
::AI- Currently the AI is, well, sucky. Basically what they do at this point is just drive forward and turn right ;). However, throughout this week, I will be adding a very in-depth AI system which will allow tanks to make squadrans, hide in hills and valleys, and also rush you and your base.
::Particle Engine: Not in yet.
::Production time: October 03, 2003 -.........ongoing
I will post some screenshots below of the games. Tell me what you think, I'd love feedback on the games, and I will post demos later as soon as I can get my hosting situation figured out.
-Jeff Verkoeyen
