Hello,

I have Squeezemaze up on scratch’s site.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/Mike_W/495022

It’s a java applet that runs it (technically the java applet runs a squeak interpreter) so I think windows, linux and Mac can play that version of it.

Squeeze Maze – Ludum Dare 14

This was my third attempt at Ludum – the first time I made something way to complicated – and while it did get finished it was too complicated and did not do that well. My second try I was only able to get on the PC 6 of the 48 hours so while I completed something it was also fairly week.

This time – I had my tools ready before hand, and a pretty good schedule. I picked a simple concept and wanted to see how far I could go with it and am happy with my work,.

The tools

PC Athalon 2600XP running Windows XP, 1 Gig or Ram

Scratch for those of you who are not familar with it – it’s designed by MIT as a teaching tool for young programmers.  You build blocks of code. It’s very visual which is why the code directory is all snapshots of the code from the different sprites.

Reasons why I think this is a good platform for Ludums.

Multi – threading made easy each physical sets of blocks is it’s own thread.

Good messaging – sending broadcasts to every ‘object/thread’ is easy – limited in you can only send a fixed message with no variables.

Sprite Tools – in the code, rotate, hide, resize and move are all right and standard commands.

Easy to debug – the visual nature of the code as well as the single stepping option helps stretch the 24 hours.

Other tools

Pixel Art – Kolourpaint, Harmwave, www.cooltext.com and my LG515 cell phone, took a shot of my lawn, some decorative rock and some bricks.

Audio tools – cgMusic, sfxr, audacity, my LG515 cell phone, and  format factory

I am getting the following error when I try to send it through the blog.

File type does not meet security guidelines. Try another.

So you can get it at

http://ludum.twobrotherssoftware.com/SqueezeMaze.zip

All eight levels.  It’s too easy and I found one glitch – but it’s a data glitch not a programming glitch.

I also have decided I will put a end that says you won.

Went outside with Q (my 5 year old) and decided to take some shots with the camera of the ground to liven up the images. Going to use some other ones to do the maze.

Turned the player from a circle to some hand pixel art – does not look quite right – may go back and re do that if I have time.

I have to build some levels and test – may rework the wall of death image – I have a shot of some bricks may try that,

I have it playable. Graphics need alot of work.

You are the green circle you are trying to get treasure from the maze – there is a wall of doom moving through the maze (semi transparent).  Now you can spin the wall one way or another but it keeps moving towards the center.

My timeline this morning

6:32 exit pops up

7:15 my wife forgot her insulin and needs it at work

8:17 add graphics to count down number of treasures you need to get

8:25-8:45 make it load next level

8:45-9:05 fight with son to get computer back – he likes my game

I was asleep for about 3 1/2 hours – but I am up and might as well apply myself.

Not sure about breakfast – but here is my work area. It’s taken with my camera phone which isn’t the greatest/

Calling it a night

I am calling it a night – I have computer generated music, sound effects, simple graphics and basic gameplay.

My wall moves a little slow have to play with the numbers but I am happy about where I am this early. Can’t let it get to me though – one small mistake and then you are behind the pack

Although it can only get worse from here then.

I’m using scratch as my IDE.  I’ve been learning it so I can teach my son it. I have an advancing wall and most my graphics drawn. Thanks to cgmusic I have a sound track and will give some sound effects though next.

I have to get blood drawn (routine stuff) before Monday – so I will have to break from the competition goign 12 hours with out food to get that done – I think I will try to plan it around a sleep break.

My wife works and I have a 5 year old- but I still think I will get enough time in.

Here it is screen shot and my final entry – Won’t have any free time this afternoon.

http://www.twobrotherssoftware.com/ld48/mike/PaperScissorsRock.zip

Run it using java -jar PaperScissorsRock.jar

In the dist directory.

Source code is in there, I used Netbeans 6.0 and the whole directory can be used as a project.

I didn’t have the time this competition truly deserved but still it was nice to be in one – I was in LD6

Thought minimal game – wrote 6AI’s and the system picks which one works best against you.

I enjoyed it – thanks and I look forward to seeing whatever feed back I do get

Got another shot at the computer – couple slices of banana bread.

I have picked Rock – Paper – Scissors (as minimal of a game that I could think of) and have written 6 different but very basic  AI’s and 40% of the time will pick which ever one of those has the best track record (that part I have to write yet).

Then for the first time I will use sound with java, and pacakge it up. Considering my wife works 24 of the 48 hours and we have a little guy. I feel Ok with this. I have no vision of winning, I just wanted to get my feet wet with a Ludrum’s again.

Ok I have picked the simplest puzzle / strategy game I could think of – Paper Scissors Rock and am trying to make a polished presentation of it.

I have 6 AI’s laid out on paper – there is a 60% it will pick on of those randomly and a 40% change it will pick the one of those that has gone the best historically. Or that is the plan. I hope to make it pretty tough.

Lunch was 2 slices of banana bread, probably going to have a big supper and while my 4 year old is napping I want to get some code done.

Was at Mcdonalds with my son – wrote a page and a half of notes.

The game is simple but I thought of 6 different view points for the AI to have – so I have stuff to keep me busy.

Click here to win – I don’t think would count as a game.

To be a game you must be able to win or loose.

I will be doing good to find 8 hours to work on this. But I have an idea which with 1 hour into the the base logic exists – and I have only found one of those hours.

Very minimalist — also should only take an hour or two to code the base program and clean it up (which is good considering  my life situation)

So here I go

My wife works alot this weekend, and we have a 4 year old. But minimalist – can’t resist that. Now what to do.

hmmmmm