progress update of the alone with myself !!!

add map scrolling, npc, damage, life bar…

next steps for release 1 :

• life boost items
• increase map size
• splash screen
• detect end of the game
• sound track
• sound effects

release 2

• add stories

release 3

• add char and npc animation

Although… I have realised that I’m probably putting too much detail into this

Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have a clue what I’m doing when it comes to procedural generation. I should have had this done much sooner, but I’ve finally reached the stage where I have something which could be described as procedural dungeon generation.

I don’t actually have any graphics or gameplay, but I can now generate maps from a seed number. Here’s a section of map 0:


# # # # # . # # # # # . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # . . . . . . . . . . . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # . . . . . . . . . . . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # . . . . . . . . . . . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # X # # # # # # # # # # # . . . . . . X
# # # . # # # . # . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # . # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . . . . . # . # # . . . . # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # . # # . . . . # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # . # # # . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # . # # . . . . # # # # # # . . . # # #
# # # . # # # . . . . X . . . . X . . . . . . . . # # #
# # # . # # # . # # # # . . . . # # # # # # . . . # # #
# # # . # # # . # # # # . . . . # # # # # # X # # # # #
# # # . # # # . # # # # . . . . # # # # # # . # # # # #
# # # # # # # . # # # # . . . . . # # # # # . # # # # #
# # # # # # # . # # # # # # # # . # # # # # . # # # # #
. . . . . . X . . . . X # # # # X # # # # # . # # # # #
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # . . . . . . . X . . . .
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # . # # # # # . # # # # #
# . . . . . . . # # # # # # # # . # # # # # . # # # # #
# . . . . . . . # # # # # # # # . # # # # # . # # # # #


Once I’ve had some well-needed sleep I’ll get some graphics done, tilemap rendering, get a player walking around and introduce some treasures for him to find. Bah – there’s loads of time left

well, apparently i just suck a lot, because i messed up map3 on ethergrind. python’s dom chokes on it because of some malformed xml. here is a fixed copy of the xml for those of you with nerves of steel who can make it that far. drop it in the /maps directory. alternatively, i’ve just gone ahead and fixed the download link from the original post; feel free to disregard levels 3-5 if you wish when you vote.

also, you’ll be happy to know that it IS beatable. many levels, however, took me several playthroughs; notably level 2 and level 3 are fiendishly difficult. some tips:

level 2: use speed and boost through the level until you reach the last grinder. take out the turrets first and let the enemy ships you’ve dodged come back. destroy them all before trying the boss. make sure to take out the cannons before you fight the boss.

level 3: just power through with speed. this is just really hard.

level 4: for the asteroid area, concentrate on going slowly and eliminating all enemies as they appear. when you get to the grinders, dodge like hell.

level 5: make sure to pick up all of the powerups. it will give you enough to get a shield. when you get to the boss, fly straight through him (losing your shield) and keep going until there is enough space for you to deal with the enemy ships. then fly to the top and bottom of the screen and take out the turrets before engaging the boss. it’s very, very hard. good luck.

thanks for the comments, guys, all the games i’ve played are top notch. congrats to everybody!

Ah, great compo this was. Tons of sweet games. Unfortunately that also meant fierce competition, and I only managed to snag a best position of 3rd in Fun (which is unusual for me, as I normally do better in the technical categories).

Base idea for the game was to have the level be “swarming”, for an unexpected approach. I figured there could be loose platforms drifting around in space and you’d try to jump around between them, doing… stuff. The gameplay part of it was sketchy at best.

I suppose the better part of the first day was spent getting the platform movement and interaction working, and then I think much of the second day I just sat and tweaked it, fixing bugs. The gameplay elements and final graphics/audio were added in the last two or three hours.

Windows download: 128 kB zip (exe, data, source)

Linux port: 16 kB tar/gz (needs above file for data)

Arcade build a’la Lerc.