MiniLD#44: 7dRTS

[HeroesGraveDev]

The Announcement

Here's something for you challenge-seeking developers.

Just like the 7dRL and 7dFPS challenges, this time you have 7 days to make a real time strategy.

Monday 22 - Monday 29 July

Libraries allowed.
Already made assets allowed as long as you have permission to use them.
Basecode allowed, as long as it's not becoming a game.
Teams allowed.

Read the announcement for the full official rules.

You know you want to...

[mwarner]

I might just do this, luckily I am off school then! 
Sounds really fun, I have entered Ludum Dare before but never one of these!

[GabrielBailey74]

I've never done a ludum dare ^_^
I might chip in here, sounds fun.

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[HeroesGraveDev]

I'm feeling a bit tired lately, and my personal libraries need another rewrite/refactor (most of the refactored code will not be used in Guardian II), and because I have no spare time to prepare (I'm going overseas soon)...
I will give LibGDX a go for this competition.

If I like it, I might stick with it (probably re-writing all the higher-level stuff myself though ).
But maybe it's just my tired lazy brain telling me to use it for this one time and then go back to my current code later.
Who knows?

I had a break and then got back to work on my own libraries.
Trashed LibGDX.

Anyway:

Because I will be overseas for the first 2/3 days of the compo, I've requested if I can work 3 days prior to me leaving, which starts tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll post a topic in WIP.

Anyone else want to take this challenge?

[ra4king]

I might do this, I like the idea and 7 days a decent amount of time!

[Sammidysam]

I might do this too.  Making a RTS sounds fun

Sadly I'm only going to use Java if I work alone, though.  I asked two friends about it and I may use C++ with embedded Python or C# with embedded IronPython Python with PyGame depending on who joins.  If nobody does, then I will use Java.

Looks like some friends of mine who don't program might also want to participate with ideas and art.  

EDIT:  The chances of me using Java are getting higher.  I'm either making it in Java or C++ depending on if somebody joins my team or not.

EDIT2:  None of my friends that program can help, so I may or may not still do this.  I'll see how I feel about it when it comes around.

[HeroesGraveDev]

Before anyone asks, Yes, I am allowed to start early.

I won't post in WIP until the compo officially starts.

Here's a sneak preview:


I've got the basic controls and stuff working.

The AI that makes the warriors group together was not intentional.
In fact, there is no AI.
They just move towards where I right click, and then they happen to form up like that.

EDIT - Some more info:

1024x1024 world.
8 Zoom levels.
World renders only the chunks you can see.
Camera scrolls when mouse nears edge of window, the closer the faster.
Procedurally generated with biomes (currently only grasslands and water), decided by using simplex noise.
4 selection modes: Replace, Add, Subtract, Invert.
Can move units around the map.
Flying units available, but not used yet.

I'm working on the start-game stage now that the engine is mostly done.

[Sammidysam]

That looks very good, nice job!

[ReBirth]

RTS and FPS will be the last genre of games that I will make.

[HeroesGraveDev]

RTS and FPS will be the last genre of games that I will make.

Because you love them (last because you'll never make another kind of game) or don't love them (last on your list of games to make)?

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[ReBirth]

Because it's pain to make and I love to play them. Oh add one more, rogue.

[HeroesGraveDev]

Because it's pain to make and I love to play them. Oh add one more, rogue.

Hmm.

I thought RTS was a hard genre, but so far I've found it to be easy.
Roguelikes are hard to make because it requires loads and loads of content, which gets boring for people who like programming.
FPS's are hard.

[zngga]

An RTS Ludum Dare! Count me in! Time to stock up on pizza and caffeine.

[kevglass]

Oooh this sounds good

May well be in for this!

Cheers,

Kev

[Agro]

I love RTS games. I gave an attempt for my first game but it wasn't all that well. Might try again later

[Sammidysam]

IT HAS BEGUN!

It began yesterday night but work for me is starting today.

My friend who originally said he couldn't help will help, and he convinced me to make it in C with SDL.  Wish me luck, because it'll be a ton of work.

[Herjan]

I had no sprites, I started monday, (I dont program at sundays), so OR its gonna be the most ugly game ever, or it doesnt even have a chance to get finished in 3 weeks, so I don't think im gonna win... Tomorrow I get a intuos 3M, hopefully art will become fun (never used a wacom before, mouse, mouse, mouse). I need 64x64 images, I wonder how to draw such big images... I first did more 'pixel-art games'. But now I want a 'beautiful mid-resolution' game... Does somebody know a tutorial 'how to draw (characters)' with bigger sizes like my 64x64?

However, good luck everybody!

[Sammidysam]

I feel the same.  I've learned that C is not a good language for a time crunch, because you have to spend forever setting up the application with tons of structs and enums.  Art has also been slow here.  I just hope to have my game playable by Monday.  Good luck to you as well.

[Herjan]

I feel the same.  I've learned that C is not a good language for a time crunch, because you have to spend forever setting up the application with tons of structs and enums.  Art has also been slow here.  I just hope to have my game playable by Monday.  Good luck to you as well.

Well, agree, why didn't u do it in C++? I programmed a game in C++ with SDL and OpenGL and I have got to say, after getting familiar with it it wasn't the worst experience... I would still have been programming that game in C++ if I didn't hate C++ because of the most weird error in my life... I made a Socket-class, so the game could be compiled for linux as for windows, and it was all working good, in eclipse... If I exported my client, have a server running on my pc, and opened the client, only the first message from the client came by the server... The server nor the client didnt get any messages after that... Posted the stuff on stackoverflow, but this is a freakin weird 'bug'...

So yeah, I turned back to Java, platform-independent, and now I use libGDX its even more platform-independent And I like it! Also, no pointers, headers and all that freakin nonsense. Just Java.. But well, C++ is not that bad, if I am going to make a trainer, I will make thankfully use of C++

[Sammidysam]

My friend who joined me in the project does not like C++, and prefers having no shortcuts and writing more code to have a better control of what is going on.  It seems like a waste to me, but I decided that since having a team member would be fun I decided to work with it.  Probably when the project is over I will tell him that even though he doesn't like shortcuts C++ would've been a better object to get it done in time.  I'm still not sure if we will be able to.

I actually find pointers kind of nice in certain situations, e.g. setting two variables in one method.  Besides that though, everything Java provides is better.  Objects are just so amazing and not being able to use them is not fun.

[Herjan]

In Java everything is automatically a pointer... I like that, if you dont want to change the 'original variable' don't change it... Your a bad programmer if you change variables you dont want to change... So I think pointers are overflowing  (just make everything a pointer)... But ok, I guess we have the same friends (my programming friend only programs in C too...), he doesnt understand object-oriented programming.. But I think that is because he never programs games (where you need 30 of the same monsters with the same functions and 100 sorts of particle-emitters)...

I don't know why he doesn't want to program C++? He only gets more functions and o-o.
He doesnt suffer from it, is it? But yeah I know that kind of guys, super cocky

[Damocles]

Maybe he uses C because he gets things done propperly working and in a timely fashion.

Not everyone need OOP to solve a problem.

[Herjan]

He uses C because he just started with C and... He thinks its fine No need to program in something else... But that is because he programs other things, like log-in managers for his archlinux.

[Damocles]

Imagine you want to log in to install a JavaVM in order to be able to log in.

C seems to be the better choice here.

[Herjan]

Imagine you want to log in to install a JavaVM in order to be able to log in.

C seems to be the better choice here.

We were talking about C++/C, not Java...
Ofcourse, you have to program in C(++) if you program in your OS

[Sammidysam]

Linux does not use C++ at all in the OS because Linus Torvalds hates it, so C would be required for working on Linux.

[Herjan]

Aha, lol, another OOP hater

[ReBirth]

My Linux can with OpenJDK installed, so ya penguin prefer Java.

[Sammidysam]

Oh, I meant for working on the Linux Kernel you'll need to use C because it is written in C and Assembly and I doubt anyone edits the assembly code nowadays.  I didn't mean that inside Linux you had to use C; in Linux you can use almost all practical languages. 

[delt0r]

Off Topic...

Linus clearly stated that he hated C++ *programmers* rather than C++ itself. TBH C for an OS is not a bad choice. Tends to be easier to mix C and asm than C++ and asm IMO.

On Topic...

Languages are tools there are many good reasons to use X or not use X.