Monday 31 December 2012

Update v0.2 -Re-uploaded

RE-UPLOAD: Exporting in GM:Studio is a little different as compared to GM8.1. I'm still figuring out why the few of you couldn't get the game to load all resources. Hopefully after meddling the export options a little, the 'never loading resources' issue gets fixed with this re-upload of v0.2.
If anyone wants to know, this export is for Windows only.

We have in v0.2 re-upload is:

  • Recovery bar now appears over slope foreground (slope obscuring the bar before this).
  • "Slimehead" now navigates down ledges better.
  • Slight change to pause menu UI. Its background now dark coloured, and indicates the character level now.
  • Game starts in full-screen. Window now re-sizeable but IT IS TERRIBAD.

If in any case this re-upload failed to execute, try to extract/move v0.2 anywhere onto C:/ drive and run as 'Administrator'. If that still doesn't work ... well I'll have to consult them developers.

Download re-upload (3MB from MF): Labcoax - Alpha v0.2 re-up (Windows)
Password is same as before: dtny

EDIT #3: Apparently the heroine to can get stuck only on right-facing walls (or wall boundary on left of map), which occurs when you jump into the wall with the back of the heroine, then looking left into the wall.
---re-upload end---

I was testing some projectile trajectory calculation, so the new enemy only has a kinda arcing ranged attack. I was suppose to put a link up yesterday but then I realized I completely forgotten about the death animation for the new enemy. Now that I have got that done, I was finally able to put it up.


So what we have in v0.2 is:
  • A new ranged enemy "Slimehead".
  • Tileset and slopes.
  • Crouching.
  • Pause menu.
  • Level-up & character attributes template.
  • Bug fixes.

Download (3MB from MF):  --please use link at top of post--
Link can also be found in download(s) page.

I haven't done extensive testing on this new update so if there are bugs or anything amiss, let me know in the comment section. There's this white flashing that is suppose to occur when enemies or the heroine gets hit; to indicate invulnerability but it only appears after going into full-screen. Will fix that in the next update.

Because I am terrible at estimating workload, I couldn't make it before Christmas, but I have to at least get something out before the year ends. As for the next update, it wouldn't be until a good long while. I (hopefully) intend to have a main menu up, a couple more tilesets with matching backgrounds, maybe a mini-boss to test pathing in GameMaker, which would possibly be a move from Alpha onto Beta.

The heroine keeps the ponytail. I keep thinking I'm forgetting something though ...

EDIT #1: I forgot to wish the new year. So have yourselves a Happy New Year!

EDIT #2: The DEF attribute is just part of the template for the time being. It doesn't do anything yet.

Friday 14 December 2012

Did someone say 'update'?

I think it's been 3 weeks since the last post, so I suppose it is about time I do a little post on the current progress of Labcoax.

In the past week I was making the pause menu interface and functionality, and the week before that I moved from GM 8.1 onto GM: Studio Standard. The move wasn't as smooth, there were a few things requiring change as they worked a little differently in Studio than 8.1. Just before the move I was working on a tileset, which I think turned out rather decently. I still have not done any backgrounds though.

If you think the slimes were annoyingly hard to shoot at, you shouldn't have anymore problems with that because our heroine can now crouch and shoot. The slimes can now be killed, complete with their very own death animation.

I haven't gotten to work on new enemies just yet as I was concentrating mostly on the game skeleton or game structure ready (the level-up and experience system, character attributes and menu controls). I do however, plan to get at least 1 new enemy done in the next alpha of the game, planned to be uploaded before Christmas or earlier.

I should probably give my avatar a Santa hat, then go unwind for a bit. Also, I suppose pony-tail for the heroine should stick?