[X-0ut]

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For the past few weeks I have been working on a fully 3D version of one of my old games "Gravitron".
The core engine is all in place now, and I'm getting down to game mechanics and content creation.
I'm not gonna give a specific deadline for the project because I dont know how things will work out, but I just wanted to give out a little teaser and indication that its on the horizon.

[Shoot-em-upper]

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I miss the glowy vectors.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

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• Bullet Hell

I think it looks really nice. I think it is a good idea to try new styles from time to time as far as art goes. The INTERNET is a bit saturated with glowing vector games right now.

[the2bears]

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[glowy vectors]

The INTERNET is a bit saturated with glowing vector games right now.

Say it ain't so 

I've been working on glowy vectors myself, with a tip or two from X-Out as well.  Though I promise not to do a Geometry Wars (re)clone or a Thrust game

Gravitron3D looks great so far!

Bill

[Pixel_Outlaw]

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• Bullet Hell

Just encouraging the new look. Resume work please.

[monoRAIL]

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Cool - I'm looking forward to seeing how you translate the thrust style controls into 3D.

[Sar]

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Cool - I'm looking forward to seeing how you translate the thrust style controls into 3D.

The first thing I thought of when I saw it was Zarch/Lander/Virus... are there any other realistic options for control schemes?

[X-0ut]

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Well spotted Sar, the idea for the game initially arose from a talk in irc about virus. The idea was extended to include caves, and I have long wondered what a "thrust" in 3d would be like. So I took up the challenge.

Controls... these keep getting changed, but I'm finally happy with the feel they have now.
Currently its completely mouse controlled, right button thrust, left shoot. Mouse motion is kinda arcball on the ship.
Landing the ship is pretty easy, just thrust towards a surface then align before collision.

Theres a lot of screenies of progress on the project. I've been logging since the project started, its motivating to look back and see how far its progressed.

[X-0ut]

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Just a little progres screenie.. everything going great.

[serprex]

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How much are you deadset on keeping those vertex lines?

[Null1024]

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What are using for drawing? OpenGL or Direct3D?

[X-0ut]

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Serpex: Deadset - I want a retro 'tron kind of feel to it.
Null1024: Opengl.

Been working away, sound engine in place now (openAL).
So its all very much game-related logic now.

[X-0ut]

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Just a little update to say the project isnt dead (yet), and as usuall a screenie.

[X-0ut]

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I have put up a 10-stage alpha to get some feedback on this thing.
Its very bare bones.. no front end, just straight on into the meat of the game.
You'll need atleast 128mb free memory to run this beast, and a pretty fast gfx card.
Not sure on the cpu spec needed, but I'd guess at around 2gh.

Controls are on mouse, left click = shoot,  right click = thrust.
To rescue stranded scientists just land near to them.
Can adjust sensitivity and invert y coords using pause key. Escape to quit. Theres a level skip on F12 but I'd prefer if it wasnt used.

Feedback really appreciated, I need to know what direction to take with this.

Gravitron3D Alpha (7.6mb)
thanks.

[cersoft]

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Pretty damn impressive, although I'm having HUGE issues with the controls and I don't think it is a sensitivity issue. Have you thought about more camera spring, or instead of having a point and fly scheme, some thing that is based in X and Z with some method of adjusting height, almost like a flying FPS, it would be really cool to be able to strafe attack the turrets on the ground.

Colin

[pieslice]

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Gave it a shot.
The control seems ok, but I would like to have keyboard control for the ship too.
I think the best control scheme for this game should be similar to Banshees in Halo, although the controls are already almost same as the ship seems to have constant speed for both normal and accelerated flight and the aviation physics seem to be completely ignored. Just add thrust button for speed (same as acceleration) and trick button which combined with steering would perform barrel roll for strafing and loop for 180 degrees turn.
Also the speed of the ship was a bit slow for my liking.

Also the "wolverine-styled" damage model, where shield replenishes after a fixed time without damage would work wonders here, as it would allow more intense dogfights without being unfair to player.

I didn't quite like the rescue-mission, but if that was what the original virus was all about and you're comfortable with it, ignore my critic and go ahead.
Also there seemed to be 13 scientists, one refused to enter my ship...

[monoRAIL]

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Looks good and has a lot of potential - but the controls need rethinking. I couldn't really play it properly as I couldn't get used to the inverted mouse.
How I'd like to play it (and this is probably not what most people would like, but anyway) would be closer to helicopter controls. I'd use a dual stick controller, with the right stick for tilt, and the left stick for thrust and rotation. This is how radio controlled helicopters work. Flying like the Banshees in halo could work too - although this doesn't allow for strafing or vertical landing. A third option would be regular aeroplane controls, with triggers for rudders, although again it doesn't allow for strafing.

If you want to stick to mouse controls I think the ship should be constantly falling, so that the player has to apply some downward thrust to keep it airborne. Perhaps you could use WASD for front/rear and side thrust, then mouse 2 for downward thrust too keep airborne, and to allow for soft vertical landings. Also, the option to switch off inverted mouse look would be good.

[cersoft]

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Perhaps you could use WASD for front/rear and side thrust, then mouse 2 for downward thrust too keep airborne, and to allow for soft vertical landings. Also, the option to switch off inverted mouse look would be good.

I 100% agree with this, although you could do a jousty kind of thing where right mouse thrusts up and gravity always pulls down, left mouse fires, mouse X alters rotation and then mouse Y has a limited amount of pitch control ... so maybe not quite 100% but you get what I mean ...

Colin

[Sar]

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How I'd like to play it (and this is probably not what most people would like, but anyway) would be closer to helicopter controls. I'd use a dual stick controller, with the right stick for tilt, and the left stick for thrust and rotation.

I'd probably prefer something like that myself, really. My main issue with the control scheme as it stands is that it's difficult to do anything but fly straight at stuff, and there's not really a great deal of inertia, so it's hard to do fly-bys. I ended up taking advantage of greater mobility by flying near something, pointing at it and shooting a lot then flying off at an angle to avoid the incoming fire - which the enemy couldn't do, of course... but it'd be nice to be able to take advantage of inertia and swing past things at something approaching speed while shooting sideways. It's what the game's predecessors were like, anyway.

[the2bears]

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I'll chime in here to echo the suggestions for control changes.  I like the idea of a dual stick approach, but it you've got the time we can all test for you   Love the look of this, the terrain is great!

Bill

[cersoft]

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Also, it would be cool if you could look around once you have landed and are waiting for the dudes to arrive so that you can size up near threats.

[X-0ut]

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First off, great feedback. Thanks so much!
Controls... hehe I was hoping this wouldnt be a problem, but it seems I need to change them again.
An earlier version had gravity, and was more helicopter-like, with middle mouse for upwards thrust.

I noticed a few people mentioned the inverted mouse control. I actually mentioned in the earlier post that you can change that from the control menu by pressing the PAUSE key

With pretty much all of the feedback centered around the controls, obviously I'm going to have to do something about it.

Sar: You pretty much hit the nail on the head - thats exactly how I play.
cersoft: Great thinking, consider mouse look when landed done.
Bill: Glad you enjoy the terrain.. most of the maps are pretty simple so far, but its capable of complete cave systems. I spent a lot of time working on an editor for exactly that reason. And I learned something about voxels!

Right... off to try and fix this, somehow.

[the2bears]

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Bill: Glad you enjoy the terrain.. most of the maps are pretty simple so far, but its capable of complete cave systems. I spent a lot of time working on an editor for exactly that reason. And I learned something about voxels!

Tutorial!

Seriously, I'm sure it would be worthwhile.  I'll publish it

Bill

[relsoft]

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[glowy vectors]

The INTERNET is a bit saturated with glowing vector games right now.

Say it ain't so 

I've been working on glowy vectors myself, with a tip or two from X-Out as well.  Though I promise not to do a Geometry Wars (re)clone or a Thrust game

Gravitron3D looks great so far!

Bill

Whooa! You too?

Nice Demo X!!!

[X-0ut]

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There will be an update at some point today.

the2bears: What would anyone need to know about voxels? I mean, I'd be happy to write a tutorial (infact someone has asked for a paper on my culling algorithm), but theres plenty of info out there on voxels and written much better than I could.
That being said, let me know what you feel a tutorial needs to cover and I'll probably give it a go.

[the2bears]

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There will be an update at some point today.

the2bears: What would anyone need to know about voxels? I mean, I'd be happy to write a tutorial (infact someone has asked for a paper on my culling algorithm), but theres plenty of info out there on voxels and written much better than I could.
That being said, let me know what you feel a tutorial needs to cover and I'll probably give it a go.

I was thinking something more from the terrain generation point of view... your goals for the engine, what algorithms you used etc.  Almost a "use-case" tutorial, describing how you integrated the terrain with the rest of your game code.

Bill

[X-0ut]

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Ok modified version is now uploaded. I know, its not what everyone hoped it would be - but I have made adjustments.
Gravity has now been added once again to the game, landing will be much easier.
A new *scripted* move, barrel roll.
Allternative control methods - Mouse/ Mouse+Keyboard/ gamepad - with stick.
for keyboard + mouse use W for thrust, and A / D for rolls, mouse for look as usuall.
Joystick will have to be configured - press the PAUSE button to enter the control options ingame.
The game can still be played using just the mouse, with barrel rolls performed by pressing mousewheel + direction.

Shield can be replenished. Scattered around a few levels are recharge stations, just land near them to recharge.
Oh and you can now look around the ship when landed. Havent been picked off by an out of view turret for a while now

and after that rambling here's the link.

the2bears: The terrain generation begins with a default heightmap, which is then converted to voxels. From there it can be manipulated. For example I can grow or dig out patches. Think of terrain from "Worms" except 3D.
Integerating with my code is not really a big deal, as drPetter pointed out a few days back my engine/framework is pretty flexible.
Anyhow, I'm still considering the paper on my occlusion technique, which would involve some talk of voxels.

[Tim]

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recharge stations is a bit too slow in restoring energy.

[X-0ut]

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Ok thanks Tim I'll sort that right away.
Still progressing along, added a radar to the hud now.
Fuel pods are back from the original, plus the laser fences - more features to come.
Few more levels etc... Got a long way to go, set myself a deadline for end of april and planned 100 levels.
Anyway, better get cracking!

[Pixel_Outlaw]

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• Bullet Hell

This is amazing stuff. Not what many would call a shmup but still a very impressive game. I played the demo briefly and it would appear that you have really put some time into this.

[X-0ut]

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Probably right, its evolved in a way that isnt really a shmup. This will be the last post.. better make it a good one!
GravitronX YouTube
Thanks to everyone for the great feedback.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

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• Bullet Hell

There is no reason not too keep us updated on this it is a really nice looking project. It is close enough to a shmup to be here but would not work as an official contest entry should there be one. Flying/shooting games are fine between contests. Hell I don't have a problem with RPGs but official entry's into the competitions here should be shmups.

[serprex]

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Because in the end a game is a game

[Wiebo]

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[glowy vectors]

The INTERNET is a bit saturated with glowing vector games right now.

Say it ain't so 

I've been working on glowy vectors myself, with a tip or two from X-Out as well.  Though I promise not to do a Geometry Wars (re)clone or a Thrust game

Gravitron3D looks great so far!

Bill

I must come back from the dead to reply to this blatant poke towards my handywork  Boo Bill

Anyway, this game looks nice, although I never enjoyed thrust like games in 3d. I don't think it works, controlling ships in 3d with this gameplay is HARD

[the2bears]

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I must come back from the dead to reply to this blatant poke towards my handywork  Boo Bill

Ouch... honestly, no poke at you intended!  I was referring to the explosion that happened long after your (very well-done) version.  Even now "arena shooters on a grid" are still alive and well in the Flash scene.  Great for learning how to program games though, just hard to get excited about them now.

Bill

[Wiebo]

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Yeah well, I am just kidding, I couldn't resist

[nicolas_bol]

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Nice work....

Can't wait to see the full game.