Monday, September 15, 2014

X-Men 8: Games of Future's Past Development

The end is nigh!  For the quarter that is.  This week will be the last official gathering of the G-Dev crew for the quarter.  Happy shout out for those of you taking final review. 

Last meeting was very productive.  We were able to come up with a rough timeline for work to be done by next quarter.  That's right, work never ceases.  A dropbox was created so that we may continue to share our work over the technological Ether.  Our merciless overlords have decreed that this is what shall be done:

2D:  By the end of the quarter have all the all the turnarounds done and in the Dropbox.  Have the poster for the club done and ready for review.  Over the break check the drop box for UVW's of the models to texture.  Next quarter be prepared for model and environment texturing.

3D:  Over the break complete all character models from turnarounds.  Unwrap and rig models.  Next quarter be prepared for animating models.

Programmatons:  By next quarter we have been promised that selection/grouping, movement, and character behaviors will be done and flawlessly perfect.

It's exciting to have such clear goals set for us and we will endeavor to keep up the good work.  Remember to come to the last meeting this week so we can clear up any confusion about who's doing what, what's doing whom, and to get the dropbox information.

Everyone have a relaxing (and INDUSTRIOUS) break and I will post again sometime over the interim when we have some good work to show.

- Andrew Fuller, V.P.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

National Lampoon's Game Development Club

Another couple weeks have passed us by and the tiniest morsel of a game has been drawn from the Ether.  Models have been put up, models have been promised, rigging has commenced.  Programites have created a selection method for horde control.  Things are looking up, though we have had a small setback.  Some rude crude teaching dude has decided to take up residence in our sacred meeting place, but not until noon o'clock.  This means prompt arrival around eleven will give us our full hour, and should our brain storms turn to tornadoes we do have an overflow option of the room next door.  So... what does our crystal ball see in the future?

2D - Jacob has promised us turnabouts for Zombies by next week
        Logan is still in development for the club poster

3D - Nate has supposed models of the hulk hidden away
        Pajo is working on the sprinter female model
        Josh is screaming for models to rig
        Andrew is contemplating unwrapping vanilla models for texturing

Computators - Padewan Obasi is working with Sith Lord Fouad on flocking horde movement and path selection for zombies

Everyone has a mission, lets keep up the good work! G- Dev for Life! *gang signs*

- Andrew Fuller, V.P.


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Civilian Vanilla Male Rig

So I know the model is in its pre-made infancy but I decided to add a few edge loops to crucial areas, and rig it, so far, the mesh deforms rather well. The rig is fully scale-able, and has a foot roll system in place.
The clavicle/shoulder area requires some addressing,  as well as the wrist, the pelvis/thigh also needs some more edges for deformations. And as long as you maintain the volume of the mesh, I can easily update the rig with the improved version.
Also, Im bored again...
Here is a quick sample video of a terrible animation.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Concept For Vanilla Male

Here is a concept model for the Vanilla Survivor.  Right now it has a mesh smooth on it that puts it above 1500 polys but we can remove it or collapse polys to bring it down.  Also clothes?  We can discuss next meet. 

Happy hunting!

- Fuller, V.P.

G-Dev V: The Final Frontier

KKKHHHHAAAAANNNNN!!! Alright, I know that's from star trek two but I am running out of movie sequel titles that get past five.  Anywho, last meeting covered a lot of what we already knew and was more of an update of work being done. 

We now have survivor turnarounds for modellers to gander at and do their worst (best?).  2d'ers will continue working on more turnarounds for zombies and troopers.  Programmers are still trying to figure out horde movement and selection.  Hopefully we will all have work to show for the next meet.

Logan has taken the noble quest of creating a club poster.  The info required for the poster is in the G-Dev folder on the MAA.  Noob.

Keep up the good work and we will have a nice show and tell next meet!

- Andrew Fuller, V.P.

Civilian Turn Arounds







Thursday, August 14, 2014

G - Dev and the Search for the Crystal Skull

And another thrilling session of the Game Development Club has come and gone.  Our numbers grow every day and soon we will be able to start our own company softball team, also we are looking for a pitcher. 
On a more official note, we have solidified concepts and mechanics for Z.P.F. and now the homework has been dealt like a high stakes game of steamboat poker.  Here is what we covered:

The game will be defined as a real time strategy with fog of war and cones of vision for A.I.
Behaviors for the A.I. have been clarified (see graph)



Vanilla
Sprinter/Pyro
Tank/Riot Control
Zombies
Walk, Bite
Run, Bite
Walk, Kill
Survivors
Run, Hide
Run, Hide, Hop Obstacle
More Health, Kill
Troops
Patrol, Kill, Hop
Walk, Kill, Chase
Walk, Melee,
Save Survivors


There are also plans for a sniper troop that is just a stationary vanilla with a longer cone of vision.
The environment will be a tile-able cityscape that can be randomized.

Overall required assets including:
Turnarounds and models for zombies, survivors, and troops. 
Texture art for models and environment.
Tile-able environment models.
(Addendum: Something like this)




Animations for survivors including: idle, run, frightened idle, and death/conversion.
Animations for zombies including: idle, walk/run, attack, and death.
Animations for troops including, idle, walk, attack, and death/conversion.

and much much more!

Our assignments for next meeting include:

Team 2D - 3 point turnarounds for survivors.
Team 3D - Concept for a tile-able environment.
Team Programmer - Work on code for horde movement and finger tracking.

Things are picking up momentum and soon will snowball wildly out of control so stay tuned for the next installment of... G - DEV!

-Andrew Fuller, V.P.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Meet 3: With A Vengeance

Jeremy Irons as Simon Gruber showed up to the third meeting of G-Dev and said we were all doing quite an excellent job.

This is what went down on the third meet:

MECHANICS

We decided that while a cell phone game would probably reach more people, we are going to go the tablet route because it offers better graphics and easier usability.

After great debate, and much example showing, we are going with a top down camera with a slight angle so that the 3D modelers can showcase their amazing skills.

The zombie horde that the user controls will have a max of 40 zombies and have the ability to break into 4 separate groups.  Each group will have a select button on the bottom of the screen so as to be able to grab each quickly.  The group button will also flash if that particular set is in danger.

The method of selecting zombies to break into groups will be to drag a finger lasso style around the zombies the user wishes to select and press a group button.  (If we port to cell phones after the game becomes a raging success  we talked about a tap and slider method)

To direct the groups of zombies the user will press a group button and drag a path along the screen for the zombies to follow.  When two groups come in contact with each other they will merge back into one large group.

The goal of the game will be to clear a level of humans or reach a certain goal object per level.  The strategy involved with the game is to select varying sizes of zombie groups and to utilize drawn paths to accomplish goals.  With a variety of zombies and troops we can vary puzzles.

Variety is the spice of life!

We have decided to keep it simple at first and have three different varieties of zombies and troops.
Zombies include:  Plain Vanilla, Zombie Hulk, and Rage Sprinter.
Troops include: Regular Rifleman, The Flamer, and Riot Guard with Shield.

Each unit has differing strengths and weakness that can be used for strategy.

Lets say you see a pack of survivors (who are faster than Vanilla Zombie), if you had a group of rage sprinters you could probably run them down, but you dont yet, too bad... The strategy to used would be to split your group in half, send one around the building to cut off the survivors escape and close in.  Boom!  One step closer to the Zombacolypse.

Or their is a flamer troop in the middle of the street.  This guy would be bad news for vanilla zombies.  Send in your zombie hulk to distract and soak up damage, and use your vanilla zombies to circle around the non inferno generating side of the flamer.  OVERWHELMED!

These are just a few examples of the puzzles and strategies we could devise to make the game entertaining.

We also discussed computer A.I.  We have talented programmers who know more than I about this subject than I do...just may have to have a guest post.

We covered a lot of the mechanics this meeting and we planned to tidy up that subject next meet and get into some concept work so bring your creative pants and we will rejoin at the same bat time, same bat place.  (Thursdays, 11:00 am, Room 901)

Happy Hunting G-Dev!

-Andrew Fuller, V.P.


Tuesday, July 29, 2014

G Dev Strikes Back!

Open on the icy world of Hoth... strike that, our second meeting of the G Dev Club (2.5 counting the programmer gathering) has given us new and exciting...news.

We have finally settled on a time and place that unites artists and programmers together.  Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. in room 901 will be our rendezvous point, hopefully our final one.  Please write down any complaints with this time and location and put them in the trash bin.

News from our glorious leader, President Nate: "I have been in communication with the individual orchestrating the most impressive Game Of Thrones mod for the game Mount and Blade.  He has agreed to let us do some 3d assets for the continuing improvement of the mod.  For any 3D modellers this is a good way to get your name on some credits and fluff your resume.  Any modellers interested please contact me."

Very nice, alright, on to business.  Game concepts were reread, pitches made, votes were taken, and a last minute pitch swept the tally and landed a project in our To Do bin.  The general gist is letting a player control a small horde of zombies, directing their path around obstacles and into survivors using either a draw a path method or the drag and Bézier curve method exhibited during the club meet.  We still have many of the mechanics to hash out for the game like camera angle and control methods but we have started down the long and lonesome road of game development.

We will be meeting this Thursday, July 31st , for a double whammy week of G-Dev.  Please try to think about game mechanics, styles, and concepts for...I think we called it Zombie Pathfinder (Name in Progress), but do not try to pitch new game ideas.  We are committed, we got the diamond ring and everything.  Happy hunting and we will meet again soon!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Beginning of A New Era

Welcome one and all to the first meeting of The G Dev Club!  We are excited to say that the turnout was excellent, the proposals grandiose, and the plans for world domination have been laid.  Here is the roster of the club so far along with a list of the members super powers:

Derek Dijkerman - Rigging, Modelling
Pawel Siebiatynski - Animation, Sound, Gore!
Logan Walker - 2D
Jacob Redeker - 2D, Character Concept
Alain Bruno - Programer
Obasi Mba - Programer
Michael Scott - Programer
Nate Kilfoil - Levels, Environment
Andrew Fuller - 3D Modelling
Mrs. Manis - Professor
Dr. Fouad - Professor

For once in AIW's history, all of the branches of the school have united to form a force to be reckoned with.  With the might of ancestral artistry on our side we embarked on a journey of epic proportions, one to create an original, fun, and soon to be world-played video game.  Here is what was decided at the first meeting:

Meeting times will be twice a week to accomodate more students.  We recomend that you attend at least one a week.  The meeting times are 5:00pm Tuesdays in the Cintiq Lab and 2:00pm Wednesdays in room 1016.  This blog will keep the two meetings communicating with each other.

The other decisive decision decided was that we are making a cellphone app game in Unity.

There are still many decisions that need to be voted on. We need to come up with an original game concept to create, publish, and conquer the world...or just create and publish.  If you feel strongly about an idea, make up a clear pitch and bring it to the next meeting and it will be voted upon.  A few of the ideas we came up with on the first class were:

A 3d sports based grenade game using trajectories and pull and release mechanisms.  The theme will be using baseball, soccer, or basketball skills to lob grenades at incoming tanks and soldiers.

A galaga/asteroids remix.

Doodle simulator.

A randomly generated dungeon crawler where the point of the game is to kill, loot, and increase the stats and armor of a hero to show off to fellow nerds.

A game where you build up cities to feed/let get destroyed by a pet godzilla/kaiju.

A tactical, strategy, building, game like clash of clans/boom beach but with a drug lord motiff.

Creating Game of Thrones assets for a mod of the game Mount and Blade. 

A game based of the tv show where contestants must contort their bodies to fit through a rapidly approaching wall with odd holes in it.

And these are just a few!  If you have a great idea that was disrespected and left off this list make sure you come up with a convincing pitch and bribe your fellow clubmates for next class.  The goal of the G Dev Club is to send our finished project to the likes of Steam Greenlight or the Unity Store to have it uploaded to a worldwide market.  This is your chance to become famous, Carpe G Dev!

- Andrew Fuller, V.P.