I was thinking about using just basic trigonometry to create somewhat simple patterns, but as things grow larger I don't thing that's going to be the way to go.
How do you create your patterns? Maybe parametric equations? Or just straight up trigonometry...
I'm very interested on how do people come up with some crazy pattern ideas.
What's the better way to create interesting patterns?
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BrianBathory
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Jul 19, 2019 4:51 am
Re: What's the better way to create interesting patterns?
Large bullet patterns are not challenging, just keep shooting and bullets accumulate and spread further.
Complex bullet patterns are made up of basic components and can usually be evolved from simple patterns: you can spawn particles from other particles rather than directly from a weapon, change movement after a certain time, feed subtle and unsubtle contributions of forces and initial velocities into a generic, robust dynamical simulation that simply doesn't allow bullets to move strangely, steer and aim bullets instead of shooting in a fixed direction, and so on. Any number can become time-varying, assigned randomly, adaptive to battlefield state, etc.
Complex bullet patterns are made up of basic components and can usually be evolved from simple patterns: you can spawn particles from other particles rather than directly from a weapon, change movement after a certain time, feed subtle and unsubtle contributions of forces and initial velocities into a generic, robust dynamical simulation that simply doesn't allow bullets to move strangely, steer and aim bullets instead of shooting in a fixed direction, and so on. Any number can become time-varying, assigned randomly, adaptive to battlefield state, etc.
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AngelinaBlevins
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 5:58 am
Re: What's the better way to create interesting patterns?
Layering is a great way to make a simple design seem more complex. By using the same design elements and layering them you can create interest and depth within your designs. Some things you can try include altering the size of the motifs, change the direction of the motifs and using solid areas versus line work.BrianBathory wrote:I was thinking about using just basic trigonometry to create somewhat simple patterns, but as things grow larger I don't thing that's going to be the way to go.
How do you create your patterns? Maybe parametric equations? Or just straight up trigonometry...
I'm very interested on how do people come up with some crazy pattern ideas.
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Jacqueline
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu May 13, 2021 10:06 am
Re: What's the better way to create interesting patterns?
Layering is a great way to make a simple design seem more complex. By using the same design elements and layering them you can create interest and depth within your designs. Some things you can try include altering the size of the motifs, change the direction of the motifs and using solid areas versus line work.
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CaptainKraken
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2016 1:04 am
Re: What's the better way to create interesting patterns?
Aight. *cracks knuckles*
I love crazy patterns. However I never bother with fancy math, save for the basic trig to control the movement and trajectory of individual bullets (but I don't think that's what you were talking about).
Most bullet patterns can be broken down into simpler parts, so I'll explain how I go about building patterns and then show some examples.
Here are the basic elements I use:
-Origin point (attached to an enemy, boss, etc.)
-Speed (speed of the initial bullet)
-Direction (what direction the pattern will be aimed at- or you can use trig to aim it at a certain point, i.e. the player)
-"Burst" (what I call a ring of bullets)
-"Spread" (like a partial burst)
-"Whip" (what I call when the bullets are propelled in a straight line at increasing speeds)
These elements can be mixed and matched however you see fit, for example:
This pattern can be accomplished with a burst of 2, a spread of 3, and a whip of 2.
In order to further build the pattern, you just keep firing bullets. Maybe switch the spread amount over time,
or increase the bullet speed gradually with each volley, engineering the gaps so that the players must learn the most
efficient way through, and have a good time doing it. Pattern design reminds me a lot of composing music honestly.
Time is very important, when to fire the bullets, when to rest.
Anyway, here are some of those concepts applied.
https://youtu.be/XQ_dnTeNDZw
Take a look at Hibachi's infamous "Washing Machine" from DOJ.
It starts with a 4-way stream (bursts of 4 every couple frames, changing direction a bit each time)
Then adds a second, mirrored 4-way stream,
And finally, the "meat" of the pattern, a 10-way relentless burst.
The behavior of the blue bullets after they spawn is wonky and I'm not sure how to replicate it but that's not the point here.
https://youtu.be/MrDUDHr3YuY
Now here's a less controlled one: Emerald Megalith from Touhou 6.
Looks really chaotic at first (and it is), but there's still structure to it.
A couple times a second it will spawn a downward 3-spread from a randomized origin point.
At that point it will also throw a bunch of bullets with randomized trajectories and speeds.
Simple rules can be layered to create most, if not all, of the complex bullet patterns of today's shmups.
Hope I could help
I love crazy patterns. However I never bother with fancy math, save for the basic trig to control the movement and trajectory of individual bullets (but I don't think that's what you were talking about).
Most bullet patterns can be broken down into simpler parts, so I'll explain how I go about building patterns and then show some examples.
Here are the basic elements I use:
-Origin point (attached to an enemy, boss, etc.)
-Speed (speed of the initial bullet)
-Direction (what direction the pattern will be aimed at- or you can use trig to aim it at a certain point, i.e. the player)
-"Burst" (what I call a ring of bullets)
-"Spread" (like a partial burst)
-"Whip" (what I call when the bullets are propelled in a straight line at increasing speeds)
These elements can be mixed and matched however you see fit, for example:
This pattern can be accomplished with a burst of 2, a spread of 3, and a whip of 2.
In order to further build the pattern, you just keep firing bullets. Maybe switch the spread amount over time,
or increase the bullet speed gradually with each volley, engineering the gaps so that the players must learn the most
efficient way through, and have a good time doing it. Pattern design reminds me a lot of composing music honestly.
Time is very important, when to fire the bullets, when to rest.
Anyway, here are some of those concepts applied.
https://youtu.be/XQ_dnTeNDZw
Take a look at Hibachi's infamous "Washing Machine" from DOJ.
It starts with a 4-way stream (bursts of 4 every couple frames, changing direction a bit each time)
Then adds a second, mirrored 4-way stream,
And finally, the "meat" of the pattern, a 10-way relentless burst.
The behavior of the blue bullets after they spawn is wonky and I'm not sure how to replicate it but that's not the point here.
https://youtu.be/MrDUDHr3YuY
Now here's a less controlled one: Emerald Megalith from Touhou 6.
Looks really chaotic at first (and it is), but there's still structure to it.
A couple times a second it will spawn a downward 3-spread from a randomized origin point.
At that point it will also throw a bunch of bullets with randomized trajectories and speeds.
Simple rules can be layered to create most, if not all, of the complex bullet patterns of today's shmups.
Hope I could help
Shooting game never die!Squire Grooktook wrote:Make a game because there's something you want to exist that doesn't.