Would you like a freeware danmaku boss designing game?

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:47 am

Ok before I start I'm wondering if anyone is interested in a non level based danmaku designer? It would be simple you design bullets and then how and where they are emited. It would be non programming based you simply set how many bullets how frequently and the way the emitters move. Hmm well this sounds lame but I think it would be much better than I could describe. It would feel more like a game than a tool. It would have premade scenes and sprites, you just design the bosses and couls share your designs.

What are your thoughts would a free danmaku designer interest you personally? I need to get a feel for how many people would enjoy a simple danmaku boss creator with a simple and effective user interface.

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 5:25 am

With an online downloadable list of available bosses

That's something I always wanted to do, just never got around to it. You connect, browse the list of existing designs, select one, download, and play.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:02 am

Sounds brilliant. We could do some excellent homages and try some stuff i've always wanted to.

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:37 pm

Yeah such a list would be nice. What I'd like would be that you can construct the robot from various parts (main body and side arms) and each arm would have set patterns which you can easily preview. People who would want to go deeper in the mechanics could have the option to design own parts.
Result would be that you could either combine patterns or create your very own. But Yes I want it whatever it would turn out

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:46 pm

I'm glad to see some interest. I'll start if there are 20 positive votes. I plan to make some very original pattern systems. I'm thinking of an orbiting system of bullet emitters. You would get more flower petal based patterns. The robot idea is great. it diverges a bit from what I had in mind but something could be done with interchangable limbs and parts.

I can't really do a online list however. We could make a page with your custom bosses uploaded as files. You could have a picture and the file hosted below. The members simply dl and play your boss. Then we compare scores it is like an infinate set of danmaku bosses for you to create and try.

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:10 pm

Who the hell said no thank you, and why?

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:32 pm

I also have this semi hope of being able to customize the popcorn and such enemies that are thrown at me, you know, control flying formations and other such things.

Pirate1019 · Post by **Pirate1019** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:33 pm

Pirate1019 gives this project the nerdy white guy double thumbs up.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:02 am

This will certinly come together better when you see my concept in action.

Each "emitter" is it's own enemy. These emitters circle a central point with a radius,angle and speed (degrees per cycle)that you provide. This alone gives many many choices.

For example a radius of 0 means that the bullets are only produced in one spot. The emitter doesn't change it's position.

Now if we set the radius to something other than 0 and the speed to 0, the emitter is held at an angle from it's x an y position with no movement.

If you want to make the patterns jump from point to point along the radius you set the angle incrimenter to a non zero number and this happens.

The final effect is gotten by setting all three values to a non 0 number and you get a rotating, shooting emitter.(Very interesting to dodge).

Those are just the emitters! There is also controll over each type of bullet.
There can be bullets of different colors sprites and abilities.
-Homming bullets, these chase the player for a set amount of cycles.
-Directional Changing-These move in one direction then suddenly change in another direction based on a set number of cycles.
-Aimed shots A shot fired at a player's current position with no homming

Within these 2 catagories you will be able to specify things:
Life-this is how long the bullet lives measured in cycles. (can be set to infinate-bullets die after going offscreen.)
Homing-True or false

But wait there's more!

Now you will be able to controll how often an emitter shoots based on the concept of timers, Each node will have up to three timers. these timers can fire a burst at a preset time then reset it'self again for that set time.

I will also include a "random" function that can be set in any varable for direction.

These are just some rough concepts. I hope to get a good GUI working.

I hope this info better helps you get an idea.

here is a diagram of how the emitter system works.

* cough cough 1796 shots*
These are fixed emitters with a set angle and no speed

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:46 pm

Sounds VERY nice. Was the picture that doesn't work anymore a screenshot? If so please fix it!

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:26 pm

Is the pic fixed now for everyone? This is wayyy to many shots onscreen but it was running at a good 55 FPS.

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:30 pm

Picture works now for me, the emitters look very nice! How far is your development? And are the bullets supposed to look a bit spiky or is this a result of unfiltered rotation?

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:48 pm

Yes the bullets are unfiltered. I'm doing this to maintain lower color counts and improve overall speed. I'm having a very good artist assist me. Goes by Bisque. It will have anime cute em up graphics. She does some really cool art.

I've just started the project and i would say it's in it's infancy.
I have started without the 20 votes I called for.

Here are some more pics from the shmup-dev site.
http://www.shmup-dev.com/forum/index.ph ... sg7913#new
I'll post a link to Bisque's gallery of art too.

Please respect her art and don't steal/edit.
http://www.pixeljoint.com/p/787.htm

BiQ · Post by **BiQ** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:34 pm

HELL YES! This would be totally awesome!

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:22 pm

Not all patterns will form flower shapes. You can get quite creative.

(This has far to many shots in the side sweeping emitters, but you get the idea.)

I suppose this could be moved to the development section where it will fade into the forum depths. I've gotten the 20 votes i asked for.

Kaspal · Post by **Kaspal** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:27 pm

i'd like to see that... back in the days, i thought on coding somethin like that... but gave up... so, keep it up, and lemme know when you're done, so that i can try it... cheers.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:28 am

This should give you a since of the style.

shiftace · Post by **shiftace** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:29 am

I've wanted to say something about this since you started the thread, but it's hard to find the right words. I didn't vote either way, but I think you're taking a bad approach. In short, angle sweeps and epicycles give you some descriptive power, but still have some nasty limits, and I don't think that GUI-based scripting is a good idea in general.

I suspect that you're making a compromise between what's really expressive, i.e. a special-purpose scripting language like BulletML or Nomltest, and what's easy to program, i.e. forcing everything to make an angle sweep while moving on a circle (which is also more amenable to a GUI). So I hope you succeed with it, but it doesn't sound very compelling.

And I'm sure I'd come across less arrogant if I actually programmed something sometime, sigh.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 7:50 am

I have plans to make this work. Each emitter has timers and patterns-as many as your computer will hold. Plus you have can have some aimed shots to break up the pattern weaving. I know how to make very complex designs myself but it;s not practical for me to make a system to let the player make other scripted events like Game Maker. There are many patterns that you can make that arn't apparent right away. I might add paths later. Variety has been a large concern since the start, while this doesn't appear to be an orthodox solution but it's better than you'd think. I've shown up to this time each emitter firing only one shot, this wn't be the case. The shots are very bland compared to what you can really do with this simple system.

It will be a burst type pattern maker but you dont have to have all emitters circling one point making a single pattern.

My main focus in this project is an infinate varitey ot patterns that are easy to understand and use. There is more here than meets the eye I can assure you.

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:42 pm

Are you already taking part in the AutoFire Shooting Competition 06 (or what it's name is)? If not than give the ship the ability to auto-fire and post this game!

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:57 pm

RotateMe wrote:Are you already taking part in the AutoFire Shooting Competition 06 (or what it's name is)? If not than give the ship the ability to auto-fire and post this game!

Sadly My entry "Attack Force Duo" was lost to a virus. I lost most of my files and all of my source for my games. I really have nothing anymore but .exe versions of my games.

I won't have time to finish this for the compo it's just a side game.

Could anyone give my tha Japanese symbols for "Danmaku Artist" I would like to pay tribute to the origin of these games.

I think the key to this game will be working on a system of timers. I might add some splines for movement but like I said before, this is meant to make some quality levels in a few minutes. I'm not the best programmer ever, I'm trying to work with the tools I have and learn some new ones at the same time.

Once I add some more abilities to the emitters you will see the diversity.

Right Now I'd like the (Kanji?) symbols for the title.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 4:07 am

Most systems are in place, I still need to add the aimed shots and I might do splines...

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:47 am

Looks teh awesome, those angry cactuses are a neat little touch!

shmups.system11.org

Would you like a freeware danmaku boss designing game?

Would you enjoy a danmaku boss designer game?

Would you like a freeware danmaku boss designing game?