Vapourware Codexian Game Development Thread

[V_K]

Postmortem for what game?

Why do you assume it's a game? Maybe it's a medical postmortem.

 

[CryptRat]

Maybe making a game or not will depend on the approval to leave a postmortem on the Codex 5 years in the future.

 

[Tyranicon]

Postmortem for what game?

More like a pre-mortem since it's in the last stages of development. SCP Foundation-inspired, turn-based, grid RPG. Not sure if it's too weaboo to be considered a proper cRPG, but that's what I was going for.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/962220/Singularity_Tactics_Arena/

 

[Farage]

Hold on, i thought we were using the Codex Workshop for this?

 

[Tyranicon]

Hold on, i thought we were using the Codex Workshop for this?

We are.

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

Daz3d works only with the latest nvidia driver, while Character Creator 3 only with an old version of drivers from half a year ago. The new drivers crash it on startup.
CC3 has visemes, but can't export them.
Exporting them as animations doesn't work, what gets imported into maya is not the same frames you see in CC3. Both are 60fps. No animation smoothing is turned on. Just doesn't work.
I ran out of my 15 alloted exports on my trial version, now the software is dead and asks for 200 bucks.
Exporting it with "ue4 preset" crashes it. Exporting with "maya" preset exports gibberish.
There goes another typical day getting my ass stuffed with cocks by 3d software.

 

[The Avatar]

There goes another typical day getting my ass stuffed with cocks by 3d software.

Try using proper 3d software like ZBrush/Maya/3ds max/Blender instead of garbage and you wouldn't have this issue.

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

There goes another typical day getting my ass stuffed with cocks by 3d software.

Try using proper 3d software like ZBrush/Maya/3ds max/Blender instead of garbage and you wouldn't have this issue.

If I was a 3d artist, I would. I know the typical 3d pipeline. I can do a high poly sculpt in zbrush, I can do a low poly retopology, I can uv map, I can generate normal and AO maps from the two meshes. I can rig a mesh in maya, I can animate it, I can make blend shapes. I can do all that. I just can't fucking sculpt well for the life of me. I'm a programmer.

 

[cw8]

If I was a 3d artist, I would. I know the typical 3d pipeline. I can do a high poly sculpt in zbrush, I can do a low poly retopology, I can uv map, I can generate normal and AO maps from the two meshes. I can rig a mesh in maya, I can animate it, I can make blend shapes. I can do all that. I just can't fucking sculpt well for the life of me. I'm a programmer.

Don't sculpt then. Do traditional 3D box modelling and build everything from a cube. Works great with lower polys.

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

Lol, a porn game wouldn't work in that style.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

There goes another typical day getting my ass stuffed with cocks by 3d software.

Try using proper 3d software like ZBrush/Maya/3ds max/Blender instead of garbage and you wouldn't have this issue.

If I was a 3d artist, I would. I know the typical 3d pipeline. I can do a high poly sculpt in zbrush, I can do a low poly retopology, I can uv map, I can generate normal and AO maps from the two meshes. I can rig a mesh in maya, I can animate it, I can make blend shapes. I can do all that. I just can't fucking sculpt well for the life of me. I'm a programmer.

Get a program to do the sculpting for you then.

 

[cw8]

Lol, a porn game wouldn't work in that style.

Get a 3D scanner and some volunteers.

 

[Mustawd]

Lol, a porn game wouldn't work in that style.

Get a 3D scanner and some volunteers.

 

[The Avatar]

Got a lot done over the holiday. Implemented a basic turn based combat system, make a mesh combining system, and added gibs.

 

[Tavernking]

Got a lot done over the holiday. Implemented a basic turn based combat system, make a mesh combining system, and added gibs.

I can't stop laughing how he looks for danger left and right and doesn't even see the guy running up to gib him

 

[Citizen]

Lol, a porn game wouldn't work in that style.

I'd pay for a porn game with prosper's style 3d

Spoiler

 

[Modron]

Lol, a porn game wouldn't work in that style.

I'd pay for a porn game with prosper's style 3d

Spoiler

I tried for a year to get prosper to make a vn dating sim but he never listened .

 

[Citizen]

I tried for a year to get prosper to make a vn dating sim but he never listened .

Prosper's game was meant to have dating sim elements, tho. There's a scrooge NPC running around the starting town that you are supposed to court (i guess)

 

[Immortal]

Daz3d works only with the latest nvidia driver, while Character Creator 3 only with an old version of drivers from half a year ago. The new drivers crash it on startup.
CC3 has visemes, but can't export them.
Exporting them as animations doesn't work, what gets imported into maya is not the same frames you see in CC3. Both are 60fps. No animation smoothing is turned on. Just doesn't work.
I ran out of my 15 alloted exports on my trial version, now the software is dead and asks for 200 bucks.
Exporting it with "ue4 preset" crashes it. Exporting with "maya" preset exports gibberish.
There goes another typical day getting my ass stuffed with cocks by 3d software.

Aren't you russian? Just download all your assets through copy pasta bms scripts from xentax.

 

[redactir]

I tried for a year to get prosper to make a vn dating sim but he never listened .

Prosper's game was meant to have dating sim elements, tho. There's a scrooge NPC running around the starting town that you are supposed to court (i guess)

This is correct mostly. Scroozeleah is a main character. Both her and Jrah are relatives of Prosperius. As far as dating/companion stuff is concerned I think I decided against it when involving main characters.
It's a overdone and unrealistic trope that you have strong ties to who ends up being important to the story. Some may find that "autistic" due to the selective nature of knowing trouble brings trouble.
But I much rather Scroozeleah be a well appreciated character while letting players form their own "relationships" more naturally.

As time goes on and I get rejected by more e-thots i am coming up with more potential material. It should be quite a glorious day when work resumes on Redaxium.

edit: I have a big repository of creatures I will be adding. Many don't realize yet how special it will be to see them all wandering the world.

 

[Citizen]

This is correct mostly. Scroozeleah is a main character. Both her and Jrah are relatives of Prosperius. As far as dating/companion stuff is concerned I think I decided against it when involving main characters.
It's a overdone and unrealistic trope that you have strong ties to who ends up being important to the story. Some may find that "autistic" due to the selective nature of knowing trouble brings trouble.
But I much rather Scroozeleah be a well appreciated character while letting players form their own "relationships" more naturally.

As time goes on and I get rejected by more e-thots i am coming up with more potential material. It should be quite a glorious day when work resumes on Redaxium.

IIRC you added scrooge as a main character later in development. There was also a dog(?) as a third playable character in the latest version I played. I remember playing as Jrah and scrooge was running around the town llike she was tied to my character's movement (she probably was)

Get back to work, men!

 

[Nathaniel3W]

Get a 3D scanner and some volunteers.

Not entirely SFW. Browser beware: https://www.3dscanstore.com/

Got a lot done over the holiday. Implemented a basic turn based combat system, make a mesh combining system, and added gibs.

Looks great. I haven't seen your project at all before. Do you have a thread set up specifically for it?

 

[Lexx]

A new beta version of our Fallout 1 in Fallout 2 engine port has been released. The new v0.1225 can be found here.

Changelog copy&paste:

Spoiler

• Added: Fallout 1 "Tell Me About" function (TMA).
  Brought back from Fallout 1, it is now possible to ask keywords to most NPCs in the game. Our script comes with a few improvements that make it easier to use, such as multiple keywords (ex. Shady Sands -> Shady -> Sands), and an increased set of generic keywords (Help, Buy, Sell, Direction, ...).
  The function is easy to use and can even be ported over to other Fallout 2 modifications if so desired.
  
• Added: Robodog!
  Optional mod that replaces Dogmeat with a robodog. \o/ Simple script + dialog replacer. Check the readme for more information on that.
• Note: undat.exe (used to extract needed assets from Fallout 1 *.dat files) now should work under WinXP.
• Note: release package can now be correctly unpacked using Windows unpack tool
• Added: Holodisks now have custom inventory icons to make them stand out better.
  
• Added: The option to change the Water Chip time limit.
• Added: Invasion and water timer values now can't be changed mid-game anymore.
• Added: After killing Gizmo, his body will now correctly turn into a corpse container and then empty desk.
• Added: Ian won't comment on Killian's store / Gizmo's casino anymore if either is dead.
• Added: After giving the Water Chip to the Overseer, the whole party gets teleported into the library, not just the player.
• Added: Necropolis invading Super Mutants will only spawn with weapons now if Fixt has been enabled (gamebalance!!!1).
• Added: "Magic Hands"-animation when repairing the Glow power generator and the BoS Power Armor.
• Added: It is now possible to use the Mariposa door code holodisk directly on the door to unlock it.
• Added: Experience-messages in the log window should now correctly take the Swift Learning perk bonus into account. ("You earn 100 experience." -> "You earn 105 experience." etc.)
• Added: It is now possible to *actually* destroy the Military Base force field emitters (yellow and red). They will also visually change.
• Added: Force Fields now work via timed_event and not map_update anymore (ex. opening the PipBoy would re-enable disabled force fields).
• Added: Stealing the urn in the Skum Pitt is now a tad harder, because Neal will react to noises at night.
• Fixed: "Rescue Tandi" quest pipboy entry only showing up after talking to Aradesh.
• Fixed: It was possible to hire Ian "for free" (circumventing dialog checks) under certain conditions.
• Fixed: Deathclaw encounter still happening at all times.
• Fixed: Typo in Trent (Deathclaw encounter survivor) dialog.
• Fixed: Reactivated invasion timer reduction by the Military Base Vats Control computer terminal.
• Fixed: Vinnie dropping leather jacket even with "armor destroy mod" enabled.
• Fixed: Caravan-jobs - Now setting exit grids on *all* elevation, to trigger the correct follow-up map.
• Fixed: Caravan-jobs - Also fixed spawn position of Small Ghouls group (would end up on hex 0).
• Fixed: Hub "Captors" will now reset to their home tile when the player enters Old Town.
• Fixed: Deathclaws in the Boneyard don't have magic vision anymore.
• Fixed: Super Mutant Invaders (Necropolis, etc.) would spawn new weaponry on every map_enter.
• Fixed: Can't rest in Hub / Heights anymore.
• Fixed: Can't rest in Adytum underground anymore.
• Fixed: Gun Runner's map exit grid partially transported the player to the Blades, and not Rippers map.
• Fixed: Disabled Glow Robobrains should not "stand up" anymore in combat.
• Fixed: BOS Power Armor on the table can now *actually* be repaired with the multi-tool.
• Fixed: Michael can be asked about the Power Armor motivator at all times now, not just the first time the message appears.
• Fixed: Irwin will correctly appear on his farm after the raiders were killed (only if satellite quest locations have been enabled).
• Fixed: Dead bodies will disappear now in the farm quest location.
• Fixed: Armor destroy mod would remove armor from party members.
• Fixed: Wrong spawn hex when using the Cathedral tower stairs from elevation 1 to 2.
• Tweaked: Reverted merchant prices back to Fo2 barter formula. It'll be changed to something better once I find the motivation to dive back into it.
• Tweaked: Vault 13 vault door won't close anymore right behind the Overseer (will only close on next map enter).
• Tweaked: Generic Junktown guards will instantly rotate to their home rotation after returning to their home tile.
• Tweaked: Water/Invasion timer settings overhaul.
• Tweaked: Improved the "shut-down" Gizmo casino sign graphic.
• Tweaked: Using the sewer holes in Necropolis without opening the cover first will now open the cover instead of spawning a log message.
• Tweaked: Tycho's primary skill isn't melee anymore.
• Tweaked: Increased money respawn time for certain merchants.
• Tweaked: Increased worldmap encounter rates.
• Some fo1_settings.ini restructuring has been done.
• Lots of generic codecleanup has been done. Too much to listen all of that in here.

Here is a video of Fallout 1's "Tell Me About" in Fallout 2's engine for anyone curious enough to check it out, but not curious enough to check out the latest release of Fallout et Tu.
The addition of TMA means that now the only "crucial" difference between our version and the original is the lack of red dots while traveling on the worldmap (well, and the shown location names only when moving the mouse cursor over location circles, but that would be more a setback than an improvement, imo).
We have a couple ideas about how to tackle the red dots, but sadly nobody mad (and skilled) enough to actually do it.

 

[The Avatar]

Looks great. I haven't seen your project at all before. Do you have a thread set up specifically for it?

No, not yet. My project can't be vaporware if it was never officially announced.

 

[barker_s]

It's been over a year since I last posted here in this thread. Now that my wife is in the hospital awaiting the birth of my second son and the older one is asleep, I guess it's a good time to give you guys an update.

For those of you that haven't seen any of my previous posts, I have worked on a 4X strategy game for the past three years. It's basically a mix of Fall from Heaven and Master of Magic, with a little bit of HoMM3 thrown in as well. It fills a niche that I feel has been left empty for way too long - a fantasy 4X that depicts actual progress of your civilization in a non-linear fashion.

Here's a screenie from a few months back.

Planned features:

• You play as a Suzerain. A powerful being gifted with immortality. Either as a dragon, lich, demigod, vampire or powerful wizard, you seek to fulfill your ambitions and eventually become a Living God - the supreme ruler of this land.
• Pick a fantasy race and lead it through the ages. Each race will have a unique, branching, non-linear Culture Tree. Pick and choose the Traditions and shape your people as you see fit. Will they become peaceful forest dwellers, berserker pirates, nomadic beastmasters, seafaring traders or any combination of the above?
• Use an array of interesting spells and rituals that actually affect the world around you and make for interesting gameplay. Less of a "+20% fire resistance" and more of a "round up 20 pops of a certain religion and sacrifice them in a blasphemous ritual to kill a god" variety.
• Fight enemy armies in stack-based combat happening on the strategic map, that still allows for some tactical maneuvering. Some design decisions were made to mitigate the infamous stack of doom (e.g. soft cap on stack size - increasing the upkeep of units if they exceed your current stack limit).
• Employ heroes and send them across the land to perform different tasks - they can lead armies, become province governors, investigate problems in cities, spy on the enemy and go dungeon-delving. Once they level up enough they can be retired in one of your provinces granting huge bonuses. Be aware that they have some limited free will and will plot against you and eventually go into open rebellion if they don't agree with the way you rule.
• Explore a procedurally generated world full of wonders and monsters. Find unique places providing challenges and loot for your heroes. Learn the hard way that biomes and climate matter when you try to march your army through a desert or frozen wasteland. Each time a new world is generated it might also be assigned one or more World Modifiers making it a unique place. Perhaps this world experienced a dragon war in the past and now dragon bones litter the plains and it's more likely to find dragon-themed artifacts in your dungeon runs. Or maybe the moon orbiting this world is made of magical crystal and its phases decide how powerful magic is at a given time.
• I'll stop here before this post turns into a design document.

So what's been done this year? I was able to repurpose my heightmap generation algorithm from my 3D attempts to create varied, procedural coastlines. Thanks to compute shader magic it only takes a few milliseconds to redraw the whole map.

Other than that, nothing flashy nor worth showing in a screenshot form. Mostly I've been working on nuts and bolts that lie in the background and did a lot of refactoring. You see, when I started coding this game I came to it with a very naive mindset - "This is a Hex class. It will do everything related to a hex, return its neighbours, hold data about its features and vegetation, display it and so on". Things I watched along the way like Quill's hex game tutorial lulled me into believing it was the right path. Soon, however, I realized that this approach was becoming unwieldy and I was going to paint myself into a corner unless I come up with some actual code structure and architecture. Thus began my research - I visited forums, dug into any 4X game code I could get my hands on to get some ideas. The only lesson I learned here is that most commercial game projects are monoliths, only maintainable through the sheer number of developers working on them.

Eventually, I decided to go with good ole' MVC pattern variation as it suited my needs the most. At this point all my game logic is neatly separated from the presentation layer, meaning I can easily go back to 3D or even switch to ASCII if I desired. Another benefit of this approach is that I'm going to be able to create separate 'logger' views and run the game in kind of a 'headless mode' for testing purposes. Definitely going to come in handy when I start implementing AI and decide to pit them against each other.

Another problem I'm quite proud of solving is the rule/modifier mechanism.

When I wasn't coding, I was working on the documentation, coming up with mechanics, rules and so on. Eventually, I had to wrap my head around modifiers and how they'll fit into the existing code. So I started coming up with some scenarios:

1. There's a spell that improves the attack by one - I guess I'll have to keep a list of modifiers on the unit which is accessible to the battle system, easy enough.
2. Maybe I want there to be a religious tenet that gives your units combat bonus if they're fighting units of another religion - okay, so now battle system and religion system need to be able to communicate somehow.
3. I came up with an idea for a spell. It summons the Avatar of Motherfucking Destruction. While the avatar is alive all demonic units on the map gain a significant combat bonus, all living units within three tiles of the Avatar receive fire damage every turn and also each turn that is a prime number all rivers turn into blood resulting in population growth maluses - how the fuck am I even going to approach it?

My main problem was that whenever I came up with an idea and it did something new, I had to pause, scratch my head and think how it fits with the rest of the systems. If there only was something like a Universal Rule System. So I took a break from the game and created just that. Nailed it at the third iteration. It's a separate system that I should be able to use in other games as well. At its core it's just a glorified Command pattern - I have Rule objects which encapsulate some method (which may contain some other Rules). The Rule class also contains all the plumbing that allows me to apply triggers and modifiers. The Rule also keeps track of which Rule it's been fired from, so it's easy to create an effect that, for example, increases the output of DealDamage rule only if it's been fired from CastSpell rule which has a certain spell in its parameters. Finally, the Rule caches its output and is only recalculated when needed. All conditional logic is contained to Modifier classes which query the game model and modify the rules accordingly. All in all, it's a pretty neat system that should allow me to focus on content creation instead of digging into the code. Cons? It requires some boilerplate code, as you can't just create a method that does what you want and call it a day, but the headaches that it will help me avoid in the future should more than make up for it. My only worry is the performance overhead it may cause, but I already took some steps to prevent it and it's promising so far. Below is a screenshot from my stress-test console app.

So that's it folks. Sorry for the wall of text, but I needed a place to vent my thoughts. I'll think of creating a blog once I'm a little closer to completion (I'm thinking three more years until it's somewhat playable).