Stardust Gear

My Full Specs: Should I buy a new computer?

Some things I need for SFGDK: I need a logo to my program. The best logo will be in the program, and its artist will enter the credits. I need also a good icon to the program. I need a good OpenGL game engine, not necessary sonic. (optional) I need suggestions for the application structure (the prototype with the treeview is not official).

I recently started working on the SFGDK. Let's see the workspace prototype (in spoiler, due to the giant resolution): @LiBiKWIM, I have ancient computer with Windows XP SP3 with old, integrated VIA/S3G graphics card. (Although, the performance is very high). C# is much easier than c++. Go to this link: http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/anandnarayanswamy/CSTutorial1AN11282005015140AM/CSTutorial1AN.aspx (I hope the link is not broken in you computer) I will use OpenGL and not DX. I believe it is supported in many devices and graphics cards. Note: Does anyone has a catchy username, like Mr. Lange, SuperBliz, Felik, Stardust Gear?

Mr. Lange, I must hide the text below: Meanwhile, the reply to @luksamuk will not be in any spoiler. Luksamuk, I will use Open GL. It supports 3D rendering. Fortunately, my video card supports OpenGL (I think also 2.0)! DX11 is only for Windows 8, if you know. @Mr. Lange, you will enter the credits due to your large help to me.

I have some ideas: If you want a 16-bit game, you can create a game with palettes (no color limit...), and the node Palettes will join the treeview. If you want underwater, replace your palette during the redrawing process, under the water level. This idea is good for Lava Reef and Mushroom Hill, and also palette cycle is supported. You can add names to your tiles and your chunks. You will also realize what the tiles do. You can also sort the tiles/chunks into Families - for similar tile groups. Don't forget to name the families. You can add description to objects, object properties, constants, enums, enum entries and functions. I will create tutorial for beginners, to create their first fangame with the first zone. Later I'll add some additions, how to add new moves, new gimmick, and more zones. You can add some test points in your level. You'll snap them to ground/wall/ceiling, and they will show jump height for specific character, and Tails' flying height. You can arrange objects, for example making same spacing, align bottoms. You can also snap them to ground/ceiling/wall/grid. I may add a feature that the level scrolling loops when the boundaries allow X-Looping/Y-Looping. I believe this feature is not existing in any level editor. You can preview the boundaries and the water level during the level design. You can draw rectangle and line of chunks. The audio player will have slider, time and volume. It is not existing in GM/MMF2. You can change effects (e.g. reverb, chorus), and change the music pitch/speed (good 4 speed shoes).

Spykid, good game! Some improvements: Change the resolution to 320X240 or 320X224. Make more creative zone names, rather that Sonic 2 Beta Zones. (Especially the one-word zone names e.g. Rock Zone, Winter Zone) Remove the "The" in The Great Forest Zone. Make 9 acts to all zones...

@Highwire4, I probably can't implement your idea, but I can add a feature to add Bookmarks to the level, that you can jump to the bookmark point during level design, and you can test the level starting from the bookmark. (Select a character and AI-player first). @Mr. Lange: I don't know what to do about water... Maybe a color blending system (reduce saturation, blending modes like photoshop). For different-sized ground pieces, use objects with the qualify Solid/Platform/Path 1/Path 2. You can also make a chunkset with each chunk has different size, and you can overlay chunks. For object group, You can add objects to the list, and add them as variables or array elements, using the instance creation method. For ring chains on spikeballs, bosses and swing platforms, just draw their sprites using a code.

@Mr. Lange: Good idea to make stamps of tiles and objects (e.g. shuttle loop with rings & path swappers). For the multiple collision masks, I will add to the object Collision Mask Editor that will take sprites and change solidity and qualifies. For Underwater, Add the Underwater qualify to the tile entries in your chunk. Moreover, You can change the code of the water in specific zone (e.g. lose rings, die, float, sink slowly like in OOZ). For Water Color: Duplicate your tileset, and use the Color Blend/Color Swap Tool. Or, Create underwater-colored tiles, and their chunks with the qualify underwater. For the visual guides I will add the Sonic/Knuckles/Super Sonic maximal jump height (it is easy...). You will be able to split routes for s/k easily. Don't worry, there will be no limit, no pallete limit, no resource limit. You will fill free to make Sonic ?? HD! For A.I. ... It will be included in templates and wizards. To the New Game Menu, I will add fangame templates, and wizard that you will decide what will be in your fangame at start. For C#-Like language, I will have tutorials, I will add description for each type, I will add these GML features: var, repeat, do..until. In Addition, Use Cos rather than Math.Cos, and String2Int/String2Decimal instead of int.Parse. (No Casting, Use Floor() to convert decimal->int) Variable types (as less as i can): var, int(64-bit), decimal, bool, string, <enum_name>, <class_name>, array(int[], string[], ..) The arrays will have no dimension limit. You can use also Grids, Lists, Stacks, Queues and Dictionaries. Animation examples: I didn't actually start the VS solution, I 'll post screenshots later. I will add tutorials for beginners (with small videos). Note: My computer doesn't support Pixel Shader and the OS is Windows XP SP3. Can you please give me a good DirectX version and C# library that will match my specs? @Kessler12: The Interface will be like GameMaker, with the treeview in the left side. I don't know if use the MDI system or to use the tab system, like in Visual Studio. Mr. Lange, your comments are very helpful! Keep commenting for any improvement.

@Mr. Lange, nice help! The sprite editor will support different-sized subanimations, and will be able to get spritesheet frames using magnetic size (draw larger size and trim it immediately). The level editor will use chunks, objects, and "trigger" (change boundaries, water height, path swapper). The object entries have subtypes and fixed parameters (Like SonED2 and SonLVL). It will be built of planes, for earthquake and floating level sections. For drawing rings in lines, (and rectangles), there will be tools like Linear Object Array, Rectangular Object Array, Arc Object Array, ... The triggers have size in pixels, not as parameter. The tilesets are any size you like (8x8, 16x16), with back layer art and fore layer art, and specific collision mask (the program creates collision mask by alpha, by default). The chunks are built of tiles (any number of tiles), with each entry has solidity (solid, none, platform, path 1, path 2, solid for beneath) and qualifies (e.g. harmful, fire, spin tube). The objects have preview code (for the level editor that, for example, will show the swing platform according to number of chain rings). For objects with multiple collision masks, they will use the class CollisionMask from sprite/rectangle, with the qualifies. { // For Example, Spikes of the Bubbles Badnik: CollisionMask spikes = new CollisionMask(Sprites.BubblesSpikes); spikes.Qualifies = enumQualifies.Harmful; } For the visual guides, the moving platforms will show the MinX and MaxX arrows, and the springs may show their jump height. For Drag&Drop, I don't know how to implement it in C# . (I will find in Stack Overflow...) For 3D Graphics, you will need a seperate screen, that the code will use the 3D class library, and will use special 3D levels with 3D objects (and 3D player). The SFGDK engine will use an important feature that no MMF2/GM engine can't support it: X-Axis and Y-Axis looping from the extreme side (without the limit of $800 level size!). For underwater, use a semi-transparent cover OR make a copy of your tileset with a color change. Code in the screen drawing event (you can use the code for heatwave effect and ripple effect) to draw another tileset under the water level.

I decided to start a new fangame creation program, named Sonic Fan Game Development Kit (SFGDK for short). The program will be made with C# using .NET Framework 4.0, and the engine maybe DirectX (which version??) SFGDK will be game-maker-like environment with these features: Sprite Editor - A sprite editor for your game graphics (with sub-animations, origin point, and collision mask). Sound & Music Editor - Imports (and exports) .wav, .mp3 to your fangame. You can set looping points. Font Editor - Create and modify sprite-based fonts. (with kerning, glyph size). Tile Editor - Make your level tiles. (and collision masks of them). You can make animated ones! Chunk Editor - Make large blocks from your tiles (like these of sonic hacking), and set their solidity and behavior. Background Editor - Make backgrounds for your levels & screens, and set parallax scrolling settings. Object Editor - Manage your game objects, and edit their behavior. You can add properties and variables. Code Editor - Make functions, structures, macros and enumerations for the gameplay, using c#-like language. Level Editor - Design your zones with your chunks and your objects. Screen Editor - Manage the fangame's screen (e.g. SEGA Screen, Title Screen, Level Screen) and their codes. Misc. Editor - This one will store other binary and text reources for your game. And MANY more features... I hope this project will be helpful. EDIT: This post is outdated. Read later posts. EDIT: Screenshot prototype is available v

@MrLevRocks, did you write intentionally with spelling errors? Spelling Errors (and fixes ): easyly -> easily. interessting -> interesting. thees -> these. carneval -> carnival. gimmics -> gimmicks. spend ovely much time -> spend too much time. Scrap Barin -> Scrap Brain. anwering -> answering. Nevertheless, your article is aewsome (->awesome) and funny! EDIT: BTW, I SEE YOU HAVE FIXED THE SPELLING ERRORS!!!!!!!!!