New XNA game : advice / feedback requested

DrLazer · 2009-08-27T04:00:42

From time to time I get the urge to write video games up until now this has mainly been in flash. But to be honest I’m a bit sick of making games for the web, I usually run into performance issues. I’m a UI software engineer with graphics skillage, I love making and seeing whizzy things but usually bite of more than I chew and never finish them (quite a common problem I am told). So this time I mean business! I’m aiming for something a lot simpler and perfectly complete-able as a solo project. The lack of power in Flash is the thing that has mainly driven me away from it, despite the new improved AS3 being “10 x quicker” I found that quite often I had games running at 6 or 7 fps. . . which sucked. This along with my experience in C# and a childish addiction to Xbox 360 has led me to XNA. If I can feasibly write a game that runs on my 360, is complete, and is fun and addictive to play – this is the win for me. If it ends up on arcade or indie and makes cash, that’s only a bonus. The idea.: A static non scrolling physics based ball shooter. For which I do not yet have a name. I made a screenshot to aid the description. This is all just work done in Photoshop at the moment and unfortunately doesn’t do anything yet. My next step will be to write a level editor in WPF that can save out levels either as XML or binary. The aim of the game in its simplest form is to smash all the blocks. This can be done either by a hit from the play ball with the required force to break a block, or by a block falling to the ground (or getting hit by another block). The player can fire the ball by clicking it, then clicking on the screen in the direction they want it to project in. The further away from the ball the final click is made, the faster the ball will launch. There is a limit on the amount of shots allowed to complete a level. In this case it would be 19 (1 ball in play, 15 left in the kitty, and 3 have already been made). A score is given for each block broken during a shot. 100 points for a direct break, then 200, 300, 400 (in the same shot). Points are also awarded for blocks that break other blocks. If a score is made during a single shot that is over a certain amount (yet to be decided) then the player is rewarded with an additional shot. Different coloured blocks do different things, a standard block will decay the force of a shot by the normal percentage. A red block for example will explode and take out everything in its blast radius. Different balls are also available, in this level a red ball can be gained by breaking the block containing it. This will make the playball red for the remainder of the level and take on the red balls ability. Levels will be split into worlds, the screenshot here is obviously from ice world, and a new coloured ball is available in each world This is really as far as I have got at the moment. Here’s how you could help me, and any help is greatly appreciated. - Help think of a name! - Suggest some ideas for the different worlds - Think of some different types of ball, and how the physics would behave differently for when its used. - Think of some different types of blocks, and how the physics would behave differently for them - Any gameplay ideas. - I have never used XNA before so if anyone could explain what I would need to do to get this working on Xbox that would be ace. - Advise me of a good physics engine to use for this project. All i have found so far is farseer [Edited by - DrLazer on August 25, 2009 5:19:49 AM]

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by DrLazer August 25, 2009 04:43 AM

11 comments, last by DrLazer 15 years, 5 months ago

DrLazer

Author

100

August 26, 2009 08:35 AM

The World ideas I have at the moment are:

Ice World
Jungle World
Moon World(Low Gravity)
Saturn World(High Gravity)
Fire World
Desert World
Ocean World

I think i want about 8, and 10 levels on each world, making 80 levels in total. I need to think of someway in which the physics get effected in each world also. Moon and Saturn are the obvious ones with gravity effects.

NewtonsBit

102

August 26, 2009 01:53 PM

Quote:
Original post by DrLazer
The World ideas I have at the moment are:

Ice World
Jungle World
Moon World(Low Gravity)
Saturn World(High Gravity)
Fire World
Desert World
Ocean World

I think i want about 8, and 10 levels on each world, making 80 levels in total. I need to think of someway in which the physics get effected in each world also. Moon and Saturn are the obvious ones with gravity effects.

You could also include effects for weather on the different planets. Wind is an obvious example.

The blocks on the ice world might have a lot less friction which makes the blocks easier to knock off. The desert world could be the exact opposite of this.

The ocean world could be played underwater so you could include a noticeable drag effect on the ball.

DrLazer

Author

100

August 27, 2009 04:00 AM

Good stuff!

So I've now got

Ice World(Reduced Friction)
Jungle World
Moon World(Low Gravity)
Saturn World(High Gravity)
Fire World
Desert World(Increased Friction)
Ocean World(Underwater drag)

Hmmm need an idea for the other tw0, and ideally one more world i reckon. Plus I'm not sure I'm happy with jungle world either.

New XNA game : advice / feedback requested

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New XNA game : advice / feedback requested

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