http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Algus-Underdunk&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Algus-Underdunk en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:04:45 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/25122960/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/25122960/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:35:05 PDT


...Also, I've decided I should probably keep track of games I want/need that flew past me while I was busy... It's a heck of a thing to finally look at everything when E3 pops up and I'm just buried under a wave of... want.

So. Here's the list.

1. Golden Sun DS
2. A Boy and his Blob Wii
3. Legendary Starfy DS
4. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle Wii
5. Punch-Out!! Wii
6. Metroid: Other M Wii
7. Mario Kart Wii
8. Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks DS
9. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box DS
10. Sin and Punishment 2 Wii
11. New Super Mario Bros. Wii Wii.... Mais Oui!
12. A Little King's Story Wii
13. Scribblenauts DS

...Let's see, if I assume roughly 40$ per game, that puts it at around... 520 dollars... Gah... and I should probably get a DSi at some point... @_@

That Wii Heart Monitor...

Every time I see a new piece of equipment my brain immediately thinks GAME and that was no exception. I instantly envisioned a new installation of Eternal Darkness where the game actually monitors you to see how frightened you are, and if you're not frightened enough in the game's opinion, it cranks it up until you have a coronary. Or a Cornet.

But regardless, I've gotten what I've wanted while I've been away... a rebirth of Punch Out, a sequel to Golden Sun, more Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Layton, and even a few third party titles like Boy and his Blob, Scribblenauts and A Little King's Story that piqued my interest...

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/24417726/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/24417726/ Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:32:38 PDT
For those unaware, I'm plowing through PhD work at the moment, so just think, "well at least it's not THAT bad..."

So yes, one big honkin' programming project and a take-home final, and then I'm free to watch what I like, program what I want, finish whatever art projects I have...

...

A side note, about Take Home Tests, Exams, Quizzes, etc.

DO NOT REQUEST THEM. THEY ARE NOT GOOD THINGS. I know a lot of students think they're easy, but a Take-Home Exam/Test is a good excuse for the Professor to come up with an Exam/Test that's twice as long and three times as hard as usual.

Also don't think you can 'do it in a group' to save time, clever Professors will make each exam different so you can't perform this duplicitous attempt...

Anyway, take-home tests BAD.

So, next weekend, ACTUAL work! Yey!

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23903551/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23903551/ Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:31:30 PDT
So there's Punch-Out Wii, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and the SD Card Channel that takes care of those pesky memory issues (thanks for reminding me that Kirby 64 and Super Metroid were sitting on my SD card just waiting to be remembered!)

But forget all of that. Toss it aside. IGNORE IT.

PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE DIABOLICAL BOX.

The second Professor Layton game is, according to Akihiro Hino (Level 5's director) is midway through localization processes, and they hope to have it in America this year.

ABOUT BLOODY TIME.

Er, ignore the raving outbursts, I'm indeed delighted. Just today I was replaying Professor Layton and the Curious Village, stretching my brain before an exam that read quite a bit like Layton's puzzles.

Normally I don't get too upset about localization. Like the Stafy series (although that's also finally coming to America!) but in the case of Professor Layton, they gave us the first game which was sensational, then kind of ignored us as they went about WITH THREE MORE GAMES AND A MOVIE.

Yes, a movie. Professor Layton: The First Movie. Then there's Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel, and Professor Layton and the Devil's Flute. Apparently there are two more Layton games in the work right now, and through all of this we still just had the one Professor Layton game...

So Little Mac, Stafy, and Professor Layton are all dusting themselves off, Toon Link's hopping aboard a choo-choo (did no one else who saw the trailer notice the player controlled Phantom Knight character?), and the Wii's got more storage abilities now...

I think, in response, I shall devote this weekend towards finishing a huge sketch I've been working on for the past three months....

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23807064/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23807064/ Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:36:36 PDT
Spring Break afforded me a little time... most of which saw me out of my mind with congestion from the flu. It's nice how things work out, isn't it?

But despite only having a little time, I completed the Classic Mode Menu! Once again, those are screenshots of the program itself up and running in the Preview file.

While I was awake and relatively aware I spent my time plotting out more and more of the complex logical relationships in the game. For example, the Music Menu which is already done took about two full pages of notes just to make sure I hadn't left anything out... albeit I'm betting someone's going to find a bug the moment I release everything...

But yes, I am still working on Fisticuffs! It shall not vanish into that sweet inky datapot that lurks in the back of my PC, no!



...also, friends of mine recently showed me both Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Postal. I never thought I'd say this, but Uwe Boll was right, his movie was better than Lucas's.

...it's a good thing nothing else in that warehouse was magnetic, huh?

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23522435/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23522435/ Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:12:07 PST
The immediately pratical upshot of all of this is that one I actually sit down and start hardcore programming it won't take very long and I'll have already considered most of the problems that I'll be encountering, and my code will already be in a row of nice, neat little interacting capsules that I can switch on and off while I test.


Anyway, onto the newest bit I've gotten down, the levels. I didn't just want to do simplistic flat levels with different images, so I set about trying to simulate chaotic SSB style levels with spawning objects and animations. Things from little touches to big touches, and so on.

So each level is made up of first and foremost a data based background of solid objects, platforms, edges you can grab onto, etc.

On top of that is a layer of image holders where it arranges several images, some set to move in the background independently, some wiggling about in the foreground, some being the midground. On top of those, I've got it set so you can set little animations here and there, so you don't have to load the same big image 20 times over just to animate a small patch of grass blowing in the wind.

Levels themselves will have snippets of the same code that enemy A.I. will, in that the can randomly decide things, and spawn automatas that will interfere with gameplay. For example, the Advance War Battlefield stage will have little troops wandering around in the level that will occasionally shoot at each other and you if you're in the path.

This doesn't mean that every automata will be some amazing little self sufficient program that is gunning for you. Some of them might simply be visual aspects, like creatures running through the background, leaves blowing by in the foreground, etc.

The levels themselves will have the data logic set-ups as A.I., as I mentioned before, meaning they will be able to pull a few subtle tricks as well. For example, let's say you wanted to pull a Mushroomy Kingdom kind of level where half the time players would wind up on one level, half the time they'd get another level. Entirely possible with a little snippet of code in the load code of the level.

Amusingly, you can even pull off scrolling stages if you have the stage set to spawn obstacle type automata that spawn on the left, move along the stage to the right, then vanish, and repeat after a set amount of time.

You can also use the code for simplistic tricks. For example, one of the things I'm working on at the moment is Joy Mech Fight's Stadium. Typically there's a cheesy little LCD looking big-screen in the back (I'm working to mimic the original game on this one) which typically has little black and white cheerleaders cheering you on. But every so often when you load it it won't be cheerleaders, but little ostriches dancing.

Simple, yes, but I like to think that the system I'm throwing together can acomodate people who want subtlety, and the people who want big flashy storms of shrapnel and lawn shrubs.

So here's the wrap up for this update.

You could, if you wanted, simply take a big clean sheet of paper, grab some crayons and doodle out a level, and scan it into the computer. Heck, you could toss up a big level in microsoft paint. Then open up the custom editor, throw down a few obstacles and platforms, and nicely place your image over it, save it, and there you go. Custom level.

You could also spend hours programming special little tricks and automatas that would happen randomly from time to time, so you could simulate some giant mech fight in which Stafy, Little Mac, and Tom Nook are running from giant monster robots while fighting one another and dodging magic fireballs made of zombies.

I've got a lot of programming to do.

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23424304/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/23424304/ Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:14:07 PST
The time away from it has given me the time I needed to resolve some design issues I had, as well as figure out some coding tricks. For example, I've now completely figured out Hakkun's 'Steal' ability, where he mimics another character.

For those who've followed the info on him, he'll turn into a copy of whoever he steals the essence of, but will retain his special moves. So essentially picture someone who can copy A-moves, but not B-moves.

My big hang-up was that I wanted him to look significantly different despite being a copy of whoever he just nabbed, but I've figured it out! Whenever he copies someone, he turns into a black and white duplicate! So when he nabs the shockingly pink Sukapon, he'll turn into a grayscale version of him!


As an additional note, I've also collected the last of the musical files I needed to represent each series. Drill Dozer, Mole Mania, Sutte Hakkun, Joy Mech Fight, Professor Layton, Animal Crossing, Doshin the Giant, Nazo no Murasamenjou, etc. It's my hope that each level I distribute in the game will be accompanied by no fewer than two different songs that you can change the rates of, be they remixes, be they orchestral, be they fan-songs, etc.

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/22466716/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/22466716/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:59:39 PST
[link]

Hope everyone gets some small kick out of it. I'm extremely amused by the 1970s English version of Tekkaman due to the dub that's so bad that it becomes screamingly funny. Plus, Tekkaman always strikes me as a plate-spinner...

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21873952/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21873952/ Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:20:52 PST
2.) I like to write soup recipes in Arabic on bathroom walls, with angry handwriting.

3.) I like to search Google for extremely disturbing subjects and concepts, specifically for the benefit of whomever it is that has the job to browse through all of that.

4.) I like to engage forum-goers in arguments, without having any personal stake in them whatsoever.

5.) I like to read books up to the last page, but not inclusive of the last page. If people ask me how I liked it, I say it had loose-ends and ended abruptly.

6.) I like to play Advance War, and instead of destroying all of my enemies or capturing their base, I capture everything but their base, and one lone factory. I then surround their surviving unit with warmachines of epic proportion, and allow them to kill themselves by attacking a unit that far outclasses them.

7.) I like to play Jigglypuff in Smash Brothers.

8.) I like to use disturbed and unhappy smilies, because I like it when digital icons look disturbed and unhappy.

9.) I like to fabricate lies, in list form.

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21578452/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21578452/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:48:15 PST
Yay, and so let it be said that those who adhere to the following acts shall be beaten, when time and fate allows.

1.) People who trash bathrooms.
2.) People who honk their horns continuously before sun-up.
3.) People who wear headphones, then have the volume so high you can hear them echoing out of their heads.
4.) People who absolutely reek of cigarettes, then act offended when you say, "My GOD you stink like a pile of burning leaves."
5.) Professors who make incomplete statements, then make students feel like they're wasting the professor's time for questioning that which is unsaid or unclarified.
6.) People over 80 who only voted once in their life, and it was during the 2008 election, "because it was important to them."
7.) People who reserve computer stations, and then fall asleep at them.
8.) People whose cars have sound systems that shake the molars of anyone within a mile radius of said car.
9.) People with salaries over a million dollars a year. (1,000,000 is the cap. Any higher, to be beaten. Also, there's a difference between 'income' and 'salary'.)

*MORE TO COME*

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21356715/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21356715/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:33:44 PST
Sadly I can't keep with the Smash Brothers visual style of a big set of squares showing the characters, since I'm going for an unlimited number of characters I'm going to use a 'spinning drum' style of menu (think of how the numbers roll in Earthbound's HP meters) wherein you'll have a long list of characters to scroll through.

The same menu will be used in VS. Mode, Classic Mode, and sequences in Story Mode where you can choose who to play as from a given set. Albeit it will change visually between the modes. VS. Mode will have four columns for character selection, and in Classic and Story modes there will only be a single column.

The whole thing is keyboard based, so no going back and forth between the mouse and the keyboard, just tapping buttons to manuever around the menu should set things up nicely. Once a character is set, you can then change it from CPU to Player, set the intelligence level, etc.

In VS. Mode, changing from Stock to Time, and changing the values for each is done once you've made your selections. Hit 'Enter' and then you hop over to the level selection screen, the layout of which I'm still working on (keep in mind, levels are like characters. Lots and lots that can be added, so the screen has to accomodate an infinite roster.)

There's a random option for picking characters so you'll get a random playable character (again, only available in VS. mode)

In addition to all of this, there's a special choice to be made after you choose your character, but that's a secret for now.

And of course you can switch characters on and off to have whatever kind of configuration you want for your battle.

The menu will also repeat while there are fewer characters than the menu allows. I.E., if you've only downloaded Sukapon and Andy, for example, your menu would show a column consisting of Andy, Sukapon, Andy, Sukapon, Andy, etc.

Anyhoo, I should have screenshots of it soon once it's working in a satisfactory manner, and that means you'll actually see some of the characters on screen! Holy heck! Progress!

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21094001/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/21094001/ Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:59:36 PDT
So the first special addition to the Fistipedia, will be Kyorosuke's Corner, in which you can see Kyorosuke the Clam host an impromptu interview with one of the playable characters that you've downloaded. They'll chit-chat, do comedy skits, but always keeping in the vein of what the characters would say or do. Each character will have several skits that will be randomly selected from, and the character you see will also be random. Just a fun little time-waster that lets you get into the heads of the characters a little more.

The second special addition to the Fistipedia will be the Mailbag, featuring a few random mail carriers from the Nintendo world. (Pete, Parakarry, etc.) Each chapter of Fistipedia's Story Mode that you download will be accompanied by a post-card of some sort, written by one of the characters involved, giving you a little more insight into the events, or just a cute behind the scenes peek.

There are other special things in the Fistipedia, but I won't be revealing those until later. I'm just mentioning these now as I'm currently working on getting the Fistipedia working (Music Setting is DONE!) and these two particular features are small and easy to implement.

Finally, since this is extremely important it will be in large letters, SPACE LANCE.
[link]

(Edit: Holy heck... 10,000 hits??? I feel I should do something important... any suggestions?)

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/20787745/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/20787745/ Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:13:25 PDT
Punch-Out Wii! Sin & Punishment 2! Trace Memory Wii! SD Card Direct Loading! Klonoa! DSi! Fantasy Star Zero!

Sensational!

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/20773092/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/20773092/ Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:12:47 PDT
This week's been a seemingly non-stop gauntlet designed to slowly grind me into eraser fluff.

1.) The Proficiency Exams.
Ay, I'm going for my PhD. That means this week I had to take three unique exams, all of which were painfully hard and early. Add onto that the two in-class exams I also had this week and you've got five exams...

2.) Early Morning Work.
What's the nicest thing to enjoy after having a hard day? A good sleep. Unfortunately no. Classes mean being up early in cold weather...

3.) Der Floo.
Ay, and I've got the flu. So while I work I'm hacking up chunks of myself... Albeit on the plus side I get to enjoy tastey cough drops like they're candy which is keeping me nice and mellow... and medicated, which I've often been told is a good look for me.

But the first four exams are done... well, so to speak. I'll be retaking the C++ exam once I learn exactly what the heck the environment they want me to use does...

Nothing sadder than being assigned to do something you could easily program in Basic on a text pad with a two dollar compiler, and suddenly being saddled with a 700$ system that you have absolutely no idea how to use.

I couldn't even find the compile button, albeit one of the buttons turned the student next to me into half a lemming, so that's something.

But now that that's done with, I can hopefully just collapse in a pile and be unconscious for a while... and enjoy my birthday.

(UPDATE: 3:09pm Sameday)
This is getting interesting. It almost seems that documenting bad luck earns you some more...

Shortly after this last journal entry about my crappy day, I went to get some lunch to cheer me up. And it did, right up until one of the waitresses spilled half a pitcher of ice water on me...

Actually I broke out laughing at that point because it was just getting jynxishly silly at that point. So I stepped outside into the cold breeze, half of me soaking wet, coughing and wheezing en route to class...

...when I encountered a group of people along the crosswalk. Not untypical, no worries. Until I got jabbed in the back of the hand with a lit cigarette that someone insisted on holding while they walked...

I'm going to update again near the end of the day, just in case. I still have a project presentation to give it about an hour, and then the drive home around rush-hour...

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/19288585/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/19288585/ Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:00:29 PDT
I've divided up the fighters into three special rankins akin to Jump Ultimate Stars, Power, Wisdom, and Joy. Examples:

Power: Doshin the Giant, Jill and Drill Dozer

Wisdom: Professor Layton, Tom Nook

Joy: Stafy, Sukapon

There are more in each category, but that's just a little example.


-----UPDATE-- Sep 18, 2008

I am NOT using Flash for SSBF. Instead, I'm using a program called Multimedia Fusion 2, which is the big brother of Games Factory I've used in the past.

And good news! Using said program, I've already finished making the Splash Screen, and the Title Screen!

I also believe I've figured out a means of A.I. characters that will work for both minor enemies in the story-mode, and the fighter characters themselves.

-----UPDATE-- Sep 23, 2008

(Farnsworth) Good news everyone! I've not only completed the Main Menu, but I also got the Smash Brothers Hit Detection/Reaction Engine working as I'd hoped, so that if a character's struck, they go flying off like a pinball based on their damage level and the strength of the attack.

It will still be a while before I can produce any screenshots with the characters fighting as that's really the last step of the implementation. Right now I've got a lot of data management work to do on it, and a lot of planning. After all, I'm trying to make it so that not only will Fisticuffs support the entire new roster, but it would also allow for the original roster if someone wanted to program them in (from Mario to Olimar, DK to Pokemon Trainer, etc.)

As it stands now, I've got the main menu all nice looking, with five big shiny options. VS. Mode (for your traditional wild 2-4 player battles), Classic Mode (for several random battles followed by you-know-who), Story Mode (which allows you to pick a chapter to explore in the FistiSaga), Create-a-Character (where you can make your own character or stage), and finally the Fistipedia, which contains general options such as the sound test, info on characters, and a few surprises.

-----UPDATE-- Oct. 19th, 2008

Wow... didn't realize how much work it takes to do so little. I got the music menus working! Fisticuffs will support dragging and dropping mp3s into level files, and then adjusting the chance of that particular mp3 will play in a given level! (Meaning you can drop your own mp3s into any particular level!)

Also got some of the stuff done for the character menus and designs, and more progress on the custom character makers! I'm also hammering out a few other details, just seeing what I'm capable of. I also hope to post screenshots of what I have up and running shortly!


-----Progress
[X] Splash Screen
[X] Title Screen
[X] Main Menu
[ ] Character Selection Menu
[ ] A.I. Characters
[ ] Custom Character Menu
[ ] Custom Automaton Menu
[ ] Custom Level Menu
[ ] Smash Bros. Based Input Reader
[ ] Input to Action System
[X] Hit Detection/Reaction Engine
[ ] Character-Level Interaction
[X] Music Menus
[ ] ???
[ ] ???
[ ] ???
[ ] Fighter: Sukapon
[ ] Fighter: Tom Nook
[ ] Fighter: Hakkun
[ ] ...


----------

People may wonder why I'm doing Sukapon, Nook and Hakkun first. It's not personal preference, the three of them represent all the various 'tricks' that SSBF needs to be able to perform. Sukapon's the most basic of fighters, and will be used to get the impact and reaction engines up and running smoothly without me having to worry about any of the more advanced pieces of code going haywire.

Tom Nook makes use of every different capability of the custom character engine and logical tests (mainly for his changeable 'tools' in-game). This will help me stress-test the capabilities of the game's Custom Character Maker.

Hakkun is sort of the 'Kirby' of Fisticuffs, meaning his special "Mimic" ability has to be hard-coded in so that he can copy and duplicate ANY future character I or anyone else comes up with (which will be tricky). While making Hakkun I may also attempt to put in the necessary logical tasties that would allow Kirby to work (i.e., copying the B move, whereas Hakkun copies the A-skillset entirely, but retains his own B moves) should I or someone else want to make Kirby for Fisticuffs at some point in the future.

But basically, I get those three working, and I know I can get anyone else working as I'd hoped.

So there you have it!

(Minor update: Sep 25, 2008) I've just now realized that in order to fully assure that Fisticuffs is working properly vis-r-vis character creation, I'll need to complete Doshin the Giant (character and hitboxing scale ratio tests) and Chibi-Robo and Laughing Dog (for, between them, tag-along objects, both gravity-based and non... ]]> ~Algus-Underdunk http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/19097698/ http://Algus-Underdunk.deviantart.com/journal/19097698/ Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:14:52 PDT
HOLY HECK IN A SANTA DESTROY T-SHIRT!

NO MORE HEROES 2: DESPERATE STRUGGLE!

I think I just whizzed out of my elbow... how does that work?

Ah well. Now they need to unveil a new Chibi-Robo game so that I can keep up... hmm... CHIBI-ROBO 3: DESPERATE CLEANING.

----------

I've hit upon an idea for a little project, combining two of my favorite games, Chibi-Robo, and No More Heroes. I'll be drawing character from Chibi-Robo, in the costumes and stylistic form of the assassins from No More Heroes. Chibi Touchdown's done and I think I can do this.

And I realize to anyone who hasn't played No More Heroes yet, this group of characters WILL be spoilerific as I start going up the ranks of the assassins... sorry

Creation List:
00. Chibi Touchdown
(Chibi-Robo/Travis Touchdown)

00. ???
(???/???)

00. ???
(???/???)

10. Death Beard
(Captain Plankbeard/Death Metal)

09. ???
(???/Dr.Peace)

08. ???
(???/Shinobu)

07. ???
(???/Destroyman)

06. ???
(???/Jodie Summers)

05. ???
(???/Letz Shake)

04. ???
(???/Harvey Volodarski)

03. ???
(???/Speed Buster)

02. ???
(???/Bad Girl)

01. ???
(???/???)

There's the full 'to-do' list, with several bits of info left out to be more dramatic. The other '00' entries are possible surprises I'm thinking of doing just to be amusing. If all the info for a character pops up on the list, that means I've finished the image! Yey!

]]> ~Algus-Underdunk