Odysseus (odysseus) wrote, @ 2005-02-08 17:28:00

Johnny Robo
Hmm... It's been a while since I've updated, eh? Well, I'm afraid this week its going to be one of those dreadful 'reality based' postings that I do every once in a while.

So, as is completely unapparent from reading my blog, I'm some sort of software developer. Mostly, I write programs for research in astrophysics. However, in my free time I've been messing around with game programming. Having experimented a bit, I'm at the stage where I know I can pull something off-- I'm going to make a game. It's going to be based on Peter Tatatar's mini (very mini) series Johnny Robo. Of course, I'm going to need some help; I can code, but it takes a lot more than code to do video games. I need help with graphics, sound effects, music, and probably some other things of which I have not yet thought. If any one really wants to, I may even be able to use some help with the code, although at the moment the core of the thing is so molten its not really possible to contribute much in that regard. So, any way, let me tell any one who cares a little about what I am planning.

First, what kind of game is it? Well, its going to be a side scroller, complete with sprite based graphics and all (That is to say, like Super Mario before Super Mario64). There are several reasons I'm doing it this way. One is that sprite based graphics maintain the retro-feel of Johnny Robo. Another is that most modern 3D games are boring clones of their predecessors. Yet a third is that a (good) sprite based game is easier to code, and as the sole developer I'd like to actually finish the game some day.

Okay, so what is the story of this game? I'm setting it as a prequel to the original Johnny Robo. The plot is thus: Johnny's Giant Ugly Lizard is kidnapped for no apparent reason by The Evil Princess, whom Johnny has never met. Johnny must rescue his lizard, and thus he transforms into Johnny Robo and goes off in pursuit of the princess. Of course, its not that easy, and on the way he must battle fungal interior decorators, plasma gazelles, lithovores, maybe some trilobites (he's going to make sure they are extinct this time!), and who knows what else.

What time scale am I looking at for this? Well, I'm new to game programming, so I am still learning many techniques. It is certainly challenging. I hope to have the ability to play through a single level, complete with enemies, by mid-March. I'll say the Ides of March as a provisional deadline, since Ides are inherrently cool (recall that the Ides is on the 15th in March, not the 13th as usual). That is not to say I'll be near done; there will still be lots to do. Other levels, the over head map (yes, there will be one), the game intro sequence, the Ninja Gaiden (the original, not the Xbox one) quality for or five frame cut scenes, controller configuration (joy stick support?), all that will still have to be done. Artwork may be incomplete by the March dead line as well. So, essentially I hope to have all the core code used during game play completed by that point, but there will still be a whole lot to do. If progress is going well I'll probably put up a Source Forge page around then.

Finally, is this a commercial product? Well, I'm not planning on charging for it. In fact, I intend to give the code away under the GPL. But by no means do I intend this to be some half-assed project. Although it's certainly not going to be the most technologically advanced game ever, I intend it to be 100% full-assed: Its damn well going to be complete, with no half done pieces hanging around in the finished product. Thus, if any one wants to participate, note that this is going to be significant time sink :)

Okay, Questions? Comments? Harassment? Oh, yes, if in the future I don't seem to be making good progress feel free to harass me about it.

	TRILOBITES!! (Anonymous) 2005-02-08 22:19 (link)
	There must be trilobites. I will draw whatever you want, as long as there are trilobites. ~* Laura (Reply to this) (Thread)