Download Blobula Here
[UPDATE: Thanks to Laura finding a bug in the High Scores table. You could not get out of it! All fixed..just re-download 1.2]
Allrighty people! Force Emitters have been implemented (at least their first version). So ch-ch-check it out! The last two stages show off how they work.
Download Blobula Here
Allright this new version is all about you! In this version you can switch between two different control schemes. Allow me to explain:
1. Press 'O' (which is on by default) to be in "traditional control mode." In this mode, you press the spacebar to pull Blobula to the ground. The longer you hold the spacebar down, the faster down he will go. The moment you let go, the force that was pulling Blobula down will be directed up. So you want to release the spacebar right when Blobula compresses against the ground.
2. Press 'W' to activate "bounce jump mode" This is a new control scheme (from the last version). In this mode, pressing spacebar will make Blobula jump. To get higher, wait for him to come back down and press spacebar when he squashes and is about to come back up. You can also press the down arrow key to "slam" blobula down. You can use this to hit the ground harder and combine it with jumping to get more height.
So the part that really involves you folks is telling me which one you like better! I need as much feedback as I can get my grubby hands on. With your help, we can move Blobula into the next era of blob driven dynamics!
Download Blobula 1.0.2.1 Here
While trying to focus on my school work, I made some major changes to Blobula. This release is an experiment in some different controls. Jumping has been simplified. Now what you want to do is press the jump button when you hit the ground and JUST when you start to go back up. The idea is that when you press jump, you are applying an upward force to Blobula and you want to time this with the "resorative forces" that are pushing him back up. Get these together and you will fly higher. Anyhoos, take some time and tell me what you think! Also, when you press down on the keyboard, you will pull blobula down, so use this on ramps and to get through small spaces, etc.
Also, I have provided to render methods for blobula. Pressing w puts him into traditional wireframe mode while pressing s will put him into a solid mode. The new release starts out in solid so tell me what you think! I like him more in solid personally.
Hey folks, if you download blobula again, there is a new map featured. I woke up this morning and had the silly idea in my head. So give it a shot, its now Level 15.
Thanks to Theo Christensen for helping me fix the zooming issue in Blobula. Re download using the link to the right!
If you haven't noticed, all Blobula Maps now only come into 2 flavors as far as extensions go: .MAPXML and .MAPBIN. I reccomend you save your maps out in .MAPXML format for now since updates to map data may invalidate old .MAPBIN maps.
Download Blobula Here
Hey again everyone. I decided to test out the new map editor and have created three new maps and also created a few more palettes to help people out. Once again, the palettes I created are "locked" and cannot be deleted but you can place one into the map then add to it and add it as your own.
If you are going to work with the Editor, I got some good news! I'm about to start making a map editing guide so you can look forward to that. Also, if you are messing around, I highly recommend you use the palette system to speed up your development.
Once again, thanks to everyone who has been supporting me in Blobula!
Download Blobula Here!
[Editors Note : There were a few quick bugs in the map editor...I've been fixin em and updating so make sure you redownload!]
Hey everyone! New version of Blobula has rocked its way to this fine series of tubes!
The editor is the main focus here. You can now shift + click and drag select groups of shapes. You can move, scale, and rotate them as a group. With rotation, you can toggle Local or Group rotation. The new big feature is palettes! When you open the Static Geometry Tool, click the Palettes button located on the end of the toolstrip (on the right side). This will open the palettes window (you can have this open at the same time as the map editor). When you have a group of shapes selected in the map editor, click "Add" on the Palette window. This will add the group of shapes as "palette" and allow you to click the "Place" button to put them in the last place you clicked in the world editor. You can also save your palette by using the File Menu in the Palette Window. I've provided a default palette file with a few presets (can't be deleted / editied) for your enjoyment. The palette option should provide more level building fun. I'm gonna sit down tonight and make some! Please enjoy and as always, feedback and bug reports are encouraged!
Download New Blobula Here!
Well folks I said I was cooking something and I thought I'd go ahead and share some of it with you. As far as the game goes, this version of blobula is exactly the same. All the differences are on the data end of the spectrum.
The map editor (located in the ME folder) has undergone some improvements. The map editor now features the Universal Grid and Copy/Paste Functionality. When you want to add maps, you can now edit the XML file located in Resources\Maps\BlobulaMapList.XML. Just copy one of the "map" elements and fill in the parameters. I know this method is a little janky and off putting for some of you but it will be replaced by the Map List Editor which can be used from the Map Editor. I am working on that right now but I wanted to get this improved map editor out asap!
You'll also find a new map (Level 13) in the game which shows off how much the copy/paste functionality ends.
I plan on having the group select/edit features working by this weekend.
Have fun and please email any maps you make to naveen.nattam@gmail.com!
Hey hey everyone!
Just saw Cloverfield last night and thought it was pretty good. Definetly an awesome new take on giant monster movies. Since elementary school, I've been a big fan of gigantic monster movies. I've seen most of the 85-early 90's Godzilla movies (in my opinion the good generation). Hell I even have the soundtrack to those films (no one does big monster music like the japanese). After finishing the movie I can definetly say that Cloverfield ranks amongst my favorite. I have a few dissapointments but on the whole it was great. I don't think that all big monster movies should be done in this fashion from now but this dies provides some new inspiration (like The Office for TV).
My only major dissapointment was the Monster itself. All I'll say is that it is too limber for its size. Outside of that, extremely well done. Oh and do yourself a favor and stay for the music at the end of the film (only music in the whole movie). Its an excellent take on american and japanese big monster movie scores (if your into that whole thing).
On another note, I am working on updating the crap out of the Blobula Map Editor. First off, I am switching to XML as the file format for non-binary files coming from the map editor. This is going to allow the Map Editor to take in old map files and save them out in the newest format for the actual game. The game itself will require the newest version of maps but all you'll have to do for your maps is load them in then save them back out. I'll probably make some kind of batch tool in the editor for doing several maps at once.
Outside of the file junk, I'm adding some new features. I've just added copy/pasting for single shapes, a universal grid that will stay on the screen no matter where you go, and several camera controls in a "View" option (you can set the zoom, go back to origin, or just reset it). Some features coming up are group selected (moving, scaling, rotating, deleting, copy/paste) and also the ability to make "Palettes" out of groups of shapes. These will be saved so all you have to do is drag a palette on to the grid and it will appear there. I'll also make sure the pallette is saved externally to the editor so you can reuse it every time.
So now some big news: I didn't win the contest I submitted Blobula for at Full Sail but I am going to GDC anyhoos (in case I didn't mention the prize was a full badge to GDC). Pretty dang excited and looking forward to meeting a lot of industry folk. Got to get Blobula into tip/top shape before I go!
I have to give a huge thanks to everyone for their support of Blobula over the past two months. While the game is not done, its current form has already gotten some awesome feedback. This is the first time I've created a game that people actually enjoyed playing and the feeling is completely unreal.
On top of it all, Laura ringed me up from San Francisco and her graduation and the after party was an amazing experience.
This couple is literally feeling on top of the world.
Sorry if that all sounds big headed...
Download Blobula 1.0 here!
So here it is ladies and germs!
After much labor and love comes the first full version of Blobula 1.0! While I'm positive there are plenty-o bugs silently lurking in there I felt it was about time to give you the grander version of my game!
This version has all the essential elements that I wanted in Blobula. Each map now as a Par time. In challenge mode if you can beat the map under the par time, you'll score full points plus bonus for every second under par. You still have a total of 3:00 minutes to get through the game. You can restart the round (but not the total timer) by pressing R. Freedom Mode is designed to let your practice without the timer. There are 11 levels in total and I plan on making some more after a nice long siesta.
Now for the second part of the title:
Download Mike's Awesome Rhythm Game Here!
I go to class with several awesome people and if it wasn't for them (and the love of my awesome kick-ass fiance) I would not have made it this far in the program. Mike has been a friend of mine since I got here and he has been an awesome brother-in-arms. This is an awesome rhythm game he has been working on for a while and its inspired by Elite Beat Agents and Guitar Hero. This is truly something I want to see him make bigger cause it is one of the damn coolest small games ideas ever! So check it!
So please enjoy the double dose of student love and please...don't drink and drive.
Download Blobula 0.9 Here.
Allright this is getting much closer to the final version. This version includes the full on menu. Challenge Mode now has a timer and you score points for completing levels as fast as possible. A high score table has been added (with 3 initial input).
NOTE: layout for the menus is not done (this is all placeholder). Text is also not finalized.
So give it a shot!
I'm working late into the nights to get Blobula done for the contest deadline. Last night I was spent going over a pretty infuriating topic: the physics frame rate. The basic concept (as I understand) is that a common problem in physics-based applications is that the timestep is tied to your general frame rate. Unfortunately, most games physics are built to support a particular frame rate (60 fps, 500 fps) and if your game suddenly does not meet that at any point well basically KAMBLO!
Blobula was suffering from this problem due the constant timestep I need for the verlet intergration technique I was using for the blob. In order to run properly, the physics needs to be update at around 700 fps in order to be smooth. I want to make a quick note that I want to lower this needed rate but that is going to require some more research time I don't have right now. So anyhoos, regardless of the framerate, we need to make sure the physics is updating as at a rate of 700 fps. So the conclusion came from an article that I found here. The funny thing about this article was that a long time ago during the months before I came to Full Sail, I sat down to start working on "My First Physics Demo." During that inexperienced time, I read this article and tried to apply it. I believe now that I had no idea what I was doing back then (and sometimes I'm afraid that is still true!). So once again, this article came back to help me and this time I was ready. Its amazing when this happens. It happened with my god-like collision book where I would read and have no clue, then come back months later and fully understand.
So the new version of Blobula is running with vysnc to lock it at 60 fps but the physics is running at roughly 700 fps. So check it out and give me some feedback!
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