Defender (Now with exe download.)

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:44 am

Hello Descentr's

For the past month or so I have been working on a descent clone. There not going to be a storyline, nothing to fancy, just "Heres a mine, there some robots. Go Kill" I have not done very much at all really, but it is at a stage where it is playable. The map is only right angles at this stage, but is quite large.
(no deaths yet though, but flight and a start of bot's to fight against). Here are some screen-shots: (I should resize them)

There is now an exe here if you want to test it.

It is done in Blender 3D's Game engine. It will run on almost any PC that Blender opens on (includes Mac, Windows and Linux)
Currently I am working by myself, but if anyone wants to help they can. (Even just Crits are good)

The Blender File is here for those who want to try it.
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B27awt ... NWNi&hl=en

For those who haven't used blender, it is a program for 3D models, animations and games. If you get it to try this game, and have no idea how to use it, just opening it and pressing the key "p" should work (make sure you use version 2.5)

KoolBear · Post by **KoolBear** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:20 am

umm is it just me?

Foil · Post by **Foil** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:33 am

Nice.

I wasn't aware Blender had a game engine, but it looks like you have a few of the basics in place. Keep us posted!

d3jake · Post by **d3jake** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:11 pm

Wow! Looks great!

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:13 pm

This looks slick. I'll have to try it.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:16 am

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. For those who want to try it, there is a link to the blender file in the first post. When I make it into an executable I will post a link to that too, but for now it will remain as just the .blend

I have done a little more work today, and there are now deaths. You can die, but there are infinite lives.

Is there a table somewhere with stats for all the descent weapons and robots etc. As this would help with the creation of this game.

Gekko71 · Post by **Gekko71** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:09 am

Can't offer any help sorry bu can offer lots of encouragement - looks great keep it up!!

PS: please get this to an exe format asap.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:19 pm

I should be able to port it sometime today or tomorrow. I'll keep you posted on that.

Foil · Post by **Foil** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:05 pm

sdfgeoff wrote:Is there a table somewhere with stats for all the descent weapons and robots etc. As this would help with the creation of this game.

Yes, there is. The table is in the game files. Robot behavior and such can be found in the original source code.

A good resource would be to talk to the creators of D2X-XL and/or DXX-Rebirth source ports.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:04 pm

All right, It's ported to .exe and is busy uploading. I won't update the .exe very often, as uploading takes ages (14mb) but there it is for you guys to look at. Just remember this is very early on and there are some problems, but please tell me what problems you find, as I may not know about them.

Heres the link:
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B27awt ... N2U4&hl=en

I'm hoping its going to work....

Thanks for letting me know Foil. I am not actually a programmer, So I'm not sure if I would be able to understand the information in the source, but thanks for letting me know. I may ask Zico (the Dxx rebirth guy) if he could make a table for me.

I've just been playing the game to find out the damage for weapons.... Probably the best, but least productive way to do it. I'll make it into a table.
I'm not going to make a difficulty selector, so what should the damage stats mimic (trainee, rookie, hotshot, ace, insane?)

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:36 pm

Many thanks to Zico I now have all the statistics for weapon damage and Robot health. So I will be using those in updates.
Anyone had a look at the game yet?

zico · Post by **zico** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:12 pm

I was trying to take a look but right now I have no Windows at hand.
Since it was made with Blender... Is it possible to play it straight out of Blender instead? If yes I'll raise my hand to make the Linux port (*cough* if I get some more time *cough*).

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:43 pm

Yes, it is possible to play straight out of blender, I have a link at the bottom of the first post to the blender file, just remember to use 2.56, otherwise you loose the HUD, and get gravity back and a few other errors.
Here's the link again though, as it is unnoticeable where it is:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B27awt ... ist&num=50

And I had great difficulties making the .exe as I am a Linux user too. I just haven't uploaded the Linux executable as it is bigger than the windows one, and I have a slow upload speed. (it comes to 28 mb)

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:49 pm

Due to a person complaining that this was too like the original descent, and that I should change the font, I have.
Hence a new title screen.

(still got to actually put it in the game files though)

KoolBear · Post by **KoolBear** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:20 am

Man I wouldn't have worried about it, you will find that this crowd will complain about the color of your socks! Even if they can't see that you aren't wearing any socks! We will still argue and put you down because we can't do it ourselves

[end rant]

This new fonts sux (j/k)

I would use that Descent Font that has no copyright, you know the one that has been floating around the community for 13 years or so, yea that one

lol, man I am sorry I am tired it's nice but really, use the Descent Font and tell me me were to send the whiner their cheese!

zico · Post by **zico** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 6:54 am

I agree with KoolBear.

It's you project. You shoudl do whatever the heck you want with it.

After all - and this is my opinion - why complain about the FONT? The friggin FONT? Yes it looks like Descent. So does the Pyro, so do the textures, so do the robots.
But yeah ... hey, it's up to you if you WANNA change the font, that's fine - I just don't get it.

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:05 pm

Remember that D3 had a different font all together. It looked something like a morphed Tahoma.

Looking great there sdfgeoff.

Don't worry about the font. Ditto to KB.

Foil · Post by **Foil** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:08 pm

Exactly. The font looked great.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:11 pm

Well, It seems that I should return to the original title and font.
The idea was originally someone over at the D2X-XL forum, who said it was too much like plagiarism. (same font, same ship, same bots etc).

The game-play, although still 6DOF will eventually be one of two options, neither like the current versions of descent:
1) Survival: Play until you die, no shield powerups anywhere, only weapon and energy centers
2) Timed Game: Play for 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes and kill as many bots as you can in the time (or you die). There are shields in this version.

The main thing that's happening at the moment in the development at the moment is the enemy AI and texturing. Texturing takes ages, as I have to do it square by square. Theres no easy way to define the tops as roofs, bottom as floors and sides as walls and get it to do itself, but I am making some progress.

Koolbear, thats the reason I wear sandals. Then no-one can comment on the socks...

KoolBear · Post by **KoolBear** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:47 pm

sdfgeoff wrote:*****snippage*****
Koolbear, thats the reason I wear sandals. Then no-one can comment on the socks...

lol, my Grandfather always wore socks with his sandles

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:04 pm

WHAT!!!

Pumo · Post by **Pumo** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:45 am

Hey, I also use socks when using sandals most of the time!

Back on topic:
I also didn't knew Blender had a gaming engine.
Indeed your clone looks very good and promising, and I agree the title would look definitely better with the good old classic Descent II Logo font.

If you need the fonts, I have them all, so just ask.

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:28 am

If you wanted... I could make the Title for you much like how I made this one.

Though the results may differ from this one since I'd have to reinstall the program again and work on it.

KoolBear · Post by **KoolBear** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:26 am

SWEET

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 10:43 pm

That logo is pretty cool. I would like to see what you can do with the title "defender" although I may or may not use it. (I'll see what the community says once it's there)

Aus-RED-5 · Post by **Aus-RED-5** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:49 am

Ok... here ya go. Just a quick render.

The image background is transparent and has a shadow effect in the text. Doesn't show up on a black background because I did away with the outlines for the shadows.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:52 pm

Thanks, it's looking very good. I'll put it on the background later today so you can see what it looks like.
If anyone has any comments about the background itself, I can change it too as it is a rendering of a 3D model.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:39 pm

Here's a new title screen with the new logo on it.

: Defender 3.jpg (134.7 KiB) Viewed 19592 times

Please tell me which to use out of:
Original
Blue with font change
New logo

Revised the controls today to stop the ship sliding sideways when you turn, and did more texturing....

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:45 pm

I think the new logo would look great with an orange-yellow shadow/outline (the same color as the original font.)

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:10 am

Instead of the the blue you mean?
Here is is:

: Defender 3.jpg (135.29 KiB) Viewed 19587 times

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:03 am

Yep, exactly like that. I like it.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:11 pm

I think you should see the map from the outside, so here it is. As you can see it is quite large, and it is easy to get lost in.

: OUtside.jpg (79 KiB) Viewed 17964 times

Also, I have been texturing, and have created "shield walls" walls you can see through (faint blue lightning texture), and drive through, but bullets can't pass through. So you can sit there safe. Well, the robots themselves can pass through, but it is still a safer area.

SirWinner · Post by **SirWinner** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 5:29 am

Nice pictures...

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 1:19 pm

Esh... that's an intimidating level, but for single player it could be fun.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 6:04 pm

Yeah, It's pretty big. It was made with a random labyrinth script so it has only 90 degree corners, but making others are easy.
This probably will only be single player, unless there is someone out there with experience making blender multi-player games (which I doubt)

Thenior · Post by **Thenior** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 3:28 pm

I hope there are going to be signs pointing what way to go - I know I'd get lost.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:49 pm

Yeah, it's really easy to get lost currently, with almost everywhere with the same texture....
But as it says above somewhere, it isn't a "find the reactor, blow it up and get out" style, it's more "find a hoard of robots and kill as many as possible"
So I'm not sure if signs are necessary, as long as their are differences in the walls.

Yes, I am still working on this, but the recent earthquake has disrupted things....

Thenior · Post by **Thenior** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:38 pm

you in NZ?

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:18 pm

I'm very sorry to hear that. I've been following it on the news.

sdfgeoff · Post by **sdfgeoff** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:21 pm

Yeah, in Christchurch. Thankfully the area in which I live was unaffected, but I've been going out digging silt out of others back yards. It is about 50 cm deep in places, and they have taken several hundred thousand tonnes out of Christchurch already.
Ah well, I'll see what happens.
Just adding missiles to the game, previously it was only lasers and plasma. Any suggestions for which weapons to use, or ideas for new ones?