Warbots Online working title ... Big Update xD

posted in Radioactive-Software

Published February 01, 2009

[ Warbots Online ]
Hey guys, yea I've been using 'Warbots Online' as a working title for the game I've been posting about lately [ mostly because www.warbotsonline.com is available xD ]...but yea, that's the name I'm going with.

The game is basically 64 player per server online combat. Gameplay modes - teams, deathmatch, command point control, ticket based play, etc. Players build their own mechanized robots from a set of chassis and weapons, the maps take place in 3 different environments [ grass, snow, desert ]...it's a pretty standard game, should be fun when it's finished in a few weeks...

Most players drive the robots etc...I on the other hand will be driving around in this xD -

I don't feel like typing up all kinda of info about the game right now, I'll save that for the website later.

I've been working on this game for 1 month and 29 days. I'd hoped to be done by today...but I'm very close.

I have about 9 items left on the to-do list.

Really, here is the to-do list...the game is like freakin' done man...

Anyways, as soon as the offline portions are done I might release a stripped down version of the game for free [ only giving access to maybe 10% of the stuff ].

I also need to find a publisher for it.

Finished Respawn Bunker
Yes with the addition of the light shafts from the spot lights, the building is done IMO...

Early Gameplay video
Ahhh I keep recording videos and uploading them to youtube, but then the next day I add cool stuff into the game, and it's already out dated...but there will be a gameplay video VERY soon.

Here are some preview images of the latest video, it's really wild lol...

Respawn bunker testing xD
So I had this ferrari model sitting around, I figured I might as well use it. [ other than as my exclusive in-game vehicle online lol ]

It's kind of like bringing a knife to a uh...robotic missle and machinegun fight xD

A new vehicle type
Not sure if you noticed but I added a new vehicle type into the game...a 6 wheeled job. I'm still working on the mechs, and the hovercraft, etc...

That's it for now guys! Videos, more info, and a website coming soon...

- Danny

Previous Entry Respawn Bunker WIP, Part #2 (Lighting)

Next Entry Warbots Online - Update!

0 likes 18 comments

Comments

Trapper Zoid

Wow.

That's a wow not at your pretty pictures (which are, indeed, very pretty), but at completing a game like this in just a couple of months.

I know you're most likely reusing Urban Empires code like crazy, but just getting the kinks out of a game in such a short period of time is remarkable. For years I thought you were putting too much time in perfecting your Urban Empires game, but I guess now it's (near) complete all that effort is paying off dividends.

February 01, 2009 04:41 PM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by Trapper Zoid
Wow.

That's a wow not at your pretty pictures (which are, indeed, very pretty), but at completing a game like this in just a couple of months.

I know you're most likely reusing Urban Empires code like crazy, but just getting the kinks out of a game in such a short period of time is remarkable. For years I thought you were putting too much time in perfecting your Urban Empires game, but I guess now it's (near) complete all that effort is paying off dividends.

Hey thanks a lot! Well Urban Empires is a whooole different project, but yea all the hard work and grinding on that, makes a game like this a 2-2.5 month job [ I projected 4 months ]. I'm actually improving a lot of things I'd made for Urban Empires...having such a 'clean' slate in terms of a game envirnoment has helped me fix/realize many things I was doing wrong and can improve in Urban Empires [ some of them major ;-) ]

Hopefully I can get this out there, test my tech, make a few bucks, prove/improve things [ specifically the multiplayer/stat tracking/master server/etc. ] and go from there with Urban Empires or another small project. At each juncture I'll learn more and gain more experience, so I'm happy XD

I really can't wait to show some video footage of this game lol.

Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it.

- Danny

P.S. hmmm I think the light shafts in my above screens are too big, I think I'll shrink them ~40% vertically [grin]

February 01, 2009 04:54 PM

Moomin

IMHO the god rays look slightly over the top on some of the outdoor scenes.

February 01, 2009 05:12 PM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by Moomin
IMHO the god rays look slightly over the top on some of the outdoor scenes.

I'm sure that's the majority opinion, but I like them XD They look really cool in motion.

It's going to be off by default, you can flip them on in the options menu, or adjust the intensity w/ a slider bar. Same with the bloom...people are very picky about their post processes.

- Danny

February 01, 2009 05:28 PM

nolongerhere

I'll definately be buying this game..release it, ASAP!

I recently got a new computer that is actually capable of playing modern games and I want a good, simple to play multiplayer game.

Why not just release the game yourself, people just buy and download the game off the site? Cuz I dont feel like waiting for this game, your already making me wait for UE!

February 01, 2009 06:01 PM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by Falling Sky
I'll definately be buying this game..release it, ASAP!

I recently got a new computer that is actually capable of playing modern games and I want a good, simple to play multiplayer game.

Why not just release the game yourself, people just buy and download the game off the site? Cuz I dont feel like waiting for this game, your already making me wait for UE!

Thanks a lot, yea I'll work to get it out there as soon as I can :-D I will self publish if necessary, publishers just make things easier for me, as well as a better testing program and more publicity.

- Danny

February 01, 2009 07:36 PM

nolongerhere

Sounds good. Whichever you choose im sure it will come out great!
Just keep me in mind when you need beta testers ;)

February 01, 2009 07:40 PM

ildave1

Not enough brown

February 02, 2009 02:58 AM

hungryhippo5000

Nice progress, very professional looking. Have you looked into publishing your game on steam? I don't know much about what the process involves but I'm sure you will receive a greater exposure.

February 02, 2009 01:20 PM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by hungryhippo5000
Nice progress, very professional looking. Have you looked into publishing your game on steam? I don't know much about what the process involves but I'm sure you will receive a greater exposure.

Hey thanks a lot! xD yup I will def. pursue that. I need to continue to polish the gameplay / etc and get some kinks rolled out and then I will create a publisher pitch document.

I still have to make the website, the project is only 2 months old :-o I don't want go to submit to the publishers with an unpolished game that has no website and a slopped together pdf :-/ Hehe.

I'd be happy with a publishing contract similar to what I have with Urban Empires, but with a few adjustments :-D

February 02, 2009 01:47 PM

Moe

Quote:Original post by Trapper Zoid
Wow.

That's a wow not at your pretty pictures (which are, indeed, very pretty), but at completing a game like this in just a couple of months.

I second that. It's amazing what you've been able to accomplish in such a short time. How many hours a day do you spend working on it?

February 04, 2009 09:49 AM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by Moe
Quote:Original post by Trapper Zoid
Wow.

That's a wow not at your pretty pictures (which are, indeed, very pretty), but at completing a game like this in just a couple of months.

I second that. It's amazing what you've been able to accomplish in such a short time. How many hours a day do you spend working on it?

Thanks :-) I'm fulltime, so like 8-15 hours a day it depends, I like to work ~12 usually, but some days I don't work at all 8-) It's all fun though, so I have to pull myself away at 6AM sometimes XD

February 04, 2009 12:00 PM

Matias Goldberg

a) Professional looking. Congratulations!
b) How did you do the spotlight effect? Is it just a couple of billboards or something more complex using shaders to give some sort of volumetric feeling?
c) The models were made by yourself, bought somewhere (i.e. a website), or freelancing?
d) The god rays look awesome, but do they allow the player to look correctly? You'll need some beta testing on that.

The game looks gorgueous. And the fact 64 players can be playing it at the same time can spice it up.

Cheers
Dark Sylinc

February 06, 2009 07:12 PM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by Matias Goldberg
a) Professional looking. Congratulations!
b) How did you do the spotlight effect? Is it just a couple of billboards or something more complex using shaders to give some sort of volumetric feeling?
c) The models were made by yourself, bought somewhere (i.e. a website), or freelancing?
d) The god rays look awesome, but do they allow the player to look correctly? You'll need some beta testing on that.

The game looks gorgueous. And the fact 64 players can be playing it at the same time can spice it up.

Cheers
Dark Sylinc

Thanks a lot.

a) Thanks :-)
b) Spotlights are visually represented with axis aligned billboards.
c) Freelanced out all the artwork.
d) Thanks glad you like them, they really do look better in motion.

Yup, a lot of the fun comes from the meyham of 64 actors in the scenes, but the maps are pretty big , the AI is just for practice shooting offline and filling empty slots online [if desired]...I can't wait to see how humans play it :-D

Thanks for the comment.

- Danny

February 07, 2009 01:51 PM

thr

Hey!

I saw you using XATC in one of your earlier posts, it this built on XNA or are you just using XATC w/o XNA?

Oh, and awesome game - looks incredibly good!

Regards,

February 08, 2009 03:10 PM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by thr
Hey!

I saw you using XATC in one of your earlier posts, it this built on XNA or are you just using XATC w/o XNA?

Oh, and awesome game - looks incredibly good!

Regards,

Hey there, nope it's not XNA :-)

I just use XACT since I don't have the 20 grand for a FMOD license on this project.

- Danny

February 08, 2009 06:20 PM

thr

First of all, once again: awesome jobb.

I was in a bit of a hurry last night when i asked about XNA and ment o ask about what technologies you were using also, if that is ok?

I'm assuming native C++ because you didn't use XNA, correct?
Did you write the graphics engine yourself or are you using a pre-made one?
Any special plugins for said graphics engine?
What other libraries for physics, sound, networking, etc. ?

And again, the game looks awesome!

February 09, 2009 07:16 AM

dgreen02

Quote:Original post by thr
First of all, once again: awesome jobb.

I was in a bit of a hurry last night when i asked about XNA and ment o ask about what technologies you were using also, if that is ok?

I'm assuming native C++ because you didn't use XNA, correct?
Did you write the graphics engine yourself or are you using a pre-made one?
Any special plugins for said graphics engine?
What other libraries for physics, sound, networking, etc. ?

And again, the game looks awesome!

I used the same technology I've been building for the last 5 years. There are about 3 years of journal entries describing the development of it here, you just have to go back...it think it starts sometime in 2005.

I re-wrote nearly all of the shaders,etc for this project since it's pretty small compared to my last.

I use native C++, engine written from scratch. Libraries - Direct3D, XACT/XAudio, DirectInput, RakNet, LibCURL, MYSQL for stat tracking, and probably some others, I have Ageia and Newton support but I wrote the physics myself for this one since it's so small [ relativly ]...mmmm let's see I use Milkshape3D for the art, I have the assets delivered in .smd format so I can get them into .ms3d files.

If you want to learn more about it scroll through the 100s of entries I've made over the yeras, you can see the months on the right side ->

Thanks for the comments.

- Danny

February 09, 2009 12:10 PM

You must log in to join the conversation.

Don't have a GameDev.net account? Sign up!

dgreen02

Author

Warbots Online working title ... Big Update xD

Comments

dgreen02

Latest Entries

Just Death Update #1 - Fixes, HK G3, HiRoller, and Drugs.

Just Death - Steam Page + Game Trailer

Just Death - JustDeath.com - New Website & Details

Just Death coming to Steam!

Killing Horizon Update - 3/5/2014 - Plus 1 Million Journal Views!

Killing Horizon Update - 9/18/2013 - Massive Progress!

Oculus Rift VR Development Kit...

Killing Horizon Update - 8/15/2013 - AI, Animations, Prototype Maps, etc.

Announcing 'Killing Horizon' + New Radioactive Software website!

Gettysburg: Armored Warfare Released - #1 selling game on Steam!

Warbots Online working title ... Big Update xD

Comments

dgreen02

Latest Entries

Just Death Update #1 - Fixes, HK G3, HiRoller, and Drugs.

Just Death - Steam Page + Game Trailer

Just Death - JustDeath.com - New Website &#38; Details

Just Death coming to Steam&#33;

Killing Horizon Update - 3/5/2014 - Plus 1 Million Journal Views&#33;

Killing Horizon Update - 9/18/2013 - Massive Progress&#33;

Oculus Rift VR Development Kit...

Killing Horizon Update - 8/15/2013 - AI, Animations, Prototype Maps, etc.

Announcing &#39;Killing Horizon&#39; + New Radioactive Software website&#33;

Gettysburg: Armored Warfare Released - #1 selling game on Steam&#33;

Reticulating splines

Just Death - JustDeath.com - New Website & Details

Just Death coming to Steam!

Killing Horizon Update - 3/5/2014 - Plus 1 Million Journal Views!

Killing Horizon Update - 9/18/2013 - Massive Progress!

Announcing 'Killing Horizon' + New Radioactive Software website!

Gettysburg: Armored Warfare Released - #1 selling game on Steam!