[UFEC] Entry: Replican

Cant wait. LOL I bet I know what animal the logo image will be.XD

Here is a link to a youtube video of the first sprite I've worked up for the game:

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I proofed the first sprite today, and it was a failure (though I'm not yet discouraged!) Here is the proof image:



Its a Replican "Pump", and you can see the animated GeoPuddle under it. Its sitting in a thing layer of water over a plain of ice. You can't see the water moving (it does) or the GeoPuddle rippling, or the Pump's case spinning (only the glowing part spins.

Its a failure because the lighting on the "Pump" is bad, the darks are too dark, but its easily fixed with a re-render using a higher ambient light setting :)

The motion of the second version of the Replican "pump" on youtube:

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Ok,a total redraft of the design parameters as I will never be done with HopFrog in time at this rate!

PLATFORM:

Java + JOGL + JavaSound + Groovy - Windows / MacOS / Linux

Man, this Java stuff is easy. I haven't looked at Java seriously in years, and its come a long way since then. :) I think I'll have a basic draft of the game up and running in 2 weeks at the rate I'm moving.

I'm still doing a lot of low level code - GLSL, Particles, and so on. I am beginning to wonder if I'll make it in time - but I'm on vacation this week and expect major progress! *keeps the hope alive*

Looking forward to see some new screenshots. I have really no clue, what this is all about.

Well, at its core its about:

Life trapped in a difficult spot.

On this planet, the surface is a total sheet of ice under a thin layer of water. In some spots, the ice has been broken through from crystal underneath and the heat of the core has made that place suitable for life. Here is what it looks like in the prototype so far:



Life here has evolved into a form called GeoCELLs. These are crystal life forms that can move under their own power. Each GeoCELL itself is too tiny to been seen by the eye, not unlike a single celled organism that we know.

So, you have come to this world to give this life a hand. In order to do this you transmit your data from orbit and give the GeoCELLs plans to build. Initially you build a pump, that will draw in the GeoCELLs from their colony and into the atmosphere. Looks like this so far, though there should be sparkling particles on the surface of the water over the crystal harbor (the green break in the ice):



Once they are pumped, they for that GeoPuddle around the pump itself and start producing energy from an internal reaction in response to the atmosphere. Now you have your resource to start developing a colony.

This may not seem much like a game yet, because there is no enemy. Well, lo' and behold, the GeoCELLs are not the only life on this wretched planet. In the atmosphere is something called SkyLites - beings of pure energy that feed off any lifeform - organic or crystalline. (Graphics under development).

Also, colonies of GeoCELLs don't always get along as they are almost like their own beings (multiplayer).

This sounds very interesting. And I like the scenario - it's somhow different to the standard Orks VS. Elves and Human vs. Demons RTS. I hope you don't get stuck into too many details. It's only a few monthes left for coding and graphics and sound usually takes more time than planned.

"I hope you don't get stuck into too many details."

Yea, you are telling me, we are down to less than 2 months now and I just spent an entire weekend doing random map generation...

Well I'm thinking I'm going to just get the minimal game going (tutorial and one map with only the basics units) without all the end features for the contest and continue work on it for the rest of the year. I think I'll be able to pull that off if I bust ass.