Video updates (various)

Today I let the videos speak:
First of all a nice FOSS bullet hell SHMUP, called Shmupacabra:



Taisei Project is maybe also relevant if you like getting killed ALOT (hehe, insider joke for q).

Previously mentioned Cube Trains (based on Frogatto) has reached version 1.0:



You can support the developer of this nice puzzle game by buying the Expansion-pack for 2 Canadian bucks or more! Another option to try and fund FOSS game development... maybe there will be some sales figures published at some point?

Next on the list: open-source engine reimplementation project Corsix-th:



You will need the original game for the non-free artworks though.

And last but not least: 0 A.D. got a brand new website: www.play0ad.com! Celebrating this they also made some nice video tutorials for total beginners:



Have a look at tutorial 2 and tutorial 3 also.

Signing off :)

Edit: Small interview with the 0 A.D. developers.

Ancient Beast: HTML5 Hexagonal RTS' First Release

Ancient Beast is a FOSS game project that has been in development by Freezing Moon for a couple of years, tantalizing everyone with top notch concept art and 3D models. 

After a rather large restructuring in game scope, where they changed from attempting to create a 3D RTS in the Blender Game Engine, to a 2D hexagonal TBS built on HTML5, they have delivered a promising gameplay prototype that offers a mix of Heroes of Might and Magic and Magic: The Gathering's gameplay. 

Gameplay currently revolves around summoning creatures and using their abilities to defeat other summoners

Still in heavy development, the game still needs to implement the entirety of its sizable bestiary, as well as adding animated creatures by utilizing the models they have created.

So, if you have any skills in web development, jump aboard and help them complete this awesome game!

Cry for programming help!

Ok, we don't normally do these kind of recruitment posts (don't send us emails about that!), but for the following two FOSS game gems we will make an exception (and it is officially sanctioned by our boss Charlie ;) ).

So which ones do I mean? Well these:

Link to homepage; example video

Link to homepage; example video

In recent months both games have stalled in development and people are starting to become quite pessimistic about the future (1,2).

Strangely enough (for typical FOSS projects) it is not the artists who lack (there is actually an active group of contributors for both games, who are eager to see their artwork in the game; examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, all CC-by-SA licensed) but a severe lack of programmers.

An example of not yet implemented OD graphics

So how can you help out and dig into the code, and why am I posting about both games the same time? Well both are actually build on a somewhat similar base, utilizing OGRE3D for graphics and CEGUI for the GUI elements. Now I have to admit, given my very much lacking C++ skills, I am aware that that is probably where the similarities end, but have a look at their developers pages (1, 2) and source-code yourself if you are interested.

Now why would one want to merge the code-base of two completely different games (the one being a strategy game, the other an ARPG)? Well surprisingly enough they would complement each other quite well, with a similar theme and the nice prospect of using the OD mechanics also as an in-game editor (which is really lacking for SumWars).

In addition to that it would open up the possibility of a really cool multiplayer/COOP game mode as I explained here. This comic sums up the idea (minus the Wii-U):

Copyright: Penny Arcade

So warm up your OGRE3D coding skills and give these projects some help, preferably including a merger! THANKS in advance!

All Maps of Bos Wars 2.6.1+ (svn r10193)

I filled a recent craving for playing a sci-fi real time strategy game by re-discovering Bos Wars and playing every single player map.

image: Bos' level of art, many screenshots indicate a much lower quality.

The game runs on low-spec computers and can be quite fast-paced. I quite enjoyed playing it in a tower-defense/tower rush style. The last release of Bos Wars has been over two years ago, but development is not frozen, the last commit was on 2012-08-09.

The three biggest issues I personally had are:

1. Some maps are aesthetically displeasing.
2. For a beginner, it's hard to decide what map to play.
3. Many units and buildings don't have voices/sounds.
4. The interface is confusing in regards to resource quantity.

Visual style of old maps

image: most likely the first map you play in Bos (because it's selected by default)

To address issues 1 and 2, I hope that this blog post will help. The screenshots at the bottom show the game start screen at 1280x1024 for every of the "Start Game" single player maps. If you see a level that you'd like to play, right-click and "open" the link or image, to see the level name in the file name of the screenshot.

An in-game solution to issue 1. would be to create a map folder called "old" and move all levels in there, when the rendered ground texture clashes with the units, buildings and resources.

This suggestion might be seen as disrespectful insult to the original map makers, but having the current map selection structure is a barrier for new players, who need some guidance to get started without having to open random levels first. They are likely to assume that the first level they play is representative of the visual style of the entire game, which can be quite wrong, as you can see by the different-looking screenshots at the bottom.

Map selection screen

image: Bos Wars map selection screen

To solve issue 2 in-game, a preview of the mini-map, as it is seen with "non-revealed map" would help. This might be a non-trivial UI/in-game-rendering task if it has to work fully automatic.

Missing/repetitive sounds

In regards to issue 3, I started by contributing a patch with some voices and sounds. If you would like to help as a voice actor or by turning voice lines into soldier/pilot/driver voice/effect mixes, please feel free to comment in this blog post, if you would like to coordinate this with me and other potential contributors. Female voices are especially welcome (source).

Feedback on my patch is welcome too. Watch/listen to the video below, to see what kind of voices are missing and what kind of voices are being used multiple times in Bos Wars.

video: Unit sounds in Bos Wars

Resource UI

I'm not sure I have figured it out completely but here goes nothing.

image: how I interpret Bos' resource info

Without having thought this through in detail, this is what seems to be missing:

• Resource icons.
• Absolute value of resources in stock, rather than divided by ten(?).
• Color coding of income/spending.
• Display of the sum of income and spending - in a prominent position, individual display of income and spending in a non-prominent position.
• Indication of resource effect by buildings when selecting buildings and when hovering them in the build menu.

Starting screens of all Bos Wars maps

If you see a level that you'd like to play, right-click and "open" the link or image, to see the level name in the file name of the screenshot.

gallery: All Bos Wars maps

DevCorner: Professionalize your art asset management

Today I thought it might be nice to have a small talk about Digital Asset Management systems (DAMs). Now I have to admit, given the abundance of open-source DAM systems and my general lack of having actually tried them, might make me not really qualified to talk about this. However I think those are actually really useful if you are managing a game project with more than one artist, and I just happened to stumble on one (TACTIC) that seems to be especially geared towards 3D movie and game development (Note: I hope this doesn't turn into too much of an advertisement post, but this system is after all completely open-source. But if you have other, or better DAMs for FOSS game development, feel free to add them in the comments).

So what are DAMs actually? Maybe this short introduction video of the system mentioned above, will give you an idea quickly:


TACTIC from TACTIC on Vimeo.

The system was quite recently open-sourced under the Eclipse Public License, and has been previously in use by some of the big 3D gaming companies. For an overview of the features head here. Its client interface is completely web-based, and you can easily set up your own asset-repository VM server if you want.

For most FOSS games (which tend to be mostly one-man shows :( ) such a system is probably overkill, but using a DAM might actually help involving more people and make collaboration across the globe more efficient (Just like GIT and such systems did for code collaboration projects).

Maybe someone would also be willing to host such a service for FOSS game projects? However high data-transfers rates would make it probably not possible to offer such a service for free. Feel free to comment on that too ;)