The Spam Thread: Channel Your Need to Spam Here Only

[MicShazam]

Originally Posted by Unitron

Looks like it would fit right in with 80's Amiga/Commodore/DOS games. Is it a RPG?

I've always been interested in the idea of making my own game, but I just don't have the motivation and drive to really learn how to do it. Music is my main passion, so I'd rather devote my time to something that I know I can do rather than something that I have no idea if I would even be any good at it.

Though I do sometimes create my own Doom maps, if that counts for anything.

Yeah, it's an RPG of sorts. 1-on-1 turn based combat, but with somewhat different rules than what you'd usually see in old RPG's. There's a whole bunch of little mechanical tweaks that makes the combat system a little different from what the game is inspired by (which is 80's and early 90's computer RPGs).

I'm no programmer, but the game engine I'm using is very simple. It does have a coding language that I've had to learn, but it's pretty basic.

And I'd like to play those Doom maps if you've got some finished ones online! I love making maps for games. Used to do that all the time back in the day for a variety of DOS games.

[windsock]

Originally Posted by MicShazam

lol good catch!

It's actually intentional.

I googled for the correct spelling, but also remembered seeing the other spelling method several places. It's technically incorrect, but can sometimes be seen used in some phrases, like "she's got moxy!". It's almost sort of a stylization or a written slang version of the word. I liked how it looked in writing better, even though it's not the correct spelling. I decided I could excuse it by how it refers to part of the game system that isn't exactly 1:1 with what it means in "the real world", so to speak.

Long story short: I liked the incorrect spelling better aesthetically and it's functionally a game component that's more inspired by what the word means than it's the same thing.

That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up!

[Unitron]

Originally Posted by MicShazam

Yeah, it's an RPG of sorts. 1-on-1 turn based combat, but with somewhat different rules than what you'd usually see in old RPG's. There's a whole bunch of little mechanical tweaks that makes the combat system a little different from what the game is inspired by (which is 80's and early 90's computer RPGs).

I'm no programmer, but the game engine I'm using is very simple. It does have a coding language that I've had to learn, but it's pretty basic.

And I'd like to play those Doom maps if you've got some finished ones online! I love making maps for games. Used to do that all the time back in the day for a variety of DOS games.

Cool, if it's in a playable state, I'd give it a try.

I don't have any online currently, but I have a couple finished ones on my computer. I'll try and upload them to some file-hosting site and PM the links to you.

[MicShazam]

Originally Posted by Unitron

Cool, if it's in a playable state, I'd give it a try.

I don't have any online currently, but I have a couple finished ones on my computer. I'll try and upload them to some file-hosting site and PM the links to you.

It's technically playable, but I'm in the process of making more actual game areas right now, so I want to make some more cohesive and actually connected areas first.
Been spending a lot of time getting the gameplay stuff the be like I wanted it before I made too many game maps, so things are in relative disarray right now.

I'll probably upload a version with something more substantial going on before Christmas. Then hopefully finish the game next year.

[Plankton]

Originally Posted by MicShazam

I thought about making a thread about hobby game development, but I'm not sure anyone else in here really dabbles in that, so I'm just gonna dump my latest work-in-progress screenshot here instead:

Currently at version 94 of this game project. I've got multiple unfinished game projects in the same engine (Megazeux), but this one is by far the one I've gone the farthest with. I've spent countless hours on this thing. Been working on this game idea in some form since 2012, but this iteration is from somewhere early last year, I think. One of the reasons I'm not writing music anymore is that all of my creative energy goes into making this game.

Today, I made one more actual playable gameplay area, which is what this picture shows.

Very cool. I've dabbled in BASIC with a Commodore 64 and the thousands of lines of code and the hours of debugging killed it for me. I'd imagine having a packaged game creation engine makes things a little less overwhelming. I'd check it out if you'd compile it (do you have to compile these?) and made it available.

[MicShazam]

Originally Posted by Plankton

Very cool. I've dabbled in BASIC with a Commodore 64 and the thousands of lines of code and the hours of debugging killed it for me. I'd imagine having a packaged game creation engine makes things a little less overwhelming. I'd check it out if you'd compile it (do you have to compile these?) and made it available.

The engine I'm using is a game creation program (MegaZeux) that dates back to the early 90's, where it ran in MS-DOS. It's still got a small internet community going (vault.digitalmzx.net) and every few months or so, a new updated version comes out for modern Windows. It's open source.

It's a limited engine in many, many ways, but it's fun to work in and requires no compiling. I can press ALT+T inside the editor and test my current screen right then and there. It's super nice to work with. There's absolutely no commercial prospects for a game made in this engine, probably, but it's a really fun hobby, since it really takes away the need for tedious debugging and such. I mean, I'm still coding stuff inside the engine in an engine-specific language called Robotic, but it's simple and pretty much something anyone who has the interest could learn.

I'm hoping to upload a version with some more actual gameplay in December somewhere. But it's very much a playable game at this point. It even runs pretty bug-free as far as I know.

[Plankton]

Originally Posted by MicShazam

The engine I'm using is a game creation program (MegaZeux) that dates back to the early 90's, where it ran in MS-DOS. It's still got a small internet community going (vault.digitalmzx.net) and every few months or so, a new updated version comes out for modern Windows. It's open source.

It's a limited engine in many, many ways, but it's fun to work in and requires no compiling. I can press ALT+T inside the editor and test my current screen right then and there. It's super nice to work with. There's absolutely no commercial prospects for a game made in this engine, probably, but it's a really fun hobby, since it really takes away the need for tedious debugging and such. I mean, I'm still coding stuff inside the engine in an engine-specific language called Robotic, but it's simple and pretty much something anyone who has the interest could learn.

I'm hoping to upload a version with some more actual gameplay in December somewhere. But it's very much a playable game at this point. It even runs pretty bug-free as far as I know.

I cut a lot of teeth with MS-DOS and AutoCAD, manipulating config.sys on a 386 and all that malarkey. They've understandably come a LONG way, but someone like me just loves the nostalgia (I just used this word), since it brings me back to the days of some of the first RPG's like Leisure Suit Larry, Pool of Radiance (D&D), and a few others. Looking forward to you putting it out there.

[Mindy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CbLXeGSDxg

[Unitron]

Originally Posted by MicShazam

The engine I'm using is a game creation program (MegaZeux) that dates back to the early 90's, where it ran in MS-DOS. It's still got a small internet community going (vault.digitalmzx.net) and every few months or so, a new updated version comes out for modern Windows. It's open source.

It's a limited engine in many, many ways, but it's fun to work in and requires no compiling. I can press ALT+T inside the editor and test my current screen right then and there. It's super nice to work with. There's absolutely no commercial prospects for a game made in this engine, probably, but it's a really fun hobby, since it really takes away the need for tedious debugging and such. I mean, I'm still coding stuff inside the engine in an engine-specific language called Robotic, but it's simple and pretty much something anyone who has the interest could learn.

Maybe I'll try it someday. If it's as simple as you say, maybe I could get somewhere with it. Are there any limitations with what games you can make with it?

[MicShazam]

Originally Posted by Unitron

Maybe I'll try it someday. If it's as simple as you say, maybe I could get somewhere with it. Are there any limitations with what games you can make with it?

There's a **** ton of limitations! Keep in mind it's based on an engine from 1991. You work with a modifiable ASCII character set for graphics. It can play .ogg and .wav for sound at least, so that's something. It's a super fun engine to work in if you wanna make some really old school looking stuff, but forget all about 3D and sophisticated 16 bit style 2d artwork. Good programmers have pushed the boundaries of what the engine can do, but you have to be realistic about what you feel like is fun to make.

I'm making a very retro looking turn based RPG game with some top-down dungeon exploration. That's well within the capabilities of the engine.

I've seen people make basic platformers, action games, tetris clones...

BTW: Coming up shortly, I've recorded playthroughs of your two Doom maps.