Newton's Nightmare - 2.03

I know I'm flying through the versions quickly, but I have added a tutorial level. I intend to remedy my other observed problems in a slightly later release. Click these words to download the latest build. Don't be surprised if I don't post for any minor updates.

Newton's Nightmare - Reception

Today we presented the games we made in our GSP240 class in an open-house environment, allowing people from outside of the class to come in and play the games and allowing us to see each other's finished products. Through observing the people who were playing Newton's Nightmare, I took the following notes:

>It took a good deal longer for players to firmly grasp the concepts of the game, making me think that the learning curve is set too high. An introductory level may be advised.

>Although the music was frequently complimented and does suit the game, the inclusion of sound effects would be beneficial. Consider this.

>Players who understood the concepts still took time to master them. This is another point towards a bad learning curve.

>Players who took interest in the unique idea of the game seemed to progress much further, allowing for more gameplay and enjoyment. One woman requested the site from which to download the game.

>Name entry was not put in the most reasonable form. Letters should not require ENTER be pressed between them.

>Overall reception was good. Game should be more complete with the addition of a solid intro level.

From this information, I am considering modifying the game slightly yet again by adding an introductory level which will be played automatically the first time the game is started and presenting the player a brief tutorial of how the game works and the concepts of it. There are a few other tweaks I intend to make as well. However, for the most part the game is good, and if you'd like to download the current copy, you can here.

Newton's Nightmare - Release

Newton's Nightmare v2 - Release is now ready. The game is finished this time, with the addition of a game mode, a main menu, scoring system and music. Click this sentence to download it. Please take the time to view the Readme.txt for licensing information, as this game has been released under a Creative Commons license (mostly for the purpose of using the music). Speaking of, all music was found on Newgrounds.com, and a complete audio credits can be found on the main menu and in the Readme.txt file. Please leave any feedback on the game here or email me.

Newton's Nightmare Release & Exploration

I have placed an official release date on Newton's Nightmare; April 23rd, by 5 pm. I will, by then, have the game finished and a link online. Please check back at that time for the finished version.

In other news, I finished the exploration game for my GSP240 class. It turned out alright, or at least that's what everyone else says. I think it's my least-inspires most hammer-out work yet. I don't like it or what it represents. It presented few challenges during development and its story is insignificant. The gameplay is somewhat buggy and it has few redeeming factors. If I thought it could go somewhere I would finish it, but I don't think it can. It will not be released.

Newton's Nightmare Progress

I have been working on Newton's Nightmare, and it is almost done. Hopefully soon I will be able to publicly release it; about all I have left is the menu screen. I am happy with how it turned out, as I think it is an interesting concept and I think it is decently well-executed. I still get the feeling that it could be expended upon somehow, so if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them.

On another note, the exploration-based game for my 240 class turned out to be a point-and-click adventure around pictures of my apartment. The objective is to leave and get to class, and before then you have to find an assortment of things, including books, air freshener and breakfast. I don't plan to release this one online, mostly because it was put together quickly and I feel it is not of my highest caliber work.

Breakout Clone Progress

As planned, a group consisting of Richard Bell, Mike Sovey and Steve Louridas met with me to begin programming a breakout clone in native C++. Unfortunately the meeting was delayed by one day and so took place yesterday instead of Sunday because of scheduling issues, but when we met progress was excellent. We began with a discussion of what needed to be done, and I asked who wanted to do what. Rob seemed to have a general idea of how collision detection worked, so he took that portion of it (I believe it was the most difficult part of the project) while Sovey took the hierarchy of Collidable classes (including the paddle and blocks) and Steve took the rest of the Game class (which controls how the game actually runs). In all we finished more than half of what needed to be done, and I am excited to say that everyone present showed either some talent or motivation towards programming, which made me very happy. Hopefully they will realize how doable this kind of thing is and join the Awe+ Team to work on our engine.

In other news, I have come up with an idea of what kind of exploration game I will do for my GSP240 class; I was thinking of doing something in the style of the Submachine series on Newgrounds. It seems easy enough to do while at the same time being of at least good quality. To be honest I don't think it will be much, mostly because I only have 1 week left to do it in and I am not feeling too well at present. Hopefully it will be presentable though.

Breakout Clone

Tomorrow or Monday I plan to gather a group of 4-5 programmers together to work on a breakout clone. The intention here is to educate them in the game-related areas of C++ and build up their confidence so that they will feel less intimidated by larger projects, mainly the Awe+ Engine. Alright, I admit, it is sort of a recruitment thing, but I think it will work, or at least if nothing else teach them some things they need to know anyway. The truth of it all is, we haven't actually had any game programming assignments at DeVry yet; our programming classes have taught us some C++ and our game design classes have taught us the business end of games. I think it will be good for everyone involved.

Newton's Nightmare & Exploration

I have finished version 1 of "Newton's Nightmare," my gravity game for my GSP240 class. I am not particularly happy with it, but it will do for my class. If I choose to use this game at the expo at the end of this class, and I think I will, then I will add a better menu, better levels, and more sound effects. If you would like to see it, click here. The games have been shared with the class, and it seems that they took to mine well; many vowed to beat the last level (it has yet to be beaten all in one run).

In addition to this, the second game has been assigned: a game focusing on exploration. This will no doubt be very different from the first one, and I think it will be challenging to come up with something original for this one. I will post my progress soon.