Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Cook That Bacon!

It's been a long 2013 so far, thanks to the Flu making itself known with a vengeance in the house, but we're back with a Mid-Month update on our One Game A Month Project for January, Bacon Run.

After the initial design and construction of 3D Level assets in Blender and some initial testing in Unity 3D, I was able to pull myself away from the brink of Flu-induced inactivity this weekend and correct some major issues with the meshes and game-play discovered after testing in early January.

A few tweaks to how the Maze Meshes were exported from Blender and the auto-smoothing problem was fixed, as well as how the materials were mapped in Blender, was a major boon to the overall look of the game.

Also added was a "Breadcrumb System"; a trail of breadcrumbs left in your wake to help backtrack through the maze when you take a wrong turn - this greatly assists the player in having a sense of awareness to their location, and prevents "Going In Circles" for an excessive amount of time.

One final feature added was a particle emitter from the goal, the Bacon-Monolith that is your prize at the end of each level - this also gives a sense of orientation to the player, greatly improving the time required to complete a level and keep it from becoming overly frustrating.

I've taken the liberty of documenting the creative process behind Bacon Run, more for me that anyone else, as the One Game A Month Challenge is a learning and growth tool.


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Bacon Run Day #1 Progress

After taking a much needed break over the holidays with my two wonderful children, work begins on my January Project for the One Game A Month Challenge, Bacon Run!

I imported a test level into Unity built in Blender, and begun creating the framework for the game around this.

After 6-hour(ish) of tinkering, I have the Day 1 Prototype Build posted online for those interested in checking it out - still very ugly and limited, but I'll be building up and out from here.

2013 IS GOING TO BE ONE FUN-FILLED YEAR!!!

Monday, December 31, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy 2013 Everyone!!!

Hello Word 2013

'Tis that time of year when we reflect on the passing of one year and prepare to usher in a new one!

2012 was an emotional roller coaster that saw tragic events that will be remembered for years, but also great celebrations of life and joy!

I for one am looking forward to 2013! 2012 was a year of progress for me personally and professionally, and I am pumped to turn that forward momentum into a year of success and growth! With the preparations for the One Game A Month Challenge underway, I am poised to make a name for myself and Stinky Pixel Entertainment, taking one giant step forward into the industry I've hovered at the edge of for so long!

Plus, the world didn't end in December 2012... you can't ask for more than that!

If you haven't yet, check out One Game A Month on twitter and check out the Profiles of the 2,354 Developers signed up to participate!

Stay Kilted My Friends!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

3D First Person Maze Game Under Developement

Stinky Pixel Entertainment is beginning development work on a yet unnamed "Rat Race" Maze game, built in Unity and modeling the maze levels in Blender. Based on the late 80's Maze Game Genre, and using the First Person viewpoint to navigate the complex mazes, Stinky Pixel hopes to blend the frustratingly enjoyable mechanics with an extremely outlandish and funny back story and in-game effects to create an addictive time-suck to keep everyone entertained.

Ten mazes have already been drafted and modeled for inclusion in the testing phase of the program, which is expected to begin in early January 2013.

A release date has not been given, but as this project is being developed as part of the One Game A Month Challenge, it will be released in 2013. Possible platforms include the PC, Mac, and Social Media sites such as Facebook. It is unknown if this game will be ported to mobile devices or console markets.

Below are some early screenshots of the levels created for the game:





Monday, December 17, 2012

'Tis the season...

Holiday Time is Family Time!

Make sure all of you take time and unplug for awhile - while (most of) you aren't a machine, you still need a break to recharge the batteries! Burn out and stress will ruin your project just as quickly as a bug in the game!

Happy Holidays, and stay Kilted my friends!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Family Who Kilts Together, Stays Together!

My 5-year old has been bugging my for months for his own Kilt, just like his old man. I surprised him this morning with an early Christmas present; his very own Irish Revenge Sport Kilt, the same style and pattern yours truly wears!

Stay Kilted My Friends!