Skool Daze
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:41 pm
Hi all.
You may already know that, after experimenting in other areas such as isometric or 3D games, I was interested in digging deeper in other areas. One of those areas was tile-based games (I mean 2D) with many sprites around because I always wondered how they did that on the old 8-bit computers, mostly on those lacking hardware sprites.
The other area I was interested in was how to implement complex AIs (basically scripted ones) and handle them in such a game, beyond simple basic and repetitive movements or actions.
And there is one game that has both, which I enjoyed playing a lot and which is also quite well documented (there are commented sources on the web): Skool Daze.
For those not knowing about it (it was very popular in the Spectrum, but not so on the C64, even if such a version exists), have a look in youtube for some videos or google it to find some reviews and screenshots.
In the game you are a student in a typical school of the old days, and you suspect your report is not going to be nice this year, so you decide to steal it (the process is quite strange, starting for hitting the shields with your catapult or with your hand). And you have to do this while behaving and attending your schedule of classes, or you will be given lines as punishment. If you reach 10000 lines, you will be expelled and the game is over.
In addition you have to survive your mates: stereotypes such as a swot or a bully, who will make your task a bit more difficult.
The game is very addictive and full of very nice details, a real masterpiece released from Microsphere.
So I started working on it, with the idea of experimenting if such a thing could be done in an Oric. I was quite reluctant of posting anything about it, because I am not sure if I will ever be able to make something decent, but as the forum has been quite silent lately, I think I'd better change my mind.
Even I may start writting some posts about the technical details of how things are done, if I am in the mood
You know that I always leave the graphic details for the latest stages, and I am far from that, so the next two screenshots are not intended to be eye-candy, but to show that many many things are already programmed and working. In fact they are nearly monochrome... They should be transformed into something nicer with AIC mode... we will see...
There are many things yet to be done: you are not given lines for many actions (such as not being where you should be), you cannot hit shields (so cannot open the safe), many "special" things are still missing and the whole thing needs tweaking, but the engine is working and the (really impressively complex) AI system works!
So, all in all I am learning and having a good time with this...
Cheers
You may already know that, after experimenting in other areas such as isometric or 3D games, I was interested in digging deeper in other areas. One of those areas was tile-based games (I mean 2D) with many sprites around because I always wondered how they did that on the old 8-bit computers, mostly on those lacking hardware sprites.
The other area I was interested in was how to implement complex AIs (basically scripted ones) and handle them in such a game, beyond simple basic and repetitive movements or actions.
And there is one game that has both, which I enjoyed playing a lot and which is also quite well documented (there are commented sources on the web): Skool Daze.
For those not knowing about it (it was very popular in the Spectrum, but not so on the C64, even if such a version exists), have a look in youtube for some videos or google it to find some reviews and screenshots.
In the game you are a student in a typical school of the old days, and you suspect your report is not going to be nice this year, so you decide to steal it (the process is quite strange, starting for hitting the shields with your catapult or with your hand). And you have to do this while behaving and attending your schedule of classes, or you will be given lines as punishment. If you reach 10000 lines, you will be expelled and the game is over.
In addition you have to survive your mates: stereotypes such as a swot or a bully, who will make your task a bit more difficult.
The game is very addictive and full of very nice details, a real masterpiece released from Microsphere.
So I started working on it, with the idea of experimenting if such a thing could be done in an Oric. I was quite reluctant of posting anything about it, because I am not sure if I will ever be able to make something decent, but as the forum has been quite silent lately, I think I'd better change my mind.
Even I may start writting some posts about the technical details of how things are done, if I am in the mood
You know that I always leave the graphic details for the latest stages, and I am far from that, so the next two screenshots are not intended to be eye-candy, but to show that many many things are already programmed and working. In fact they are nearly monochrome... They should be transformed into something nicer with AIC mode... we will see...
There are many things yet to be done: you are not given lines for many actions (such as not being where you should be), you cannot hit shields (so cannot open the safe), many "special" things are still missing and the whole thing needs tweaking, but the engine is working and the (really impressively complex) AI system works!
So, all in all I am learning and having a good time with this...
Cheers