The Field of Kings Journal

[Hguols]

I just stumbled upon this program and took a great interest in the game creation for PSP. This isn't my first rodeo with making games. I have two full length freeware games created with Sword of Moonlight, found at the URL below:
http://www.swordofmoonlight.com

Despite the lack of being able to save and not add sounds, I'm quite intrigued what can be done as far as PSP game creation and not only am I aiming to create something innovative, but I plan on following through with a full version game.

Attached is a demo. Images are generated from the Sword of Moonlight program. There is one monster fight, and a small area of the courtyard to explore. Battles are anatomy based. Hit the creature in the right spot before he hits you. For the time being, its one hit kills for everyone.

Any questions/comments/suggestions/complaints are welcomed.

I'm guessing production on this will take a few months, as I'm also recording another studio album.

EDIT: The Field of Kings Playable DEMO - Courtyard
http://www.swordofmoonlight.com/tfok_demoplay.zip

[reneuend]

Welcome to the AM forums!

I like your website and your work sounds very interesting.
Now, I'll download your demo and try it out! Best of luck with your development!

[Azodrak]

Very Good!!!!!!!!!!

I hope to play the full version soon.

[Hguols]

I just added another 15-18 images last night and hotlinks bringing the total image count to 41. I'm almost done with the courtyard area, but the whole game is going to take a while.

I have a total of 134 different enemy sprites to use so expect a variety of enemies. I may not use all of them, but I do have that many.

I just totaled up the areas based on my Sword of Moonlight map and the areas will be:

The Courtyard
The Lower Courtyard
The Forest
The Caves
The Blood Palace
The Garden Labyrinth
The King's Court
The Valley
The Dungeon Temple

Some areas are very big, like The Dungeon Temple and Blood Palace. Others, small, like the Lower Courtyard and The Forest.

Since there's no save function, all the areas will be available from the Area select. I have yet to work out the schematics for actually beating the game, but I'll try to make it something reasonable that can be done in a timely manner.

This project, I'll be tackling like eating an elephant. One bite at a time. Hopefully though, when it reaches completion, it will be one of the grandest Adventure Maker PSP projects ever made!

( ^ - ^)

[reneuend]

Wow! I don't own a PSP, I'm looking for an emulator to see if I can play this on a PC.

[Azodrak]

I played the demo, and although short, has been good to the rest of the project.

esperare news.

[Hguols]

Thanks!

Yeah, the demo is very short. Probably only 15-18 images. The full length project will have quite a few more. I guess I could post newer demo versions if requested.... or wait for the full length game and add to the presentation of the project.

Maybe when I finish the courtyard, I'll post another more interactive demo.

@reneuend, I haven't looked into it, but I noticed in the project properties I could change the target platform from PSP to PC. Would you get to play the game that way? (and would that not mess my project up?)

[reneuend]

No. Don't change it. I'll find a way!

[Hguols]

I got a lot accomplished today. I got the courtyard complete, including 12 enemy encounters between 8 different types of enemies. The fighting system works pretty well.

Enemies you kill DO NOT respawn if you die. Take some comfort in that if a couple of them get by you while you're searching for their weak spot. You won't have to re-fight anything.

This here is a playable demo, and a more suitable example of what the game is like. Once again, any questions/comments/complains/suggestions are welcome.

I couldn't get the forum's file attach to work, but here is a direct link to download from.

http://www.swordofmoonlight.com/tfok_demoplay.zip

Enjoy!!!!!

[reneuend]

Wow! Sounds like you are really grinding away at this project!

I downloaded an emulator, but I can't find a way to install the game to it because the installer wants you to connect the game device to your PC. Since I don't have a game device, its not going to detect one.

[Azodrak]

WOOOOOOOOOW


This is really VERY GOOD!!!

is the best Adventure Maker game for PSP I've tried.

Keep it up.

PS: Could you upload some pictures for others to see that this is the game.

[reneuend]

Azodrak, would you be willing to do a review of the game for the AM magazine when the game is finished?

[Gumbro]

Downloading now

[edit]

Very good! The atmosphere is great and I like the battle system a lot. Wait too long or click an incorrect spot, and the frame advances to a death scene. But are you using randomized monsters as well or does it only feel like that?

[edit2]

Figured out the random feel probably comes from the fact that monsters do not re-spawn. Nice touch.

[Hguols]

There's an adventure maker magazine?

@Gumbro, yeah, the monster encounters are not random. I'd have no idea how to code that, but it sounds like a pain anyway. I think as long as there's a variety, it'll be ok.

When it comes to battles, you can actually have another try at finding the attack spot if you miss the first time. However, you have a small time frame to do so. Most of the enemies in the playable demo have 4 seconds until they attack. Some like the Dark Spider, Blood Slime and The Dread Knight of Earth have just 3 seconds before they attack.

However, I figured out while making animated GIFs that about 1 second is eaten away just loading the image. Naturally, tougher enemies will attack quicker and have smaller hit boxes....

[reneuend]

It's an online magazine. You can see the URL in my signature below.


I gotta try this game out. There must be a way.

[Gumbro]

There is a way, just open the file 00124.a in your browser.

The hotspot roll-overs are kind of flashy, at least in Firefox, they don't stay on if your mouse is on one, but you should be able to test the game.

[edit]

Oh, using Firefox, the hotspots (but not the hotspot images) are mislocated for some reason, and flash when your mouse travels over them. Might make the fights a bit tough.

[reneuend]

(sad face) I'll see if I can just copy the files to the emulator and try that.

[Gumbro]

I'm playing that with Firefox right now Try it!

Navigation: screen top, left, right. You can see the direction arrow flash.

Fighting: Just click on monster head, body etc. Find the right spot to kill a monster.

[reneuend]

Crud! I died.

Very nice graphics. Sound would be nice...and if possible animated gifs.

Nice work!

[Hguols]

PS: Could you upload some pictures for others to see that this is the game.

Sure thing. I've meant to do that.
Here's various screens from the playable demo.






@reneuend, thanks! There are animated GIFs, but the animations are subtle. (as you can see a few of them above) though the enemies aren't animated. My own personal taste here, I kind of like that the only certain texts are animated. (like the intro, enemy encounters, new areas, etc.)

As far as sound clips/music is concerned, I had mixed feelings about this. I've been writing music for years and gaming type music is right up my alley. (having done some of that before)

Actually, this is the main theme of my Trismegistus game that I created.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1kzFuh_Gu8
If I could do something like this with The Field of Kings, that would be great.... but I'm actually a little relieved that a soundtrack isn't an option.

@Gumbro, sounds like you're getting the hang of the game! When I have this completed, I'm planning on having a readme with this. Some things about the finished game might need a little explanation...

[reneuend]

I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. Any chance you would build games for Windows?

[Hguols]

Considering I've already built two PC games with different software, probably not. I probably won't be able to get a good run in with working more on this game until my next day off work.

Besides, between this project, a new studio album, full time job, my marriage and social life, I'm full to the brim.

[reneuend]

I understand...I'm in a similar situation.

[Gumbro]

I think I've figured out the basics by now

The core gameplay Hguols demonstrated for us gives interesting possibilities for expanding on, such as multiple monsters of various sizes which have to be clicked within the time frame. Or traps which you have to disarm by clicking a right spot. The use of the timer is a game-changer compared to more traditional adventure game puzzles. The possibilities are endless, really.

Oddly enough, I'm reminded of Nintendo's WarioWare, in which you have just 5 seconds to figure out what to click. In fact, the same core gameplay can be done with Adventure Maker, I did not realize this until now.

[Hguols]

Yes Gumbro. I had the idea of using the time frame to my advantage. I didn't even think about it in relation to puzzles, but did it to try to simulate action. It does work.

Someone could do a multi-frame puzzle, where you have X number of seconds to solve each part, or you'll be taken back to frame 1.

If only the switching between frames were a little more seamless.... It would be a lot more convincing.

I might do something of this caliber once I get into the indoor sections of the game.
______________

Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to work more on the game since the last post. My off days are in the middle of the week, and when I do work, its 9 hour shifts.

Any little 100% me free time has gone to writing music. Soon though. I'll be working on the next area....

[Hguols]

I guess I figured wrong with the lower courtyard being smaller. Its actually going to be larger. The map I have for all the areas, I guess I didn't factor in the area leading to The Forest.

I've got all the normal frames for The Lower Courtyard done, but not the enemy frames for the area. Once I have them done, then I'll place them into AM.

Naturally, things are going a little quicker this time around, having worked out all my creation methods in the first area.

I might have to change the name of the area "The Caves" because I forgot there is a smaller cave in the forest, and the "caves" area is more like one giant cave.

"The Cavern" it is. ( ^ - ^)

I'll keep everyone posted on the game progress.

[Hguols]

I haven't spent much time on this project lately because I've been SOOOOOOOOOO geeked on the new music I've put together.
...and updating my own site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8tlxBdGRi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5yOsCUTArM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3w7rsiKhKA

Once the dust settles from this, I'll be back on it. Right now, I'm trying to get the attention of a few labels...

[Hguols]

I got quite a bit done today. I had the day off work, the wife was at work, so I decided to kill a few hours on making this game.

I have the Courtyard and Lower Courtyard completed. 102 images total. The setup file is close to 12 megs and has 506a's. (I'm guessing that's from the hotspots) Two areas down, 7 to go. Tried and tested, this is good to go.

I created the area select and credits section of the game as well. As far as the game menus are concerned, they're done. (I just have to add in link to the new areas when they're completed, which will be done in a few clicks.)

Each area will have a intro-gif. For those of you who played the demo and it says "The Courtyard" in letters that fade out, each area will have that. I also plan on making multiple "area intros" so you'll be reintroduced to each area as you leave one and enter the next. The Courtyard leads to The Lower Courtyard, The Valley and The King's Castle, so naturally, there will be 4 letter animations total just for that area. One for starting a new game, and the other three from returning from the aforementioned areas.

Encountered a minor problem that was easy to overcome. The Adventure Maker program is sensitive to file names. Trying to upload a different file from a different folder with the same name results in "uploading" the first image on file.

Since I'm separating each area into their own folder, I've just been adding a number in each file name so I won't run into that again.

Next area to work on, The Forest....

[reneuend]

Awesome work, Hguols! I'm glad you're back to working on it and I'm looking forward to playing the next update.

[Hguols]

Absolutely I'm working on this. You'll find out that I'm a man of my word and I'll be the last person to start something and disappear into nothing. (unless some freak incident happens in my life, which, if I were crushed by a piano, none of you would ever know...)

I did a little change of pace and created a map.

The Field of Kings Map

This is of the entire layout of the game. Naturally, The Courtyard and The Lower Courtyard are complete, and I'm working on the forest area right now.

Its huge and there's a lot to look at. Sorry I didn't include a legend or anything. Most of the icons are rock formations, trees, pillars, ruins, etc. I realized in creating this, it would be a spoiler for The Garden Labyrinth. Cest la Vie.

I plan on including a map with the game install, when I'm completed with the game.