Ludum Dare 12 and jClassicRPG updates

Ludum Dare 12 starts in three hours. There are three lists of hints for python game programmers who are going to join the competition: SolHSA’s, mrfun's and GBGames'. Hints that help you be resourceful, constructive and alive before, during and after the contest.

jClassicRPG is getting bigger, prettier and cooler.

By the way: Orbit-Hopper does work on my machine. Only the 1.16 build creates segfaults. 1.15 works fine. (Though suffers from extreme slowdown when I try to record it.)

OpenArena 0.8.0

Post Scriptum: OpenArena 0.8.0 has arrived in a bigger than 300 MB archive. It contains some new media and "mission packs"

Missionpack is basically the trademarkless codename of Quake III Team Arena game code and since we've completed the minimal essential assets for it in this version it's 'playable' to the extent where you can score points in Harvester, Overload and One Flag CTF nicely. Among the game types is the 'annoying voice system' where you press a key and it says stuff audibly.

I don't really understand, but will check it out in 2.5 minutes.

Post Scriptum 2: The Uzebox will apparently be completely free as in freedom. As this note appeared yesterday on the project's homepage:

Following many requests, all sources and schematics will be published by August 24th '08. That's pretty soon so stay tuned! And everything will be released under fully free, open source licenses...open software, open hardware...hope you enjoy!

Reading material

I finally managed to compile and play Be The Wumpus (using the CVS version). I had some trouble finding out how the controls work, but then found out that you don't turn in 90-degree steps and that you have to attack (space) to make the humans squeak in fear. I immediately started hunting down and consuming those two-legged pieces of meat.

I am amazed by how this game appeals to your hunting instincts. It's also a game which will give you a break from ruining your eyes, as keeping them closed while playing makes it easier (and more fun). Now I just have to wait untill it's night, so I can go hunting at full darkness!

Orbit-Hopper split-screen

I tried playing Orbit-Hopper, but it appears that my outdated GeForce 5200 isn't enough. Which is a shame, I'd love to try a pretty and improved version of Skyroads. And Orbit-Hopper is supposed to be just that. It even has split-screen support and a level editor and I imagine both might be impressive.

Bughunter2 and Tranberry are working on Burning Dust, which will become a 2D RTS engine and then a game, using Hard Vacuum graphics. There's also a game design/brain storm document in the works.

Project Alexandria is a 2D gravity arcade space shooter containing some plot. I find the gravity part somewhat hard, but the overall game rather entertaining.

Justinnichol's sci-fi art, fonts and drawings are available under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

PURITY

PURITY is a minimalistic ioq3-based shooter and looks very interesting to me [video]. I was unable to try it, as there are no GNU/Linux binaries and the required GTKRadiant is not easy to compile.

A very resourceful discussion on managing free game projects was started by Brendan on the Dungeon Hack forums.

He explains that the most important rules for a game developing community are:

• Showing off progress


• Being nice and friendly


• Using shared code & content repositories


• Documenting code

It also appears that Anna Kournikova is the biggest enemy of volunteer game projects because she will start dating your best coder, making him unavailable for the project.

Since I have started giving reading recommendations: this blog will knock your socks off! It's a news blog for the being-developed, non-free* MMO game "love".

You will be either impressed by the fresh ideas or by how nifty the author introduces his views, so that you are tricked into thinking he is so right, which at the same time makes you love his game, as it's design follows his views.

*I'm talking about this kind of free by the way.